Transfer AutoCAD details to Revit

[diesellam]

What's the best way to transfer the AutoCAD 2d details in (.DWG) format to Revit Architecture?

I mean I want them to look the same in both AutoCAD and Revit and referenicing them.

Thanks in advance,
David

[GenreNomad]

one way is to link the CAD (.dwg) file which would retain the "CAD" look although it would look out of place in regards to the other Revit based details. a linked file will act like an xref.

another way (which I prefer) is to import the DWG (delete it when you are done), draft with detail lines over the CAD file and insert Revit based text and dims. Although this process does not allow for the detail to change if the CAD file changes, it will look like the CAD detail but have the joys of being a Revit based detail and not look as wonky.

As for Referencing, any detail (drafting) view can be referenced by a call out as long as the "Reference other view:" box is checked in the options bar. The detail view has to be created before attempting to reference that view though. (as far as I know)

I hope this helps.

[david_peterson]

Simple answer is Don't Do It.
If you are trying to convert typ acad details into typ drafting view details in revit, as was mentions, is to link the cad file into your drafting view, trace it with revit lines and or detail components, and delete the Acad detail.
If you simply trying to find a quick and fast, dirty way to drop in a few details from past projects, the easiest way is to print the cad file as a .jpeg and insert the image.
If you are modeling in Revit (for CD's for plans, elevations and other basics) but detailing the building in Cad. Keep it that way. Create dummy sheets in Revit, cut the section where it should be cut. Put the Revit detail on the dummy sheet and assign it the correct number. Print the Revit sheets from Revit and Detail sheets from Cad. I've done this on my last 4 projects to save time and budget. I have a ton of details already done in cad. Also when I move a wall, I don't have to go back and fix all the reinf and other stuff.
Revit detailing has improved, but for me (on the structural side) I get what I can easily get from the model and I do the rest in cad.
Just my thought.

[diesellam]

I should have clarified a little bit more. The situation is like this.

The client doesn't want to have both revit file and acad file for the same project. He prefers to have just 1 revit file that has everything (model and details)

Is there a way I can link the DWG file of the details. Explode the link and it will become independent?

[cdatechguy]

I should have clarified a little bit more. The situation is like this.

The client doesn't want to have both revit file and acad file for the same project. He prefers to have just 1 revit file that has everything (model and details)

Is there a way I can link the DWG file of the details. Explode the link and it will become independent?

While the ability is there to explode a dwg file in Revit....its suggested not to as your Revit model will inherit all the linetypes, fill patterns, and line patterns that were stored away in the dwg file...

We trace our dwg's into Revit how Nomad suggested....then we never touch the dwg version again...

[diesellam]

If all those things (linetypes, etc.) get inherited, can we purge them all after the explode or it's not doable?

[RobG]

it sucks to say it, but the best thing you can do for yourself in the long term is to invest the time needed to convert the details over, by retracing them in revit.

I know, EVERYONE thinks (including myself once upon a time) "my lord that'll take forever, what a waste" and then one day you realize that it's worth it. Not to mention, it's a GREAT way to practice drafting in Revit. Next thing you know, you won't even be debating it, whenever a DWG needs to be used, you'll trace it without thinking twice!

[gtarch]

We did transfer our whole ACAD detail library to Revit, and we did not retrace them.

We dumped bunches of them into a blank revit file, exploded them and then grouped all the objects and text, and mapped them over to revit styles. Then we cut & pasted them into a 2nd clean revit file, so we did not import any of the garbage from the exploded details.

Using this method, you can do a lot of conversions very quickly. Which is what we needed because, let's face it, re-drafting them nicely in Revit one by one is a time-consuming process - especially if you are still getting up to speed with the other elements involved in flipping from ACAD to Revit. So we got the whole library converted at once quickly, and put the ACAD on the shelf.

We are now in the process of cleaning up those details and/or re-drafting them as needed, using more Revit oriented drafting elements. We are doing that cleanup as we go. Some of these converted details may never be used again, but we still have them in the Revit library for reference, and can be reviewed as needed in Revit. When we do need one of them, it gets fixed when it is used - and the simplest ones don't need any fixing at all.

[drewj]

I have converted close to 500 details from ACAD to Revit recently (last few months) using the Dump, Explode, Group Select Convert, Purge, and find styles to delete.

Ends up very clean and now I have a great file that I can "Insert view from file" from.

When I started looking into this I was told:

"NEVER DO IT"
"OMG!!! IT WOULD BE THE END OF THE WORLD!!!"

So I looked into with testing myself and could find no good reason not to explode as long as you get rid of all the garbage at the end of the process, and fix any errors/warnings that occur.

So don’t be afraid to import and explode, just do it in a quarantined file, and make sure you fix all the garbage before you transfer it to a live project file.

[gtarch]

I have converted close to 500 details from ACAD to Revit recently (last few months) using the Dump, Explode, Group Select Convert, Purge, and find styles to delete.

Ends up very clean and now I have a great file that I can "Insert view from file" from.

When I started looking into this I was told:

"NEVER DO IT"
"OMG!!! IT WOULD BE THE END OF THE WORLD!!!"

So I looked into with testing myself and could find no good reason not to explode as long as you get rid of all the garbage at the end of the process, and fix any errors/warnings that occur.

So don’t be afraid to import and explode, just do it in a quarantined file, and make sure you fix all the garbage before you transfer it to a live project file.

That's it exactly. If you do it right, it works fine...

[cdatechguy]

Another issue with exploding....

If someone created a curve in autocad....then exploded it....you get multiple lines to create one curve...if you retrace (or recreate totally) you have one line, not many lines.

Although the tracing thing I thought would be a no brainer for some of our interns this past year... They traced everything! :banghead:

Dimensions, traced over instead of using the dimension tool...even fills were traced over! :roll:

I am currently having to recreate all the details over again. :(

The exploding in another project then copying them over to another I have done before many times....but I still have to clean-up the multi-line on the curve issue...

[msiever]

I would like to offer another option that I believe is far more efficient and will lead to better results, yet hasn't been mentioned on this thread. My architecture firm took advantage of the economic slow down to produce a native built Revit detail library that numbers roughly 40 thousand different completed architectural details. We did not use AutoCAD details to build this massive library and don't recommend it to anyone else.

At the same time we built a web based interface to distribute these details to other architects and staff.

In December of 2010 we made the entire library free of charge to verifiable North American architects and architecture firms. We get our revenue from advertisers on our website. www.arcxl.com

The details are non-proprietary and generic in nature representing what you might expect to use on a regular basis. Because they are made of parametric components they can be modified far more easily than exploded AutoCAD blocks, lines, hatch patterns, text etc. We've also made our library of components and our annotation family available free as well. Using cut and paste techniques details can be mixed and matched, pushed and pulled, lined up over section views, components can be locked to the model with dimensions and details can be further modified with our component library.

I'm sure many will find this resource useful. Regards,

Mark Siever, AIA, CSI
www.arcxl.com

[nancy.mcclure]

I'm currently consulting in an office that maintains both CAD and Revit workflows (I know, I know...) and have had to devise a methodology to keep resource material consistent between the two. Current reality is that the dedicated detailers will continue in CAD. (I know, I know...)

Here's the quick summary:
a) Standard details are from the existing CAD library. They are linked into CAD projects directly.
b) a WBLOCK version (minus titleblock, etc) is created for Revit project use. Housed adjacent to original full version. Revit projects link in the WBLOCK version into drafting views.
c) If these standard details are revised, the WBLOCK is recreated as well.

In some cases, fully laid out sheets from past Revit projects can be inserted into new Revit projects (converting links to inserts), and the inserted .dwgs are then replaced with linked versions (in theory - in practice only the ones that are likely candidates for updating/revising are re-linked).

Just thought I'd add this to the mix, as it might be useful for other firms running trains on separate tracks.

[fosland1]

Nancy, could you explain this a bit more? I'm currently in a firm that has all our details in CAD and I think it'd be much more efficient to convert them to Revit, however the issue of managing two separate detail libraries, one in CAD and the other in Revit, has come up. What is the best way to manage both libraries?