problem rotating group, and sharing materials with linked files

[azntwboy]

I'm using Revit Architecture 2009

I've created 3 types of bungalows, each in a separate revit file. I have several problems.First one is that I want to now populate the 3 types, copy and rotate, all over a site plan. However, when I group the bulidings and try to rotate them, elements in the group start jumping around. I'm assuming theres some kind of contraint but I cant find any. all the objects that are moving have no associated work plane or level.How do I fix this?

2nd problem is that when the buildings are linked into the siteplan instead of binded, exporting to dwg to bring into 3dmax applies one material to everything. i would have to bind the buildings together if i want to materials to come through, but then my elements start jumping around again. Why don't the materials come through to Max when the revit files are nested?

3rd problem is that if I wanted to work with linked revit files, how do I share revit materials (NOT accurender) between each of the 3 buildings which are each in a separate file so that they would all use the same material set? having them all with the same set would help when trying to adjust materials in Max.

I've wasted enough time already on this. I think I'm just going to have to populate the buildings and build the site in Max instead of trying to build the whole model in Revit. Attached are examples of this problem.

[twiceroadsfool]

Get all of the materials set up in ONE of the models... Then open the other models and use Transfer Project Standards to bring over the material definitions from the oen file that is correct.

With groups and items jumping around, i know there are issues with Work Plane Based / Line Based families, but you said that wasnt the issue... Not sure on that one then...

[azntwboy]

OK i got the materials part. thanks very much.

I looked at the elements that are jumping, and they're mostly masses, and most actually do have work planes. I have to disassociate each element one by one but it takes so much time. is there a faster way to do this?

Is there a way around the problem with materials not exporting to Max through DWG when revit models are linked? Only the materials in the host file transfer over. I would have to bind all the links to the host file, which destroys all the benefits of linking.

[twiceroadsfool]

I take it theyre in-place masses (made with the create button) instead of mass families? In-place items and groups arent going to play nice together...

As for the materials thing to Max... I dont export to max very much, so excuse this if its a dumb question... Why not do TPS to get the materials correct in each material, then export all of the models to max instead of trying to do it through the parent model?

[luigi]

I haven't tried to render something through max with revit links...but if that is the case, then export each revit file and link all of them into the max file....once it is done and the link isn't broken it will work perfectly...

I wonder how the fbx export to max works with objects and their materials with linked files...

OK i got the materials part. thanks very much.

I looked at the elements that are jumping, and they're mostly masses, and most actually do have work planes. I have to disassociate each element one by one but it takes so much time. is there a faster way to do this?

Is there a way around the problem with materials not exporting to Max through DWG when revit models are linked? Only the materials in the host file transfer over. I would have to bind all the links to the host file, which destroys all the benefits of linking.

[azntwboy]

To get through this problem, I'm just going to export each revit file into Max and build my site in Max. That also gets around the constrained elements jumping . Using the Transfer Project Standards keeps the materials between files identical, and the assignments come out OK in Max when importing each building individually.

I find it easier to get materials right in Max.
My workflow is to create revit materials that don't have to be exact. they can be any color, hatch, whatever, doesnt matter because I'll overwrite them in Max. All this does for me is to preassign a material type to the walls/roofs/doors, etc in Revit. Then I go into Max and eyedrop one instance of the material and modify it and it will apply the change to every object that was assigned that material.

I tried FBX. The material assignments come in OK with linked/host Revit files, but identical materials in the linked and host files become duplicated and renamed into "muti-sub object materials". You'd have to eyedrop in Max for each duplicate. If the links are binded though, the materials stay identical.

[twiceroadsfool]

I havent tried FBX yet at all, but since i heard you can only export, and not export and link in to max, for updates... Its a no go for me.