what i've learned

Well my client (whom I do do cad consulting for) has issued their first cd set for an architectural project.

It looks pretty good, but there were problem along the way and it’s those problems I’d like to explore in this and future posts. Some I have solutions for, some I don’t (at least not yet).

off the top of my head they are:

1. Propagating detail lines from building sections to wall sections to section details. I’m curious about how other firms address this. Do they use model lines and some custom work flow, do they…?
2. Structural – Why do structural members only show up on medium detail?
3. Structural Coordination – How do other architectural firms work with structural firms. Do they show there model in the architectural drawings or do they rebuild the elements they want to show?
4. Memory. We were having crashes which appear to be due to exceeding the 2gb memory limit. This project was not that big and I am a little suspicious of how much it was using. Test I performed indicated that there was a memory leak in Revit 2010. I’m not sure if this documented by Autodesk or not.
5. Curtain walls – We are setting up so that our mullions allow the glass to come into the frame (as it does in the real world). This is great and it also allows us to put some detail lines in the profile so that sections automatically have some high detail. The downside is that separate mullion members must be applied around doors (in a glass/ door frame system). This means some extra work and was a little difficult for some staff to work with. I’m wondering if there is an easier approach.
6. Demo/ New work – I incorrectly changed the way that revit works with existin/demo phasing. It’d probably be good to document how that was a mistake so that others don’t make it. But, autodesk could certainly have done a better job with naming the phases and phase filters.
7. Project Browser – We explored a little with customizing the view order in the browser, but users still found it to be cumbersome. There must be options to make this easier.
8. Plan callouts (i think) – plan callouts are different from detail callouts. They show structural different, stairs different and there is no way to switch between the two. This is a problem if one is created incorrectly and other details are referenced from it.
9. Details referenced from details referenced from details … – I suspect there are some rules that should be followed here about where the original / master callout is made from. What I’m thinking about is what happens if one of the base views is no longer needed or will no longer appear on a sheet but the sub details are still needed.
10. recovering from backups – how can hosted elements be recovered from backups (without bringing the host with it)
11. 3D – there (shockingly to me) seems to be a reluctance to work in 3d by people used to working in ADT/ autocad.
12. deleting dimensions – some users indicated that they were having to redraw dimensions over and over. They were being deleted whenever they made edits to elements like stairs. I suspect the element they were dimensioning to was being redefined.

There will be more…but that’s all for now.

———–
So the current issue is how to issue 8.5×11 revision sheets. I found some posts on augi.com that seem to reinforce one of my guesses. That is to create a title block with a large wipeout around the tb and place that on the sheet. We’ll see.

• Hot Key Options needed for

1. Editing – Split Line – Toggle on and off remove inner segment
2. Switching Windows (actually what would be best would be the ability to set views that could be recalled from hotkeys. For example: Say I want to easily be able to go to Floor 01, then make the ability to hot key that view…make sense?…this may need to be an api issue)

• Detail Keys
  1. Double Click – Go to  View should work even when there is no detail number yet
  2. hot key for go to view
• Clipboard
  • When copy/pasting mullions (and such) between files, prompt if the existing name should be overwritten or name the new one to xxxx 2 (as it currently does)
• API
  • Expose import detail as group
  • ActiveView – Set Method – it’d be nice to be able to write custom routines (such as restoring preferred views)
• Mullions – need ones that know which way to flip when in frames…or a check box to flip. This instead of making new types for top and bottom.
• Families
  • Option to open/edit the file as opposed to opening the currently loaded version
  • Option to hide backup family files (the .001, .002, etc. files)
• Maybes

1. Mirror parameter