More 7.0 Tidbits

[David Conant]

The preview guide shows only a selection of the many features added in 7.0. Those that we felt were of the biggest global importance. Here are a few that didn't make it over that fairly high bar.

No more question marks: When a tag displays a parameter that has no current value, the annoying question mark will appear only when the tag is is selected. This includes titleblocks.

Nudge: The keyboard arrows will nudge selected elements by one length snap unit.

Match Types: The match types tool works from the project browser

Space bar for Flipping: When sketching any element using an offset option, pressing the space bar will flip the offset direction across the sketch line.
When doors or windows are selected, space bar flips them in the same manner as when they are being placed.

Parameter Grouping: Parameters are organized into collapsible groups in the properties dialog

[christopher.zoog51272]

awesome! :beer:

[Les Therrien]

This is such a major release! Great job Revit Team! Thanks!

Out of curiosity, are there any changes to "speed" in general such as file size or video regens?

[Nic M.]

:beer:
Great job

[Martin P]

Paramater grouping isnt a big one!? It sounds like a superb release, I could do with those revision tools right now.

I wonder did placing walls by pick make it in??

[J. Grouchy]

No more question marks: When a tag displays a parameter that has no current value, the annoying question mark will appear only when the tag is is selected. This includes titleblocks.
Sheesh, guys...you guys aren't giving us much to complain about anymore...
Just when I thought I'd gotten gypped on some minor items.

[David Conant]

Don't get me going. Do you think we're doing this just to make you happy? That's all for today. We have another release to get working on.

[aaronrumple]

Only folks sleeping less than architects are the Revit developers...

[SCShell]

Hey David (and all the Revit Folks),

You guys rock! Thank you.
Steve Shell

[gregcashen]

Ooooh, and I see an icon for "Attach Walls"...Cool!

[Scott_Bloss]

Great job guys! We are all very impressed with your efforts keep up the good work,

[GuyR]

We have another release to get working on.

David, how about doing what Peter Jackson's doing on the King Kong movie and give us video updates over the next year showing the behind scenes development of V8 and a few screen shots :-)

http://www.kongisking.net/index.shtml

Certainly gives you a good perspective on how the process of film making works, and why it costs so much money...

Guy

[sfaust]

I think that's a "make walls from vertical face" button dealing with building maker. I could be wrong though...

ed: that was in response to greg's comment about the "attach walls" tool

[gregcashen]

i guess we'll have to wait and see... ;)

[David Conant]

Steve wins todays 7.0 detective award.;)

[sfaust]

Steve wins todays 7.0 detective award.;)
:) So what's the prize? an early demo of 7.0?....

hey, it was worth a try...

[kimheaver]

Did any sort of customisation tools, api,scripts, menu editing etc make it into this release, I don't see any sign of it.

Kim

[hand471037]

I haven't seen anything regarding an API, other than a message that they are 'working on it for the future'. What do you need an API for? What are you trying to do?

As for 'customization tools' what do you need beyond Revit's families? That's where all the 'customization' efforts are focused with Revit, instead of on the software or UI itself ala AutoCAD.

As for Scripts, well, you can use Journal files like a script, but be warned, it's not a supported feature yet and could stop working when the next release of the software rolls out.

As for Menu Editing, why in the world would you ever want to do that?

[Scott D Davis]

Menu editing! It's driving me nuts in AutoCAD right now, I'm so glad we can't in Revit. We just upgraded to r2005. My users all have rights to create their own tool palette, and customize it any way they want. I've taught them how to do this, and its simple.....so I thought! I have several people here that have insisted on creating custom toolbars in acad.....they make a new tool bar, and drag a button from a default toolbar to thier own. Then they call me the next day, "My button has disappeared from the standard toolbar! I created a custom, but now its gone from the standard!"

Uhhh....that's because you MOVED it from the stock toolbar to your own! Menu, load, acad.mnc...buh-bye custom tool bar! Use the Palette! That's why I gave it to you!

[kimheaver]

As for 'customization tools' what do you need beyond Revit's families? That's where all the 'customization' efforts are focused with Revit, instead of on the software or UI itself ala AutoCAD.
As for Menu Editing, why in the world would you ever want to do that?

The biggest thing I miss from Autocad is that I've setup my menus with some lisp and have all my standard room names, text strings and leader notes that I can place with a menu pick and 1 click.
It saves time and typing and ensures that notes are uniform from job to job. It also helps to prevent missing notes as I normally start at the top of the menu and work down each line placing the applicable items in the drawing, sort of like a checklist.

I guess this could be a wishlist item, unless the capability is already there and I'm just not aware of it (which is quite possible).

Regards,
Kim

[beegee]

I think you could set up a Keynote / Noteblock family to do this.



The biggest thing I miss from Autocad is that I've setup my menus with some lisp and have all my standard room names, text strings and leader notes that I can place with a menu pick and 1 click.
It saves time and typing and ensures that notes are uniform from job to job. It also helps to prevent missing notes as I normally start at the top of the menu and work down each line placing the applicable items in the drawing, sort of like a checklist.

I guess this could be a wishlist item, unless the capability is already there and I'm just not aware of it (which is quite possible).

Regards,
Kim

[christie.landry]

Got a few more. I can't remember what thread I saw the question about modeling enhancements, but I added that to the pdf.
Here's the Top Features List with some modeling images.

[Scott D Davis]

hmmm....Reference Lines! (not Ref Planes!) I heard that Ref Lines will allow us to lock the endpoint, so that parametric rotation is allowed now, without the "line" trick we used to use!

[gregcashen]

I like "Structural - Many other improvements" ;)

[Scott D Davis]

I like "Structural - Many other improvements" ;)In other words...."Too many Structural improvements to list!"

[gregcashen]

One can only hope. Er, wish. ;)

[hand471037]

The biggest thing I miss from Autocad is that I've setup my menus with some lisp and have all my standard room names, text strings and leader notes that I can place with a menu pick and 1 click.
It saves time and typing and ensures that notes are uniform from job to job. It also helps to prevent missing notes as I normally start at the top of the menu and work down each line placing the applicable items in the drawing, sort of like a checklist.


Kim, as for the room names and key notes you could create a template that has all of those rooms or key notes already in it, and then place at will just like you do in Autocad.

You can enter in room names first, on a room schedule, and then place them in the plan- there's a pulldown on the option bar that lets you pick them. Or you could create them once in one project, and then copy and paste the schedule from one sheet to another to transfer it from one project to another...

You can make keynote familys with types for each note, and then they will sort themselves on the type selector, be identical project-wide, and work very simularly to how you work now. You can even create a type catalog so that they always pull from the same location, simular (but different) to ADT keynoting database. And there's something coming for keynotes in R7 too, so we should see some inhancements there as well.

But my point is that it's not the custom menu you're after, it's a certain way of working: having predefined room names/numbers, and having consistant predefined notes, both of which are posible right now. Again, in Revit, you focus customization on the content, not on the software. by simply creating some custom annotation keynote families and a bunch of schedule entries you'll be able to work the same way...

[Cathy Hadley]

But my point is that it's not the custom menu you're after, it's a certain way of working: having predefined room names/numbers, and having consistant predefined notes, both of which are posible right now. Again, in Revit, you focus customization on the content, not on the software. by simply creating some custom annotation keynote families and a bunch of schedule entries you'll be able to work the same way...

Excellent explanation, may I quote you... My mantra... its all about the template... (and the options bar) !!!

[Wes Macaulay]

Uhhh....that's because you MOVED it from the stock toolbar to your own! Menu, load, acad.mnc...buh-bye custom tool bar! Use the Palette! That's why I gave it to you!Oh... dude... I feel your pain. The cult of AutoCAD still lives on

[Wes Macaulay]

Got a few more. I can't remember what thread I saw the question about modeling enhancements, but I added that to the pdf.
Here's the Top Features List with some modeling images.Christie, that is the bomb. Thanks for that... I've been working with R7 since it came out early this week. The curtain wall enhancements have been most helpful. We have several clients for whom the curtain wall changes will mean they'll be jumping in.

[kimheaver]

Kim, as for the room names and key notes you could create a template that has all of those rooms or key notes already in it, and then place at will just like you do in Autocad.

You can enter in room names first, on a room schedule, and then place them in the plan- there's a pulldown on the option bar that lets you pick them. Or you could create them once in one project, and then copy and paste the schedule from one sheet to another to transfer it from one project to another...

You can make keynote familys with types for each note, and then they will sort themselves on the type selector, be identical project-wide, and work very simularly to how you work now. You can even create a type catalog so that they always pull from the same location, simular (but different) to ADT keynoting database. And there's something coming for keynotes in R7 too, so we should see some inhancements there as well.

Hi Jeffrey,
OK, could you repeat the part after "Kim, as for the room names ......" :-)
No I can grasp the room names method, but can anyone give me a sample or a tutorial of keynotes, I'm having trouble getting my mind around this one.

Regards,
Kim

[beegee]

,....but can anyone give me a sample or a tutorial of keynotes, I'm having trouble getting my mind around this one.

Regards,
KimHi Kim,

There is a small tutorial on Noteblocks. ( Document your projects > Annotations & Dims > Annotations > Create a Noteblock. )

Keynotes and Noteblocks are a very powerful Revit tool. Once you have set them up as a family, you can laod that into your template file and use it with ease as JMG outlined.

[blads]

Kim,

theres is a good example in this thread
http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=7408&highlight=Noteblock

[GuyR]

Can anyone tell us exactly what are the keynote improvements in V7?

There's certainly some issues with keynotes currently, and you can use ,'s in TC's you just need to close the text string with "" or '' depending on whether you have used either in your text string.

Having said this, the load once nature of TC's and keynotes means you have to be careful how you use them together.

Guy

[blads]

Can anyone tell us exactly what are the keynote improvements in V7? ,<snip> Guy

I dunno but you'll only have to wait for 7 days to find out!!!

[hand471037]

Can anyone tell us exactly what are the keynote improvements in V7?

There's certainly some issues with keynotes currently, and you can use ,'s in TC's you just need to close the text string with "" or '' depending on whether you have used either in your text string.

Having said this, the load once nature of TC's and keynotes means you have to be careful how you use them together.

Guy

Yeah, it's only a week, but there are some improvements with Keynotes apparently in R7. My hope is that they did something to help manage them, for the way you do it now makes for every different project-wide note/CSI## to be a different type if you want in the end to have a list where you have one collum that's the Note's number and one that's the full text of the Note itself. And doing sheet-specific keynotes that pull from a common library is a pain, for it requires setting up a custom parameter that you then use as a filter on the Note Block Legend, and requires the user to remember to set that parameter indicating what sheet those notes 'live' on, making for many chances to screw up. ;)

[Kroke]

What I love about Revit, and what we were ALL so worried about when AD took over...we were all worried our Revit support would go down the tubes. Thanks for keeping up the awesome work. I love Revit and it's support. Can't wait for the new release...hats off guys.

[jarod.tulanowski]

my wish list keeps getting smaller and smaller.