AC 25 Revit Export - Levels not Exporting to Revit Model

[Mark Hensler]

Hello,

I am excited to try out the native .rvt export option in AC 25, however, I sent a model to my engineer and they reported back that the whole project opened with only 1 level in Revit.  The full model is visible, so it is not just exporting one story.  I looked, but didn't see any settings related to this in the save options.  Does anyone know if this is just the way .rvt gets saved, or is there a way to include those stories?

If this is just how the exporter works, has anyone developed a workflow to exchange the stories?  My initial reaction is to default back to IFC to set up the story levels in their Revit file, then import the .rvt into that.  Any thought?

Thanks everyone.

[Mats_Knutsson]

Yes use IFC!

[Patrick M]

second that... the RVT/RFA translators are no different than importing/exporting SKP. They just send out dumb(ish) lumps of geometry. To coordinate between AC & Revit, save IFC for geometry, DWG for documentation, and PDF for QA validation. A "BIM Exchange" should have all 3 formats, no matter what the authoring tool used. The ONLY time I have seen RFA translator useful for export was when a plans examiner equated "BIM coordination" with "Revit files"... so we sent the Revit files along with the aforementioned IFC/DWG/PDF. AFAIK, they haven't asked for a Revit file again

[Mark Hensler]

Ugh... that was what I was afraid of.  Ok well at least we know what to do with the IFC models.

I like your solution for the plan examiner lol, nothing like seeing "Revit file Delivery" written in RFPs, may have to try the same thing next time a client demands "Revit" when they mean BIM.

Thanks for the input!

[Patrick M]

IFC coordination is actually really awesome once you iron out the workflow per consultant/exchange. You can use the hotlink module manager to import a consultants IFC, then use graphic overrides to reestablish correct surface overrides for individual elements or groups of elements by type/layer/etc. The only "trick" is to make sure classifications are properly assigned to all elements on both sides of the exchange. I have a graphic override rule that says "classification _ is _ undefined", then it automatically turns everything without a classification in Archicad bright red

[Mark Hensler]

Thats a good idea setting up the GO for un classified objects, I am going to have to steal that from you.

We are mostly there with the IFC workflow, we do get request mostly from our MEP engineers for .rvt files because they can host their elements to the walls and ceiling in those files with out creating their own.  I am still working on getting them to use the new MEP tools in AC 😉 

[Patrick M]

hey, if they are using revit, they can author it how they like. Just ask them to send a "ducts only", "equipment only", "outlet/switch/fixture only", and "waste/supply plumbing only" files. They should never be sending files that have your walls back to you. This way you can import each IFC separately, put them on their own layers and isolate them (you could even ask to separate supply and return air for GO based color coding). As long as your walls are classified as walls/slabs as slabs/roofs as roofs/etc, and they are using the IFC for Revit importer from Graphisoft, they should be able to attach using whatever families they are familiar with. Its on them to isolate out the parts and get you a file that YOU can use... goes without saying, just make sure your building doesn't get repositioned from it's 0,0,0 relationship, then the IFC for MEP/Structural/etc. all come in and snap right into place...  you'll really be screaming along when you have find and select criteria baked into your template to semi-auto run collision detection between those IFC files!

[Mark Hensler]

Yeah thats what I say too, if they need those elements for their software to work that is their problem...  What the send back is usually what you mentioned.  And to be sure, I tell our teams to import the IFC into a blank .pln with the same settings as the main file, that way if there are any rough modeling, we can clean it up before hotlinking that .pln into the host.

The new survey point is exciting for keeping track of the 0,0,0!  We had to crack a few knuckles, especially when one of our landscape architects starts a project and they want to use the global origin from a GIS plan.  Nothing like having the project miles away from 0,0,0....

I will say that the IFC exchange process has gotten a lot better over the years.  But really using the collision detection is something we can still get better at.  Do you find Archicad does a good enough job at finding the clashes, or do you pull the models out into something like Solibri?

[Patrick M]

Solibri is fine as a model viewer; and the model checker is a bit too $$ even for the architects I work for (stupid high end projects). The collision detection works great as long as the tollerances are carefully managed and the find and select criteria are dialed in. also set a few bright color pens just for the mark-up items in the collision detection settings

[ryejuan]

BIM Coordination is the most complicated part if most parties don't know what they are doing. 

In my opinion they can just link the IFC files in revit so everytime you have changes in the IFC model they just update the linked file then from that point they modify their MEP layouts.

Since its a link file when they export there MEP layouts into IFC it will be just like @Patrick M says it will only contain the MEP elements. 😎