Best Practices - General

[Kevin Janik]

I was wondering if people would be willing to post to a Best Practices set of threads on different Revit tools and topics? I was thinking that there could be one for each week and the goal would be to boil down and come up with a final post containing the best practices, including standards for that threaded Best Practices topic.

Would that be a value to people? I am sure it would be useful for new users and a place to look for best practices on this forum. The Threads would be named "Best Practices - Topic"

I know much of that information is here but putting it together for people would be useful unless there is another place this is being done.

What are people's thoughts?

Kevin

_____________________________________________________________________________

Updates

Below is a list of linked threads and names which will be updated:


• Revit Best Practices (RBP) - View Naming.
• Revit Best Practices (RBP) - Line Patterns & Line Weights.
• Revit Best Practices (RBP) - Use of Autocad Drawings and Details.

[Andre Carvalho]

That would be great Kevin!

And since there will be people with different skill levels and working on different phases of the project (maybe someone will be just starting the project in Revit, maybe another one will be finishing it...), we could follow the best practice thread from the start to the end of accomplishing an entire project in Revit. I mean, rather than start the first weekly thread about let's say, roof, we could start discussing the walls, or even before that, subjects like preparing your template file...

People would follow it like a soup opera to see how it ends...:lol:

Just an idea.

Andre Carvalho

[AUGI Strangelove]

As a fresh new user, I would look at such a thread daily for picking up the nuances of the software.

[AUGI Strangelove]

Andre,

Just curious, what is a soup opera?

[Andre Carvalho]

Andre,

Just curious, what is a soup opera?

Ops! I'm sorry. I meant soap opera... :mrgreen:
I think this is most common in UK. Check it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera

Andre Carvalho

[mruehr]

great idea
i would be in it
soup or soap

[Carlos GT]

I will be there for sure. When do we start?

[patricks]

Ops! I'm sorry. I meant soap opera... :mrgreen:
I think this is most common in UK. Check it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera

Andre Carvalho

Not just the UK, soaps are pretty popular in the US and have been for 30+ years.

unless you're saying the term "soup opera" is more common in the UK.

But anyhow, Best Practices threads sound good, but people would need to remember to not make them just "the way they (or their company) has always done it". They truly need to be practices that are the "best" way to make Revit run the most efficiently. They shouldn't just be one person's opinion on how things should be done.

[gwnelson]

They shouldn't just be one person's opinion on how things should be done.

Yeah, that's just your opinion.

[Kevin Janik]

Any other people have comments regarding this idea?

I was thinking of publishing some general guidelines for posting and then each specific topic will also have some specifics all included at one the beginning post of the new thread. That way everyone can be focus input that can be formatted in the end into a clear concise Word document file people can use as they wish. We might even outline some options if they seems valuable. One of the goals would be to mine what is on the forum already and get it inputed into one concise thread for people.

It might be helpful to create a format for the final output like the Wishlist has, but with more specifics and in depth information. It would also be nice if a person would be responsible for each Best Practice to share the around the effort.

What are people's thoughts and what should some of the guidelines be?

Please chime in. I think this would be a great resource that turns the corner from just software knowledge to actual software smarts based in real world use.

Perhaps on Monday we could start if people are really interested. Would something simple like View Naming be a good one to start with?

Kevin

[pfaudler]

I think this is a great idea too.
What do you think to start with View naming as well as grouping them in folders like working, issue etc.
cheers!
Rahul

[Kevin Janik]

Those comments seem good. Any other comments?

I will put together some information to post on Monday. I think making the first one as simple and focused as possible will help make this easier to work through at the beginning. The KISS approach.

I think these treads will also be named "Revit Best Practices (RBP) - Topic" so that people can just search for (RBP) and find them all and most nothing else. Does that help?

Kevin

[Kevin Janik]

This tread has not had too many posts but we will start something and see what happens over the next couple of weeks. The more participation there is the better the best practices and the more valuable they will be to others. There are many long time AUGI Revit Forum posters that have great input on this subject. I hope we can encourage them to share their great knowledge and wisdom regarding best practices.

Below is a set of guidelines that will be posted at the top of each thread. Please review them and give any input you have over the next 4 or 5 hours and I will create a new thread for our first Best Practice topic later today.

Thanks for wanting to be a part of this!


Revit Best Practices (RBP) Guidelines for Posting:

• Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be for brain storming and discussion of best practice ideas. Thursday and Friday will be for focusing on one or a couple options for final Revit best practices.
• Do some research on AUGI and other locations to see what others are doing and post that information in this thread and link to if available on line.
• Be specific and note if this is a Revit office standard (ROS), a Revit personal preference or information you have gleaned from AUGI or another location. If an office standard, note how long have you been using it and are there any problems with it.
• Note tips and benefits of the best practice from the point of view of how Revit works efficiently as well as a team of people .

[Andre Carvalho]

Kevin,

At the end of the week, after people posted their opinions, discussed it and found the best answers, a moderator could move only these best answers (or the final answer) to a new thread and stick/close it, so users can find only the answers they are looking for instead of reading all several posts that a discussion like that may lead. I'm trying to make it easier and less confusing to newbies.

And even if the thread containing the final answer is closed, the main thread may continue (and surely will) receiving more answers and discussions. If, from time to time, and version to new versions we find that a new answer has become the best, we can ask the moderator to replace the one on the closed thread. I mean, the best answer today with Revit 2009 may not be the best when Revit 2010 will be available next year...

Andre Carvalho

[Kevin Janik]

Andre

That sounds like a good plan!

We will need to get some help to do that. I have been planning just with what us average AUGI members can do since I have no special powers! If you have contacts in that realm, please ask. I am hoping that these threads will end up putting together some of the best general Revit information in one place and maybe reduce repeated questions about the same things because people find it hard to search for the answer here.

Kevin

[Andre Carvalho]

Andre

That sounds like a good plan!

We will need to get some help to do that. I have been planning just with what us average AUGI members can do since I have no special powers! If you have contacts in that realm, please ask. I am hoping that these threads will end up putting together some of the best general Revit information in one place and maybe reduce repeated questions about the same things because people find it hard to search for the answer here.

Kevin

I have no special powers too, neither have contacts with the moderators here... But these Best Practice series of threads sounds great and I hope that, like in the Kevin Costner's movie "Field of Dreams", "if you build it, they will come!" :)

And by "they" I mean the moderators and all the Revit Gurus around here.

Andre Carvalho

[Kevin Janik]

Just for everyone's information, the first post of this thread will be updated with the links to the other Best Practices threads for easy referencing.

See post Revit Best Practices (RBP) - General.

Kevin

[jnyazz]

Well I happened upon this thread by sheer accident. I am what you would consider the newest of newbies. We have started training in REVIT a couple of teams have used it for inhouse things but no one has used it for a client at this point. We were before now strictly ADT (ACA now) but have realized that REVIT is the way BIM & many of our clients are going. I am excited about the change because well I find REVIT to be a simpler more powerful program than ACA. (just not as cumbersome).

Well anyway after reading this & giving it a little thought. Just my opinion could there not be more than on answer to some of the problems or best practices? I mean to just narrow it down to just one is sort of keyholeing yourself & I think that is where the "Well that is how we have always done it" mentality sets in. Could it maybe narrow it down to 2 or maybe 3 & let the individual or company detemine what which one is the best for there situation?

Do not get me wrong I think this is a great idea & I thank all of you for taking the time to do this & if it is at all possible or I can in anyway help I would be honored to do so.

I hope I have not overstepped my bounds as a newbie. Again I thank you & think what you guys are doing is a great thing.

[Kevin Janik]

Any other people have comments regarding this idea?

I was thinking of publishing some general guidelines for posting and then each specific topic will also have some specifics all included at one the beginning post of the new thread. That way everyone can be focus input that can be formatted in the end into a clear concise Word document file people can use as they wish. We might even outline some options if they seems valuable. One of the goals would be to mine what is on the forum already and get it inputed into one concise thread for people.

It might be helpful to create a format for the final output like the Wishlist has, but with more specifics and in depth information. It would also be nice if a person would be responsible for each Best Practice to share the around the effort.

What are people's thoughts and what should some of the guidelines be?

Please chime in. I think this would be a great resource that turns the corner from just software knowledge to actual software smarts based in real world use.

Perhaps on Monday we could start if people are really interested. Would something simple like View Naming be a good one to start with?

Kevin

Thanks for the input and you are probably right! As noted above in a quote of one of my earlier posts, there may be options that seem equally good also and then the decision would be up to people and offices what to do.

The goal is to help people think through what might be the best practices for a tool or item. For people new to Revit, as I am, in many ways (only two projects under my belt over 5 years) this will help me develop company standards and best practices for Revit without having to discover things the hard way by making mistakes and use less than good practices. These threads will also give me the experience of many users to set up good office standards and tell people using Revit and managers who don't, "this is a good way or the best way to do this...".

Keep posting and reading here at AUGI. This AUGI Revit Forum is a best practice for me because I find it the best of reasources for everything Revit. There are some smart and seasoned cookies (people) posting here!

[jnyazz]

Thanks for putting me in my place ~hangs head in shame while tears well~ j/k But I did not remember seeing it so that helps. Again I am thankful for you guys being here I know AUGI was a big help in learning a lot about dynamic blocks & other Autocad. I am excited about really starting a project in REVIT but that may be a while away. I will however be around to pick up info & ask question now & again I may even add my 2 cents worth everynow & then (even if they aren't worth a plug nickle) YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!

Thank you again everyone for the help.

By the way I like the view naming I plan to talk to our CAD? tech, REVIT? tech,
drafting tech about that in our next meeting.

[Kevin Janik]

I did not mean any harm!

Your questions and comments can further the discussion and sometimes someone from the outside can come in a just see things that people really close to the problem don't really see. Also asking questions can help others clarify their responses so all level of users can really understand them clearly. We sometimes speak techno language.

Thanks for your comments! Your comments are fine!

Kevin

[Andre Carvalho]

Kevin,

You have asked for suggestions about other Best Practices threads to come. I would like to suggest one about walls. I have seen people drawing walls as an assembly, people drawing walls as separated wall for each layer, people drawing only one wall and changing the exterior finish with the paint bucket, people duplicating walls just because the finish is different in one wall, even if the interior composition is the same...

There's a thread (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=78891) where David Baldacchino talks about tagging the wall with the same structure as one wall type. However, if we have 4 walls with 4 different finishes, even if the wall structure behind the finishes is the same and therefore we want to tag them with the same mark in plan and just tag the different finishes in elevation, Revit will complain about that.

Maybe we can add our thoughts about walls workflow on a next thread.

Regards,

Andre Carvalho

[Kevin Janik]

I was thinking about doing line patterns but that is really not too difficult to discuss so maybe I could post the walls one also which is not two involved as another post at the same time.

Thanks for the input and if you would like to help put together the final notes on walls that would be great! I'm try to get the ball rolling and but if it gets too big, I am going to get rolled flat by it. I am hoping people will volunteer and kind of make it there's also since it will benefit all in the long run.

Thanks again!

Kevin

[Andre Carvalho]

Don't worry about that, Kevin. Let's do the line pattern first and then do the walls another time, to avoid having more than one Best Practices thread open at the same time. I'll try to help you keeping this ball rolling.

Andre Carvalho

[Kevin Janik]

Our next thread I will start later today and it will cover Line Patterns and Line Weights but not Line Styles. It will be a bit less intense and more focused.

Please still post to the Revit Best Practices (RBP) - View Naming thread your thoughts. I think we will let it run a bit into next week before trying to summarize it since it involves so many view types. I think I will put up a poll for people to vote on also before that to get some final direction. Posting your browser view as an image is very useful!

Thanks for everyone's input and I hope more people we get involved!

Kevin

[Kevin Janik]

Our next thread started but no one is posting. (See information above.)

Have we burned people out with one thread? What are people's thoughts?

Is this the end? I am willing but my input is not of much value without input from a group of people.

I think the first thread on View Naming has been successful.

Kevin

[mruehr]

Kevin dont give up
as for me there is only soooo much time and one week can pass
you wondering what the hell dit i do
i think it needs a bit more time i havent stopt thinking yet about views
and havent yet an opinion on linetypes
also unter 'In Practice' they are a bit out of sight out of mind
i would start the next one and keep them running a bit longer
maybe with a sticky unter General

my 2 cents
cheers

[Kevin Janik]

Thanks for the comments! I will leave these two until next week since I am out some on vacation tomorrow and part of next week. I think your view idea with MJ was great with for View organization!

We'll keep plodding along!

I am not sure how to do the sticky. Is that something we can do? I don't want to act too "In Your Face" with people.

Thanks again!

Kevin

[kingjosiah]

Kevin-

I too noticed that no one has responded to your second edition of RBP....i'll chime in with another 'don't give up'. For us new users, these "best practice" threads are a lifeline. It's a great idea -- one that i hope will continue for a long time. It seems that 50% of the threads on this forum are best practice related, so the idea is brilliant. The proliferation of best practice threads means that more and more firms are adopting Revit; this is great to see considering that i started back in v.1 when no one heard of the program and have been away from it until now.

I can only hope that one day i'll be at the level where i can start to make contributions back to the group. I'm still in the listen & learn mode....

One best practice thread i'd love to see is for site related work....been battling with pads and subregions this past week and could really use some tips from the gurus.

Thanks again for starting this RBP idea...

- Jon

[Kevin Janik]

Jon,

Thanks for your encouragement! I think sometimes people don't think they have much to share but sometimes they have a different slant on how to do something which opens other peoples' eyes to perhaps a better or another way to use a feature in Revit.

Sometimes I wish the programmers at the factory would post why a feature was developed in Revit and how they saw it being used. We might understand some things we did not notice below.

Kevin