Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog » Software

Easy Method for Generating Area Take-offs Using Autodesk Design Review

Kacy Landsittel — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:00:28 +0000

During the design process clients and builders need area take-offs for estimating pricing on materials for managing an appropriate budget for their project. At EVstudio we utilize Autodesk's Design Review program as a means for clients to review our drawings throughout the design process. Builders also use it for calculating or gathering area take-offs.

Here, I have created an example of calculating areas for siding materials on this garage elevation using Design Review. There is other software out there for the specific purpose of generating area take-offs, but this method is an easy way for an owner or someone not in the building industry to get an estimate on their own.

In Design Review, I simply used the "area" tool for generating the square footage of three different siding materials, a stone veneer in green, horizontal wood siding in red, and a corrugated metal siding in yellow. The "area" tool is coupled with the “measure” tool, which looks like a ruler, under it's drop down menu. I simply picked corners or vertices that define the areas needed. As each point is picked the area value keeps updating within the geographical center of that space. When all the points have been selected, I hit the esc. key to complete that particular defined area. For clarity and as a possible method to generate a siding area schedule to compile the data, I chose to apply a color for each material type. For instances where there are windows within an area another area box is needed around them and can then be subtracted from the gross wall area to get the net area of the siding. This same method could also be used in floor plans to generate areas for floor finish materials or a hardscape patio for example.

Originally posted 2010-08-22 00:01:37.

Renaming Your Default Profile in AutoCAD is Easier than Changing the Profile that AutoCAD Defaults to

Sean O'Hara — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:59:57 +0000

One of the most difficult things about installing AutoCAD on multiple computers is setting up the profile over and over again. You can export your profile and then import it on the other machines. Then you have to go into your options and set the new profile current or change the profile information on the icon that you use to start the program.

However, there is an easier solution. AutoCAD Architecture is set up to look for the "AutoCAD Architecture (US Imperial)" profile when it starts. So rename that profile to something else (so the name is free) and then rename your favorite profile "AutoCAD Architecture (US Imperial)" and restart the program. Problem solved.

Originally posted 2008-11-03 22:52:56.

Snap to Both Sides of Walls in AutoCAD Architecture – Layer 0

Sean O'Hara — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:59:44 +0000

AutoCAD Architecture walls have a justification line and a width. Sometimes snaps will only work on the justification line and not on the linework determined by the width setting. After some aggravation with this, I've found the cause and the solution.

ACA will not snap to both sides of a wall if layer "0" is turned off. Be sure to keep both "0" and "defpoints" turned on in model space and in all paper space viewports.

As a general rule neither of those layers should actually be used to show linework in a drawing because they have so many behind the scenes uses. Layer "0" is used so heavily in blocks that you really want to always have it on. The reason that I ran accross this dilemna this week was drawing an addition onto CAD drawings produced by someone else. They had made heavy use of layer "0" for linework and hatch.

Originally posted 2009-07-16 21:56:41.

Revit Tip #23 – Linking a File to the Current View Only

Anthony Ries — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:59:38 +0000

At EVstudio we use Revit for just about everything. It doesn’t yet make coffee. We can only hope. However, we occasionally have a need to import and link AutoCAD or other vector and image files to our models. Because Revit builds one model and then takes a look at that model via a large number of views, most everything drawn appears in every view. Which is perfect, that is the way we like it.

Normally.

When importing a file for reference, we typically want it to only appear in a single view. In order for this to be done, we have to check an elusive little check box during the file selection process. That check box can be seen highlighted by a red box in the image below. Note that it says “Current view only”. Be sure make certain that you are in the correct view prior to linking or importing the file.

In this image you can also see the way I like to set up the other settings. If I only want to import a certain thing, like diffusers in a reflected ceiling plan, I will select “Specify” from the Layers dropdown. I can also frequently select “Auto – Center to Center” from the Positioning dropdown. This works great when my consultants use the CAD files I export from Revit as their background – so long as they don’t move it in AutoCAD!

AS EVstudio evolves and incorporates more in-house consultants this need is going by the way side. Currently just about the only files I ever link are electrical layouts for reflected ceiling plans. Our civil, mechanical, plumbing, structural and interior design departments are making the move to Revit and thus making our design and coordination much more efficient.

Originally posted 2011-03-03 00:01:46.

AutoCAD Tip – Example of Accurate Location of Objects with Rotation Command

Kacy Landsittel — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:59:30 +0000

This article is intended for a person having basic knowledge and familiarity of AutoCAD who needs a method for accurately locating an element in a drawing relative to other elements. There are other methods to accomplish the task of accurately locating objects relative to other objects, but this is what I do.

When working in AutoCAD it is inevitable that line work, a block reference, an object, a block, or group of objects needs to be rotated to an odd or unknown angle in the drawing.

This example is for an architectural site plan with irregular lot line distances and angles. Here are the steps involved for this architectural site plan example.

Step one: Establish geometry of property lot lines and house or building footprint geometry, which is probably easier done independently just to get them in the drawing.

Step two: Establish lot line offsets with the three pre-known distances to set up rotation origin point and what will soon to be a reference point for the rotation command.

Step three: Next locate the structure to the two intersecting lot line offsets. This point becomes the rotation origin point. Then establish another point on the structure that is to be the first reference point for the rotation command. In the graphic this is labeled as reference point one.

Step four: Draw a circle with the center at the origin point of rotation and at the radius of reference point one. The circle should intersect the lot line offset that is to be the second and final point at which we align and affix the building to the property, reference point two. I have also labeled the arc, or portion of the circle, that is to indicate the distance that the rotation will have, which will always vary depending on the how the property and structure relate to each other.

Step five: Now we are ready to use the rotate command to align the structure to the correct position on its property. After engaging the rotate command, selecting the rotation origin point, entering “r” to make the rotate command require a reference point, then click reference point one and rotate the structure by then clicking reference point two. The object snaps used are endpoint or center for the rotation origin point, endpoint or intersection for the first reference point, then intersection for the final point where the circle intersects with the lot line offset line. Then just delete the lot line offsets and circle that are no longer needed and add any other necessary site information like driveway, walkways or landscaping, text etc. There, we now have the structure accurately located relative to the property boundaries.

For other professions and disciplines that use AutoCAD, the method is basically reduced to rotation of an object with use of an origin point, a radius of rotation which is common to both what is being rotated and the final point of the rotated objects. The use of specific object snaps are at the discretion of the user. Hope this is helpful!

Originally posted 2010-10-12 00:01:30.

Freewheel .DWF Viewer

Dean Dalvit — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:59:28 +0000

The latest .DWF viewer is here, and you don't have to download anything to your computer to view .DWF files anymore!

Autodesk Freewheel will allow you to open and view .DWF files in your web browser. You will not have the ability to mark up or measure the drawings as you would have in the full version of the free download for .DWF, but it's great for on the go viewing from anywhere there is a browser. You will, of course need to have your .DWF files with you or saved to a location on the internet.

Simply Click on this link: Autodesk Freewheel, and the viewer will load in your browser with a sample .DWF file opened. Go to the upper left hand file and select the file icon. Then, simply browse your computer for the file or type in the URL address for the file if it is online and hit submit. The zoom and pan controls are fairly intuitive, so play around and have fun. For 3-D .DWF files, the orbit control takes a bit of getting used to, but the visual clarity of this web viewer is identical to the full software version.

If you have been sent a link directly to the viewer with the file to be viewed, then you don't need to do anything but click on that link, and it will bring you directly into the viewer with your project already loaded and ready to navigate. A brief explanation of the viewer tools is below (click on the image for a larger view of the text):

Originally posted 2009-08-14 00:50:23.

BLIPMODE – AutoCAD Command to Remove the Pick Point Crosses

Sean O'Hara — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:21:06 +0000

In AutoCAD, when the BLIPMODE setting is set to "ON", wherever you click on your drawing, AutoCAD will show a little white cross (+). I'm not sure why you'd typically want this and I always set it to "OFF".

Like many things in AutoCAD, sometimes it just resets, so I have to turn it off every few months.

Originally posted 2009-07-15 10:38:12.

.DWF an Excellent Format for CAD Drawing Review

Dean Dalvit — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:21:00 +0000

You've got to hand it to Autodesk. With AutoCAD, they've managed to become the major worldwide force in the design community, developing the drafting platform for nearly every discipline in the AEC industry. Their BIM product, Revit will likely follow suit as the standard for Building Information Modeling in due time.

Because most clients do not have AutoCAD or Revit, Autodesk has also developed a format for viewing drawings that combines the visual functionality of .PDF, but can condense the information while retaining resolution and drawing scale in ways that are not achievable in .PDF and certainly not .JPG or any of the other image formats. And best of all, the viewer for this format is FREE. Enter the world of .DWF and this format works for 2-D and 3-D drawings and models generated from AutoCAD or Revit.

First off, please note that .DWF, like AutoCAD itself, is only supported by a PC, so if you own a MAC, you will need additional support in order to run PC applications. Or you can use the McDwiff viewer.

To install, go to www.autodesk.com and look for the link that says "Autodesk Design Review - FREE". Click on the link and it will bring you to a registration page. Unless you would like to receive e-mails about products or updates, there is a link at the very top of the registration page that reads "If you do not want to register, click here to skip registration and start the download." Click on "click here" and a window will pop up that will ask you if you want to run or save the setup file. I recommend saving the file somewhere on your hard drive, then running it from your hard drive (just in case your download should get interrupted for some reason). Have patience, the file is over 40 megs and will take some time to download, even for faster connection speeds.

Once you have downloaded the file, you can close your web browser and run the setup file off your hard drive. The setup wizard will walk you through the setup process, so follow the directions and voila, you will have the viewer set up on your computer and are ready to open and view .DWF files.

Once you have the viewer open with a .DWF file on the screen, you will find that the environment is very similar in look and feel to the Adobe Acrobat viewer for .PDF files, but there are some additional tools. Aside from the basics like zoom and print, you will see that there are measurement tools that allow you to do linear and area take-offs directly from the drawing. You can also redline the drawing and save it so you can collaborate with others.

We use .DWF for both our AutoCAD drawing files as well as our 3-D Revit models because the tools for the client are more advanced and the file sizes are significantly smaller than their .PDF counterparts. This allows us to manage a lot more drawing information across the internet without having to break up the plan sets. So enjoy your new free software tools and happy viewing!

Note: if you just want to view .DWF files without installing any software, the web-based viewer Freewheel does not require a download of any kind. Just open it in your web browser and open your .DWF files using the web interface. This is also an option for MAC users if you don't want to install McDwiff. You can still zoom, pan and print from Freewheel, but you will not have the markup and measurement tools that you have in the full software version.

Originally posted 2008-08-07 00:54:21.

Revit Structure

AutoDesk Revit Structure and Bentley RAM working together

Jim Houlette — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:20:58 +0000

EVstudio's structural department is working on several new projects where we will be modeling the structure in Revit and exporting it to RAM to complete the analysis. The first trial tests have been working great. As we become more comfortable with the process we will be doing some extra work by continuing with our previous means of design along with the new design procedure using Revit and RAM together.

The goal of using Revit structure is to have the ability to work with architects using Revit, create the complete BIM model and impute structural loads directly on the Revit model. These loads are then exported out along with the building model to create a true structural model used for design. The ability to communicate between a drafting software and a design software is amazing and will ultimately help engineers to track loads, resolve conflicts and provide high quality plans for our client and contractors.

EVstudio is always looking for ways to improve our work and provide higher quality products to our clients. The use of Revit and RAM are typically used for commercial projects, however can be used for residential as well. We are also talking with several software designers developing programs that model a residential wood structure, designs it, and produces a materials list for the builder. A great tool to have to reduce errors, value engineer and help builders know total material lists to reduce waste.

Originally posted 2011-04-10 00:09:43.

Project Team Collaboration in Building Design

Bill Foster — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:20:55 +0000

Working on larger building project teams will always be a challenge and it is the hidden strength or weakness of any Design firm that takes on the responsibility of managing the project.

At EVstudio, we have the advantage that we have our disciplines under one roof and thus we have all worked together on many previous projects and can build on successful collaboration strategies with each project.

Collaboration at its core is about keeping everyone on the same page and in this article I wanted to discuss some of our methods for doing this on one of our current projects: Warriors in Transition, Soldier Family Assistance Center and Company Headquarters.

For this project we have a project specific FTP site which facilitates regular uploads of all of our BIM models (Bentley for this project) as well as 2D Backgrounds and other raw project information. Whenever an incremental improvement is made to one of the disciplines work, all of our designers have instant access to it and can always be confident they are working with the latest information when making their own design decisions. A similar digital master model method was used in the design of the Boeing 777 which was designed and built without traditional prototyping, a first in the aviation manufacturing world for such a large project. This example is important for the construction industry, because the building industry produces mostly unique structures and only rarely is their an opportunity to prototype our design work.

In addition to the FTP site, we also have a more public website hosted by Basecamp where announcements, schedules and submittals are published for use by our Design Build partners. Having this 2 part collaboration system allows us to keep the most up to date information that is vital to our designers but only partially finished separate from the information that is finalized and ready for pricing and client review.

In terms of the nuts and bolts of collaboration we use Bentley Projectwise Navigator to do our Clash Resolution. Using Clash Resolution software allows us to leverage the work each discipline has put into modeling their design. For example, we can do rapid comparisons of Structural to Mechanical to see if there are places where changes need to be made to give everyone room. On this project we have the advantage that everyone is using Bentley software, but Projectwise Navigator can also be used to coordinate work with Revit and other Autodesk products which we also use on other projects.

At the end of the day all of the tools we use are only as good as the people using them and we are fortunate at EV Studio to have many technically and professionally talented designers who continue to embrace the latest technology in the pursuit of a better product for our clients.

Originally posted 2010-12-03 00:01:54.