Sunday, June 14, 2009

Where is my command Revit 2010 Flash Movie

Thanks to Nicholas Iyadurai of Revitize on the following Flash Movie for Where is my command in Revit 2010. It is basically an interactive tool that allows user to pick the command in Revit 2009 and the corresponding loation of the command in Revit 2010 will be shown. This is indeed a very helpful tool for people who are transitioning from the long time UI to the new Ribbon UI.

You may click here to download the tool. Or you may click here to use it online.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Rendering Tips in Revit 2009/2010

One question that I encounter recently goes like this. We understand that Mental Ray rendering in 3ds Max would be rendering in random box (called bucket), this bucket actually indicate that how many processors are being used in the rendering. So, for a Dual Core processor, there would be two buckets running on screen. In the same way, Quad Core processor would display 4 buckets when rendering. Now, Revit rendering also employs Mental Ray technology, why you cannot utilise all the 4 cores in the rendering?

The answer is this:
Revit rendering do not exactly employ the same technology even though it is said to be Mental Ray based. So, the Revit rendering does utilise all the 4 cores but it only shows 1 bucket while rendering.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Introduction to Conceptual Massing in Revit 2010

Conceptual Massing in Revit 2010 is the major feature and major addition in Revit 2010. It allows Revit to create more complex form which is formerly available only in software such as 3DS Max. Even though the function to create complex shape is not as comprehensive as in 3DS Max but it does expand the architectural forming ability.

For conceptual massing, the user have to choose Metric Mass from the available family template. In fact there is only one choice.

1. Once conceptual massing is initiated, you will see 3 reference planes. 2 are vertical planes and 1 horizontal plane. To set the horizontal plane as the current work plane, one has to first pick and highlighted the horizontal plane to set it to be the current work plane.

2. After set the work plane, you may draw the curve just as in diagram. This shape is achieved by mirroring a 3 point arc.












3. Pick on the shape and highlighted it. Pick on Create Form >Form to extrude it into solid shape.















4. Pick the blue arrow to drag to appropriate height.



















5. Highlight the top face and rotate it. As you rotate the top face you will also twist the cylinder.



















6. Highlight the element face and pick Xray to display the form in Xray form.





































7. With the face still highlighted, pick Add Profile.



















8. You may change the added profile by dragging the orange arrow. You will see the form is now becoming more interesting.



















9. You may further change the form by highlighting the axis point and drag.



















10. The elevation of the resulting form

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Saturday, June 6, 2009

Revit 2010 Interface Mapping (Cont'd)

View Bar

View Tab

Floor Plan, Ceiling Plan & Plan Region

Create Panel>Plan Views Drop Down

Section

Create Panel>Section

Elevation

Create Panel>Elevation Drop Down>Elevation

Callout

Create Panel>Callout

Drafting View

Create Panel>Drafting View

Camera & Walkthrough

Create Panel>3D View Drop Down

Legend

Create Panel>Legends Drop Down>Legend

Schedule/Quantities

Create Panel>Schedules Drop Down> Schedule/Quantities

Sheet

Sheet Composition Panel>New Sheet

Add View

Sheet Composition Panel>View


Modeling Bar

Home Tab

Wall, Door, Window

Build Panel

Column

Build Panel>Column Drop Down>Architectural Column

Component

Build Panel->Component Drop Down>Place a Component

Roof>Roof by Footprint; Roof by Extrusion; Roof by Face; Roof Soffit

Build Panel>Roof Drop Down

Floor

Build Panel>Floor Drop Down>Floor

Ceiling

Build Panel>Ceiling

Stairs, Railing & Ramp

Circulation Panel

Model Text

Model Panel>Model Text

Curtain System, Curtain Grid & Mullion

Build Panel

Host Sweep>Wall Sweep, Wall Reveal

Build Panel> Wall Drop Down

Host Sweep>Roof Fascia, Roof Gutter

Build Panel> Roof Drop Down

Host Sweep>Floor Slab Edge

Build Panel> Floor Drop Down>Floor Slab Edge

Opening

Modify Tab>Edit Geometry Panel>Openings

Decal

Insert Tab>Link Panel>Decal Drop Down>Place Decal

Lines

Model Panel>Model Line

Model Group

Model Panel>Model Group Drp Down>Place Model Group

Create

Build Panel>Component Drop Down>Model-In-Place


Drafting Bar

Annotate Tab

Dimensions, Spot Dimensions

Dimension Panel

Text

Text Panel>Text

Grid, Level

Home Tab> Datum Panel

Matchline

View Tab>Sheet Composition Panel>Matchline

Ref Plane

Home Tab> Work Plane Panel>Ref Plane Drop Down>Draw Reference Plane

Scope Box

View Tab>Create Panel>Scope Box

Keynote, Tag, Tag All Not tagged

Tag Panel

Room Tag

Home Tab>Room & Area Panel>Tag Drop Down>Tag Room

View Reference

Tag Panel>View Reference

Symbol

Detail Panel>Symbol

Legend Component

Detail Panel>Component Drop Down>Legend Component

Color Scheme

Home Tab>Room & Area Panel>Legend (named differently now)

Detail Lines

Detail Panel>Detail Line

Detail Group

Detail Panel>Detail Group Drp Down>Place Detail Group

Detail Component, Repeating Detail

Detail Panel>Component Drop Down

Masking Region, Filled Region

Detail Panel>Region Drop Down

Insulation, Revision Cloud

Detail Panel


Rendering Bar


Rendering Dialog

View Control Bar. It is only shown in 3D view.




Massing Bar

Massing & Site Tab

Create Mass

Conceptual Mass Panel>In-Place Mass

Place Mass

Conceptual Mass Panel>Place Mass

Wall by Face, Floor by Face, Curtain System by Face, Roof by Face

Conceptual Mass Panel>Model by Face Drop Downl

Section

View Tab>Create Panel>Section

Level

Home Tab> Datum Panel>Level


Room and Area Bar

Home Tab

Settings

Room & Area Panel>Room & Area Panel Drop Down>Area and Volume Computation

Room

Room & Area Panel>Room Drop Down>Room

Room Tag, Area Tag

Room & Area Panel>Tag Drop Down

Room Separation

Room & Area Panel>Room Drop Down>Room Separation Line

Area Plan, Area, Area Boundary

Room & Area Panel>Area Drop Down

Color Scheme

Room & Area Panel>Legend


Structural Bar

Home Tab

Ref Plane

Work Plane Panel>Ref Plane Drop Down>Draw Reference Plane

Line

Model Panel>Model Line

Framing Elevation

View Tab>Create Panel>Elevation Drop Down>Framing Elevation

Structural Column

Build Panel>Column Drop Down>Structural Column

Structural Wall

Build Panel>Wall Drop Down>Structural Wall

Beam, Beam System

Structure Panel>Beam Drop Down

Brace

Structure Panel>Brace

Component

Build Panel->Component Drop Down>Place a Component

Roof

Build Panel>Roof Drop Down

Slab

Build Panel>Floor Drop Down>Structural Floor

Foundation

Structure Panel>Foundation Drop Down


Construction Bar


Site Component

Massing & Site Tab>Model Site Panel>Site Component

Phases

Manage Tab>Manage Project Panel>Phases

Schedule/Quantities

View Tab>Create Panel>Schedule Drop Down


Settings Menu

Manage Tab

Project Information, Project Parameter

Project Settings Panel

Manage Place and Locations

Project Location Panel>Location

Browser Organization

View Tab> Windows Panel>User Interface Drop Down>Browser Organization

Fill Pattern, Render Appearance Library, Object Styles, Revisions, LineWeight, Line Styles, Line Patterns, Sun and Shadow Settings, View tags, Snaps, Temporary Dimension, Detail Level

Project Settings Panel>Settings Dop Down

Decal Type

Insert Tab> Link Panel>Decal Drop Down>Decal Types

Phases

Manage Tab>Manage Project Panel>Phases

Area and Volume Computation

Home Tab>Room & Area Panel>Room and Area Panel Drop Down>Area and Volume Computation

View Templates

View Tab>Graphics Panel>View Templates Drop Down>View Template Setting

Color Fill Schemes

Home Tab>Room & Area Panel>Room & Area Panel Drop Down>Color Schemes

Keynoting

Annotate Tab>Tag Panel>tag Drop Down>Keynote Settings

Filters

View Tab>Graphics Panel>Filters

Site Settings

Massing & Site Tab>Model Site Panel>Model Site Panel Arrow

Structural Settings

Home Tab>Structure panel>Structure Panel Arrow

Annotations>Arrowhead

Project Settings Panel>Settings Drop Down

Annotations>Dimensions

Annotate tab>Dimensions Panel>Dimensions Drop Down

Annotations>Loaded Tags

Annotate tab>Tags Panel>Tags Drop Down

Annotations>Text

Annotate tab>Text Panel>Text Panel Arrow

Project Units

Project Settings Panel

Options

Applications Menu>Options (next to Exit Revit)

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Making sense of Revit 2010 Interface

To those who are used to the old interface of Revit 2009 and below, it is a hassle to look for all the commands which have been staying in the same place for past couple of years. Until Revit 2010 comes along that is. So to make sense of where is where, I am comparing the interface between the old and new Revit, hopefully pointing the way for those who are completely lost (like me).

The old Revit have both pull down menus and design bar menus to choose the commands from. The new Revit no longer had that luxury. It had only one way to access the command and that is via the ribbon interface which Autodesk claims to have re-written so that the Revit can be better prepared for future improvement and more stable blah blah blah.


This provides a road map to map the old design bar to the new ribbon tab.


Basic Bar

Home Tab

Wall, Door, Window

Build Panel

Component

Build Panel->Component Drop Down>Place a Component

Room

Room & Area Panel>Room Drop Down>Room

Roof>Roof by Footprint; Roof by Extrusion; Roof by Face; Roof Soffit

Build Panel>Roof Drop Down

Floor

Build Panel>Floor Drop Down>Floor

Grid

Datum Panel>Grid

Lines

Model Panel>Model Line

Ref Plane

Work Plane Panel>Ref Plane Drop Down>Draw Reference Plane

Dimension

Annotate Tab>Dimension Panel

Section

View Tab>Create Panel>Section

Level

Datum Panel>Level

Text

Annotate Tab>Text Panel>Text