Origin questions

[ron.sanpedro]

Given the number of consultants still in AutoBAD, I think origin issues are going to continue for the foreseeable future, so I have a few questions to see how people are dealing with it.
First off, we have a template that actually puts a little Origin Mark annotation at 0,0. The approach used was to reference a DWG with cross hairs at 0,0 Origin to Origin, and place the annotation, then remove the DWG and make it a template. Currently that origin is in the lower left corner, just inside the region defined by the elevation bubbles. The idea being this ensures that everything is in the positive XY quadrant when we export to DWG. However, our office standard is to place the A1 grid intersection in the upper right corner, and that intersection makes a lot more sense as 0,0 at export. However, it would put the entire model in the negative XY quadrant in DWG. On the other hand, I could place the A & 1 grids, establish the office standard for grid location and direction, and not need an annotation that must then be deleted. And I could pin those grids in the template as well. Multiple birds with one stone. But is it a good idea? Especially with regards to non Revit consultants?

So I am curious what others are doing. And what comments others have on this idea.

Thanks,
Gordon

[gordie_v]

The following is our standard operating procedure for establishing coordinate systems

7.1 Import Survey Coordinates

Importing and Reconciling the Survey Coordinate System
Importing the Land Survey into the project is critical to establishing appropriate links that are interchangeable with .dwg files
we may be importing/exporting with consultants.
This procedure should be done immediately upon receipt of the Land Survey.
1. Open the view ‘Site’ under floor plans. Set the current workset to ‘Links’.
2. File > Import/Link > CAD Formats.
3. Browse to the survey. Be sure it is located in it’s final resting place (which should be in the appropriate Linked Files folder
mentioned above.)
4. Select the following options:
A. Link (instead of import) & Current
View Only
B. Preserve Colors
C. Automatically Place By Shared
Coordinates’. (If this option is not
available, be sure that the ‘Link’
option is checked)
D. Scaling: Auto-Detect
5. The site has now been inserted. You can
now begin the model in the appropriate
location in relationship to this linked file.

Note: If you have already began your
model, you will need to realign the link and
reconcile the coordinates of the model

6. Unpin and align the link to the location of the model. You can use the move command for this procedure.
7. Open an elevation view and move the linked file down to the appropriate elevation in relationship to ‘Level 1’. (Eg. If
Level 1 = XXX’-X”, move the linked file down this distance.)
8. Rotate the linked drawing as necessary so that the building will be aligned correctly on a sheet. (This new orientation will
be considered ‘project north’.) Pin the link in this new location.
9. Select the linked CAD file and open the properties.
10. Select the <not shared> button/icon for the parameter Shared Location.
11. The shared coordinates dialog will appear with two options. Select “Acquire the shared coordinate system of ‘<your link
file name.dwg>’ and record it in the current project...” This will change Revit model coordinate system to align with
the survey.

Note: This is a one time operation. Once you have set this location, all
files developed from the original survey will align with this file. If this is
done improperly, all subsequent files will not align properly in the model.

[ron.sanpedro]

Gordie,
do you use the Civil coordinates for everyone? I have found that...
1: We likely don't have a survey when we start working with Structural and MEP consultants, and certainly not when we start SD.
2: Consultants who are working on the building tend to relate to the building grid, not the site survey.

My thought is, if we establish project 0,0 as the grid origin, then we can export DWGs for building based consultants very early on, and remain consistent throughout the project, and then establish a shared coordinate system at a later date when we have appropriate information, and export DWGs based on that to Civil, Landscape and other consultants who are working "outside" the building.

Have you found this process to not work? And are you dealing with campus or development type projects where the survey drives early design decisions? We often do adaptive reuse of an existing building, where the survey is very late in the game and more about what the city wants done with the sidewalks than anything else. Eventually we need the survey to set the true height of Level 1, but we often still show it in our drawings as a Project Elevation of 0' or 100'.

Best,
Gordon

[gordie_v]

Our work flow is typically with a developer who has been thinking about the site for quite sometime and typically already has a survey when we come on board.
Our other consultants usually cone on at the end or mid SD.

I think the intersection of grids works too
but I wouldn't change it once it is set that just confuses everyone.
if you set gird A-1 as 0,0 make civil use that too.