Coming to Seattle? (Updated)

By Tim Grimm
July 11, 2019

DBEI, the Digital Built Environment Institute, is having its 2019 North American events in Seattle next week. These are:

• July 15-16 – DBEI Hackathon NA
• July 17-18 – Design Technology Summit 2019
• July 17-18 – Data Day 2019
• July 18-19 – BCS (Building Content Summit) NA 2019
• July 18-20 – BILT NA 2019 

That's quite a schedule of events! And BILT is consistently my favorite technology conference of the year.

Seattle is my adopted hometown, so I'd be remiss if I didn't provide some information about this beautiful city for our out-of-town friends. First off, expect the weather to be mild and very pleasant. The current forecast calls for temperatures in the 67°-76° F range (19°-25° C), with plenty of sun breaks. There is rain forecast for late in the week, but, honestly, it's too early to rely on that. If it does rain, our rainfall is usually light, as opposed to the torrential downpours often portrayed in film. Proof of this is that Seattleites almost never carry umbrellas.

For sightseeing, the premier attraction is of course the iconic Space Needle. Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the Space Needle has an observation deck at 520 ft (160 m). On a clear day, not only can Mount Rainier be seen, but also Mount Baker to the north and even Oregon's Mount Hood to the south.

What was Hot on Revit Add-ons in May 2019

Here on Revit Add-ons, with What's Hot, at about the middle of each month, we look back at the preceding month to see which new posts received the most pageviews. Presently though, we're playing catch up with posts to cover February through May, 2019.

In May 2019 we published 56 posts. For our efforts, we received 60,033 pageviews.

Warning Manager topped the list for the month. Other new add-in related posts that made our shortlist were Smart Unhide Elements at #2, Place Views on Sheets at #4, Replicate Legend/View on Sheets at #6, glTF Exporter at #7, and Interior Designer at #8.

What was Hot on Revit Add-ons in April 2019

Here on Revit Add-ons, with What's Hot, at about the middle of each month, we look back at the preceding month to see which new posts received the most pageviews. Presently though, we're playing catch up with posts to cover February through May, 2019.

In April 2019 we published 14 posts. For our efforts, we received 55,499 pageviews.

Our post explaining why we posted so infrequently in March and April topped our shortlist for the month.

What was Hot on Revit Add-ons in March 2019

Here on Revit Add-ons, with What's Hot, at about the middle of each month, we look back at the preceding month to see which new posts received the most pageviews. Presently though, we're playing catch up with posts to cover February through May, 2019.

In March 2019 we published 20 posts. For our efforts, we received 60,702 pageviews.

By a comfortable margin, PropertyWizard topped our shortlist for the month. Other posts related to new add-ins that made the list were Express Family Layout and S.T.A. DATA at #2 and 4 respectively.

What was Hot on Revit Add-ons in February 2019

Here on Revit Add-ons, with What's Hot, at about the middle of each month, we look back at the preceding month to see which new posts received the most pageviews. Presently though, we're playing catch up with posts to cover February to May, 2019.

In February 2019 we published 89 posts. For our efforts, we received 65,507 pageviews.

The free Naviate Rebar Extension topped our shortlist for the month, and it wasn't even close.

Revit 2020 Product Enhancements from Autodesk (Updated)

Gathered here for your convenience are the Autodesk-authored add-ins for Revit 2020.

Known Released

Advance Steel Extension for Revit
Advance Steel Extension for Revit allows you to exchange BIM data from your models between Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Advance Steel. You can export, import and synchronize BIM data from your Autodesk Revit models for structural analysis and detailing in Autodesk Advance Steel | Subscription Product Enhancement | Autodesk Account / Autodesk Desktop App | Help

Autodesk Classification Manager for Revit
This free tool will allow you to quickly apply data from multiple
classification systems to all your elements | Free | BIM Interoperability Tools website | Help

Autodesk COBie Extension for Revit
This free tool will allow you to set up your Revit models to capture COBie
data and then export that data to a COBie compliant spreadsheet | Free | BIM Interoperability Tools website | Help

Giant-Size Roundup – For May 27 - June 30, 2019, New and Updated Revit-Related Add-Ins on the Autodesk App Store

Revit

New

Room Tools
Aligning tools for room and room tag | Free
☆☆☆☆☆ (0 reviews)
About This Version: Version 1.0.1, 6/28/2019 – Fixed Area Issues.

FBX Exporter
Batch exports Autodesk® Revit® geometry to individual FBX files | Free
☆☆☆☆☆ (0 reviews)
About This Version: Version 1.0.0, 6/27/2019 – Initial release.

Warning Manager
This app is designed to help you manage all warning messages on Autodesk® Revit® models with Isolate and create a Bounding box around the error Elements | USD 8.00
☆☆☆☆☆ (0 reviews)
About This Version: Version 1.1.0, 6/27/2019 – For release notes, see this post »

Spider Pro for Robot Structural Analysis

From the Autodesk App Store:

With Spider Pro you will be able to:

• Create rigid links for multiple column-slab joints with diverse options
• Create rigid links for multiple beam-wall joints
• Create multiple drop panels and connect them to the slab using rigid links
• Create rigid links along the length of the bar to connect bars to panels or to connect panels with panels
• Convert selected columns to walls
• Convert all rigid links in the model to bars with the predefined section
• Easily modify the length of the selected bars
• Convert beams to shells with numerous settings
• Easily modify load contour for selected loads
• Easily modify the contour of the panel or opening
• Select panels according to the applied vertical load value. The selection is limited to planar load and uniform planar load on a contour.
• Switch off automatic panel selection in the contour plane for selected load case
• Easily create stairs according to the selected rectangular contour. The contour shall have 4 vertices.
• Easily check the area loads and create colorful load maps  
• Easily change the start or end node for selected bars
• Align coordinates for nodes based on the selected node
• Measure distance between 2 nodes

HoloBuilder v1.8 for BIM 360

From the Autodesk App Store:

HoloBuilder provides the fastest and most reliable site documentation workflow for construction teams around the world to capture and share 360° pictures of construction sites or buildings.

Project teams can manage, share and collaborate with 360° pictures in the cloud which results in time savings and improved communication among project stakeholders. HoloBuilder integrates with Autodesk® BIM 360® Docs and Field Management Next Gen for document and issue management. The team play of BIM 360 Docs and Field Management Next Gen with HoloBuilder combines the 360° reality capture workflow with the powerful document and issue management.

Users have the option to sign into HoloBuilder with their Autodesk BIM 360 credentials. Users can connect floor plans and pictures managed in BIM 360 Docs and integrate them directly into HoloBuilder projects without having to download them first. All floor plans can be accessed directly within the HoloBuilder project at any time. Once 360º images are captured within HoloBuilder, the user can create BIM 360 Field Management Next Gen issues directly within these scenes in the Web Editor. The created issues can be accessed both, inside HoloBuilder as well as BIM 360 Field Management. All issues can be managed in BIM 360 Field Management with each BIM 360 Field Management issue containing a link to the HoloBuilder 360º image for visualization.

0b. Disconnect your BIM 360 project from your HoloBuider project.

Leica Captivate for BIM 360 Docs

From the Autodesk App Store:

Leica Captivate is the surveying and mapping field software running on the latest generation of total stations and the field controllers manufactured by Leica Geosystems. Leica Captivate allows the user to capture and store data with the greatest accuracy and reliability, either measured with classical surveying methodologies such as the total station observations or the most modern GNSS observations, and visualize it in a complete 3D environment.

The user is able to easily capture a 3D dataset representing the current state of an area, and at the same time that the coordinates of the points are measured, define all the linework, geometries and features to properly represent the current reality, as kerbs, vegetation or road elements. These captured data are structured in jobs, which can be exported as reports or into different output formats like ASCII, XML or DXF to be later used in multiple office software packages.

Multiple design data of different construction sites and infrastructures can be loaded to be used within Leica Captivate in different formats, as DWG, DXF or IFC, to be then easily used in the field for the layout of their elements.

Leica Captivate supports not just the basic surveying, mapping and layout activities, but also a large number of specific apps developed for specific purposes, such as Scanning of point clouds, Volume calculations or Machine guidance control.

Measured points and linework are displayed in 2D view,
showing a geo-referenced back-ground image of the surveyed area.

APE Mobile Connector for BIM 360

From the Autodesk App Store:

For companies that want to supercharge their Field Management, APE Mobile brings advanced site form capability designed specifically for construction and engineering contractors.

With APE Mobile you can:

1. Use more sophisticated checklists, issues, and daily logs as well as handle all other site paperwork including Take 5's, Pre-starts, Permits, ITPs, complex engineering forms and more.
2. Retain your existing forms and workflows. You don’t need to change your current workflows to use APE Mobile.
3. Produce PDFs that look like your existing paper forms, or which can be customized to your exact requirements.
4. Use a browser-based app or mobile apps that work both online and offline (on iOS, Android, and/or Windows).
5. Use the APE Mobile Site Assistant to get answers to questions like “Show me all inspections for phase 2.1” or “How much concrete did we pour today?”

Benefits include increased productivity, better data quality, more time on site and less in the office, savings on scanning and transcription, and more timely and up-to-date data. APE Mobile users can invoice faster, reduce rework, and instantly understand what is happening on site.

The APE Mobile Connector enables you to link selected Autodesk® BIM 360® users and projects to APE Mobile. Once this is done, the PDFs for APE Mobile forms will appear in an APE Mobile subfolder within the appropriate Project Files folder.

DXF Converter for Autodesk® Navisworks®

From the Autodesk App Store:

About the DXF format:
Autodesk® AutoCAD® DXF (Drawing Interchange Format or Drawing Exchange Format) is a CAD data file format developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs.

About this application:
Create a DXF file of your design in a moment and share it with anyone in one go. It will translate designs to a DXF file that can be opened in AutoCAD.

It allows you to create CAD file from any model that can be opened in Autodesk® Navisworks®.

Application Offers:

1. Generate DXF file format(.dxf)
2. Quick DXF conversion
3. Small file size
4. Colors and material
5. Selected parts can be converted, and hidden parts will be skipped.
6. Sectionbox export
7. Pixel culling. Skip small sized entities.

Dimensions by Line v2.0

From the Autodesk App Store:

The plugin allows you to place dimensions on the plan or section view along the conditional line formed by the two indicated points. Elements that will be dimensioned and ways of dimensioning (in the center and/or on the extreme sides) are specified in the working configuration.

Plugin works with:

Walls, Parts, Floors, Grids, Columns, Structural columns, Model lines, Room Separation Lines, Ramps, Rebars, Trusses, Structural Framing, Ducts, Pipes, Cable Trays, Conduits, Equipment (Mechanisms), Air terminals, Windows, Doors.

Plugin works with Linked Projects! Only on View Plans and not for all categories

Free My Notebook for Autodesk® Revit® v2.2

From the Autodesk App Store:

My Notebook is a cloud-based Autodesk® Revit® add-in that helps you to take notes right inside the Revit Model.

Since notes are saved in a cloud, when you share your model, the notes are automatically transferred.

Export to CSV

Family Names v2.0

From the Autodesk App Store:

Family Names has a simple yet intuitive design, you can rename families as simple as double clicking in the table and pressing save.

Family Names offers other features such as adding prefixes or suffices, find and replace.

You can easily change names from excel by saving the table in excel, changing the names there and importing the excel back in the app.
 
With family names you can also define rules to validate you desing names. You can also use a special composer designed to combine parameter values with the actual name so that naming is more suggestive.

Compose names using parameter information