BIM Execution... again

Because it came up at work today, and because it's FroBack Friday let's link to a valuable tool for discussing BIM LOD requirements.

BIM Execution How-to

Revit Technology Conference North America (RTCNA) 2014 Recap

Gangsters in Chicago

As the Twitter Hashtag #RTCNA slips from it's spot in the trending list, as 100's of BIMmers discover that,  yes, that was there last clean pair of socks, as we start to gather elusive receipts for our expense reports, I offer this stroll through the world of the RTCNA Reviteer. It's not always pretty, but everyone has fun...

So, what's RTC like?

<--Yeah, it's kinda like this-->

What's it all about? It's about Learning. It's about Sharing. It's about Teaching. 

And it's a about change...  as a matter of fact, the title of our Keynote this year was "The Future of Authority. Leadership in the Midst of Change."

Basically, we all get together and try to change our industry (and maybe even the world) by thrashing on Revit (OK,and each other) in creative and entertaining ways.

Inverse Kinematics (look it up) in Revit.
"Even the developers didn't know it could do that."

Scott Brown's "Friends don't let friends 'Split face and Paint' class about Revit for Interiors

Troy Gates teaches us to manage our models with Macros

Andy Milburn makes stuff others say can't be done

More coolness from Andy

Marcello says this is the swan song for the Revit Cow. Going into retirement.

Learning from our surroundings.
The Swag Bag charger instructions were an awesome example
of  "communication."

The people are what really make this event.  I was stunned when the attendees were asked to raise hands if they were there for the first time and about 80% of the hands went up. Very nice to see.

Old friends and new.  

possibly the best beard of RTCNA

Beauty and the Beast...?

Brain trust...

I think we need a rule about this much Revit knowledge
being in the same place at the same time... 

Gangsters were everywhere in that town.

Careful, that thing might go off.

They let anyone in here

In short, as much as learn and as much as we teach, we are all recharged by the company we keep-

Oh, and there was bowling... ;)

I love this post...

... but it never got much attention.

Hydronic Baseboard in Revit MEP (waaay back in 2009. I wonder if it still behaves the same?)

Tame that BIM...

From the beginning, this site has been my attempt to make BIM, VDC, construction modeling, 3D, 4D and all the rest just a little more accessible.  In short, I hope when asked "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad BIM?" you can answer a resounding "Not ME!"

In that vein, I'd like to introduce BIM Tamers. They are here to whip your model into shape and support efficient and timely model creation and use.

Check out the introductory video below and sign up to learn more here.

Throw back Thursday (a day later...) it's all about Parameters.

With classic Big Bad lines like :

Skillful use of parameters are the difference between BIM and parametric modeling. Get some information in that model, by Jove. But, beware, not all parameters are created equal!

and...

Pretty straight forward stuff really. Keep your mind organized while deciding what kind of parameters to use. Definitely do not listen to The Pogues while creating parameters. Save them for hardcore geometry modeling. Maybe spin some Yo-Yo Ma. Relaaaaax.

Parameters: Family vs. Project vs. Shared Family vs. Shared Project is worth a gander.
Have a great Memorial Day folks. Take a couple minutes and remember why we have Monday off.

Retro Friday: BIM Execution How-to-

I'm bringing this to the top because I hear people talking about it almost daily.

BIM Execution Plans (BxP)are the foundation of you successful use of BIM. I'm given pause by how regularly they are just slapped together because they were "required on the project."

This is your roadmap folks. This is what you will point back to when the going gets tough.

• When you have physical conflicts in the field, you will point to the model.
• When you have conflicts in the model, you will point to the matrix that show what trade takes precedent in that situation.
• When you have conflicts of interest and personality, you will point to your BxP. Or at least you should. You won't be able to if you didn't take the time to assemble it in a meaningful manner.

The document mentioned in the post below isn't about how to fill out your Modeling matrix, or who should do what task when. It's about how to have a conversation about these things. Consider it the form work for your projects foundation.

BIM Execution How-to  April 10, 2012

Your map to sucessful BIM projects

Retro Friday- The BIMWashers are still with us.

A post on the Linked In group "Epic BIM" (founded by the guys at Epic BIM, funnily enough) prompted me to look back at a blog post from waaaay back in 2009.

Sad to say, I could have written this post yesterday. I'm not pointing that my writing hasn't improved (that's a given) just that I still see these attitudes today.

I'm actually kinda surprised how many people are still in the "adoption" phase of some sort of BIM process. Even more surprising are those that are still debating the value and consider it the next "fad."  Eh, big ships are slow to turn I guess.

Enjoy some "vintage" Big Bad BIM...
BIMwash- the new snakeoil?

Revit Technology Conference North America an Abridged retelling

Note:You would think I could have gotten this posted sometime yesterday, but as I was proofing I got involved in some good API conversation with Matthew Nelson (BIM Manager at Evergreen EDC @MattBeNimble) then lost WiFi and just never got to hit *post*  Better Late than never.

My plans to blog daily from RTCNA were shot down by spotty WiFi in the hotel room. I never had more than 15 mins of continuous connection.  Anytime I went to the lobby, I was far to involved in Revit/BIM conversations to think about how to capture the event on the blog.  Even now, as I sit in the hotel lobby, some of the best Revit minds in the industry are having off the cuff brainstorming and collaboration sessions as they wait their time to leave. Twitter tells me that the airport would be just as conversation rich.  So, I will try to capture the conference in a few paragraphs for now and expand later.

As far as sessions go, per usual, they were the top live learning resources on Revit and BIM in the wild available.  I did walk out of one class, but that was made possible by realistic representation of the course by the instructor.  They stated that "if you have ever done this task in Revit, you're not going to learn much here and anything you haven't seen before you could pick up from the handout." Great attitude at an intermediate to advanced technology conference.

Frankly, if you could only go to one Revit related conference a year, I would recommend the Revit Technology Conference closest to you. Seriously, The caliber of presenters, and the sessions offered will inspire the motivated beginner to seasoned professional alike.  I won't go into sessions specifics, but Revit cows and elephants, Data mining, Curtain wall modeling to fabrication and hacking Revit to bend to your will were found around every corner....

Vancouver and specifically Westin Bayshore had a lot to offer. Being a intimate event (440 registrants as opposed to close to 10,000 at Autodesk University (I'm sure if I'm far wrong on that number someone will let me know)) allows for a smaller venue with rooms and conference center within easy walking distance.  The RTCNA committee and Sponsor IMAGINiT snagged a great place for the Friday evening party- The Vancouver Aquarium.  Dolphin Show, open exhibits to wander, even tables nestled among sea-life exhibits.  Good times.

Anyway, more to come... In the mean time, enjoy the sealife--

Revit Technology Conference North America (Day 0 Recap)

A Bad BIM, a Twice Roads Fool, a Revit OpEd, a Revit Tyeten, and a Revit Kid walk into a bar...

Wait, is this a joke?  Well, maybe... but it's also Revit Technology Conference North America 2013 (hereafter known as RTCNA) in beautiful Vancouver B.C.

Just about everyone has cleared customs or snuck across the border (as the case may be,) presentations were polished up into the wee hours of the morning (as bottles of spirituous libations were polished off (or so I've heard.)) and as the sun rises the AEC world waits anxiously to see how it's face will be forever altered.  Ohhhh, the hyperbole.... Seriously though, looking at the speakers list, the attendees, the topics and the venue, this conference is shaping up to be stellar.

It was great to touch base with old friends and new last night. I look forward to catching up with others as the week goes on.

My advice to get the most of this conference is directly hijacked from Aaron Maller; "Conference hard, play harder, swim faster, caffienate, and screw sleep. Sleep is for quitters."   Oh, and stay away from #TerminalD  ;)

See you around the hallways everyone. Let's do this.

3 ways to quickly Crop a 3D view in Revit...

Being able to navigate the model quickly in 3D will make you more efficient and put you ahead of the game compared to your coworkers who only work in plan and section.

The power of 3D views are often over looked by those who don't use them regularly and aren't comfortable navigating them or setting them up to show pertinent information.

In the video below you will find 3 ways to quickly crop a 3D view in a Revit model to the area or object of interest.





Note: This is a training video used by our staff at Devenney Group Ltd., Architects.

Visit us at Devenney Group

Just in Case...

Just in Case you hadn't heard...

Just in Case you don't know...
Just in Case your models need some super charging...
Just in Case your data needs some hard core crunching...
Just in Case mundane repetitive tasks have you contemplating a career in synchronized  water ballet coaching...

... there's CASE, Inc

Case, Inc's Subscription Tools  have saved me time and heartache since I purchased a seat a little while back.

An example would be when I use their Super Shared Parameter Loader to update a very basic family we use to schedule equipment in a project.

There were 36 parameters to load.
Each Shared Parameter takes 10 clicks to create in the family editor environment.
Total effort = 360 clicks at approx 3 seconds a click. 1080 sec or 18 mins.

Using the Super Shared Parameter Loader I was able to complete the whole deal in 5 clicks or 15 sec.

WINNING!

All of the tools included with the subscription, that I've had a moment to try, have had similar gains in efficiency or they allow you to preform a task that Revit just doesn't want to do. And they are continually adding more.

Who knew they have a sense of humor? (OK anyone who has spent more than a couple of minutes with them, especially in a Bar in Vegas...)

From their Delete Sheets, Views and Links tool

Click on the Links above. Buy software. Excel at life.

Besides anyone that has fluffy kittens on their error screen (you'll just have to get a seat to see) need all the monetary support they can muster.  ;)

The new phone books are here , the new phone books are here

Well, Revit 2014 has finally been released and is available for download at the Subscription Center.

I've opted for physical media, because, well, we don't have FTTP.

And if you didn't get the reference in the post title, may I suggest that you need more Jerks in your life.

A Step Closer to Model Based Code Review

Solibri announces $21 Million dollar technology grant to North American Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) to acquire their software for model review.

 Scottsdale, AZ, 10 Dec 2012 - Solibri, the global leader in model-based QA/QC technology, through its U.S. operations has established a $21 million grant program that North American Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ’s) can use to acquire Solibri Model Checker technology and receive assistance incorporating Building Information Models (BIM) into the digital review process. Interested AHJs are encouraged to apply for the technology grant immediately at the Solibri website (www.solibri.com), following the link for AHJ Grants.

Full press release here.

Direct link to Grant Program page.

Thursday Throwback

In which I will dredge a favorite post from the past (mostly for my own enjoyment.)

Finally got one in on Thursday.  :)

I STILL love this clip... <BUMP>

http://whosafraidofthebigbadbim.blogspot.com/2008/09/seriously-creative-design-visualization.html

BIM and Integrated Design (a book review)

It's time for a loooong overdue review of a book that we all need to read and reread:

BIM and Integrated Design;

Strategies for Archetectural Practice
By Randy Deutsch, AIA, LEED-AP

A while back I posted about the fact that their are no road maps to successful BIM and that we need more BIM explorers (as opposed to BIM navigators.) I stated that you should use the BIM compasses available to guide you in that journey.  Well, this book will teach you to build your own compass. You'll find the real substance you need to plan, execute, and  measure BIM implementation in your office.

Are you thinking about implementing BIM, but don't know where to begin?  Buy this book.

Has your firm implemented BIM, but you feel like you've hit a wall, or maybe BIM isn't all it's cracked up to be?  Buy this book.

Are you struggling with the fact that you have invested time, money and effort in BIM software, but have failed to see a return on investment? Buy this book.

In BIM and Integrated Design, the author (Randy Deutsch http://bimandintegrateddesign.com/) talks about the one thing that is consistently missing from most conversation about BIM... people. The social impact of adopting BIM, VDC, IPD, etc far outweighs the cost of software, hardware and training. Arguments about what a software can and can't do leave out the one thing we can actually do something about. How people handle change. Prepping your team to handle this change is what makes the difference between "wanna do" BIM and leaders in our industry.

In his own words:

"BIM and Integrated Design is an implementation book from a firm-culture standpoint, addressing Building Information Modeling as a cultural process with a focus on technology's impact and transformative effect - both potentially disruptive and liberating - on the social, psychological, and practical aspects of the workplace."

 The first part of the book is titled "BIM as Though People Mattered." And that about sums it up. Teach people about change and how to accomplish it, give them new and exciting tools to work with, map out short and long term goals to focus that change, and get out of their way.  Then you'll see some magic happen.  Throw some technology at people who don't really agree that anything is wrong in the first place, and you have a recipe for heartache. Applying technology alone to an issue rarely makes it better.

Some key points you'll learn:

• What you're really adopting when you adopt BIM. 
• The difference between adopting BIM and implementing BIM. (that difference is very important.)
• What are the real social implications of BIM?
• What strategies you should employ based on company culture.
• Who should really be working with BIM (in the industry and in your company.)
• How to work with others in a BIM environment
• Education and training tactics.

Mr Deutsch does a great job of laying this all out in language that just about anyone can understand. His experience as an architect and educator combine to make this an essential resource for those of us struggling with change in our industry. He wisely states;

"What design professionals do - what they produce - is neither facilities nor documents but change. Yet, ironically, when it comes time for them to confront it they seem to have such a hard time swallowing change themselves."

 So, in case you missed it, my opinion is that you should... BUY this BOOK! (click the picture above or go directly to Amazon and search for it)

I'd loan you mine, but I use it everyday. See.

Randy Deutsch- helping people everywhere to not fear the Big Bad BIM.

Edit: Added image of my copy. 8/24/12

200 posts

200 posts in 4 years... hmmmmmmmm. Gotta reflect on that...

Got sec? Or 2? Thinking about LEAN

Just about everyone who works in the AEC industry has at least heard about LEAN. It's a buzzword that's thrown around at least as often as IPD and BIM. And just as often the hype has outdistanced the substance.

Why?  I know for me personally, the subject has been littered with scheduling systems, ambiguous graphs, flow charts, and industry terms that I just can't get my head around.  On the surface, the concept is a no-brainer... common sense even. But somewhere between theory and reality, I would lose touch and fail to implement what I have learned.

Enter Paul Aker, CEO of FastCap LLC, an international product development company responsible for an amazing number of developments in the woodworking/cabinet making world. Yesterday I had the opportunity (thanks to Turner Construction Tempe, AZ office for hosting) to hear Paul speak to a group of LCI (Lean Construction Institute) members about his take on LEAN. Succinctly put;

LEAN = Eliminating Waste

That's it.
That's all.
End of story.

I'd heard that before, but in the past it got lost in all the techniques. The Flow charts and planning systems and Japanese terms that I had no frame of reference for. But Paul says this with such conviction that the basic truth, LEAN = Eliminating waste, is impossible to ignore.  It's not about Last Planners, or 5 S's or pull planning. These are all valid components of how you might implement LEAN, but they are not what LEAN... is. 

How do we eliminate waste? Paul emphasizes two points;

Learn to see waste

Continuously improve, everything

Read that again. See the waste that is everywhere. Continuously improve... everything.  

The key is learning to see that anything that doesn't add value is... waste; the half empty water bottles left on the conference room table, excess materials ordered for a project, time spent waiting for a large document to print. Once we recognize waste, we can set out to eliminate it

A "light bulb" moment for me was; the improvements you make don't have to be big or dramatic. In fact, small improvements made each day will go farther than large improvements made irregularly.

In Paul's book, 2 Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture, he explains how you can take these concepts and apply them to your work and home life.  I highly recommend it. A fairly short read at just 100 pages or so.  Lots of pictures and QR code links to videos make it effective for visual learners. There is a ton of substance for such a compact book.

Paul documents how he goes from the high of being ranked "Business Startup of the Year" in Whatcom Co WA and being offered a loan of "any amount of money you want" by a bank President based on how efficient his shop was, to being told by a manufacturing consultant that "you don't know what you're doing and you don't know how to manufacture." This is the event inspired Paul's LEAN journey and has helped him develop his current LEAN philosophy.

A key takeaway is that LEAN process and using LEAN as a business tool can only get you so far. The crux is to create a culture of learning and continuous improvement. And that will be the hardest part for all of us. Changing culture isn't easy (as any BIM/Leed/IPD/(insert industry change) champion will attest.) Without that culture, though, you will always feel like you are pushing a train.

I encourage all of you (no matter your title, position, or industry) to learn more about how you can reduce waste. Visit the 2 Second LEAN website, read the book, watch the videos on FastCap's website.  Start to implement your own 2 second improvements daily and I guarantee you will see a measurable difference in your quality and efficiency.

While I have plenty of questions about how this all plays out in our industry, I know that I can always default back to Learn to see waste and Continuously improve, everything..

If you ever get the opportunity to hear Paul speak, it will be time well spent.

What are your experiences with LEAN? Have you been on jobs that claimed LEAN project management but seemed to come up short?  Have you seen dramatic increases in productivity or quality due to LEAN principles? Or do you think it's all a bunch of hype?  Let me know in the comments below. 

Revit deployments for Dumb Es*…

I’m an E (an Erik with a "k" if you didn't already know.)  Maybe not a dumb E, but surely an ignorant one.

I have a distinct lack of IT and networking skills (even though my last firm lumped me in the IT Department (much to their amusement and my chagrin.))

That said, the power to be able to configure, update, and install software through “deployments” has fascinated me for awhile. So much power… (cue evil laugh.)

So when I started to hear Aaron Maller (Malleristic Revitation) tweeting about a project he was involved in that made the whole process digestible for guys like me (dummies, not necessarily dumb Es) I was hooked.

That project? The Pragmatic Reviteer has created a web-based course titled;

 Revit Deployment & Management for Medium Sized Offices

I am currently about 1/3 of the way through the current “lectures” and I intend to do a more comprehensive review at the end of learning journey, as well as posting of my experiences using the knowledge imparted, but I think I’d be doing a disservice to you if I didn’t let you in on this excellent series of lessons.

If you are at all involved in managing Revit (content, installs, etc) you owe it to yourself to at least watch the Promo video to see what it’s all about.  If it sparks your interest, the price is very reasonable for the depth to which the topic is covered.

Also check out the Revit Bistro- a collection of small plates and specials from the Pragmatic Reviteer on Udemy (no cost at the moment.)

.
The Pragmatic Reviteer- teaching the Big Bad BIM to guys like me (dumb and otherwise.)

* Similarity to a popular self help publisher is purely for comedic effect.

Forcing YES/NO parameters

A reader's email asks:

Hi Erik,
I saw your tip on the CAD Shack blog about formulas in Revit. Here's
the link to the blog:
http://cadshack.blogspot.ie/2012/01/revit-family-formula-examples-and.html
I have a question for you that you might be able to solve. I am making
a new window and I want to have the option to turn the visibility of
the sill on or off, depending on the type of window I use. I have
nested the sill into the family, and I have assigned a visibility
parameter to the sill, but how to I assign a formula to be able to
turn it on and off? You wrote on the CAD Shack blog about 1=0 and 1=1,
however I'm lost as to how you enter these into the formula column?!
I would really appreciate you advice on this.

Response:


That was someone else's comment ( tucker_arch ) but I think what they are trying to say is :

If you set a Yes/No parameter to have a formula of 1=0, Revit will return <False> or an unchecked Yes/No parameter. 

The formula doesn't have to be 1=0, it can be any false statement... 10<230, (1*2)=10000000000, I can dance!  (well maybe not the last.)  

Making a true statement will result in a "Checked" box.  1<2, 1=1, etc etc.

Now just paste the true formula into the formula cell of the types you want to HAVE a sill and the false formula into the types you don't.


I wish tucker_arch had an account or contact info so I could have asked what they truly meant.  If that's you (or you know tucker_arch) let me know and I'll add your comments here.

Gladly helping readers with Big Bad BIM... daily.

"Building Long with VDC..."

"Building Tall with BIM brings Gain, but Building long with VDC is a bigger game."

So says ENR about some local Arizona BIMMERS (Eric Cylwik and Kevin Dwyer from Sundt Construction) who have put together an informative piece on using VDC for Horizontal Construction (Civil and Infrastructure) featured in an ENR post.

Courtesy Sundt Construction

Make sure you visit the full article as well where they go into depth about how the concepts of VDC (Horizontal Construction guys shy from the term BIM. Has something to do with the "B" I'm told.) save money and accelerate schedule. Great job Gents

Sundt and ENR, not afraid to bury the Big Bad BIM...