One development many project files.

With our trial project (the first time any of us had used the programme professionally) we created nine projects, one for each house type in the development and an overall site plan showing the structure of each house.

I have now come to the conclusion that this was completely the wrong approach. Half way through the programme the team leader had to import all of the structures into site plan project to form the various terraces to produce the general arrangements, elevations, floor and roof drawings, whilst myself and a colleague continued with the house type drawings to produce the internal layouts and the sections through each house type. This was partly because when we started we hadn't finished our training course and didn't know about work sets and partly as we only had a 6 week programme to finish the development of 12 houses and thought we could put them together easily.

Is it worth combining the various project files into one overall file? All of the views in the house type projects have varying levels of embellishment and I can't think of a safe way of putting the drawings together. I don't even know if I can cut and paste between views in different drawings. Due to the challenging timescales I have I can't afford to waste time trying and failing (I know in the big picture it isn't a waste, but try explaining that to a manager who seems proud of not understanding CAD!) Should I try and get it right or should I learn from it and get the next project set up properly?

Not that I like it. When we have run into major issues with a Revit project, the powers that be opt for the quick and easy work around and chalk it up to experience for use in the future. HTH.

This project should definitely be the topic of a "lesson's learned" discussion. I don't mean that in a bad way. Lesson's learned talks are very important in the beginnings of any new method, procedure or system implementation.

What's funny is that I know too many companies who use the worst type of project imaginable to cut their teeth on with Revit. We're talking 90% rate of typical scenarios in personal acquaintances and friends alike. Revit doesn't have tools to easily support an entire development, although it surely can do so, but you need a team who understands Revit enough to mitigate painful epiphanies during the project cycle. Me and a few other Revit guru's handled a 13 building site for UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch) in Galveston, Texas at my last company. It went very smooth because we spent weeks ahead of time outlining exactly what our plan was and the best execution of Linking and Sheet management. But a first time project? Oh heck no.

If you combine files, you can always use V/G > Revit Links Tab > Display Settings > By Host View (choose the Link of your choice, if more than one) > Basics Tab > By Linked View. This is the way you can reference preset Views from the Links for the Components in the host View, which makes exchanging view information in between Links super easy as well as consistent. And Workset, Workset Workset!! Definitely need Worksets on large projects. Also, depending on the complexity of each of the nine types of housing models, a Model Group would have been ideal (think Block in AutoCAD, but more functional). Also, for Sheet Lists you can link to another Revit project's sheet list as well, combining all the Lists in a single Index. So there are definitely ways to accomplish it "easier" but not completely "easy" if that makes sense. As soon as you have more than one building, it automatically complicates things because you have options of doing it together or separating them. There are pros and cons to each method executed.

But the good news is this: you did it and you learned. You learned what not to do at the very least.

-Tannar

Thanks guys. I would have replied sooner but was at a friends wedding yesterday. When my head starts working again I'll give the linking thing a try.

 

If you combine files, you can always use V/G > Revit Links Tab > Display Settings > By Host View (choose the Link of your choice, if more than one) > Basics Tab > By Linked View. This is the way you can reference preset Views from the Links for the Components in the host View, which makes exchanging view information in between Links super easy as well as consistent.

Dude this is brilliant!!! I've had no end of criticism from management about putting things on separate sheets and combining drawings (all done to save paper & time, costs in short) so now I can display things how they want without hours of fiddling about!!

Come over to England and I'll buy you beer!

Glad it worked out for you Glen.