Non US Assembly Codes

[AP23]

I want to start using assembly codes to do some schedules and early cost estimation in SD & DD. Then during the CD phase I will then use keynotes. Since I don’t use the US standards I wonder how you can get a replaced Uniform Classification text file to work. Revit doesn’t seem to recognize the file (even though it’s saved under the same name) and the assembly code window stays blank. I tried saving the excel file under different text formats but that didn’t work either. Any suggestions?

[Scott Womack]

I want to start using assembly codes to do some schedules and early cost estimation in SD & DD. Then during the CD phase I will then use keynotes. Since I don’t use the US standards I wonder how you can get a replaced Uniform Classification text file to work. Revit doesn’t seem to recognize the file (even though it’s saved under the same name) and the assembly code window stays blank. I tried saving the excel file under different text formats but that didn’t work either. Any suggestions?

This is not supposed to be a file that you can manually edit, according to the documentation. Second, Revit only reads this file when you first start it up. Next, if it is a file you created, you'll always have to select "ALL" for ever item you want to put an assembly code into, since there are myster numbers at the ends of the lines that evidently tell Revit what catagory a number belongs to.

We have been able to edit it using eSpecs for Revit.

[chodosh]

I've swapped the file out. However, I would not recommend doing so.

The codes are tied to every category in Revit, therefore very broadly are managing the assemblies and the organization thereof. It is as Scott says, really not recommended. That said, I've never been one to follow the rules very well. So, from my experience, if you must use something else, what you could do, is make a copy of the TXT file and edit it in-place. It will not replace the attributes, however, but you'll have a database to select from that can be customized, you'll just need to edit every Family to input the right value. I've swapped my Assembly Codes with my Keynotes file, for example. And, while it's indexed nicely and useful, it is a broken solution that only gets you so far. If you look under the hood a little deeper at the code, every Category and every object is tied to a number, that number relates to Uniformat within Revit. If you do swap it out, I'll prewarn you: your Journals will grow exponentially and expect 5-6 pages of errors up front upon opening each session of Revit to be reported in the Journals where you're repointing to the "other" file.

All that said, using eSpecs to edit it is a much better method. It maintains the correct hierarchial arrangement and relationship between Assembly Codes and Keynotes without redundancies. Basically reorganizing and updating the same data is all it is achieving, so in theory if there was an eSpecs-like engine that could drive your standard...? Well, there are always possibilities out there.

-LC

[AP23]

e-Specs seems interesting, i'll take a look at it. In the meantime, i'll use a shared parameter to code each component for peliminary cost estimates. Thanks

[arqt49]

I am now using the Uniformat Draft (I know it is still in the public comments phase but I like it more).
Basicly I used a spreadsheet to assemble the text file format and hierarchy using formulas, etc.
Since I don't use especs, I don't have the bidirectional problem.
Implementing that file is easy. You can get the categories codes and all you need in this forum.