Revit Export Setup

[Twolly]

I am trying to create a custom export setup and started with the walls. I noticed that walls are catagorized by the function parameter under construction. This is not working for us because many of the wall types are used for both interior and exterior (we are working on an underground structure with many CIP concrete walls). I need to create a new parameter that I can add to the walls so that I can assign CAD layers to them by subcatagories that I have created myself. I just need to know how to add an additional parameter to the wall system family. Can anyone help me do this?

Thanks in advance!

[CADastrophe]

Well, you can add such a Parameter to the Wall System Family using Project Parameters under the Manage tab. However, you will not be able to use this parameter to define the export settings - you have to work with the parameter they give you. I would recommend using "{Workset}" for this, if possible.

[Twolly]

Thanks! So I have a question, if I add a subcatagory under walls what can I do with that? What is the point of creating a subcatagory under walls if I can't do anything with it?

[CADastrophe]

I don't know of anything that you could do with a Wall Subcategory, aside from applying it to pieces of a Modeled-In-Place Component.

[Twolly]

hmm......I'm not sure what to do then. Thanks for the help, though.

[Twolly]

Can this be accomplished under shared parameters perhaps? I'm not an expert in shared parameters, but I would like to know if this can be done.

[CADastrophe]

No. The Shared Parameters would be added to the Walls exactly as the Project Parameters are. Both Project Parameters and Shared Parameters can be used in Schedules, but only Shared Parameters can be included in Tag Families. That's the basic difference.

[Twolly]

Ok thanks, you mentioned previously using workset to accomplish this, how would I do that?

[CADastrophe]

Ok thanks, you mentioned previously using workset to accomplish this, how would I do that?

Well, first question: does your Project have Worksharing enabled? If so, then you should be already working with Worksets. You can create Worksets specifically named for each suffix you want for your Wall layers in the DWG file. While designing, you must ensure that the Walls are placed on the appropriate Workset. In the DWG Export Setup, you can add the Layer Modifier "{Workset}" to your Walls Category.

[Twolly]

Yes we are using worksets so your suggestion could work. I wasn't completely sure what the layer modifiers were. Sorry for my ignorance, but how do the Layer modifiers work exactly? In the meantime, I will try experimenting with it a bit. Thanks!

[CADastrophe]

The Layer Modifiers add additional text to the DWG Layer Name. In this case, If you had two Worksets (We'll just say "WS1" and "WS2"), then all of the Walls will be exported to separate Layers as a result of the Layer Modifier "{Workset}" (Which would create the Layers "A-WALL-WS1" and "A-WALL-WS2" if "A-WALL" was the base Layer Name for both Projection and Cut, and the Separator is "-").

[CADastrophe]

Additional Info: You do not necessarily have to name the Workset exactly how you would like it to be in the DWG. While editing the Export Setup on the Layer Tab, scroll almost to the bottom. You will see a section for "Modifiers" where you can customize the translation of each Workset name.

[Twolly]

Wow thanks! I actually just posted a new thread asking how to change the name of the {custom x} layer modifiers and you just answered that question. What exactly is the function for the custom layer modifiers? Thanks so much for the great help btw!!!

[Twolly]

Ok I have one last question for the day. What is the {underlay} layer modifier? I tried exporting a view with an underlay and adding the {underlay} modifier to the doors and it just added -UNDERLAY to the layer name. I'm not sure what this is for.

[CADastrophe]

Yep, that's all it adds. I guess it would be helpful in that you could isolate or turn off the Layers that belonged to the Underlay, but as for specific uses - I don't know. I've never really used that Modifier more than once (which was just to see what it did).

[MASKiAN]

I believe Modifiers Like 'Custom' or 'Underlay' are only a matter for grouping Layers and Assigning a color to them. with it you can change the Layers' Names and Colors easily.

The Ultimate solution to the Export Problem would be to create an Add-In that maps these Layers in AutoCAD according to a predefined data in Revit.

[dkoch]

If you are looking for more control over DWG and DXF exports and are running Revit 2015, you may find this tool recently made available and downloadable from the Autodesk website (http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/autodesk-cad-and-bim-standard-tool-for-revit.html?v=2015) of use.

CAVEATS:
The tool was developed for the Austrian market, so the provided standard conforms to Austrian standards. Others will have to build their own standard.
The tool runs on both the German and English versions of Revit 2015. If you set the Austrian standard current, some items in the dialog will be in German, even if you are running the English version of Revit.
The README PDF is in German. I have started to do machine translation of some of the pages, with mixed results.
I have not fully investigated the tool yet, so I cannot say how easy or hard it is to set it up for a different standard, or how well it works when that is done. But based on the description of what it is supposed to be able to do, it seems worth the investigation. (Specify a template file for the DWG exports? Tags translated as attributed blocks? Be still my heart.)