Package your Revit projects in a jiffy

Check out eTransmit for Revit, in the Labs now. A much appreciated tool provided by our friends at Autodesk. It's described as follows:

• Copy and detach a Revit model and associated files to a single folder for internet transmission. This removes the typical error messages when you copy central files using the operating system.
  
• Locate dependent files automatically and include them in the transmittal folder, reducing the possibility of error. All dependent files are automatically converted to use relative paths to ensure that the dependent files can be located by the model.
  
• Choose to include related dependent files such as linked Revit models, CAD files, DWF markups, decal images, and external keynote files. You can transmit any Revit (.rvt) model that has been upgraded to Revit Release 2012.
  
• Transmit models that are using file-based worksharing or server-based worksharing. eTransmit for Revit will also work with non-workshared Revit models.

There are some known issues and Revit 2012 Web Update 1 is recommended.

Rendering in the Cloud - Project Neon for Revit 2012

Check out Project Neon for Revit 2012.
http://neon.labs.autodesk.com/index.aspx
David Light -has a great post on this.

Natasha Luthra in my office ran a few images using our In house projects and the results were impressive. Other than a slight lag in accessing the server (apparently they are slammed with requests) the rendering itself took only a few minutes and even allowed her to add a few environment maps after the image was rendered. Best of all, she could continue to work on her project while the "Cloud" rendered her image.
According to #jvandezande this morning at about 10:30, it is currently having an issue with anyone who updated to SP1 but he says they are working on fixing it.

Off-topic: Sand Soccer

Since I left SoCal for the East coast, a new sport has appeared on the beaches... ever heard of Sand Soccer? Me neither until todays tournament.
And now, back to the conference.

RTC 2011 day 2

Today at the Revit Technology conference, my sessions focused on management and business aspects of BIM and Revit. It ended with an entertaining BBQ.
There are about 300 attendees, some of which are the "rock stars" of Revit, and others who are the regulars I run into at Technology conferences.
All in all a good event.
Photo courtesy of #PhilRead

Revit 1.0

I enjoy coming across Revit-related things I have never seen before. Just now I ran into Jim Balding and Anthony Hauk hovering over a book of CD's that happened to be all of the earliest versions of Revit, including an original beta. Jim is going to install Version 1.0 on one of the lab computers here at the conference. Check it out:

Stratus for Revit

Carl is reviewing labs.Autodesk.com software for Revit, talking about Neon, Vasari, and others you may know but just mentioned one I haven't come across yet, called Stratus. It's a Structural analysis plugin that looks very practical.

Carl Bass put my "Revit on Android" on the big screen

Carl Bass, CEO of Autodesk is presenting the RTC keynote and just showed the image from my post on running Revit on my Android mobile!
:)
No credit to yours truly but I'm ok with that if he buys me a beer.

RTC 2011 begins

I am at the Revit Technology Conference in Huntington Beach as it kicks off its first US event. 
The Revit documentation and presentation boards from the previous Australian conferences are posted all around the halls and are darn impressive.
And now for the opening ceremonies with Wesley Bennett and Carl Bass...

RTC 2011 - Revit Technology conference

If you're attending the Revit Technology conference next week let's meet up. Shoot me an email Craig a t iRevit.com.
Cheers

Autodesk goes Open-source!

A 3D printed model at Autodesk's Waltham HQ

In a major change from its business model, Autodesk has made a software application (or utility in this case) Open-source! It is another example of Autodesk embracing the sizeable makersphere of which I am a big fan.
Check out BIMapps blog for more details on the Revit STL exporter

Revit 2012 Viewer

Revit 2012 has a "Viewer mode" which is a method to enable the Revit-savvy Architects, Engineers, or Revit Illiterates access to explore a Revit model without any chance of effecting the Central file or production in the model. It is installed when you install the full version of Revit and accessed from the Windows Start menu program list.

The viewer allows all standard functionality of Revit but:

• You can't save or save as,
• You can't export or publish views/models *if you make any changes, but can export certain formats if no changes are made.
• You can't Print *if you make any changes, but can print if no changes are made.
• You can't edit elements in a workshared file, but you can if you open 'detached'.

In our office we use Navisworks Freedom for Project Leaders to review models. The difference between this and Navisworks freedom is that this is Revit and the model sizes we often create require higher levels of computer hardware to open, whereas Navisworks Freedom does not have high hardware requirements. Also, Navis. Freedom is far simpler and easier to use for the average Project Leader.

When you use the viewer to open up a workshared central file, Revit viewer mode uses a read-only method to lock you out of the central file preventing any and all ownership of elements, but still allows you reload latest, and therefore, monitor changes.
What is this Revit viewer useful for?

1. Reviewing models real-time, without fear of accidentally obtaining ownership of building elements
2. Checking the file History
3. Viewing coordination issues and running Interference checks
4. Walking through models without fear of accidentally obtaining ownership of building elements

The viewer does does not pull a license so keep that in mind if you use it.

Update: The commenter is correct that the viewer is not supposed to pull a license. I talked with the Revit platform manager about it. Viewer mode is re-titled Demo mode which you may have come across when you lose a license or went beyond the trial period.

Handy tool to identify good keyboard shortcuts 4u

I just came across this little tool on Rod Howarth's blog and if you work in Revit day-to-day then you'll find this useful. It analyzes your Revit journal files and identifies commands you use a lot that you don't have shortcuts for as well as those that you do have keyboard shortcuts for. It's a tad difficult to associate the commands to the keyboard shortcuts but you'll get the hang of it. Cheers,
Craig Barbieri