How to get from AutoCAD MEP to Revit MEP

[Anonymous]

I've been reading the forums and blog posts in hope of finding someone who has succeded at translating an AutoCAD MEP drawing to Revit MEP. To be honest I'm still surprised that Autodesk hasn't solved this yet. I got excited about Revit 2016 because we were sold that this would be a new feature. I guess having the ability to import one fabricator component at a time is a small step in the right diretion.  I assume that there are other users out there in the same position as myself, but maybe I'm the only one? We have hundreds of legacy AutoCAD MEP files that we would like to convert over to Revit MEP. This would be the ideal solution as most other solutions involve more time and effort than it's worth. Doing point cloud scans for 120k sf. buildings would not be ideal or cost effective. Our current BKM is to open the 3D AutoCAD file, enable proxy graphics, convert all AEC content to 3D solids, export all content to AutoCAD, reopen the export in AutoCAD, explode all content, explode again for nested blocks, then import or link that file to Revit. As you'd imagine, this file is trashed once all this has been done to it. On top of that, you'll loose somewhere between 3-10% of the AEC content on average. You take another hit in Revit perfomance once you've linked the AutoCAD MEP content to Revit and you have to be careful not to add too many files like this to Revit or you'll crash or currupt your model. There has to be a better way!

[SteveKStafford]

File translation has never been easy and it is not unlike language. My Dutch friends have shared with me some phrases that do not translate well to English, they can translate the words but they don't make much sense afterward. For example this simple one: Helaas, pindakaas which translates literally to: "Oh well, peanut butter"

AutoCAD MEP and Revit are very different software, based on different implementation of code, with different development and design teams even though they are both Autodesk's products. Revit was an acquisition in 2002 if you didn't already know that. Even though Autodesk built Revit MEP entirely (and Structure) it has no AutoCAD DNA at all.

Revit has been moving toward greater integration with fabrication (Autodesk Fabrication Suite), not AutoCAD MEP. Their goal is to improve the passing on of design information and the return of fabrication detail. I don't use AutoCAD MEP but it may be that they share this notion of a road map, via the Fabrication Suite of tools.

You may find it acceptable to continue to use AutoCAD MEP if the other consultants you work with just want/need to be able to link a 3D version of your model into Navisworks (and/or Revit) for coordination. Naturally Revit to Revit integration and collaboration is easier. There's that word again.

If you do decide to transition to Revit then yes, the library of parts you've come to rely on with AutoCAD MEP will for the most part need to be replaced with suitable versions for Revit or recreated so they'll work within Revit's world. The implementation side of the transition to Revit is extremely important and quite often the thing that is overlooked in the rush to get up to speed via training. You learn to drive but then find you've got to finish the final assembly the car the way you like it before you can really hit the highway.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply Steve,

Sadly, you've summed up my daily frustrations pretty well. Autodesk is busy improving things on the left while we sit in the cold on the right. Short of going out and 3D scanning all of our buildings and converting point clouds to Revit, there seems to be no other reasonable option.

[SteveKStafford]

Well given the advances in photogrammetry these days I fully expect that more and more of our work will be likely to be accomplished with cameras or some combination of lasers and cameras. I have a client that does scanning of every project they work on. Often the demolition documentation is done by editing the point cloud data directly. Instead of creating drawings they produce point cloud images that have been manipulated to highlight components and systems that are to be removed Oh, if you think Revit is expensive...point cloud software can run into money quick 🙂

[dbutts7]

Have you tried using the IFC export tools our of AutoCAD MEP? There are a few steps to selecting parameters that you want to include. The imported IFC will still only be solids, but will be in the correct category (albeit without all of the behavior of native Revit objects). Any property set definitions you associated with the IFC class will also be exported.

It's a 2/3 solution but better than what you're doing now.

let me know and I'll provide more detail - thanks - db

[Anonymous]

Thanks David,

I haven't tried exporting to IFC myself. I've heard that "results may vary". I'll have to give it a try and see how that goes.

[dbutts7]

start here, it will elp explain it - the article refers to ACAD Architecture, but the concepts are the same:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-architecture/getting-started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp...

thanks - db