Survey BIM model - showing pipework and ducting

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Hi - 

I am working on a large building survey from a point cloud and the client has requested showing any pipework / ducting that may be visible from within the ceiling voids. The surveyor did take many ceiling tiles out when scanning, however it is impossible to show complete runs and what these pipes / ducts are categorised under. 

Could someone please suggest what best practice would be to show this pipework and under what family I should do them ? 

The client isnt expecting complete runs or what the pipes are servicing, but I need to place them in some sort of category for ease of selection etc.

thanks in advance

Peter

[Zsolt.Varga · Accepted solution]

Dear Peter, 

I understand, that you need to recreate building geometry from point cloud data, where pipes and ducts above the ceiling level are displayed only randomly as in certain positions the ceilings have been partly removed, before the point cloud data was captured.

To answer your question as follows: 

>Could someone please suggest what best practice would be to show this pipework and under what family I should do them ? <

This is always very specific to the exact situation you are seeing in the captured point cloud. Revit will allow you to use the point cloud data for displaying those elements and to navigate inside the captured 3D data. Furthermore, it is able to recognize faces and will allow you to snap Revit building elements to certain planes and let you accurately create and place those elements, but you will always need to select the right family and set the properties for those Revit elements yourself before you draw them in the model. 

One approach would be, that you don´t model piping and ducting at all - as you don´t see those elements entirely, only partly and randomly - but you offer your client that the imported point cloud data can be turned on in the view, and the captured visual information will be available in the view if and when needed.

Another option is to import the point cloud data in Revit, navigate in it and find out which element is for what purpose in reality based on the information you can see in the captured data. You might need further MEP-plans on the existing building or to consult an engineer for building equipments several times in order to be able to identify the different elements you see in the captured data. 

In this particular situation I would offer my client the first option and let him consider the costs and time effort the second approach would consume.

For more information on point cloud and Revit, please, take a look at the videos as follows, go to Autodesk University site, and see videos for education, or contact your CAD supplier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkVS3EbBBuw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2USf6vS2pA

I hope this information was helpful.

Best regards, 

Zsolt Varga 

Autodesk Frontline Technical Support

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Dear Zsolt,

thank you for your very extensive help on this matter and I for sure prefer your first option, as does the surveyor whom I am contracted with to do the project.

I have started working on these elements and I will 'block' model what I can visually see such as AHUs and ducting, however they will be indicative only, the client can later use the Linked Point Cloud for further reference, and when a Mechanical Engineer is appointed they can invesigate the services for extensively.

I have one final question for you please - If I model some generic in place families to indicate these elements (pipes, ducts and machinery) can you suggest the best option to categories these please? I would imagine putting them in a Generic category wouldn't be sufficient - is there a way to add my own category such as 'Survey Elements' for example?

Regards
Peter

[Zsolt.Varga · Accepted solution]

Hi Peter,

Thank you for your feedback.

Now, back to your questions as follows:

>If I model some generic in place families to indicate these elements (pipes, ducts and machinery) can you suggest the best option to categories these please? I would imagine putting them in a Generic category wouldn't be sufficient - is there a way to add my own category such as 'Survey Elements' for example?<

The first thing you need to note, there is an object hiarearchy in Revit as follows:

Category > family > type

Categories are a built in list of object types (such as doors, walls, stairs, door-tags etc.) which are available in the software depending on the version you have. Users cannot change this list as add or delete categories in it - it is hard-coded in the software.

If you have Revit or Revit MEP, the categories related to ducts and pipes are available in your software, so that you will be able to select the right category for your model elements.

If you don´t have these categories available in any of the family templates in your version, you can still create and use a generic model family and perhaps add an additional parameter to the specific elements, which will allow you to filter elements in a schedule.

When selecting elements in a view, you can select one instance of a family you created, then right-click and choose "Select all instances" > "Visible in view".

Here you can find more about the available features in different versions of Revit:
http://bimboom.blogspot.ch/2012/03/revit-vs-revit-architecture-structure.html

I hope this information was helpful. Please, mark it as a solution if it answers your question.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Zsolt Varga

Autodesk Frontline Technical Support

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Thanks Zsolt your answer has been very helpful,

Kind regards

Peter