Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk Revit Structure 2011 Released

These are new new tool extensions for Revit Structure that make an impact.

Contents of the Advantage pack includes:

• Autodesk Revit Server Extension
  • For collaboration within geographically dispersed teams, and design productivity.
  • Allows a single project team over a distributed wide area network (WAN) to collaborate with higher performance and efficiency
  • Enables a seamlessly integrated collection of Revit central models on a single server that team members can access from local servers that update to/from the central server.
  • Easily manage products on Revit central server using the web-based Revit Server Administrator tools
  • Benefit from built-in redundancy in case of WAN connectivity loss.
  • Provides tools for early stage conceptual energy studies.
  • Automatically rationalize concept models into energy models for analysis.
  • Evaluate design options side-by-side based on reports that compare energy use, lifecycle costs, and breakdowns of consumption and loads.
  • Access a web based high-resolution global climate data set that contains more than 1.5 million weather data sets from Revit Architecture

• Revit Extensions for Autodesk Revit Structure 2011 In addition to your current list of Revit Structure 2011 extensions:

• • Floor vibration analysis—Assess vibration characteristics to help meet requirements of the AISC Design Guide 11.
  • Gravity column analysis—Design steel columns based on the AISC 360-05 design code.
  • SDNF import/export—Import or export SDNF file format.
  • As well, previous extensions like the Text Generator are also available.

• How to get:

• • Subscription customers can download their Subscription Advantage Pack from within their product through the Information Center.  Click on the key icon to open the Subscription Center menu and select Susbcription Advantage Pack from the “Subscription Only Downloads” section.
  • Or subscription customers can download the Subscription Advantage Pack from Subscription Center at www.autodesk.com/subscriptionlogin
  • Learn More, View Videos

www.autodesk.com/advantagepack-revitarchitecture

• How to Access & Download

www.autodesk.com/downloadingadvantagepacks

• Create a Subscription Center Account

www.autodesk.com/selfregister

Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011 Released

Advantage pack for Revit Architecture includes:

• Autodesk Revit Server Extension
  • For collaboration within geographically dispersed teams, and design productivity.
  • Allows a single project team over a distributed wide area network (WAN) to collaborate with higher performance and efficiency
  • Enables a seamlessly integrated collection of Revit central models on a single server that team members can access from local servers that update to/from the central server.
  • Easily manage products on Revit central server using the web-based Revit Server Administrator tools
  • Benefit from built-in redundancy in case of WAN connectivity loss.
  • Provides tools for early stage conceptual energy studies.
  • Automatically rationalize concept models into energy models for analysis.
  • Evaluate design options side-by-side based on reports that compare energy use, lifecycle costs, and breakdowns of consumption and loads.
  • Access a web based high-resolution global climate data set that contains more than 1.5 million weather data sets from Revit Architecture.Autodesk Revit Conceptual Energy Analysis

• Revit Extensions for Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011; In addition to your current list of Revit Architecture 2011 extensions:

• • Frame Generator Extension – More rapidly define and generate simple 3D frame models. The resulting structural elements (such as columns, beams, bracing, and purlins) are created from general frame and geometric parameters of the structure.
  • Extensions Engine – Use this platform to host extensions in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2011 software.

• How to get:
  • • Subscription customers can download their Subscription Advantage Pack from within their product through the Information Center.  Click on the key icon to open the Subscription Center menu and select Susbcription Advantage Pack from the “Subscription Only Downloads” section.
    • Or subscription customers can download the Subscription Advantage Pack from Subscription Center at www.autodesk.com/subscriptionlogin
    • Learn More, View Videos

www.autodesk.com/advantagepack-revitarchitecture

• How to Access & Download

www.autodesk.com/downloadingadvantagepacks

• Create a Subscription Center Account

www.autodesk.com/selfregister

Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk Revit MEP 2011 Released

New REvit MEP 2011 tool extensions that make an impact

Tools includes

• • Autodesk Revit Server Extension
    • For collaboration within geographically dispersed teams, and design productivity.
    • Allows a single project team over a distributed wide area network (WAN) to collaborate with higher performance and efficiency
    • Enables a seamlessly integrated collection of Revit central models on a single server that team members can access from local servers that update to/from the central server.
    • Easily manage products on Revit central server using the web-based Revit Server Administrator tools
    • Benefit from built-in redundancy in case of WAN connectivity loss.
    • Provides tools for early stage conceptual energy studies.
    • Automatically rationalize concept models into energy models for analysis.
    • Evaluate design options side-by-side based on reports that compare energy use, lifecycle costs, and breakdowns of consumption and loads.
    • Access a web based high-resolution global climate data set that contains more than 1.5 million weather data sets from Revit Architecture.Autodesk Revit Conceptual Energy Analysis

• • Revit Extensions for Autodesk Revit MEP2011 In addition to your current list of Revit MEP 2011 extensions:

• • • Shared Parameters Converter  -The goal of the Shared Parameters Converter extension is to provide the ability to change family parameters to Revit shared parameters. A second functionality is to add or replace shared parameters to one or multiple Revit families file in one process.
    • As well, previous extensions like the Text Generator are also available.

Learn More, View Videos

www.autodesk.com/advantagepack-revitmep

How to Access & Download

www.autodesk.com/downloadingadvantagepacks

Create a Subscription Center Account

www.autodesk.com/selfregister

Using updates with downloaded software.

Network, Multiseat or Standalone – Using Downloadable software for repair, reinstall, clean installs or updates.

Using software downloaded from Autodesk Subscription website entails a little forethought where repair, reinstall, clean installs and updates are concerned. If many users are like me I will download and extract from an executable file, this is an example of one that is downloaded:

Autodesk_Revit_MEP-B_2011_English_Win_32-64bit.exe

When extracting the contents of the executable file, the default folder is usually along the lines of the example below:

C:\Autodesk\Autodesk_Revit_MEP-B_2011_English_Win_32-64bit\RevitSetup\RevitMEP\

Users have the option to point to external drives or the server when extracting the contents of the executable file with the Browse button.

However if I was using DVD media as deliverable source,  for repair, reinstall, clean install or update, the installer would call for the location of the contents of the executable I would have specified the alternate in the Use Source to be:

Autodesk Revit MEP 2011 DVD

Contents remain on the DVD media to be utilized by popping the DVD back into the drive when Repair/reinstalls or clean reinstalls and updates are needed.

With deliverable DVD media replaced with subscription downloads, an installation from the extracted contents folder looks the same as a DVD installation with one exception being path to DVD or extracted media in the Use source field. (see image below)

For other software; there are differences in the path format with name of the software. For Network or Multi-seat deployments; the general idea is to be aware of the path and the fact that user specified path can be defined in such that the server can store the extracted files to make it easier to install on multiple of seats and apply updates throughout the organization. If you use a path of your choosing it should be on a shared folder on the network server.

Single seat users, after installing products, are inclined to delete the extracted files on the local drive to save space. This fine with the exception that when repair, reinstall, clean install and applying updates are needed, the contents extracted to a folder are no longer available to utilize during these tasks when called for by the installer script. In addition to the msi file there may be a need for some of content of the extractions to be available when performing repair, reinstall, clean install and applying updates. So once again, the executable file needs to be extracted to a folder either default or user specified to utilize the Autodesk Revit x64.msi or Autodesk Revit x86.msi file. Just for fun, I have attempted to use a Revit Architecture Autodesk Revit x64.msi file with my Revit MEP update to see if I could get around the need to keep or extract the files on the server or my local drive. This was unsuccessful as it seems even similar named files are structurally different in some way in the code and the Revit Architecture and Revit MEP msi does not work across one another.

Being on subscription allows the benefits of using downloads of older versions, extensions and getting updates. When on subscription regardless if a network, multi-seat deployment or single user, product downloads and extensions are available online and contract management is available online for the company’s contract administrator.  Where ever possible try and use a multi-seat standalone if network license is not an option in the firm. Because a multi-seat standalone allows the use of a single license serial number with deployment image configured at one time. It allows applying service packs to deployment image once and using the deployment on the server for repairs, reinstalls, clean installs and updates. Link to Autodesk Multi Seat Standalone

So to summarize how best to use downloaded executables in three scenarios:

Standalone installation – Extracted content can remain on users own hard drive or the server to use for repair, reinstall, clean installs and updates for more than one seat. This scenario uses a different serial number for each seat. Extracted content can be removed leaving the zipped executable to extract again if needed for repair, reinstall, clean installs and updates.

Multi-Seat Standalone installation – Deployment image can be left on the server to be used for repair, reinstall, clean installs and updates for more than one seat. Deployment image allows a single serial number up to the allowed number of seats licensed.

Network Installation – Like multi-seat deployment, image can be left on server to be used for repair, reinstall, clean installs and updates for more than one seat. Deployment image allows a single serial number up to the allowed number of seats licensed to be administrated by a license server.

If are any questions you can contact us at support@cadsoft-consult.com or call us at (480) 820-0408 and we can help you with your licensing, updates and managing your subscription options.

Revit Implementation Series – Creating Keyplans for Titleblocks

Creating keyplans with filled regions on/off parameters that is embeded in the project titleblock is useful. Whats even better is the ablity to turn the keyplan outline off for non plan sheets. The time taken to create these are well worth the effort!

This is a outline of my working document for this year’s AUGI CAD Camp2010 hosted by CADsoft. A more fleshed out document will be appended to the end of my handout in Revit Implementation Series- Creating Titleblocks with Revision table and Keyplans in Revit.

See you there!

The basic process of creating a key plan is outlined in these steps.

Export models base outline to AutoCAD.

• Navigate to the view showing the floor plan.

• Create copy of the view using exp_floor plan as a name.

• Set a scale approx. 1”= 20’-0”

• Set visibility to show slab and other relevant recognizable outlines for key plan.

• To aid in sectioning the plan outline, make sure matchlines display in view.

Export view of exp_floor pan view to dwg format.

• From application button; select File>Export>CAD Formats>DWG.

• Tweak settings for current view and select Export.

• Save by exporting to a project folder.

Create new family based on Generic Annotation family template.

• Insert the dwg file and scale the dwg image to fit as needed into the titleblock. I used .0008 in this example and pick yes for import from Model space.

• Load into titleblock to check for correct fit.

• Save family to project folder.

Create sections based on match lines and slab outlines.

• Simplify building’s outline to just convey the building in simple form.

• Create and use a preferred filled region called Keyplan, create each section with filled region.

• Create detail lines of overall building pad outline.

• Create a Matchline Object Style with line weight and line style and add matchlines.

• Delete DWG file and save the keyplan with Keyplan_<project name>.

Create parameters with logical naming to control visibility on/off state of each hatch regions.

• One logically named on/off type parameter for each section of the plan.

• To control visibility of of each section, select each filled region and from element properties assign logically named on/off parameter to each section with a filled region using the Visibility parameter for each region.

Load keyplan family into title block.

• After loading into titleblock pick keyplan and in family types create same on/off parameters for region to control its visibility in titleblo

• Pick nested keyplan and from Element Properties, assign each parameter to the same on/off parameter in the family.

• Save Keyplan and load into project.
• Load titleblock with keyplan into project and test by.

Using new features in project.

• Insert the new titleblock into a project and select titleblock and go to Element Properties.

• Note new settings to turn on/off sections and keyplan in the titleblock.