DWG & Typical Detail Best Practice??

[mibzim]

Mainly a question relating to typical details, but i'll start with the DWG's as this is where the process all begins.

I know that DWG's can have a massive effect on printing time of views/ sheets, especially when imported into all views as opposed to current view only. Does anyone have an insight into best practice for importing and managing DWG's as underlays and as details - as in which settings are best to use when and how this affects the file & printing times/ sizes? Our office typically likes to link DWGs as opposed to importing, and also likes to bring them only into the current view...

Now to typical details. I've checked up a few threads in the forum, and also experimented with some of the methods for managing typical details previously. One method i used was to save out detail groups and give them a descriptive name as you cannot preview the thumbnail of a group. So we end up with a folder full of looooong names. Another method to use is to create them as detail component familes and then import them. I guess this way they scale with the view and you can get a preview of them before importing. A third way i have seen people use but never actually got to, is to just set up a typical detail file and create drafting views ready to copied accross from file to file in the same session.

Just to recap:
1. Groups
2. Detail Components
3. Drafting views

Does anyone have any opiniions on which is best, what they prefer and why?

[Graham Briggs]

None of the above!!

I have been asking for a Drafting (Detail) View library, with associated thumbnail view selection since at least 4.0 (maybe earlier). I keep hoping the next release will offer something...

I want the Drafting Views (or something similar) to be saved independently to disk, loaded or imported into a project, as needed, and placed directly onto sheets (as intelligent views) with a grip or handle for easy placement [in modules]. This is essential for timely production of construction documents, and has so far been ignored by Autodesk.

So until something better is offered... I copy Drafting Views from one project file to another, re-name when necessary, then place them onto sheets, manually align them into a modular array, and finally re-number the views to match my preferred top-to-bottom right-to-left numbering scheme. This is a laborious process for 100 or more details per project. And heaven forbid if I want to move a detail from one sheet to another.

We need a "move view to different sheet" tool/command. Such a tool would easily enable moving a view to the same location on a designated sheet, with the current view title placement intact, with an option to keep or change the view number. This tool would also enable placing similar views (for different trades -- electrical, structural, HVAC, plumbing, etc. ) in the same location on their associated sheets.

I'll keep on wishing, but I stopped holding my breath several years ago...

[davidcobi]

I've heard this mentioned a couple of times but I'm not sure how you accomplish it...

How does one copy Drafting Views from one project file to another?

[mibzim]

i agree - autodesk seriously needs to come to the party here - i guess i was wondering what the easiest workaround was for the time being. thanks 4 ur input!

[mibzim]

And why, when DWG's are imported to current view only, do they show up in the visibility / graphics dialogue when they werent imported to that view!?

[Graham Briggs]

Open two RVT projects.

Go to a Drafting view in your source file (Project A), select all elements (window select), go to EDIT on the File Bar, Copy to Clipboard (or just CTRL-C). Open View properties, highlight the View Title and CTRL-C again (this will copy the text onto Windows' clipboard), make a note of the view scale.

Go to your target file (Project B), create a new Drafting View (select the scale to match your copied view, put the cursor in the title field and CTRL-V to paste the title text. Next go to EDIT on the File Bar, and Paste from Clipboard or Paste Aligned (my choice) Current View, or just CTRL-V anywhere in the view window.

Voila! You now have a copy of your detail in your current project. Now you just need to put it on a sheet, number it, place the view title appropriately, and reference away.

I hope this helps...

[davidcobi]

Thanks. I thought I was missing some Revit feature.

[mcloer]

Individual detail project files are the way to go.

Ceilings.rvt
Floors.rvt
Walls.rvt, etc.

Everything is kept nice and neat including your main project file. Just my 2 cents.

[msmith.tsap]

Individual detail project files are the way to go.

Ceilings.rvt
Floors.rvt
Walls.rvt, etc.

Everything is kept nice and neat including your main project file. Just my 2 cents.

Please explain your process in more detail. My method is to use copy and paste with drafting views as described above. Interested in yours.

MarcTSAP

[mcloer]

We create individual "detail" rvt files. Seperated by the types of details. Then we bring in all of our AutoCAD legacy data into drafting views in the detail projects, explode it and Revitize it. Or we just draw them again in Revit if they are simple details.

Then we just copy and paste from our "Details" projects to our "Main" project.

This helps keep the main project file nice and clean. No crazy text styles, line styles or fill patterns.

Hope this helps a little

[Graham Briggs]

Then we just copy and paste from our "Details" projects to our "Main" project.


The Copy and Paste part is what is so time-consuming. We need something better...faster... we have the technology!

[tonyisenhoff]

It would be sweet if we could drag/drop entire drafting view(s) from one project to another!

Wish list...

[shaunamorain]

When I save details as components & then load them into my project I do NOT get my text... has anyone encountered this?

[davidcobi]

Unless you're using the annotation family text won't show. We import text from DWGs if we want text to show in most families.

[carlosb.101393]

I do not know what version you are using of Revit, but on 9.0 that is a new feature, saving drafting views one or more on a separate file, and when you import them in to another project you can see a preview and check the views you want to import, it will import with the same settings so it will be ready to be placed on a sheet. really nice feature!!! works with drafting views, schedules, and sheets.

procedure for saving:

1 select a drafting view (or several using ctrl key) in the project browser

2 right click the view name, and click on save to new file

3 give it a name and location for the new file

procedure for inserting on a different project:

1 click file menu then insert from file then views

2 in the open dialog select the file, and click open

3 a new dialog box opens, click on the name of the view to see a preview of the drafting view or check the box to bring the view on to the current project.

4 click ok, and the drafting views will be on your project!!!

[Chris DiSunno]

Graham, Try expanding the sheets in the project browser, open the sheet you want to move a detail to from another sheet, drag it form the browser (listed under the sheet it is on) to the new sheet and Revit will simultaneously erase the detail from one sheet and put it on the other.

Another thing to consider is placing typical details or general notes, title blocks and other library items in a template.