Exporting Revit to CAD - Layers

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I need assistance with exporting revit sheets to autocad. On on of my projects, there is a telecommunications designer that does not use revit, so I have to put the tele/data outlets in my electrical revit model and export the sheet into autocad to send to them. I have the data outlets on their own workset and the power receptacles and devices on their own workset. When I export the drawing to DWG, Autocad puts both the data outlets and power receptacles on the exact same layer called A-ANNO-NOTE. What I need help on is figuring out how to make it so that when exporting to autocad, it takes each workset and exports it as its own layer in the DWG file. The telecommunications designer needs to be able to turn off my power receptacles layer to only show his data outlets.

Is this possible? I need to figure this out ASAP if anyone can help.

Thank you,

Dave

[dtiemeyer]

When you go to export the DWG, look for the 'three dots' button to get to export settings. Layer control is the first page, you should be able to separate those two types of content to export to different layers there.

[dtiemeyer]

BTW, its based on content type, not workset.

[Anonymous]

I have seen that layer control screen, but have not figured out how to make it work. Would you be able to walk me through it by chance or post a snap-shot of what I need to change?

You say its by content type, not worket. Can you elaborate on this?

Thanks,
Dave

[dtiemeyer]

In that Export dialog, you must change the layer name next to either Data or Telecom devicies and make sure that they are different from Electrical Fixtures (which is the type of content your receptacles should be). Also, before doing this, check that the items you want to end up on different layers are different categories. Select one and look above the 'type selector' pull down. If all the content you are using is the same category, they will all export onto the same layer.
Also note, Revit exports only what is visible in that view. You could just use 2 views, one that displays each type of content, and end up with 2 dwg files.

[Anonymous]

The thing is, in the Export Setup screen (after hitting the "..." button), under the layer column, the data devices say "E-DATA" layer and the electrical fixtures say "E-ELEC-FIXT" layer. But after exporting it both the data devices and electrical fixtures are on the "A-ANNO-NOTE" layer in the .DWG file. I dont understand why it puts them on that layer when in Revit it says the specific layers for each family. By different categories I assume you mean that they are both not electrical fixtures or both not data devices. They are two separate family types and categories.

[dtiemeyer]

This is why I asked you to ensure that they are the types of object that you are assuming they are. If you use Visibility/Graphics and turn off Data or Telemcom devices, do those objects disappear? If not, then the families were not built correctly and the export will not work correctly until the familes are fixed. If they do disappear when their category is turned off, then the export settings I mentioned should work – if they don’t then something more is wrong that I’m not able to troubleshoot and you need to call your reseller. The images you provide make it apear that your export settings are correct which leads me to believe the families are not categorized correctly.

[Anonymous]

The families are indeed categorized correctly in which they DO disappear when their respective category is turned in Visibility/Graphics. As I am writing this, I just went into the family edit for both the data device and the receptacle and the annotations for them seem to be their own families that are Generic Annotations. I checked the export settings and sure enough, under Generic Annotation the layer is A-ANNO-NOTE. So that answers my question.

I went ahead and put a Workset layer modifier on Generic Annotations inside the Export Setup screen and now they are on their own layers, but are the same color within the .DWG file due to them both being generic annotations.

Guess it just took a little digging into the families themselves to find the solution.

[CoreyDaun]

I believe you have two options in your situation here.

#1 - Workset Modifier

As you described in your last post, you can add the Workset Modifier to the Generic Annotations category since you have organized your elements by Workset. If you wish for them to be assigned different colors in the AutoCAD export, scroll down to the Modifiers section (under the Export Setup dialog; Layers tab) and add a color override for each workset, via the "Color ID" column.

#2 - Subcategories

You can modify your Generic Annotations so that the lines belong to a Subcategory instead of the baseline "Generic Annotations" Category. This will allow you to specify the export settings for each Subcategory separately, including the AutoCAD layer and color.

[Anonymous]

Thanks CADastrophe. I would think that your #1 option is what I am going for. I did scroll down to the Modifiers section and put two different color options for the two worksets that the data devices and receptacles are on, but it doesnt change in the CAD export file. Is simply changing the Color ID not enough?

[CoreyDaun]

The "Color ID" override of the Modifiers is only assigned to the Categories/Subcategories that include that particular Modifier in the Export Setup dialog; it is not a global override.

[Anonymous]

Right, I understand that. This is what I did ...

1. Under the Generic Annotations Category I added the {Workset} layer modifier. This ended up separating the annotations into individual layers like I wanted, but kept each annotoation type the same color.

2. Next, under the Modifiers section at bottom of the Layers tab in Export Setup I went to Worksets and changed the Color ID for the worksets in question from "Blank" to a different color for each. This did not change the color of the annotations in the Cad export file.

I would imagine that by changing the Color ID on a workset, that whatever Category was on that Workset in the Revit model and had the {Workset} modifier added to it in the Export Setup would change to the specified color I set that workset to. That doesnt seem to be the case here tho.

[CoreyDaun]

Are the Layers in the AutoCAD export set to the correct color? If you have a View Filter that is applying a color override and your "Export Layer Options:" (in the Export Setup Dialog) is set to the default "Export category properties BYLAYER and overrides BYENTITY", the exported elements will be set to the correct Layer, but will their color will be set according to the View Filter in Revit.

Also, what version of Revit are you using? It is possible that behavior may differ between releases.

[Anonymous]

I can change the color of the layer within the CAD export file, but I would rather it do that for me right from Revit as I will need to be sending these CAD files multiple times through the CD phase of the project. I dont know where a View Filter would have been applied to do this.

I am using Revit 2014.

[CoreyDaun]

Alright - I'm using Revit 2014, too.

So when you export from Revit, the AutoCAD Layers are not being assigned the appropriate color according to the Modifier's "Color ID"? If there is something in the Revit View that is overriding the color of the elements, such as a View Filter (which can be found under V/G Overrides > View Filters tab) or even Phase Filters, then Revit will apply that color to the individual elements instead of the Modifier's "Color ID" override. What is your "Export Layer Options:" set to?

[Anonymous]

That is correct. The AutoCAD Layers are being assigned the color that the Generic Annotations Category is set to in the Export Setup screen instead of the Workset Modifer Color ID.

The only View Filter is for Duct Bank, which doesnt have anything to do with this issue.

For the "Export Layer Options:" I have tried "Export category properties BYLAYER and overrides BYENTITY" as well as "Export all properties BYLAYER, but do not export overrides" with the same results.

[CoreyDaun]

OK. Below are some mundane things to double-check.

- Is there an additional Modifier applied to the Generic Annotations Category?

- Do the Generic Annotations belong to a Subcategory?

- Was the Modifier accidentally added to a Subcategory or to another Category such as "Generic Models", instead?

- For some reason, is the incorrect file being opened in AutoCAD? Maybe the export path/filename was changed?

Sorry if these seem overly basic, but I find that the root of many troubles frequently lies in a simple mistake, or it's so obvious that it's overlooked. Beyond this, I'm not sure what is causing your export to fail. If the above all checks out OK, would you be able to post a sample Project file here? It can be blank and purged - the only important thing we need to see/test is your Export Settings.

[Anonymous]

- The only Modifiers are shown in the first attached picture.

- When going into the Family Edit of the Generic Annotation and clicking on one of the lines, would this have something to do with it? (see second attached picture).

- No.

- No.

[CoreyDaun · Accepted solution]

I think I got it (and learned something new today) - it has to do with the Workset Modifier coming before {Generic Annotations}. The bottommost listing has the highest priority, so what Revit is doing is basically applying the Modifier's Color ID override first, and then overriding that with the Generic Annotation Category's Color ID since it's on the bottom. In order to correct this, either move the Workset Modifier to the bottom OR blank out the Color ID for the Generic Annotations Category.

[Anonymous]

Wow! Good catch. I moved the Workset modifier to the top of the list thinking that the topmost listing has the highest priority. It works great now. Thanks a ton man!