SI Revit Template Users Guide 29may15 1
SI Revit Template Users Guide 29may15 1
SI Revit Template Users Guide 29may15 1
SI Revit Template
User’s Guide
Table of Contents
List of Figures..............................................................................5
I. Overview.................................................................................. 6
II. Introduction.............................................................................6
III.Contents of the Template..........................................................7
A. SI Project Units, Fonts and Dimensions............................................................7
B. SI Project Base Point......................................................................................... 8
C. SI Area Plan and Floor Plan Views.....................................................................9
1. Area Plan and Floor Plan Views for SI GIS Export - 5 SI Views.....................9
2. Creating SI-GIS Area and Floor Plans: Detailed Instructions......................10
3. Exporting SI-GIS Floor & Area Plans to AutoCAD.......................................16
D. SI Schedules................................................................................................... 19
1. Exporting Schedules..................................................................................20
2. Additional/Optional Schedules...................................................................21
3. Drawing Legends....................................................................................... 22
E. SI Workset Requirement.................................................................................23
F. SI Title Block, Cover Sheet and Save to Central View.....................................24
G. SI Annotation Families.................................................................................... 29
H. SI Browser View and Sheet Organization Settings..........................................31
1. View Types and Templates.........................................................................32
2. View Filters................................................................................................ 35
3. View Purpose (for Architecture).................................................................35
4. View Naming............................................................................................. 36
I. SI Sheet Naming............................................................................................. 36
J. SI Model File Naming...................................................................................... 41
IV. Using the SI Revit Template.....................................................42
A. Starting a New Revit Model............................................................................42
B. SI Revit Template File Default View.................................................................43
C. Creating SI-GIS Floor and Area Plans and SI-GIS Schedules...........................43
D. Creating a New Sheet with a Title Block.........................................................44
1. Applying Sheet Properties.........................................................................45
2. Adding Sheet and Project Information.......................................................45
V. Applying the SI Revit Template to the Existing SI Revit Projects.46
A. Transfer Project Parameters from the Revit Template to the Model File..........46
B. Inserting Revit Template Schedules Views from Revit Template to the Model
File 47
C. Upload Revit Template Annotation Families into the Model File......................47
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List of Figures
Figure 1– Revit menu - Manage Tab highlighting Project Units.................................................7
Figure 2– SI’s Project Base Point family located at 0,0,0 coordinates......................................8
Figure 3 – Project Browsers with SI-GIS Custom Views Highlighted.........................................9
Figure 4 – NASM First Floor Plan – Area Calculations (AC) View [View Template applied:
SI_Rooms]............................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 5 – NASM First Floor Plan – Floor Plan Lines (FP) View [View Template applied:
SI_FloorPlanLines]................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 7 – Gross Building AP (Exterior of Ext. Wall) [View Template applied: Area Plan for SI
Floors]................................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 8 – Gross Building AP– Floor and Rooms [View Template applied: Floor & Room Areas
for SI].................................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 9 – Rentable AP (Interior of Ext. Wall) [View Template applied: AreaPlan for SI Floors]
.............................................................................................................................................. 16
Figure 10 – Select Export Setup in the DWG Export dialog....................................................16
Figure 11 – View selection in the DWG Export dialog.............................................................17
Figure 12 – Export CAD Formats – Save to Target Folder dialog.............................................17
Figure 13 – Exported Revit views in AutoCAD........................................................................18
Figure 14 - Customized Schedule Views for SI-GIS Space Data..............................................19
Figure 15 - Customized Schedule Views for SI-GIS Floor Data...............................................19
Figure 16 - Revit Project Browser showing SI-GIS Schedule Views in yellow..........................21
Figure 17 - Standard Drawing Sheet with SI Title Block.........................................................24
Figure 18 - Detail of SI Revit Title Block and controlling parameters.....................................25
Figure 19 - Detail of SI Revit Template Title Block displaying Project Information parameters
.............................................................................................................................................. 26
Figure 20 - Standard SI Cover Sheet......................................................................................27
Figure 21 - Default SI Revit Template Startup View (SAVE TO CENTRAL View).......................28
Figure 22 – Custom SI Annotation Symbols...........................................................................29
Figure 23 – Custom SI View Title Symbols.............................................................................29
Figure 24 – Revit Project Browser and its Organization Settings............................................31
Figure 25 – Revit worksession showing Default View templates that control views in the
model.................................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 26 - Revit View Template menu with SI View Templates highlighted...........................33
Figure 27 – Sheet numbering system and sheet file naming system.....................................37
Figure 28 – The pre-configured Sheet Set included in the SI Revit Template.........................40
Figure 29 – Revit New Project menu which brings up the Choose Template dialog................42
Figure 30 – Default view for the SI Revit template.................................................................43
Figure 31 – Create a New Sheet with a Title Block in Revit....................................................44
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I Overview
Autodesk’s Revit building information modeling software comes with the capability
to configure, manage and save standard work environments, as templates. Utilizing
templates help standardize modeling practices for an organization, ensuring that
graphic representations, data syntax, object and view taxonomies, and the overall
software working environment is consistent, and that the end product aligns with
industry and organizational standards. The Revit templates customized for the
Smithsonian Institution (SI) provide a standardized framework for developing
building information models for SI projects.
This guide is NOT intended to be a Revit tutorial but assumes that the user has a
sufficient level of proficiency to comprehend the template descriptions outlined. The
templates include BIM requirements and workflows to support the Smithsonian
Institution’s standard project deliverables.
I. Introduction
The SI Revit Template for Architecture includes custom sheet title blocks with
related graphic content, and settings. It provides a starting point for a new project
and includes standards for Revit views and families, has defined Revit settings for
units, fill patterns, line styles, line weights, view scales, and more.
The SI template file contains commonly used drawing objects to assist Revit users in
setting up a new project. This document highlights the features customized for the
SI template, and provides a description on how to use them in a Revit project. Users
should note that all the features associated with SI have been named with a “SI”
prefix/suffix. A change to any features that contains a “SI” prefix/suffix has to be
approved by Smithsonian Institution’s COTR (Contracting Officer’s Technical
Representative).
Although some template features are in alignment with the U. S. National CAD
Standard (version 5), the template is not intended to comprehensively incorporate
that standard. Users may make modifications to components of the basic template
as necessary to meet specific SI project requirements.
This guide refers specifically to the SI Revit Architectural Template
(SI_Revit2014_Template_Arch.rte). Additional templates have been developed
to support SI Revit models for the Mechanical/Plumbing, Electrical, and Structural
disciplines. The discipline templates are standard templates that are modified to
incorporate SI standard annotations, view templates, title blocks, etc. All the
features in these templates can be modified to suit the project requirements except
for the features that contain “SI” prefix/suffix including SI asset parameters. These
discipline templates are discussed in the document’s Appendices.
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Units option
3. The Project Units dialog box pops-up. Click the button under the Format
column for each unit type to display the Format settings dialog box
4. In the Format dialog box, select the correct unit from the Units drop down
list. For additional notes and instructions on units conversion, refer to the
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Note that all SI-GIS plan views must contain SI insertion point symbol family located
in the appropriate location (0,0,0) before they are exported to AutoCAD for all SI
deliverables.
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The SI Revit template includes several floor plan and area plan views (labeled “SI”).
These are formatted to hold data values that will be exported to SI’s GIS application,
SI Explorer. These views are listed under “5 SI Views” in the template’s Revit Project
Browser. (Detailed instructions for these workflows follow later in this guide -
“Creating SI-GIS Area & Floor Plans Detailed Instructions”).
Area Calculation Plans (AC)
The SI-GIS_*_AC_FloorPlan view displays rooms objects. (By default in Revit, room
objects added to a model will be displayed in any Revit view set to display room
objects).
Note that the room envelope (edge or boundary) is not visible in the view, since the
color fill visibility is turned off (in order to export the information correctly into SI
Explorer).
The BIM user will add room tags (room name and number) to room objects in these
views as part of the deliverable required by the SI.
All floor plan level views in the building must be created by duplicating the
respective floor plan and applying the SI_Rooms view template to each floor.
Floor Plans (FP)
The Revit template SI floor plan view follows the naming convention: SI-
GIS_*_FP_FloorPlan (*= 2 digit floor number i.e. 01). These views contain SI
required attributes and formatting (with no annotations, no unnecessary layers, no
CAD underlays, etc.), to export correctly to SI Explorer.
All floor plan level views must be created by duplicating the respective floor plan
view and then applying the SI-FloorPlanLines view template for each required
floor.
Area Plans - Gross Building and Rentable Plans
The SI Revit template contains two types of Area Plans: Gross Building and Rentable
which support data transfer to SI Explorer. These two plans are; a view for floor
gross area (calculating area bounded by the exterior side of the exterior wall), and
a view for rentable area (calculating area bounded by the interior side of the
exterior wall) extractions.
Gross Building - Exterior Gross Area Plans (EGA)
The template’s SI-GIS_*_Floor_EGA (*= 2 digit floor number i.e. 01; EGA = Exterior
Gross Area) view displays floor area information (bounded by the exterior side of the
exterior wall) to be exported to SI Explorer. Create views for all floors in the building
by duplicate the respective floor area plan (Gross Building) and applying the
SI_Floors view template to each.
Floor Room Areas – (Flr-RmAreas)
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The SI-GIS_*_Floor_Flr-RmAreas (*= 2 digit floor number) view displays both floor
and room areas for that floor. To generate these views, duplicate the respective floor
area plans (Gross Building), copy and paste the area boundary lines from the
rentable area plans, and apply the SI_Floors&Rooms view template to each.
Rentable - Interior Gross Area Plans (IGA)
The template’s SI-GIS_*_Floor_IGA (*= 2 digit floor number; IGA = Interior Gross
Area) view displays floor area information (bounded by the interior side of the
exterior wall) to be exported to the SI Explorer. Create views for all floors in the
building, by duplicating the respective floor area plan (Rentable) and applying the
SI_Floors view template to each.
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Figure 4 – NASM First Floor Plan – Area Calculations (AC) View [View Template applied:
SI_Rooms]
SI-GIS_*_FP_FloorPlan
These views contain SI required attributes and formatting (with no annotations, no
unnecessary layers, no CAD under lays, etc.) for each floor. To create SI-floor plan
views for each level, the user must duplicate the standard floor plan view:
1. Right click on the view name in the Project Browser
2. Select Duplicate View > Duplicate with Detailing
3. Apply the view template named “SI _FloorPlanLines”
Figure 5 – NASM First Floor Plan – Floor Plan Lines (FP) View [View Template applied:
SI_FloorPlanLines]
After the Floor plans are created for a particular floor, duplicate the created view
and name it appropriately with SI-GIS prefix. The following table lists the required
views to be generated for SI-GIS from each of the Floor plans:
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9. Add the area by clicking the Architecture tab > Room & Area panel > Area
drop-down > (Area)
After the area plans are created for a particular floor, duplicate the created view and
name it appropriately with SI-GIS prefix. The following table lists the required views
for SI-GIS from each of the area plans:
Area Plans SI-GIS Views View Template Exporte
Applied d to
CAD
Gross Building SI-GIS_*_Floor _EGA SI_Floors No
(Duplicate each area
plan twice;
SI-GIS_*_Floor_ Flr- SI_Floors&Rooms Yes
one for each SI-GIS RmAreas
view)
Rentable SI-GIS_*_Floor_IGA SI_Floors Yes
* = 2 digit Floor Number
SI-GIS_*_Floor_ Flr-RmAreas
To create SI-GIS_*_Floor_ Flr-RmAreas views, go to the SI-GIS_*_Floor_EGA view
for the corresponding floor and duplicate it:
1. Right click on the view name in the Project Browser
2. Select Duplicate View > Duplicate with Detailing
3. This creates an identical view with a prefix “Copy of original view name”
4. Rename the copied view using the format SI-GIS_*_Floor_ Flr-RmAreas
(*=Floor number)
5. Apply the view template named “SI_Floors&Rooms”
This view has both exterior area boundary line and the room boundary lines, when
exported to CAD (dwg) they comply with SI-GIS needs.
The user must add the area tags to each area object and name them appropriately,
indicating gross area and room areas. This identifies the area polylines when the
floor plans are exported to CAD (dwg).
Gross Area Tags
To tag the gross area:
1. Select the Tag All Not Tagged Revit command
2. in the Tag All Not Tagged dialog, select Area Tags – SI-Area Tag: Area
Name with Area,
3. click OK to complete the command
Room Area Tags
To tag room area:
1. Tag the area as mentioned above, using Area Tags – SI-Area Tag: Area
Name with Area tag
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2. Open the previously tagged SI-GIS_*_AC_FloorPlan for that floor, select all
the room tags and copy them to the clipboard. For instructions on selecting
all room tags see Room Number Tags in the previous section, page 10.
3. Open the SI-GIS_*_Floor_Flr-RmAreas view for that floor and select
Aligned to Current View from the Paste dropdown menu in the Modify
tab’s Clipboard panel to paste the tags in this view
4. Add the SI-Project Insertion Point Family at the project base point (which
should be located at 0,0,0 coordinates) in each of the SI-GIS views.
This view contains tags for both floor area and room areas and is ready to export to
CAD (dwg)
Create area plans for ALL levels (both gross building and rentable) and apply
“SI_Floors” and “SI_Floors&Rooms” view templates.
Figure 7 – Gross Building AP (Exterior of Ext. Wall) [View Template applied: Area Plan for SI
Floors]
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Figure 8 – Gross Building AP– Floor and Rooms [View Template applied: Floor & Room Areas
for SI]
Figure 9 – Rentable AP (Interior of Ext. Wall) [View Template applied: AreaPlan for SI Floors]
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4. In the DWG (or DXF) Export dialog, specify which views to export to the
DWG file:
If you want to Then:
export:
a single view for Export, select <Current View/Sheet
Only>
multiple views for Export, select <In session view/sheet
set>, select views from the Show in list dropdown,
and select the views to export
5. Click Next
6. In the Export CAD Formats dialog, navigate to the target folder for the
exported files, enter the project name and click OK
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7. Revit will export the selected views to DWG files, placing them in the target
folder specified
When the exported CAD files are opened in AutoCAD for the first time the A-
AREA-BNDY & A-RM-AREA-BNDY layers (where the space and floor polylines
are saved) are turned off. To view the polylines, turn on both of these layers and
save the files for future use.
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D.SI Schedules
A set of schedules is included for room and floor data required for SI GIS export to SI
Explorer, labeled with the prefix “SI-GIS”. These schedules have SI fields that are
added to the project as custom parameters, and are required in the final
deliverables. The completed schedules should be exported from Revit in the .txt file
format and saved as excel files by opening the .txt files in Microsoft Excel program.
The parameter settings for these schedules cannot be modified. Any deviations
must be approved by SI COTR. Please refer to Appendix C in this Guide for a
detailed list of space and floor custom spatial parameters for SI.
1. Exporting Schedules
To export a schedule:
1. Open a schedule view
1. Click Open
2. In the Open dialog box, select the saved .txt files and then press open button
3. Follow the instructions in the Text Import Wizard. When done with the steps in
the wizard, click Finish to complete the import operation
4. Once the data is imported save the file as excel file with the appropriate file
name
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2. Additional/Optional Schedules
Additional schedule views have been included in the Revit template to assist project
BIM development and data collection. These can be modified by project teams.
These include schedules for:
1. Doors, Windows, Walls and Finishes
2. DIV* labeled component schedules - helpful for quantity take offs
3. Schedules for reference or
documentation (labeled with the
prefix Z-)
To assist with Quality Assurance
and Control there are some
additional schedules labeled “Z-
QAQC”. (Refer to Appendix “E” for
more information on program
schedule)
The schedule “Z-QAQC
Programmed Area vs. Actual” is
designed to contain the
programmed spaces and area
requirements and will track actual
room areas in the model once the
“Room” objects are assigned to
the correct spaces
The schedule “Z-QAQC Egress
Route Distances” is set to record
egress distances of labeled paths
Note that these schedules are basic
schedules to track architectural elements.
A/E can use their company standard
schedules and/or can make modifications to
track these elements.
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3. Drawing Legends
The “Legends” view section contains legends for drawing development. These may
be changed during project production depending on specific project requirements.
The “ABBREVIATIONS” legend uses a sample set of abbreviations that are derived
from the National CAD Standards/Uniform Design System 5.0 list.
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E. SI Workset Requirement
Worksets are a way to divide a set of elements in the Revit project into subsets for
worksharing. Consider worksets as containers. Worksets are NOT layers as in CAD.
Think of them as containers for major systems in a building (interior, exterior, roof,
core, and so on). The Revit project contains a Workset Table which is a table
containing references to all the worksets contained in that project. There may be
one or many worksets in a project.
SI requires the following essential worksets in a work shared project for architectural
models.
Workset Purpose
Name
Exterior Shell Include all exterior shell elements of the building(s)
Interior Include all interior elements of the building(s) except furniture
and equipment
Core Include core structure and core elements of the building(s)
Furniture Include all interior furniture and equipment elements of the
building(s)
Exhibits Walls Include exhibit walls/partitions different from interior walls and
exhibits
Exhibits Include exhibits
Grid and Include grids and levels
Levels
Links Include linked discipline Revit models (For large projects)
Separate Include separate discipline worksets for Mechanical, Electrical,
discipline Plumbing, Fire Protection, Structural and Life Safety (For small
worksets projects)
Note: For small projects handled by one AE firm where disciplines are included
within the Architectural Revit model, use separate discipline worksets. For large
projects it is recommended to have separate Revit models for each discipline,
linked to either site model or architectural model and associated with links
workset.
During model development, Revit users should be aware of the active workset while
creating datum, geometry, or rooms. Revit Architecture automatically manages the
worksets for everything else (views, families, and project standards). These cannot
be changed by the user.
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The above image shows the SI Revit sheet title block and its editable project specific
parameters. The North arrow can be changed to a Project & True North configurable
arrow. Included are five optional graphic scales along with many other title block
parameters.
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Figure 19 - Detail of SI Revit Template Title Block displaying Project Information parameters
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Standard SI Cover Sheets are included in two sizes; SI‐CVR-24x36In and SI‐CVR-
36x48In.
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3. The SI view templates help the SI user to easily customize the floor plan and
area plan views required for SI-GIS purposes. Applying these view templates
to the Revit views will eliminate the annotations, dimensions and other non-
required Revit elements from the views and facilitates the easy export to CAD
format. Note that A/E can edit and modify all the view templates as per the
project requirement except for the view templates with the “SI” prefix. The SI
view templates should be applied to all the SI-GIS views as instructed in the
User Guide.
To apply View Template settings on the drawings at any time, prior to printing or
project delivery:
1. Select the view or multiple views in the browser window
2. Right click and select Apply Default View Template
To make changes to the default settings:
1. Go to the View tab, Graphics panel
2. Select the View
Templates option to
open the View
Templates dialog
box.
3. Make the necessary
changes and click the
Apply button
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2. View Filters
View Filters are used in the Life Safety plans to show color and patterns for walls
that have a Fire and /or Smoke rating in the Fire Rating parameter under Identity
Data section of the Wall Family (this is a default “Type” parameter and is built into
the standard version of Revit Architecture “Wall” families). Refer to Appendix “D” for
details.
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4. View Naming
Additional views created in the model must follow the naming standards used in the
example views included in the template. The view name is created on:
Floor Level_View Type_Region (use all if building not divided)_Function
(depends on view purpose)_View Purpose
Examples:
02_Floor Plan_East_Dimensions_Doc
00_North and South Elevations_All_Framing_Work
03_Mechanical Plan_West_HW Piping_Coor
Note: Abbreviations can be used to keep the length of the view name short as long
as the abbreviations are listed in the general notes and abbreviations list. For
example, “FP” can be used instead of “Floor Plan”.
I. SI Sheet Naming
The template contains a number of pre-configured sheets which serves as a starting
point for CD sheet generation. The naming conventions for Revit sheet views and
CAD Sheets exported from Revit shall be in accordance with the following format:
For within Revit Sheet Views
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Examp A-101
le
For Sheet Views exported to CAD
[SI OFEO Project Number][-][Discipline Code][Sheet Type][Sheet
Forma
Sequence][.][FileType]
t
Examp 123456-A-101.DWG
le
The Discipline Code shall consist of up to two alphabetical characters utilizing the
list in the Discipline Code tables below. Note that the hyphen in the discipline code
is a required place holder in the absence of the second character. The hyphen is
preferred rather than a decimal point due to the use of the "dot" in electronic file
names. Alternatively, an underscore may be used to replace the hyphen when a
particular operating system does not accept hyphens in file names.
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CX* Civil Security FX Fire Suppression
CT Civil Utilities U- All Other
Transportation
Utilities
CU Civil Utilities Civil W-
Works
Note: * = Not in NCS 5.0. Source: Source: USACE
A/E/C CAD Standard Release 5.0
Table 8: Discipline Code Tables
Disciplin Designa Description Discipli Designat Description
e tor ne or
Equipme Q- All Equipment Mechani MH Mechanical HVAC
nt QA Athletic Equipment cal MP Mechanical Piping
QB Bank Equipment MI Mechanical
Instrumentation
QC Dry Cleaning MY* Mechanical Hydraulic
Equipment Systems
QD Detention Electric E- All Electrical
Equipment
al
QE Educational EA* Electrical Airfield Lighting
Equipment and Nav-aids
QF Food Service ES Electrical Site
Equipment
QH Hospital Equipment EC* Electrical Cathodic
Protection
QL Laboratory EG* Electrical Grounding
Equipment
QM Maintenance ED Electrical Demolition
Equipment
QP Parking Lot EP Electrical Interior Power
Equipment
QR Retail Equipment EL Electrical Interior Lighting
QS Site Equipment EI Electrical Instrumentation
QT Theatrical EY Electrical Interior Auxiliary
Equipment Systems
QV Video/Photographic ET Electrical
Equipment Telecommunications
QY Security Equipment Tele- T- All
commu Telecommunication
ni- s
Plumbin P- All Plumbing cations TD* Telecommunications
Demolition
g
PS Plumbing Site TA Audio Visual
PD Plumbing TC Clock and Program
Demolition
PP Plumbing Piping TI Intercom
PQ Plumbing TM Monitoring
Equipment
PL Plumbing TN Data Networks
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DL Process Liquids Resourc R- All Resource
DG Process Gases e RC Resource Civil
DP Process Piping RS Resource Structural
DQ Process Equipment RA Resource Architectural
DE Process Electrical RM Resource Mechanical
DI Process RE Resource Electrical
Instrumentation
Mechani M- All Mechanical Others X-
cal MS Mechanical Site Shop Z-
Dwgs
MD Mechanical Operati O-
Demolition
ons
Note: * = Not in NCS 5.0. Source: Source: USACE
A/E/C CAD Standard Release 5.0
It is important that files are named in this exact format so as to avoid system
conflicts when drawings are transferred to the SI’s archival system.
The sheet sequence number shall consist of three numerical characters utilizing the
following list:
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The template includes a cover sheet (numbered G-001) that contains labels linked
to the Revit Project Information parameters. This linked information, including the
Project Name, Owner, Project Status, solicitation, and contract number fields, if filled
out in the file’s Project Information section, will automatically be displayed on the
sheet.
The majority of the sheet views included in the template are provided to assist with
the drawing and documentation of the model. Since project and contract
requirement vary, the project team may need to modify all or parts of the sheet set,
along with titles and numbering contained in the base template.
Additional Sheet Attributes
Sheet views contain attributes that can be employed by users to customize an
ordered list of sheets for export from Revit. Some of these useful settings include:
Attributes that can be used for making aFigure
custom
28 –ordered list that will
The pre-configured
control the order of sheets exported from Revit
Sheet Set included in the SI Revit
Template
A checkbox for the sheet attribute “Appears in Sheet List” that can
control whether the sheet appears in a sheet schedule (this is a default
Revit parameter)
Architect shall confirm with SI on the official project number to use for the
establishment of model naming.
The software version designator shall utilize the following list:
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The discipline codes are listed in the Table 8: Discipline Code Tables above.
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Delete any view templates and filters from the target project before transferring
these items from the source project, especially, if the target project contains view
templates and filters with the same names as the source project view templates and
filters. This precaution will avoid potential issues with the view template settings.
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Note: It is ideal to separate annotation families from other families. This will be a
onetime operation as, once saved and sorted, these families can be used for all the
existing projects.
To load families:
Click Insert tab Load from Library panel (Load Family)
In the Load Family dialog, navigate to the location where annotation families
from the Revit template are saved
Select all the annotation families and click Open
SI Revit Template annotation families will now be available in the Annotations
category under Families in the Project Browser
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LOD 400 The model element is graphically represented within the Model
as a specific system, object or assembly in terms of size, shape,
location, quantity, and orientation with detailing, fabrication,
assembly, and installation information. Non-graphic information
may also be attached to the Model Element.
LOD 500 The model element is a field verified representation in terms of
size, shape, location, quantity, and orientation. Non-graphic
information may also be attached to the Model Elements.
For every SI project a BIM Model Content LOD matrix has to be filled out and
submitted utilizing the template provided along with the BIM PXP’s Appendix B in a
Microsoft Excel format.
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A. Starting a Project
After creating a new project using the SI Revit template, a basic set of tasks should
be performed to provide direction for the design team. These tasks include:
1. Model Position/Extents
Define the project’s position in space by locating the project base point at (0,
0, 0) origin. Locate the survey point coordinates based on survey data, using
survey base point
Enter location data to establish sun and shadow information
Define true north and project north
Add levels and grids to represent the expected scale of the project
2. Model Organization
Add worksets as suggested in “Setting Up Worksharing and Worksets” section
of this Guide
Define phases appropriate to the project
If known, set up Design Options for the project
Adjust browser organization to reflect the needs of the project
Create Shared Parameters if applicable
Load the appropriate Keynote file if applicable
B. Modeling Efficiencies
In general, the following characteristics of a Revit-based application model can
affect performance:
Multiple constraints
Imported and Linked files
Complex geometry
Multiple parametric relationships
The following sections will examine many aspects of modeling and recommend
certain practices in particular situations, but examining a model and its constituent
families with these factors in mind will aid in optimizing model performance.
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1. Constraints
Minimal constraints will help prevent:
"Can't keep joined" errors when moving objects
Workset sharing issues where a user may unknowingly take ownership of
an object
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Arrays can be used to copy and associate objects together. After the array
is deployed, performance may be improved by ungrouping the array and
removing the parametric associations of the copied objects
The Group And Associate checkbox may also be cleared before when
creating the array to attain the same result
Regularly review and fix warnings
Promptly resolve warnings about room boundaries overlapping. Avoid
coincident room separation lines overlapping each other and overlapping
walls
When creating detail views, model hatches with filled regions not lines
Limit joined geometry to necessities
Remove unneeded area schemes
Design Options: Utilize design options to quickly compare alternatives.
Once the final design has been determined, delete unused options to
reduce model overhead. For large-scale options (e.g. entire sections of a
building), use separate models instead of design options
Detail Lines vs. Model Lines: Detail and model lines may be used to add
information that cannot be modeled efficiently. Use detail lines to
represent information that appears in only one view and model lines for
information that appears in multiple views
Joined Geometry: Limit joined geometry to necessities
Levels in Elevation: Avoid using levels to indicate every vertical reference
in elevation (e.g. window head and sill elevations); such a technique will
require a user to hide irrelevant levels in every elevation and section view.
Develop and use Spot Elevation tools to label these items
Regularly purge unused objects. Since purged objects cannot be
recovered, you may wish to make a backup of the project before purging
Railings:
o Avoid use of railings for extensive fences or separation systems and
limit the visibility of such elements. There is no warning offered by
Revit, but performance is impacted because of the number of lines
required to generate each railing element
o If a lengthy railing element is desired, consider modeling a simplified
railing representation, relying on railing details to fully describe the
design
Like railings, stairs are complex elements, but may not be easily
simplified. Confine stair visibility to essential views
Parts and Assemblies:
o Limit the creation of parts and assemblies to necessary elements to
avoid overloading models with unneeded detail
o Consider creating parts in a separate model and linking in the original
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Raster Images:
o Remove unneeded raster images and renderings. Raster images
represent a performance and file size cost which should be minimized
o Monochrome raster images are smaller than color images. Save black
and white raster images as 1 bit per pixel format instead of JPG or TIF.
MS Paint refers to this format as Monochrome Bitmap
o Large raster images such as logos scaled down to fit into title blocks
will still retain the original file size. Consider creating a smaller,
simplified image for import into Revit
Avoid maintaining unnecessary groups. Delete unused groups from the
project browser
Family Creation
Families require fewer resources than groups. Use families instead of
groups, where possible. Groups are very powerful, but updating large
quantities of group instances consumes significant computing resources
Because families are optimized for repetition, create a family component
instead of in-place families when components are going to be repeated.
When an in-place family is copied (which it may already be problematic), it
makes an entirely new entity each time, as opposed to referencing the
information from the first instance
Limit the use of detailed/nested/parameterized families to necessities
Where possible, avoid widespread use of voids in family geometry
Where possible, avoid arrays and formulas
Use symbolic lines and masking regions instead of geometry in plan views
to show simple geometric representations. This allows Revit to avoid
processing complex geometry when it is not necessary
Parametric families place a greater computational burden on the model
than static families. Consider carefully whether a family needs parametric
flexibility and confine that flexibility to necessary adjustments
Families that cut their hosts consume significant computing resources on
regeneration as compared to families that reside on a given surface
without cutting the host. Consider modeling building components such as
HVAC registers as 2D ceiling-based or face-based families to reduce
penetration calculation
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Note: When using families for elements, equipment and fixtures from 3 rd party web
portals or manufacturer websites, always check the Family Category and
Parameters in the Revit Family file for correct mapping of the elements into their
respective categories. Most of the families might be modeled as generic models. It
is easier to edit the Family Category and Parameters to their respective category
before using the families in the model.
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D.File Maintenance
The following are recommendations for file maintenance mirroring those provided
by a client with significant Revit project experience. For small projects, this file
maintenance schedule may be largely unnecessary, while it may need to be
accelerated to keep a very large model manageable. Also note that these
maintenance procedures may be applied to files received from consultants to
ensure optimal performance.
Periodic File Maintenance (e.g. every sheet set issue): In addition to weekly
maintenance tasks, perform the following steps:
o Audit the central file
o Create a backup of the central file
o Create a new central file
o Have all users create new local files from this central file
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Appendix A: References
National CAD Standard Version 5.0
http://www.nationalcadstandard.org/ncs5/
National BIM Standard-US Version 2
http://www.nationalbimstandard.org/references.php
USACE CAD and BIM Drawing Standards
https://cadbim.usace.army.mil/BIM
Autodesk Revit 2014 Help Wiki
http://help.autodesk.com/view/RVT/2014/ENU/
Autodesk Model Performance Technical Note White Paper
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/autodesk_revit_2014_model_performance_tec
hnical_note.pdf
Construction Industry Institute https://www.construction-
institute.org/scriptcontent/more/res_cpf_2010_2_v2_more.cfm
PENN State Computer Integrated Construction http://bim.psu.edu/
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Figure A3: SI CAD Symbols available from OFEO Website – A/E Center
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Input
Field/Parameter r Type Type
Revit Automati
Level Floor of the building default c
Revit
Number Floor number default Manual
Key identifier for SI floor
SI_FloorLinkID database Custom Manual
Revit
Name Floor name default Manual
Revit Automati
Area (Area_Ft-In) Area of floor (in square feet) default c
Area of floor (in square Automati
Area_MM2 millimeters) Calculated c
Perimeter Perimeter of floor (in feet- Revit Automati
(Perimeter_Ft-In) inches) default c
Perimeter of floor (in Automati
Perimeter_MM millimeters) Calculated c
BaseElevation_Ft-In Floor elevation (in feet-inches) Custom Manual
Revit
Comments Additional Notes default Manual
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Figure: Wall Family – Fire Rating parameter Figure: NFPA Fire Rating Symbol Family
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To create a new Egress Path, select the Families list, Generic Models and expand to
show the Std_Egress_Route Object. Create an instance of this Object to place and
select Placement: Place on Work Plane and then set an Egress Path ID (Egress_ID)
parameter. The Egress_ID corresponds to the entire path from start to finish and
should be unique from all other path IDs. Using the existing schedule “Z-QAQC
Egress Route Distances”, the component lengths and the entire path length is
calculated to determine the actual total length of travel for each path as shown in
the screen capture below.
To Label the line segments, select the Annotate Tab and the “Tag by Category”
button and select the egress line segment to be labeled. There are two different
tags available- the “Egress Route ID” tag and the “Egress Route ID & Length” tag.
The user can show either just the route ID or the ID and segment length.
Unfortunately there is not an automated way to show the total length so this would
need to be manually placed from the calculated length in the schedule.
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A Contents
Overview............................................................................................................. 10
Browser and View Organization...........................................................................10
Working Views..................................................................................................... 10
Documentation Views.......................................................................................... 10
Coordination Views.............................................................................................. 10
View Filters.......................................................................................................... 10
Piping Systems.................................................................................................... 10
Duct Systems...................................................................................................... 10
Schedules............................................................................................................ 10
Customized SI Asset Schedule............................................................................. 10
Procedure to Export a Schedule to Open in a Program........................................10
Procedure to Import a Delimited Text File into Excel............................................10
Steel Pipe Fitting Lookup Table............................................................................10
Plumbing Schematic Isometric Risers..................................................................10
Sample Revit Plumbing Isometric 3D View..........................................................10
Sample Revit Plumbing Isometric Using Drafting Views......................................10
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F. Overview
The intent of the mechanical template is to provide a framework to facilitate
mechanical design using Revit MEP. It is intended to include but not be limited to
HVAC and plumbing, fire suppression, and other mechanical systems as appropriate.
This template was developed based on Revit MEP 2014.
This section is NOT intended to be a Revit tutorial, but rather assumes that the user
has a sufficient level of proficiency to comprehend the template descriptions
outlined in this guide.
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H.Working Views
These views are intended to be used for laying out mechanical components allowing
collaboration between the sub-categories within mechanical disciplines and other
disciplines.
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I. Documentation Views
These views are intended to be placed on sheets. Depending on workflow in many,
if not, most cases, mechanical design is done directly in the documentation views.
Appropriate visibility and/or filter settings are applied to display only relevant
categories and objects.
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J. Coordination Views
Due to the unique workflow for MEP design, there are only a few times where there
is a need for a coordination view separate and distinct from the working views. In
the template, only one 3D_ALL _COORD view is provided. In this view, most
categories’ visibility settings are turned ON and section box is enabled.
Table: Coordination Views - Model Categories Visibility
Sub- Hidden Categories Overrides/Settings/Comments
Category
within the
Discipline
Mechanica Areas All categories detail level set to
l 3D Curtain System Coarse except for:
Detail Items Air Terminals
Mass All Duct categories
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K. View Filters
View filters on 3D views are intended to serve as an aid to viewing mechanical
systems more clearly via color overrides. With Documentation Views, the purpose
of view filters is to facilitate the use of overrides for proper generation of printed
drawing sheets. For filter rules, preference is first given to System Classification.
When multiple system types are defined for one system classification, then System
Type is used as the filter rule.
Note that the view filters list in Revit cannot be sorted. They are listed in the
order they were created.
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L. Piping Systems
Table: Piping Systems
System Type System Abbreviat Color Patter
Classification ion n*
Condensate Other C - -
Domestic Cold Water Domestic Cold CW Blue CLDWT
Water R
Domestic Hot Water Domestic Hot HW Red HWTR
Water
Domestic Hot Water Domestic Hot HWR Light Red HWTR
Return Water R
Fire Protection Dry Fire Protection FPD - -
Dry
Fire Protection Other Fire Protection FPO - -
Other
Fire Protection Pre- Fire Protection FPPA - -
Action Pre-Action
Fire Protection Wet Fire Protection FPW - -
Wet
Natural Gas Gas G Orange
Hydronic Chilled Hydronic Return CHWR RGB -
Water Return 82,103,1
65
Hydronic Chilled Hydronic Supply CHWS Cyan -
Water Supply
Hydronic Hot Water Hydronic Return HWR Light Red -
Return
Hydronic Hot Water Hydronic Supply HWS Red -
Supply
Other Other - - -
Sanitary Sanitary SS Purple -
RGB
145,82,16
5
Vent Vent V Green DASHE
D
* Pattern Override for Documentation views, AEC CADD Standard compliant line
pattern where applicable.
M. Duct Systems
Table: Duct Systems
System Type System Abbreviat Color Pattern
Classification ion
Exhaust Air Exhaust Air EA Green -
Outside Air Supply Air SA Yellow -
N.Schedule Views
The following schedule views have been included in the Revit template to assist
project mechanical data collection.
Table: Schedules
Schedule Fields Heading Filter Rules
Circulating Mark SYMBOL Mark begins
Pump Type Comments TYPE with CP-
Flow CAPACITY
Head HEAD
Pump HP ELECTRICAL
Voltage HP
Phase VOLTAGE
Electrical Hertz PHASE
HZ
Diffuser and Type Mark MARK
Register Type FACE/NECK SIZE
Description DESCRIPTION
Family TYPE
Type Comments TYPE
Max Flow COMMENTS
Min Flow Count MAX. FLOW
Count MIN. FLOW
COUNT
Plumbing Type Mark SYM
Fixture Description DESCRIPTION
CW_DIAMETER CW
HW_DIAMETER HW
W_DIAMETER W
Count COUNT
Comments REMARKS
VAV Mark MARK Mark begins
Type SIZE/TYPE with VAV-
Type Comments TYPE
MINIMUM_AIRFLOW MIN. AIRFLOW
MAXIMUM_AIRFLOW MAX. AIRFLOW
PRESSURE MAX. INLET
DESIGN AIR S.D.
INLET_SIZE – IN.W.G.
System Name INLET SIZE – IN.
kW SYSTEM
LEAVING _DB kW
HEATING_AIRFLOW LEAVING DB
Level HEATING
Current AIRFLOW
LEVEL
Table: Schedules
Schedule Fields Heading Filter Rules
CURRENT
Table: Schedules
Schedule Fields Heading Filter Rules
zHVAC Zones Name
Level
Gross Area
Gross Volume
Occupied Area
Occupied Volume
Service Type
Calculated Cooling Load
Calculated Supply
Airflow
Calculated Supply
Airflow per Area
zSheet List Sheet Number
SHEET_TITLE_1
SHEET_TITLE_2
SHEET_TITLE_3
Current Revision
Publish Order
SHEET_NO
Approved By
Checked By
Designed By
Drawn By
FILE_NO
FILENAME
Sheet Issue Date
Sheet Name
3. In the Export Schedule dialog, specify a name and directory for the schedule,
and click Save. The Export Schedule dialog appears
4. Under Schedule appearance, select export options:
a. Export column headers: specifies whether Revit column headers export
b. Export group headers, footers, and blank lines: specifies whether sort
group header rows, footers, and blank lines export
5. Under Output options, specify how you want to display the data in the output
file:
a. Field delimiter: specifies whether fields in the output file are separated
by tabs, spaces, commas, or semicolons
b. Text qualifier: specifies whether the text in each field of the output file
should be enclosed by a single or double quote, or no annotation
6. Click OK.
Revit saves the file as delimited text, a format that can be opened in spreadsheet
programs, such as Microsoft Excel.
1. Right click on the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Open Windows
Explorer. The Open dialog box appears
2. In the list, select text files (.txt) and browse to locate and select the text file
that you want to open
3. Excel starts the Import Text Wizard. Follow the instructions in the Text Import
Wizard in a 3 step process
Step 1 of 3: Select Delimited as shown below
Step 3 of 3: Setting the format for each column. In this case select General
for all columns
When done with the steps in the Wizard, click Finish to complete the import
operation
4. Excel displays the data from Revit in Excel. Now save the file to required
Excel format
a. With your file open, click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click
Save As
b. If you want to rename the file, in the File name box, type a new name
for the file
c. In the Save as type list, select the file format (from dropdown menu)
that you want to save the file in
d. Click Save
The saved Excel file can be linked with the facility center Excel reports using SI
parameters as binding fields.
Special detail component families for pipes, crossings, and tees with filled regions
allow for the proper display of overlapping lines without manually breaking
lineworks. This also allows for fast editing and moving of components.
Similarly, fixtures are designed for easy manipulation with flip controls, type marks,
and visibility settings.
Tip: Use Revit’s Bring to Front and Send to Back tools to achieve the appropriate
line work breaking.
Table: Special detail component families
Detail Component Graphics Notes
Family
DetailComp_PlumbingIs Water Closet detail
ometric_WC.rfa component family with
‘Sanitary’ visibility
parameter OFF and ON. The
S S P-1 label is a type mark tag.
anitary = anitary =
OFF ON
DetailComp_PlumbingIs Urinal detail component
ometric_Urinal.rfa family with ‘Sanitary’
visibility parameter OFF
and ON. The P-2 label is a
type mark tag.
S
Sanitary = anitary =
OFF ON
DetailComp_PlumbingIs Lavatory detail component
ometric_Lavatory.rfa family with ‘Sanitary’
visibility parameter OFF and
ON. The P-3 label is a type
mark tag. The lavatory
component detail family
Sanitary = Sanitary = also has an additional
OFF ON FLIP_HOTCOLD parameter
to rectify the hot-cold piping
DetailComp_PlumbingIs Floor Drain detail
ometric_FD.rfa component family with
‘Sanitary’ visibility
parameter OFF and ON.
Water connection is
intended as a trap primer.
Sanitary = Sanitary = The FD-1 label is a type
OFF ON mark tag.
A Contents
B. Overview........................................................................................................ 10
C. Browser and View Organization......................................................................10
D. Documentation Views..................................................................................... 10
E. Coordination Views......................................................................................... 10
F. View Filters..................................................................................................... 10
G. SI Asset Schedule View and Customized Parameters.....................................10
H. Electrical Site Design...................................................................................... 10
I. Lightning Protection Design........................................................................... 10
V. Overview
The intent of the electrical template is to provide a framework to facilitate electrical
design using Revit MEP. It is intended to include, but not be limited to power,
lighting systems, and other electrical systems as appropriate. This template was
developed based on Revit 2014.
This section is NOT intend to be a Revit tutorial, but rather assumes that the user
has a sufficient level of proficiency to comprehend the template descriptions
outlined in this guide.
X. Documentation Views
These views are intended to be placed on sheets. Depending on workflow in many,
if not, most cases, electrical design is done directly in the documentation views.
Appropriate visibility and/or filter settings are applied to display only relevant
categories and objects.
Table: Documentation Views - Categories Visibility
Sub-Category within Hidden Categories Overrides/Settings/Co
the Discipline mments
Power All Analytical Categories Floors Surface Patterns
Air Terminals Hidden
Areas
Cable Tray Fittings
Cable Trays
Ceilings
Communication Devices
Conduit Fittings
Conduits
Data Devices
All Ducts
Entourage
Fire Alarm Devices
Flex Ducts
Flex Pipes
HVAC Zones
Lighting Devices
Lighting Fixtures
Mass
Nurse Call Devices
Parking
All Pipes
Planting
Plumbing Fixtures
Raster Images
Roads
Roofs
Rooms
Security Devices
Shaft Openings
Site
Sprinklers
Structural Area
Reinforcement
Structural Connections
Structural Foundations
Structural Path
Reinforcement
Y. Coordination Views
These views are intended to be used for interference checks and design
collaboration between electrical and other disciplines as well as between the
electrical sub-categories within the discipline.
Z. View Filters
View filters on 3D views are intended to serve as an aid to viewing mechanical
systems more clearly via color overrides. On Documentation views, the purpose of
view filters is to facilitate the use of overrides for proper generation of printed
drawing sheets. For filter rules, preference is first given to System Classification.
When multiple system types are defined for one system classification, then System
Type is used as the filter rule.
Tip: Note that the view filters list in Revit cannot be sorted. They are listed in the
order they were created.
A Contents
Overview............................................................................................................. 10
Browser and View Organization...........................................................................10
View Types........................................................................................................... 10
View Naming....................................................................................................... 10
Working Views..................................................................................................... 10
Coordination Views.............................................................................................. 10
Documentation Views.......................................................................................... 10
Analytical Views................................................................................................... 10
View Template Settings....................................................................................... 10
Structural Schedules........................................................................................... 10
Custom Structural Families..................................................................................10
Detail Component Palette.................................................................................... 10
AD. Overview
The Revit structural template is used as a basis to begin a design in Revit Structure.
It is used to provide a framework to allow a structural engineer and technician to
develop their design and documentation for the SI. This template was developed
based on Revit Structure 2014.
This section is NOT intend to be a Revit tutorial, but rather assumes that the user
has a sufficient level of proficiency to comprehend the template descriptions
outlined in this guide.