説明
主な学習内容
- How to convert details from AutoCAD to Revit
- Do's and don'ts when importing DWG files into Revit.
- How to model MEP with architectural CAD backgrounds.
- Do's and don'ts when working with architectural CAD backgrounds.
スピーカー
- AGAndrea GonzalezMechanical engineer with a strong background in system design, specifically focused on plumbing. With 9 years of experience in the field, she has developed her expertise in using software such as Revit and AutoCAD for various tasks including drafting, modeling, project setups, MEP templates, and document management in BIM 360. She is also well-versed in project coordination with Navisworks for residential and commercial buildings in the MEP industry, such as offices and educational buildings, multifamily housing, and hotels in the USA and LATAM. Through her knowledge of these two technologies, she has personally experienced many processes of change and all the ins and outs involved with them.
ANDREA GONZALEZ: Hi, everyone. I would like to welcome you here to our session, Two Interoperability Tests Between AutoCAD and Revit. I'm going to introduce myself. My name is Andrea Gonzalez, and I am an AEC Application Specialist in MicroCAD Training & Consulting, which is an Autodesk Gold Partner.
I'm a mechanical engineer with nine years of experience using Revit and AutoCAD for doing system design, modeling, and project coordination focused on plumbing. I also have experience with Novis, BIM 360 Inventor in Fusion 360, and I'm an Autodesk certified instructor. So without further ado, let's start with this session.
So many of you are probably in a split environment now, or probably will be for the foreseeable future. And it is common to think that using Revit means leaving AutoCAD behind, which is not totally true. On this session, I want to share with you two interoperability tasks where we can see how both software tools can coexist, and how Autodesk is at the forefront of industry evolution, ensuring a smooth and consistent transitions Through the following learning objectives.
The first how-to is related with converting details from AutoCAD to Revit. Then we'll go over some important recommendations for this process. In the third place, another how-to, it's related with using architectural backgrounds for modeling MEP. And likewise, at the end, we will cover tips related to this second technique. So let's go with the first one.
Our first learning objective is how to convert details from AutoCAD to Revit. So for a long time, AutoCAD users have dedicated substantial efforts to create an extensive collection of design details from all projects they have been involved with. These resources hold significant value, considering the time and expertise invested in their creation. Therefore, it is imperative to have the capability to retrieve and use these details seamlessly within the context of Revit. If done correctly, mixing Beam and CAD can save a lot of time.
In general, we can identify three methods for converting AutoCAD details to Revit, some more effective than others. So let's take a look at each of them. The first one is the ideal solution, re-draw, or use intelligent details.
This is the simplest one, and I won't go into too many details. If you are already a Revit user, you might know what this means. As I'm showing here by drawing from scratch, or drawing over a link or imported CAD background with Native Revit entities, and then remove the source when we're finished. Or by using a 2D, or 2D section from your model to place each.
Then we have the second one, which is the temporary solution. This is the short-term temporary, or just get them out the door approach, also known as the [INAUDIBLE] later method. The next one is a video where I'm going to show you how this works. So linking is like having a blog, no errors, no warnings, everything's perfect. And if we are in a rush, this is exactly what we want.
So let's do a quick demo here. I'm going to set my drafting view. I'm going to add a name. I'm going to set this scale one to one. Then I'm going to link my detail, go to the location. I'm going to use black and white colors. And orientation here really doesn't matter. Let's go to open.
So at the beginning, I'm not able to do anything with this. I must open. And then if I select it, I'm not able to explore anything, but I can use query. This is not what I was expecting, so I need to move to my AutoCAD. So by linking, our connection is maintained with the original file.
So I'm going to modify this. I'm going to filter this title a bit. I'm going to delete this line, [INAUDIBLE]. Then in I'm going to save and go back to Revit. So I'm going to go to Manage links, CAD formats, and reload. So here it is. It's very simple, but it is definitely not recommended.
So the third one is almost ideal solution. But before moving on the third method, I would like to emphasize this important difference. So for the temporary solution, we use link CAD and for revitizing, we use import CAD. As we just saw, linked files retain the reference to the external files and will update when the Revit model is reopened, or the linked file is reloaded. And imported files become a part of the revenue model and lose any connection to the source.
So let's concentrate in this almost ideal solution. Why almost ideal? Because it would be a lie to say that it is an immediate or easy transition. Although, AutoCAD and Revit are from the same company, by doing this operation, AutoCAD will increase the size of our Revit model significantly, as well as introducing undesired elements that can potentially lead to various changes and complications. This option is the one that will allow us to achieve our first learning objective. Here, we are going to see a workflow that will help us to understand and execute this process in the most effective manner.
So we are to start organize. I want you to take a look at this. I have a good example of how a [INAUDIBLE] holder should look like. So in here, no naming convention as you can see, also millions of details inside a unique file, the kind of file we all have seen. All the file that comes from a project started since we were at the university and has been populated with all the projects we have worked on up to today.
So the recommendation is to have one detail per file with consistent layers, scale naming conventions, and styles. I'm going to open this three. So let's see them. They look same color, same scale, super uniform. There is a significant difference between starting this transition from a confusing place that can take up a lot of time from a place that has organized and clean files.
Let's move to the workflow. So here, we can see a list of things to do in AutoCAD and Revit to complete our task. Some processes may have a few more steps or more, but this is the basic list I can get to you, like the more standardized one. At least for me as a very visual person, I learn more by seeing than by reading. So let's do this in the practice.
So I'm going to start with setting the layers. So while I'm setting, using the import CAD command and then exporting details is a common practice as already mentioned. It can increase sizes, issues with text, leaders, line types, line styles, and warnings that we simply don't want. I want to show you some of that residual information that is generated when we don't have a clean AutoCAD file.
The text in this document, as well as the line styles are native to Revit. They were incorporated into the model when the files were imported for existing drafting views that were added into this model without cleaning them up. For minimizing this issue, we have two options. The first one is making match the AutoCAD and Revit layers by modifying the existing layers within the CAD file before importing, or just keep it simple by placing everything on a single layer, so during the export no additional styles are created other than Revit default ones, or the ones that are already defined by each company or users if they have a template with their own standards.
So I'm going to keep it on the simplest way by putting everything in a unique layer called transfer. So I'm going to select everything. I'm going to move it to the layer I just created. And then I'm going to run set by layer. And with this, all line settings should be set to layers ignoring any color, line type, or line width overrides.
Then I'm going to remove hatches. This is because this will be simple lines given they don't have style. And they will not transfer correctly, so they must be recreated in Revit as Native entities from scratch. So let me finish to delete this.
And then I'm going to remove the leader's arrow. There's no style to this either like the hatches. I want you to see where an error might cause. Pointers or leaders can be covered with this huge annotation. So I'm going to delete all of this, this one, this one, this one, and this one in order to see the pointer.
So then I need to double-check that everything within my detail is in text. If there is something that is not, I just have to run in text. So I did it for this one. Then I have to do this one again, this one, this one, and this one. So I have to double-check that everything is in text.
Then I'm going to delete the detail name. So although the detail is purely editable, the detail name is easier to manage with a viewport than measuring by adding. Using the title within the drafting view is more complicated and cumbersome as you can see in here. So while viewport has control points, we can align them easily, we can modify the family, we can remove lines. We can add scale or change the text to have a no scale annotation.
Then I'm back in here. I'm going to double-check if I have xref. I'm going to set the proxy graphics to one. And then I'm going to clean my file by doing purge. So I'm go to Manage, observing here, purge, purge all, purge all check items. And you just have three layers. I'm going to try to clean these more.
I'm going to try to find what is here that I can't delete this layer and go to Manage, find non-purgable items. And I'm going to find this object. This is like a [INAUDIBLE] object. So I delete it and I'm able to delete this layer. This is one of the last steps for cleaning my AutoCAD file.
For this kill, this is the last step. For this kill, I want to do a slightly more detailed procedure. All of these details have in common that they are one-to-one scale. So I want you to see these four details in here. The first two were made by one person, and the second two by another one. So look at the layers. It seems that there is no uniformity for the first two, but there is for the second group.
So we cleaned up these details with the procedure I just show you. We changed their name convention for making everything match. And we are going to use them for the next test.
So as is recommended for AutoCAD, the best approach in Revit is to have all details at one-to-one scale as well. Following this recommendation, I have my details views created for each one here all set one-to-one as the AutoCAD files. So here, I'm going one step ahead. Are the standard text textiles for the details in my company is 333 inches.
So I'm going to import the detail. I'm going to do explode. I'm going to select the text that it is not looking good at first sight. I'm going to select my standard sized text. And it didn't work well. So let's going to try with the second one.
So I'm going to set the scale one-to-one. I'm going to import my detail. Open. I'm going to explode it. I'm going to select all my text, put it in 332. And it didn't work well either, in fact. So let's go with the third one. I go to Insert, import CAD, just take the detail, explode it. I'm going to delete this. I'm going to select all my instances, and put it on 332. And it looks much better.
And then the last one, again, I'm going to insert. I'm going to explode it. I'm going to delete the name. I'm going to select all my text and put it in 332. It's perfect when it comes to scale, just when it comes to scale. So if all the details were one-to-one scale in AutoCAD and in Revit, what happened? Look at here, one-to-one, one-one.
So let's go to check. So in the first drawing, the height is nine. Then in here, it's 4.5. It's the same group, but we have a different text height. And for the last two, we have 332.
So to ensure that all our details are in the correct scale, it is not just about ensuring that the AutoCAD scale is accurate and make the same scale match with Revit. We must rely on the size of our text. So in AutoCAD, we must ensure that in all our details, when we see one-to-one scale, the text size is the same, whatever your standard is. So in my case, it is 332.
So we have two options for fixing this thing. So let's see the first one. The first one is trying to find the real scale in AutoCAD. What I normally do is go to the Layer panel, out of your port, let me add, and bring it here. And try to find a scale with a good fit.
So I'm going to test this one. Doesn't work. 1A looks good. So I'm going to use this one. Let's go back to Revit. I'm going to delete this. I'm going to make this count, this scale match. And I'm going to bring the detail again to see if it works.
So input CAD, detail, select, explode, select all text, and put it on 332. And it is working now. So let's do it with the other one, with the second one. So let's go to the Layout panel, and this one layer tunnel. So if I double-click on it, I see one quality is a good fit.
So going back to our Revit, I'm going to delete this. I'm going to match the scale to 1/4. I'm going to add the detail, open, explode, select all text, change everything to 332. And it is working as well.
So let's move to the second option, which is scale it from AutoCAD. I must copy and paste one text. So I'm going to take this one. I'm going to assign the correct height to this one, which is 332. I'm going to scale just approximately. I'm going to use this number. Let's move this nearest to have the reference, I'm going to draw some references line.
First one, you're going to up this. Yeah, I'm going to copy these. And you stick them up. Let's copy this one and add it in there. OK, then I'm going to scale this using this reference. So scale, I'm going to specify my point. I'm going to use reference, so my first point, my second point, and then I'm going to align everything with my reference. So I can delete this and I can check my text is at 332.
So let's go back to Revit. Again, let's set this to one-to-one. Let's bring our modify detail. Next is plot it and do the same procedure. Select, return it to, and it is working super well as well. So the truth is, that I prefer and recommend scaling from AutoCAD, so the option two, because having details within the Revit library at different scales might cause visibility issues when adding details in a sheet. So they might seem similar, but not uniform, not exactly the same.
Having said that, we have reached our two learning objectives, do's and don'ts when importing DWG files into Revit. So the first two, don't try to import many details at the same time. Do not import any CAD detail directly into the project file. Both are just good practice. So create and use a library where we can import whatever we need.
So let's see this file again, regarding bring in more than one detail at the same time. So this is just a practical exercise to see what happens if we try to import more than one detail at the same time. So I'm going to explode this, and as you can see here, Revit in this case is not as intelligent as we would like to be. The number of warnings could be disappointing, and a never ending issue if Revit allow you to do it. Just do it one by one.
Regarding the library, we can create as many ducting views as possible in one file, and it can be used as a library. So being on a project, I'm going to use this one, go to Insert file, Insert Views from File, go to the desired location. So I'm going to open a test library I have in here. And when it opens, all details will be available for choosing the ones we need. So I'm going to check all of them and click OK. And then in the project browser, we can check our views are already inserted.
Let's talk about the do's. In timing, we can spend between 15 minutes to one hour, depending on the complexity of the detail. Being realistic, the number of details will not be 10 or 20. It might be over 500 or more. So the process is going to take quite a bit of time.
Do we have a person to be dedicated to it 100%? How much it will cost? I know it's tempting to give that job to the intern, but come on, we can do it better. So by having a basic workflow, we need to think about the specific necessities of our company, get our head around the process and outline it. The more detailed the list, the better the guide to know what we want to go.
So guys, we don't need to know everything, just where to find it, find the right person, which for me, is a programmer to help to transform our necessities and do the smartest approach to determine how much we can automate and recognize when it's time to stop. Things like line styles, recreating elements using Revit styles and fill patterns, cleanup on porch, the AutoCAD drawing, consolidate the AutoCAD elements by type on separate layers, or in only one, link each DWG file into its own drafting view in Revit, convert DWG dimensions and text to Revit styles can be automated. That doesn't have to be by hand as I show you.
But take into account that there is no quick fix or an easy button. There is not a series of magical scripts and macros would transform Revit files into their final form. But we can maximize the use of all the programming tools that both programs offer, and any other adding to have this process done much more quickly.
On the left one, develop a transition plan and budget. So not all can be done at the same time. The rewards of consistently making transitions will be great if they are done in a good manner.
And here we are in our learning objective number three, How to Model MEP with Architectural Backgrounds. With this objective, I want to reaffirm how Revit and AutoCAD tools can be used together, and continue to have a successful process in learning and using BIM.
If we were to start again, organize, what should be organized for this task? So first of all, a folder structure and then be sure we have all the information required for setting the model. Regarding the folder structure, this is my recommendation, but you can do it-- I mean, with your company standard. But this is my recommendation.
I have three folders in here, coordination, then you have the link AutoCAD, the link Revit, and then I have the model where I'm going to work. In the coordination folder, we are going to set all information sent by the client with dates. The idea is to keep all information as it was sent with no modifications. Then we have the link AutoCAD file. This contains all the clean files we are going to use to be linked to Revit. Then I have this folder, which is the link Revit.
So in here, we are going to save the model where we are going to set the art background, the title block, the Revit families associated with the project, and what we call the v-model. And then I have the [? IBP ?] project, or the system project. Then the information we need for setting the project is the scale, the size of the sheets, the elevations, the location of the north, the sheet index, and the title block. Just be sure to have this information prior to start.
Again, we can see a list of things to do in AutoCAD and Revit to complete our task. So let's do all of this in the practice. So let's start with the things we had to do in CAD. So I'm going to start by opening the project in the folder I have created for it. So the information from the client is already saved in here.
So I have two options. The first option is receive all the levels in a different file. And the second one is to have all levels in just one file. This is the option one, separate levels.
So I'm going to save as first step in our link CAD folder. And once it saved as I'm going to start cleaning this a bit. So I'm going to I'm going to clean this by hand all the things that I don't need. Room text-- I want to have the room text in the B model, these keynotes, this arrow, these dimensions, this level annotation. I don't know what is this line, so I'm going to delete it, this text and this arrow. And seems-- no, I have another text in here, more text, more text. And seems good to go.
I'm going to run the set by layer to remove colors, line types, or line weight overrides from objects. So yes, yes, and then I'm going to check the xrefs. I don't want to have xref. I'm going to set the proxy graphics to one. And then I'm going to put everything in one color. So I have to go to layer properties, select all layers. Oops, sorry. I'm going to undo this. I just need to change the color. I normally use the color A, but pick the one that make you feel comfortable. Sim
Seems it's clean. But let's do purge all. And let's do an overkill. Our cleaning is done. So I'm going to open the second level. I'm going to start doing the same, save as, because I don't want to modify the original file. I go to my linked AutoCAD folder and do the same thing. I just have to clean everything, again, text, room text, keynotes, more text. Section on this red line that I don't know what it is, this dimension, these arrows, more dimensions.
I'm going to set by layer, then do the proxy graphics to one. Then I'm going to check the xrefs. I'm going to change all the layers to one color, which is eight in my case. And we already have the-- oh, let's delete this. And we already have the second floor cleaned.
So let's go to the second option. The second option is when have all the plans in one point, all the levels in one file. So let's open this. I'm going to delete the roof just to show you how it works. I just need two levels.
So I'm going to clean everything. I'm going to do save as. I'm just going to add the option two in here, and save it to start modifying. So again, I'm going to clean everything up. So just give me one minute just. I'm just going to repeat the cleaning procedure, notes, the dimensions, sections, text, compatible things, [INAUDIBLE] arrow, more dimensions, [INAUDIBLE] arrow again. Text, more texts, this is the same text.
I'm going to set my layer, that again, is to remove colors, line types, or language overrides from objects. I'm going to set everything in proxy graphics to one. I'm going to check the xrefs. I'm going to put everything in one color. I'm going to run the purge, the overkill. And I'm going to save this file as.
And then in that second floor plan, option two, unsave. So in the second floor, I'm going to delete the first floor. I'm going to save. And I'm going to open the first floor. In the first floor, I'm going to delete the second floor. I'm going to save. I have to go back to my second floor level, open the xref, and I'm going to bring the first floor in here as a block.
So just copy to clipboard with a base point. We have to choose a point that is shared throughout all the levels, which normally is a stair or a column, and paste the geometry in a clean going. So I'm going to remove this. And here I have the second folder in the same location as the first one. So in this case, I kept the original coordinates from the level one. But if you don't have coordinates, what I normally do is just set the first level at coordinate zero-zero as my base point.
So this is all we have to do in AutoCAD. So we already have our architectural background set. Then to do in Revit, so I normally suggest that my architectural model is in a completely different model where we are going to model the MEP systems. I call this model the model [INAUDIBLE]. This is because the background set cleaning and update is a BIM manager responsibility. So I don't really want the engineers to be involved in this task. In my opinion, the success of a process is that each person has their role.
So for creating the BIM model, we have to open a new model. It can be our company template or the default art if we don't have one. The first thing I'm going to do is, I'm going to set the floor plans. So you have to be sure we have all floorplans in here. So we just need level one and level two.
So I am in the floorplan, in the first floorplan. And I'm going to bring the CAD file in the current view only, black and white, and origin to origin. I'm going to move these elevation. You have the drawing just in the middle of it. I'm going to set my visibility to halftone.
I'm going to fix the visibility in here. And then I'm going to do the same on the second level. So link at-- I'm going to bring my background to level two. I'm going to set the visibility here. Let's go to BB, put these in halftone And there we are.
Then we have to set the elevation. So we have to move the elevations as necessary. We have to rename and move the levels as necessary, and match with the arc plan. So we should have received an elevation. So let's see, our level two is at 12. And with this, we have finished two set the [? B model. ?] So I'm going to do Save us.
I'm going to save my model. You know where, link Revit folder. I'm going to replace this file. The options, I only want to have one backup. OK, and Save.
So let's move to our system model. So for the system model, let's go and open a new model. Again, it can be our company template, or the default arc if we don't have one. I'm going to clean this a little bit. I'm going to hide in view. And I'm going to bring my b-model.
So in here, it is not visible. So all we have to do is go to Manage, and set the visibility by linked view on the floorplan we are working with. So in here by link view floorplan level one, and you can make the level visible. So I'm going to fix my crop region here as well.
I'm going to move the elevations to have our building on the center. I'm going to hide the region. I'm going to do the same, just clean this up a little bit. I already have my model in. So all we have to do is do by host view, by link view, and bring the level two in here.
Let's fix the visibility here, hide these in view, fix the crop region, turn it off. And we already have our floorplans with a setting. Let's double-check the elevations. So we are going to match the levels we have on the b-model with the ones we have on this model.
So all we have to do is naming the levels exactly the same as we have them on the b-model, so level one, sorry level two, level one. And then I'm going to do copy monitor. In collaborate, copy monitor, I'm going to select my b-model copy. I'm going to select multiple. Finish, and finish again here. And I already have my MEP model set up.
So the last step in here is adding the room tags. So I have a family in here. And I really want to have their room names, the room name tags in here, because if engineer needs to move the tag for visibility issues, he will be able to do it. Here is hide. So give me one minute. I'm going to unhide this in view. And the tag is visible. So all we have to do here is just following the original file. So let's open the file sent by the architect. Coordination, that's the one that has everything on it.
So let's zoom in on the area. It doesn't have a tag on there. So just for the practice, I'm going to put kitchen in here, a number. Let's do 101. Oh, let's copy this, change this name. Want another number. And I really want to make this match with the background.
So I'm going to do this room tag halftone as well. I can move this room tag. And oh, let me hide in view this north arrow that is in here. And we are already done with this.
So we already have set up the system model I'm going to do Save as. I'm going to open my project folder. And I'm going to replace the document. It's an MEP with each number that version and the name of the project, which is my standard.
Then we have our four learning objective, do's and don'ts when working with architectural CAD backgrounds. So these are super simple. We already did it. We don't have to use or modify the original files. The other one is don't change the CAD files coordinates you establish at the beginning. Then prepare and clean the CAD files as much as possible. This one is super important for doing this use link CAD, not import CAD, always keep the same conventions, because if those are changing, other references will be lost. And when we receive any update from the architect, that will make the process longer and more complicated.
And this one is shared with our first learning objective. If there is something you can automate, do it. So for example, clean the files by hand. This is a small project, so no issue at all. But we can do all this routing routine and convert this task in one clean task. So with this, we conclude our last objective. Let us know if you have any questions. And I hope you have enjoyed this session. Thank you so much.