Monthly Archives: November 2016

First theme of AU2016? Connectivity

11 Friday Nov 2016

Posted by in Autodesk University

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On Monday, I’ll be arriving in Las Vegas for my 13th Autodesk University. I haven’t missed one since I started attending in 2004. I’m always amazed that, after so many years, there’s still something fresh and new to learn every time.

One way it keeps from going stale? The themes of AU change every year. In previous years, there has been a lot of attention on BIM, or 3D Printing, or Making, or Fabrication. Many of those topics will probably be featured again, but the AEC Community this year will be training its spotlight on Connection.

The phone in my pocket already connects me to the world in ways I couldn’t have imagined even a few years ago. What other opportunities are out there for exchanging data and communicating ideas? What does BIM look like in a connected world?

The AEC Community will be addressing those topics and more, with four areas of focus:

  • Connecting Insights: Data Collection and Analysis
  • Connecting Delivery: Design to Fabrication to Field.
  • Connecting Assets: Facility Operation & Management
  • Connecting Teams: Around the Block or Around the World

For a little eye candy, here’s a video from the Autodesk team.

It’ll be interesting to see what’s coming for each of these ideas. Personally, I’m looking forward to connecting with many of you! AU is a great time for catching up with old friends and making new ones. Will I see you there?

BIM Essentials Tip #3

09 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in BIM Essentials, Tips & Tricks

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Okay, seriously, who’s responsible for the time machine? I swear I just got back from RTC, and now it’s almost time for AU 2016. Some of this is probably due to the fact that, for the first time since I’ve been attending AU, it’s before Thanksgiving. The rest is because life and work have been running non-stop all year…and I don’t think it’s about to change! Better busy than bored, right?

Before I send a lot of visionary posts at you next week, with all the big ideas I’m sure we’ll hear at AU, here’s another small-but-important entry in the BIM Essentials series.

If you’re opening a workshared model with Revit Viewer, use Detach from Central.

At first glance, this sounds redundant. Why would you have to detach your model, when you can’t save your changes anyway?

As a reminder:

Viewer mode allows all functionality of Revit, except the following: save or save as in all cases; exporting or publishing modified projects; exporting or publishing any projects to a format containing model data that can be modified; or printing projects after changes are made.

If all you want to do is look at things, you don’t have to detach. But if you try to change something–cut a new section, rotate a 3D view, change Visibility Graphic overrides–while in Viewer mode, Revit will check back with the central model for permission first. And it won’t get it–because you’re in the viewer mode!

CentralModelInaccessible.png

Detaching the model means it won’t try to check out objects, and won’t trigger that error.

Revit Viewer does try to warn you about that when you open a model, but we know not everybody reads every warning…

viewerwarning

Side note: Even if you do detach, if you have linked models you’ll still get this warning. The dialog won’t tell you that it’s related to the link, but it is.

Maybe some of you have your own dedicated Revit licenses, so you don’t need to worry about this. But if you use network licenses (or if you have friends who do), and you use the Viewer when you don’t want to take up a license, keep this tip in mind!