Swap 2D Autocad Block instances to 3d Revit family in a Layout.

[Anonymous]

Hi All

I have been given a 24 floor Revit model to populate with lighting, I have already been through 24 AutoCAD Ceiling Layout drawings where I have placed some 11,000+ 2D blocks over them. Now I am being asked to transpose this into the Revit model.

My hope is I can import the Autocad Block layout and tell Revit to place/swap the 2D blocks for our Revit family, or maybe export the coordinates of the cad blocks and Revit does some magic with them.

Is this possible or is there any method anyone has to avoid the import and trace route.

Thanks in advance.

[barthbradley]

So basically, you a trying to find an easy way to convert 11,000 CAD blocks, in an Imported CAD File, into Revit Light Fixtures?     

[Anonymous]

Yes, I have 24 Cad drawings each with around 500 blocks on each. I already have the Revit families made.

So I need to swap the 2D CAD blocks for a Revit family, also get them to the correct height may be on a specified reference plane, They wont need to be hosted to existing geometry necessarily.

I am guessing that the CAD insertion point may an issue if it is not central but I will get around that.

Thanks

[RobDraw]

I don't think this is possible at all. Even swapping Revit light fixture families for light fixture families can be very troublesome.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

They wont need to be hosted to existing geometry necessarily.

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Revit Lighting Families need to be hosted to existing geometry.  But it doesn't matter because you can't do what you want to do without doing it.  If you get my meaning.  In other words: there is no easy button.  However, you could import the CAD to Revit Views and turn of all but the CAD's Lighting Symbols Layers and not place in Revit Lighting Families.  Just have the CAD symbols representing the Light Fixtures in your Revit Views.  

[ToanDN]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi All

I have been given a 24 floor Revit model to populate with lighting, I have already been through 24 AutoCAD Ceiling Layout drawings where I have placed some 11,000+ 2D blocks over them. Now I am being asked to transpose this into the Revit model.

My hope is I can import the Autocad Block layout and tell Revit to place/swap the 2D blocks for our Revit family, or maybe export the coordinates of the cad blocks and Revit does some magic with them.

Is this possible or is there any method anyone has to avoid the import and trace route.

Thanks in advance.

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Tell Revit to place/swap...?

No.  But you can hire someone and tell him/her to do so.

[Anonymous]

Thanks All,

My worst fear is being realized, I have to go through that tedious process again, but worse in Revit.

Oh well it is what it is.

Thanks again.

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thanks All,

My worst fear is being realized, I have to go through that tedious process again, but worse in Revit.

Oh well it is what it is.

Thanks again.

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Were you not notified that the project required Revit?

[Anonymous]

Yes we did know it would need to be done in Revit at some point. We haven't won the job yet but we needed quantities quickly so CAD was an easier choice as two people could work on it due to only me knowing how to use Revit in our office. Also the architect doesn't have a model with the ceilings/Ceiling Heights in it at the moment.

We recently got some really good feedback from our customer so fingers crossed we win the work and then I will need to populate the model. I am just working out timescales and best methods of doing the work with minimal duplication.

I do a bit of programming and from some searching I think I can write an add-in to do this placement for me based on coordinates exported from CAD.

[RobDraw]

I've seen some cool stuff that does 2D to 3D conversion but not like you are suggesting. If you can create a viable solution for this, you might have something very innovative.

[Anonymous]

I don't need to convert 2D to 3D, I only need to place a Revit Model where the 2D block is in CAD, I don't want to use the Autocad block just its location.

So as I cant do a direct swap from looking, my plan is following....

1) Get the X and Y coordinate from AutoCAD into a spreadsheet via data extraction.

2) Add the z coordinates and family file names into the spreadsheet manually.

3) Write an add-in using something like this method https://www.revitapidocs.com/2016/4a037d33-8251-2a50-5470-c98320e2faff.htm on a loop reading from the excel files or csv.

4) Job done! saved loads of time! Go to the pub! Easy!!!! ha ha ha.

If it may be of help to others I can try and write it with some options available.

[RobDraw]

Maybe convert was not the right word but you still need to add the third dimension. Attaining step 4 may not be as simple as you think it is going to be.

Will you be using hosted families or level based ones?

Do those families have insertion points that correspond to those used in AutoCAD?

[Anonymous]

Step 4? Not the pub part! I May have to do that either way either out of absolute boredom placing 11000+ files or celebration that I managed to do it. Joking aside I think you right step 3 & 4 maybe an issue now. I have found the right question to ask google and have found a lot of others trying to do the similar things with not great results. I will give it a try for a giggle though as the code seems short.

All the light fittings are on the same level so the Z dimension will just be a quick formula in excel and run it down the list.

The Autocad blocks are ok as I can move any non central base points centrally and nudge them back into the correct location.

The Revit families are Face based do you think that may cause an issue?

Thanks for the help and time