Streamline MEP Workflows: Exploring Ideate Software Solutions

Ideate Software’s Navin Nabeel and Richard Taylor hosted a webinar to explore a few of the many ways Revit users can use Ideate Software to streamline MEP workflows.

In this webinar, users learned how to:

• Optimize quality control using Ideate BIMLink
• Efficiently manage MEP warnings with Ideate Explorer
• Seamlessly integrate Excel, Word, or PDF equipment/specification data into Revit projects with Ideate Sticky
• Gain a deeper understanding of Revit view filter usage with Ideate StyleManager
• Streamline renumbering and intelligent tagging with IdeateApps.

Read on for a few of the tips from the session.

Ideate BIMLink

Ideate BIMLink ships with hundreds of predefined link definitions that are similar to a Revit schedule, including general MEP links plus mechanical, electrical and plumbing-specific definitions. Use them to start your export project definitions, then add and subtract parameters.

Example Tip - Device Elevations

• Browse the link library to find MEP links, then select “Electrical Links” and “Devices”
• Select link types, device categories, linked properties and filters to define your data set
• Preview all the elements to be exported, then export to Excel to modify your data
• Import the saved Excel information back into Revit
• Review the modified values highlighted in yellow and check them for errors
• Finalize your import

Example Tip - Review the Shared Coordinates of Pipe and Duct Hangers

• Use the family called “ideatePT.rfa” which is located at C:\ProgramData\Ideate\Ideate BIMLInk\en-US\Samples\02 By Discipline\02 Construction Links
• Place the point on pile caps or hangers to extract of the X, Y and Z locations of those elements
• Share with project teams

Ideate Explorer

Use Ideate Explorer to find and view every element of a Revit model, based on any parameter, then reorganize problems into manageable buckets with high-, medium- and low-importance rankings.

Example Tip - Review and Fix Irregular Pipe Fittings

• Choose a view and use dynamic filters to review isolated elements based on their properties, such as pipe fittings with non-standard angles
• Review and modify their properties in Revit
• Keep Ideate Explorer open in the background to confirm errors are resolved

Ideate Sticky

Live link Word, Excel, or PDFs into your Revit file with Ideate Sticky.

Example Tip – Create and Link a Lighting Schedule

• Use one of the sample files that ship with Ideate Sticky as your source file, such as a lighting schedule
• Customize the file for your project
• Use the Auto Update feature to make sure the most current Sticky always displays within Revit

Ideate StyleManager

Streamline management of fonts, text, or view templates by purging duplicates, as well as unused or nonstandard styles. Use Ideate StyleManager to view all information within an MEP model.

Example Tip – View Filters and View Templates

• In MEP models that typically have many View Filters and View Templates, you can user filters to sort by properties and look for errors in small manageable data sets
• Make corrections in Revit with Ideate StyleManager open in the background to check your work

IdeateApps

IdeateApps is a collection of 10 productivity tools for Revit.

Example Tip – Renumber Lighting Fixtures

• Within Renumber, we include a selection of MEP rules and basic rules for working with conduit runs and more
• Import them from the samples directory that ships with the software
• Renumber light fixtures by setting a rule that numbers them by specific properties. These can include space name, circuit number, electrical data and others.
• Select affected fixtures individually or along a path

Watch the entire webinar for more tips and step-by-step instruction from Richard and Nivin.