Forums >> Revit Building >> Technical Support >> Best procedure for drawing (somewhat complex) 3D details.

Rosader

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Autodesk Revit 2016

My boss is having me draw some 3D details (plumbing connections, bathroom fixtures, water heater bracing etc) and I have developed my own way of getting a realistic looking 3d drawing: I first build a 3d model inside of Revit, add the 3d view to a sheet, then I export that sheet to autocad to convert to a 2d line drawing. I make any necessary fixes to the line drawing inside of autocad, then save. I then import the cad drawing into a Revit drafting view, explode it, then change my line styles and add any text.

The question was brought up today "Why aren't you just drawing your details inside of a Revit family, then importing the family into the project or template?" That hadn't even crossed my mind to do it that way. 

What is the best way to draw and organize your details?

#1 Have a separate Revit file for each detail? Is there a basic detail template without all the extra views and such in the project browser? (This seperate files option would allow me to organize the details under their respective CSI codes)

#2 Have a common Revit file for ALL my details? (Can't organize under CSI codes)

#3 Draw my details as a Revit family? Can I do my 3d detail process the same inside of a family as I do inside a revit project?(Haven't given enough thought to this option to know pros vs cons)

#4 or is there some other way I am missing?

How do you guys do your details and organization?

Edited on: Thu, Feb 18, 2016 at 2:40:12 PM

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WWHub

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We place details (not detail components) in a Revit resource project with the details placed on sheets.   We have sheets like Window Detail - Metal Stud walls, Door Details - Exterior walls.... etc.   To use, you open the project and either use the "Load From" process or you just copy/paste between projects.

We have resourse projects for model elements as well.  Doors, Walls, Plumbing Fixtures, etc where the sheets have plan/elev/3D views of a category with the doors scheduled.  Find the right door in the 3D view and copy paste....

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Bartholomew

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"Resource" project(s). Transfer Project Standards you need.

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WWHub

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For your 3D plumbing "detail"

1. create a resource model with elements and piping
2. create 3D view
3. Export to CAD then re-import/explode into a drafting view and cleanup lines
4. add dimensions and text and any lines

Much easier to 'draft' in revit and because you still have the model elements you can change later if need be.

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Rosader

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So it sounds like a Revit resource project with all details is the best way to go.

What about details in drafting views vs details as families? Can anyone think of any reasons why drawing details as a family would or would not be a good idea? I want to give my boss a good argument for or against it rather than saying "I don't like that way"

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WWHub

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Bartholomew,  I'm sorry - you are incorrect.   You do NOT use transfer project standards here.  Because these will be drafting views, yoy can directly copy/paste between projects or use the "Insert from File" process.

I would never put details in a family!   Detail elements - yes but never whole details.   Even if you want multiple detail elements together like a window head detail in a masonry wall, I would never put those all together in a family.  

The advantage of a detail family is that it can be placed in a model view (or a drafting view).   You can't put drafting views into a model view.   So if you want to combine detail elements to be used in a model view, combine them as a detail group and save that group in a resource project.   Groups are portable just like drafting views.   The advantage of the group vs combining in a family is that you can EDIT IN THE PROJECT!  You can't edit families in the project.  

This is also why you use detail views rather than a family for what you want.   So you can edit in the project.

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Bartholomew

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No apologies necessary, WWHub. I am not incorrect; you just misinterpreted. I would ask, though, that you refrain from telling your forum contributors that they are wrong. Even if it’s prefixed with “I’m sorry”, it still comes across as belittling.

In any case, I was in agreement with you, and I liked your term “Revit Resource Projects”. You could shorten that to “RRPs” – a cool new acronym in our lexicon of industry jargon. I threw in the Transfer Project Standards reference because you missed that one, WWHub. Since Rosader mentioned a custom Browser Organization [“organize under CSI codes”] in his post, I thought it should be pointed out as well, since you can’t “Load into Project” or “Cut and Paste” Browser Organizations.

Anyways, Rosader is seeking out advice on how to best develop and organize Revit drawing content. There are countless publications on the subject with a myriad of Standards, Strategies and Best Practices to follow. I could recommend any number of them, including “BIM Content Development” by Robert S. Weygant.

BTW: We do put details in Families!

Good Luck Rosader!

Edited on: Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 5:31:34 PM

Edited on: Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 5:33:12 PM

Edited on: Sat, Feb 20, 2016 at 5:33:44 PM

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WWHub

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Your a little thin skinned I think Bartholomew.   You wrote ""Resource" project(s). Transfer Project Standards you need."   That insinuated that this was the method to copy details from a resource project.

That would lead the person down absolutly the wrong path and that needed to be corrected.   If you had explained that the poster could use transfer project standards just for the browser organization then I would not have responded as I did.

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Bartholomew

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“Thin-Skinned”? Really, WWHub? That’s your take-way from what I said? Unbelievable.

Hey, Rosader, I stumbled across this thread this weekend and thought of you. It might provide you some direction. http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?130892-Want-to-organize-the-Families-in-the-Project-Browser

BTW, Rosader, I was curious to know what you’re drawing. I read your process and it sounds like you’re creating isometric projections. Is this correct?

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Rosader

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OK so we put the issue on the shelf for a while but now we are coming back to it. So here is my boss' end goal. He wants to have the ability to navigate to and view each individual detail one by one within their CSI subfolders. He wants to be able to find what he is looking for under each CSI code without having to open up a resource project and have to look through all of our other details. I told him we could organize our browser to split up by CSI code but he still wants individual files.

That being said, He is wondering if drawing each detail inside a "generic annotation" family might be the best way rather than having a whole Revit project file for each detail. It is possible to load my autocad details into a annotation family so I can't think of why it wouldn't work... Batholomew, have you had any issues when drawing details as a family?

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Bartholomew

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I'm not following the workflow you're envisioning or wondering about. Perhaps this link will help you.

http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/class-catalog/2013/revit-for-architects/ab1419#xjMmppcDr7ORiOsRG5VGEbC_IYrO-Zf8

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WWHub

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This is one of those cases where "Wants" really can't be met.  Your boss obviously doesn't understand Revit and he is applying CAD thought process.  You need to do some re-education.

Is your boss wanting to look at the details in Revit or could it be something else?  I doubt that it is Revit because he doesn't seem to understand the program.  So you could create a PDF of each detail.  What a stupid PITA but so be it.

You might also show him a test if he does want Revit.  Organize a test resource project with sheets of details name/numbered by CSI with the sheets showing the range on that sheet.  If he hates that, show him that just like the computer directory, he coluld scroll down through the view directory of this resource to the one he wants to look at.

The advantage here is that all the views in this group are open.   Revit is so much fater than CAD.

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Rosader

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I appreciate your help guys. I did suggest making a pdf of each detail and maybe that's what we will end up doing. I think we will give it a test, drawing a detail as a family just so we can really know whether or not it makes sense. If not, I will stick to the browser organization method. Thanks again

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Bartholomew

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Check this out, Rosader: http://web.tools4revit.com/smart-browser-pro/Smart%20Browser%20Pro%2020130924.pdf

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