Revit Newb - Guru Input Desired - Room Tags/Floor Visibility/CAD Export

[brockstapper8069]

Hi All -

Long time listener first time caller.

I have a few questions conerning Revit that may help streamline our workflow tremendously.

Exporting CAD from Revit:

Currently we export to DWG from Revit.  We then have to spend an extraordinary amount of time bursting the exported CAD file in order to be able to change colors of layers to match our shaded background requirements.

1)  Is there a way to export the DWG from Revit and have all of the information already burst for manipulation in CAD?

2)  If not, is there an easy and expeditious way to set the color assignment of CAD layers prior to Revit export for the exported CAD file?

Room Tags:

We currently export overall backgrounds from Revit to utilize the backgrounds for our detailed design work. When doing this process room tags are at the scale assigned for the overall background, with some not indicated due to visibility, instead of at the smaller room tag size with all spaces tagged which we require when we take the overall background and lay out the sectors at 1/8" scale.

1)  What is the easiest way to have all room tags on the overall exported background at 1/8" scale?

Floor Plan Visibility:

When working with a project with a sloped floor, such as a theater surrounded by convention space, we run into visibility issues due to the difference in elevation.  The exported CAD file will cut off the upper elevation of the slope.  If we modify the visibility depth or cut at a higher elevation to indicate the information at the top of the slope it messes up the visibility for the rest of the areas which are still at the ground elevation (using the first floor as an example).

1)  What is the method for getting floor and RCP information to display correctly when part of a level is sloped to a higher elevation than the level surrounding that area?

Thank you very much and any input is greatly appreciated,

Brock

[David_Knight · Accepted solution]

I can't comment on everything... but...

Regarding exporting cad files, look here:

Revit Icon (Top Left) -> Export -> Cad -> DWG

On the top "Select Export Setup" click the  "..." to the right hand side.

In here you should be able to configure all your exporting options.

You can then transfer the settings to your template by checking the "DWG/DXF Export Setup Settings" in the transfer project settings dialog.

[brockstapper8069]

Thanks David - we will check it out. Meanwhile I have been searching the forum to answers on the other topics.

From what I've determined so far:
Room Tags would be a different family at smaller size and we would replace the current room tags with the smaller room tags. Any expeditious way to accomplish this task?

ACAD layers/colors - as you suggested, change the export settings with a custom AIA file with colors for our layers suiting our background preferences. We will give it a shot.

Still searching for the sloped floor visibility issue solution.

Thanks,
Brock

[damo3 · Accepted solution]

One question down two to go.... lets see.. ok room tags, select the one you wish to replace, right click and select all instances in entire view or project, then change it in the type selector.

For multiple view ranges in a view on various areas or objects look into plan regions.

Hope it helps.

[brockstapper8069]

Thank you so much -

That will alleviate much heartburn here.  As some background we are the consultant and it is a large project.  We are currently receiving CAD backgrounds without room tags so being able to export overall room tags at the scale we require for the sectors will help us jump through one hoop.

Still researching the other items...

[Alfredo_Medina]

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@brockstapper8069 wrote:

...We currently export overall backgrounds from Revit to utilize the backgrounds for our detailed design work

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Why don´t you eliminate that step altogether? What is the need for "exporting overall backgrounds from Revit to utilize the backgrounds for our detailed design work?" Seems to me that you are still having too much of a "hybrid" workflow / round trip AutoCAD-Revit. Why ?

[brockstapper8069]

Because as an AV consultant Revit does not provide tools to accomplish some of the tasks we require.

If Revit is much more adept at the "bigger picture" than it is as a tool for drawing things such as plate details, conduit risers, oneline diagrams, etc.  In addition we have multiple offices working on this project that are not all transitioned to Revit.

This isn't to say that elements of what we create in Autocad are not replicated in Revit - but it is not feasible currently to perform all the work we require in Revit for multiple reasons.

Everyone has their preferred workflows.  We would love to see all that we need in Revit but currently we do not.

Meanwhile we have a lot of coordination with other trades that takes place and if we were constantly exchanging Revit files to make this coordination happen then most of the design team would be looking at a screen waiting for a million square feet times 16 floors open up.

If you have something to offer on the above subjects we are all ears.

As a status update:

1)  Export room tags - fixed.  Thanks so much to those who offered helpful comments.

2)  Export to CAD with layers already customized without the need to go through the painful burst after burst process - fixed.  Thanks again!  Much appreciated!

3)  Still exploring visibility with the angled planes, but we have found a work-a-round for now.  After researching there are many variables to explor from cut planes, view depth, type of floor used by the Arch when creating that part of the model, etc.  Again your input has provided valuable clues and I offer a hearty "thanks". 

Overall we have saved days and days of work thanks to your helpful input.

Sincere Thanks,

brock

[Alfredo_Medina]

Well, Revit has all the tools required for a project, but in many cases offices don't have the key people to make that happen.

[David_W_Koch]

While you can create a smaller room tag and swap that in for your detailed plan, why not just duplicate the plan view and change the scale to the desired scale and export that view for use in the detailed plans?

[brockstapper8069]

Thanks David - we will look into that.

Alfredo - I appreciate your input. As of now we have not determined an efficient way to coordinate items in Revit as it takes quite a while for the model (and associated linked models) to load. It would take us way too long.

In addition we are still exploring an efficient and accurate way to draw things such as detailed wiring oneline diagrams and other specialized information within Revit.

While it is nice to say "just do it in Revit" this is not feasible with limited licenses and the timeline for this project. We are certainly transitioning to that as a future workflow.

Appreciate the helpful comments!

Thanks,
Brock