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Mass only contain mesh geometry

18 REPLIES 18
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Message 1 of 19
joannahiew
7508 Views, 18 Replies

Mass only contain mesh geometry

Hi, I've tried saving my rhino model in .sat and .dwg (options saved as solids) but when imported into revit, I still get an error "Mass only contain mesh geometry" hence not able to create mass floors. Please help.

18 REPLIES 18
Message 2 of 19
vector2
in reply to: joannahiew

What do you want Revit to do with this 3D wireframe sketch

that you created in Rhino? What is your ultimate goal?

Message 3 of 19
parveen.revit
in reply to: joannahiew

you need to take route of exporting .sat file from Rhino, Import this into a family, Load and Place that family into a project.

Now you can create 'By Face' elements.

Parveen_Intec_Infocom (BIM, CAD, GIS, QS Services' Provider)
Message 4 of 19
vector2
in reply to: parveen.revit

parveen, I would have to say that what you just posted is nearly

the most outrageous thing I've ever seen posted. lol

 

But still, I like this kind of thing because often times something

good comes out of a can of worms like that.

 

I don't have any .sat 3d drawings to try this out, but if it's actually

possible to put wall-by-face on something imported like that, I 

would fall on the floor laughing. 

 

First of all, if it WAS possible to do this, it would serve no purpose

that I know of.

 

I would like to hear from you what you think would be the value of

placing walls on an imported wireframe sketch.

 

I'll probably learn something out of this.

 

Message 5 of 19
parveen.revit
in reply to: vector2

sure, you'll learn something out of this and to make you learn I have to write few lines.

Keep patience, I am preparing a detailed reply for your knowledge.

 

and you don't need to fall on the floor laughing.

Parveen_Intec_Infocom (BIM, CAD, GIS, QS Services' Provider)
Message 6 of 19
joannahiew
in reply to: joannahiew

I want to create a complex shape via rhino eg a tower, and then import into revit to create floors and walls etc. But I can't do mass floors.

Message 7 of 19
joannahiew
in reply to: joannahiew

Hi Parveen. I understand the method you proposed. But I can't create mass floors from a family? for example if i have a form of a tower 30m high. How do I create 10 floors? By Mass Floors right?

Message 8 of 19
Alfredo_Medina
in reply to: joannahiew

Why don't you create it in Revit? Can you post an image of the tower? Maybe you don't need to import this from Rhino.


Alfredo Medina _________________________________________________________________ ______
Licensed Architect (Florida) | Freelance Instructor | Autodesk Expert Elite (on Revit) | Profile on Linkedin
Message 9 of 19
joannahiew
in reply to: Alfredo_Medina

Maybe. But that doesn't really solve the problem. I would like the option of being able to to work simultaneously on rhino and revit. I followed the video below but I still get the error and the person in the video doesn't. And I wonder why.

 

http://designreform.net/2008/07/rhino-autocad-revit-linking-complex-form-to-drive-massing

Message 10 of 19
vector2
in reply to: joannahiew

Thanks for sharing that video Joanna. You can certainly snap

Revit elements to simple imported forms like that, but for building

sketches, I agree with Alfredo, "build it in Revit". Use the sketch

for reference.

Message 11 of 19
rosskirby
in reply to: joannahiew

As Parveen said, you'll have to export your model from Rhino as a .sat.  Start a new mass family in Revit, start a new mass object, import the .sat, finish the mass, then load that family into a Revit project.  Select the mass in the project, and then you can add mass floors and walls by face, etc.

 

If you're still having trouble, feel free to post the .sat and I'll take a stab at it this afternoon or tomorrow morning.  

 

You should be able to use whichever program you feel best enables you to design successfully, and if Rhino is part of that solution, then more power to you.

Ross Kirby
Principal
Dynamik Design
www.dynamikdesign.com
Message 12 of 19
joannahiew
in reply to: joannahiew

I've added 3 .sat files. file number 1 is a simple cube i drew in rhino which i successfully imported into revit and created mass floors which is great. when i tried a more complex form which is file number 2, i got the error again. file tower is the tower which also has the error.

 

Is there something wrong with the way i draw curves in rhino? Why I could create mass floors from an imported cube but not the curvy shape? I'm getting more confused now than yesterday.

 

Thanks so much.

Message 13 of 19
rosskirby
in reply to: joannahiew

OK, so here's the problem.  What you've create is not techically a mass, since it has an open top and bottom, and thus no volume, so it's just a surface (a closed surface, but still a surface.  If you add a lid to the top and bottom, then re-export to .sat, then import to a Revit mass family, you should be good to go with mass floors.  That's why the cube works and the tower doesn't.

 

For what it's worth, this form could be created natively in Revit fairly easily, but if it's part of something else that you've already developed in Rhino, and you don't want to start over, just go with the added cap.  

 

If you want, you can still use the surface-only mass.  Just add walls by surface first, then in the floor plan view for each level, choose the "Pick Walls" tool while in sketch mode when creating the stair.

Ross Kirby
Principal
Dynamik Design
www.dynamikdesign.com
Message 14 of 19
vector2
in reply to: joannahiew


@joannahiew wrote:
"when i tried a more complex form"


Now you're getting the idea. Like I said, simple imported forms, no problem.

But can you imagine trying to build a building snapping elements to a

complex building sketch? Nothing but a mess.

 

Use the Rhino concept sketch for sure, just leave it open in Rhino as a

reference and build it in Revit. Or better yet, import it into a separate session

of Revit for reference.

 

But the dream lives on: Import a concept sketch from any drawing program

into Revit and have Revit magically transform that sketch into a Revit model.

 

Message 15 of 19
joannahiew
in reply to: vector2

You're right rosskirby. It is the way i drew my shapes in rhino that caused the error. The problem with sketch models is they're always inaccurate. Hence the missing "cap". I've tried with different shapes and I managed to import into revit without the error now. Funnily enough I tried a cube yesterday and I still got an error.. I just have to be very careful with the way I model i guess.

 

At least I know what's the problem now and will continue to improve myself in revit.And yes vector2, I get the idea now. 🙂

 

Thank you all so much for your time and help!

Message 16 of 19
vector2
in reply to: joannahiew

Joanna, it's not a bad idea to design in Rhino in such a way

as to speed up the creation of a model from that in Revit.

But you won't be able to design as freely and what you do design

will be limited to what Revit can deal with. I believe most designers

would say they need more freedom than that to design. 

 

I can take a concept sketch from Rhino where you designed so 

freely and spontaneously that the sketch is full of line conflicts,

and quickly turn that into a Revit model with all the artistic intent

included. Revit loves to build, but it don't much like to be forced

into building something.

Message 17 of 19
parveen.revit
in reply to: joannahiew

you can work simultanously on Rhino and Revit.

 

For walls and roof, you can use rhino imported geometry (linked in family and them family in placed in project).

There are limitations and we can not create floor by mass since the rhino geometry has only faces (not a solid geometry). To overcome this you can use this workaround:

Create walls by face using rhino geometry.

Now in each of you floors, you can see the walls (edges of walls), You can create floors by sketch and lock them with the walls (in sketch mode).

 

Now, If you Rhino model gets changed, you reload (re import) it into family, load that family again into revit model, update the wall by face and you floors should update automatically.

 

I am not sure but it should help. Please let us know your feedback. 

Parveen_Intec_Infocom (BIM, CAD, GIS, QS Services' Provider)
Message 18 of 19
ngaraycochea
in reply to: rosskirby

How does one convert my mesh geometry into a mass? I'm very confused! 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Nick 

Message 19 of 19
ngaraycochea
in reply to: joannahiew

I created the mass in Revit and tried to import it to a construction project, and I still get that error. I selected 'Create Form' for each of the three pieces, the floor and the two side walls.

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