Move whole project to origin point (startup location

[Marcus.Isacsson]

Hi fellas!

We would like to move a whole Revit model so that we get our Project basepoint (with even coordinates) at the same location as the startup location, currently it is moved. The project origin has messy coordinates and our project basepoint has even ones. 

How should you approach such a move? We've tried selecting everything but get a problem with some objects being locked in the x or y direction (so we can't make the move). The error doesn't tell which projects.
A list with objects being locked in direction would be of a great help. 

Edit: On the other hand, when do you need the origin point (startup) to be the same as your local origin with collaborated coordinates? We just have a manual saying it should be done this way. 

[ToanDN]

- The Internal Origin does not dictate the coordinates of the project Base Point and the Survey point

- If the distance between the Model Project base Point and the Internal Origin is not too far (causing graphical glitches) then it is not be necessary to move the model back to the Internal Origin

- It is recommended to coordinate links location via shared coordinates.  As such, Internal Origin is irrelevant.

Now if you still want to move the model back to the Origin, there is no easy way especially if the model is far developed.  You just have to grab everything and physically move them.  There are things will break and you will have to fix them.  Another way (better if you do not have multiple phases) is link the model to a new file, move the link to the origin and bind.

[barthbradley]

I'm going to pretty much ditto everything @ToanDN said, with an emphasis on not physically moving the Project. No good can come from it.  You concern seems to be "messy" coordinates. I'm not clear what this means.  Also, you reference a "manual" which suggests something about Project Internal Origin being related somehow to your coordination/collaboration setup.  The Project Origin doesn't come into play in sharing.  That's the Survey Point's purpose.   All that being said, there is a radius limit in Revit with respect to the Project Internal Origin. That is, the distance between the Model elements and the Project's Internal Origin should not be more than 10 miles apart.  

[Marcus.Isacsson]

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@barthbradley wrote:

I'm going to pretty much ditto everything @ToanDN said, with an emphasis on not physically moving the Project. No good can come from it.  You concern seems to be "messy" coordinates. I'm not clear what this means.  Also, you reference a "manual" which suggests something about Project Internal Origin being related somehow to your coordination/collaboration setup.  The Project Origin doesn't come into play in sharing.  That's the Survey Point's purpose.   All that being said, there is a radius limit in Revit with respect to the Project Internal Origin. That is, the distance between the Model elements and the Project's Internal Origin should not be more than 10 miles apart.  

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Awesome, thanks for clearifying that. What's the purpose of the Project Origin, why does it exist at all?
The manual states that the Project Base point shouldn't be moved from the project origin, that they should be aligned. Doesn't say why though. And thats how we usually are doing it, letting the Project Base Point 'stay' at the origin and then we align a map/topography (dwg) with even coordinates at that point. 

Had a bad run with "messy" coordinates where the other consultants manually inserted those coordinates in of the softwares (can't remember right now, could've been Tekla?) and discovered that the decimals were a bit off later on in the project. I guess that this is somewhat sloppy done from their part though. 

[Marcus.Isacsson]

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@barthbradley wrote:

I'm going to pretty much ditto everything @ToanDN said, with an emphasis on not physically moving the Project. No good can come from it.  You concern seems to be "messy" coordinates. I'm not clear what this means.  Also, you reference a "manual" which suggests something about Project Internal Origin being related somehow to your coordination/collaboration setup.  The Project Origin doesn't come into play in sharing.  That's the Survey Point's purpose.   All that being said, there is a radius limit in Revit with respect to the Project Internal Origin. That is, the distance between the Model elements and the Project's Internal Origin should not be more than 10 miles apart.  

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I seem to have problem now though, when I export dwg's with "project internal" it seems to use the project origin, not the project base point or the survey point? This gets a bit messy coordinating with the other consultants.

[randy_lmn]

I notice that Revit's clipboard also uses the internal origin, not the Project Base Point or Survey Base point when copying and pasting between files.  So even if everything is on the same shared coordinates and aligns perfectly, if Model A has the I.O. and PBP aligned and Model B has the PBP with the same shared coordinates 200 ft away from the IO, and you try to copy from one model and paste in place in the other, it refers to the internal origin and you will miss the mark. 

We have a BIM execution plan that specifies the same thing about the project base point and internal origin aligning and how this impacts navisworks (even though shared coordinates are spot on and based off survey).  Relocating the project doesn't do anything either.  It just moves the survey base point relative to the modeled geometry.  

[dan]

I moved an entire model relative to the Interal Origin since the the internal origin point was disasterously far from the modelled elements. It isn't a five minute procedure but it was pretty quick.

Step 1: Start a new project.

Step 2: Open the Level 1 floor plan. Make sure the view is uncropped.

Step 3: Open the 3d view in the old project.

Step 4: Use the Wireframe Visual Style. Make the phase filter Show All if you have phased work that you want to keep.

Step 5: Unhide everything you want to keep, including Rooms, Levels, etc. 

Step 6: Select everything except the Project Base Point and the Survey Point.

Step 7: Copy the selection to the clipboard (Ctrl+C).

Step 8: Go the floor plan in the new project. Make sure it is uncropped.

Step 9: Paste from the clipboard (Ctrl+V). Locate the copied items centered in the floor plan in order to center the model over the Internal Origin. Select Finish.

Step 10: Use Transfer Project Standards to grab the relevant data from the previous project.

Step 11: Delete the new project's Level 1 and Level 2.

Step 12: Save your work.

This only moves modelled elements. Phased elements will need to be manually sorted out in the new project but all the elements that were copied will be phased according to the view they were pasted into.

Schedules and drafting views can be inserted from the old project by using Insert from File.

Views will need to be recreated and inserted manually. View templates will speed up the process.

Annotations can be brought over via clipboard work.

Hope this helps.

[martin.rosenvingeQ9K3U]

Revit developers - You really need to make it an option to move the internal origin. This is a big recurring issue when exporting to ifc's as well, as this is the basis of ifc-file placement. I have been involved in projects where Tekla users move their model from their "internal origin", and then, when I import their IFC to our Revit-file, the only solution (if our exported ifc should land correctly) is to move all our elements in our model as explained above. It would be SO much easier if we could just move the internal origin in relation to our model, so our exported IFC lands correctly in Bimsight or Solibri or whatever. Help please!

[barthbradley]

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Huh? Why would anybody deliberately move the model away from the Internal Origin? 

Regarding IFC Export Coordinate Base; you have four to choose from:  

[martin.rosenvingeQ9K3U]

It seems like other softwares like Tekla can do it, so if our base model moves, it would be very beneficial to be able to move our project with it. But, it seems like your button could be a solution to the problem. Only issue is, I can't seem to find it:

[barthbradley]

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles...

[martin.rosenvingeQ9K3U]

Thanks a lot! 🙂

[carlPAW5H]

I have a very similar issue.

I have a large structure with an architectural model split into 4 phases. I want to move elements from the arch model into my structural model in their respective phases (copy, paste aligned to selected level). The issue I have is, I cannot copy across from the arch. model "aligned to selected level", regardless of whether the arch coordinates are published to my project or vice versa, the elements paste exactly 70.4mm to the east and 96.7mm to the north compared to where it should paste. I have tried EVERYTHING besides moving my entire model by those amounts. Please note, these are alterations to a highly complex existing structure, so moving ALL my model and annotation elements is not an option, nor moving the architect's model each time we receive an updated version.

My most experienced revit colleague in the office said he has encountered this issue before and the only way is to move one's model "back" relative to the project base point.

And so, I find myself here, begging for a macro or something that can shift all model elements relative to the project base point.

The same colleague wrote a dynamo script to move all elements in a project (or a selection) from one level to another without breaking the links etc. I want this, but for my project base point.

No success?

PS. Many users are literally better programmers than autodesk's dev team, so asking on the forums and expecting any help from autodesk is futile. Please, people who actually use the software, HELP! Had 0 useful assistance from autodesk themselves thusfar.