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Revit Not Cutting Through Imported .dwg 3D Model

15 REPLIES 15
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Message 1 of 16
philipwebb
20841 Views, 15 Replies

Revit Not Cutting Through Imported .dwg 3D Model

Anyone know how I can successfully import a 3d .dwg model into Revit so I can cut through it in plan and section?  I built the model in sketchup, exported it as a .dwg, then impoorted this .dwg into a new Revit family.  I then loaded this family into the revit file I'm working in. Its cuts through the model on basement and ground floor plans but not on 2nd or attic.  For the 2nd or attic it just shows me the roof of my model.  Puzzling!  Any advice out there???

15 REPLIES 15
Message 2 of 16
dieter
in reply to: philipwebb

Play with the view range of you 2nd floor or attic view. Be sure the cut plane passes through you family.

 

PS: you can insert a sketchup model directly into a Revit Fam. You don't need to export to dwg format.

Dieter Vermeulen
Product Manager AEC
i-Theses bvba
Belgium
Message 3 of 16
vector2
in reply to: philipwebb

The only way to fully slice and dice an imported DWG wireframe is

to import it as a mass. And while you're at it you might as well import

it at the right scale. You can even set the import colors to black and

white so you don't have to strain your eyes trying to see yellow lines

on a white canvas, unless you're inverting your background color.


Or if you want to import that DWG wireframe into the family editor and

slice it up, you can section box it and use the view cube for front, sides

and top view. But you won't be able to dimension it that way. And forget

about cutting it in plan view with the view range anywhere but as a mass.

 

At least that's the way it is in 2011, and who knows what we will be able

to do in 2013.



Message 4 of 16
vector2
in reply to: philipwebb

There is an interesting variation on what
you are asking about. I was testing this out
just for fun.

 

If you import a DWG wireframe into your
project in a plan view, you WON'T be able to
cut it with the view range, like I said.

 

And also like I said you can import it as a
mass and click finish mass and it'll be in
your project in plan view and you CAN cut it
with the view range, (as a finished mass).

 

And again like I said if you import it straight
into the family editor you CANNOT cut it in there
with the view range.

 

But here's my discovery, and this is a good one:
(For me at least). If you import that wireframe
into the family editor and then immediately load it
into your project in a plan view, it WILL cut. And
you have bypassed the create mass process and

dealing with it as a mass in your project, like with

printing and show mass etc. 

You can't dimension the lines any better there, but it's
a cleaner way to get it into Revit. Of course a lot of
this depends on what your purpose is. And also

there might be some more details I'm not aware of.

 

Fascinating stuff.  

Message 5 of 16
LyleHardin
in reply to: vector2

I too, am struggling with the same issues and have discovered I can create a family, import a 3D dwg model (or .sat, etc) and load that family into my Revit model.

BUT...

I am still having trouble with that new object obeying my view ranges. I still see EVERYTHING below whatever level I am on. It clips or hides the stuff on upper levels, but not lower levels.

Section cuts behave properly but I can't create a section cut that is horizontal.

Detail callouts don't work right either in regards to view range.

If I view from the roof, I see the whole imported mass or family as a halftone image.

Another frustrating thing is dimensioning. One can't dimension to these imported masses. Stupid!

 

I am working with Revit Structure 2012 and 2013.

Message 6 of 16
LyleHardin
in reply to: LyleHardin

Just discovered the only part of the view range the Imported Family / Mass is obeying is the clip plane.

Everything of the mass below the clip plane is showing. The view range above and below are completely ignored.

Message 7 of 16
vector2
in reply to: LyleHardin


@Anonymous wrote:

The view range above and below are completely ignored.



Not sure how you could observe that because the imported

Family/Mass is only one element. Good comment though.

 

Message 8 of 16
philipwebb
in reply to: LyleHardin

I feel your pain.although I am not a Revit expert, there is another option I explored although I ended up just going back to AutoCAD to produce some of the drawings I was trying to produce in Revit. Anyways, basically if you have created the model in sketchup you can select the planes in Revit and turn it into a Revitized surface. Its not a perfect process but maybe this is something you could try out and see if it works for your project. If by chance you did this in CAD I think it should still work because I believe I always export my sketchup models as .dwg files so hopefully it should be the same process for you. Hope this helps! Michael J. Figueroa Hartman-Cox Architects 1074 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 202.333.6446 tel x2306 202.333.3802 faxwww.hartmancox.com
Message 9 of 16
RaoulTittel
in reply to: philipwebb

The mass family import certainly works. These posts have saved me a lot of heartache.

 

Thanks.

 

I love this sharing of information stuff!

Using Revit 2012
Message 10 of 16
RaoulTittel
in reply to: philipwebb

Hi all,

 

Why is it when I insert a 3d model from say a DXF file (which has been converted to a mass family) that Revit won't cut it as per the view range settings?

 

Could someone provide an answer for me on this, its frustrating.

 

Cheers,

 

Raoul

Using Revit 2012
Message 11 of 16

thanks for that hint. Works for me!

 

Gottfried

Message 12 of 16
matthewsprott
in reply to: vector2

I was working with the import to Revit Family method first which was great and all, but I can't find a way to change the geometry's material after importing. This is why I went to use the CAD import method for some rendering, but now I'm trying to update some drawings and realizing I can't cut through the import... Is there a way to assign material to my imported Revit Family in a similar way to the CAD method?

Message 13 of 16
kgetev0711
in reply to: philipwebb

you could create a wall by face in order to generate a 3d piece that revit can cut through and so you can see it. 

Message 14 of 16
engberink
in reply to: vector2

You made the sun shine here again, thanks!

Message 15 of 16
tmann_008
in reply to: vector2

Its still that way in 2018.

And if you import it as a mass there is a limit to the level of detail. 

I tried importing a 3D sprinkler pipe layout as a mass and there where too many edges to import.

Now I'm going to use the Crop box in 3D and lock in the view to notate. Basically a 3D section instead of 2D. That seems to work.

Good luck.

 

Message 16 of 16

Open new Generic model family in Revit,. import the 3D cad file into the family file and load into project.

It will act as native Revit file,.Don't change the category in family file,. if you change the category it will show as whole mass.

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