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Should I switch to Revit Mep / Can you Fabrication weld pipe from a Revit Model

15 REPLIES 15
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Message 1 of 16
NY_Mech_Pipe
3311 Views, 15 Replies

Should I switch to Revit Mep / Can you Fabrication weld pipe from a Revit Model

I currently use AutoCAD with a CADPIPE add on to model and fabricate piping systems. I work for a HVAC contractor in NYC and they are looking to switch to Revit MEP. We are not an engineering firm, we are a hvac construction contractor. We will be taking the construction documents from the GC and redrawing the job to fit in the building. Is it possible to build out a job in Revit MEP and then cut up the model and directly fabricate from it. I will be fabricating welded pipe and fittings, no duct work.

I downloaded the 30 day trial and I was looking for a fitting library of weld pipe and fittings. I do not see any. What am I missing?

 

Thanks in advance for your help and comments.

15 REPLIES 15
Message 2 of 16
thombrady
in reply to: NY_Mech_Pipe

Finally, someone in the same boat. We are a full MEP shop, Duct, HVAC Pipe & Plbg. I have been using REVIT for about a year & we currently do not download for fabrication. i have looked into it & like everything else there are add-ons (of course this is very expensive). I believe the companies were either Eastcoast or Quickpen. Why they can't do just one program for everything is beyond me. Actually I am sure they could.

Message 3 of 16
NY_Mech_Pipe
in reply to: thombrady

Hey Thom,

 

Where did you get a butt weld fitting family from? Are you guys just using Revit MEP for duct only? I am having a hard time finding any content for piping that will help me. I need acurate butt weld fittings to make a model that will actually work. What have you been using?

 

Thanks 

Message 4 of 16
thombrady
in reply to: NY_Mech_Pipe

Sorry N.Y., what we do is manually takeoff the fittings & pipe from the sheet. I just draw everything using the fittings available in Revit. I use REVIT for everything as we do Duct, HVAC Pipe & Plbg. Again sorry I cannot be more help, You are probably going to have to get a book & draw everything manually, a big pain in the you know what & time consuming obviously. There is a lot of content online but you will have to search & may end up paying for it.

Message 5 of 16
embolisim
in reply to: thombrady

NY,

Is CADPIPE Related to CADDUCT?

They do a Revit version now, I saw it demonstrated at RTC. They claim to be able to round trip a model through their software, then back again as an as-built. But I haven't seen it in action on a real project yet. It might be worth looking at/trying out.

If you do, post back what you found please.

Message 6 of 16
NY_Mech_Pipe
in reply to: embolisim

Embo,

 

Thanks for the lead. CADPIPE is made by AEC Design Group. They Also make CADPIPE HVAC, I do not think they have any revit products yet. I will research the program you mentioned. The problem I have with Revit MEP is the content. I cannot use generic fittings. the reason is I break up the model I draw and make fab tickets from it. If I give the fab shop an end to center measurement or a center to center measurement. they are going to pull parts from the shelf and start making it. If an generic elbow in revit has an end to center dimension of 6" and the fitting in the real world that same elbow takes out 9" we have a major problem....and a pile of fabricated garbage. ( I used an 6in long radius butt weld fitting as the example ) 

 

Message 7 of 16
embolisim
in reply to: NY_Mech_Pipe

Here's the one I mentioned, like I say I haven't tried it yet.

http://www.technicalsalesinternational.com/v2008/fab-mep.php

In the demo they said it reads the family names/types and swaps a 'correct' one shipped with their software, so you get the right CtoE dims etc.

 

We dont normally go to shop fabrication drawing level, but I have on a couple of recent projects. I actually remade all the tees & bends to the right sizing. Its pretty straight forward once you have it worked out.

 

If you open a bend family for example, one of the type parameters is a lookup table path. 

Its the lookup table that contains the dimensional information. You just save the bend under a new name and path it to a new lookup table.... which will be an edited version of the one the original bend used.

 

Reducers are a bit hard work though.... I've got the concentric ones working, but haven't mastered the eccentric ones. I resorted to just modeling the ones I need & placing them manually.

 

It takes a bit of time... but once you're there, you should be able to fully schedule your pipe system, including a cutting list for the straight pipe lengths..

Message 8 of 16
NY_Mech_Pipe
in reply to: embolisim

Embo,

 

It looks like unless I buy a software add-in I will have to create everything I need. I really wonder about Autodesk sometimes, do they just have software engineers working for them. Why would you release a "MEP" version of a software and not have a good family of fittings. I understand that they will not have everything but come on, a copper 90 is a copper 90. They should have at least the 300 most common fittings in every size and for every type for copper and steel pipe. WTF Autodesk. I really think I am still missing something, it does not make any sense.

Message 9 of 16
embolisim
in reply to: NY_Mech_Pipe

Yup.. thats about the size of it.

 

Look on the bright side, by the time your're done, your company will have a competitive advantage & you'll have a skill that not many people have, which makes you valuable as an employee.

 

Usually I take people to task when they say that adesk should spoon feed them every family under the sun.... but I do think the ootb piping is rather lacking in generic pipe types & fittings.

 

Imagine trying to sell Revit Architecture without a suitable range of generic walls floors & roofs.....

Message 10 of 16
mxs311
in reply to: NY_Mech_Pipe

Great Discussion..still relevant, 4 years later.

 

My company, a specialty contractor, wants to jump to Revit for pipe fab -  we have a fab shop, they still use hand drawings - and some AutoCAD.

 

I'm the CAD guy, and warming up to Revit - we are flirting with SysQue and boss likes it - might purchase. 

 

I'm curious if any of the previous commenters survived, and are able to reflect on the solutions they worked through -  and where there at today?'

 

Thanks.

Mike

 

 

Message 11 of 16
chrisplyler
in reply to: mxs311

I soooooooo want SysQue. But I'm a one-seat-of-Revit contractor. My frequency of use and average job size just don't justify the purchase price. I get really frustrated thinking about it.

Message 12 of 16
mxs311
in reply to: chrisplyler

Chris,

 

What do you do when you need to populate your model with a family or component that you don't have? (SysQ has all that Stuff...mucho dinero)

 

My team really wants to Revit up our office work flow, for instance - I'm trying to detail some HDPE pipe - ultimately for our FAB shop, but the AutoDESK library is a little weak.  Am I just SOL? Or do I need to custom create all those pieces, and then populate my model?  I just can't imagine that everytime someone (a newb) needs an 18" HDPE 45° that they would have to create this......individually - which seems like if added up would amount to a lot of time that could have been saved.

 

I realize that this is a beginner question - but I'm sure I'm not the only one in the dark.

 

Thanks, tk

 

Mike

Tags (3)
Message 13 of 16
smbrennan
in reply to: mxs311

While Revit is a GREAT tool, you've discovered the biggest hurdle for many users/companies: Content. A solution such as SysQue is a great tool for thousands of families, and frequent updates. There are other content hosting sites & services such as seek.autodesk.com & BIMXchange (by ENGWorks). There are others out there, but those are two that stand out right now.

 

Now, just because websites have content, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will behave, schedule, or tag the way you want it to. Development time will still be required. 

 

As a contractor myself, I have tried to demo SysQue, but I'm electrical - and like always there's not much available to us. The sales rep did straight out tell me that the product was much more geared towards piping and duct. 

Shawn B.

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Message 14 of 16
chrisplyler
in reply to: mxs311

msx311,

 

Well, you don't have to create new content EVERY time you want to place an 18" 45. You only have to do it once. Then you have it to use repeatedly.

 

But I either just make the content I need, or I work around it. I'm not fabbing spools from Revit documents, so it isn't that much of a problem. If you're single-lining pipes in plan view, for example, it doesn't really matter what you use. Just tag it to be what you want it to be. I would LIKE to fab spools from Revit documents...but I've got good fabbers and they just figure it out anyway.

Message 15 of 16
chrisplyler
in reply to: mxs311

Deleted: accidental double post.

Message 16 of 16
Dpatel
in reply to: chrisplyler

Hello all,

 

I have been looking into this now for my job. We still use autocad and CADpipe (not a big fan). 

 

We do all kinds of piping. 

revit fabrication parts is what got me looking into revit. But the more i look into it the less likly its going to work. 

 

I need to fallowing

Coordination models for navisworks. 

spool drawings 

optimized pipe cut (fabrication part does this but not standard revit pipe.)

 

have you you guys got revit to work like what CADPipe is able to provide in the same time frame or less?

 

Thanks

 

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