Remodeling Project

[Doug]

Remodeling experts!
When doing a remodeling project do you pin the existing model in place so that it does not move?

What are the draw backs to doing this?

[Melarch]

Doug,

I haven't to date on the half dozen remodeling projects, but it offers an interesting opportunity.

I am wondering what purpose Pinning the existing model would serve. I could understand if you were addiing a detached garage utility building or pool structure that you were concerned might accidently move the existing in relationship. I imagine placing some dimensional constraints would resolve that issue.

If the existing model is in a site topographical plan, it may want to be pinned down. But I have always used Reference planes or lines to constrain my model in-situ.

In fact the only place I use pinning is when I bring in an AutoCAD background and want to insure it doesn't move as I develop the model over it or with other RVT and image file references.

Curtain walls pin down almost everything within their boundaries and possibly locking a grid to the background can be important. But remember that when you pin things down you are locking them in coordinate place, which is more important in a coordinate based program such as AutoCAD. On the other hand Revit does employ coordinate positioning, with the exception of Shared Coordinates.

So I guess the answer is no need to pin the existing down to add new construction or remodel the interior. It is unlikey you would import the existing model into a new project file, like you would XREF DWG's into each other, which would make it difficult to edit the existing model or demolish adjacent components and elements as the new meets the old.

[dpollard909366]

Instead of pinning, I would first look at opportunities with phasing (existing phase not editable) or if that doesn't work for what you want to do, try placing existing elements on an uneditable workset.

The problem with pinning is it can lead to over-constraining, and deep into a project you can put yourself in a jam if you can't trace back the constraint. I know it seems simple and makes sense at first, but if you constrain or pin, you have to be very vigilant in knowing and structuring what is pinned where.

If you evenr have to constarin, I recommend only locking elements to reference planes. Using this technique, if you ever have to trace a constraint you can focus on just the reference planes, and worse case delete the consraints by deleting the ref plane.

long story short, if you want to pin, pin the ref planes, and lock walls to the planes

[D.Williams]

Instead of pinning, I would first look at opportunities with phasing (existing phase not editable)

Are you speaking of a worksets deal or something else? I haven't heard of this before but it sounds like this is a good way to go.

We do remodels as a fair bit of our work. Our approach recently has been only pin what you need to pin. If you have new walls interacting with old walls, pin it. New door in a demo'd wall, pin the existing wall. new wall on top of existing wall, pin it. I'd love not to have to pin anything across phases, but time and again the newer users find a way to move the carefully crafted as-builts ever so discreetly. We don't use worksets for these types of jobs so I can't say if they are a better answer than pinning.

[Firmso]

Reference Link :

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=44270&highlight

I'm with dpollard on this one.