Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2019 Update 1: Delivering More Automation

From the Revit blog:

Dan Peticila
January 15, 2019

It’s mid-winter in the northern hemisphere, and now is the best time to release some new tools for the projects waiting to be built in the spring. As a famous quote states: “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” And for everyone living on the other half of the planet, please be assured we are doing our best to constantly deliver exciting features across all seasons, like our quarterly Revit releases. With that said, here is a new update for the structural precast extension.

The Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2019 Update 1 comes with new features for customers working on precast and cast-in-place concrete projects. One of the goals of this release is to enhance connectivity to the fabrication processes, which is why we’re proud to release the Extended CAM Export and the Unitechnik UXML 7.0 CAM Export. This update of the application is available via the Autodesk Desktop App. It is important to note that it works on top of Revit 2019.2, released on January 16, 2019.

Announcing A Step Toward the Future of Automatically Making Structural Things

From the Autodesk BIM and Beam blog:

Announcing Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2018, a notable step toward the future of automatically making structural things 

By Dan Peticila
July 12, 2017

Autodesk brings into play a new automated workflow for the precast concrete industry. The Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2018 is a BIM-centric offering for modeling and detailing precast elements that promotes productivity and precision for engineers, detailers and fabricators working on typical building projects in the precast industry. As an app for Autodesk Revit software, Structural Precast for Revit provides Revit users access to powerful tools for automatic rule-based segmentation, reinforcement, shop drawings and CAM files generation of precast planar concrete elements. The app is available on the Autodesk App Store.

Leveraging the concept of Parts, which support the construction modeling process by letting you divide certain elements from the design intent model into discrete parts, the app provides the opportunity of having one single source of truth for various personas that need to work with the model. This way, designers’ and fabricators’ perspectives are respected and various Levels of Development can be displayed – two key benefits of embracing a Revit-based workflow for Precast projects.

Smart Plant 3D Loader for Navisworks Version 1.2

From the Autodesk App Store:

Use this plugin to enable Autodesk® Navisworks® Simulate 2017 and Autodesk® Navisworks® 2017 Manage to read Intergraph SmartPlant 3D (.vue) files.

Open, append and merge files into your Navisworks projects, supporting geometry and data, to open up the powerful workflows available in Navisworks to your project teams:

• Easily navigate and review your projects
• Perform powerful coordination, using clash detection to identify, and manage the resolution of issues before they reach site.
• Simulate the delivery of projects using timeliner tools.
• Take control of project delivery using Quantification tools.
• Connect to BIM360™ and open up the project to all participants using the cloud to democratize your models, and take advantage of our ‘one click to BIM’ workflows.

Autodesk Seek Extension for Revit Released

From the Autodesk App Store...

Discover, Preview and Download Building Product Models, Drawings and Specifications

The Autodesk® Seek extension for Revit® enables designers to conveniently access high quality BIM models, drawings, and product specifications for more than 66,000 commercial and residential building products, representing over 400 manufacturers, from inside Revit® 2015 or 2016 software.

Feature Summary

• Quickly search or browse over 66,000 products
• Refine search results by Manufacturer and Category using the search results filter dropdowns
• Easily place RFA or RFAs with additional Type Catalogs
• Preview product details before placement into your project
• Conveniently specify the download location for your files and your search results page size preference

The Autodesk Seek extension for Revit is a subscription app. There's more information available on the Autodesk App Store.

Related: Roundup – Autodesk Product Enhancements for Revit 2016

Revit 2016 R2

For the second straight year, Autodesk has made available to subscription customers a mid-model year release of Revit, Revit 2016 R2.

From Autodesk's In The Fold blog...

Autodesk Revit 2016 R2 builds on the speed and project performance improvements that distinguish Revit 2016 and includes more than 25 updates, many requested by users. With further improved software performance and scalability, plus new features, the family of  Revit 2016 R2 releases enables subscribers to more effectively and efficiently capture design intent.

Revit 2016 R2 is fully compatible with the existing Revit 2016 releases and has no file format changes so users can install the update without disrupting existing ongoing work in Revit 2016.

Revit 2016 R2 represents significant incremental value for Autodesk Maintenance and Desktop Subscription customers who get immediate access to the most current Revit capabilities. Here is a view into just some of what Revit R2 delivers:

Faster: Revit 2016 R2 features continued improvements to software performance and scalability:

• Orbit, pan and zoom more quickly with the new Draw Visible Elements Only option. Revit improves navigation speed by working only on displaying the visible elements of a view. This occlusion culling is especially beneficial with complex files and views in which regeneration of a significant amount of content is suppressed. 

Orbit, pan and zoom more quickly with the new Draw Visible Elements Only option. Image courtesy of Autodesk.

• Keep working during update of color schemes and the associated color fills with Color Fill Background Processing. Revit 2016 R2 updates room, space, HVAC zone, duct, and pipe color fills using multiple CPUs, which alleviates model interaction delays associated with these computations.

Revit 2016 R2 updates room, space, HVAC zone, duct, and pipe color fills using multiple CPUs. Image courtesy of Autodesk.

Smarter: Revit 2016 R2 has new and improved tools to help users better-capture and embed design intent in a model.

• Embed design intent in a model by using project-wide parameters to drive dimension and element instance parameters with the Global Parameters feature.  A global parameter can measure dimensions and calculate formulas to drive dimensions and parameter values in other elements in the project.

Embed design intent in a model by using project-wide parameters to drive dimension and element instance parameters with the Global Parameters feature.  Image courtesy of Autodesk.

• With Family Visibility Preview, get a better view of design intent by filtering out geometries that are not viewed. Work more quickly by previewing geometries and making adjustments before loading a Family into a project.

Better:  We’re always striving to improve Revit based on user feedback. Over 20 user-requested enhancements include:

• Unload links per user to increase performance and improve memory usage without affecting other project team members
• Copy/Paste commands in perspective views
• Cancel print or export of multiple views and sheets with one click
• Filter solids/voids in separate entries to more easily multi-select the geometries to make bulk changes
• Enhanced rotation controls and insert part option in fabrication part modeling 

Unload links per user to increase performance and improve memory usage without affecting other project team members. Image courtesy of Autodesk.

As an incremental install, Revit R2 can be less disruptive for users and administrators by spacing out changes vs. incorporating larger annual updates. Any downtime or disruption to work processes can be more easily out-weighed by the gains in performance, usability and stability.

Availability
Autodesk Revit 2016 R2 is available to Maintenance and Desktop Subscription customers worldwide starting today, October 20, in the following languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Traditional Chinese.

There's more information available on the In The Fold blog.

Related: Roundup – Autodesk Product Enhancements for Revit 2016

Autodesk Shared Reference Point 2015 for Revit and Civil 3D

From the Autodesk Account website...

Release Date: 2015-04-08

Autodesk® Shared Reference Point 2015 provides functionality to export known points and elevation from AutoCAD® Civil 3D software to an external file, in which Autodesk® Revit® software can import and setup a "Shared Coordinate System." This enables the collaboration of exported RVT, DWG and NWC files back to AutoCAD Civil 3D and to coordinate models in Autodesk® Navisworks® software.

To access this subscription entitlement, log into Autodesk Account website.

Related – Roundup: Revit 2015 Autodesk Subscription Product Enhancements (Updated)

AWWA Pump and Valve Content for Autodesk Revit 2015 and Autodesk Revit MEP 2015

From the Autodesk Account website...

Release Date: 2015-03-12

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) Pump and Valve Content for Autodesk® Revit® 2015 and Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2015 software helps enable MEP designers, drafters, and engineers to create more accurate water and waste water designs through access to additional components.

Content is available in English only.

To access this subscription entitlement, log into Autodesk Account.

Related – Roundup: Revit 2015 Autodesk Subscription Product Enhancements (Updated)

Goodbye Autodesk Subscription... Hello Autodesk Account

From the Redstack website...

Autodesk are in the process of replacing Autodesk Subscription Center with the new and improved Autodesk Account to provide a greater level or online service to their clients.

Subscription Center is an online portal where Autodesk users can manage their product licenses, subscriptions and services.  From Subscription Center, users can manage their Autodesk license and subscription accounts and services, download files, access support and more.  This service is scheduled to close on March 13, 2015.  a web portal where users can go to manage their Autodesk product licenses, subscriptions and services. This site provides access to download files, tech support, and other services. Autodesk is closing that service on March 13th, 2015.

Autodesk will replace this service with the new Autodesk Account.  From here you will be able to setup your personal profile, manage and access your licenses, subscriptions, software, services and a range of support services.  This new service will be suitable for both maintenance subscription and desktop subscription clients.  The interface is greatly improved for ease of use.

You will be able to login using the same subscription ID and Password you currently use.

From this screen you will be able to access your products and services including updates and trials. Also available is reporting on the licenses you have and the ability to add mobile devices.

If you are trying to download the products you have on Subscription like Product Design Suite, you will need to select the Products link and Download other Autodesk software product(s). This will open a new window so you can access your downloads.

Login to your new Autodesk Account and start using it now.  See the video below which further explains the coming changes ... for further details.

US Structural Content Extension for Revit 2015 from Autodesk

From the Autodesk Subscription website...

Release Date: 2014-11-19

The US Structural Content Extension for Autodesk® Revit® 2015*, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2015, and Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2015 provides the latest AISC standard 14.1 hot rolled structural steel shapes.

Content is available in English only.

There's more information available on the Autodesk Subscription website.

Related – Roundup: Revit 2015 Autodesk Subscription Product Enhancements (Updated).

Autodesk Revit 2015 R2: A Mid-Model Year Revit Release for Autodesk Subscription Customers!

I thought Revit Sundial might go this way. From the Autodesk Subscription website...

Release Date: 2014-09-17

With Autodesk® Revit® 2015 R2, Autodesk Maintenance and Desktop Subscription customers get access now to new features that add powerful capabilities, make Revit perform faster, and can improve modeling productivity. Fully compatible with Revit 2015 releases, Revit 2015 R2 installs without disrupting ongoing work in Revit 2015.

Power: Revit 2015 R2 includes new features that enable you to do more with Revit.

• Share more accurately predicted energy performance information in custom dashboards with Project Solon integrated into Revit.
• Use existing geometry in a linked IFC model as a reference for dimensions, alignment, snapping, and hosting of some families in a Revit model.
• Troubleshoot models better with the Reveal Constraints mode making all dimension alignment constraints in a view visible.
• Explore visual programming with the Dynamo interface for computational design which now installs with Revit so you can more easily enhance and extend the power of the Revit API. 

Performance: Autodesk Revit R2 meets requests for faster software performance with the goal of making your work easier.

• Edit and regenerate complex toposurfaces, subregions, and building pads.
• Get better performance of the energy analytical model in Revit, with Revit R2 using less memory when analyzing large models.
• Experience faster updates to views that contain multiple instances of families.
• See faster display of Revit links within views.

Productivity: You’ll welcome multiple enhancements in Revit R2 designed to improve your modeling and work productivity.

• Work in perspective views, making quick adjustments without having to change views with some modeling capabilities now available in perspective views.
• Save more time by editing multiple wall joins together
• Find content more quickly with Search capabilities in the Type Selector and all drop-down lists.
• Navigate PDFs exported from Revit more quickly with hyperlinked views.
• Experience easier interaction with structural elements through user interface improvements.
• Improve productivity with more streamlined Rebar modeling and shop drawings creation.

For a complete list of enhancements to your product, refer to the Autodesk Revit 2015 Update Enhancements List or Autodesk Revit LT 2015 Update Enhancements List.

Subscription customers can download Revit 2015 R2 from the Autodesk Subscription website.

Site Designer: A New Autodesk Subscription Add-in for Revit!

From Autodesk comes the new subscription add-in Site Designer for Revit. It's based on Autodesk's recent acquisition of the Eagle Point Revit site add-ins SiteWorks and LandCADD. 

From the Autodesk Exchange Apps website...

Autodesk® Site Designer Extension for Revit® software helps architects, designers, and planners convey building site planning concepts to engineers. Site Designer runs inside Revit software and uses native families, components, and toposurfaces, so site designs become part of the overall model.  You can model alternatives for mass grading, building pads, streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and retaining walls all within the Revit environment.  More easily convert a sketched line into a street, sidewalk, curb and gutter, retaining wall or parking lot in the model.  You can manipulate Site Designer components using editing tools to change their location, elevation, grade or geometry, and Site Designer automatically updates and maintains the underlying toposurface.

• Report and schedule areas, volumes, and cut and fill volumes to better understand the impact of site design changes on requirements to move or add fill.
• Iterate conceptual designs and create more realistic visuals of the building site by incorporating grading features directly into the Revit model.   
• Better communicate conceptual design ideas about the building site to engineers  who can then complete the detailed site design using professional civil engineering tools like Autodesk® AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software. 
• Share the appearance of site plan designs for better communication with everyone involved in the project, including owners, architects, designers, planners and civil engineering firms.
• Share a site model between Revit and Civil 3D through Land XML files, improving collaboration between architects and engineers working on a project.
• More quickly add design elements to your site such as berms and drainage swales, minimizing the time required to mass grade a site and to try alternatives at the design development stage.
• Special terrain families within Site Designer provide you with parameters that control widths, cut and fill slopes and other projection settings.
• Locate hardscape components such as streets, intersections, sidewalks, curbs and walls that can follow the existing terrain and have controlled elevations and slopes - all while the toposurface is automatically maintained.

The ribbon tab

Street settings

A sample site

There's more information available on the Autodesk Exchange Apps website.

Cleanup Files with eTransmit for Revit 2015!

From the Revit Help file...

Common uses for eTransmit for Autodesk Revit 2015:

• Internal archiving [Enhanced!]
• Sending deliverables to clients
• Model exchange between consultants/partners
• Model cleanup [New!]
• Sharing models between disciplines
• Upgrading models

eTransmit for Autodesk Revit 2015: When you transmit a model, you can now select to:

• include supporting files such as documents and spreadsheets
• disable worksets
• delete sheets
• include only views that are placed on sheets
• include or exclude types of views such as detail views or sections

These improvements to eTransmit earn the factory their first Revit Add-ons Editor's Choice award.

There's more information available in the Revit Help file.

Credit: Steve Stafford's Revit Op-Ed blog and Luke Johnson's What Revit Wants blog.

Roundup: Revit 2015 Autodesk Subscription Product Enhancements (Updated)

Updated 5/9/2015 to include Autodesk Shared Reference Point 2015.

Updated 3/13/2015 to include AWWA Pump and Valve Content for Autodesk Revit 2015 and Autodesk Revit MEP 2015.

Updated 1/31/2015 to include US Structural Content Extension for Autodesk Revit 2015, Autodesk Revit Architecture 2015, and Autodesk Revit Structure 2015.

Updated 9/28/2014 to include Autodesk Revit 2015 R2 and Autodesk Site Designer Extension for Revit 2015.

Until now, I've been remiss by not posting about the Revit 2015 product enhancements available via the Autodesk Subscription Center. Here's a roundup, with text from each enhancement's page.

Autodesk Shared Reference Point 2015

Release Date: 2015-04-08

Autodesk® Shared Reference Point 2015 provides functionality to export known points and elevation from AutoCAD® Civil 3D software to an external file, in which Autodesk® Revit® software can import and setup a "Shared Coordinate System." This enables the collaboration of exported RVT, DWG and NWC files back to AutoCAD Civil 3D and to coordinate models in Autodesk® Navisworks® software.


AWWA Pump and Valve Content for Autodesk Revit 2015 and Autodesk Revit MEP 2015

Release Date: 2015-03-12

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) Pump and Valve Content for Autodesk® Revit® 2015 and Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2015 software helps enable MEP designers, drafters, and engineers to create more accurate water and waste water designs through access to additional components.

Content is available in English only.

To access this subscription entitlement, log into Autodesk Account.


US Structural Content Extension for Autodesk Revit 2015, Autodesk Revit Architecture 2015, and Autodesk Revit Structure 2015

US Structural Content Extension for Autodesk Revit 2015, Autodesk Revit Architecture 2015, and Autodesk Revit Structure 2015

Release Date: 2014-11-19
The US Structural Content Extension for Autodesk® Revit® 2015*, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2015, and Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2015 provides the latest AISC standard 14.1 hot rolled structural steel shapes.

Content is available in English only.


Autodesk Revit 2015 R2

Release Date: 2014-09-17

With Autodesk® Revit® 2015 R2, Autodesk Maintenance and Desktop Subscription customers get access now to new features that add powerful capabilities, make Revit perform faster, and can improve modeling productivity. Fully compatible with Revit 2015 releases, Revit 2015 R2 installs without disrupting ongoing work in Revit 2015.

Power: Revit 2015 R2 includes new features that enable you to do more with Revit.

• Share more accurately predicted energy performance information in custom dashboards with Project Solon integrated into Revit.
• Use existing geometry in a linked IFC model as a reference for dimensions, alignment, snapping, and hosting of some families in a Revit model.
• Troubleshoot models better with the Reveal Constraints mode making all dimension alignment constraints in a view visible.
• Explore visual programming with the Dynamo interface for computational design which now installs with Revit so you can more easily enhance and extend the power of the Revit API. 

UPDATED: An Industry First: Autodesk Provides Full-fledged 3D Design Software in a Web Browser, Including Revit!

From the Autodesk press release...

"Customers will now be able to access Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max design tools via a web browser. For the first time ever, customers can access full-fledged 3D design, engineering and entertainment work in a browser without sacrificing performance, power or functionality."

This technology preview is available in Autodesk Remote. Remote allows users to drive Autodesk software installed on their primary computer from a remote PC or iPad, utilizing its full power in their 3D design and modeling work regardless of the device. This capability has now been expanded to include access to Autodesk applications hosted in the cloud.

The full press release can be viewed here.

UPDATE:Scott Sheppard wrote an informative post about this new development on the It's Alive in the Lab blog.

UPDATE: Shoon Hurley has written about his hands-on experience with this new technology preview on his Between the Lines blog.

Credit: The REVIT Structure Learning Curve blog.

Autodesk Remote: Drive Revit and Other Autodesk Applications from a Remote Computer or From an iPad

"Autodesk® Remote is a stand-alone application for Microsoft Window 7 and 8 and is compatible with all Autodesk products. It lets you drive Autodesk software installed on your primary computer from a remote computer or iPad for fast access to native design data over standard networks. To use it, simply install Autodesk Remote on the PC you want to share. Install it again on the machine you want to connect from and start your connection. Autodesk Remote currently works in North-America only.

"Autodesk Remote also has a companion application for the iPad that allows you to access your host PC from an iPad. The iPad App is optimized for Autodesk® Inventor® so you can work from anywhere, improving collaboration and increasing flexibility.

"Autodesk Remote requires that you have a Subscription account that is associated with an Autodesk product."

There's more information available on the Autodesk Exchange Apps website.

Roombook Areabook Extension for Autodesk Revit 2014 and Autodesk Revit LT 2014

"The Roombook Areabook Extension for Autodesk® Revit® 2014*, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2014, Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2014, Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2014, and Autodesk® Revit LT™ 2014 software helps you with the quantification of your projects:

"Roombook calculates the room-related surface area of walls, floors and ceiling elements as well as room circumferences and furnishing elements within a project for a complete material calculation of the interior finish.

"Areabook calculates living areas, unfinished areas, net floor areas as well as gross and construction floor areas of rooms and room groups for a comprehensive floor area calculation.

"In addition to the automated detection of room areas and surfaces, this extension helps users configure these elements manually to local requirements and country-specific standards, as well as achieve more accurate model take-offs. Quantified results can be exported to Microsoft® Excel® software, comma-separated CSV text files, and Autodesk® Quantity Takeoff (QTO) software.

"Release Date: 2013-06-24"

This add-in may be downloaded from the Autodesk Subscription website.

eTransmit for Autodesk Revit 2014

With eTransmit for Autodesk® Revit® 2014 software products, you can copy a Revit model and dependent files to a single folder for Internet transmission. You can transmit any model that has been upgraded to Revit Release 2012 or later and saved.

With eTransmit for Autodesk Revit, you can:

• 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, helping to reduce the possibility of error. All dependent files are automatically converted to use relative paths so 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 be compatible with a Revit 2012 software product or later. 
• Choose to Upgrade the Revit (.rvt) model and linked models to the current release.
• Choose to remove unused families, materials, and other objects from the Revit projects to reduce file size.
• Transmit models that are using file-based worksharing or server-based worksharing. eTransmit for Revit can also work with non-workshared Revit models.

This add-in may be downloaded from the Autodesk Subscription website.

Globe Link Add-in for Autodesk Revit 2014

"Globe Link for Revit 2014 platform products helps users streamline preliminary project planning by enabling them to present conceptual designs in the context of the project site.

"With Globe Link, users can publish 3D building information models directly from Autodesk® Revit® 2014, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2014, Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2014, and Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2014 software into Google Earth™ mapping service. Users can also acquire site information from Google Earth mapping service and import it into Revit 2014 software applications for building and site layout purposes. Globe Link is optimized for Google Earth version 5 mapping service."

This add-in may be downloaded from the Autodesk Subscription website.

Model Review Add-in for Autodesk Revit 2014

Automate the process of reviewing and auditing building information modeling (BIM) projects in Autodesk® Revit® 2014, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2014, Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2014, or Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2014 software with the Autodesk® Revit® Model Review plug-in:

• Check the accuracy and consistency of a Project or Family against standards set by your firm, your clients, or industry best practices.
• Correct inconsistencies with a single click or with instructions provided when manual fixes are required.

This add-in may be downloaded from the Autodesk Subscription website.

Space Naming Utility Add-in for Autodesk Revit MEP 2014

"The Space Naming Utility for Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2014 software is an intuitive tool that automatically assigns the names and numbers from architectural rooms to Revit MEP spaces. By downloading the Space Naming Utility for Revit MEP 2014 software, you can eliminate the need to manually assign names to the spaces, helping save time and simplifying your workflow."

This add-in may be downloaded from the Autodesk Subscription website or from the Autodesk Exchange Apps website.