Harlan Brumm
Written by: Harlan Brumm, Sasha Crotty, Ian Molloy, Pawel Piechnik, Martin Schmid, David Smolker
In our second point release for Revit 2020, we’re focused on productivity, with new automation workflows in Dynamo, faster ways to view, select, and edit schedules, and navigation tools that will have you flying through your model with the greatest of ease. Remember, you can access new features as they go live — no need to wait for the annual release if you’re a Revit subscriber or get the AEC Collection. Go to your Autodesk account and access Revit 2020.2 or ask your BIM manager to update to the latest version.
Before we dive into what’s new, a couple of core updates you should not miss:
Dynamo 2.3 Release
Many new features are packed into August’s Dynamo 2.3 release, now an installed package with Revit 2020.2. At a high level, this update is giving you more powerful and flexible nodes for better data discovery and interoperability between Dynamo and Revit. We’ve added enhancements that give you more control over connector actions, notifications for duplicate or missing packages as you load to nodes, and we’ve responded to your requests for greater simplicity in how you can handle and manipulate large schedules. To read out the full slate of features, read the release notes on the Dynamo blog or check the video demo below.
Design Automation API for Revit
Developers, the Revit Design Automation API is open and in the cloud! Design Automation is a Forge API that enables cloud-based access to Revit data without a data install for third-party apps. Leverage cloud automation workflows to simplify tasks and boost productivity. For an overview, check our October blog post.
Now for the full slate of 2020.2 features:
Automation
Dynamo nodes for steel connections that load analysis results
Does your model have many steel connections to evaluate? Looking for scripts that can select, filter and place connections based on parameters you define? Pull structural analysis data into Revit from Robot Structural Analysis Professional and import that data into your Dynamo workflows. Script bulk actions that simplify analytic and design processes. Do more analysis at scale, with tighter integration between analysis and detailing in modeling and evaluating steel connections.
Dynamo nodes that load steel connections from libraries
Ever wanted a Dynamo node that could load steel connections from your Revit libraries? Maybe you want to evaluate steel connections from a past project to fit your current project? Use a dedicated Dynamo node to model faster structural designs by loading steel connection types from your external libraries, including the ability to reuse those from prior projects.
For more on these features, check Dan Peticila’s post on the topic and if you missed it back in April, read up on the release of Autodesk Steel Connections 2020.
Productivity
Edit Circuit and Panel in Panel Schedule View
Make schedule view the go-to for editing circuit and panel properties. Add and revise elements without having to toggle views through better functionality. [Related Feature: 2020.1 — Move Circuits]
More sophisticated path of travel with waypoints
Gain more control and precision for path of travel analysis with adjustable waypoints. Easily add and remove waypoints directly from the ribbon to adjust and specify exact path of travel through the modeled environment. [Related Feature: 2020.1 — Path of Travel Enhancements]
Ease of Use
Improved View Navigation and Fly-through navigation in Perspective mode
Take flight from the nav bar! Fly for the perfect camera approach to your project and move through walls to visualize your model. Navigate through your Revit model with keyboard shortcuts. In Perspective mode, move through a Revit model like it’s your favorite video game, using directional arrows or keys w, a, s, d to move forward, back, and side to side. Use the mouse keys to point and pan around and adjust the camera speed as you move through the model.
Improved schedule view
Freeze header rows to enable scrolling and keep headers in view.
Highlighted row is now highlighted blue.
[Related Feature: 2020.1 — Row Striping in Schedule View]
Coordination and Collaboration
Expose internal point of origin
To keep close coordination when collaborating, make the internal model point of origin visible in the workspace. Keep underlying model coordinates in view to orient collaborators and preserve orientation of linked Revit models. [Related Feature: 2020.1 — Expose Survey Points and Project Baseline]
Full BIM360 path in linked files.
We’re easing the pain of tracing file and model origins with BIM 360 Design, allowing you to see linked models in Revit’s Manage Links dialog. See the full path displayed to keep better track of consumed versus live links as you share and exchange models with collaborators.
Have an idea for a new feature? Go to the Ideas Station to search, upvote, or register new requests.
Want to give 2020.2 a spin? Try it free for 30 days.