The H-Factor

Creating a Revit Model with HydraCAD for AutoCAD

This ability has been in HydraCAD for AutoCAD for at least 10 years. You can draw a 'regular' HydraCAD system, and then create the Revit model for coordination with the BIM team on a project.

This requires a few things:

• You must have Revit on the computer using the HydraCAD for AutoCAD in order to make the conversion
• You must know the version of Revit that the BIM team is using to coordinate. Each version of Revit is different, unlike most versions of AutoCAD
• It is helpful to know the 'common point' that is being used by the BIM team to line up the models provided by each trade

If you have HydraCAD for Revit, then great! Because then you are actually drawing in Revit and don't have to do anything.

 

Lining up the HydraCAD model with the 'common point' of the BIM model:

Step 1: From the Collaborate toolbar, pick the command named Move Model:

Step 2: Pick Denote Basepoint. Select the ‘common point’ the BIM team is using.

Step 3: Pick the Move Model button to make the move. The drawing won't look any different after using this command.

 

Generating the Revit model:

Step 1: Elevate your drawing to 3D.

Step 2: Pick the Create RevitLink command from the Collaborate toolbar:

Step 3: Pick the version of Revit to go to and pick the Generate button

Step3a: If you get any errors such as this, below, pick the Delete Elements button. You may have to pick it once for each error

Step 4: Pick Launch Revit MEP

Step 5: Once Revit is open Pick New from the MODELS portion of the menu

Step 6: Make sure Create new is set to Project, not Project template and pick Browse from the Template file selection. 

Step 7: Browse to the C:\HES\Hydratec for Revit\Data\Families\20## folder, where ## if the version of Revit you are generating the model for

Step 8: Select the HydraCAD-Imperial_Default.rte (if using US unit system) or HydraCAD-Metric_Default.rte if Metric

Step 9: Pick OK

Step 10: Pick Save to give your project a name and location

Step 11: On the Addins tab, select the Retrieve HydraCAD Revit MEP Content item from the HydraCAD button

Step 12: This will begin Step 2 of the conversion process. This process will take at least a few minutes to complete. Maybe 10 to 20 or more

Step 14: After the conversion is complete, you can save and send the .RVT file to whomever you want. If you want to view the fire sprinkler piping, use the Project Browser to select Views – Coordination – Fire Protection – 3D Views – 3D Fire Protection

Step 15: This will show the model that was created. Each element and head has been given information as to its type or manufacturer. Save this model and share it with the BIM team

Viewing a Simplified Revit Model

From a Customer:

"We’re engineers. As such our expectations for plans are a little different than installers. We need to use clear, consistent 2-dimensional symbols and simple lines to represent pipes without fittings. Right now all of our projects are showing top-down 3d models in plan view and every single pipe fitting. This makes it challenging to review the components for ourselves and our jurisdictional reviewers.

Is there a function we’re missing that would allow us to simplify the plan views?"

There is:

Each view in Revit has three (3) potential detail levels. The detail level button is here:

The Choices

Detail Level FINE

 

Detail Level MEDIUM

Detail Level COARSE

Simply choose the detail level that works best for you.