Best practice for isometric details

[Griff]

I have been the only person in the company using Revit, so basically I've been self taught. The trouble is I can get stuck doing things a certain way, and maybe it's not the best way to get the job done.

The Issue:
I want to have an isometric detail with a couple of dimensions and some callouts. I don't want to take the time to draw a front, side and top view of the item, so an isometric would be the best view to use. So, I go and draw up a family and insert it into the project.

Currently I place one instance of the family into a plan view. Then I duplicate a 3D view and hide all the extra stuff so I can detail my isometric view. Now, I don't want that item showing up on all the other drawings so I open up each drawing and make sure that item is hidden in the view.

Is this how everyone does it, or is there a better way? I'd think it would be best if I could insert the family into a Detail View and detail it there, and not ever actually place it in the model. Any thoughts?

I've attached a very simple Cable tray support family.

[bbeck]

I have a different approach to this. I use phases prior to existing for this type of documentation. Run a search on "legends" and "phases" and you should be able to see examples of what I'm talking about. Your approach is fine for now. Eventually others will be joining you in the model and as they start creating new views the "hide in view" approach becomes a hassle.

[Griff]

bbeck,
Thanks for the input, that is exactly what type of information I was hoping I'd get from that post. I'll do a search on the Legends and phases and see what I can learn. Thank you again for your thoughts!
Griff

[Mike L Sealander]

For instance, we use an "Annotations" Phase which is in the future, ahead of New. You might look into the new Assemblies features. I haven't, but it sounds like they might be helpful.

[Griff]

Mike,
Hadn't even thought about the Assemblies feature. I guess I need to look into what it's all about. Thanks for the comment,,,really appreciate your input
Griff

[antman]

Maybe I'm missing something? For the item in question, I don't understand why you would need to place it as a 'dummy' object in the project. Doesn't it exist somewhere in the design? If so, can you just make a 3D view of one of those locations, and place it on a sheet? If you are creating typical details, I would probably export that view to CAD, and import back to Revit to reduce it to 2D linework, especially for cases like this where it is easier to model the assembly than to draw an isometric.

[Griff]

antman,
It didn't appear in the project. and I only want to make reference to the typical view. I guess I could export to AutoCad and then import it back. It's not going to change and it's only a typical view. I try as hard a possible to not use AutoCad but this may be a viable use for it.

[irneb]

For instance, we use an "Annotations" Phase which is in the future, ahead of New. You might look into the new Assemblies features. I haven't, but it sounds like they might be helpful.This is a very good tip! I generally add a project parameter and then use filters on these to hide them in all the other views. At least then I can set particular items to be hidden all over.

But yours actually makes more sense, and might be less work too!

My biggest issue is stuff like detail sections. I don't want their references to show up in all plans. I know I can hide them at larger scales, but even on same scale plans you might have a plan which is meant for a different purpose. I'll look into using your phasing idea for similar instead of using filters.

[Mike L Sealander]

I'm starting to create more Types of views, like sections and plans, in order to filter them better and automate the use of View Templates. For instance, you can have a Section type called Building, which is used only for whole-building sections, and hide that type of view through filters assigned to View Templates.

[irneb]

Yep, my method is much similar - though instead of making an entirely new section type I simply add some comment / custom project parameter to the view. Then set the filter on that.

Actually I've got a custom project parameter in any case so I can group the views more sensibly in the project browser. So I've already got that sorted.

[jj mac]

I am with Brian on this. Create a "Legend Phase" before existing and demolish in a phase called "Legend Demo". This way it never exists in the "future" model. You can do A LOT for your office standards using this method as well, because you can set up modeled elements in an enviroonment that technically does not exist in the same time as your building model. It works for views too.

We had an issue with standard view types being "mysteriously" purged out. So now because of the "Legend Phase" there is a least one instance of every view type, and because they are "in use" they cannot be purged unless someone went into the Legend Phase and physically deleted them.

If you do a search on the AU website, Arron Maller did a presentation on this, and you can learn some of the ins and outs...(probably been mentioned on here in another thread, I am sure), but it just works so well.

[phildebrandt]

There are drawbacks to these solutions however.
1) If someone else in your firm starts working on Revit and on your projects (or past projects), these other phases will be confusing to them.
2) If you need that isometric view in a future project you will have to recreate it each time.

My suggestion is to do it as a drafting view. Export the 3D view as a CAD file then import it to a drafting view.

[Norton_cad]

We currently use this method at work. However you can do it all in Revit, and have it dynamic (which cad import is not). A proper template file, could resolve many of the issues. ie create a 3d view in a phase, freeze what you don't want, annotate the rest, save the view template, duplicate with detailing, and change the phase.