Quick(er) Fix?

[Gabriel Black]

First a little :
Our company works extensively in AutoCAD and produces 2D drawings. Part of my work (the part that takes up 80% of my time will take me months to model in 3D and make look pretty. The end result I desire, not the company.

I believe I have a solution to my little problem but don’t want to waste time doing it if it’s not going to work:
I’d like to model the equipment as model lines (footprints) so that they show up in a "2D" view with all the annotation & tags that go with this.
In 3D, I was thinking of doing ‘platforms’ at the correct heights, sizes etc. onto which I can attach pipe and electrical connections as required to enable me to do the pipe runs – my biggest headache due to amendments – and automatic sizing.

My plan is to have an acceptable 2D layout view with the minimum of fine 3D work.

Since the parameters and planes would be in the family, could I then go back later when more time is available and put in the pretty 3D stuff?

In your opinion, would this work?

[Jrobker]

You're speaking about LOD (level of detail/development/design) 100-500.
100=conceptual
200=approximate geometry
300=precise geometry
400=fabrication
500=asbuilt
You are right on track with a developing standard.
Look at
BIM requirements of the AIA document E202.
Autodesk project phases
Or as a company come up with your own.

[mdradvies]

Actually a great idea.
You could start 3D families with just model lines (or symbolic lines). Add the 3D stuff on the go. No harm in that, so have fun!

[Gabriel Black]

Cool
Time to kick sum Revit bum:bb:

[Gabriel Black]

You're speaking about LOD (level of detail/development/design) 100-500....Or as a company come up with your own.

WOW! I had no idea there's a whole document to this. All I wanted to do was make "quick" families so I could start pumping out projects and do the pretty stuff later with all the time I'd save!

[mog505]

There's a rather large discussion happening in the UK with trying to synchronise the Level of Detail (LOD) in relation to the stage of delivery accross the industry so that everyone knows what to expect when.
Currently there are 3 basic levels, that despite what documents and studies say, everyone agrees exist. Level 1 in a nutshell is basic, dumb geometry, Level 2 being parametric detail with geometry and Level 3 containing manufacturer's information.

When managers and not engineers get their hands on this suddenly the number of levels mushroom and becomes much more complex. However as an engineer, it is often thought there is no need for this complexity.
That said CAD managers need to exist to carry this stuff out.

It's worth mentioning that it is pretty hard to carry out a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Stage E (tender level) design without carrying out a RIBA stage F design (Detailed design) in Revit.

At my firm, we are quickly finding out that you may as well create one family with the capability of taking it up to Level 2 at the very least. There is nothing to be gained taking time to develop a Level 1 family as you can simply neglect to fill out the parametric information at early stage design and halve your family creation headache.

Level 3 detail is a different story and really will have to be led by the manufacturers who have the detailed knowledge of their own content. This will have to be created in a coordinated fashion and useable across the entire industry.

As you can maybe tell I am an engineer not a CADdist or manager, so I perhaps am not able to communicate in such impenitrable language.

[Gabriel Black]

The drawings we issue for tender and construction are at a LOD 2, I'd say.
In AutoCAD I have drawing M8001 and M8005 as two separate files. M8001 is my basis though and shows the equipment numbered but with the refrigerant and condensate drain points not visable.
Being the base drawing, M8001 is the xref in all other drawings.
M8005 shows the refrigerant pipe route to these cabinets again in a separate file with M8001 as the xref.
The point I'm trying to make is that these are the drawing sheets we issue and at this Level of Detail.
I plan to make these cabinets with the correct points etc. as they stand here and include the pretty 3D stuff later.
See, our clients and engineers are complete virgins when it comes to the 3D work Revit can do so I'm in no way pressurized to produce stunning 3D work...yet.