Best Method to Creating Shading surface from Revit 2010 for export to gbxml

[672STPW]

We currently testing Revit 2010 and Ecotect 2010, I have been reading that the gbxml export is much better now. What is the best way to create shading services in Revit for export into gbxml? We would prefer not to have to use walls, floor slabs or roof objects to generate these surfaces. Has anyone used mullion or panel instead? Or shoud we just the model these shading devices Ecotect?

[zakim]

Hi Lichu,

My answer here is based on trial and error for exporting Revit geometry 2010 to Ecotect for different analysis objectives, and based on some research on the web. So in general, there are some processes or solutions mentioned here that may help you in exchanging Revit files with Ecotect. [{color:#ff0000}http://designreform.net/forum/index.php?topic=1272.0{color}].

I can add to the above a few comments to specifically address modeling shading devices in Revit for export them to gbXML.

(A): I believe that the gbXML file exported from Revit 2010 translates some basic geometry like: floor, roof, wall, curtain wall, windows, opening, and room objects. I do not think it recognizes ‘Generic Families' or in-place families in gbXML. So you can use any type of these geometrical types to model the Sunshade device. For example if you use a ‘Floor' object Revit would still think of it is a floor element and will include it in the floor area calculation. So to avoid that, I would create a project shared parameter called ‘Shading Device' associated with ‘Floor' revit model category. This way, you can exclude floors that are ‘tagged' as ‘Shading Device' from the floor area calculations. This process can be helpful if you are exporting a revit gbXML model that contains large pieces of overhangs, such as a Canopy.

(B): I would use curtain wall panels. You can model your vertical or horizontal sun shade device as a special ‘Curtain Panel' family. Now notice that the Revit 2010 gbXML exporter contains ‘Complexity Settings' which is like a level of detail in the gbXML model to be exported. Among these settings: (1) ‘Simple' setting which exports the curtain wall or curtain systems as one element that has the total area of the panels inside it. (2) the ‘Complex' setting exports each curtain panel within one curtain wall. So the second setting may suite our purpose (and I prefer that one actually). In the gbXML exporter dialogue box, you can selectively choose to isolate specific elements from being exported.

(C): One suggestion that can help is to simplify the model being exported from Revit prior to exporting to gbXML. For example, I would use a hybrid approach like exporting gbXML with these elements: floor, room, walls, and window opening. Then I use Ecotect as the basic 3D modeling tools to model the sunshade, Here the user can play and confirm with different design scenarios then whichever one performs better, then the user can import the resulting geometry of the sunshade device into Revit as a reference.

(D) sometimes I import into Ecotect the basic gbXML as stated above in point (C) and merge with it an imported DXF file that contains ‘ONLY' the detailed geometry of that sunshade device which could have been exported from Revit.

Any other ideas ... please share!

Zaki (iconviz.com)