Did you know that you can use Ideate Automation to export views and sheets to PDF and DWG files without worrying about editing the Revit Views/Sheets sets? This feature streamlines the sheet set creation and management because the Revit sheet sets are static lists, while the list of views and sheets that need to be exported is constantly changing. 

When you select the desired model to be exported to PDF or DWG, you must select the desired sheet sets, which are static and exist within the Revit model. To address this challenge, we enhanced our PDF and DWG scripts within Ideate Automation to include a dynamic list that is setup through an Ideate BIMLink link definition to prescribe the sheet set. This Ideate BIMLink definition (.link) file can be saved outside of the Revit model so that it can be used across models.

As a result of this implementation, the task name in Ideate Automation is now called: “IBL-Export_Combined_PDF_Dynamic” and “IBL-Export_Individual_PDF_Dynamic,” and same goes for the DWG export tasks. If you aren’t already aware, you can save Link definition from Ideate BIMLink and use it externally. The idea with this script is to use one Ideate BIMLink definition that’s managed by a filter and can be applied to multiple models. 

 
 
Tips for setting up the Ideate BIMLink definition filters for Dynamic sheet sets:

1. Set placeholder property to False. This will ignore all placeholder sheets because they don’t have Titleblocks and will interrupt the printing process. You want to avoid that. 
2. Use a parameter that can be used parametrically across models. 
3. Once you set all your properties conditions, check “Elements Must Pass All Filters” making this an AND condition. 

Watch this short video to see an example of Ideate Automation exporting a combined set of PDFs using the desired sheet set from an Ideate BIMLink definition that’s dynamic. For exporting individual PDFs, refer to the good naming standards tips found within Steve Deadman’s blog post on Exporting PDFs from Revit.

This blog post is part of our Training Series. Access more here. You can learn more in the related Ideate Automation Help Topic: How to Export to PDF.

Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software’s Revit add-ins help Revit users save time, increase model accuracy, improve deliverables, and elevate design. You can give them a try by downloading trial versions or purchasing the bundle for access to Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps for six months.

About the Author

Nivin Nabeel, Customer Success Manager, Americas

Nivin has a background in architecture, visual arts, and computer science and has extensive experience in managing and manipulating BIM data, developing and implementing BIM standards and workflows, and applying BIM workflows to ancillary project components for improved efficiency. Before joining Ideate Software, Nivin worked at several architecture and design firms where she learned about Ideate Software products, used them, advocated for them, implemented them, and trained others on how to use them. She earned her Bachelor of Architectural Science degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. Follow Nivin on LinkedIn.

Recently we added the ability to create the export of DWG files from Revit models with Ideate Automation. 

• We’ve supported the creation of PDFs since June of 2022 
• We support exporting to DWG from Revit version 2020 and above

Controlling the output of files is performed with the set-up wizard in Ideate Automation. We improved the Revit DWG export settings, and you can control the naming of the DWGs better and add custom parameters where needed.

• The default file naming for many scripts that export to DWG is controlled by the variable ${view_parameterValue}, which is in turn controlled by either a sheet or view name parameter. 
• The default value for the sheet elements is to use the parameter called “Sheet Number.”
• The default value for view elements is to use the parameter called “View Name.” 

For example, to comply with ISO 19650 standards, many people manage required sheet number values with custom parameter names. In the image below, you see that the sheet number on the title block is combined with two custom parameters called Project Code and Originator. Both of them are stored under Project Information.

Complying with ISO 19650 UK Standard with a title sheet using custom parameters

You can use the AUT-Export_DWG and the IBL-Export_DWG_Dynamic Ideate Automation scripts to deliver unique dwg file names by adjusting the File Name variable to:

${Revit.CurrentFile.ProjectInfo.Project Code}-${Revit.CurrentFile.ProjectInfo.Originator}-${view_parameterValue}

 Adding custom parameters from Project Information to the file name.

After the script is complete and the files created, the file name is created by concatenating the Project Code, the Originator, and the Sheet Number parameters.

DWG exports are created with names consistent with ISO the 19650 UK standard.

Combinations of custom or built-in parameters under Project Information can follow this syntax to become part of the file naming.  However, you can only use one Sheet or View parameter in combination with any Project Information parameters within the script.

Read more about how to automate DWG exports from Revit in this how-to guide.

If you’re a fan of ISO 19650, you may find these blog posts useful as well:

• ReNumber Revit Sheets per ISO 19650-2 Standards with IdeateApps
• Evolve Consultancy Streamlines ISO 19650-2 Compliance with Ideate BIMLink

For additional training tips, check out our Training blog series

Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software add-on products help Revit users save time, increase model accuracy, improve deliverables and elevate design. You can give them a try by downloading trial versions or purchasing the bundle for access to the Revit plugin solutions Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps for six months. 

About the Author

Steve Deadman - Customer Success Manager - EMEA
Steve provides support to customers and helps them get a strong return on their software investment. He has a B.Eng (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering and various certifications in engineering. Before joining Ideate Software, he worked at several top architectural firm in the United Kingdom where he specialized in the implementation and management of BIM processes and technology. Find Steve on LinkedIn.

Every day, our Ideate Software Support team fields all types of questions from AECO professionals all around the world. You can review some of these recent question and answers via our Ideate Software support series blog category.

Not too long ago, a good customer contacted me about using Ideate Automation. Ideate Software has a simple process called the Ideate Forge Connector. The purpose of the Ideate Forge Connector custom integration is to use the Autodesk API to authenticate the user and to enable Ideate Automation to see and access hub names, project names, and Revit model names for which the user has the appropriate permissions. This custom integration ONLY gives Ideate Automation the current list of Revit models that can be used for Ideate Automation. It does NOT give Ideate Software access to any BIM360 or Autodesk Construction Cloud models. The access is needed for Ideate Software to be able to generate a list of available models.

However, we realize that firms are sensitive and protective of their data. This particular customer that reached out to me mentioned that they could NOT give access to Ideate Software even to generate the list of models that was on their BIM360 Hub.

Well, Ideate Automation 2.1 to the rescue! We realized the hesitancy and security concerns from some potential and existing customers, and we introduced the “Recent Revit Files” dropdown within Ideate Automation 2.1.

Within Ideate Automation 2.1, a new Manage option has been added for “Recent Revit Files.”  

While we continue to recommend the custom integration for an optimum file access experience, we developed this functionality to respond to customer requests to make it easier to work with Revit files from a partner’s Autodesk account/hubs. It also allows you to use Ideate Automation without giving Ideate Software the BIM 360/ACC access permissions required for the custom integration.

As long as the Ideate Automation user has previously accessed the Revit model on their computer, the list of Revit models will appear if the “Recent Revit Files” is the active setting under Manage on the main Ideate Automation dialog.

 
Here, you can see access to several Ideate Software BIM360 Hubs as well as the Recent Revit Files.

This also makes it MUCH easier to trial Ideate Automation since you don’t have to go through the custom integration to gain access to a model for testing or trialing purposes.

You can download a full function, 30-day Ideate Automation trial here. If you already have Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, IdeateApps, or Ideate StyleManager, the Ideate Automation trial will work seamlessly with your current Ideate Software applications. If you don’t have any Ideate Software applications, you can download those applications for a trial as well. Or, you can certainly use Ideate Automation as a stand-alone solution for publishing PDF or publishing DWG information as a few examples.

We made this update as a request from several Ideate Software customers, so be sure to continue to keep those amazing questions coming to [email protected] and we will keep answering them! 
 

About the Author

Richard W. Taylor, Associate AIA – Technical Evangelist 

Richard has more than 30 years of experience working for companies that develop architectural and engineering software solutions, such as Intergraph, Bentley, and Autodesk. He has over 23 years of Revit experience, and he was part of the original development of Revit while at Revit Technology Corporation. He worked for 12 years at Autodesk, where he presented, taught, and worked to improve features in Revit. Richard holds both a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. As Technical Evangelist, Richard works with AECO clients worldwide, developing and consulting on BIM solutions. Find Richard on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Whether you are an urban designer, industrial architect, commercial architect, residential architect, or interior designer, chances are that you chose your field so you can be integrally involved in designing the look of structures and ensuring that they are both attractive and functional. The ability to express your creativity, be a part of new trends, see the fruits of your labor, and make an impact on your community probably contributed to your career path as well. 

Like many careers, the most desirable activities are often rounded out with some activities that are less interesting. For example, many architects at both large and small firms around the world get to work with Revit software, which allows them to create realistic 3D models, iterate and optimize designs, collaborate with people in other disciplines involved in the projects, “walk through” their designs with customers, and deliver constructable plans to construction crews. However, some Revit workflows interrupt the creative process because they are time consuming and tedious. Because time-consuming and tedious activities can cause the mind to wander, they often need to be done over and over again, frustrating the engineers, project teams, project managers, and customers.

Ideate Software Add-Ins for Revit

Fortunately, Revit users don’t need to spend their time and energy on repetitive activities. Instead, they can turn to Ideate Software. Since launching our first Autodesk Revit addin in 2008, we have focused our efforts on listening to Revit users, understanding their challenges, and developing products that address those challenges. Today, our suite of products includes Ideate Explorer, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, Ideate StyleManager, and Ideate Automation.

With our products, architects around the world have more time to focus on interesting activities while they create high-quality models that accurately reflect their design ideas. Their customers are happy because the models look good, perform well, meet regulatory requirements, adhere to style guidelines, and are delivered on time. The construction teams are happy because they get clear and accurate instructions they can follow to get to work quickly and keep the projects moving smoothly without having to stop for clarifications, deal with clashes, or correct mistakes. Building operators are happy because they get accurate as-built information they can use for maintenance and more. 

See Some Examples

In addition to developing top Revit add-ins, we are also known for providing outstanding support through numerous methods, including how-to videos and webinars, both live and recorded. These resources also serve as ways for prospective customers to see our products in action before they determine that they are well worth the investment. 

Here is a quick summary of each of our products as well as a link to a related video, so you can see the products in action. You can access hundreds more videos from our website.  

• Ideate BIMLink – Export data from a Revit file to Microsoft Excel for fast and easy auditing and updating, then import the data back into the Revit model, which will update automatically.
  
  Three-Minute Demo Video:  Push "To and From Room" data into Door Tags
  Need to schedule and tag the “To: Room” and “From: Room” parameters? This can create challenges in Revit because it does not list system parameters for tagging. This video shows you how to easily do it with Ideate BIMLink. 
  
  

• Ideate Explorer - Revit comes with a project browser. Ideate Explorer is a model browser that lets users get a full view of all elements in the model, find and delete incorrect items, revise elements, and deal with Revit warnings. 
  
  Nine-Minute Video – Top 10 Revit Model Auditing Workflows Using Ideate Explorer
  
  Large Revit models can be difficult to understand and manage, but not with Ideate Explorer, which has an easy to use interface that provides many tools to display, sort, filter, search, query, review Revit warnings, and fully understand the complex relationships of your Revit model. This video delivers 10 tips for everyone who uses Revit, and are especially important for BIM managers or project managers. 
  
  

• Ideate Sticky – Elegantly connect non-BIM data from an Excel, Word or PDF document into Revit projects.
  
  Eight-Minute Introduction Video – Introduction to Ideate Sticky 
  
  The lack of a text editor in Revit makes organizing and formatting essential non-BIM data frustrating and time consuming. Watch this video to see how easy it is to use Ideate Sticky to manage the look and feel of text and other tabular data.
  
  
   
• IdeateApps – This collection of 10 tools streamlines the tasks that Revit users perform most often. 
  
  Five-Minute Demo Video - Numbering Revit Sheet Sets with IdeateApps
  
  Watch this video to how to meet a common permitting checklist to include in the title block the sheet number relative to the total number of sheets in the permit set. 
  
  

• Ideate StyleManager – In Revit, it is seemingly impossible and very time consuming to identify the source of each non-standard style so they can be removed, renamed, or merged into BIM standards. It’s fast and easy with Ideate StyleManager. 
  
  Seven-Minute Overview Video - Top 5 Tips for Keeping your Revit Models Healthy and Organized with Ideate StyleManager
  
  See how easy it is to manage styles, reducing publishing errors and end-user confusion. 
  
  

• Ideate Automation – This scripting solution runs time-intensive BIM tasks in the background while your staff does more meaningful work.
  
  Five-Minute Demo Video - Publishing to PDF with Ideate Automation 
  
  Learn how to use Ideate Automation to set up and schedule publishing to PDF from a single Revit model or many Revit models located on a computer or the Autodesk Construction Cloud. 
  
  

Read About How Architects use Ideate Software Add-Ins for Revit

We are proud that many of our customers share their experiences with Ideate Software addins. Revit users discuss how they benefit from our tools in the stories linked to below:

• Parkin Architects Exceeds Customer Expectations with the Help of Ideate Software
  Parkin Architects is a well-known architectural leader in Canada for acute and mental healthcare, recreation, science, technology and research, justice, corrections, and education.
   
• JGMA Creating Efficiencies with all Ideate Software Tools
  JGMA is a Chicago-based architecture and design firm with projects across North America, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.
   
• HLW Highly Recommends Ideate Software Add-in Tools for Revit
  HLW has been designing buildings for more than 135 years, and its designs have earned the firm a solid reputation in multiple sectors, including government, education, financial, residential, hospitality, and technology.
   
• Pollard Thomas Edwards Enhances UK Towns, Cities and Villages with the Help of Ideate Software
  PTE works with communities, local authorities and commercial clients to design homes, neighborhoods, public, and mixed-use buildings throughout the United Kingdom.
   
• GLHN Architects & Engineers Calculates ROI of Ideate Sticky 
  For more than 50 years, GLHN Architects and Engineers has worked as a trusted advisor to provide solutions that meet both immediate and long-term future needs. 

Ready to Learn More?

Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software’s Autodesk Revit addins help Revit users save time, increase model accuracy, improve deliverables and elevate design. You can give them a try by downloading trial versions or purchasing the bundle for access to our addins for Revit, which includes Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps for six months.

Stay Connected

Check us out on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

If you have any questions, reach out to us. We are here to help you understand and use our add-ins for Revit. 

This webinar is for people looking to increase productivity. In just 30 minutes, you’ll learn about Ideate Automation, which automates repetitive tasks, saving time, reducing the chance of human error, and delivering consistent and predictable outcomes.

Ideate Automation is a scripting solution that silently runs tasks in the background on PCs or virtual machines either on demand or at specific times and intervals. Used with Revit as well as with Ideate Software solutions such as Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager, it supports Revit versions 2020-2023.

Top workflows performed by Ideate Automation include: 

• Exporting key Revit model health data
• Creating document issue records
• Managing COBie data
• Generating quantity take-off data
• Delivering reports on key Revit family and project metrics
• Exporting schedules from Revit
• Creating PDF and DWG exports from Revit files

In addition to a good overview of Ideate Automation, you’ll see some examples of it in use, including setting up and scheduling a comprehensive Revit model health check that pulls information about the health of the selected Revit model from multiple Ideate Software solutions into a single Excel file that can then be used in downstream applications such as Power BI. 

Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software products help Revit users save time, increase model accuracy, improve deliverables and elevate design. You can give them a try by downloading trial versions.

About the Author

Nivin Nabeel, Customer Success Manager, Americas

Nivin has a background in architecture, visual arts, and computer science and has extensive experience in managing and manipulating BIM data, developing and implementing BIM standards and workflows, and applying BIM workflows to ancillary project components for improved efficiency. Before joining Ideate Software, Nivin worked at several architecture and design firms where she learned about Ideate Software products, used them, advocated for them, implemented them, and trained others on how to use them. She earned her Bachelor of Architectural Science degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. Follow Nivin on LinkedIn.