Design Review - 3D Annotation (8:50 min)

00:00

Now we're gonna look at how you can create a 3D Design Review Family.

00:05

Now, while the Generic Annotation Families are useful, their use is limited to 2D Views.

00:13

Now there may be instances where I want to comment on an object in 3D.

00:18

Maybe there's a particular condition that exists that's really easier to see in 3D than it is in 2D.

00:25

Or maybe I want that particular comment to persist in all of the views.

00:29

So, if somebody cuts the Section, I want them to see that there is a condition or there is an issue here that needs to be addressed.

00:36

Now I can't do that with a Generic Annotation Family. But I could do it using a Generic Model Family.

00:43

With a Generic Model Family, I can place it in the model, and it will persist throughout all of the views and in 3D.

00:51

And I can assign parameters to that family, much like I did in the Generic Annotation Family.

00:60

To create the Generic Annotation Family, I'm gonna go up to "File", "New", "Family".

01:06

And I'm going to choose a generic face-based family template. I’m gonna Click “OK”.

01:16

So using a face-based generic model will allow me to place this review object directly on the model.

01:23

I've already created a family, so let me switch to that now.

01:27

So, here is my review element. And you can see it's a cube.

01:31

If I click on a "Plan View", the Cube is parametric, so I can vary the size however I need to.

01:38

And if I click back to my 3D View, I'm gonna go to my "Properties".

01:45

And you can see that in addition to the Width Parameter, I also have a Material Parameter,

01:50

and that allows me to create different types of the Review Cube.

01:54

As I change the type, the material changes as well.

01:58

Each team on the project could be assigned their own color.

02:02

So, comments corresponding to that team scope could be easily identified with a cube.

02:07

Now, to add information to the cubes, I'm gonna go to the "Manage" ribbon and I'm going to click on "Shared Parameters".

02:16

Now one of the benefits, like we saw in the Generic Annotation Family to this methodology is that,

02:22

we can track and schedule the issues and the comments.

02:27

So, in order to do that with the Generic Model, I need to create some Shared Parameters.

02:33

So, I'm gonna create a new Shared Parameter group, and I'm gonna call it "Review".

02:38

And then I'm going to create a series of parameters that match the parameters I used in the Generic Annotation.

02:45

So, the first parameter is called Reviewer, and this is a text parameter.

02:50

Then I'm going to add Assigned To, this is also a text parameter.

02:55

Then I add Date and I will add Comment.

03:02

So, right now I'm just adding them to my Shared Parameter file.

03:06

Now I can go back and I can add the parameters to the family.

03:11

So, I'm going to click on Add New Parameter, I'm gonna choose Shared Parameter.

03:16

I click Select, going to use my Review Parameter Group, then I just choose the parameter.

03:22

And I set it as an Instance Parameter, and I click "OK".

03:26

And I'm gonna go and do that for all the remaining parameters.

03:30

So, I've gone and added all of my text parameters.

03:34

Now I'm ready to insert the family into my model. So I'm gonna click Load into Project, click "OK".

03:43

In order for my parameters to be schedulable, I need to go to the Manage ribbon and click Project Parameters.

03:52

And I'm going to add the parameters that I added to the Generic Model Family to my project file.

03:59

We're gonna go ahead and do the same operation that I just did, and I just need to choose the Generic Model Category.

04:12

So, I've added all the review parameters to the model. Now those parameters will show up in a schedule.

04:20

I'm going to click "OK", and then I'm going to go to Architecture and then start placing some of my Review Cubes.

04:32

So I'm clicking on a face. So, let's say that I want to check and verify that there are roof drains in this location.

04:42

So, I click on the Cube and I can assign this to a particular person.

04:47

Let's say I want to check that in a lot of places around the roof, so I can just copy that.

04:56

And we'll add one here and here as well.

05:03

And let's say I'm not sure if we have a detail for this particular roof condition.

05:08

So I'm gonna go ahead and I'm going to Create Similar and I'm gonna place a Review Cube right there.

05:16

Let's change the category to Category 3,

05:22

and then I'll click on the Cube and let's comment.

05:28

And again, I can copy this particular comment elsewhere around the model as I need to.

05:35

Now, you may be concerned that we're actually adding model elements into the model, but these don't represent building components.

05:42

Now, one way around that is, if you're working in a Workshared model, you can put the Review Cubes on their own Workset.

05:51

That way, you can make sure that if you're issuing the model or if you're even printing your drawings, you turn that Workset off.

05:57

And you can also use Visibility to ensure that those cubes don't show up when they shouldn't.

06:03

Same thing goes with filters, so you could filter those out of a view.

06:07

Now our last step is we want to schedule our View Cubes, so we can keep track of the comments and make sure we don't lose them.

06:15

To do that, I'm gonna go up to the View ribbon and I'm going to click on Schedules and I'm going to create a Generic Model Schedule.

06:25

I'm going to call this Review Cubes.

06:31

And I'm going to add for our fields, our Review Cube properties.

06:37

So, we have Reviewer, we have Assigned To, we have Date and then we have Comment.

06:49

I'm gonna click "OK".

06:51

Now I'm probably going to see some generic models that aren't Review Cubes,

06:56

so I can set my schedule to filter out any family that's not a Review Cube.

07:04

So I'm gonna click on the Filter button.

07:06

I’m gonna filter for where the Reviewer field has a value.

07:12

So, I'm only going to see Review Cubes, or I'm only gonna see generic models where the Reviewer field has been filled out.

07:21

I can click "OK", and I could do the same thing for all of my Review Cube properties as well.

07:27

So, now these are all of my current Review Cubes.

07:30

I can see who the Reviewer was, who was assigned to and what the comment was.

07:35

And again, if I want to go see that comment in the model, I can click that row and then choose highlight in model.

07:43

And that will take me right to that particular cube.

07:46

As the last step, I can go to my Start View and I can add my Review Cube schedule here as well.

07:53

Stretch this out a little bit. So, now I can see all of my 2D notes and all of my 3D notes anytime I open up the model.

08:02

Now, I'd like you to give it a try.

08:04

Go ahead and create your own 3D generic model to use for adding design review comments to 3D Views.

08:11

And you can use any shape you want, a cube, a cylinder, a sphere.

08:16

Next, add Shared Parameters to the family for the comment data.

08:20

So, add things like Assigned To, Reviewed By, the Date, et cetera.

08:25

Add the same Shared Parameters to the project file.

08:28

Then load the family into your model and start reviewing the model in 3D, add as many review family instances as you need to.

08:37

Then create a Generic Model Scheduled to keep track of all the comments.

08:42

And add the schedule to your Start View so everybody can see the status of the model.