Model detail

[clog boy]

I'm working for a contractor who builds about 500 houses a year. we build mostly project based - anything above 20 to keep transportation costs to a minimum. This means many models are used more than a few times.
Our details are still AutoCAD, and every model has to perfectly comply with these details. We extract construction drawings from the model, and the goal is to use the model as an exact blueprint for the factories that make our prefab walls and floor segments.

So my question is, what level of detail/realism does everyone put into the model? How does everyone feel about the idea that spending more time on the details early on saves time and frustration during the pre-construction process? How many of you use the third dimension in crosslevel families to make floorplans and construction drawings 'talk' to each other and detect construction problems during the design stage?

[arqt49]

Well, I define some critical details in the beginning so that I don't get surprises in the end-as you said, but that's more a working workflow option. They go to a drafting view to later completion.
As for acad details, you should abandon them as soon as possible.
If you explore the drafting components well, you can take advantage of the classification tools (and tagging) in the native revit components, as well as parametric detail components. These are not as hard to configure and are very powerfull tools that you cannot get in acad.
Detail in modelling components should be as minimum as possible, for performance (file/display/etc) issues.

[Rick Houle]

I agree with getting rid of cad details. Unless they are cleaned properly, cad items can cause problems, whether it's a bulky hatch pattern or just a thousand background layers, cad is bad. (unless it's cleaned spotless)...

You can embed 2D detail information into your 3D model components so when the sections are cut, you can see the inside components. I recommend going the distance with this IF you produce and reproduce typical products - like catalog options.
But we find here in our design firm that embedded details are not all too practical when it is just as easy in Revit to detail on the detail page.
(we embed some basic details, like foundation components, head or sill detail...)

[sbrown]

If you are reusing the designs than model the heck out of it as accurately as possible. Utilizing smart modeling techniques, ie embeded detail components in families, course and fine representation etc. Most revit users don't get to reuse there models so they shouldn't make them perfect, there is no pay off when the delieverable is the drawing set then your done. But Revit now gives you the opportunity to perfect your product and detailing so go for it.

[clog boy]

If you are reusing the designs than model the heck out of it as accurately as possible. Utilizing smart modeling techniques, ie embeded detail components in families, course and fine representation etc. Most revit users don't get to reuse there models so they shouldn't make them perfect, there is no pay off when the delieverable is the drawing set then your done. But Revit now gives you the opportunity to perfect your product and detailing so go for it.

Nah, you can always 'cheat' by obscuring a defacto situation with a detail. Since we re-use all our details about a thousand times and re-use most of our models a maximum ten times or so (multiple types per project) it pays off to model and dimension according to our standard details and not stuff our templates with a detail library. Then again that would be real version tracking if we did.

Agreed with most other points by everyone else. Where do you people think is the tipping point between reliability and time consumption?

[Rick Houle]

Me, I know the value of some good 2D polish... but I am a BIM purist at heart.

"Just make your deadline so nobody blames Revit..!"
(That is usually what i'm saying to the purists, after they spend four days making one flexible window that is holding up thirty elevations..!)

[clog boy]

Me, I know the value of some good 2D polish... but I am a BIM purist at heart.

"Just make your deadline so nobody blames Revit..!"
(That is usually what i'm saying to the purists, after they spend four days making one flexible window that is holding up thirty elevations..!)

Right, but what if that same window can be used over and over again and changed within ten minutes? Mind you we're using very detailled windows. Especially when it comes to the difference between the interior void and the exterior void. We're taking Revit to the level of construction documents and that takes some extra effort.