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Joined: Mon, Oct 29, 2007
35 Posts
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I'll try not to make this too long. I'm working on our office template using Revit Architecture 2008. The goal is that we are not implementing the software before the template and a pilot (make believe) project is complete. I'm currently the only one in the office that knows the software in terms of doing construction documents. Another woman in the office has used it for presentation. To give a short background on previous office software switches...we were on Datacad until about 3 years ago when we switched to AutoCAD (most people have LT). A committee was formed to create office standards, but the program was put to use before the standards were complete. We're an office of about 25 drafters (this includes architects, intern architects, etc) and I'd say about 10 of us now know AutoCAD well and are consistantly using the office standards that are now complete. The others have not been able to learn the program well (even just the basics in some cases - autodesk training was provided) and are not consistantly using the standards because they don't quite understand how to use them. This is why the Revit template is so important to me. I feel that the program will be hard enough for the office to learn even with a thorough template. I should also mention that we do K-12 educational work so the projects can get very large, although we'll be starting with very small projects. So here are my questions: 1. I have created a separate office library with the standard annotations, families, etc that we will use a lot. I started by putting a "-DCLW" (firm abbreviation) after each file name so that we could keep track of what people are bringing in from other places. I thought that this would help us to see if other things need to be added to the library, and if people are straying from office standards. Is this overkill? 2. In this office library are a lot of families. Should I load everything into the template? I'm thinking no as it will make the file large and if I did load it all in I don't think that people would take to time to purge out what they don't need. I also feel that it's easy to load the things you need as you need them. 3. Like many firms we have a lot of details in AutoCAD. Linking to these is easy, but my thought is that we will someday be working completely in Revit. I was thinking of creating separate Revit files with drafting views and completely bringing in the details, exploding them, and cleaning them up. This way people can copy and paste them into their files. Am I creating too much unnecessary work? 4. What are people position on locking dims and/or using pin position? I think it may be wise to do this to the existing conditions, but I know that may people are dead against it. Why? I'm so sorry that this is so long. I would greatly appreciate any help that you offer!!!!!
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Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
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1. Seperate library file.... Our concern was that people might not go to the company library first .... just too many folders to go through ...so we put a company folder in each category file with our standards. In that way, they only had to back up one folder. ......... I like your naming but I would put it first. In that way, the loaded families in each category are grouped together. 2. We only have a minimum amount of families loaded in the template. Most of our annotation tags and all of our title / section heads etc are loaded. We will have different templates for different project categories.... hotels - schools ... 3. Too much work ... why not save them as you clean them up. You will find that some take a lot of cleanup. You want convert all hatches / linetypes and get rid of all polylines. (Use true line - arc segments) 4. Locking and pinning are both useful tools but you don't do it everywhere! Lock grid dimensios - yes. Pin at least one grid in both directions ... maybe. Lock mullion dimensions in curtain walls then delete them ... I do. Align & lock alignment of walls to grids - yes if you think they might get moved somehow. Most other items are never locked / pinned.
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Joined: Mon, Oct 29, 2007
35 Posts
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Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help. Given the inability of so many of our employees to learn AutoCAD I just want to be sure that this template will make things as easy and organized as possible and keep people from just doing their own thing. Thanks again!
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