Free Workset Explorer Add-in from dp Stuff

The free WorksetExplorer add-in from dp Stuff allows users to quickly and easily browse worksets in a tree view and select objects by workset, category, family and then type. Every "branch" has a name and the number of elements meeting the criteria in parentheses. This add-in is very useful for cleaning up worksets.

There's more information available on the dp Stuff website.

SOFiSTiK 3D-PDF Export Add-in

3D PDF files are a convenient medium to exchange information between different actors in the Building Information Modeling (BIM) process, since they are commonly used almost everywhere and constitute a multiplatform mean of communication.

SOFiSTiK 3D-PDF Export extends the functionalities of Revit ® through the generation of standard PDF documents with embedded 3D graphics; the files produced by the program can be opened by any PDF reader that supports the PDF 1.6 standard, such as Adobe Reader 7.0 or later. SOFiSTiK 3D-PDF Export uses the geometric definition of the elements in order to create an equivalent representation of the model in U3D format. Descriptive information about the particular Revit® objects is embedded.

Main features:

• Support for all elements which can be visualized as solid in Revit.
• Support for Rebar, Rebar sets, Area reinforcement and Path reinforcement, including all the relevant parameters of these elements as metadata.
• Creation of a U3D file, which can be used to create interactive 3D / 2D PDF documents using a standard PDF editor.
• The U3D file is written using a Boundary representation of the Revit® objects and a high compression through binary encoding. Likewise a fully referenced data structure is implemented, which is reflected in the model tree organization.
• Support for free-form curves and surfaces, by means of the discretization of the elements.
• Generation of predefined views in order to ease the usage and visualization of the model.
• The Quality of the model is controlled by means of two parameters in the settings dialog. They allow to modify the level of detail of standard elements and reinforcement in order to improve either the model appearance or the performance.
• Customizable general format of the PDF file.
• Support for additional JavaScript’s, which can be used to improve user interaction.

The SOFiSTiK 3D-PDF Export add-in is available for US 9.90 on the Autodesk Exchange | Apps website.

TotalStation Point Utilities

Simple, easy to use plug in to import/create layout points in a Revit model and export to various formats for different Robotic Totalstation manufacturers. You can also use this plugin to import point files directly into Revit models using native revit families (included with plug-in).

Includes:

• Plugin to Import/Export files to specific formats for different machines
• Control Point family to assist with placing points manually for exporting or importing.

Tested with the following Manufacturers/formats:

• Trimble/N,E,Z (.txt)
• Sokkia/E,N,Z (.csv)

The TotalStation Point Utilities are avaiable for US 29.99 on the Autodesk Exchange | Apps website.

Free CropViewToSelection Add-in from dp Stuff

Dima Chiriakov has released a free add-in that allows users to create 3D cropped views just by selecting an element or elements of interest. One can also specify the elements using element IDs, which can be handy for troubleshooting. Good stuff!

There's more information available on the dp Stuff website.

Via Luke Johnson's What Revit Wants blog.

2012 – Year in Review, Part 1

Over the couple of years that I've been curating the Revit Add-ons blog, some add-ins have really stood out to me. Over time, many of these have been pushed to the back of this blog as newer add-ins have been released. I'd like to recognize some of these standout add-ins with my Editor's Choice awards.

Autodesk produces some excellent Revit add-ins, especially for maintenance subscribers, but I have focused only on third party applications for the purposes of these awards.

There was never any doubt in my mind as to my favorite add-in, it's Content|Studio. Considering Revit's archaic approach to managing and browsing for families, an entire cottage industry of family browsers and family management has cropped up. Content|Studio is a polished gem of an add-in that not only includes a family browser but also enables content management in a quality controlled environment, and it does so by enabling a workflow that is non-intrusive to content users. Simply sensational. Click through for my original post on Content|Studio.

While in my my mind Content|Studio stands alone, there are many other Revit add-ins deserving of special recognition. Below, broken up between paid (commercial) and free add-ins, are a series of add-ins ranked in the familiar gold, silver and bronze standings.

Paid (Commercial) Add-ins

The Gold Medal winner in the paid category is Kiwi Code's Project Browser. Not only does this add-in include a great family browser, it uniquely makes project browsing easier, more intuitive, and more powerful. Brilliant! Click through for my original post on Kiwi Codes Project Browser.


Revit and Excel interoperability is also a hot category of add-ins, and the gold standard of this data exchange has long been Ideate BIMLink.

I've long thought that a method for visually flexing families would make a great add-in. Harry Mattison's Image-O-Matic is the first and only solution that I know of.



Free Add-ins

All Revit users need a family browser. Smart Browser is a darned good one -- and it's free!

The free COINS Auto-Section Box add-in makes it easy to to analyze areas of particular interest in 3D views, and who doesn't want viewing information in 3D to be easier?

The free Revit Sp.Writer add-in allows users to create, manage and organize their shared parameters in Excel!




What a great group of add-ins. Congratulations to the award winners!

Related –
Award winning add-ins
Annual roundups

Interactive Visualization with Revizto for Revit

Revizto uses 3D gaming technology to provide an easy-to-use interactive visualization platform for the AEC industry.

Revizto provides a simple, cost-effective way for architects, engineers and builders to communicate before, during and after the construction of a building. Unlike heavyweight 3D tools, Revizto doesn't require a big upfront investment or a long learning curve. Revizto is specifically designed to be the easiest way for anyone to communicate in 3D.

REVIZTO converts Revit Building Information Models into lightweight, interactive Visual Information Models. REVIZTO with Revit Add-In retains the BIM object data, including Family metadata and custom materials. After creating the VIM, users of REVIZTO Viewer can access the object data.

To create a VIM from Revit just install REVIZTO Add-In or if you work with SketchUp models, simply import it into REVIZTO Editor. You may adjust visual quality and geometry for speed; change exterior and interior lighting, control materials and etc.

Next to editing your VIM, you may save it and export as a standalone file. After that you may send to your project team or upload it to the REVIZTO Workspace, where you can invite anyone to view your project and collaborate using markers with real-time chat and screenshots.
REVIZTO allows creating virtual voice-rich walk-throughs and exporting them as videos.

Anyone can easily view VIM-files for free in any web browser using the Unity3D plugin. REVIZTO Viewer is cross-platform application and available for Windows,  Mac and Web, as well as iPad and Android tablets. Application ensures simple collaboration tools and good visual communication, as well as advanced features for AEC professionals.

There's more information available on the Revizto website.

Family Security Guard Add-in

This add-in password protects families.

The user will be prompted for a password in two situations:

1. In the project environment when they attempt to open the Family Types dialog
2. When they attempt to open a family file

You can control if you want this check enabled for all Revit family files or not as follows:

1. The password will be required to edit and open all family files if there is “AlwaysRequirePassword.txt” file in the BoostYourBIM-FamilySecurity.bundle\Contents folder.
2. If this file does not exist, the password will only be required for families that contain an integer parameter named “AccessRestricted” with a value of 1 (or Yes, if you choose to make it a Yes/No parameter)

After the password is successfully entered, the user will not be prompted again for the password during that Revit session. If you purchase a license (for $2.99), a custom password can be set in the pwd.txt file in the BoostYourBIM-FamilySecurity.bundle\Contents folder.

NOTE: This app only protects families when this app is installed. There is no protection when someone without this app attempts to modify families.

There's more information available on the Boost Your BIM blog.

Change & Replace Family and/or Type Names - A Free Add-in from Case (Updated)

"This is a handy little tool that goes out and renames families and/or type names in your project model. Be careful though, because this version does not offer a means of isolating the renaming scope, it is all or none."

This free add-in may be downloaded from the Case Apps website.

Update 5/8/2016: CASE and the CASE Apps website are no more but, courtesy of WeWork, the CASE Apps are now open source. They may be accessed on GitHub.

I'll Be Presenting on Revit Add-ins at RTC NA 2013

Over the weekend I received confirmation that I will be presenting at the Revit Technology Conference North America 2013, to be held in Vancouver BC July 11-13, 2013.

My session will be a lecture titled "75 Revit Add-ins In 75 Minutes", and will feature a deep dive into a handful of some of my favorite add-ins from this blog.

The Revit Technology Conference is extremely well done, and over the past couple of years it's become my favorite conference. I hope that you'll be able to join me there.

Move To Analytical

Move beams and floors to the location of their analytical model.

How to use:

1. Move the analytical model of a floor or beam away from the physical model with the Analytical Adjust command in the Revit UI
2. Run the “Move to Analytical” API command
3. Select the analytical model of a beam or floor that has been moved with the Analytical Adjust command
4. The element will move into the position of its analytical model (this command will move a floor but does not change the shape of its sketch)

There's more information available on the Boost Your BIM blog.

See other Revit Structural-related add-ins here.

BIM Manager Suite from CTC

CTC have apparently bundled their Revit add-in products into a couple of suites, including the BIM Manager Suite...

The fastest way to manipulate Revit families and make consistent changes to materials and parameters programmatically.

The tools included in this suite:

Family Processor

The fastest way to update your Revit families programmatically.

• Change, delete, and add family materials and parameters
• Make changes individually or for an entire content library
• Instant OmniClass number population

Watermark

The safest way to protect your Revit Content from unauthorized use.

• Add encrypted information to family files
• Scan for watermarked content in a project or network
• Password-protected data cannot be removed
• Apply a transparent overlay to family previews

BIM Project Suite from CTC

CTC have apparently bundled their Revit add-in products into a couple of suites, including the BIM Project Suite...

Help adhere your documents to the standards of COBie2 during project workflow and minimize the time required for creating project handover data. This package also includes all the tools in the BIM Manager Suite Premium and Standard.

The tools included in this suite:

COBie2 Link

Help adhere your Revit documents to the standards of COBie2 during project workflow and minimize the time required for creating project handover data.

• Parameter creation
• Schedule creation
• Bi-directional parameter mapping to any external Excel standard

BIM List

The most advanced, yet easiest to use Revit family browser for finding, organizing, and leveraging Revit families.

• Locate and insert families into a Revit project
• Search parameter data using filters
• Administrative controls enforce company standards

Revit Keyboard Shortcut Tutor

• Become a Revit speed demon
• Leave your co-workers in the dust
• Increase your productivity

Boost Your BIM’s keyboard shortcut tutor gives you a friendly reminder in a small modeless dialog box when you use the mouse to click on a command that has a keyboard shortcut. A button in the dialog lists all shortcuts.

A full-functioning version of the Keyboard Shortcut Tutor is $4.99. There's more information available on Harry Mattison's Boost Your BIM blog.

Via Luke Johnson's What Revit Wants blog.

Maxwell Render Plugin for Revit

The newly released Maxwell Render plugin for Revit includes:

• Support for Revit lights, including IES
• Support for many built-in Revit materials
• Ability to override scene materials with MXM files
• Maxwell Grass
• Multilight read back: changes made to lights in Multilight can be imported back into the Revit scene
• Easy access to the Maxwell material library and gallery from inside the Revit UI

There's more information available on the Maxwell Render website.

See other rendering-related add-ins here.

Via: Luke Johnson's What Revit Wants blog.

Window Studio from Andersen Windows

Window Studio is a powerful, stand-alone design support tool for installation on your Windows-based PC that generates CAD symbols and BIM support, including elevations, detail and plan symbols, with your Andersen® windows and doors.

• Create single or multiple unit designs visually, and quickly get elevation, detail or plan symbol of your design
• Plug-ins for Autodesk Revit and SketchUp are installed with Window Studio
• Generates native 3D symbols in AutoDesk Revit 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and SketchUp 8 and 7 
• Click and drag units to size and position visually on interactive workbench  
• Select and configure exterior trim on single units and combinations
• Automatic snapping, alignment and joining for easy combination design
• Specify joining materials for accurate unit spacing and joining details
• Save window and door designs in a project file for editing, report generation,  and reuse
• Generate schedules and reports for designs:
• Window and door schedule
• Unit information report
• Elevation report
• Energy report
• Product performance report
• Sustainability report
• Energy, performance and sustainability attributes included in Revit families and Google SketchUp components
• Comprehensive help content and simple online tutorials to get you going quickly
• Workbench guidelines available to align and space units in combinations and for sizing custom units

 There's more information available on the Andersen Windows website.

Credit: Luke Johnson's What Revit Wants blog.