Forums >> Revit Structure >> Technical Support >> typical details from .dwg best way to go

seniorcad143

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Joined: Fri, Oct 2, 2009
140 Posts

ok - we are very new at revit, really just got it.  we have tons of sections in cad that we would love to bring in.  Now I have looked at previous threads on this and I am still confused on which is the best way to go.

I would like to do this the best way from the get go.

Do I bring one in at a time and save it to a typical library, or do I put them into sheets?  (I read on another thread that if I try to just link them and leave them in the cad format that it will bogg down the file)

Would it be best to draw them completely in revit, or use part of them from the cad?  I read where you have to have you cad layers and linetypes set up just right to be able to bring them in.

Could someone walk me thru the process of what to do whith say just one section?  Like I said this revit thing is all greek to me.

thanks for any help

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Yeesh - Where is My Cad

Yeesh - Where is My Cad

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seniorcad143

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Joined: Fri, Oct 2, 2009
140 Posts

ok - call me stupid.  Like I said I am new at this, and here I sit with my Mastering Revit 2010 book.  I thoguht I would take a typical detail sheet of ours (the whole thing) and try to link it.  I deleted the shading.  I created a sheet under the sheets in the file browser and called it "S1.2 - Typical Details".  I proceded to link it - it came in huge.  We draw our typical details at 1"=1'-0".  so I don't think I am doing this right.  The book I have does not tell you how to set up a sheet with just typical details drawn in d2 or linked. 

Do they have a "Revit for Dummies Book"?  :-)

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Yeesh - Where is My Cad

Yeesh - Where is My Cad

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TKennedy

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Joined: Wed, Oct 7, 2009
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seniorcad143

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Joined: Fri, Oct 2, 2009
140 Posts

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Yeesh - Where is My Cad

Yeesh - Where is My Cad

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TKennedy

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seniorcad143

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Joined: Fri, Oct 2, 2009
140 Posts

ok - thanks, I did this and it is working so far.  Now I want to set wigths relating to the colors of the cad link file.  I read in another thread to go to import export settings.  but in the help menu it says do not edit that file to load one.  My question is I can create my own, right?  and then load it inot the revit drawing.

 This is what the help menu says:

1. The Import Line Weights dialog displays the mappings in the importlineweights-dwg-default.txt file.
2. If this is not the file that you want to edit, click Load, navigate to the correct mappings file, and open it.
3. In the dialog, match the appropriate pen to the appropriate line weight (for example: Pen Number 1 to Line Weight Number 1, Pen Number 2 to Line Weight Number 2, and so on). Set as many pen-line weight mappings as desired.
4. Click OK, or to save the mappings in a new file, click Save As.

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Yeesh - Where is My Cad

Yeesh - Where is My Cad

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twhisker

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Joined: Thu, Jul 5, 2007
110 Posts

First off - Mastering Revit is a great book, but Paul Aubins is amazing.

1.  DO NOT bring in full sheets of details and DO NOT link them.  Linking will make you run slow and you are better off with each detail acting independantly so you can mix and match whatever details you want.

2. Create a drafting view at the same scale as your detail.  Then IMPORT the dwg file into the drafting view.

3. Create a sheet view and add the details to the sheet.

You can do this to either a template (RTE) file with details that you use for every project.  Other details can be brought into a project and saved as a Details file.  This would allow you to import the details you need for other projects.  Be careful with hatching - Revit does some odd stuff to hatches and you may have to play with the hatch scale factor.  Before running the import, make sure everything is on the correct layer because Revit uses COLOR of the layer to assign it a revit line weight.  You will have to look at your CAD pen table and match the colors up to Revit line weights.  There are 3 ways we have used CAD details:

1. Use the CAD detail as-is.  This is in a pinch and we are really pressed for time.

2. Use only the CAD linework - we hide the CAD layers for text & dim - then add Revit text & dim (our CAD text is simplex and Revit is Arial)  This is if we have some time and it's not a regularly used detail.

3. We import the CAD detail, then use Revit drafting tools using CAD as an underlay - then delete the CAD file - this is with lots of time and for standard details we use in EVERY project.

AND NEVER EVER EVER EVER EXPLODE A CAD FILE.  That dense sand hatch pattern will become thousands of tiny lines!!

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Revit Architecture 2010

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emgeeo

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Joined: Wed, Mar 12, 2008
322 Posts

Import one at a time into independent drafting views.  Set scale as necessary and use pick-lines to begin copying the detail.  I typically import origin-origin, black and white.  Do not link.

I'll overide the graphics of the cad file to be a dark blue, but will check the halftone option.

I then use the pick-lines option to begin copying the detail.  I use filled regions with different line thicknesses to achieve the hatches.

I then copy text and dimensions on-screen.

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