CAD Export Layer Mapping Phase Modifier

[kmarquis]

I need to set up my CAD Export Layers. I set up all the categories without any problems but I don't understand how to map Categories specific to a phase. I need my Walls created in the existing Phase to map to "X-Wall" Color 11. I went into the Add/Edit Layer Modifiers and selected "Phase Created" as my Modifer. Under the "Seperator" column I typed in "X-Wall" but that's not right. I need my new walls to go to A-Wall and my Existing Walls to go to X-Wall and Demo Walls to go to D-Walls. Help.

[CADastrophe]

The 'Phase Created' Modifier will add the name of the Phase to the Layer, such as "Existing-Wall" or "New Construction-Wall" (given that "-" was entered as a separator) and I don't believe that you can tell Revit to use "X" in lieu of "Existing". Another issue is that Phase Created modifier will not differentiate between Existing to remain and Demolished elements, since they have the same "Phase Created" value.

I would suggest using two modifiers, "Phase Status" (*see below) and "Phase Created" and a "-" separator between the latter and the Layer Name. You will get layers named like this:

New:___ "New Construction-Wall"
Existing: "-EXSTExisting-Wall"
Demo: _ "-DEMOExisting-Wall"

If you get it to AutoCAD with some consistency in the Layer naming, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to create a routine to automatically rename the Layers based on a Find/Replace type funtion. (i.e. Find "-DemoExisting" and replace with "D".)

*"Phase Status" will add a designator to the Layer name in AutoCAD based on the Phase settings of the elements. This will return such a prefix/suffix as "-EXST" or "-DEMO", with NO designation added for NEW elements, hence the alternate suggestion above. Note that this modifier comes with a built-in separator.

[CADastrophe]

Actually, you can probably get away with just using the "Phase Status" Modifier. If you export to "A-Wall", the new walls will be on that Layer, while the existing and demo walls will inherit the "-EXST" or "-DEMO" prefix. So you'll have layers like "-EXSTA-WALL" and "-DEMOA-WALL". A routine to rename the layers would still be a good thing.

[kmarquis]

I'm getting the phase override to work with the layer name. I just settled on A-Existing-Wall, A-New Construction-Wall etc. but I can't get the color override to work. While I'm in the Modify DWG/DXF Export Setup box with the long list of layers and I scroll almost all the way down the bottom under "Modifers" and expand the category for "Phase Created" I typed in Color 11 for Existing Walls. The Existing walls still export to Gray 252. Does this have something to do with Export Layer Options such as "Export category properties BYLAYER and overrides BYENTITY"?

[CADastrophe]

I forgot that you can redefine the "Phase Status" (or "Phase Created") modifier - that makes it easy. Scroll down and set those to "D", "X" etc. Then assign the color ID for that modifier and set the Export layer options pull-down to "Export all properties BYLAYER, and create new layers for overrides".

[kmarquis]

Thanks...That works okay. I still can't get the colors to work right. It's very tedious. Basically everything existing exports to one color or the other.

[CADastrophe]

Thanks...That works okay. I still can't get the colors to work right. It's very tedious. Basically everything existing exports to one color or the other.

In playing with the settings a little bit, I managed to get Revit to export a few Walls to the layers "A-WALL-1", "X-WALL-1", & "D-WALL-1", but it wants to add that "-1" to everything.

This is what I did:
1. Changed the Walls to export to the Layer "WALL" (removed the "A-")
2. Added the Modifiers "Phase Created" and "Phase Status" as prefixes (no separator).
3. Changed the "Phase Created" Modifier to be "A-" for New Construction and BLANK for Existing.
4. Changed the "Phase Status" Modifier to be "D-" for demolished, "X-" for existing, and BLANK for New.
5. For "Phase Status", assigned the desired Color ID to Demolished and Existing.
6. Changed the Export Layer Options pull-down to be "Export all properties BYLAYER, and create new layers for overrides".

[kmarquis]

Thank you so much! I just had the sorting in the wrong order. I appreciate your help.