Exporting to Building Systems

[Griff]

I'm not asking for anyone to spend a lot of time explaining how the mapping works in Revit, just some directions on which files to edit and maybe a tutorial cuz currently my files aren't exporting the way I thought they should.

This is my first project in Revit and thanks to everyone on this newsgroup I've learned alot. Learning the program hasn't been that difficult, infact it's been fun, it's just setting up everything so that it's seamless between my files and the AutoCad users.

First of all I started using Revit after attending AU. I started my project with Jim Baldings template on the CD that he handed out in class. I've change settings and I'm not sure how much it resembles Jim's file anymore, but I thought it was a good starting point.

I have created an Importlineweights-dwg.txt file, matching the lineweights to our standards and loaded it into Revit.

I am also using the exportlayers-dwg-AIA.txt file since it is close to our standard layers.

When I export out the Existing RCP to AutoCad I would expect the walls below the ceiling to be halftone or dashed while those existing walls that extend through the ceiling would be darker, but they are all the same and there is no break in the wall height.?? Also, when I list one of the walls in AutoCad my walls are color 90 (I have no idea where that came from) and when I go into the layers to change the color to Bylayer, it is grayed out and says that it is color 10.

I have tried finding information on what I need to change but what I have found so far doesn't help. If anyone knows of info that will help me set this up correctly I'd appreciate it.

[Wes Macaulay]

Exporting to Building Systems, eh? It's nice to hear of someone using the software around this NG.

Go to File > Import/Export Settings > Export Layers DWG/DXF. Set up the layer names and colours you wish to use when you export.

[Griff]

Thanks Wes for the reply. It would be much easier if I wasn't dealing with exporting to Building Systems but that is what we use for the Mech/Elect items.

I just noticed in the exportlayers-dwg-AIA.txt file that the layers that are listed are not by the standard AIA layer systems (unless I've screwed something up and overwrote the original). I would think the layers that would be listed would be something like "A-Wall" not just Wall.

Also, if I want my walls to export different depending on New Exist or Above or Below the Ceiling how do I set that?

If you don't have time, I don't mind reading up on things, I just can't find any info that is helping.

[Griff]

Would someone post the "exportlayers-dwg-AIA.txt" file. I don't know if it makes any difference but I'm still waiting for 6.0, so I'm using 5.1.
Thanks

[ajayholland]

Export Layers Txt

[Wes Macaulay]

Thanks Wes for the reply. It would be much easier if I wasn't dealing with exporting to Building Systems but that is what we use for the Mech/Elect items.
How are you people enjoying Building Systems? There's little you can do to change my mind about ADT :shock: but Building Systems is quite a lot of fun in comparison, at least from my experience.

[Griff]

Thanks AJ, my file was way messed-up.

Well Wes, it's been a bit of an ordeal, but our Building Systems guy is starting to enjoy it. When I returned from AU and traded in my ADT license for Revit, within a week they had laid-off my Mechanical Building systems guy. So we get this big project and I'm learning Revit and my Electrical Building Systems guy is also learning Mechanical. Not the recommended way to get a project out. But we do have about 40 seats of Building Systems that we are getting people trained on. It will be nice when Revit gets its own Building Systems.

[Steve Cashman]

We're trying to use the Export Layers command and we're having trouble controlling the color of Existing phase elements. We have set the color in the Export settings file to 8 for light grey, but we can never get it to work. Is there a trick to this?

[Steve_Stafford]

My approach has been, if necessary, to export existing, demo and new work separately, from separate formatted views and rejoin them in AutoCAD or Microstation afterward.

You don't have phase aware control over objects when you export so walls are going on A-wall whether it is existing or new...true in 5.0 and 5.1, I've not observed any change in this with 6.0 so I'm assuming it remains true.

I should probably mention that we have to approach it this way because our engineers have expectations regarding where stuff will be and we are attempting to minimize confusion by abiding by their wishes.

It's a relatively simple task to reference the discreet phases of work together and each export can have it's own criteria for layer and color. Just set up different export rules for each.

[pwmsmith]

Can we get a download copy of Jim Baldings template. Missed that class at AU.

[Steve Cashman]

Seeing as how architects are constantly exporting base drawings to consults, isn't this a bug that needs to be fixed? I sure think it is. Why would we want to export multiple files and go into AutoCAD and reassemble them? It was better than that in ADT - which sucks.

In the export settings dialog it sure looks like it should work. I seems to create the proper layers, but we just can't control the colors. :(

A work-around is a nice way of saying it's broken. If Revit wants to make a dent in the ACAD world, this is a basic function that should be easy to use and completely flexible. Reassembling multiple exported drawings is not architecture. For the typical architect, which are not computer poweruses, this is beyond them.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Steve (Cashman),
I don't really see this whole thing as a bug, I see it as a limitation of the packages we are exporting to. The fact that Revit can deal with a variety of project phases within the same file and other software can't is where the problem originates.
The consultant will typically only need base drawings relating to a particular phase so the process of shipping separate base files out for each phase seems to make sense. If in the end they need to have all those phases in one plan it seems it would be fairly simple for them to copy the walls or elements which change and then paste them into their drawing on a different layer. The consistency of a Revit export makes it a simple task to repeat, manually or with some form of macro.
I agree that this is not what architecture is all about, but neither is doing all the work for all consultants on the team.

[Steve Cashman]

Dimitri,

I still think this is a bug/problem that Revit should address. The "packages we are exporting to" is AutoCAD, the largest CAD package in the world and a product owned by Autodesk who owns Revit. All of the consultants (4 MEP and 2 structural) we have worked with for the last 10+ years have always had the existing and demo layers in with the new construction. To not do that is to not take advantage of CAD. They manipulate the views and generate multiple drawings from one file - as we did in AutoCAD, Auto-Architect, ADT and now Revit.

I really want Revit to take over the AE world (because I think it allows us to work smarter not harder) and one big way of doing that is to import and export in a simple, flexible, easy-to-use way. Most architects are not into computers. A one-step export is what Revit should provide. CAD techies can always figure it out, but that is not the majority of architects - which is the client demographic to which Revit is directed.

[belyo]

i'm having problems with, well, the engineer is having problems with my ceiling types in Building Systems. the g.b. ceilings are 6" thick (mine are 4 1/4")... the SAT is just a flat plane (which i can fix)... but he also can't "tell" which is which, beyond the obvious... the software isn't able to tell him which is which, is there any way to fix this?