RCP content in revit how?

[Wagurto]

How do I place rcp content in my revit model?
I know that revit comes with some content but not a clue how to place it in the model or how to add new content from rcp.
thanks

[iru69]

I believe it's actually "RPC" content which may be why you're having a hard time finding info.

If you search Revit's help file for RPC, you'll get step by step instructions for loading content. But, in a nutshell, you load it just like any other families. Try looking under Entourage in your Families folder. When you first place an RPC family, It's not much to look at - but as soon as you render it, it looks pretty good.

Check out archvision (http://www.archvision.com/) for more info on getting additional RPC content.

[Wagurto]

Thanks for your answer but I noticed that there is only a few families in the entourage library? Is that means that I can not use my library of rcp content? can I use only those four families? can create mor families with different content?

[iru69]

Thanks for your answer but I noticed that there is only a few families in the entourage library? Is that means that I can not use my library of rcp content? can I use only those four families? can create mor families with different content?

You have your own library of RPC content?

Well, if it's compatible with Revit (not all RPC content is), you can create a new RPC family (there should be a RPC family template), or copy an existing one. Edit the Family Types of the RPC family and you can then edit the RPC properties which will let you browse to the corresponding RPC file.

[Scott D Davis]

Put all of your RPC content in the same folder as the stock Revit content, in the Rendering folder. If you want a new RPC person, first load a 'stock' Revit RPC, such as RPC Male.RFA. This one RPC family, like all other Revit content, has multiple 'types'. Stock comes with Dwayne, Alex, and LeRon for males. Go to the Properties of the Revit family, and just as with any other Revit family, hit the Duplicate button to make a new Type. Name it whatever you'd like. Then Click the Edit button, browse to your new RPC 'character', and load the RPC. You have just assigned a new RPC character to the Revit family for that project.

Do the same for any other RPC you might have in your own library.

[Wagurto]

Once again, professor Scott give a lesson.
Thanks you are the man.

[Gene Herring]

Scott I am following your instructions and navigate to the right spot with no trouble. When i select browse and select the additional content to load, Revit crashes every time! any Ideas?

[D_Driver]

I have seen this before, they fixed this a bit in 8...what version are you using?

1st - yes you can open one of the existing entourage do a saveas, or 2 - there is a template for these
RPC Family.rft
you have to use this rather than the entourage template to get the proper parameters.

- but always easier to start with existing content - and if you are doing a person, then by all means, but if you are doing an rpc car or tree, then you need to start with the template.
have a line drawing handy because the template does not have any linework in it.

secondly as Scott said
"Put all of your RPC content in the same folder as the stock Revit content, in the Rendering folder"
your rpc file MUST exist in one of the paths specified in the
Settings>Options>Rendering:Additional rendering material directories.

by default the supplied RPC stuff is in
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\Revit Building 8\Rendering\RPCPeople
so copying your rpc to this dir will do the trick, but will cause some grief/duplication with the RPC download engine - so you can add a directory pointing to where your rpc stuff is.

This is not intutive, because in the family you have to path each RPC piece anyway, but even if you point to a piece of RPC that is not pathed as per above, you will have problems later.
I was doing several trees this way in v7 and would crash quite a bit.
I just quickly went through in 8 and did not crash, but was not really trying to push it.

[Gene Herring]

Thanks for the info driver. I am using 8.0, I will give your suggestions a try.

[Gene Herring]

Hey Driver, asking for your help again. I am still getting instant crashes each time I attempt to "edit" one of the stock RPC object or load a new from my library of RPC content. It is weird, the moment I Anyone else out there having problems besides us?

Another side question, is the stock rpc content with 8.0 the 2.5 version that will not animate?

[sbrown]

I don't think revit supports animated rpc content.

[D_Driver]

please post what version you are working on
Are you making your own content? or is this direct from ArchVision
is it 2D, 2.5D or 3D

let me know if you copied the RPC into the folder mentioned in the thread or added an additional render path to your RPC content folder.

what you describe is exactly the problem I was having in late 7.

also check out [url]http://www.ArchVision.com/GetCompatibilityMatrix.cfm?ViewPlatform=8[url/] for compatibility issues known to arch vision for each group of content

I am pretty sure most of the given content is only 2D, not 2.5D although if you go to the ArchVision web site, the sample version of the beetle is 3D (in the release of version 7 they added in compatibility with 3D RPC, but it still shows up on ArchVision as not compatible, but their knowledge base does not say why

if you want to zip up a specific piece of RPC content that is giving you grief, I will check it out on my end...or let me know the name of one I might have it.

[SkiSouth]

Scott I am following your instructions and navigate to the right spot with no trouble. When i select browse and select the additional content to load, Revit crashes every time! any Ideas?

eeh:
Each RPC defined family has TWO paths that must be correct. If one is correct, and the other not, or the path doesn't exist, there will a problem. These are either a crash, or a "no-show". The automated family updates I do not think work with RPC's. A tedious task, but manual checking will be necessary for created RPC entourage. To check the family, open to the family and look at the RPC properties and RPC family definition. They both must point to the same file (to get what you are expecting).

Also, an RPC is not a "straight load" into Revit. You must have a family to "Hold" the RPC for it to be placed in Revit. You can use ANY RPC family to load an RPC, a tree can be a person or a car or whatever, but as you can imagine, that would be somewhat confusing. Therefore there are many RPC families.

The latest RPC's have a mind of their own. And moving RPC's are not supported. The VW is neat, basically because the "holder" looks like a bug too. The other families (Pickup, golf etc). do not have the neat family holder like that, but you can create your own. Search this site, theres quite a few discussions on RPCs. (found 26 using Archvision as keyword)

[Gene Herring]

Thanks Skisouth, your comments as well as the other guys have been most informative. You guys are right aout the paths, it is very critical. (seems to have corrected the crashing problem). Sure hate the animation does not work!! I am having to export to dwg, and use Viz for any animation capabilities. This requires tedious remapping of materials of which everything is nice and neatly packaged inside of Revit with the accurender integration. I am wondering if there is a way to export the file to dwg, open in ADT with Accurender 4beta and use "preserved" layer/object material assignments to render with the Accurender 4beta engine.

Contrary to some of the opinions out there in Revitworld, I love using Accurender since I have used it from it's original beta back in the early nineties on "386/20 machines with a whopping 40 mb hard drive" when the file ran all night long and you could not wait to get to work the next morning and go wow". I also started using autocad way back in version 2.0 with AEC add on, used the next version ASG Core/Architectural, used the next version Softdesk8, used the ADT 1-5! Saying all that to say this, I am fanatically hooked on revit! It is everything I always wanted ADT to become. The only shortfall is the limited Accurender engine. If the guys in the backroom will integrate AR4.0 with full RPC/Animation support I will be in hog heaven and send ADT to cemetery.

Cheers to all you reviteers out there. It is only going to get better!!!

[Gene Herring]

FYI, to all. If we all had or took the time to really read up on things! I have been for several days attempting to use RPcs via the ADT/VIZ "light" interface that links Viz render to ADT. My first mistake, The full Viz render product contains some suprizing revit connectivity features that I had no Idea were there! The export to dwg and import into full viz is not nearly as bad as I originally experienced. Viz has a revit import setup that facilitates bringing things over fairly intact for rendering purposes. Even though this is not as ideal as the built-in feature with accurender, it is better than I initially thought. This all begs a fairly interesting thought. It would seem as if Autodesk's long term marketing strategy is to "strengthen" it's product line by pushing the issue of us reviteers getting on the Viz bandwagon! Autodesk is going to make a hgell of lot more money on viz than they are on accurender. Fact!

[SkiSouth]

Viz has a revit import setup that facilitates bringing things over fairly intact for rendering purposes. Even though this is not as ideal as the built-in feature with accurender, it is better than I initially thought.

This has been the subject of quite a few threads. The Viz/Max link is of interest, but even moreso is the Vray plug in for Revit discussed on the rendering forum. Time, Time, Time. If we only had unlimited amounts. The link out of Revit into ANY other renderer is all about TIME, and ease of material and mapping assignments. No argument that there are more powerful render engines out there. It all boils down to the finish product you need and how much time you have to get there. Accurender in Revit meets a real need for quick render solutions. I hope Adesk is wise enough to leave in place a tremendous asset to the software.

[truevis]

I finally got my own RPCs to render in 8.1. I'm inspired now to make more of my own. Probably start with these (http://www.imagecels.com/im01800.html) free images that include alphas.

Stability issues during render (Revit would go away) -- I must make sure to save after making changes to the RPCs.

PS: "RPC" does not seem to work in the search functions of this BB.

[Steve_Stafford]

..."RPC" does not seem to work in the search functions of this BB.The searches are limited to a minimum of four characters. *RPC* should work though it may include words with letters in that sequence as well.