Mirror Project Tips & Tricks

[ndsmaug]

I have a project that is at 95% complete Construction Documents, and now the client needs us to mirror the entire building...and, or course, they need it done FAST.  I have had to go through this nightmare in the past, but never with a project so far into production.  We've done a test run in Revit 2016 using the Mirror Project function under the Manage Tab, but that causes all kinds of havoc in certain views (detail groups fall apart, model elements like curtain wall and windows turn inside out, filled regions don't mirror, etc) .  We are trying to develop a strategy for tacking this work and would love some input from someone who has also had to do this before so late in the game.  

Does anyone have any tips or tricks they could share to help us pull together a game plan to 'eat the elephant'?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  

Thanks everyone!

[arek_keshishian]

Have you tried linking the same project in another file and using mirror on it there? I'm afraid details won't come in though. I think if you managed to mirror everything, your detailing and annotation won't follow along.

[ndsmaug]

Yes.  One strategy we were looking at was running two models.  One with the building as it is, and the other with a mirrored link of our model in it's own file.  Then issue would be how to manage views and sheets.  Ideally, we would like to have a mirrored link of our model in the same model as our original building so we could use referring views and keep all the details and sheets together.  Unfortunately, Revit won't allow that kind of nested linking to happen.

Has anyone had success with producing in this way?    Can you give some more info about what you've seen and done?

(We're a 100% Revit firm, so we are really trying to avoid our group and our consultants punting on Revit all together and going to the dreaded AutoCAD to finish the job.  With the scale and time constraints of the project, that's also one of the options we've considered. Desperate times...)

[ndsmaug · Accepted solution]

Just as a follow up we experimented with the Mirror Project option and it was a disaster! Things fell apart, references were lost, walls were inside out, groups went crazy...it was not pretty.  What we wound up doing was pretty involved, but not as much as starting over.  Since there's so little information online about this, I decided to post our solution.  The method we used may be helpful for others in our situation:

We first created another project (project B) that had our original model (project A) linked into it.  Then we did not use the Mirror Project command in the project B file, but instead mirrored the linked project using the mirror tools from the modify tab.  These two models were now considered our Modeling file (project A) and our Annotation file (project B).  From there we created the views in Project B annotation model that would ultimately get added to the sheets; ie section marks, elevations, etc.  We tried to create them as close to the same place as they were originally located in project A.  Time consuming, but again, better than the alternative. 

 The next step after creating the new views in project B was to tell the view to actually show what was happening in the project A , NOT the elements in the view as they actually appear in project B model.  For example, you can add an exterior elevation marker for the south side of your building, but tell that view to show you the north side of your linked in model.  You can do this by selecting the linked model you want to reference your views from in the Visibility Graphics and altering each view under the Basics category.  There you can change the Linked View option to WHATEVER view from the linked in file you want.  (as long as that view is not a drafting view and as long as the linked view is parallel to the view you just created.  In other words, you can't show a plan view from project A in the section view you created in project B).  What this also does is bring in any text, tags, dimensions, etc from that view.  That was GREAT!  So not only did we save the time of having to redraw everything, but we also were spared having to re-annotate as well.  

Finally, since we were not 100% CDs at the time and we still had work to go, we continued to do all work in the un-mirrored project A file.  Then repeating the above steps in project B for additional model views needed.  Any new drafting views were created in project B and all schedules were also created in model B by making sure the "Include elements in links" option was checked in our schedules.  

Yes, we are managing 2 files, but it was the far better alternative that we found to all the scenarios we ran through.  Our consultants had a mix of strategies from, Structural doing a true Mirror Project command to Electrical just abandoning Revit and finishing the job in AutoCAD. Mechanical/Plumbing decided to follow suite with our methods.  

In the relative scale of things this is a medium sized project.  I would NOT want to do this on a large scale job.  Hopefully, this helps someone else.  

Good luck everyone! 

[Jason_S]

ndsmaug,

Did you have MEP and Structural Models linked in also?  How did you handle this with the engineers?

I have a project that is 70% construction documents and there is a request to mirror it for another project and make changes to the entry and extend a wing. 

Thanks

[ndsmaug]

Caddman13,

Honestly, we had an out right free-for-all with the consultants.  The structural engineers wound up mirroring their model completely and continuing to completion in Revit.  MEP "punted" and finished the project in AutoCAD.  

I would say, size, complexity, and time frame should really be heavily considered when making the decision of how to mirror.  If you're at 70%, you may actually want to strongly consider going ahead and mirroring your modeled elements, and cleaning up the fallout.  It may be worth it in the long run.  Our project is currently under construction, and it's been "interesting" so far.  Hindsight being 20/20, we should have probably done that also.  But it's difficult to do once you're so far down the road.  The thought of backing up is hard.  But the amount of time we saved on some things not mirroring wound up costing us more time in others.  It's rough no matter what, for sure.  

Good luck!

[ToanDN]

The mirror project function never works right for me. I have found better results by link the original to a new file, mirror, then bind the link. Of course, it is not ideal if you want to keep all the annotation and the likes.

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone. 

I came across this post today and wanted to add my input. I work for a small Architecture firm and we are 100% revit, Residential.  

We work with Production housing clients and often times a single project may consist of 3 elevation options, 2 structural options, and 2 architectural options, all within the same Revit file.  It's been a great challenge for me (I used to work in Commercial Architecture, one design for one building).

First, GREAT IDEA to link the original file and use the mirror tool!  I have to try that out!

We, of course, have to create full Construction Documents for Left-Hand and Right-Hand versions of each Home for our clients.  What we've done is create a CHECKLIST of all the issues we've found when using the Mirror Project tool in Revit.  We've gotten our modeling down to minimal issues when it gets flipped and the majority of updates consist of the viewports and 2D items (regions, text, Details, etc.).  It takes about 12 work hours to fully go through our checklist and make all necessary changes, but it works for us.

[dblackmonKACE3]

I too do the exact same work with residential model optioning within Revit. My question is do you have a problem with the fascias when mirroring your project? In specific, mirroring mitered fascias east to west.

[ToanDN]

I remember that fascias flipped when mirror the project.  Not sure if it is fixed in the newer versions.

[dblackmonKACE3]

Firstly:

So there are a few things happening. I placed a horizontal miter on my gable fascias in order for them to rest on the roof brows. After I mirror the entire project using the east-west axis, my horizontal miter no longer exist and now dives into the roof bro below.

Secondly:

If I for need to place an offset onto the fascias with the horizontal miter before mirroring (reference screenshot with 2'-5" offset) and then mirror the entire project using the east-west axis, my horizontal miter AND 2'-5" offset mirrors to the top of the fascia instead of being at the bottom.

Any help with this would be HUGE!!! Might even have a job for you! lol

(I have attached screenshots below)

[ToanDN]

Start a new thread because this one is already marked as solved.

[dblackmonKACE3]

Done!

Sorry about that and thanks for the heads up. Check out the forum on my profile and I really appreciate any help that you could provide!

[Anonymous]

Hi guys, thought I would add to this topic and also ask another question at the same time. 

The way I have been mirroring some pojects is, go to the 3D view. Unhide everything and create the whole model as a group. Then do into each level and attatch a detail group to the grouped model and mirror that way. This keeps moste of the tags and details and txt in some sort of oder once youve mirrored the building. As above some sweeps and modeled items can get flipped on their axis which is an easy fix. The only thing that does get messed up is the sections and internal elevations. I didn't group them to the model when it was mirrored. If that doesn't work. I'm thinking it might be worth detail grouping each view sections, details and internal views first then dragging them into the project after. I have a large project which requires multiple buildings to be mirrored I will try and update if i find a better work around.