Importing from Revit
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Hello super-knowledgeable forum people -
I am working in an architecture firm where we have recently started using Revit. We design very large commercial office buildings all over the world, so the Revit files tend to be pretty large. One of the interests that we have is in studying in detail certain aspects of the project in Sketchup, because of its superior visualization, ability to look at the building in perspective rather then parallel projection, and its ability to easily spin the model around and look at different aspects of the model. So far, this has worked pretty well with smaller sections of the building - entry vestibules, stair towers and things like that. The problem comes when importing a larger piece of the Revit model. The importer thinks for a very long time, loads 99% of the model very quickly, and then hangs for a long time before giving me a bug splat. The AutoCAD files from Revit do tend to be a bit on the larger size - about 26-30mb. Is there a size limitation for import? Are there good ways to optimize the Revit export?
The Revit information comes in as many, many blocks, as each instance of a Revit object has its own unique identifying number suffix to the name. Many of the blocks are nested, which means that drilling down to edit anything is a bit of a pain, but not insurmountable.
Lastly, information that comes is as curves seems always to be faceted with a very low number of unequal facets. Cylindrical tubes, in general (columns, structural tubes etc.) are uneditable with the push/pull tool along their length, and if sliced at a diagonal in Revit upon export (by the section box) they have a tendency to collapse upon import. I can't figure out why.
I know that this is long, and that many of the questions are Revit questions rather than Sketchup questions. I'm hoping that someone in the forum is trying to do the same things, but has figured out some best practices to make it work smoother. Thanks in advance for your help
Randolph
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Don't know any best practice.
At first I tried to export as .fxb to 3DSMax, and from there to .3ds. That was to preserve material assignments. But the imported model was highly faceted and instances where mis-placed unless you made everyone unique.
Lately I've been trying to use .dwg instead. I lose all material information, but I made a script that does an ok job to assign materials to objects based on their names. Also tries to figure out what is glass faces in the windows. Working ok-ish.
But I had problems with a model with curved wall where I'd loose some faces when imported via .dwg.Only thing I really know for sure helps, is hide all interior objects before exporting. Instead use SU types, as the ones you get from Revit usually bogs down the model.
My hope has been for an .fbx importer plugin for SU. As .dwg doesn't transfers materials, and .3ds is a dog old format with many annoying limitations.
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@unknownuser said:
I made a script that does an ok job to assign materials to objects based on their names
Would you care to share that script?
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Thomthom - Thanks for your detailed reply. I have tried the fbx route as well, but without much success. One of the things that I am working through is looking at the interior of the building, moving through the space. Even without furniture it is still a problem. And, I can't figure out a good way to deal with the curve issue. I was hoping that there might be a way to change a preset in Sketchup so that when it opens an AutoCAD file, it adds more facets. I know that this will slow down the model, but it might look better.
Also, I have managed to bring in some pieces of the Revit model where there has been a shape swept along a path. In Revit and AutoCAD, the object is there as expected, but in the import to sketchup, the path comes in as well. hmm.
Thanks,
Randolph -
@pixero said:
@unknownuser said:
I made a script that does an ok job to assign materials to objects based on their names
Would you care to share that script?
Currently it's a bodge work of a script. The names to recognize the objects as windows, doors, etc are hard coded. I've been planning on making a UI which lets you type in the strings to look for and select the material to apply to it. If you are comfortable with editing ruby script and regex expressions I can post it if you like you play around.
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Thomthom - off topic, but I just noticed that somehow it is displaying that I joined this discussion board on Monday. Nov 19th, 2007 and that you joined on Tuesday Nov. 13th, 2007.
Kind of strange, that time warp there.
Randolph
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@randolph said:
Thomthom - off topic, but I just noticed that somehow it is displaying that I joined this discussion board on Monday. Nov 19th, 2007 and that you joined on Tuesday Nov. 13th, 2007.
Kind of strange, that time warp there.
Randolph
I got the job in the architectural office I work in now on the 1st October 2007. That's when I started using SketchUp. I found this forum about a month and a half later which has been an invaluable resource. -
@thomthom said:
@unknownuser said:
If you are comfortable with editing ruby script and regex expressions I can post it if you like you play around.
I dont mind editing a ruby but I'm not currently in need of it so I can wait a while...
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Just notied there's a standalone converted for FBX to 3DS/DWG/OBJ http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=10775855
Maybe there's some luck with this...
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