Revit mass to Navisworks

[diesellam]

I created a rough Mech layout in Revit by using the sweep model in mass.
So the entire layout is under the same family name (like the whole thing is wblock).

When I export the whole family to navisworks, it's fine. But the whole thing is highlighted even when I just pick one section of it.

The question is how do I break it about so that when I click on something in Navisworks, the thing I click on is the only thing gets hightlighted.

(I've already posted this question ins Navisworks section as well.)

[cliff collins]

I am thinking that because you modelled it as a single family in Revit,
it is only going to have properties as an individual element in NW.

BTW --Best practice would suggest that you should really not use a Mass family for ductwork--

cheers...

[diesellam]

I agree. But if you don't have a Mech sub that knows how to buil a 3d model. And you want something quick and dirty in 3d that can do a clash detection in NavisWorsk. They is the fastest way in my opinion. I just wish there's a tool like "explode" in autocad so it will break the whole family apart.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

What Cliff was referring to was using the mass object category. Now that it's been created as a mass the category it can't be changed but that shouldn't be a problem if all you are after is the geometry.
I assume it is created as a number if individual masses all in one family. If this is the case you might be able to break it up fairly quickly using copy/paste.
Open the family, select everything, copy to the clipboard. Delete all but a single element and finish the family.
Create another family, copy/paste aligned > same place (or curent view) all the stuff on the clipboard and then repeat the process keeping a different portion every time.
Hope that helps.

[diesellam]

Thanks for the suggestion but I still don't quite understand.
So if I have 100 mech elements in one family right now. I have to break down to each element as its own family??

[cliff collins]

You need a "nested family"--do a serach/ look at the Help in Revit.

cheers......

[diesellam]

I've done a thorough research on "nested family" and still couldn't find anything helpful to understand how it works.

Can anybody elaborate a little bit more how it actually works, please? Thanks.

[cliff collins]

Open a New Family, selecting a "proper" family template. ( mechanical equipment, etc.)

Save the Family, and give it a name, like "Master duct family".

Then, create the smaller, individual parts of the ducts as separate families, and save them.

Then, Open the "Master duct family" and go to Component, and Load in the new Family(s), of smaller ducts you made earlier, arrange them how you need to, then Save.

That is how you make "nested families".

So--in your case, you would begin with a "Master duct family"--then load in the smaller
trunk families individually, into your "Master duct family".
Tip:
Make sure that each individual duct family has "shared" checked under Category and Parameters before loading into the "Master duct family"

Then Save the "Master duct family", which now has shared/nested families inside it, and load into your project.

Now you should be able to have one larger family, with individual families nested into it, loaded into your project. You can now tag each individual part of the "nested family"
in the project. So you only load in the "Master duct family, which has the smaller ducts nested into it.

A good example of such a "nested family" is a conference table with chairs.

Hope that helps.

cheers

[diesellam]

Cliff, I'll try your method but it sounded way too complicated for what I really want.

OK, I found a solution of the problem. (in an unorthodoxed way.)

I exported the Revit family as (.DWG) file. Then I imported this file into FormZ (another 3rd party 3d modeling program), from there I resave the file as (.DWG). When I append this dwg file into NavisWorks, for some reason the whole family was separated, not exploded into different pieces.

I know the intention of the Revit family is not the way I used it. But if a 3rd party software does something that the Autodesk softwares can't do, that just doesn't ring the bell.

[martijnderiet]

What you need to do is change the exportsettings to Navisworks. In Revit open the Export dialogue box to NW. Select Navisworks Settings and select Model > Tab. Change the settings for Collapse on Convert to None. Export the file and reload in NW.
If all went well you should be able to select the different solids in NW, using the Tab or by folding out the family in the Type Selector.