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Revit question

18 REPLIES 18
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Message 1 of 19
bobafett
6326 Views, 18 Replies

Revit question

I am new to using Revit and I am just trying to figure out how it works to be honest. I have made a 2 floor building in ACAD ARCH 13 and when I import the DWG files into Revit, they just show the 2D line drawings even when I look in 3D mode. Do I have to re make all of the walls and such in Revit or am I missing a step to import all of the windows, doors, and wall heights?

18 REPLIES 18
Message 2 of 19
ccollins
in reply to: bobafett

There is no automatic "convert ACA to Revit" tool. You will need to model the building in Revit.

 

You could use the ACA .dwgs ( 2D / flattened ) to trace Revit Walls over to get a quick start--but be careful--

Revit does not play nicely with AutoCad files, and it will throw up errors saying "line is slightly off axis and may cause unexpected errors" or something to that effect.

 

The best way forward is to throw out AutoCad and ACA and dive into Revit headlong. I am speaking from years of experience having already gone thru this years ago.

 

Good luck!

Cliff B. Collins
Registered Architect/BIM Manager
Thalden Boyd Emery Architects
St. Louis, MO
Message 3 of 19
bobafett
in reply to: ccollins

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of them selling two different softwares that are supposed to play well togeather? I guess I will need to learn Revit eventually, but I have been using ACAD since R12 when my mom showed me how to draft. I am a mechanical engineer by trade and use Solidworks for that, this is more of a hobby for me since I get the student versions for free because I am a doctoral student. Thank you for your quick reply though.

Message 4 of 19
michael
in reply to: bobafett

Autocad and Revit are to each other like a horse and buggy and the Ford Model T. You cannot make the Model T work by feeding it oats. I don't recall any promise made by Autodesk that Acad and Revit would work together seamlessly. Revit is not even a product of Autodesk. Revit was an independent system like Microstation. They were bought out by Autodesk and added to the Autodesk product line. Revit existed for years before Autodesk, and the founding principle of Revit was to create a completely new, state of the art system that was not encumbered by maintaining compatibility with the past. Having been taken over by their former competitor, the focus on that principle has blurred somewhat, but the two have many inherent incompatibilities.

 

Asking for Revit to be more like Acad is like asking Ford to make their cars run on oats so that you won't be required to buy gas for the car.

Message 5 of 19
bobafett
in reply to: michael

Well I wasn't asking for Revit to be more like ACAD, that would be silly. Perhaps I miss understood how Revit fits into the world of design. This week was the first time I had ever heard of Revit. So is Revit essentially a new way to produce drawings in a more 3D representitive way?

Message 6 of 19
Alfredo_Medina
in reply to: bobafett

Well, in Revit you model the project, from scratch. It does not start by importing a model from another program. As it was said in a previous post, Revit was developed by another company, using a completely different approach, and then that company was adquired by Autodesk.


Alfredo Medina _________________________________________________________________ ______
Licensed Architect (Florida) | Freelance Instructor | Autodesk Expert Elite (on Revit) | Profile on Linkedin
Message 7 of 19
parveen.revit
in reply to: bobafett

you can import the CAD file into revit as a 3d object if you have created 3d in CAD.

but it won't be intelligent and you can just view it.

Parveen_Intec_Infocom (BIM, CAD, GIS, QS Services' Provider)
Message 8 of 19
michael
in reply to: bobafett

Sorry if my tone sounded a bit stiff. [My writing is meant to be read aloud, as written by a dramatist rather than novelist.]

 

The goal of Building Information Management (BIM) is to eliminate drawings altogether. In Revit, drawings are a by-product of the modeling process. It is a database of building parts. Drawings are merely a report of the contents of the database, the same way your checking statement from the bank is a report on the status of your finances.

 

One of the first things new users discover is the ease of creating sections. In the past, sections were difficult drawings to produce and most architects rationed their use in the drawing set. With Revit, you could have a building section every six inches if you want!

Message 9 of 19
ronlawson
in reply to: bobafett

Hello guy's, your articles are eye opening for me. I see now why I can't get things done the autocad way. I'm new to revit, old to architectural desktop 2005. Trying to get a plan view of a project I am modeling. It seem to be stuck in 3D view (top). I want it have it back in a plan view that shows windows & doors so that I can continue to draws lines & symbols to represent things like electrical outlets etc. and then place a plan on a drawing sheet to be printed out for the client. Where can i go to get help with this?

Message 10 of 19
michael
in reply to: ronlawson

What you have done is rotate the 3D to orthogonal. Your eye is way up in the air and you are seeing a bird's eye plan-view of the roof. What you really want is a horizontal plan-section through the model.

 

Go to the browser and click on level 1 or level 2. This will get you back to an interior floor plan. I am assuming you made your file using the default Revit template. This template creates a level 1 and a level 2 floor plan. After that you are on your own. You can make additional levels, but you will have to go to view/plan and actually  make a floor plan view in order for you to see it in plan.

 

When you look at a building section, the levels will show as annotation. They will be either black or blue. One color means a plan was created and the other means no plan was created. (I forget which is which)

 

 

Message 11 of 19
ronlawson
in reply to: michael

Yeah, the browser asks me to select which level I am asking a plan view of.
unfortunately, I did not create levels when I drew the plan and the
selection pane is blank! I can't just back-up through the commands because
the project was saved since I put it in 3D top view. I think I need to start
a new project but the Ascent book apparently doesn't tell you how to start
out right.
Message 12 of 19
michael
in reply to: ronlawson

Cut a section through your model. Right click on the body of the level annotation (not the head - that does something different) You should get a menu that includes "go to view" If that doesn't happen then you have to make the view. Go to view tab. Under view is plans. That will open a window that lists the levels that are created but have no view. If a view has not been created, it won't appear in the browser. Just make the view!

Michael Jarosz AIA
BIM MANAGER
R I C C I G R E E N E A S S O C I A T E S
ARCHITECTURE * PLANNING
158 WEST 27TH STREET * NEW YORK, NY 10001
T 212.563.9154 EXT. 230 F 212.279.1037
www.riccigreene.com
Message 13 of 19
farah_naser91
in reply to: bobafett

Hello guys,

 

Ive been trying to use the rendering option in revit, but all get is a black scene when i press render.

 

The sun option is enabled, and i tried to add artificial lights, but still a i get the black scene again.

 

you can check the attached file,

thanks in advance 🙂

 

Message 14 of 19
numandez
in reply to: bobafett

Yes now you start teaching people on the comment section , and it will soon become a thing.
Message 15 of 19
bondaniel746
in reply to: numandez

sir/mam I have a question a have a problem with my revit I don't know what to do to appear the 4 arrows on the revit screen so I can work on elevation grids and I can add floors to my drawings.thats my problem as of now.thanks for the reply.

Message 16 of 19
kupriyanova-anya
in reply to: bobafett

Hi I begin to use Revit 2017, and have a trouble with the Project Browser window in all projects. It looks like in the picture below. 

What Can I do to reset the window back to normal?

Many thanks in advance.

Message 17 of 19

Both the Properties Palette and the Project Browser can be docked to either the left or right edge of the Revit workspace. Just grab it and drag it to one of the side edges.

Message 18 of 19
arc.imran
in reply to: bobafett

Help me please. Why this problem occurs?

Message 19 of 19
ToanDN
in reply to: arc.imran

Please create a new topic.

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