BIM & BEAM

Vertical Attachment

I was recently asked by a few people how to constrain the top of a column to the bottom of beam.

Actually, columns could be attached not only to beams but also to roofs and floors. Also it is not only the top of columns that can be attached to floors, roofs and beams, but also the bottom of columns. So we are talking about 6 situations. For each of the 6 situations, we have 9 configurations so we have a total of 54 cases

For this post I am going to present only the 9 configurations related to top of columns attached to bottom of beams.

In the following, target can be a floor, a roof or a beam and I will be using beams for the illustrations.

In order to better understand the different available options, I use a slopped beam:

 

In order to attach a column to another member, you need to select the column and in the option bar you get the attach/detach options:

 

Select Attach and you get the following options:

 

The tables below describes all the combinations for the 3 Attachment Styles and the 3 Attachment Justifications.

Justification Style	Minimum Intersection
Cut Column
Cut Target
Do not cut
Justification Style	Intersect Column Midline
Cut Column
Cut Target
Do not cut
Justification Style	Maximum Intersection
Cut Column
Cut Target
Do not cut

In order to detach the column, you need to select it again and use either [Detach All] if top and bottom are attached or just [Detach] and select the target

To restore the original geometry, change the [Top Offset] property to zero in the column dialog box:

Nicolas

Revit Structure 2008 new functionalities (Part 2)

In the previous post, I presented the new modeling functionalities as well as the improved construction drawings. For this second part, I am going to present the 3 following themes:

• Extensions for Revit
• New content families
• Usability and performance

Extensions For Revit

Extensions For Revit is a new concept that Autodesk and Robobat develop together. The 2 product management teams work together to create additional value to RST user. The Extensions come in 2 versions. All of the Extensions have a free component that solve real user problems and help them to be more efficient in their daily work. Some of the Extensions also have an enhanced version that can be purchased for a minimum fee. For instance one of the Extensions is a macro to generate reinforcement in concrete columns. The base version (free) works for rectangular/square columns and the enhanced version will also include circular ones.

You can download the Extensions from www.extensions4revit.com but don't forget to download first the Extension Engine that will manage all of the Extensions in RST. Once the Extensions are installed, you can access them from a pull down menu or from the toolbar:

As of today 7 Extensions are available:

• Beam reinforcement macros
• Column reinforcement macros
• CIS2 Export that allows you to send a physical model to a steel detailer/fabricator
• CIS2 Import that allows you to get a physical model from a steel detailer/fabricator
• Excel based model generation allows you to define a structure in Excel using formulas or to copy and paste coordinates from another source
• Link to the flagship Robobat analysis software Robot Millennium
• Free limited version of Robobat analysis.

I encourage you to go to the website and see by yourself all the cool functionalities that Robobat has developed for RST.

The Robobat team is working really hard and they will be producing these Extensions on a regular basis, so stay tuned as I will announce them when they are available. By the way, if you have Extension suggestions, please let me know…

New content families

In this release we developed quite some content such as Structural Stiffeners, Pan joist, Pan joist with ledges, Pile Caps and Trusses:

This year we will also have the flexibility to develop new content that will be available for download on a regular basis. Just like the Extensions for Revit, just let us know what your wish list is

Usability and performance

• Groups improvements
  • New Group creation dialogue box
    • Activated with Group command
    • Name Model and Annotation Group
  • Enhancements to Group edit mode
    • Design Bar is active while editing groups
    • New Group edit dialogue box
    • Nested Group shortcut
  • Convert Groups to links
  • Exclude individual Elements in a Group
    • Tab to element and right-click to exclude
    • Pre-highlight excluded member and right-click to restore
    • "Restore all" command for excluded elements
  • Save and Load Groups as Links
    • Revit no longer produces .rvg
    • Existing .rvg files are supported
• New filter definitions
  • New Filter dialogue box
  • Easily manage all filters in one dialogue box
    • Create New
    • Edit, rename or delete existing
• Revit Links
  • Schedule elements by Link Instance
  • "Select available fields from" RVT links
  • Two new schedulable fields: Name and Files name
  • Display Nested Links in linked files
  • Represented in Project Browser
  • "Bind" link instances to Groups
  • Cross project copy of .rvt links using "copy to clipboard"
  • Copy elements from linked .rvt file into project using "copy to clipboard"

Nicolas

Revit Structure 2008 new functionalities (Part 1)

By now should have received your brand new RST2008, if you haven't, then this is the way it looks now:

as you can see, we changed the branding and what we used to call Revit Structure Series (Revit Structure + AutoCAD in the same box), we call it AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite now.

This release is huge in term of new functionalities. We focused on the following themes:

• Advanced modeling
• Improved construction documentation
• New content families
• Usability and interoperability
• Extensions for Revit

Let me give you more details about each theme and a list of all new functionalities:

Advanced modeling

• curved beams
  • Horizontally, vertically
  • Pick tool for beam creation
  • User defined, segmented analytical model
  • Arc, ellipse and spline primitives
• Family based Parametric trusses:
  • Library of trusses:
  • Truss command from the modeling tab
  • Dedicated layout tools in the family editor (top & bottom chord, webs)
  • Ability to attach the top chord of the truss to a roof or a slab:
• Warped and sloped slabs:
• Openings by face in beams and columns
  • Accessible from the opening toolbar modeling tab
  • Vertical and horizontal:
  • Radius options:
  • Stiffeners:

Improved Construction Documentation:

• Dependent views
  • Ability to create Primary and Dependent Views
    • One view split up onto multiple sheets
    • One set of annotations
    • Varying Crop Boundaries
  • Matchlines can have Top and Bottom constraints
  • Additional crop region for annotations
  • Convert Dependent View to standalone view
• Spot Reference Improvements
  • Fly-out menu for Spot Elevations and Coordinates
  • Place spot elevations/coordinates on non-horizontal surfaces and non-planar edges
  • Options Bar additions
    • "Leader" parameter
    • "Relative Base" parameter
  • Value is visible prior to placing
• Reinforcement improvements
  • Physical representation of rebar in 2D views in fine detail mode
  • Rebar and hooks have style parameters
  • Schedule mark parameter
  • Side reference for snapping
  • "Estimated Rebar Volume" parameter for concrete host
  • Path Reinforcement settings
    • "Alternating Bars Offset"
    • Start and End hooks for Primary and Alternating bars
  • Customizable abbreviations for Path & Area Reinforcement:
• Dimension Improvements
  • Auto-adjust dimension arrows
    • Linear
    • Angular
    • Radial
  • "Interior Tick Mark" parameter
  • "Flipped Dimension Line Extension" parameter

To be continued… for new content, usability and performance, Extensions For Revit

Nicolas

Hello and Welcome

Hello! Welcome to the inaugural posting of the Revit Structure Blog. “BIM & Beam” is the official blog of the Revit Structure Product Team.

Today is the official release date for Revit Structure 2008 and we are very excited about this amazing release. In the next days we will share with some of the new great new functionalities of Revit Structure 2008.

First some history: we launched Revit Structure (RST) on June 7^th 2005 and since then (22 months) we had 5 releases. I know it sounds crazy but it says a lot about our motivation to build a product for the structural industry.

So it seems like the right time to also launch a blog to give you insight about our thinking and product philosophy, to provide you with in-depth technical content, to give you access to a forum to provide feedback, and finally to connect with the Autodesk Structural Team.

Wai Chu (Revit Structure Product Manager) and I (Structural Product Line Manager) will be posting as we come across items we think you might find interesting. If you have a topic you would like us to discuss, an interesting link you think we should promote or any feedback on this blog please feel free email us here. If you have a tip, trick, tutorial or other ideas you would like to see posted to the blog please send it to us here.

To conclude this first posting I am going to unveil the Revit Structure beta code names and the logic behind them!

Enjoy and come back soon to read new technical posts about Revit Structure.

Revit Structure 1 and 2 code name was Dijon

Revit Structure 3 code name was Pittsburgh

Revit Structure 4 code name was Utougi

Revit Structure 2008 code name was Krakow

I know, it seems pretty tricky… So first things first: our main constraint (not a parametric constraint) was to use only city names.

When we started to design RST1, we were a very small team that was put together and Marc Schindewolf was the lead developer. He suggested that we use something related to the Eiffel Tower. As a French person I could not agree more, but Paris was too obvious so we decided to pick the birth city of Gustave Eiffel and it was Dijon. Easy isn’t it?

RST2 was released shortly after RST1mainly to be compatible with Revit Building 8.1, so we just kept the same code name, Dijon.

For RST3 we wanted some sort of continuity with Dijon. Apart from Gustave Eiffel, the other noteworthy thing about Dijon is, of course, the mustard. RST3 really focused on the US market, so we decided to find the equivalent of mustard for the US, and of course, the answer is obvious: ketchup and the most famous one is Heinz and Heinz is from… Pittsburgh!

Now you are starting to get it…

RST4 launched in Japan for the first time and the Japanese version of mustard is… wasabi… and wasabi was discovered in… Utougi

Finally for RST 2008, we worked on a new concept with our partner Robobat: the Extensions For Revit (you will hear a lot about it in this blog) and their development team is based in Krakow.  And to be consistent with the other product names, horseradish is very popular in Polish cuisine

Nicolas