Revit MEP Tips, Tricks & Golden Nuggets

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Bruce Doyle
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1 Adam Sheather, ADG Class Description A quick fire roundup of all the little Revit MEP tips and tricks we can cover in 80mins. If you have ever wondered what that orient to view command does, how to get Revit to tell you if your flex ducts are the wrong size, how to get the heating and cooling loads tool working properly or just how on earth you can show a ceiling grid on your drawings without the ducts being upside down, then this class is a must. Plus tips on the new 2012 features and how to use them to your advantage. We will also leave some time free at the end of the class for an open forum session for any curly special requests and do our best to answer them. About the Speakers: Andrew Bagnall Andrew is a HVAC services engineer and sustainability consultant with GHD Pty Ltd., located in Newcastle, Australia. Andrew specialises in the design of innovative and alternative HVAC systems, sustainability consulting services, and computational building analysis services. Andrew is part of the team leading the development of the GHD BIM capability with the title of Corporate Revit MEP Coordinator, and also heads up GHD's building analysis services using the Autodesk Revit Software Suite and analysis products such as Ecotect, IES-VE, and Green Building Studio. Andrew is a regular speaker at local and international conferences, presenting on a range of sustainable development, Building Information Modelling, and building analysis topics. Andrew was also recently named one of "Australia's Most Inspiring Young Engineers" by the Institute of Engineers Australia, for his work in sustainability in the built environment and BIM. Adam Sheather Adam Sheather is currently managing International Multidisciplinary Engineering firm ADG Consulting Engineers, in developing all engineering disciplines (ESD, Fabric, Structural, Civil, Mechanical, Fire, Electrical, and Hydraulic). Providing support on analytical incorporation and development of staff to work on an integrated solution within the BIM construction technologies, methodologies, and best practices. He is involved in the customization of systems to develop streamlined workflows.

1. Orient to View The orient to view command is a very useful tool which allows you to quickly create a cropped 3D view to match the view range of a 2d plan view.

Ensure your view range is also set to the appropriate upper and lower limits that you want to see in 3D.

The 3D view will then shrink to the extents defined in the 2D view by placing a section box around the model to those boundaries.

Duct Plenums There are many ways to create air plenums in revit for AHUs and FCUs and the like.

2 1. Orient to View The orient to view command is a very useful tool which allows you to quickly create a cropped 3D view to match the view range of a 2d plan view. To use first simply take a 2D view of the area you want to crop and use the crop region to define the boundaries of the area you want to keep. Ensure your view range is also set to the appropriate upper and lower limits that you want to see in 3D. Then create a 3D view and right click on the view cube and select the orient to view command, and choose the title of the 2D view which defines the extents of the view you want. The 3D view will then shrink to the extents defined in the 2D view by placing a section box around the model to those boundaries. This can be a very useful tool when working on complex geometry in a confined area such as a plant room or toilet block. 2. Duct Plenums There are many ways to create air plenums in revit for AHUs and FCUs and the like. One obvious solution is to create mechanical equipment families which are parametrically controlled to vary the dimensions to suit each plenum requirement. However there can be so many variations in sizing, connection orientations etc that these can prove quite cumbersome to use in practise. An alternative that we have found which not only speeds up the modelling of plenums but also allows flow information to propagate through them, is to use a modified duct endcap fitting as a duct transition, allowing you to transition from Using Ducts for plenums. Page 2 of 15

When connecting multiple flex ducts to a plenum for a large sideblow register or similar, it can be easier to draw a straight piece of duct and cap both ends with an endcap and then use tap fittings

Preparing for Heating & Cooling Analysis The heating and cooling loads tool built in to Revit MEP can be a very useful way of getting preliminary heating & cooling load information to allow

However many people find difficulty in preparing the Revit model to provide a robust gbxml model for the load analysis step.

3 When connecting multiple flex ducts to a plenum for a large sideblow register or similar, it can be easier to draw a straight piece of duct and cap both ends with an endcap and then use tap fittings to connect the register and the flex duct spigots, such as the example on the left. 3. Preparing for Heating & Cooling Analysis The heating and cooling loads tool built in to Revit MEP can be a very useful way of getting preliminary heating & cooling load information to allow preliminary HVAC system design to occur prior to performing final load analysis calculations in IES-VE, Camel or Trane Trace. However many people find difficulty in preparing the Revit model to provide a robust gbxml model for the load analysis step. The following is a quick hit list of checkpoints and do s and don ts when preparing your models for analysis. Make linked model room bounding before commencing! Set upper limits for spaces after placing. Make sure columns are non-room bounding. Avoid spaces enclosed within other spaces. Use dedicated levels to add spaces to plenums and voids. Automatic room computation height change to manual for sloped or curved walls or complex space geometry. Use wall, roof, and floor elements to recreate any significant shading devices. Complex with shading surfaces to get accurate glazing design. Create custom constructions with an XML editor (file located in: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit MEP 2011\Program\Constructions.xml). Page 3 of 15

4. Air Balance Schedule Another advantage of using the inbuilt heating and cooling loads tool is that it populates the space elements with the required airflow data.

From the schedule you can then enter the necessary airflow quantities and also change the neck size of the grilles to meet the min & max flow requirements. 5.

4 4. Air Balance Schedule Another advantage of using the inbuilt heating and cooling loads tool is that it populates the space elements with the required airflow data. This can then be used to rapidly assign and balance airflows to the air terminals by using a terminal schedule embedded within a space schedule. From the schedule you can then enter the necessary airflow quantities and also change the neck size of the grilles to meet the min & max flow requirements. 5. Flex Duct Design Schedule By combining schedules with conditional formatting and calculated values they can be used as a powerful parametric design aid and QA tool to automatically size flex ducts and alert to design flaws. Since the flex ducts in a properly connected system will know what diameter they are and what the airflow rate is through them, this information can be used to report the required flex duct size according to your firm s typical standards, using a formula similar to the one below: if(flow < 51 L/s, 150 mm, if(flow < 101 L/s, 200 mm, if(flow < 191 L/s, 250 mm, if(flow < 281 L/s, 300 mm, if(flow < 381 L/s, 350 mm, if(flow < 501 L/s, 400 mm, 450 mm)))))). Page 4 of 15

Conditional formatting of the flex duct schedule can then be used to display any design flaws: The appropriate flex size can then be entered into the

Align Lights / Air Terminals etc to off Axis Grid with Spacebar The spacebar can be used to rotate elements before placing them but it can also be used to

This can be useful when placing lights and air terminals in particular. 7.

5 Conditional formatting of the flex duct schedule can then be used to display any design flaws: The appropriate flex size can then be entered into the schedule to change the model elements. 6. Align Lights / Air Terminals etc to off Axis Grid with Spacebar The spacebar can be used to rotate elements before placing them but it can also be used to align objects to off axis elements in the model such as a ceiling grid or reference planes. This can be useful when placing lights and air terminals in particular. 7. Using Duct Colour Fill Views to Perform Design Checks The airflow data can continue to be used to create duct colour fills to show in graphical form the velocity rates within the ductwork. Using set engineering criteria the colour fill legend an be tailored to display any ducts which are running at excessive velocities in a specific colour, allowing the designer or checker to quickly spot errors and rectify them. Page 5 of 15

However there is an easy way around this.

6 8. Using Other system type for piping to draw additional systems & then colour filters by System Name Designing piping systems in Revit can seem limiting at first given the finite range of system types available. Particularly when it comes to medical gases and the like. However there is an easy way around this. Using the other system type allows you to create any miscellaneous piping systems and then name them accordingly in the system editor. Using filters you can then filter by System Name as opposed to System Type and apply colour schemes accordingly to achieve the desired effect. Page 6 of 15

9. How to Show Ceiling Grids on Floor Plans without Upside Down Ducts!

ceiling plan which shows the model objects upside down in relation to each other as well as the ceiling grid.

Unfortunately there was also no satisfactory way to display a ceiling grid in a normal floor plan view.

7 9. How to Show Ceiling Grids on Floor Plans without Upside Down Ducts! Ever since the release of Revit MEP there has been an anomaly in that reflected ceiling plans are quite literally that a ceiling plan which shows the model objects upside down in relation to each other as well as the ceiling grid. Whereas in the industry we are used to looking at duct and lighting layouts as if viewed from above. Unfortunately there was also no satisfactory way to display a ceiling grid in a normal floor plan view. However the solution is straightforward simply overlay two views on top of each other on the drawing sheet views. I.e. a plain reflected ceiling plan showing only the ceiling grid and a floor plan view of the ductwork! Page 7 of 15

8 + = 10. Electrical Lighting Calcs in Revit Comparison with AGI 32 Results 11. Renders of Interiors with Real Lighting Data IF you are using lighting fixture families with the correct manufacturers.ies lighting data files associated with them, then it is possible to produce very realistic looking interior renders such as the one below. This can produce some interesting results and design feedback when comparing several lighting options. Page 8 of 15

Instead of hiding them manually which can be a never ending task, Revit allows you to filter views, enabling you to quickly

9 12. Filtering Unwanted Views in Multidiscipline Projects When working in a project with multiple disciplines your views can quickly become cluttered with many section and elevation markers from other disciplines which you do not want to display. Instead of hiding them manually which can be a never ending task, Revit allows you to filter views, enabling you to quickly turn off any unwanted sections and elevation markers by filtering all those that do not match the sheet discipline. Page 9 of 15

10 13. Using Model Lines to Display Annotations on Angled Surfaces An issue well known with a lot of annotations is the inability to see annotation elements on non perpendicular views. This occurs in area s such as lights on a curved ceiling. The issue is due to the way Revit displays Objects and we must manipulate families in order to show the symbolic detail. To do this open the family, and draw model lines over the top of the symbolic lines. It s best to put the model lines on a sub-category for use with VG settings and so forth. Once this is complete load the Lighting Fixture into the Project and place it on a sloped ceiling you can now see the difference between a light without such adjustment showing the true 3D representation and our manipulated element still shows symbolic lines. 14. Duct Justification Do s and Don ts One area that can be quite tedious is when trying to justify ducts to a particular side, for example you may wish to place ducts flush against a wall or beam and allow all transitions to affect one side of the duct only. When using the OOTB (Out Of The Box) content this might seem impossible, however this is due to the justification of the ductwork itself. We can use the Justification tools to in order to develop long duct runs flush against walls or other spatial bounding items as shown below. The steps are to develop the long runs first with the correct justification as setup then connect the end of the runs to the continuing ducts, equipment or cap the ends off. This is a workflow on how to use the Justification points to save time when creating what should be simple Duct runs. Page 10 of 15

15. Using Generic Annotations with Different Families Having a default set of Generic Annotations can be invaluable when starting to apply different levels of detailed content, this allows users to

11 15. Using Generic Annotations with Different Families Having a default set of Generic Annotations can be invaluable when starting to apply different levels of detailed content, this allows users to have their default symbolic library of representation of components and then browse manufacturers websites download the components they need and swap out the detailing for a Generic annotation that will suit the Company Standard. This solves the basic issues of swapping symbology with the correct family, we can further improve on this by developing offset parameters allowing users to place a multitude of electrical switches, Outlets and other devices and controlling the offset with parameters in order to make sure the plan representation suits Company standards and is legible. Page 11 of 15

12 16. Pipe& Duct Systems 2012 One of the latest features in 2012 and by far extremely useful is the development of Pipe/Duct System Options. The new options allow users to do away with all manor of filters cluttering their VG Settings and start to develop their own systems as they customise and set them up. This allows users to independently set the schematic line types/weight, materials, Calculation type and Rise/Drop symbol for each system they develop which are then stored in the template directly. 17. Duct & Pipe Placeholder Tools in 2012 Another new tool that has been added to Revit MEP is the development of Placeholders, these features act similar to drawing model lines, however they maintain all the calculations, setup and system types of your duct/pipe systems without the hassle of developing all the connectivity associated with fittings & fixtures. This really allows both engineers and draftsmen to develop early conceptual and schematic plans within Revit MEP that contain useful data at much earlier stages. Typically these options have been covered with broken systems or worse detail/model lines alone. What s even more advantages is when the design is accepted users can upgrade the placeholder lines into a full system based on the components of their choosing, allowing teams to quickly start to push their design in more advanced stages of documentation and spatial development. As these options also recognise tags they do not require dumb text to detail. 18. Add-Remove Insulation Previously in Revit MEP 2011 and below the insulation and lining tools required a lot of patience in their setup and then subsequent manipulation in designs, indeed many simply overrode elements individual or overlaid filled regions rather than selection of individual items and upgrading the insulation options. Now once you create a system or run of duct/pipe if you select all the fittings & fixtures as well as the duct/pipe you will now see an Add Insulation button in the contextual panel. Select this will bring up a dialog box allowing the user to select a type and thickness of duct/lining and apply to the duct/pipe. Also with these new features the lining/insulation are now separate options in the VG override settings allowing users to customise the hatch types, line weights for each separate insulation using Filters. Page 12 of 15

19. New Copy/Monitor Features 2012 Another useful new feature is the extension of the

2011 saw a host of copy/monitor options and a new way of detecting changes between

track them accordingly with more advanced links then the previous tools offered.

13 19. New Copy/Monitor Features 2012 Another useful new feature is the extension of the copy/monitor tools in Revit MEP saw a host of copy/monitor options and a new way of detecting changes between Architectural and Services Models which allowed teams to specify individual components and track them accordingly with more advanced links then the previous tools offered Improves on these options by allowing users to select more options then previously used expanding upon the number of elements units can monitor and update to. Page 13 of 15

20. Creating Clearances with Revit Equipment Another useful development to start adding to Revit MEP equipment early on so as to build up a library is to serviceable area s or clearance areas that

options inside the geometry that will not hinder the workflow and also allows the Architect to review and solve access issues without having to call you all the time or you having to bring it up to

14 20. Creating Clearances with Revit Equipment Another useful development to start adding to Revit MEP equipment early on so as to build up a library is to serviceable area s or clearance areas that allow for maintenance and access to the required points on these systems, whilst many users might be away of where these items might be Architects may not and it s a good idea to include these options inside the geometry that will not hinder the workflow and also allows the Architect to review and solve access issues without having to call you all the time or you having to bring it up to them when the issue becomes obvious or is picked up. With tools like Navisworks this is becoming more prevalent but even with Revit s internal clashing tool you can still enhance yoru families to solve these issues. This first step is to create or modify the equipment you are about add clearances to. It is best to add a new sub-category to do this, go to Manage then Object Styles and create a new category. Then develop the shape and size of the clearance required, you can also associate the parameters to the existing equipment in order to have the spatial clearance reflect adequately. Last it is best to create a material for all clearances so they are easily identifiable and include information on them when passing your data on to others so they know the purpose and what to look for. Page 14 of 15

21. Putting Linked Consultants files onto Design options to Stop Selection A simple but very useful option is the ability to use Revit s Design options in order to stop selecting the Architectural

15 21. Putting Linked Consultants files onto Design options to Stop Selection A simple but very useful option is the ability to use Revit s Design options in order to stop selecting the Architectural file. This is a regular issue for any draftsmen or engineer that as they click on systems or select options they often accidently include the Architectural link file then have to deselect it or try to select options again, this is often repeated many many times and causes a time lag that when measure over weeks or month could add to quite a lot. We can use a function to prevent selection of the Architectural file unless we demand it. The process is quite easy. First load your other Revit Model into the Project. Then open Design options from the bottom of your screen, you can then create a new option set then options. It is best to create an option set called links then create options for each link you might load into your Project. Once this is complete select the linked file and go to the Manage Tab>Design Options Panel and select Add to Set Revit will then ask what set you wish to place the linked file on, press the Link option you set up and press ok. Once this is complete you will no longer be able to select the Architect s model in your general work. However should you wish to access the model in the bottom right hand of the screen is a tick called Exclude Options turn off the tick to enable selection of the model. If you wish to remove Design Options you must open the initial dialog and accept primary to delete all design options and return the linked file back to normal workflow. Page 15 of 15

Autodesk Revit MEP Learning Essentials Training Course Outline

Autodesk Revit MEP Learning Essentials Training Course Outline Module 00 Revit in a Nutshell Interactive exercise on creating and documenting a basic building Module 01 Introduction to the Principles of BIM Simple Truths Behind the hype The benefits of BIM What will