topic Re: Revit cells not working in Collaboration with other software

Revit cells not working

Eric Milberger — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:45:39 GMT

I have to create seating for a sports areana. Typical theater seating. A number of vendors but only one in the US has Revit files.

None of the others have anything and none in Europe even come close.

When I copy even one of there files into the Archicad model it shows great but cannot be plotted or translated into an IFC file. I am at a loss and dead in the water and losing a client.

I need help quickly but don’t know where to find help.

Re: Revit cells not working

Barry Kelly — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:22:23 GMT

@Eric Milberger wrote:

When I copy even one of there files into the Archicad model it shows great but cannot be plotted or translated into an IFC file.

Is it a 3D model or just 2D drawings?

And what is a 'Revit Cell' - your title makes no sense.

Don't forget this is an Archicad forum.

Barry.

Re: Revit cells not working

Eric Milberger — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:01:54 GMT

That is correct and the world is a Revit world.

It is an RFA file which is the comparable to a 3D cell in generic language’

In this case it is a RFA item brought into Archicad. And needs to be duplicated a dozen times

But not even one works. It looks great in hte model but crashes when trying to save as a ifc file or plot.

Re: Revit cells not working

Barry Kelly — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:44:54 GMT

So by saying 'Cell' you actually mean 'Object'?

There was no mention in your original post that it was an RFA object or that Archicad was crashing.

I assume you are using the 'Import RFA to GDL object' add-on to import the seating?

It could be that there is something in that RFA object that Archicad just does not like - they can become very big objects (file size wise).

Have you tried any other (smaller and less complicated) RFA files?

So it seems like you can actually import the RFA file.

Maybe then convert the GDL object into a morph.

See if that can now print and export as IFC.

You can always save it back as an object if you need to.

Maybe converting it to a morph will fix any problem geometry?

I don't know if it will work, but it is worth a try.

Also make sure Archicad is up to date with the latest build (6000 I believe).

Other than that, if you have a support agreement, you could maybe ask your local Archicad support for help?

Barry.

Re: Revit cells not working

Lingwisyer — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 07:57:09 GMT

Without the context of AC, "3D Cell" to me would be an image of a cellular structure such as a protein or as everyone has seen sars-cov-2...

If any of the vendors had 3ds file, could you try running an optimise operation on it in MAX, then bringing that into AC.

Re: Revit cells not working

Djordje — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 11:30:56 GMT

You are running out of resources.

The seat is too detailed, with too many polygons, and however good Archicad is in showing complex geometry, an area can be too much.

Try using the inbuilt theatre/stadium seating Archicad object (not cell, that might be the Microstation term?) for general layouting, and you can use the highly detailed RFA model for visualization close ups.

All this is in general because the problem is not easy to understand the way you have explained it, and this is my best guess...

... once upon a time, about 20 years ago, I wrote a small HowTo on converting the 3ds/DWG/DXF meshes to GDL on an example of a Mercedes GTR race car. The principle stays the same: take care of your polygons!!!!

To make sure it is the polygons, and not something nastier: Select that object in 3D window, and run PolyCount. Then you shall see.

Re: Revit cells not working

Eric Milberger — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:54:58 GMT

Thank-you as that at least answered my question.

I know know I will require ModelPort for my projects.

Trying to find all I need to make things work.

Re: Revit cells not working

Erwin Edel — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:39:29 GMT

I found the theater/stadium seating library from archicad adequate as well. You need several separate objects placed to get a decent layout of seats, but it works.

Below something I mocked up a long time ago, using those parts.

Re: Revit cells not working

Eric Milberger — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 04:09:05 GMT

The seating like this does not work as the drawings for construction have to be created and the cells are already there to use. I am still evaluating where to land - and I want it to be here.

But the time to recreate what they have in a Revit cell is 30minutes vs 30hours time so far.

ModelPort helps may be my solution. The concern is when I get a model with 10,000 seats.

Re: Revit cells not working

Djordje — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 07:47:25 GMT

Eric,

It would be helpful if you used the correct terminology. Things are called what they are called for a reason. You might internally translate the names and ideas - just as if you are speaking a non native language - but, as in a non native language, the native speakers of that language would understand and be helpful much sooner if they understood your issue immediately

Re: Revit cells not working

Eric Milberger — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 19:43:31 GMT

IT will take a while however - I do not practice in a Revit world but have to live in that world.

The element is created in Revit as that is typical for anything.

IT works in Revit without issue and in this case to 5000 instances

It is a Compound Cell/Compound component if I talk to the vendor

So it is to them that I need to ask questions for a solution

Re: Revit cells not working

Laszlo Nagy — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 22:14:39 GMT

Name of custom content in various applications:

Microstation - Cell

Autocad - Block

Revit - Family

Archicad - Library Part

Re: Revit cells not working

Eric Milberger — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 20:28:49 GMT

And for Microstation AECOSim - Compound Cells

These compare to the cells Revit Families

My issues is I cannot find my key elements. Common items yes but not the ones that area special to a project. Overhead doors, Concert Seating, etc. I find a lot of things from overseas but those I cannot order and many don’t look like what we have available here. Many of these Items I try and set up before design as I know I need them as I go.