Revit: Using Best Practices

Using Best Practices

Good file maintenance is critical to keeping your files running smoothly and your file sizes low. The following are some best practices and workflows that were identified in other areas of the book but are consolidated here as a quick reference:

Manage the amount of information shown in views. Learn to manage the amount of information needed in a
given view. Minimize the view depth and the level of detail so you do not show more than you need to show in a view.

Minimize the level of detail. Set your detail level, found in the view control bar, relative to your drawing scale. For example, if you are working on a 1/32? = 1'-0? (1:500) plan, you probably do not need Detail Level set to Fine. This will cause the view to have a higher level of detail than the printed sheet can show, and you will end up with not only black blobs on your sheets but also views that are slow to open and print.

Minimize view detail. Along with the amount of detail you turn on in the view using the Detail Level tool, make sure you are not showing more than you need to show. For instance, if you have wall studs shown in a 1/16? = 1'-0? (1:200) scale plan or the extruded aluminium window section shown in a building section, chances are it will not represent properly when printed. Turning off those elements in your view will keep things moving smoother as well as printing cleaner.

Model only what you need. Although it is possible to model to a small level of detail, do not fall into the trap of over-modelling. Be smart about what you choose to model and how much detail you plan to show. If it is not conveying information about the project, maybe it is not really needed. The amount of information you do or do not model should be based on your project size and complexity, your timeframe, what you need to document, and your comfort level with the software. The amount of information required in the model is also influenced by the LOD requirements of the project. LODs are discussed in Chapter 1, “Understanding the Principles of BIM.”

Use three rules of thumb when deciding how much to model. When you are trying to decide how much detail to put into a model or even a family, there are three good rules of thumb to help you make the right decision for the particular element you are looking to create.

Scale. What scale will this detail be seen in? If it is a small scale (such as 3? = 1'-0?), it might be simpler to just draw it in 2D in a drafting view.

Repetition. How many times will this detail appear in the drawing set? If it will appear in only one location or only one time, it might be easier to just draft it in 2D rather than try to model the elements. If it will appear in several locations, modelling is the better solution. The more exposure an element has in the model (the more views it shows in), the more reasons you have to model it. For example, doors are good to model. They show in elevations and plans all over the sheet set.

Quality. Be honest—how good at modelling families are you? Do not bite off more than you can chew. If you are new to the software, keep it simple, use 2D components, and keep the parametric properties to a minimum. The more projects you complete, the better you will understand the transition to a BIM workflow.

Do not over-constrain. Embedding user-defined constraints into families and the model helps keep important information constant. However, if you do not need to lock a relationship, do not do it. Over-constraining the model can cause problems later in the project process when you want to move or modify locked elements. Constrain only when necessary. Otherwise, let the model be free. However, if you do over-constrain your model, Revit has a feature to show you where the constraints are located in any given view.

Watch out for imported geometry. Although you have the ability to use geometry from several other file sources, use caution when doing so. Remember that everything you link into a project or a family takes up around 20 times the file size in your system’s RAM. So, linking a 60 MB NURBS-based ceiling design will equal 2 GB of RAM and more than likely slow down your model. Deleting unused CAD files, using linking rather than importing, and cleaning up the CAD geometry before insertion will help keep problems to a minimum.

Purge unused files and family types. You will find that you will not use every family, group, or material you create in your model. Revit has a tool that will allow you to get rid of those unused elements to help keep your file sizes down to a reasonable level. This tool, Purge Unused, can be found on the Manage tab in the Settings panel. If your file is large, it can take several minutes to run, but eventually, you will be presented with a list (Figure B.6) of all the unused elements within your file.

Model correctly from the beginning. As you refine your design, it is critical to model correctly right from the beginning, not taking shortcuts, so you do not have to fix things later. If you can begin by thinking about how your project will be assembled, it will save you a lot of time later in the process. It is good practice to plan ahead, but remember that the software will allow you to make major changes at any stage in the process and still maintain coordination. If you are still in an early phase of design and do not know the exact wall type, use generic walls to capture your design intent; changing them later will be simple.

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