Automated Drawing Register/Issue Sheet in Revit?

[barrie.sharp]

Has anyone automated registers in Revit. I thought that Revit would already be set up for this but the Drawing List schedule lacks parameters. Is this something you guys do or is it much simpler to keep an external document?

[Scott Womack]

Has anyone automated registers in Revit. I thought that Revit would already be set up for this but the Drawing List schedule lacks parameters. Is this something you guys do or is it much simpler to keep an external document?

I use it religiously, even for consultant's drawings done in AutoCAD. Yes I typically make some custom parameters, at the project (and default template) levels. These allow me to sort the sheets in a manner to get around the straight alphabetical sorting Revit does by default. I do have to educate my Revit based consultants on the use, and need of filling out these parameters, as well as stay on them to continue to do it.

As for consultants in AutoCAD, I have a separate Revit file with nothing but blank sheets in it. The look of those blank titleblocks don't matter, just the parameter information. When we get an update, I go through their list of drawings, and update/ create any additional blank sheets. Next time I open the main project, all sheet data is updated on my cover sheet.

[barrie.sharp]

I assume you link the blank into your main project to schedue the DWG's. Brilliant!

I don't suppose there's a tutorial or suggestions about how to go about it the issue sheet? I can't think how to enter the revision of each sheet for each issue date. I'm staring at a blank canvas and I haven't got to grips with custom parameters :?. I don't suppose you know what the count field is for in the Drawing List Schedule? Surely you can only have one of each sheet.

Thanks for being on the ball with my questions :beer:

[Scott Womack]

In the Project, I create two additional Instance Parameters. Sheet Discipline (Text), and Sheet Sort Order (Integer), and apply them to Drawing Sheets. Then the Drawing Index schedule is set to sort on Sheet Sort Order, then by Sheet Discipline. The Sheet Discipline provides the Headings in the Schedule like Cover Sheet, ARCHITECTURAL, STRUCTURAL, etc. The Sheet Sort Order provides the ability to get COVER SHEET or GENERAL and CIVIL to appear in the list prior to ARCHITECTURAL disciplines.

Yes the Consultants Sheets Revit File is Linked in, and the Drawing List set to include sheets from Links.

A Side Benefit is that the Browser can have the sheets in your file sorted in Order that they would appear in the Set. Now if we could only get the Print Order to follow this sorting....

[Rick Houle]

Are you looking for something like the schedule image below..?

These columns were done with custom parameters that link back to the Tblock.
The "X" placed in each column can also be text...

[Scott Womack]

These columns were done with custom parameters that link back to the Tblock.
The "X" placed in each column can also be text...


I am assuming these are "manual" shared parameters in each sheet/titleblock? These are nor actually ties to the Revit Revision history are they?

[barrie.sharp]

Appreciate the thoughts. Works for issuing a list showing the most current set. I was hoping to show the revision history something like ricks example. I have uploaded a copy of what we have used in the past. Do I need to show previous issue sets or should I just keep it simple and show the current set?

[jenradicella]

Rick - That is what I am looking to do with our titleblock, and I currently have it set up to appear the way I want it, but I need that information to transfer back to the titleblock, so that if I put an 'x' in the SD column, then Schematic Design and issue date show up in my titleblock, similar to the way that revisions work.

Do you know if there is a way to do this?

[thillhouse]

Along the same lines, is there any way to have the revision show up in the drawing index?

From SD thru CD-check set we have used parameters to show what sheets have been issued for which issuance. Now that we are going to bid, we are taking all the previous issue parameters off and using the revision by sheet feature...

I'd like to put a tick or bullet next to each sheet that is being issued for bid and then Addendum 1..2...3 etc...

Can I use the revision number to do that? I can't seem to find the revision number in the parameter sets to add to the drawing index...

Thanks

Tim

[Scott Womack]

In 2009 you could not. In Revit 2010 you can.

[gbrowne]

This is my convoluted solution to a revit automated drawing issue sheet.

I have an issue titleblock with the various parameters, client name, project address, job number etc as per a regular titleblock.

I then lay a drawing list schedule over the top of it, which is great as it lists all the drawings. I can create issue dates using project parameter fields, but then have to manually insert the relevant issues (!) This is annoying as the info exists, but I need to insert it as not all drawings are issued each time, so I can't just use the current revision field.. grrr...

I then have to insert little numbers for the bit at the top and the bottom.

It sounds like a pain, but it works kinda smoothly but I want all this to be automatic! My sheets are set up to allow the revision number to appear in the revision schedule, but they don't appear in the drawing list. I want this all to work together!

Am I missing something?!

[thillhouse]

Thanks Scott, I'll have to wait till the next project to use 2010 but look formawrd to trying this.

Tim

[kathy71046]

I'm guessing they still haven't come to the party with the issue date, as i can now automatically show the current rev (yaay!) but I still have to manually insert text for the issue date.

Anyone have some kind of work around for showing the date?

[Elmo]

Hmm if your talking about inside your revision schedule then you will need to update manually. What I usually prefer is to have the date/time stamp on the outside edge of my border to record when I printed so that people can know when I issued my drawings.

[barrie.sharp]

I do the same, Time and Date stamp with a drawing schedule showing current revision. I also show a revision schedule at the bottom to list descriptions. I have to edit the view properties to add the latest revision each time. When I publish a set, it goes in it's own folder labelled with format and date and I always issue a copy of the drawing schedule to go with it. It keeps a record using actual drawings. It works for us but our document sets are relatively small.

[kathy71046]

Yea, I do mean in the drawing schedule, the info is there when you create the rev, and give it a date. Not sure why the "date" field in the schedule can't simply display it, as it does in the revision schedule.

I used to always have the timestamp set up too, although it doesn't help if you are looking on the cover sheet, as that won't tell you when page 27 was printed (or issued), and that also doesn't necesarily mean the "print date" was the issue date.

Also if I print to paper one day and issue it, just because I print a week later to pdf, doesn't mean it changed at all.

Anyway, better get myself to work, thanks for the replies....still doing it the old way then :S

[barrie.sharp]

I used to always have the timestamp set up too, although it doesn't help if you are looking on the cover sheet, as that won't tell you when page 27 was printed (or issued), and that also doesn't necesarily mean the "print date" was the issue date.

Also if I print to paper one day and issue it, just because I print a week later to pdf, doesn't mean it changed at all.


I always publish an entire set at any given time. I have found this essential in a Revit model since I can inadvertantly change other views and it helps identify mistakes. I always create the set in PDF for record keeping and all hard copies come from PDF and never straight out of Revit so the timestamp is consistant.

I know I do things different but we don't record issue dates, I only have an interest in published dates since that ties in with changes to the model. Our guys can then issue any documents from the current set with a copy of the drawing schedule to indicate which drawings are current to check against any drawings they already have. An email record is kept to confirm issues.

We do small jobs so I appreciate my methods won't be suitable for everyone but Revit has tought me to re-evaluate tradition and look at what works best for the practice. Alot of conventions come from AutoCAD which needed carefull tracking but Revit tends to do most of the job by virtue that it's a model, so tracking the model does more than tracking sheets.

[Munkholm]

Yea, I do mean in the drawing schedule, the info is there when you create the rev, and give it a date. Not sure why the "date" field in the schedule can't simply display it, as it does in the revision schedule.


You can enter the date within the desciption field, and then have it showing in the schedule... not perfect, but better than manual input.
See this Blog post (http://revit-nightmares.blogspot.com/2009/10/revision-date-on-drawinglist.html) for further information :beer:

[Mr Spot]

Just answering the first question, but there are API tools available that do all this and still allow you to have an excel or word transmittal document that is connected directly with the Revit files.

Sure you can create sheet lists in Revit and add shared parameters for the various sections, but then you need to make sure that all these shared parameters are in all your Revit files (easy if you add them to the template), you'll need manually enter values all the time to have the information schedule in the correct order and ultimately is difficult to get the output you require with Revit's limited schedule controls and exporting to excel is just messy. So I'd certainly suggest you have a look at what's available.

Sorry guys, I'm trying not to advertise here by stating the facts etc... I hope this is just seen as providing an answer to the original question.

[dbartlett]

That's ok Chris, we understand a man has to make a buck...
The Xrev products are very interesting and I look forward to trialling soon.
Regards from Arabia, Dale

[john755821]

I have started an 'Idea", please follow link to support.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/drawing-issue-register/idi-p/7356602

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