Forums >> Community >> Newbies >> New to Revit, converting from CAD questions

V1ad

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Hi,

The project I am working on has a fully developed AutoCAD Architectural Desktop 3-D model.  Is there anyway to reuse the 3D elements in Revit, or do I have to remodel everything to make them Revit objects?  Example: all the structure is 3-D modeled, beams/columns, etc., it would be nice if I could just import the 3-D geometry and turn it into a coulum and a beam objects in Revit.  

 Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks 

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Typhoon

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I Hope and I Wish to LEARN  more, and more, and more.... REVIT

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V1ad

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OK, please bear with me, as I am in baby step mode.  I exported the structure out of CAD as an .ifc.  Then I imported it into Revit.  Some of the columns (the really simple square concrete ones)  becasme recognized as columns and are listed in the pull down menu.  However, the one's I really needed to be converted, which are I-beams that are all on  different angles, don't seemed to be recognized.  They are there, but they are grayed out.  I can select them, and that's about it.  What would be my next step to convert those into Revit columns?  I am going to take a look at how they were constructed in CAD, maybe that has something to do with it.

Thanks a lot for the suggestion.  I feel like I am making some progress.  Thanks Again

-V

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Typhoon

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Hi "V1ad", is "I-beams" in your file CAD a Block? take a look, i remember when i work with Autocad Architectural i insert this I-beams from the "Catalog" witch have diferents dimensions, so i think there are a Block, explode them and try again....

Good luck

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I Hope and I Wish to LEARN  more, and more, and more.... REVIT

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V1ad

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Hey,

It seems exploding the colum in CAD makes it even less recognizable in Revit.  If I don't explode it in CAD some the information does get brought into Revit.  In CAD the different kinds of columns are identical except for their geometry.  THey seem to have been made the same way.  I tried exporting one colum at a time, but still the same problem.

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NKramer

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V1ad

This may create more work than it saves but you could try taking all of the complex columns, changing them to something simple, export to ifc, import in revit, select all insances and then change back to the complex form.

HTH

Nick 

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V1ad

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NKramer

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Not that I know if. You would have to draw a new beam which you may then be able align to something in the existing model. It depends how the import comes in. Generally you have access to the linework in AutoCAD imports but sketchup and others you dont.

Let us know what you find out.

Nick 

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V1ad

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NAMECIB7610

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Joined: Thu, Apr 28, 2011
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Hi V1ad,

Yes you can convert to a mesh.  See the post I just posted an that very topic.

Hope that helps,

NAMECIB7610

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