Dwg Export Advice Needed

[Isaacarus]

My office currently has some people working with Revit, while the bulk of employees still use AutoCAD. I need to be able to export Revit models to 2d AutoCAD drawings which use our layer standards. I have been creating an export layer table, however not all categories export as I anticipated. For example when exporting, Categories under the walls heading all export to layer "A-WALL" rather than the specified layer. The "sub-categories" seem to be ignored.

In addition Revit seems to export many lines over top of other lines, I have tried using Acad commands like overkill to correct this but get mixed results at best.

Is there somewhere I can tell Revit which types of objects to export ? Dose anybody have any additional advice for achieving a "clean" dwg from Revit. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Steve_Stafford]

Regarding exporting walls see THIS RECENT THREAD (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=23744)It is a bit confusing how and why it works at present. Hopefully we'll get some clarification.

As for general practice, I posted a document here ( THIS THREAD (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=8877)) about export to dwg that might help you know what you are up against.

The next release of Revit is rumored to fix the multiple colinear lines. I don't think it will eliminate overlapping lines entirely because multiple objects are exported literally. I cover this issue in more detail in the document I refer to.

Are you doing these exports so others actually continue design work in Acad or just use as backgrounds. It isn't efficient or a realistic goal to use Revit for some things, then export to dwg and expect a project to proceed smoothly. A project really needs to be done in Revit entirely while providing backgrounds for related work or consultants.

It is possible to do building sections and detailing outside of Revit in Acad while you do the plans and such in Revit...but that does wreck the advantages of Revit's coordinated documentation. Staffing issues are what they are...I'm speaking idealistically. You are headed for disappointment if you expect to export Revit data to Acad and it look like a native draftsman did the work. In fact I resent Revit development time being necessary for this function at all...since it is a distraction from giving us tools we really want. It is a necessary "evil" for now but not the "endgame".

[Tom Dorner]

It is possible to do building sections and detailing outside of Revit in Acad while you do the plans and such in Revit...but that does wreck the advantages of Revit's coordinated documentation. Staffing issues are what they are...I'm speaking idealistically. You are headed for disappointment if you expect to export Revit data to Acad and it look like a native draftsman did the work. In fact I resent Revit development time being necessary for this function at all...since it is a distraction from giving us tools we really want. It is a necessary "evil" for now but not the "endgame".
AMEN Brother Steve !!!!!!!!!

Tom

[Isaacarus]

Thanks for your response, the additional threads were very helpful. I think with some additional time I will be able to get most objects to export to the layers I wish. However I am not finding a way to eliminate extra line segments, which really confuse the dwg file.

I understand where you are coming from, I would much rather have time spent developing better site tools than exporting functions. I have barely touched my AutoCAD since I started with Revit 2 months ago and even as an experienced ADT user I have no desire to ever return to it. The problem is that as a Revit user I am the minority in this office. I get enough work done with Revit that most of the new projects coming in are being put on my desk. While I get a lot done I can't do it all, I need to distribute the load to other employees that are not using Revit. I can understand giving a consultant an underlay file, but I'm not sure that will fly for someone in my office. They will need to redraw alot.

My frustration has been that by the time I get them a working file and explain what needs to be done, I could have done it myself in Revit.

Ideally everyone in this office would switch to Revit yesterday, but for many reasons that won't happen. Is there anyone that has some suggestions for implementing a dual platform workflow for a small office. Any thoughts or references would be helpful

[Steve_Stafford]

...My frustration has been that by the time I get them a working file and explain what needs to be done, I could have done it myself in Revit...First of all, the fact that you are using Revit in a firm full of AutoCAD users that won't or aren't going to means that either you have great influence to be able to go it alone or mgmt isn't aware of what goes on in your firm day to day?

You need to find some allies to train and get on board with you instead of taking it to the lowest common denominator...that's the perfect world...

If you must do this, then you need to find things you can live with being outside of Revit and not have to export data. Building sections, walls sections, details, elevations are things that can be done old school and derived from exported information that no one has to edit directly, just view. Definitely not the ideal way to proceed but you can get a project done...next job take it a bit further and take time to convince a co-worker to go part of the way with you in Revit.

You need to get on good terms with mgmt to let them see how productive you are because of Revit, how unproductive it is to "share" with AutoCAD and how important it is to get more people proficient with Revit. Money is seeping or streaming out of their practice the longer they continue as you describe....

Worst case...or best case for you? There are numerous job opportunities for talented Revit people at very good firms right now!! Want to live in Newport Beach, CA, London, UK, NY,NY...get the idea? Have you seen the Jobs Offered Career Corner (http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=233) area of the AUGI forums?

[Isaacarus]

Management is behind me with the switch to Revit. The problem has been convincing anyone to learn anything new.

Well I guess I'm going to start searching the forums for methods for convincing others to invest some real time and effort in learning a new skill and a host of new capabilities with Revit.

Thanks for the input.

[Steve_Stafford]

Well I guess I'm going to start searching the forums for methods for convincing others to invest some real time and effort in learning a new skill and a host of new capabilities with Wellll....mgmt could say something like, "Want to work here?"... Good luck, walk softly, carry a big stick! :beer:

[sbrown]

Word of cautions, your dims in autocad won't look exactly like those in revit when you import them, your text will need to be set in acad to a ttf. font or arial so it looks the same when imported.

Next do not dimension autocad objects in revit, if the dwg changes the dimensions in revit will be deleted. we found this out the hard way.

If you create the view first in revit then export then re import it will work well.

For elevations and sections, you need to check the current view only button on import or they will be imported flat. Model objects will hide the dwg until you bring it to foreground.

Note that import lineweight files don't follow the project they are computer specific so if you import the dwg and you have your import lineweights set up, but then another user reloads it and doesn't have them set up, they will be changed to that computers settings.

Sheets with lots of dwgs, won't print right. Some will dissappear, if this happens you need to print raster instead of vector. Dont ask why it makes no sense at all.

Some dwg objects cause graphic crashes in revit, you'll only find out about these when you go to print. and it only happens to non laser printers. Go figure.

With worksets, links don't get reloaded unless they are editable, if the link isn't found, ie you take the job home to work on and don't take all the dwgs. then when you come in the next day and revit has unloaded the dwgs, you will have to reload them all, this will most likely cause any layer settings you have turned on or off to get undone.(this may have been fixed in 8.0 but I'm not sure.)

If there is anyway at all you can avoid doing what you are about to do, do it. I've spent more time solving issues related to imported/linked dwgs, then it would have taken to train the acad users on the detail tools. You can easily train people on just the drafting tools of revit, they will fight you but as soon as they have done a couple details they will be happy and you will be much better off. Just show them how to turn off the model and use it as an underlay, then show them how to make filled regions and detail components. Let them redraft the wall sections etc. It will save you many headaches in the long run. I've heard the argument that it quicker to detail in acad, I've never seen it proved. It may be quicker for them to draw it, but if they didn't get the layers right, color by layer, etc. then the import wont' work right and you will spend time teaching acad manners and method. Another thing you will run into is in acad people like to draw all the views in one file, this doesn't work well with revit, you need them to draw each view as a sep file. This too adds time.

Anyway good luck to you.

[Steve_Stafford]

Great list Scott...thanks for sharing it!!


...Note that import lineweight files don't follow the project they are computer specific...Great point!! Easily missed...and removing the local files for these settings doesn't prevent Revit from using the last settings...



... this will most likely cause any layer settings you have turned on or off to get undone.(this may have been fixed in 8.0 but I'm not sure.)...It has...


...worksets and dwgs...You can try having one person control the dwgs, check out the workset(s) that dwgs are part of and don't relinquish so only that person can update/reload them. You can create a local file with a workset username like DWG admin and use that local when you want to change or update them. Works well to lock down grids and levels as well...when they are "permanently" checked out, users can't inadvertently move them, or intentionally...

[sbrown]

Thats good news, we haven't upgraded our big revit/acad mix project since it allready finished CD's and is in Revision mode now.

One more thing to be prepared for, You/Revit will be blamed for the drawings looking like inconsistant and bad. And the acad users may say, we told you we should have just done this in Acad.

I've experienced both types of projects. One where the job was all revit no cad, people moaned and groaned, but the project was done better and quicker. And I've seen the opposite(unfortunatly this seems to be the prefered method for introducing revit to a project).

I firmly believe that you will succeed at implementing revit in your firm if you commit the pilot project to be 100% revit.

[Scott D Davis]

Word of cautions, your dims in autocad won't look exactly like those in revit when you import them, your text will need to be set in acad to a ttf. font or arial so it looks the same when imported.
Anyone played with the 'shxfontmap.txt' file located in the Data folder of Revit? It's designed to take SHX fonts upon import and substitute them with TTF of your choice.

Here's an example of what's in the TXT file:



#Map to represent SHX filenames from Autocad
#by Windows font names
#format:
#filename.shx<tab>Fontname
Txt.shx Arial


In this case "text.shx" will be substituted with Arial on import. You can add addtional lines in the same format to substitute more fonts.