SEU, a program provided by SE Solutions, LLC

This SEU BIM Forum Town Hall session addressed various questions asked by SE University Clients. Previously submitted questions were reviewed, and we asked one of the questions, provided an answer, and followed up on any questions related to that topic before moving on to the next question. The questions to be addressed are shown below in the order they were discussed.

Please note that NO PDH will be provided for this session. Question numbers are a continuation from the previous Town Hall Session on 4/17.

9. Is it possible to put a referenced callout into a larger text note? Example being “See #5/S3.2 for additional information – Typical this elevation”. So instead of having to manually fill in the #5/S3.2 can that be referenced text, so if/when the detail moves the number updates automatically.

10. Do you anticipate Revit allowing for an alternate dimension string for existing conditions? It would be useful to be able to put in ± as a prefix and (F.V.) without using the override with adding a prefix and suffix for every dimension string.

11. Can you describe your folder structure and process for maintaining your custom Revit library? Do you update your families to the newer versions with every new release? Do you update your company template with the new families at every new release? Does your company template “lag” the current release just in case new projects still start using older versions of Revit?

12. What do you do when you have to “save” to a previous version? We have had projects at the same facility with different clients. Sometimes the second project is done in an older version of REVIT, so we either have to dumb it down to an IFC, try to do some fancy Dynamo scripts to save the model and reproduce it in an older version, or remodel the information. Unfortunately, we cannot mandate the version of Revit our client uses.

13. What is the best (most efficient) way of using a shared architectural model in creating the structural model/documents; i.e. redrawing walls, floors, roof decks or using the architect’s model? We want our drawings to look a certain way, but often find we need to remodel what the architect has to get the look we want.

14. Is there a way to control the hatching of different layers of walls from an architect’s shared model? We want the veneer to show hatched but the rest of the wall layers to be shown in coarse mode.

15. We want to show our window openings hatched. Is there a way without just drawing a hatch in each location on plan?

16. Can you clarify an issue with materials – why are some listed by category, some are not, and what is the best workflow.

17. What would be a step by step systematic process to associate a specific project elevation with a specific Mean Sea Level (MSL) elevation (particularly if the MSL elevation isn’t made available until late in the project)? For example Project elevation +(100′-0″) = 831.44 MSL.

18. What are the pros and cons of modeling rebar in concrete elements – would be good to see some examples. We don’t model these elements and detail everything on sections with components/detail lines.

19. Can you discuss steel connections to be modeled and scheduled and the pros and cons of this action. We use drafting lines to detail them but would be nice to see some examples of modeling those elements.

Session Length: 1.0 Hour

Current SE University subscribers can access the recording in their SEU Resource Center account. Please use the link below to view the session page in the SEU Session Library.

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SEU is a program of SE Solutions, LLC. SE Solutions, LLC is not an educational institution, but rather provides continuing education to structural engineers.