Gain a deeper understanding of the processes involved in linking and importing Revit files, including the differences between the two and the advantages of each. This article also provides a step-by-step guide on how to link, copy, and monitor architectural models using Revit software.
Key Insights
- The process of linking Revit files is similar to importing, but with added tracking benefits. When files are linked, data is stored inside the Revit model, also allowing for a 'reload' option within Revit.
- The Copy Monitor process enables users to monitor levels for any changes when reopening a project. This step provides a notification if there are changes to level elevations, allowing for accurate monitoring and adjustments.
- Creating floor plans within Revit involves navigating to the View tab, selecting Plan Views, and then Floor Plans. Multiple floor plans can be selected and added to the project browser for efficient navigation and project management.
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All right, so we've started by opening a mechanical template in Revit, and now we need to bring in our architectural model. So to do that, let's go to the Insert tab, and we'll find the Link Revit button. Now what you'll notice, and I briefly want to discuss, is Revit has the option to link certain files and import certain files.
And there is a difference between the two. Generally, for Revit files, we want to be linking them. The difference between importing and linking is that essentially the importing process copies the geometry, converting the elements into Revit elements.
Linking does the same thing. However, think of it as importing plus tracking. So that means that when it's linked, the data is stored inside the Revit model, and you also have the option within Revit to do Reload or Reload From.
This linking process also produces a Revit file that's slightly larger than importing. So for all of our links, we'll go to Link Revit, and now go ahead and find where your Course Downloads folder is. And once you locate it, you can use the option here in Tools, and you can add the current folder to places, and that way you won't have to search any other time you want to access files within that folder.
So I've already done that here. So I'm going to go to my BIM321 File Downloads, which is where you'll find the architectural Revit link, and go to the linked Revit folder, and VDCI MEP Architectural. Now, before we bring it in, there are certain ways we can set the positioning.
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In this case, we'll be doing Internal Origin to Internal Origin. Different projects may have different requirements, but in this case, we'll stick to this. Go ahead and click Open.
Now, there's a couple of things we want to do before we get started. So currently I'm in the Level 2 Reflected Ceiling Plan. We can see here is the first floor Reflected Ceiling Plan, and our two floor plans.
But we don't have a lot of information other than that, and there are a few more things we need to do before we get into the modeling. So the first thing I'd like to do is I want to be able to select my Revit link, but I can't, and that's because it's currently pinned. If you follow me down here to the bottom right of your screen, the Select Link option, let's go ahead and click that, and you'll see the red X is now gone.
If the X is there, I cannot select it. Now I can. Once I do that, I want to go to Edit Type under the Properties, and immediately under Constraints, let's click Room Bounding.
This will allow us to add our room tags in the correct spaces later on in this process. So go ahead and click OK after you do that. Now before we forget, let's go ahead and make sure and click this again so that we do not select our background because we don't really need to do that that often.
Now let's go to the Copy Monitor process. So what we'll do is we'll find the Section tool up here, and go ahead and draw a section across the middle of the building. You can even drag it out like this.
Right-click, and let's go to View. Now what the Copy Monitor process does is let us, like it implies, monitor the levels so that if there are any changes when we reopen our project, we'll get a notification that, hey, there's something that changed with the level, perhaps an elevation. Okay, so let's go ahead from here.
We want to find the Collaborate tab, and you should see Copy Monitor. Go ahead and choose Select Link, and let's hover over and make sure it says, in this case, VDCI MEP Architectural Revit. That's what we want.
Okay, so far so good. Now we'll have this dialog box area open. Let's go ahead and click Copy, and for each level, let's go ahead and click each one, hover over it.
In this case, this has been renamed to Level 1 Headed Circle. That's okay, we can close that. We will continue to copy Level 1, Level 2. Now, by default, from the template, Level 1 and 2 were already in there, but you can see once I copied Level 2, it moved up to 13 feet.
Originally, it was at 10 feet. Now, we don't have these levels currently, so let's continue by clicking on them. Now, if you see this heart monitor symbol, that's telling you've done it correctly and that you are monitoring each of these levels.
So, once you've done that, go ahead and click the green Finish check button. Now, another way to confirm that we did this correctly is let's type the keyboard shortcut command VV for our Visibility Graphics Overrides, and if we go to our Revit Links tab, let's go ahead and turn off the model by checking right there and click OK. Now, you can see these levels are the ones that we copied and monitored.
The original ones from the architectural link have disappeared along with the model, and we'll bring it back in just a second. Now, we can see Level 1 and Level 2 over here, and these were from our template. So, let's go ahead and drag them over to align with the rest of the levels, just like this, and it should grab both of them, and you'll see this dashed line will appear letting you know that this should be aligned with the rest of them.
Go ahead and let go, and again, if we click on each one, you'll see that heart monitor symbol letting you know that all of your levels are being monitored. Okay, let's type VV again and bring the link back. Okay, so the next thing we need to do is create some of our floor plans.
We already have our ceiling plans, as there are only two levels that we'll be working on in this project, but for our floor plans, let's go ahead to the View tab, and under Plan Views, let's drop that down and select Floor Plans, and if we look in the Project Browser, we can currently see we have the Level 1 and Level 2 floor plans, but we should also bring in the rest of these as well, so we can go ahead and select the library top, hold down CTRL, and select each of the others, and click OK, and now under our floor plans, you will see these have been added here, so we're currently in the wing roofs floor plan. We can click here. We won't be using this, but again, we've brought it in for the purposes of demonstration.
The parapet level is here, the top of the library, and so on and so forth. Okay, so in the next video, we'll look at adding our room tags to all the rooms in our reflected ceiling plan.
