Keynotes and UK NBS Specification

[Davied2]

Hi all

Over here in the UK we use NBS for our specifications. I have read a little about eSpecs and was wondering if there is anything available for the UK users with regards to Revit and NBS.

Or

Do any UK Revit users have any clever ways to incorporate Revit and NBS?

I know that this is quite a talking point in our company - we have 50 seats of Revit and would be really greatful to hear what other people are doing with keynotes.

Regards

Dave

[robert.manna]

Especs basically uses the assembly code data of your revit objects to derive the specification. They can custom map the assembly codes to any entry, so it may be possible to integrate with NBS, though you would have to contact them. I believe one of their caveats in their documentation is that they can work with any something something in something something format, to drive the specification generation. We have a couple seats, however we have not yet had the opprotunity to really test drive it yet, as project deadlines have a nasty habit of popping up...

Keynotes being so new, we also haven't done much with them yet. The current thinking is that for now we will make use of Revit's default table, however we will look to customize it to our own standards. We intend for each project to make a copy of the Burt Hill default table, so that each project has its own copy, then each project can modify it as needed. Revit can be set to look for the keynote table in the sameplace as the central file, so this should work ok. The next step after that would be to figure out someway for the a final specification (originally based on an outline spec generated from E-specs) to drive the keynote table, so that we can essentially "round trip" the information, ie create Revit model -> outline spec generated from revit model -> project keynote table updated and modified by final specification -> notes/tags in Revit updated automatically to match specification, by keynote table. Thus maintining data integrity, and assuring a tighter coordination between model and spec. It also means that in some case you could get away with just chaning a "note" in Revit, without having to change all the elements properties (though in a perfect world you would do that too.

-R

[gbrowne]

50 seats?! Thats a lot of seats. Could you lot be the biggest UK user?

Oops, sorry for interrupting...

[ejburrell67787]

I thought the keynotes were NBS based for the UK release of Revit anyway?

[Davied2]

Hi

Yes keynotes are set up for UK NBS but I was wondering if any other UK based firm has any wonderful ways ot linking the keynotes table in Revit to the Word document NBS or if there is anything that they do to make life easier when producing NBS.

In answer to Gbrowne's post I actually I think we have slightly more than 50 seats over five offices Cardiff, Bristol, London, Truro, Plymouth.

Anyone with any keynotes tips or tricks please let me know.

Regards

Dave

[Andrew Dobson]

David,

I have asked especs about a UK NBS version of their software before, and they said that this was not currently planned but may be in the future.

My company is considering buying Revit, and I would be very interested to know about your experiences as we would potentially need 50 or so licenses ourselves.

If your could help, or if you would like some more details of who I contacted at especs, my email is andrewdobsonATpmt.co.uk (@ removed for spam reasons!)

[smcgrady]

You may want to view the e-SPECS on-line demos at www.e-SPECS.com to see the integration of Revit BIM and the AIA MASTERSPEC as well as other collaboration and product research tools. If this is of interest with the target specs being NBS please let me know at smcgrady at e-SPECS.com as it will help to move this higher up the priority ladder.

thanks,
Seamus

[stephen.hamil]

I know this thread is long dead, but it is top of a Google Search term for Revit and NBS.

If anyone is interested in exporting clauses from NBS project specfications to Revit keynote format please check out the blog post below:

http://constructioncode.blogspot.com...revit-and.html

Stephen

[Andrew Dobson]

Thanks Stephen.

Any news on when the 2010 release of NBS is going to take place?

[stephen.hamil]

Andrew,

Sorry for the delay in replying - the NBS Building 2010-1 update with the keynote export and the annotation work should be with you first week in April. We're just wrapping it up now.

Stephen