January

19

2038

The Challenge: Provide more in-depth room and space data for Revit elements

In an architectural model, rooms are a basic building block, influencing how the building is shaped and used. Rooms help orient us within the building, both before and after it is built. Working on the design or maintenance of a building is easier when you know which room a specific part of the building is associated with. Despite its utility, this information is often incomplete or inaccurate in a Revit model. The first step to solving this problem is understanding how the room information is generated.

Recently, I took on the challenge of providing more in-depth room (and space) data for the elements in Revit. This was enlightening process, and I want to share what I learned with the community. The results of my work will be presented here in a series of short blog posts.

In this first post, I elaborate on how room data is reported natively in Revit.

The Solution – Step 1: Understand the three factors of reporting room data within Revit

There are three factors of reporting room data within Revit: rooms, schedules, and elements.

Rooms

Rooms (and spaces) are Phase-Specific Rooms and Boundaries in Revit. When they are created, their phase is set based on the view they are created in and can’t be changed. This is different than other elements in the model, which span phases. This is an important distinction that is essential to understanding room data.

The phasing information only lists a single phase that is not editable

The phasing information only lists a single phase that is not editable

Room data will be easier to gather if all the rooms are associated with the same phase.

Schedules

Revit reports room data in schedules for a limited set to categories. When setting the fields used by a schedule, there’s a drop down labeled ‘Select available fields from:’. If room data is supported for the schedule, the drop down will contain ‘Room’. When selected, the list of fields will change to list parameters that appear on a room. When these fields are added to the schedule, Revit will locate the room the element is in, and then report the parameter value for that room.

This can be very useful for grouping furniture or lighting based on where it is located. The trick is the schedule will only display information for rooms that are the same phase as the schedule. If the room is in a different phase, then the values are blank. This is controlled by the ‘Phase’ parameter in the schedule’s properties. The ‘Phase Filter’ is ignored for rooms

To work around this limitation, all rooms should be placed on the same phase or a schedule must be created for each phase where rooms exist.

In addition to phase, rooms placed in a design option are only reported in schedules that are set to that same design option. The design option that is displayed by a schedule is controlled by the ‘Visibility/Graphics Overrides’ parameter, which is only displayed if Revit design options are in use.

Elements

The elements that can report room information are limited to a few categories. When creating a family that wants to report room information, first review a matching schedule. Temporarily create a schedule for the desired category and verify that it lists ‘Room’ data in the drop-down.

Lighting Fixture schedule showing the Room data available from the drop-down menu.

Room Data in Lighting Fixture Schedule

Room data is accessed in the available fields drop-down

In addition to the category, the structure of the family determines the exact point that is used to locate the room. Here are the specific rules depending on the family and how it was constructed.

Most Families

The geometric center of the element.

Room Location for Standard Families

The point at which Revit will look for a room when the family is a typical model family and does not use a ‘Room Calculation Point’

Face Based Families

1’ from the face, taken from the geometric center of the element.

Room Location for Face Based Families

The point at which Revit will look for a room when the family is face based and does not use a ‘Room Calculation Point’

Spaces

At the combination of the location of the space’s reference point (in plan) and the ‘Computation Height’ of the level the space is associated with (in elevation).

Doors and Windows

1’ from the face of the wall, taken from the geometric center of the element. The ‘To Room’ is determined when the element is placed, set to the swing (for a door) or exterior (for a window) side. The rooms can be “flipped” by editing any of the ‘To Room’ or ‘From Room’ values in a schedule.

Families using a ‘Room Calculation Point’

The point at which the Room Calculation Point is located. The location of this point is the same for all elements of this family, it can’t vary by type or instance.

Doors and Windows using a ‘Room Calculation Point’

The point at which the Room Calculation Point is located. The location of this point is the same for all elements of this family, it can’t vary by type or instance.  The ‘To Room’ is the side the Room Calculation Point points towards. It is “flipped” when the door or window is flipped. Changing the ‘To Room’ or ‘From Room’ values in the schedule will flip the geometry of the door in the model.

Next Steps

With this information, you can begin to troubleshoot room information in Revit. In my next few blog posts, I will highlight the extended information the Ideate Software reports for room data, giving more reliable and complete results.

For information on our Revit software add-ins that help our customers get the most out of their Revit software, visit the Ideate Software website or contact your authorized Ideate Software partner.


About the Author

Jesika DiGregorio - Software Team Lead Jesika received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon in Eugene where she also spent time studying advanced math. Her work experience includes Junior Designer at an award-winning firm specializing in architecture and land planning, and Intern Architect at a firm that provides services in planning, design, construction documents and construction administration for projects of all sizes. After working in architecture design for several years, Jesika decided to pursue her interest in programming and her love of efficient systems. She now serves as a Software Team Lead for Ideate Software.

 

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January

19

2038

Our special offer designed for new customers of a 6-month subscription to Ideate Explorer, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager for just US$500 just got better! 

Now, to keep Revit model management moving smoothly, we will give each new company that takes advantage of this offer a $500 virtual coupon to use toward an annual bundle (Ideate Explorer, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager) once the 6-month subscription expires.

Current Promotions

The initial offer is for a Single-User bundle that includes 1 subscription to Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager and IdeateApps for use by a single-user. 

This promotion is quite a deal. Should you decide to take a one-year, stand-alone subscription to each of our products individually, you would pay: 

  • Ideate BIMLink - $795 
  • Ideate StyleManager - $795
  • Ideate Explorer - $495
  • Ideate Sticky - $495
  • IdeateApps - $495 

Sign up today and get access to the tools you need to work more efficiently and with less stress.

Visit the online store to subscribe today. For any questions, please email us at [email protected]

Ideate Software solutions are compatible with Revit 2019 - 2022. 

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January

19

2038

San Francisco, CA, 12-04-17 Ideate Software, a veteran Autodesk Developer Network member, announced today the publication of its latest “Spotlight on” customer success profile. This profile features WSP and its use of Ideate BIMLink, an Autodesk® Revit® application developed by Ideate Software. Ideate BIMLink enables users to move BIM data from a Revit file into Microsoft Excel, so even those not familiar with Revit can easily edit and update the data.

Dan Popp, Senior Associate in the WSP Chicago office said, “By using best-in-class tools such as Ideate BIMLink, our engineers eliminate drudgery and free their time to anticipate trends, propose innovative ideas, look at complex problems from different angles, and find solutions that delight our clients.”

With 36,000 people in 500 offices across 40 countries, WSP offers the personalized services of a specialist firm and the ability to undertake complex projects. Its engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors, and construction management professionals design lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water, and environment sectors. They use Ideate BIMLink to:

  1. Help manage the massive amounts of data in their Revit models
  2. Tie analysis programs, such as RAM Structural System, with Revit
  3. Reduce turnaround time for design changes
  4. Provide higher quality drawings
  5. Enable employees to move from tedious tasks to interesting and valuable activities

“WSP shows us that the process improvements created by Ideate BIMLink also increase employee morale,” said Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Software. “I am pleased that our software contributes to WSP’s ability to attract and retain the professionals it needs to create innovative solutions that shape our communities and environments.”

Read Ideate Software Presents: Spotlight on WSP for more details.

Ideate BIMLink carries a five-star rating on the Autodesk Exchange Apps Store. For more information, call 888.662.7238, or contact [email protected].


About Ideate Software

Ideate Software allows Revit users to have unprecedented control over their data. Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer for Revit, Ideate Sticky, and IdeateApps were all developed to solve persistent problems in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) workflows. Ideate Software solutions enable Revit users to save time, increase accuracy, improve project deliverables, and elevate design.

Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

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January

19

2038

San Francisco, CA, 12-05-17 Ideate Software, a veteran Autodesk Developer Network member, announced today that it is looking for a marketing manager to work out of its Portland, Oregon office.

As marketing manager, this person will be largely responsible for overall customer satisfaction with marketing events and services, and will work directly with company leaders to raise awareness of innovative and highly rated products and services.

Responsibilities include:

  • Plan and execute events, including in-person and virtual industry events, seminars, client appreciation events, and employee parties. Conduct post-event reporting using ROI analysis
  • Develop, design, and deploy marketing collateral, including emails, flyers, website content, and brochures
  • Enhance website effectiveness through SEO, PPC, Tag Manager, and Google Analytics
  • Grow social media presence through active, relevant, and timely posting to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn
  • Research industry trends and competitor marketing activities
  • Recommend strategies to help the company achieve its goals
  • Lead presentations
  • Maintain customer database

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field
  • 7+ years of experience
  • Executive presence
  • Exemplary organizational, written, and verbal communications skills
  • Ability to work and achieve results with minimal supervision
  • Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
  • Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability
  • Familiar with SEO, PPC, Tag Manager, and Google Analytics
  • Experience with marketing automation software and web content management systems a plus

Interested candidates should send their resumes to [email protected].


About Ideate Software

Ideate Software allows Revit users to have unprecedented control over their data. Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer for Revit, Ideate Sticky, and IdeateApps were all developed to solve persistent problems in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) workflows. Ideate Software solutions enable Revit users to save time, increase accuracy, improve project deliverables, and elevate design.

Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

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January

19

2038

Since the launch of Ideate ReNumber for Revit, several customers have come to us with their unique renumbering challenges. One of those has been curtain panels, which present challenges because they need to be numbered in a way that reflects their relative location, and yet they don’t belong to a room or space. This task is one of the many that Ideate ReNumber can handle. Because other people may find the solution valuable, we created this short video called: IdeateApps ReNumber Tool — Advanced Numbering: Curtain Panels. In the example, we walk you through the steps to quickly renumber clear glass curtain panels on three floors while ignoring the spandrel panels. With this information, you will be able to easily customize the process to meet your specific needs.

Ideate ReNumberIdeate ReNumber for Revit plays an important role in model management for our virtual design and construction customers. It provides a way to efficiently document building elements—such as curtain panels—with logical numbering schemas, bringing clarity to construction and fabrication. It is part of our IdeateApps for Revit collection of tools designed to simplify the tasks that daily Revit users perform most often.

For more information on this or any of our Revit add-on applications, visit Ideatesoftware.com or send us an email.


About the Author

Glynnis Patterson, NCARB – Director of Software Development
Glynnis is a registered architect and has worked within the building information modeling (BIM) industry since 1998. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she has worked as an architect, educator and construction site manager. Glynnis is the Director of Software Development Services and continues to work with AECO clients worldwide, developing, and consulting on solutions to BIM challenges. In her spare time, Glynnis volunteers for the local high school and with growitgreenmorristown.org. Find Glynnis on LinkedIn.

 

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