Hi all,
I am new to Forma and has been testing the possibility to benefit from this tool into the Revit workflow.
We are using Forma with Revit 2022.
There are a few questions I wonder if anyone can help:
Thank you everyone for your help in advance.
Soki
Hi Soki, great questions and thanks for the feedback! Answers below (and some also available in this document)
Thank you @kronz for the help.
For #2, I am wondering where the does functions (residential / commercial / retail etc.) translate into Revit in the 3D sketch / Revit mass form ?
When I load the project into Revit, the functions are all in the rooms. But now it appears the most consistency way I can building the massing model in Forma and translate into Revit is actually mass / mass floor which doesn't tell whether the floor is residential / commercial etc.
For #4, am I right in understanding what you suggest is that after I load the Forma model into Revit, any changes I make in Revit can be pushed back into Forma ? If yes, it is also a very useful workflow so I can do something more precise in Revit and go back to Forma for analysis. Otherwise, I was originally thinking any changes I make in Forma, for example if I increase the height of a block, can be recognized in Revit (reflecting the increase in number of mass floor in this case). I updated the model in Forma, then I pressed "send to Revit (beta)", then I click update in the Revit site & terrain tab, but nothing happened. The Revit model didn't pick up the change in the Forma model. Ending up I need to start a new Revit project and reload everything from scratch (and format schedules from scratch to capture areas and functions etc. at a masterplan level.
Is there anything you can enlighten me again ?
Thanks so much in advance.
Soki
For #2, we don't currently write Function information to Revit masses from 3dSketch elements. You aren't missing anything
#4, yes, Update Proposal will bring new and modified elements in Revit back to the Forma project.
This video might clarify things for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oJx58a0Z5c
I want to continue with this topic by suggesting another workflow for Revit. The problem I am facing is with the orientation of the geometry as it imports into Revit in relation to true north. In our testing file, we had a building that was modeled in Forma to be parallel to the street face, resulting in a building that was rotated 1.67 degrees off-axis. When pushing the building from Forma into Revit, the building imports exactly as it was drawn in Forma, meaning it is slightly off-axis - which is not ideal for plans. I tried to counteract this by rotating the True North in the project to offset the model rotation and switch between True North and Project North, but the building still imported at the same off-axis orientation. It was only when using the "rotate Project North" option in Revit that I was able to make the walls completely perpendicular to the sheet space, but this unfortunately also rotated all the grids, scope boxes, levels, etc., set up in my project template.
I have tested this out and tried to remedy it with the company BIM manager, but we were not able to make any headway on the matter. It seems like it would be better if we were somehow able to tell Forma what orientation we wanted the model to import at. Or maybe if the model would set the True North angle correctly upon import, so the plan orientation was always correct.
This workflow issue is preventing me from recommending the Forma to Revit workflow to my users. I really hope this can be addressed.
Hi, thanks for the feedback. Just to clarify a couple of things.
I'm assuming you mean Forma when you are writing FormIt in all the cases above?
Rotating Project North is for sure the right way to go to create perpendicular relationships to sheets and other documentation (Rotating True North will only introduce inaccuracies for projects that are correctly geolocated). The side effects that Project North has on other content is a deeply Revit-y thing that I'm afraid we aren't really able to address here.
If I understand your request, you'd like for Forma to have a sense of "Project North" that is also synced with Revit. At the moment this isn't planned, as there isn't really a documentation aspect of Forma right now.
How does your office handle imports from other applications that include geolocated data?
Maybe I misunderstood the reason behind the Revit important feature of forma. I would have thought that having the ability to move directly from Forma to Revit would be so that you could continue with the design and documentation process? Maybe I am also misunderstanding the process of how to counteract this programmed function of forma. My firm has a Revit template with scope boxes, levels, starting grades, etc. all set up and ready to go. If forma is going to import the model at a true north angle, but not set the true north angle to match in Revit then I don’t see how this is useful. Rotating project north, as mentioned in the previous comment results in scope boxes that are rotated grid lines that are rotated, and all sorts of other undesirable consequences. Again, maybe I misunderstanding the workflow. Maybe somebody else on this form can help clarify this or if this has been a problem for your firm?
The Form It to Revit workflow allows for seamless transfer of design information from Form It, a conceptual design tool, to Revit, a more detailed modeling and documentation software. Here are a few common questions and answers regarding this workflow:
Overall, the FormIt to Revit workflow facilitates the transition from early-stage design exploration in FormIt to detailed modeling and documentation in Revit, providing a comprehensive design and documentation process within a single software ecosystem.
The FormIt to Revit workflow involves transferring data and models between two distinct software platforms – FormIt and Revit. When considering this workflow, several essential questions arise to ensure a smooth and efficient transition of data and maintain the design's integrity.
Addressing these questions will equip users with the necessary knowledge to navigate the FormIt to Revit workflow efficiently, leading to a more seamless and productive design process.
Welcome to Forma! Here are some answers to your questions:
Converting 3D Sketch to Building in Forma:
Assigning Functions/Typologies to Mass in Forma:
Naming Buildings/Masses in Forma for Revit Translation:
Issues with Updating Proposal in Revit:
Hi Soki,
I’m also exploring the integration of Forma with Revit and had a few questions based on your experiences:
3D Sketch to Building Conversion:
Consistency with Mass and Building Typologies:
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