I think there might be a bug when trying to export a AXM file from Formit 360.

[robertoprea]

I have experienced that there is something wrong, a bug when exporting an AXM file from Formit 360.

If you'r exporting an AXM file locally, the file will only be saved as AXM (No RVT file is saved)

The same thing happens if you export the file to the A 360 Drive. It Sometimes only saves it as an AXM file and sometimes to a AXM and RVT file.

I have noticed that sometimes you have to save the same file multiple times in order to get an RVT on the A 360 Drive.

the only way I have managed to export a AXM file locally  and get an RVT file at the same time is when I have exported it locally first, then to the A 360 Drive and then exported it locally once again. (THIS HAS ONLY WORKED ONCE ORE TWICE)

[Tobias_Hathorn]

Hi Roberto, The A360 drive method for generating an RVT works well when saving, but I find that if I use the FormIt Add-in for Revit then I get better results, much more reliably, and faster too.

go here - http://formit360.autodesk.com/page/download and scroll down to get the add in for Revit 2015, 2016, or 2017 (soon to be 2018 too).

Now you can open your own Revit template, or existing RVT project and import FormIt AXM files directly. I hope this helps!

Tobias

[robertoprea]

Hi Tobias.

I have installed the Add-in for Revit, and tried to import a AXM file directly but then I got another problem. I tried to import both a smal house and a skyscrape. The problem with the smal house I tried to import from Fromit to Revit was that walls disappeared. I made them in to groups in Formit, layers as well just like the other walls but some of them still dont exist when importing them to Revit. The same happened with the skyscrape I tried to import to revit through the Add-in. I made case about that aswell..

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/formit-360-forum/when-trying-to-import-from-formit-to-revit-i-get-thi...

many thanks for your help @Tobias_Hathorn

[Tobias_Hathorn]

Thanks for linking to your other issue Roberto - I just replied to it also. 

I think there's a geometry fidelity issue that is causing the import to Revit to fail. This will happen when you try to convert using A360 or the Revit Add-in (I prefer the Revit Add-in because I find out much sooner and more reliably that something isn't importing correctly!).

As I mentioned in the other response - try turning on DW (keyboard shortcut) to identify geometric fidelity issues that are usually the culprit. This will require some model clean up - but at least you'll know where to look.

In an upcoming release (very soon) you'll see some improvements to our Revit import and you'll get more geometry to show up... it may still have fidelity issues, but at least you'll see more geometry appear.

Thanks - and please post your AXM file if you'd like me to take a look!

Tobias

[robertoprea]

First and foremost, thank you so much for your expertise Tobias!

Im am really really sorry for going of topic, or mixing together issue  and threads with each other.

I will reply on to the other issue on the other thread right after I have replied this one.

If I go back to the Issue that this thread is about.

I still have the same problem when saving. I only get an AXM file. it doesn't matter if I "Save Sketch as", "Save Copy as" or "Export" Locally or to the A 360 Drive.

Like I sade when I posted this issue. I was able to get an RVT sometimes just by first saving the file to the A 360 Drive first, then saving it locally and then having to save it to the A 360 drive again but these last cuple of days not even that have worked.

Is you can see in the screen shot I took of my A 360 drive account. Both projects that I have marked with the green highlight was made a couple of days ago and by using the technique I just described I was able to get a AXM and a RVT file.

But with this other project that I tried to save today, the one that i have highlited red in the picture you can see that I saved them as ""Save Sketch as", "Save Copy as" or "Export" to the A 360 Drive and Locally but still only get an AXM file.

So then I get more questions. Whats the difference between "Save Sketch as", "Save Copy as" or "Export" if I still get AXM files that are almost the same size? I can understand Export, because you can Export to other file types aswell but the other?

[robertoprea]

One other thing that I thought about that I forgot to add in my pervious post was If I open my RVT file in Revit that I managed to save out from Formit I am able to do changes, or add to my mass by "Edit Family"

But if I import the AXM through the Add-in for Revit I am not. 

[Tobias_Hathorn]

Hi Roberto, I see one issue - (thanks for posting the screen shots, that helped me ID it!) you are in perspective view in the bottom image and those tools aren't allowed in perspective view in Revit. If you go to an orthographic 3D view then you see the toolbar as in your first picture.

The reason you're not getting RVT when saving to A360 drive is MOST LIKELY a geometric fidelity issue that is causing the server based RVT converter to fail. That's why I recommend the Addin - because if it fails you know right away. We are improving this behavior in the new release which will be available in the coming weeks - so I would anticipate that the A360 generation of RVT will be more reliable going forward.

The Export button does two things really well - one is allow you to export VISIBLE or SELECTED elements only. This is great in the FormIt to Revit transition because you can be very specific About what you're sending to Revit. It's a huge time saver and let's you test what's working and what's not working. The other reason to use export is for an archive of your model - you can export with history enabled, this let's you save your undo stack if you wanted. And of course as you mention you can set different file types in the export dialog too.

I don't use the Save as or Save Sketch as very often - I think this is the difference between giving the current sketch a NEW name that replaces the original, and creating a new sketch with a new name and allowing the old one to live on. But in general there isn't much difference - and this step doesn't (shouldn't) affect the RVT conversion process.

Thanks for the great questions!

Tobias

[robertoprea]

Hi Tobias,

Just wanted to share that I still have the problem with getting a RVT file when I Export or Save a file as Locally or to the A 360 Drive from Formit. In all the Formit Friday videos I have seen they always get an RVT file when Exporting or Save file as. The Revit Add-In is great but I think you get more useful information when you get a RVT file direct from Formit. 

I have another friend that has the same problem. when do you think that this will be fixed?