Jeffrey W Ouellette

Revit (.rvt) IS NOT based on the AutoCAD (.DWG) file format/platform. It is NOT related to ADT or Land Desktop. It was originally created and developed outside Autodesk. Autodesk purchased Revit several years ago. It is entirely different technology and interface. I disagree with Gregory assertion that Revit is better than VW for "large" projects. Check out the VectorWorks "BIM in Practice" website, found under the Support pulldown of the navigation bar or at: http://www.nemetschek.net/bim/index.php The Projects section contains a large (1.25 million sq ft) project (Ellicott Heights), at about early DD phase.

Christaan, Can you zip up and send me the project files with a small narrative of the desired output on in the correct file? I can try a crack at it, troubleshoot, if necessary. jouellette@nemetschek.net

Visard, All the OIP parameters you are looking to schedule are part of the Door object already, no need for another tag. Your door object must have "On Schedule" option checked for them to show in the database worksheet. If you use the standard worksheet, these fields are already included.

Yes. As I said earlier, with IFC support by both programs, we're pursuing an exchange workflow/mechanism. It's just a matter of time...

If the door/win number symbol is a separate object and it contains the data for the door, like 'type', then you need to count the number symbol, not the door. Then use a database worksheet and set the criteria in the header to look for the record format of that number symbol.

Visard, The standard Door Schedule, accessed in the Architect workspace via the Menu command, Tools > Reports > VA Create Schedule... > Door Schedule is the best place to start. You can add/delete columns, as necessary. For a "Door Type", what information were you looking to convey? We don't currently have a "type" data field, but there are User Fields that you could put the type designation in.

The Ellicott Heights project on the BIM in Practice section of our website is a great example of using Database Worksheets and referenced information (in this case, A LOT of information). If you have the time/bandwidth, I suggest downloading and taking a look. Until then.. I started the Door Schedule with the default from the menu command Reports>VA Create Schedule...> Door Schedule Next I went ahead and edited the criteria in the Database Header for doors (Picture 2) Then I point VW in the right direction to find the doors. In this case I had a large number of doors on multiple layers, but wanted to exclude one particular layer (Picture 3). The other two criteria are probably what you are looking for and should include in your Criteria. Just make sure that the "On Schedule" button is selected for your door objects/PIOs in the source documents. Hope this helps, but keep me informed, we'll get you there.

What are the Criteria settings for the Database?

Could you submit a bug and attach the file? Sounds strange.

Gerrit, The BIM in Practice sample files can be found here: http://www.nemetschek.net/bim/projects.php The VW files are all in 2008 .vwx format. brudgers is correct. Some annotations are attached directly to objects (e.g. doors, windows, spaces, framing member labels, lighting instruments, etc.) Sometimes a note, a dimension, or a piece of text is important to more than one plan view and thus is better tracked when located on a design layer and referenced into a viewport, than copied multiple times into various viewports.

David, To each his own. If you read the intro to the Alexandria Lofts project you will note that there is a disclaimer about the "completeness" or extents of the drawings. It's not exhaustive. We're making an effort so that the next one will be. There is no "Model Layer" because there is no need. If you look through the saved views you will see various 3D views of the model in different states saved. All these are based on proper design layer Z and delta-Z values and turning Stack Layers ON. Saved Views are about navigating the model information. I can switch between various 2D or 3D configurations depending on what and how I need to edit something. They are also extremely useful for giving live presentations. I find it interesting that you feel that your method is somehow inherently better or radically different than the proposed best practice. Section Viewports do the same thing that your methods does, but retains interactivity with the model. That is, if I change the model I simply Update the view of the Section Viewport rather than "re-cutting" the section. You can override the graphic attributes of classes inside a sheet layer viewport (e.g. make all lineweights .05 and grey), not affect the actual model graphic attributes, and "trace" just as you would with your method inside the Annotation Space of the Viewport. You can add notes, dimensions, textures, objects , etc. all to make a better drawing. With these projects I am demonstrating "best practices" which describe the use of tools, as they were designed to be used, in the light of architectural design workflow. These demonstrations give new and existing users a practical reference to the use of new features, tools and workflows and their relationship to old features, tools and workflows. You can love 'em or leave 'em. But they are what they are, NNA recommended best practices for the use of VectorWorks products.

No. Christiaan, If you use the new design layer viewport workflow, your database worksheets will "see" and "count" the respective referenced items without actually importing the data.

In case you missed it, Onuma, Inc. launched another BIMstorm, March 1st. This time it is set in New Orleans. http://onuma.com/services/NeworleansStorm.php Planning and designing has already started, but it is not too late to jump into the challenge and show off your ideas and design skills for the redevelopment/renewal of New Orleans. This time, "BIMstorm the BIG Easy Way" is providing a venue for designers around the world to bring their ideas to the benefit of the communities and citizens of New Orleans, giving them "ideas and initiatives" to "visualize the change and opportunities" possible. Nemetschek North America is looking to sponsor VectorWorks users who are interested in participating, either on their own, or as part of a Team VectorWorks. The more teams, project ideas, and participants, the merrier. Our sponsorship will give users access to the OPS system for 1 or 2 months. I will be acting as Team Manager/Referee for a Team VectorWorks and Tech Support for all sponsored participants, giving aid and counsel to the design efforts of all VW users. This is a chance to stretch your intellectual muscles and broaden your VW skills for a good cause. Think of it as a design charette like the good ol' days of university studies. You can push/pull your ideas as big, or small, as you want in terms of detail, scope and size. Primarily, Onuma, Inc. wants to encourage designers to exploit the interactive opportunities of the Onuma Planning System (OPS) by communicating within teams, between teams, with other participants such as developers, city officials, energy consultants, engineers and so on, from anywhere in the world, at any time. Please let me know if your interested by Friday, 21 March 2008 and we'll get you up and running. You'll have to run fast. BIMstorm MSY culminates on April 1st and 2nd as part of FIATECH 2008 in New Orleans.

In case you missed it, Onuma, Inc. launched another BIMstorm, March 1st. This time it is set in New Orleans. http://onuma.com/services/NeworleansStorm.php Planning and designing has already started, but it is not too late to jump into the challenge and show off your ideas and design skills for the redevelopment/renewal of New Orleans. This time, "BIMstorm the BIG Easy Way" is providing a venue for designers around the world to bring their ideas to the benefit of the communities and citizens of New Orleans, giving them "ideas and initiatives" to "visualize the change and opportunities" possible. Nemetschek North America is looking to sponsor VectorWorks users who are interested in participating, either on their own, or as part of a Team VectorWorks. The more teams, project ideas, and participants, the merrier. Our sponsorship will give users access to the OPS system for 1 or 2 months. I will be acting as Team Manager/Referee for a Team VectorWorks and Tech Support for all sponsored participants, giving aid and counsel to the design efforts of all VW users. This is a chance to stretch your intellectual muscles and broaden your VW skills for a good cause. Think of it as a design charette like the good ol' days of university studies. You can push/pull your ideas as big, or small, as you want in terms of detail, scope and size. Primarily, Onuma, Inc. wants to encourage designers to exploit the interactive opportunities of the Onuma Planning System (OPS) by communicating within teams, between teams, with other participants such as developers, city officials, energy consultants, engineers and so on, from anywhere in the world, at any time. Please let me know if your interested by Friday, 21 March 2008 and we'll get you up and running. You'll have to run fast. BIMstorm MSY culminates on April 1st and 2nd as part of FIATECH 2008 in New Orleans.

My "best practice" two-cents... design layers - containers for model (2D and/or 3D) information with limited text/notation/dimensioning. Use Stack Layers to view model as a whole. design layer viewports - combination of workgroup referencing and layer links to uniquely distribute model information. Examples include creating a DLVP of a unit plan in a multi-family dweling project that can be copied and reoriented on multiple levels, or the entire floor of a high-rise building. sheet layers and sheet layer viewports - the presentation and notation of model information, including plans, elevations, and sections. design layers & DLVPs -> model data sheet layers & SLVPs -> views of model data by separating the building information from the presentation of the information, the user has greater flexibility and opportunity to "re-use" the same set of building data for different views without interfering with simultaneous views or duplicating effort to recreate a different view of essentially the same information in a different format (e.g. by creating a 3D building model, I can get building sections and elevations automatically generated from "plan work" in respective sheet layer VPs without having to reconstruct 2D drawings. See BIM In Practice project, Alexandria Lofts).

Ollie, Maxon is the best resource to contact for support as they have developed this plug-in. They have recently released an update to their VW Exchange Plug-in to support Leopard and VW2008. I don't know if previous plug-ins support 12.5 AND Leopard. http://www.maxon.net/pages/download/plugins_e.html

Fixtures-Main

I originally submitted it as a bug in 12.5.2. It has persisted.

This is a known bug.

Brooke, When the door is selected, there should be a handle in the center of the label/ID text. This is the control point that anchors the ID location independent of the door.

If you have "Auto-classing" ON, then the handrail object, along with many other built-in parametric objects, will be "tied" to their default class.

First, I would submit a bug with the apparently problematic file. http://www.nemetschek.net/support/bugsubmit.php Next I would play with the settings of the VP: a) change the rendering mode or alter the options of a particular rendering mode b) Use the Class visibility overrides in the VP to turn off the classes containing geometry that isn't visible for that view (e.g. interior walls, furniture, millwork, etc.) On a WinXP setup, 2GB of RAM is enough, the OS will only allow VW to address 1.5GB anyways. Even if you have 4GB, VW will still only take up 1.5GB. Size is relative. The time it takes to render and the amount of memory needed to render also depend on the amount of information in the VP and the level of detail. The Ellicott Heights project on the BIM in Practice webpage is 9 stories and about 1.25 million square feet. I created multiple VPs showing all and partial elevations. The trick was parsing the information (via class and layer VP overrides) based on what I wanted to "see". All this was done on a 17" MacBook Pro with 2GB of RAM. (Just a note: the MacOS will allow applications to address more RAM, approx. 2.5 to 3 GB). Refer to thread: http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=7&Number=99374&Searchpage=1&Main=21301&Words=&topic=0&Search=true#Post99374

More simply, just create two versions of the same workspace. For example, I started by creating "AEC Pro -single 17" for my 17" MacBook Pro. Then, using the Workspace Editor I created a new copy called "AEC PRo -dual 30n17". When hooked up to my 30" Dell LCD I moved the palettes to where I want them (Object Info, Navigation and Resource Browser on the laptop, Basic Tools and Tool Sets, Attributes and Contraints on the 30"). I can open and close VW with the "-single17" settings whether I have the external LCD plugged in or not. When plugged in, I just have to switch workspaces. Before I end for the day, if I think I'll be working on the laptop without the 30", I just switch workspaces back to "-single17" and the palettes revert.

Please submit this as a bug report with the file at the following location: http://www.nemetschek.net/support/bugsubmit.php

Submit the bug via the website: http://www.nemetschek.net/support/bugsubmit.php The new BIM in Practice page (http://www.nemetschek.net/bim/index.php) will be the ever evolving clearinghouse for information regarding BIM for our users. I also encourage users to post their more specific BIM-related and IFC-related questions to the Architect Forum. More details will emerge over the near future as I prepare additional demonstration projects for the BIM in Practice page and additional white papers that further clarify BIM workflows and methods using VW.