Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted August 15, 2017 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted August 15, 2017 Development continues constantly on many of the features added in previous versions. One of the features getting it’s 2.0 upgrades this version, as part of our recently renewed efforts to ensure usability of existing features, is Revit Import. You now have even more collaboration options when importing a Revit file.. In Vectorworks 2018, you can now import Revit building objects such as Doors, Windows, Roofs and Walls as native Vectorworks objects. As well as import Revit Textures as Native Renderworks Textures. In addition to those, you also will have additional control over what is imported and how. In the Revit Import Options dialog you have several new options. First, you can choose the Views you wish to import. Active View Only, will import Revit information from the current active view, in the Revit file. This can be 3D model views, or 2D drawings views. Or you can choose to import the entire 3D model using the 3D Model View option. If the Revit file has a 3D model, it will imported into the Vectorworks file. Design Layers for each of the 3D Views will be created. You can choose to import 2D and 3D Views. This will bring in the 3D model views on Design layers and create Sheet Layers with the 2D views. In addition to choosing your desired views, you can also control the type of geometry that is imported. With the Create Vectorworks Native Objects enabled, Revit Doors, Windows, Walls, and Roofs will be converted to Native Vectorworks Doors, Windows, Walls and Roofs. Vectorworks Walls will be generated with any corresponding Wall Components. Vectorworks 2018 on the left, A360 Viewer on the right: For other objects, you can choose whether to import them as Mesh objects, 3D Polygons or convert to Solid Objects. 1 Quote Link to comment
zoomer Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 (edited) That sounds like a quite useful new feature ! EDIT If it works really in the way I imagine that announcement. Edited August 22, 2017 by zoomer Quote Link to comment
ericjhberg Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 I'm interested in the file size difference between the native Revit file and the Vectorworks file after import. I have found that VW bloats excessively in this regard? 1 Quote Link to comment
line-weight Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 So...here is my previous experience with Revit import - I find on Bimobject a door or window I want. Let's say from the Velfac range. It doesn't have a Vectorworks specific version so I download the Revit version. Then I go to Revit import and import that window. And it does import, but it imports as some kind of mesh object, and this is essentially useless because it's not parametric; I can't tell it to be the specific size and configuration I'm after. Am I understanding correctly that in 2018 when I do that Revit import, it'll import as a properly functioning parametric door or window object with all the profiles etc correct to the manufacturer design? If so - great. 2 Quote Link to comment
Jkellett Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 5 minutes ago, line-weight said: So...here is my previous experience with Revit import - I find on Bimobject a door or window I want. Let's say from the Velfac range. It doesn't have a Vectorworks specific version so I download the Revit version. Then I go to Revit import and import that window. And it does import, but it imports as some kind of mesh object, and this is essentially useless because it's not parametric; I can't tell it to be the specific size and configuration I'm after. Line-weight, in my experience very few BIM objects in Revit. Revit 'families' is as close as it gets. The reason is that it is not in AutoDesk's or the manufacturer's interests to do so. Vectorworks has a much more 'parametric' basic 'generic' core of objects that speeds up production in line with design practice. Revit 'prefers' designers to be too specific too early. VW opts for updating information during the design process, which is how as an architect I work. Revit prefers the designer to insert and replace with specific products even before they've been specified. The very reason I rejected Revit as my BIM software of choice in the first place. But, as ever, hype succeeds over common sense. 1 Quote Link to comment
Ross Harris Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Totally agree - revit needs an army of people constantly making revit families for it to be effective and keep progress on projects moving forward. Modeling in revit is so arcane and the lack of any window or door tool forces you into either finding a family that will work or make one - and the clincher is you wouldn’t bother making a ‘dumb’ object in the family editor - you need to spend the time to make it parametric so it is useful beyond one use; depending on the complexity this can be vey time consuming. i worked at a small practice that wanted to migrate from Autocad to Revit (at the constant pressure of the reseller...) and the boss just couldn’t get his head around the paradigm shift, which was fast hurtling to a showdown... so I quit! This is really good news - I’ve still got loads of ‘dumb’ families I’d like to import - gas bottles, wall mounted instantaneous wasters heaters etc, but hadn’t taken the time to try out the import process after reading of the issues users were coming up against. If parametric properties were able to be converted that would be awesome; but I’m sure that would be either incredibly complex to the point of not being possible. One of my coolest families was a fully parametric manhole with three parametric pipe connectors... but boy, that took some time... with the modeling capabilities of VW it takes no time to knock up what I need, so one of the biggest fears I had with switching became a non issue. Aside fromm bimobject, revit city is a fantastic community driven resource with tonnes of stuff available for free as well. 1 Quote Link to comment
line-weight Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Quote In Vectorworks 2018, you can now import Revit building objects such as Doors, Windows, Roofs and Walls as native Vectorworks objects. I've never used Revit myself. So, in fact, don't understand what the above statement actually means. What is a "Revit building object"? When it's a window, is it a parametric (Revit family?) object or a dumb object? 1 Quote Link to comment
michaelk Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 @JimW what does it do with a door or window that isn't possible in the native door and window tools? Quote Link to comment
bcd Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 sounds like a family is something that could be defined by VW marionette = best of both worlds, built in parametrics & customized parametrics. Quote Link to comment
bcd Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 If improved Revit import is going to be a thing - then perhaps Archicad Import & C4D import. Yes? Teaser Wednesday anyone? 1 Quote Link to comment
rgcn Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 This is going to be another great feature to help convince people to upgrade to 2018 from older versions. Rob Quote Link to comment
M5d Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 (edited) 7 hours ago, bcd said: . . . then perhaps . . . C4D . . . live connection. Yes? Whizz-Bang Wednesday !!! or something, like Twinmotion has done with Archicad . . . Edited August 16, 2017 by M5d Quote Link to comment
Markvl Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Well I do hope that this will indeed be a big improvement over the initial offering to import Revit files. It simply means more options are available to make my work easier. In general this kind of item is low on the totem pole for me, but welcome none the less. 1 Quote Link to comment
Markvl Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 I'm really hoping for better doors, windows and stairs. Quote Link to comment
nrkuhl Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Will this work with structural elements? It would be great if I could quickly import my structural engineers Revit drawings in Vectorworks native structural objects. Of course, you guys will have to fix the structural member tool too... Quote Link to comment
barkest Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 @jimw not sure if anyone there has 3DS Max but exporting to a 3DS file from an initial Revit file the doors end up being hundreds of single items. Is it possible to check what a door looks like if it comes from Revit and then goes into 3DS? Quote Link to comment
Tom Klaber Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 OK @JimW - You deserve the benefit of the doubt, but.... I was super excited when this was announced last year - and it was basically unusable. Besides model door, wall, and window components being translated into native VW elements, has anything else been done to deal with the file size of everything else? While I am curious how VW will deal with custom Revit door families, I am more curious how VW will deal with faucets and cladding. Revit objects were simply too heavy to actually be used in practice. Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted August 22, 2017 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted August 22, 2017 3 minutes ago, Tom Klaber said: Besides model door, wall, and window components being translated into native VW elements, has anything else been done to deal with the file size of everything else? While I am curious how VW will deal with custom Revit door families, I am more curious how VW will deal with faucets and cladding. Revit objects were simply too heavy to actually be used in practice. I have not worked with it heavily enough personally to firmly/independently verify (However the files I worked with to create the videos were noticeably snappier and more responsive this year after import) , but I will share this direct quote from the design documentation for this year:"We expect that adding more natively converted objects will reduce the file size considerably. Additionally, converting 3D geometry presented with 3D polygons to solids or meshes also reduces the file size." The same problems that caused file size increases were also contributing to the document slowness in most of the Revit issues I say over the past year. Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted August 22, 2017 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted August 22, 2017 Doing a flat comparison importing the same file as objects in 2018 and with default settings in 2017 to see if I get a major size difference. EDIT - Results from the raw import: In 2017, the file imported and saved as a 200MB file. In 2018, the file imported and saved as a 172MB file. 2017 on the left, 2018 on the right: Top/Plan View: OpenGL: Wireframe: Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted August 22, 2017 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted August 22, 2017 On 8/17/2017 at 2:50 PM, barkest said: not sure if anyone there has 3DS Max but exporting to a 3DS file from an initial Revit file the doors end up being hundreds of single items. Is it possible to check what a door looks like if it comes from Revit and then goes into 3DS? Apologies, I don't have access to 3DS at the moment, I'll ask. On 8/15/2017 at 7:12 PM, michaelk said: @JimW what does it do with a door or window that isn't possible in the native door and window tools? It looks like it will take the geometry from the door and pack it into the Use Symbol Geometry option, giving you the parameters in the Object Info Palette of the original. If it does that, the object can't be edited parametrically any longer unfortunately. On 8/17/2017 at 11:31 AM, nrkuhl said: Will this work with structural elements? It does not appear to at the moment, I'll confirm. Quote Link to comment
Tom Klaber Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 3 hours ago, JimW said: Doing a flat comparison importing the same file as objects in 2018 and with default settings in 2017 to see if I get a major size difference. EDIT - Results from the raw import: In 2017, the file imported and saved as a 200MB file. In 2018, the file imported and saved as a 172MB file. 2017 on the left, 2018 on the right: I will take 14% Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted August 22, 2017 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted August 22, 2017 Just now, Tom Klaber said: I will take 14% I tested 2018 later with the Mesh option instead and the sizes were within 1MB, so I suspect it is indeed choosing the Solids option during import doing the work. Quote Link to comment
JRA-Vectorworks-CAD Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 (edited) Great new features! This will make working with consultants much easier. Jonathan Reeves / Director / BA(Hons) M.Arch Dip.Arch RIBA / Jonathan Reeves Architecture Author of "Innovative Vectorworks BIM" www.jra-vectorworks-cad.co.uk Edited August 23, 2017 by JRA-Vectorworks-CAD Quote Link to comment
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