jarom
2011-03-30, 10:37 PM
We just finished another big project in Revit MEP 2011. These are some of the issues we had with Revit. These things have cost thousands of dollars to to "Workarounds". Hey Autodesk a 'workaround' is not a fix, it is what we had to figure out while you head was up your hoo-ha. Trying to explain how the MEP disciplines work for the MEP programmers is like asking a Blind man to paint a house. Let's hope they have addressed these in 2012.
1. Cannot insert fills, patterns or hatches on families. For example our particular company differentiates power panels and non-power panel with solid patterns. You cannot create a panel family with a solid pattern, you could insert a symbol with a pattern, but the symbol will scale.
2. Exporting drawing files from Revit to AutoCAD, it would seem that families that have symbolic lines create block when exported to AutoCAD. Families that have generic symbols inserted create multi-line object when exported to AutoCAD. All of the symbols and symbolic lines in a family should be turned into a block when exported to AutoCAD
3. When exporting text into AutoCAD from Revit, the multiline text within the editor dialogue box has its own properties within the mtext block. This means that editing text must be done one multi-line text block at a time, you must open the editor select all the text and change it all to by layer, by style.
4. Why do ceiling plans in the Electrical discipline not show walls and other structures, unlike the ceiling plans in the Architectural discipline? They should be the same.
5. There needs to be some Boolean commands for modeling objects. The tools for creating families with voids are very limited.
6. There needs to a snap override for circuiting. A way to turn off the endpoint, midpoint, center, etc. and to select the electrical connector.
7. The ability for Revit to circuit is an awesome feature. However, it would be nice to group the circuiting to the switching system. If you have a room and a corridor, currently Revit circuits them randomly or by the nearest fixture. Why can’t Revit circuit the fixture that go to the switch in the room, circuit the corridor fixtures to the motion sensor system, and then circuit the corridor and room together, so that circuiting is grouped?
2/5/2008
8. We need the ability to snap schedules and views on sheets to invisible layout lines. Currently there is no way on lining objects up on a sheet. The whole point of CAD drawings are precision and speed. Revit has neither.
9. There needs to be an easier way of converting existing families from object based to face based. Having to completely recreate families because the copy monitor feature is overcomplicated take too much time.
2/28/2011
1. Switch boards and panelboards need to be separated in the panel drop down list when circuiting. The can be in the same drop down, but since the panelboards and switch board are different and have different functions they should be separated.
2. When circuiting to a panelboard it should first go down one side of the panel and then the other. For instance circuiting should go 1,3,5 and so on before going to 2,4,6 and so on. It should not go 1,2,3,4 and so on. This is because phases are sometimes grouped so that common neutral can be shared.
3. There needs to be a visibility graphics Exception. Just as you can hide and element in view you must be able to allow an exception to be visible in view. A prime example is to allow a Lighting Fixture on a power plan. This is because a Light Fixture has certain schedulable parameters that power devices do not. Turning on the category does not help because you would have to hide everything except the few devises that are to be left on and every new device added in the category would have to be hidden thereafter. Filtering would require doing too many steps for such a simple thing.
4. Switch board should specify whether a breaker is 1, 2 or 3 pole.
5. We need the ability to order panelboards and switch boards by name and not just by proximity.
6. Generic Annotations used in vertically hosted Face Based devices. The Electrical and Fire Alarm devices work correctly. The lighting and other family need to work the same. The issue is that for a vertically mounted Face Based light fixture, like a sconce needs a Generic Annotation so that it will scale relative to the plans dimensional scale. Otherwise the fixture symbol would be too small on a 1/4" plan when it is too large on a 1/16" plan.
7. Arrays need to allow (1) as a minimum. There are time when an array need only show 1 section so that duplicate families are not necessary.
8. When using a Type Catalog Yes/No parameters need to be a valid definition.
9. In the Family Editor, the Texture Editor the dimensional parameters are not consistent with the other dimensional parameters in Revit.
10. We need the ability to make different line types for wires. Such as overhead and underground wiring. Even though the wire type is the same a underground wire needs to be a hidden line.
11. When drawing Model Lines the Modify/Place Lines tab disappears at times. This must be a program glitch.
12. In the Family editor we need the ability to create a parameter that cannot be removed once activated.
13. Families need the ability to "Add Leader" like annotations. There are instances when devices are too close together or stacked and cannot be properly show on floor plan symbology. Being able to take one symbol and leader it off its hosted location.
14. Invisible lines should be Visible so that they can still be seen and used when drawing but do not plot or print. They should work like no-plot lines and layers in AutoCAD.
15. When element Tags are changed to Free End from Attached the Arrow and Tag should remain where it is. 99% of the time the arrow or leader need only be moved a little.
16. We need an auto fill function when inputting information in schedules.
17. There needs to be a 'Hard Return' function when filling out schedules.
18. The Default Height needs to be a schedulable parameter. Occasionally we need to adjust the height of outlets to above counter and since Default Height is not a schedulable parameter the long tedious of finding the each out must be done in a view as opposed to a scheduled list of devices.
19. We need better program feedback when errors occurs. How does one know how to fix an error and how does one know if it was fixed.
20. Panelborad should size themselves based on their load according to NEC standards. But it must also be a parameter the can be overridden.
To be continued.....
1. Cannot insert fills, patterns or hatches on families. For example our particular company differentiates power panels and non-power panel with solid patterns. You cannot create a panel family with a solid pattern, you could insert a symbol with a pattern, but the symbol will scale.
2. Exporting drawing files from Revit to AutoCAD, it would seem that families that have symbolic lines create block when exported to AutoCAD. Families that have generic symbols inserted create multi-line object when exported to AutoCAD. All of the symbols and symbolic lines in a family should be turned into a block when exported to AutoCAD
3. When exporting text into AutoCAD from Revit, the multiline text within the editor dialogue box has its own properties within the mtext block. This means that editing text must be done one multi-line text block at a time, you must open the editor select all the text and change it all to by layer, by style.
4. Why do ceiling plans in the Electrical discipline not show walls and other structures, unlike the ceiling plans in the Architectural discipline? They should be the same.
5. There needs to be some Boolean commands for modeling objects. The tools for creating families with voids are very limited.
6. There needs to a snap override for circuiting. A way to turn off the endpoint, midpoint, center, etc. and to select the electrical connector.
7. The ability for Revit to circuit is an awesome feature. However, it would be nice to group the circuiting to the switching system. If you have a room and a corridor, currently Revit circuits them randomly or by the nearest fixture. Why can’t Revit circuit the fixture that go to the switch in the room, circuit the corridor fixtures to the motion sensor system, and then circuit the corridor and room together, so that circuiting is grouped?
2/5/2008
8. We need the ability to snap schedules and views on sheets to invisible layout lines. Currently there is no way on lining objects up on a sheet. The whole point of CAD drawings are precision and speed. Revit has neither.
9. There needs to be an easier way of converting existing families from object based to face based. Having to completely recreate families because the copy monitor feature is overcomplicated take too much time.
2/28/2011
1. Switch boards and panelboards need to be separated in the panel drop down list when circuiting. The can be in the same drop down, but since the panelboards and switch board are different and have different functions they should be separated.
2. When circuiting to a panelboard it should first go down one side of the panel and then the other. For instance circuiting should go 1,3,5 and so on before going to 2,4,6 and so on. It should not go 1,2,3,4 and so on. This is because phases are sometimes grouped so that common neutral can be shared.
3. There needs to be a visibility graphics Exception. Just as you can hide and element in view you must be able to allow an exception to be visible in view. A prime example is to allow a Lighting Fixture on a power plan. This is because a Light Fixture has certain schedulable parameters that power devices do not. Turning on the category does not help because you would have to hide everything except the few devises that are to be left on and every new device added in the category would have to be hidden thereafter. Filtering would require doing too many steps for such a simple thing.
4. Switch board should specify whether a breaker is 1, 2 or 3 pole.
5. We need the ability to order panelboards and switch boards by name and not just by proximity.
6. Generic Annotations used in vertically hosted Face Based devices. The Electrical and Fire Alarm devices work correctly. The lighting and other family need to work the same. The issue is that for a vertically mounted Face Based light fixture, like a sconce needs a Generic Annotation so that it will scale relative to the plans dimensional scale. Otherwise the fixture symbol would be too small on a 1/4" plan when it is too large on a 1/16" plan.
7. Arrays need to allow (1) as a minimum. There are time when an array need only show 1 section so that duplicate families are not necessary.
8. When using a Type Catalog Yes/No parameters need to be a valid definition.
9. In the Family Editor, the Texture Editor the dimensional parameters are not consistent with the other dimensional parameters in Revit.
10. We need the ability to make different line types for wires. Such as overhead and underground wiring. Even though the wire type is the same a underground wire needs to be a hidden line.
11. When drawing Model Lines the Modify/Place Lines tab disappears at times. This must be a program glitch.
12. In the Family editor we need the ability to create a parameter that cannot be removed once activated.
13. Families need the ability to "Add Leader" like annotations. There are instances when devices are too close together or stacked and cannot be properly show on floor plan symbology. Being able to take one symbol and leader it off its hosted location.
14. Invisible lines should be Visible so that they can still be seen and used when drawing but do not plot or print. They should work like no-plot lines and layers in AutoCAD.
15. When element Tags are changed to Free End from Attached the Arrow and Tag should remain where it is. 99% of the time the arrow or leader need only be moved a little.
16. We need an auto fill function when inputting information in schedules.
17. There needs to be a 'Hard Return' function when filling out schedules.
18. The Default Height needs to be a schedulable parameter. Occasionally we need to adjust the height of outlets to above counter and since Default Height is not a schedulable parameter the long tedious of finding the each out must be done in a view as opposed to a scheduled list of devices.
19. We need better program feedback when errors occurs. How does one know how to fix an error and how does one know if it was fixed.
20. Panelborad should size themselves based on their load according to NEC standards. But it must also be a parameter the can be overridden.
To be continued.....