Revit Content Manager - Feedback Required

[Marek Brandstatter]

Hi ALL

At Cadplan we are currently developing a stand-alone Revit Content Manager and would love feedback from interested Zoogers.

Very briefly, our objectives for Revit Content Highway V1.0 are -

*Drag and Drop into Revit
*Multi-tabbed interface, where each tab remembers its 'state'. Far easier to manage large libraries.
*Catalog-style viewing - especially useful to represent door and window catalogs. We use a simple txt file in the respective folder to determine row and column layout options.
*Image substitution - allows for "prettier" catalogs
*Backward/forward navigation. Furthermore - history is remembered across sessions.
*Incremental Folder Search - provides near instant access to folders
*Can also handle DWGs.
*Export to HTML in order to publish catalogs on Web

All feedback greatly appreciated :)

http://www.cadplan.co.za/downloads/RevitContentHighway.jpg

[Martin P]

Looks very interesting.....

I really like the catalogue layout. And the tabs to group things into "kitchen" etc is a great idea.

I am guessing it would be a drag and drop into Revit to load the famil(ies) you want? Would you be able to select a whole set and automatically upgrade these the latest revit version - ie open and save in revit just by picking a set? that would be very useful.

[PeterJ]

I have to say this looks very impressive Marek.

Love to see the finished version when it's available.

Martin, there is a batch file knocking about that enables automatic updates in the form you are looking for. Can't recall where I last saw it but if you search I imagine it will turn up, or just email Sarah Capes/David Conant.

[JamesVan]

I like the idea. Too many folder icons, though.

Will searching be enabled? Can content be added to the Content Highway with additional metadata? How will this interact with type catalogs or family types within each family file?

[designer56644]

Seeing a screenshot does'nt do the trick...

I'm on Revit 10-14 hours a day, literally.
I'm a small biz owner.

If you need a beta tester, I'm a willing victim.

Contact me if interested, leave a PM, I will check frequently.

Thanks


Bill C.

[Scott Hopkins]

Marek,

How would this work?

Would this window appear when you tried to load a Revit family or would you have to go outside of Revit to get it to load?

Looks very nice by the way. Are you planning to have an imperial units version?

[Vincent Valentijn]

Looks very nice Marek.. is it in any way a real thing or is this a content library from some other app with new texts? some questions:
Can you call this from within Revit? [how?] And how on earth are you thinking of technically solving a draw'n'drop?

[Marek Brandstatter]

Some quick answers:

James Van
The Tabs are fully customisable and can be turned on/off , resequenced, or set to single row or multi-row.
Searching still to be implemented in v1.1 - Not difficult to do.
Type catalogs can be displayed. Currently however it will load the entire catolog into Revit.
Metadata - not yet - needs careful planning

Scott
The application is stand-alone and will work alongside Revit. It can be tiled or set to "Always on Top"
Imperial Units Versions - Probably in v1.1, however the app currently works with all Revit content

Vincent
The screenshot is an actual working beta.
Drag n Drop works via windows OLE

Content Highway's primary purpose is to *manage* and *distibute* large symbol libraries. It can display either Revit's native thumbnails or use substitute images. We also have a "Pallette" mode that mimics AutoCAD 2004/2005 palletes. I'll post a screenshot of this a bit later.

[Kevin Janik]

How has the Revit Content Manager been doing as a product? Is it into another version yet? What is the cost?

Kevin

[ariasdelcid]

Looks great ! That's what Im talking about!

[jwilhelm]

Please add raster images to the file types, I find myself using them quite often

[rhys]

Brilliant - I heard about this at AU good to see a screen shot. how much? when?

[jwilhelm]

Just for the sake of argument, it would seem to me that this is something that the REVIT team is likely to implement (and should) within REVIT. To me this seems like a pretty integral function. What are you gonna do when REVIT does add this functionality? could make your product obsolete.

[zanzibarbob7]

Marek,

I just posted a request for this type of organization in the "Wish List." This is something Revit should either implement themselves or purchase your idea. It is far superior to what is available in 7.0. If nothing is forthcoming in 8.0 I will definitely buy your program. How much and where. GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marek Brandstatter]

We're currently undertaking a significant rewrite and hope to have something available end April. No further information available at this point.

[daniel.hurtubise70031]

Can't wait to try it out. Will push to my customer if it works fine.
Keep up the good work

[Marek Brandstatter]

Thanks for the encouragement Daniel. We're working hard to create software that should hopefully be of use to Revit users. In the upcoming days I plan to outline the key features of two products we are working on, namely 'Content Highway for Revit' and 'Estimate Highway for Revit'.

Watch this space :)

[Marek Brandstatter]

We're currently undertaking a significant rewrite and hope to have something available end April.
Looks like we've missed end April.

As I told someone from Augi this morning - If Content Highway was a car, the engine is on the workshop floor and our mechanics are working on it.

I'm working on the help file at the moment and will start showing excerpts from next week.

[Steve_Stafford]

As I told someone from Augi this morning - If Content Highway was a car, the engine is on the workshop floor and our mechanics are working on it.
I sure hope they aren't all on the floor anxiously looking for that "bolt" they dropped? :wink: Thanks for the update!

[zanzibarbob7]

Marek,

Good to hear things are going forward. I am very anxious to get my hands on your program. Thanks for the update.

[Scott D Davis]

I sure hope they aren't all on the floor anxiously looking for that "bolt" they dropped?It's in the carburator....it never fails that someone drops a bolt in there!

[Lashers]

Or they put it back together, but there was a few bolts still on the floor!! ha . . done that once or twice.
I think the interface is very promising! I would be interested in having a play . . .

[Marek Brandstatter]

I think the interface is very promising Except that its changed a bit. I've attached a screenshot which should give a pretty good idea of the direction we're going in. Some preamble...

Content Highway® Desktop Edition comprises two separate but linked applications to manage your Revit families.

Content Highway

Where you manage, sort, edit, filter and organise your Revit families.
Content Manager is also where you create palettes for Palette Highway.

Palette Highway

A toolbar of palettes from where you drag your families into Revit.

Key Features

- manage Revit families on your hard drive
- manage Revit family-types in project files
- find families quickly using instantaneous search methods
- View families sorted by any number of fields, including Family, Type, Manufacturer, Uniformat, Masterformat, Path and even custom fields*.
- edit family properties
- add families to Drag Drop and Dynamic Palettes
- attach custom images to families
- link manufacturers product to families
- drag drop families into Revit

Its very difficult to predict a firm release date, but I'll start elaborating on the feature set from next week...

[rhys]

This really does look very exiting. I have constantly argued since v3, that it is content that will drive Revit forward as much as any of the regular improvements to Revit itself. Judging by the regular comments and frustration about Revit City, RUGI and even our own beloved Exchange, which is still, it seems to me, in its infancy, a product such as Content Highway and Product Highway, has the potential to provide the infrastructure for greatly improved "content delivery". I have my RAND ready!!

[Lashers]

I want to break out in Song!

Marek - you are going in the right direction, whether or not I can afford the final version, I will be looking to get it asap!

How long before you develop an integrated Revit Version manager/updater? I had so much hassle updating my families to R7 that I just can't face doing them to R8 at the minute!

Cheers

[Marek Brandstatter]

How long before you develop an integrated Revit Version manager/updater?
Lashers I assume you refering to the batch upgrade of families from one version to another eg 7 to 8. We already have this working in Content Highway. It works in a similar fashion to the Revit Upgrade utility http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=18817 i.e. by using journal scripts. The main benefit is that with Content Highway you have a graphical interface.

[Lashers]

Marek - that's exactly it. A beggar can't be a chooser, but it is annoying with the current utility, when there is a problem with a particular file that everything stops.

[markl.70662]

I have found the batch upgrade stops if you use special characters in file names ie. au.Level head Circular 01.50ø Arial.rfa. It's annoying but more a function of windows I assume.

[Gadget Man]

You've got my expression of interest all right!

By the way, does the name Marek have something to do with Polish version of the name Mark? Perhaps Polish heritage? Just curious...

[narlee]

Mike 74577,

I can't find the download on your site for Revit Shortcut Highway or Content Highway. Is it right under my nose?

Geof Narlee.

[Mike Hardy-Brown]

Hi Geof

Firstly thank you for visiting our site, Revit Shortcut Highway and Revit Highway are programmes we have written.
Go to the string http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=3552 where there is more info regarding this.
It is like using Revit with a super charger!!!

:-D

[janunson]

This looks so cool! I've been wishing for something like this for a while! content and managing it effectively is a major part fo making Revit effective! I agree w/ JamesVan - I'd like to be able to add metadata and keywords, etc. to the library in addition to the info contained in the RFAs.

[Marek Brandstatter]

Update: Gentlemen, I am aware we haven't met our predicted release date for Content Highway. For the record the engine's back in the car... problem is its no longer a car, more like a plane. Our development has taken on a far wider dimension, much sooner than originally planned and we're incorporating functionality that will take your breath away. Its no longer simply about content management but BIM in the large sense of the term.

There are aspects to what we're doing that I consider to be unique and groundbreaking, a too hasty release may work against us so I prefer to move prudently.

Digital Building Solutions are coming soon - watch this space.

[Steve_Stafford]

...Our development has taken on a far wider dimension, much sooner than originally planned and we're incorporating functionality that will take your breath away...Thanks for the update, looking forward to seeing what you guys are doing!

[blads]

Thanks for the update, looking forward to seeing what you guys are doing!

Ditto to what Steve said...

[janunson]

How's it coming?

[truevis]

Is it possible to download this application anywhere?

[Marek Brandstatter]

Our programmers are hard at work. There's more than one product in the pipeline and the scope and ambition of the products has increased significantly - so things are taken longer than originally forecast. I hate sticking my neck out - I think I've already been debited reputation points for not delivering on previous deadlnes - but here goes....

...we should have something for release within 12 weeks.

For the record - we've been at it for over a year now.

[zanzibarbob7]

Marek,

Good to see an update. Do you have any price range in mind? Subscription for updates etc?

[Marek Brandstatter]

Sorry no pricing as yet.

The first product out the blocks will be Estimate Highway - a multiproject estimating solution for Revit with desktop web interoperability.

Shortly after that we'll launch Content Highway for Web which will allow Reviteers to publish their Family-Types to the Web for sharing and data collaboration purposes.

[Chris4d]

?
this would be nifty if it existed...

[Gadget Man]

Yeah, another year passed and... it has been very quiet about it recently, hasn't been?

Aren't you guys try to build a rocket now (since it went from a car through to a plane...)?

Maybe a small bicycle would do nicely for a start ;) ?

Just kidding! I guess I am just curious what is happening to it, that's all... it started to look very promising... long time ago! ;)

[dbaldacchino]

Maybe Marek really meant 12 months, not weeks :)

[janunson]

If you look at his website, his company, CADPlan in South Africa, is selling the program as part of a subscription to thier revit support services. It appears that it exists and is available to those who belong, but is not for sale as a stand-alone.

Here's a link - www.cadplan.co.za/revit_gold.pdf

[Marek Brandstatter]

It appears that it exists and is available to those who belong, but is not for sale as a stand-alone.
That's the original version, never intended for international distribution.

There's a bunch of reasons of why we're late, the main one is that we're simultaneously developing Estimate Highway for Revit, which we consider of greater priority.

we're nearing the summit...

[blads]

I take it that the Estimate Highway is a cost estimating plug-in for Revit without having the need to save as dwf or other such file...

I hope so - should be very :cool:

you just gotta remember we're like little kids nearing xmas time...all anxious & jittering waiting for presents...

[Marek Brandstatter]

FYI - Estimate Highway is stand alone estimating solution that works with Revit Project data. The Estimate Highway suite comprises Desktop, Web and Mobile applications, which are interoperable . This means that estimate data can be published from desktop to web to cell phone and back again. I can already browse Revit cost estimates on my Nokia 9500, capture product pricing information and send it back to the web.

I've purposefully remained low key regarding Estimate Highway as I've burnt my fingers making overly optimistic launch announcements. :Oops:

Blads - maybe, just maybe Xmas will come early this year.

[tc3dcad60731]

Marek -

i think that it looks good and both sound great. I have several contractors asking me about estimating from the revit models. Right now they have people that do take-offs and enter into other programs to get the estimates. Something that is "all-in-one" would be nice.

[blads]

FYI - Estimate Highway is stand alone estimating solution that works with Revit Project data. The Estimate Highway suite comprises Desktop, Web and Mobile applications, which are interoperable . This means that estimate data can be published from desktop to web to cell phone and back again. I can already browse Revit cost estimates on my Nokia 9500, capture product pricing information and send it back to the web.

I've purposefully remained low key regarding Estimate Highway as I've burnt my fingers making overly optimistic launch announcements. :Oops:

Blads - maybe, just maybe Xmas will come early this year.Woo Hoo - trying not to get too excited... one can only hope :)