10 Easy Steps to Conceptual Energy Analysis

As many of you already know, I’m a big Ecotect Analysis fan. Over the past year I’ve had the pleasure (well, mostly a pleasure) of helping hundreds of designers in the US and parts of Europe use this tool to improve the performance of their buildings. That being said, I’m also the first to admit that the process of creating an efficient BIM that can be used for energy analysis is far from perfect. At times it’s time consuming, and other times, it’s just frustrating. Even after getting the hang of it, the process could certainly be improved.

Well, the good news is that our great friends at Autodesk have been hard at work to improve this process and to lower the barrier to entry to start using analysis on all of your designs. The tool they’ve developed is the Conceptual Energy Analysis plug in and the best news is that it runs right inside of Revit!

I’m sure you’ve already heard of it, and maybe even checked out some of the videos Autodesk has posted on Youtube. But, just to show you how easy it is to start using this great tool, I’ve put together a list of 10 easy steps to jump start your building analysis.

This application makes it a snap to upload a properly formed thermal model to the Autodesk Cloud, making use of the Green Building Studio web service to perform whole building energy analysis but without the pain of submitting it to GBS yourself. The analysis is fast, easy, and turns out some awesome charts and graphics to help validate your design decisions. Get up to the Subscription Center right now and give this tool a whirl!

There you have it. I know I told you there were 10 steps. The 11th pic is not a step — that’s your results! Enjoy them. See, I told you it was easy…

Bonus Tip:

You can use Ecotect with the model the Conceptual Energy Analysis tool builds. Simply click Export and choose gbXML. Import it into Ecotect and you’re ready get down to business with an incredibly clean and well constructed thermal model!

1. Export to gbXML from the Results and Compare dialog.
2. Import the gbXML into Ecotect and perform your analysis with an incredibly clean, efficient, and well constructed thermal model!

Amazing! Thanks, Autodesk.

Network, Multiseat or Standalone – How to utilize downloadable software for repair, reinstall, clean installs or updates.

We have been getting a few cases on helpdesk regarding downloaded software and what it means to keep the downloads on hard drive and why. This article attempts to strategize ways by how to utilize the downloads for the future.

In with the new – 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’s subscription site:

Autodesk_Revit_MEP-B_2011_English_Win_32-64bit.exe

After downloading the executable file and 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 select the browse button to point to a folder on the external drive or the server that will extract the contents of the executable file. This will then create the contents of a DVD to the hard drive.

Out with the old – Now if DVD media was the deliverable source, for the purpose of repair, reinstall, clean install or update, the installer program would call for the location of the contents of the DVD in seeking an .msi file. Hence, I would have specified the alternate in the Use Source to be the contents on the 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; installations, repair, reinstall, clean install or update processes will instead call for the .msi file in the extracted contents folder. While it looks and behaves the same as the DVD installation, it will instead require the contents to be in a path on the hard drive, external drive or server. This will be specified in the use source field. (see image below)

This means if the executable and the folders are deleted after install, they have to be downloaded and re-extracted for the purpose of having to perform that subsequent repair, reinstall, clean install or update processes.

For Network or Multi-seat deployments; this is not necessarily a problem because, the software will be bundled as an “image” on a server location by which a initial deployment process will use the location of the image to install the networked or multi-seat program on the client PC. The image has to remain on the server so that subsequent repair, reinstall, clean install or update processes will transparently utilize the image for these operations. 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 both of the program 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 benefit 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. At the users discretion, 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.

Underlay Orientation and RCPs with Revit (especially Revit MEP)

Mowing the Revit RCP Lawn

I want to give a shout out to Jeremy Smith from the invaluable Autodesk Revit Clinic blog for a great post on an issue that many users, myself included, have found to be very frustrating. As Jeremy highlights, the answer is actually really easy, but often overlooked. I won’t parrot his post here but to sum it up quickly, here are 2 important take aways:

1. If you have trouble getting a ceiling to appear in an RCP view, even after checking all the usual suspects (ceiling category is on, view range is correct, used the right view template, etc.) check the Underlay Orientation and make sure it is set to Reflected Ceiling Plan.

2. The most important take away is this: While part of the View Properties, for some reason, Underlay Orientation is not controlled by View Templates. This is counterintuitive and is the reason why this issue causes so much frustration. I think we get in the habit of using View Templates to control all aspects of a view, and we expect that when we apply a ‘Ceiling’ template, we expect that it would obviously set the Underlay Orientation to RCP. It doesn’t. Set it to RCP yourself and you’ll be mowing the grass in no time.

P.S. – If you’re baffled by my mowing the grass comment, or just want more details on the Underlay Orientation and RCP issue, just check out Jeremy’s great post at http://revitclinic.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/08/where-is-the-ceiling-check-the-underlay-orientation.html

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 and RPC Archvision Content

This tip is fresh out of the CADsoft Consulting tech support department. I hope it helps out anyone who may be running into the same issue.

Several RPC (Rich Photorealistic Content) files ship with Revit and are a great way to add entourage (trees, shrubs, people, etc.) to liven up your scenes. If you use only the RPCs that come with Revit, you shouldn’t have any trouble rendering out your scene.

However, if you have any additional RPCs, that you have created yourself or purchased from Archvision, you will need to install the Archvision Content Manager and properly configure it so that the plugin can verify that you have licenses for the RPCs you are attempting to use. You can find detailed instructions on how to set this up at

Here are the instructions from the Revit help file:

1. Install and configure the ACM. This utility is available free from http://acm.archvision.com. For instructions, see the ArchVision Content Manager Help (http://acm.archvision.com/help).Now you must specify the location of the ACM so that Revit Architecture can access the additional RPC content.
2. In Revit Architecture, click Options.
3. In the Options dialog, click the Rendering tab.
4. Under ArchVision Content Manager Location, select Local.
5. For Executable Location, specify the location of the ACM executable file (rpcACMapp.exe).By default, Revit Architecture attempts to connect to the ACM using the IP address 127.0.0.1 (the local host) and port 14931. If it cannot connect to the ACM there, it attempts to start the ACM executable that you specify here.
6. Click OK.

Happy rendering!