best practice?

[jessica.146534]

I need some help figuring out the best way to set up a project. It's a big restoration job where there will be hundreds of replacement terra cotta pieces. I have the overall building modeled and now I need to start adding the details for all the replacement parts.

In the past, I would draw the individual elements in ACAD in plan, section, & elevation and maybe even try to "fake" an axonometric view, all with dimensions. Since I'm using Revit now, I was thinking that I could do this in 3D. The problem I'm having is setting up the views - with so many different pieces, it seems like an organizational nightmare. These are the options I've come up with so far (please let me know if any of these would work better, or if there is another way of doing this):

make a 3D mass of each element in the central project file
make each element its own family and import them all
set up a new project file for the replacement pieces and then link that with the other file


Would any of these work better than the others? I guess my question is where do I put all the little pieces-parts in relation to the overall building model? Do I just float them way out in space so they don't show up in my building plans and elevations?

I'm not sure if this makes any sense, but I just don't know where my next step is. I hope someone can help!
Thanks in advance!

[gbrowne]

Could you not draft the pieces as details, then populate the drawing using call outs? I guess the problem there is if you want to actually model the pieces, you will need to export a jpeg from the family, then stick that in the draughting view. Could you just fake draft them in old fashioned axionometric?

You want them dimensioned, huh..? I would have thought modelling them all in 3D will be a bit of a drag..

Am I understanding your issue correctly?

[jessica.146534]

It seems like "faking" it in drafting views kinda defeats the purpose of using a 3D program. I'm able to get all the dimensioning to work out when I draw them in 3D but I'm not sure how to organize all the pieces so they're not overlapping each other.

[DoTheBIM]

Not sure I'm following, but if you have hundreds of the same widget to place. I'd make a 3D family and place it in the project model as needed. if you need to detail said widget, you then just make appropriate views in the project and annotate/dimension as needed.

Linking wasn't really meant for linking what should be family files (although a curious idea for other purposes), and rumor has it in-place anything (3D masses) suck for various reasons....but people use Revit in unconventional ways all the time. Just know (or find out) what the advantages/disadvantages of different methods are before proceeding... and know what your end game is and pick the appropriate path.

[jessica.146534]

I have hundreds of DIFFERENT objects and I don't really want to place them in the model, I just want to draw them once, dimension them, and put them on a sheet.

What I've done so far is make a new workset and NOT have it visible by default in all views (so all my little bits and pieces won't show up all over the place). So I figured out the visibility thing, now I just need to see if I can get all the views to work out. I'll keep you all posted as I struggle through this. Wish me luck!

[DoTheBIM]

So you need to detail hundreds of different somethings that are not represented in any other view of the model? Guess I'm not picturing what you're trying to accomplish. At this point it sounds like you could work in ACAD... and just link in the details to revit drafting views (if needed for inclusion of a set of sheets with the main project file)...

[rganter.97143]

In lieu of lots of separate worksets you could also use far clipping or a scope box for each view in order to screen out unwanted background.

[jessica.146534]

Roland, that's what I was thinking. I have one workset for all the terra cotta elements and then was planning on clipping all my views so they don't overlap. So far so good but I've only done a couple masses.

Thanks for your help everyone!

[rganter.97143]

You're welcome, I used to work for a restoration consultant in New York years ago, so I know what it's like to document each stone or TC unit on a facade.

[t1.shep]

I would suggest contacting Hunter Douglas Facades (www.hdfacades.com). I setup an entire Revit system for terracotta for them (but have since changed jobs). Tell them Tristan sent you.