Sectional Perspectives! - for later versions as well

1. Go to Ground Floor Plan, place a camera face on to the plane you want to cut
2. When the camera view opens, tick 'section box'
3. Click on the section box boundary to activate the grab handles and open the floor plan view again - section box lines should still be highlighted for you to move (if not, go back to camera view etc)


For later versions of Revit, see this tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaRcLLXsOq0

Linking Files

Linking other Revit files

eg. electrical services etc.

Open a 3D view in the main file so you easily see what's going on with the position of the linked file, if needed. (Note: if 'Link Revit' is greyed out, this should also fix that).

1. Insert menu, 'Link Revit'
2. Navigate to the place where the other revit files are. IMPORTANT - all the files to be linked, including the main file, must be in the same folder/place.
3. Select the file and choose to link as below, with positioning using 'Auto - by shared coordinates' (this assumes you are all using the correct coordinates)

Sheets - Splitting Schedules over more than one Sheet

When you have a really large schedule, the only way to split between sheets is to filter the schedule and copy, but there is a trick to copying (dont use 'Duplicate') so see the link below to a video..

Basically involves:

• filter the schedule so it fits on a page (eg. by room number or door ID etc)
• rename appropriately
•  right click on the selected schedule in the project browser (not in the view screen)
• copy to clipboard
• open up any other view (doesn't matter what, just can't be a schedule view) and paste - the copied schedule will paste here (but wont'affect the view you opened)
• then use the filter to adjust the final schedule size of teh copied schedule, rename it appropriately

http://blogs.rand.com/architectural/2011/04/splitting-a-schedule-across-sheets-in-revit.html

Walkthroughs

=  a camera that follows a path that you define; the path comprises frames and key frames.

*Key frame = a modifiable frame where you can change the direction and position of the camera. Each click results in a key frame.

By default, walkthroughs are created as a series of perspective views (but can also create as orthographic 3D views).

1. Open a view in which to place the walkthrough path (usually a floor plan but can also make in 3D, elevation and section views).
2. ViewCreate 3D (Walkthrough).
3. [If wanting an orthogonal 3D view instead of perspective, clear the Perspective option on the Options Bar, and select a view scale.
4. If in plan view, can vary camera height by offsetting it from a selected level (can give effect of camera is going up/down a flight of stairs).
5. Place the cursor in a view, and click to place a key frame*.
6. Move the cursor in the desired direction to draw the path.
7. Click again to place another key frame.
• You can place key frames anywhere, but you cannot change their position during creation of the path.
• You can edit the key frames after you finish the path.
8. To finish the walkthrough path, you can do any of the following:
• Click Finish Walkthrough.
• Double-click
• Esc.

After you finish placing camera key frames, Revit creates a walkthrough view under the Walkthroughs heading in the Project Browser. 

Editing a Path

1. Similar to editing perspectives - Project Browser, right-click the walkthrough view name, and select Show Camera.
2. To move the entire walkthrough path, drag the path to the desired location.
3. To edit the path: Modify | Cameras tabWalkthrough panel(Edit Walkthrough).
• You can select which control in the path you want to edit from the drop-down menu.
• Controls affect the position and direction of the camera
• 
  

NB. the closer the points are, the slower the video will be between the points (the further away, the quicker) so bear this in mind - best to keep them relatively evenly spaced.

Dragging the Camera to a New Frame

1. For Controls, select Active Camera.
2. Drag the camera along the path to the desired frame or key frame. The camera snaps to key frames. (Or type the frame number in the Frame text box).
3. While the camera is active and located at a key frame, you can drag the target point of the camera and the far clip plane.

Changing the Path

1. For Controls, select Path. The key frames become controls along the path.
2. Drag a key frame to the desired location. Notice that the value in the Frame text box stays constant.

Adding/Removing Key Frames

1. For Controls, select Add Key Frame or Remove Key Frame.
2. Place the cursor along the path, and click to add/remove a key frame.  

Displaying the Walkthrough View when Editing

As you edit a walkthrough path, you may want to see the results of your changes on the actual view. To open the walkthrough view, click Modify | Cameras Walkthrough (Open Walkthrough).

Editing Frames

1. Open the walkthrough
2. Modify | CamerasWalkthrough(Edit Walkthrough).
3. Options Bar, click Walkthrough frame edit button .
4. The Walkthrough Frames dialog has 5 columns that show the frame properties:
•  Key Frame column - total number of key frames in the path. Click a key frame number to display where that key frame appears on the walkthrough path. A camera icon displays at the selected key frame.
• Frame column -  the frame at which the key frame displays.
• Accelerator column -  numerical controls for changing the speed of the walkthrough playback at a specific key frame.
• By default, there is a uniform speed at which the camera travels along the entire walkthrough path. You can change the speed by increasing or decreasing the total number of frames or by increasing or decreasing the number of frames per second. Enter the desired value for either
• To change the accelerator value for key frames, clear the Uniform Speed check box, and enter a value for the desired key frame in the Accelerator column. Valid values for the Accelerator are between 0.1 and 10.
• Speed column - speed at which the camera travels along the path at each key frame.
• Elapsed Time - the amount of time that has elapsed since the first key frame. 

Cameras Along Path

To help you visualize the distribution of frames along the walkthrough path, select Indicators. Enter a value for the increment at which you want to see camera indicators.

Resetting Target Points

You can move the position of the camera's target point at a key frame, for example, to create the effect that the camera is looking side to side. To reset the target points back to following the path, click Modify | CamerasWalkthrough (Reset Cameras).

see also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGZmtRoXzjM

 Exporting

You can export to an AVI or image file. When you export a walkthrough to an image file, each frame of the walkthrough is saved as an individual file. You can export all frames or a range of frames.

To export a walkthrough:

1. Open the walkthrough view.
2. Click ExportImages and AnimationsWalkthrough. The Length/Format dialog opens.
3. Under Output Length, specify:
   • All frames to include all frames in the output file(s).
   • Frame range to export only a specific range of frames. For this option, enter the frame range in the entry boxes.
   • Frames/second. As you change the number of frames per second, the total time automatically updates.
4. Under Format, specify Visual Style, Dimensions and Zoom to the desired values.
5. OK.
6. Accept the default output file name and path, or enter a new name.
7. Select the file type, either AVI or an image file (JPEG, TIFF, BMP, or PNG).
8. Save.
9. In the Video Compression dialog, choose a video compressor from the list of compressors you have installed on your computer.
10. To stop recording the AVI file, click Cancel next to the progress indicator at the bottom of the screen or press Esc.

Rendering...

It is better to render the images, or individual frames of the walk-through, out to a JPEG or TIFF format.

Then use video-editing software to put all of the frames together into a video format. The human eye sees up to 30 frames per second; therefore, you should set your walkthrough's frame rate to 30 frames per second. This means a one-minute walkthrough will contain 1,800 still frame images.

If you render the walkthrough direct to a MPEG, AVI or other video format, you run the risk of the walkthrough getting an error before the walkthrough video finishes rendering. If this happens, the rendered walkthrough video will be corrupt and will not play.

OR JUST DONT RENDER...perhaps just have a nice render for the final image or the very first one...

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_8590258_create-walkthrough-revit.html#ixzz2gcE03nUK

http://whatrevitwants.blogspot.co.nz/2010/02/how-to-create-revit-walkthrough-and.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijfjldYSqYg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrcdKOG7ti8 - making horizontal modifications (eg. the path)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyaSMF0bkEQ - making modifications in elevation (ie. easier way to visualise the heights of the camera particularly if using stairs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_SSihizZ4U - more vertical modifications, using a different elevation view
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfkEOI7QuR0 - some more editing, rendering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ynbo7j0i-8 - extending the path

Lighting for renders

Use studio lights for a light source with no fittings.
If rendering in sunlight then will need the source to be around 3 times stronger than sunlight eg. 20,000W

If wanting a night shot, choose only artificial lighting in GD window.

Studio lights - wanting a strong light use 10,000W (indirect only).

Central files, local files

Creating a Central File for worksharing/synchronising

1. Open the file you want to make the 'central file', click 'save as'

2. Choose the desired central location and file name, then under 'options' in the save window check the 'Make this a central file after save' option.

 

Then 'ok', and 'save'.
This is now the central file in the location you selected.

Creating a Local Copy

Everyone working on this project then wants to create their own local copies they can work on, and synchronise to the central file at regular intervals. (NB. all users must have access to the central file location for this to work).

1. To make a local copy, open the central file by going via the Revit Projects, Open function.

2. Select the newly created central file.
3. There should be an option at the bottom of this window next to open which is automatically checked to 'Create new local'

4. Click 'Open'.

A new local copy has now been created on your computer (in your default directory for saves) and any automated or default save actions will now save this file there instead of back to the central file- but the system will also prompt you to synchronise at regular intervals with the Central file (you can choose to synchronise with the Central when needed as well).

Curtain walls & glazing

Curtain walls - editing

• Project Browser menu (rhs)
• Curtain Panels (right down the bottom) - System Panels - make a copy and edit (need to double click)

NOTE: to change transparency for glass etc, need to uncheck the 'use render colour' box first to enable the slider...

• To edit peices of a curtain wall/roof, need to make sure you've added in some grid lines first to create a section, then click on that panel, and 'unpin' to edit the properties of that section...

Curtain walls - adding doors (or sash windows)

• To place a curtain wall door:
• make the size by making a panel of this size first (grids), though can adjust later but less potential for problems if you set the grids up first...
• select the panel only (have to use the TAB key otherwise will prob select the whole curtain wall), unlock - default will be locked
• then go to properties and select the door for this (will be found under the curtain wall glazing panels area, not in 'doors') (or sash window)
• The door (or window) will be as large as the panel ie. will expand or shrink to fit. To resize the door, you must resize the panel space instead.
• NB. the default appears to be for double glazing (2 panes of glass) - this appears in the materials editor area (appearance)

NB. if having problems loading curtain wall doors, open the component you want independent of the project as if you're going to edit it, then load into the project you want it in. Load family via the insert menu, not the architecture menu.

Crazy shapes - conceptual masses

File new - Conceptual Mass - Metric Mass

Set up your reference planes and levels
eg. for my media 'wall':

• Floor plan, start at level 1, draw a crazy line (bottom)
• Move to level 2, draw the other line (top)
• Select the 2 lines
• Create Form
• Load into project...
• Massing, Place Mass, select the one you've just created

Creating files for 3D printing or CNC!

3D Printing from Revit files

Need: Revit + STL plugin + Rhino (just to scale correctly)

1. Need plugin for STL exporting (free download from Autodesk site)
2. Make sure the model is 'watertight' and the walls will be at least 3mm (so for a 1:200 scale, a minimum of 600mm thick!). Make sure model is hollow so it doesn't cost too much (for 3D printing, otherwise don't worry)
3. Make sure you have the 3D view open in Revit and the scale you want exported (eg. 1:200)
3. Export as STL file (add-in menu item in Revit window)
4. NB. This exports your model in weird units (perhaps feet??) so have to open up the STL file created from Revit in Rhino (easiest option but probably could use 3dsmax), then scale:

Scaling in Rhino

• draw a line of a face you know the measurement for, as it should be, when scaled eg. 108.85mm (line, enter, draw line using shift key to keep straight, type in the unit before you click the final point, click enter)
• line up the model with this line (select, move using right mouse held down)
• select model
• click scale icon (or type in scale, enter)
• click on first origin point of the side you are measuring, then the second, then the end of the new line you have drawn to the scale you need - this should scale it to the correct size
• save as STL file
• hey presto you now have a correctly scaled file ready for 3D printing! :)

NB. the university 3D print machine max size for output =  210x210mm with a Depth of about 250mm

CNC machine for typography

1. Follow the revit steps as per above, for just the typography but don't need to worry about thicknesses of anything.
2. Export as a DXF file - if using Rhino at uni, make sure the version is older eg 2007
3. Open Rhino, open the file and the steps as above for scaling
4. Save as the default Rhino file type and send to the CNC machine as is.

Families - things to determine before creating

1. Hosted versus non-hosted - generally most things are non-hosted but note the following:
• if it needs to create an opening in its host (eg. window) be certain that you'll only be doing this with one kind of host as a hosted element can only cut one type of host. For example, a window created this way can only cut eg. a wall OR a ceiling, not both.
• if you're not sure of the above, but want it to move with a wall etc, then place the element and select the 'Moves with Nearby Elements' option so when the host moves, so does the placed element.
• another option is to make the element 'face-based' or nested
2. Family category - critical to choose the correct one
3. Insertion point - determines the location about which the family will geometrically flex;
• important if you expand eg. a table later to fit more chairs - you'd want the insertion point to be in the middle of the face of the table in that case
• the reference level in the Family Editor corresponds to the datum level in your project so determines the visibility of your component in different views
• if you swap this component with another, if the insertion points are the same then its all good...
4. Flexibility - if you're sure you'll need to modify some of the dimensions later when in use, then create some rules first:
• reference planes are the simplest way to add rules - they do not have endpoints so are used to create linear geometric relationships
• reference lines do have endpoints so can be used to control angular relationships