Copy/Monitor Help

[Tyveka]

Hi All,

Can someone please explain to me how the Copy Monitor works? We are an architecture firm coordinating with both a Structural firm and a Mech/Elec/Plumbing firm and we just are having problems. I've read through the Revit tutorials and they are about as clear as mud on this issue.

One example of a problem we face - we put our levels at the actual elevations. So our building starts at 312' off the ground. However when the Systems guys linked/copy monitored our project, they could see the building but could not figure out why they couldn't place elements until their guy pulled up an elevation view and zoomed out. Then we discovered why elements were not placing - their levels did not coordinate with ours. And they, as a firm, do not work the same way we do...

Where can I go to find a better resource to understand this functionality and how it works with linking projects?

Thank you!

Jeremy

[dbaldacchino]

I think first and foremost, you need to understand how linking projects into each other works. Take a look at Shared Coordinates....do a search on these forums and read the help section. The Copy/Monitor is a separate issue and from your description, you first need to understand how to get your levels to report shared coordinates or project coordinates, how to link (whether to use By Shared Coordinates or origin to Origin etc). Once you understand that, move on to C/M.

C/M is meant to help you coordinate certain elements between disciplines, giving the option for one discipline to make changes to elements "owned" by another discipline and get approval or rejection for that change. It really helps with visibility issues as you can control individual elements within one project file, as you don't have the same amount of flexibility with objects within linked projects. C/M monitors relationships....like a finish floor level owned by the Architect and a Top of Steel level owned by the Engineer. The engineer would monitor the relationship between the Architect's level and his and if the finish floor moves, a warning will be issued and the engineer has to decide if to accept or reject. If he accepts, his Top of steel would move to maintain the same relationship to the Finish Floor level.

[Tyveka]

You're correct, first and foremost, I need to understand shared coordinates. I will work on that right now.

In the meantime though, I am struggling through copy monitor. My MEP guy is here with me on his laptop today and we are struggling through some issues.

Example - We opened up Systems, linked my Arch file to his. Then we went to copy monitor. Opened up an elevation view, copied MY levels and his adjusted accordingly. Fine.
Now, though, he needs to place an electrical room in. So we copied walls and also monitored walls. Saved the file.
I went into my Architectural plan, moved the walls, added some doors and so on... this is where the trouble began. When he opened up his file again, Revit told us we needed a coordination review. He has the option to accept the changes that I made to the wall locations which he copied and monitored...however when he accepts changes, nothing happens? The only way to get it to take was to have it modify the "basic wall type" that I guess was copied into the project. So we cancelled for a bit. He did his electric work, I linked it into my project. Lo and behold, the old wall configuration that I had showed up, in addition to the new one in my project. I am guessing this is because he copied the elements but had not resolved them to my changes yet? Why do I even need to see his walls? And why doesn't the "accept changes" option really do anything?

Thank you for the reply so far!

Jeremy

Edit - Is there anyplace that has a step by step walkthrough for setting up a shared project from establishing shared coordinates all the way through the right procedure for copying and monitoring elements?

Thank you!

[lev.lipkin]

If you do not need to see walls in linked model switch off category visibility in the linked file tab of visibility dialog. (Pick on Revit Links in VG dialog box, pick on 'by host view' button in Display Setting column, switch to Custom on Basics tab of RVT Link Display Settings, switch to Model Categories tab, change to 'custom', switch walls category off.)

'Accept' in coordination review just creates new comparison base for changes, so you and the other user would get request for coordination when additional changes are introduced. If you accept, it means that you are OK with having different elements and wants to monitor their current state.

To update elements according to changes in monitored elements use commands like "modify walls", “move walls”, “update something etc.”

When other user would choose those commands in same 'Action' drop down (instead of 'Accept'), walls in his model would be modified to match your walls.

If modify option is not selected (or not available like for inserts) Copy/Monitor leaves resolution to your team.

Accept means that differences are ok.

Hope this helps and could be used in your workflow.

[Tyveka]

Not only does it help, it clears things up.

On to another question, very much related...

Doing some experimentation, we linked the architectural plan into the systems plan. The only things we copied were the levels and the rooms. Then, we set the coordinates to be shared, imported from the architectural file. After exiting the copy monitor tool, we placed electrical elements like outlets and switches - they all worked fine, attaching to the linked file. Bear in mind, I haven't copied any elements over yet. So if I moved a wall in the architectural plan, when I updated the electrical plan, the outlet moved to the new location of the wall. No problems. HOWEVER... when I added ceilings into the architectural plan and then updated the electrical plan, the ceilings don't show up. Bear in mind, we created an associated ceiling plan view, using the Electrical discipline (so we could put light fixtures into the ceiling). No ceiling ever shows up (even after modifying the VG settings in the linked file and the host file). The only way I was able to get the ceiling to show up was to change the discipline from electrical to either architectural or coordination.

Question 1 - with the ceiling not showing up in the electrical discipline ceiling plan - is this a bug or intentional? If intentional, is there a way around it, keeping the discipline set to electrical?

Question 2 - by not copying or monitoring anything except levels (and maybe rooms) in the linked project, is this going to create problems down the line in the development of the project? If so, what should we watch out for? Corallary - what elements SHOULD we be copying and monitoring (other than levels and grids)? Another corallary - when is it appropriate or necessary to copy and/or monitor walls, etc..?

Thank you again for the clarifications. All the help is appreciated!