Creating Suspended Ceiling Compression Posts

[Anonymous]

Hello, I work in a small acoustical ceilings office which is trying to merge into being able to be BIM operated. The main purpose of this is to create 3D models of things like compression posts and hanger wires as well as of course main runners and cross tees. Im having a really hard time finding an online tool that will help me create a 3D model of a compression post. So it would be great if someone would be able to direct me to a tutorial or give me some guidlines to how to go about creating this model. I am using Revit Architecture 2014 and have decent experience in it but most of my experience is in 2D AutoCAD. Someone please help! Am I even using the right program? I will attach a cut sheet of an armstrong product that looks exaclty how I need to contruct it. Please HELP!

[L.Maas]

I would take a step back. You mention "being able to be BIM operated". What does this this mean to you?

You wil have to consider what you need to do. What kind of deliverables do you have? For who are you going to make drawings/files and what kind of information has to be supplied. What Software are your clients and suppliers using.

Drawing for the fabrication needs totally different information than a drawing for a client.

In Revit often a ceiling is a flat area between the floor and the roof with some data attached. All information about hangers, framework are done in details and not modelled.

In software like Inventor the different parts like hangers are accurately designed so that it can be produced. 

(If I look at the PDF this drawing seems to be originating from software like Inventor not from Revit)

So describe for yourself what you need to accomplish and for who before looking for the proper tool(s) to solve your problem

[Anonymous]

The main purpose is to create the compression posts to encorporate in the whole builiding model that consists of all the trades in order to determine clash detection. When architects are flying through the builiding with navis works they want to see our grid and compression posts along with all of the other trades to see if they would clash. The process starts with me asking the general contractor for the main revit model that the architect originally constructed then I use that to incorporate my information from my trade (Suspended Ceilings) then that gets sent back to the general and to the architect for approval and incorporation into the whole Building Model. So the characteristics of the material and weight and things of that sort arent as big as a deal. The main deal is clash detection. Im using revit architecture and the architect uses Revit as well to create the original Base Building model. I know how to create a simple ceiling layout on a rcp in revit but what needs to be done here is more than that. Its modeling 3D models of these compression posts and hanger wires to be incorporated in NAVISWORKS. Does that help? 

[L.Maas]

Ok, If that what your customers ask for then you have to deliver.

I would make simple family, just a sweep of a rectangular profile or use a profle of little bit more detail (like hereunder).

(Be careful more detail means bigger files and decrease in performance.)

Then you have to consider the parametrics. How variable need they to be? Do you have a lot of repetition?

If most of them are of the same size and have equal spacing you could even create a line based family to quickly place them.

Also think about the workflow of placing them in your project...face based, ceiling based, non-hosted?

A good starting point for family creation can be found on THIS page of the Autodesk Knowledge website. It has th families guide which describes about family creation.

[chrisplyler]

Probably easy to make both the posts and the wires as Generic Model Adaptive families with two adaptive points. In this way one would be able to place them between a ceiling and a roof or roof support structure of floor (above) support structure at any length and angle that is desired.

[Anonymous]

Ok so I do understand what you guys are saying about creating a family but what I dont understand so much is the tools I use to create the post itself and also when I go to place the completed post and wires which view do I have to be in to be able to do that? From my understanding you can only see certain objects in certain views. Sorry for the brand new questions, as I am barely starting to learn Revit for this type of stuff. Any tutorial videos?

[L.Maas]

I would advise to get a Revit course classical (e.g. Autodesk Reseller) , video course (e.g. Lynda, InfiniteSkills) or books (e.g. mastering series). That will be the quickest way to get an understanding of how Revit works. Most tutorials are addressing only a single issue. While this is Ok to solve a particular problem it usually does not address how everything works together.

I think it is important to understand the concept of the program. After that you can work much more efficiently/faster as you will start to understand what is happening and the different possibilities to get things done.

In my previous post I gave a link to documents relating to family creation.

[Anonymous]

These suspended acoustical ceiling will help you to choose as your wish. It is a high quality, fabric covered sound absorbing board designed to reduce unwanted room reflection, flapping and fluttering echoes and providing a more pleasant and accurate listening environment.

[chrisplyler]

Hey I didn't re-up this two-year old thread, but since someone else did, I've got a thought...

I don't think the architect needs clash detection for suspended ceiling support ties or compression posts. Why? Because in the real world, the plumbing, HVAC, structural elements, etc. that are above a suspended ceiling will all be installed prior to the ceiling itself. The ceiling installers will naturally be field locating all that stuff AROUND the rest of the stuff.

[ToanDN]

---

@chrisplyler wrote:

Hey I didn't re-up this two-year old thread, but since someone else did,

---

You meant "something did"?