100,000 Pageviews and Counting...

The Revit Add-ons blog surpassed 100,000 pageviews all time in October. Thanks to all of you who have contacted me over the months to let me know that you have found this blog to be a good resource; it makes the work worthwhile, and it's rewarding to see that the monthly pageview count continues to grow.

ARCxl Details and Planroom

"The ARCxl Details and Planroom is a large non-proprietary library of pre-configured construction details and detail components.  ARCxl also offers a planroom for security protected document management, distribution, tracking, and bidding.

"The library is provided to improve the efficiency of its users by offering details and components that may require very little or no time to modify for specific project use.  It is a general purpose library that covers those detail types most frequently used in the detailing phase of construction documentation.  It is impossible to provide the infinite number of possible construction details that might be used in architectural projects, but a user may create a near infinite number of different details by combining details and components from the library.

"The component library is organized by division and section numbers.  When logged in you may download components to your download folder or bar and simply drag and drop them from there into a view.  

"Details may be added to projects using one of three methods.  Cut and paste from an open detail file, use the “Insert Views from File,” or “Insert 2D Elements from File” commands.

"Ordinary search terms are so general they require trial and error yet still only narrow the number of detail choices to hundreds or thousands.  We have provided very specific pull-down menus to efficiently narrow a search.  Details and components may be seen in a preview image with written description.

"The ARCxl planroom is provided for the easy upload, distribution, and management of construction drawings, specifications, addenda, and planholder lists.   The ARCxl planroom is secure and includes the ability to host public and private jobs.  It has a job calendar, thumbnail sheet previews, and full sheet image viewing with pan and zoom supported by all major browsers.  Architects and engineers posting projects may use the service at no charge.   Bidders may purchase and download orders by the sheet or by the set as determined by the design professional responsible for bidding procedures.  Bidders may print, forward for printing, or work directly from digital files.

"Note:  The app is provided free of charge and is non-expiring.  Users may download one detail and up to 10 component families from the library in a 24 hour period.  To increase your access to the library low cost annual subscriptions are available.  There may be costs associated with customized Planrooms as described on the ARCxl Planroom pages and by our support team.  Use of the Planrooms is currently only available to users located within the United States."

This free add-in may be downloaded from the Autodesk Exchange | Apps website.

Export Revit to ETABS

This free add-in may be used to export from Revit Structure to the Structural analysis software ETABS.

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

Views Exporter 2013 (Updated)

From the Autodesk App Store...

Automatically exports views and sheets from Autodesk® Revit® to known commercial formats, namely DWG, DWF, FBX, and Image or directly sends them to virtual printers, including Adobe PDF printer. A user can select any number of views to export. Views can be exported as separate files or DWF output can be combined into a single output file and DWG output can generate a single sheet which X-refs its views. User can filter views by user-predefined 'view/sheet sets' or by keyword. So in short thousands of views can be exported to different formats with a single click.
Trial is fully functional for 15 days.

DWG Setup

DWF Setup

Revit Extensions - Q3 Update for Revit 2013

"The Q3 Update includes enhancements to bridge modeling, integration with Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis Professional 2013, and improvements to the reinforcement extensions."


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

Credit: Luke Johnson's What Revit Wants blog.

dRofus Adds Built-in Model Server

dRofus is an advanced, easy-to-use, software for integrated program management.

dRofus 1.5 beta

PRESS RELEASE

dRofus – now with a new and powerful, built-in IFC model server !

Our Project & Enterprise customers now have access to the latest version of the dRofus beta. This version allows them to load all their design files into a model server for instantaneous visualization and program validation. And, believe it or not - this feature is provided without any additional license cost.

This latest beta has an embedded, special edition, model server from Jotne EPM, - one of the leading providers in the world of this technology. (http://www.epmtech.jotne.com/jotne-epm-technology-as.241684.no.html)

This makes it easy to visualize and validate a project across multiple design models. For the first time, users of dRofus have access to the latest design models and validation reports between program and design without any additional file handling. This allows for the opportunity for several new and improved work flows, better quality control across models and increased interaction with the stakeholders of the projects.

Embedding a model server in dRofus also opens a large market among owners who wants to export project requirements and validate the design entirely through the use of an open data standard, IFC.

This new functionality in dRofus can change the way the industry thinks and works regarding the relationship between program and design, as all parties gets simultaneous access to the same updated data and design models throughout the project.

There's more information on this new release of dRofus here.

Credit: the HOK BIM Solutions blog.

Ribbon Creation Utility

Over on his The Building Coder blog, Jeremy Tammick has published a free utility from Victor Chekalin that demonstrates how developers can create custom interface items (tabs, panels and buttons) from their code.

See Jeremy's post for more information.