Tips

Martin Schmidt created a video demonstrating how to create ANY pipe system in Revit MEP - that is, you can name a pipe system whatever you want (O2, NO, N, G, Wilma, etc...), and use View FIlters to show/hide as desired.

Great video Martin. Thanks for sharing.

CLICK HERE

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You can create and set up a number of different Duct Types and Pipe Types in Revit MEP by editing the properties of those Type families. Within these various Duct/Pipe Types that you create, each type can have their own default fittings that you will use for that Type. The key though, is to make sure that the correct fittings that you want to use are loaded into your project. If the correct fittings are not loaded into the project, you will probably not get the results you are looking for when laying out duct/pipe.

Once you set your Duct and Pipe Types, save those into your project template so that you can reuse those types and fittings for future projects. This will save you time and allow you to do more designing and less setting up.

To set up your pipe types, select a type in the project browser down at the bottom under families, and right-click and duplicate it and rename it with your new name. Then right-click and change the properties. Within the properties dialog box, you can change each fitting that that pipe/duct type will use by default when laying out a system.

Each type can be unique and have different fittings. This speeds up the design process because Revit MEP will automatically place the correct fitting based on the Pipe/Duct type you are using when laying out your routing. You shouldn't have to manually place fittings very often.

This goes not only for manually routing pipe/duct, but also for the automatic layouts that are generated. When you have Revit MEP layout a system for you, in the Settings, you can choose what Pipe/Duct type you want to use, and Revit MEP will automatically place the fittings that you choose to be the defaults for that Pipe/Duct Type.

If you go into the Mechanical Settings under Settings Pull Down menu, you can also create your own piping materials and assign Roughness and set the connection type and assign sizes for your own custom pipe. You can then assign other pipe properties in your pipe types to these custom pipe materials and settings.

View Templates are preset view properties for your project or for your project template. You use view templates in your project to set views up quickly and to make sure that your views are consisitent with other views in the project. You do not want to be changing these view settings everytime for every view that you create in Revit MEP, but rather you would just apply a view template to a view. These view templates can be included in your project template or used in other projects using the Transfer Project Standards option and selecting View Templates as one of the objects to transfer.Once you set the view scale, the visibilty/graphics settings, the discipline, the sub-discipline, and other view parameters, you can save those settings as a view template to apply to other views.You can create this view template from an existing view by right-clicking on a view in the project browser and Create. Then you apply this view template to another view by right-clicking on a view in the project browser and Apply. You might have multiple views on one sheet. You can apply one view template to multiple views at one time by right-clicking the sheet in the project browser, and Apply View Template to All Views. Once you open up the dialog box, you can clear the checkbox of any property that you don't want all the views to include. So if you don't want all the views to have the same scale, and retain the scale that was set in the original view, then you can clear the view scale property.While you are applying a view template to a view, you can select the "Show Views" check box. This will show you all of the other views in the project that are of that type, and you can set your current view to the settings of another view without having to create a view template.

This tip will enable the user to automatically calculate the volume of pipework in a system, and display it in a schedule which will update itself to reflect any changes made to the system. First of all you have to make sure that you only select pipes when creating a schedule to calculate volumes, as fittings such as reducers will not allow the formula to work (having two sizes and no actual length specified).This will produce a schedule of just pipes, as expected. You will be presented with a schedule of question marks to begin with so you need to select the schedule, right click and select “add all property sets”. Now you need to add your formula column: select and right click the schedule and select “edit schedule table style”. Then pick on “add formula column”.

You will then see the “modify Formula column” dialogue box as shown:

You will need to set all of the options as shown above, and add the formula as shown. (The highlighted parts of the formula are selected from the “insert property definitions” box below.)

Once done, if you pick OK and then OK again, your schedule should have a column added to it showing volumes (in litres) for all pipes and a total volume at the bottom.

For other units of volume e.g. cubic metres you simply need to change the ratio currently set as 0.000001 in the formula. Of course this will only ever show volumes for the pipework only and not the fittings, so you may need to add a percentage to it for a more realistic figure.

http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=452932&id=9997264&linkID=10427447

Revit MEP has a different method for resizing ducts and pipes. In AutoCAD MEP, you select a single duct (or pipe) and specify a new size and then the software asks whether you want to resize the run up to the next junction or to include a transition. This is potentially asked twice if the duct (or pipe) is connected to a run at both ends. Revit MEP differs in that if you want to re-size a run of ducts or pipes, you explicitly select which ducts or pipes are to be modified. To simply this process, there is a procedure for a selecting a run of ducts or pipes. First select the start of the run:Then select the end of the run while holding down the Tab key: You can now specify the new size in the Options Bar: http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=452932&id=10502615&linkID=8678924

Place families in the centre of a ceiling grid tile. To ensure that Revit families interact with ceiling grids and automatically find the center point of a tile, you need to consider how the family is defined. For example, imagine an air terminal that automatically locates each ceiling tile as it is moved around. To do this, create or edit a family to add reference planes, which will give a strong reference when moving the family around.Reference planes are used because the air terminal in this example is 24 x 24 and it needs to be placed in the center of a 24 x 24 ceiling tile.The reference planes placement is marked with red in the figure below.By making sure that the added reference planes are used as strong references, the air terminal will now automatically highlight the ceiling grid lines when a reference plane comes near to it, making it very easy to place the air terminal and lock it to the ceiling grid line. Where the reference planes are added will depend on the individual family and the required functionality. http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=452932&id=10368612&linkID=8678924

Download Revit® Extensions are a series of easy-to-use applications that extend the capabilities of Revit® MEP 2009 software in key areas, including modeling, coordination, and documentation. Specifically, the extensions provided in this executable file are: Freeze Drawings, Compare Models, Text Generator, and Elements Positioning. The file installs the Revit Extensions for Revit MEP 2009. It also includes the Extensions Engine, a platform that hosts each Extension within Revit MEP 2009.INSTALLATION

• "Revit Extensions for Revit MEP 2009" may be installed by users with the Administrator" or "Power User" rights (in the Windows VISTA operating system, only by users with the "Administrator" rights).
• "Revit Extensions for Revit MEP 2009" installed by the user with the "Administrator" rights can be launched on a given computer also by users with the "User" and "Power User" rights.
• Before launching "Revit Extensions for Revit MEP 2009" by the user with the "User" or "Power User" rights Revit should be launched one time by the user with the "Administrator" rights (in the Vista operating system, with an additional parameter "Run as an Administrator").

LAUNCH

• To launch "Revit Extensions for Revit MEP 2009" first run "Revit MEP 2009".
• A new toolbar is displayed containing 3 new icons:
• Click to launch the "Revit Extensions Manager", run a particular extension or read help for further information.

Compare models ExtensionUsing the Compare models extension, you can compare 2 Revit® models. The extension presents differences between successive versions of a structure project.When the extension starts, it recognizes the number of opened projects created in Revit®. If more than 2 structure projects are opened, a dialog displays where you can select 2 projects to be compared.NOTE:Comparing structure models that were created as a result of copying elements (for example, through the Clipboard) may not lead to good quality results. Original element identifiers (ID) may be changed in the extension, which makes element identification and correct comparison of models impossible.After you have selected 2 Revit® models, the main dialog of the extension, used for comparing models, displays. The dialog consists of 3 tabs: General information, Elements, and Report. Element Postioning ExtensionThe Extension is used to create position tags for selected elements in a Revit ® model. All element types available in Revit ®, except annotations and loads, are taken into account during positioning.After elements and positioning parameters are selected, element tags / names (for all elements or for selected ones) are generated in the Extension. Position tags are placed in the element properties (in the Mark cell), in the current (start) view, or in views you select (the option specified in the Extension).Basic functionalities of the Extension:· create a set of elements and divide them into categories and types· sort elements depending on their location in the project (horizontal or vertical)· add a tag describing a user-defined position at the location specified in a selected view.The Extension allows loading necessary information from Revit MEP:· object category (column, beam)· object family (regular I sections)· object type (I 100)· object geometry· object location (level)· material of which the object is made (after you select the option)· bars reinforcing RC elements (after you select the option).NOTEIf positioning is performed for standard levels, two descriptions may display for some elements: description of the element positioned below (for example, a column positioned on the lower level) and a description of the element positioned on a given level (see the image shown).A solution to this problem (in particular, when dimensions of elements on two levels are identical) is to make a cross-section at a selected height in Revit ®; for this cross-section, a position number should be displayed.All data defined during the element positioning can be edited using the Modify option.Freeze Drawings ExtensionUsing the Freeze Drawings extension, you can separate a drawing / view from an object model so that the state of the drawing / view stays unchanged (frozen). The extension is based on the DWG Import and DWG Export mechanisms in Revit®.All frozen drawings / views are placed in newly created views. Selected views are imported to DWG files with user-defined parameters.NOTE:Freezing of drawings does not include 3D views or sheetsText Generator ExtensionUse the Text Generator Extension to generate text automatically in Revit®. You can type text directly in the relevant edit field or load text from an external file, and can also define the parameters. Subscription Login

Setting the Global Cut Plane and Display Range

Elevation-based display components control the display of ducts and fittings when all of the following conditions are met:

• The display components are enabled
• The current view is Top (plan)
• The current display configuration uses 1-Line or Plan display representations for ducts and fittings

When you configure a display configuration, you can specify a global cut plane and associated display range.

In Top (plan) view, AutoCAD MEP uses the cut plane settings for the current display configuration, in conjunction with the elevation of a duct object, to determine which display component (Below, Low, High, or Above) is used to display the object.

To set the global cut plane and display ranges for a display configuration

1. Access the global cut plane settings Click Format menu ->Display Manager.
2. In the left pane, expand Configurations, and select a display configuration.
3. In the right pane, click the Cut Plane tab.
4. Select a display configuration that uses a 1 Line or Plan display representation in Top (plan) view. The elevation-based display components determine display only in these display representations and in this view.
5. For Cut Height, enter a height. The values you enter for Display Above Range and for Display Below Range are not relative to the cut height. They are absolute height values calculated from the WCS origin.
6. For Display Above Range, enter a height.
   Duct objects above this range are displayed using the Above display components. In plan display representations, these are the Contour - Above, Insulation - Above, and Rise Drop - Above components. Duct objects at or below this range, but above the cut height, are displayed using the High display components.
7. For Display Below Range, enter a height. Duct objects at or below the cut height, but above this height, are displayed using the Low display components. Duct objects at or below this height are displayed using the Below display components.
8. Click OK.

You might need to use different cut planes and display ranges for AutoCAD MEP ducts and fittings as opposed to AutoCAD Architecture objects.

To accomplish this, you can specify a global cut plane and display range in each display configuration, and then override those settings as needed for one or more object types in the drawing default settings, or for a system, a style, or an individual object.

To apply a cut plane override to ducts and duct fittings

1. If you want to apply the override to the default drawing settings for all objects in the duct domain, namely, ducts, flex ducts, duct fittings, and custom duct fittings then Click HVAC menu-> HVAC System Definitions. In the left pane of Style Manager, select any system definition, and in the right pane, click the Display Properties tab. Select the 1-line or Plan display representation to which you want to apply the override (of the default drawing settings), and click the properties button . Accessing and configuring a display representation in this way automatically applies the changes to the same display representation for all objects in the duct domain (ducts, duct fittings, custom duct fittings, and flexible ducts). You can achieve the same results by configuring the display representations using Display Manager, but this requires you to configure the display representation for ducts, repeat the changes in the same display representation for duct fittings, repeat them again for custom duct fittings, and so on.
2. If you want to apply the override to a duct system definition then click HVAC menu -> HVAC System Definitions. In the left pane of Style Manager, select the system definition, and in the right pane, click the Display Properties tab. Select the Style Override check box that corresponds to the 1-line or Plan display representation to which you want to apply the override.
3. If you want to apply the override to a duct style, then select the duct or duct fitting, right-click, and click Edit Duct Style. In the Duct Style Properties dialog, select the Style Override check box that corresponds to the 1-line or Plan display representation to which you want to apply the override.
4. If you want to apply the override to a duct object, then select the duct or duct fitting, right-click, and click Edit Object Display. In the Object Display dialog, select the Object Override check box that corresponds to the 1-line or Plan display representation to which you want to apply the override.
5. Click the Cut Plane tab.
6. Apply the desired override for the display configurations that use this display representation:
   If you want to override the value for Display Above Range, then select Override Display Configuration Display Above Range, and enter a height.
   If you want to override... the value for Cut Height, then select Override Display Configuration Cut Height, and enter a height.
   If you want to override...the value for Display Below Range, then select Override Display Configuration Display Below Range, and enter a height.
7. The values you enter for the Above and Below ranges are not relative to the cut height. They are absolute height values calculated from the WCS origin.
8. Click OK twice.
9. You can also use the Display tab of the Properties Palette during design to enter the override values.