tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45788957597046417272023-11-16T09:35:34.635-08:00CodeBook...aimed at educating, promoting good practice and demystifying the use of CodeBook within Architecture.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-21763128742395588172014-07-29T02:45:00.000-07:002014-07-29T02:45:47.980-07:00So long...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You might have heard that I recently joined the dRofus leadership team and have not been blogging about CodeBook for some time now.<br />
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I'll leave the blog here for posterity and hope that it continues to provide some help and guidance for those out there using the software, but alas this will be my last post.<br />
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I used CodeBook successfully for many years at several practices and in the right hands it can do great things for projects. I wish Peter and the other CodeBook staff all the best for the future.<br />
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People often ask me "Why did you join dRofus?" or "dRofus is the same as CodeBook isn't it?"<br />
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Granted there is some overlap, but I would suggest that this is only around 25-33% (i.e. similar features in both systems, focussed mainly around rooms and ff&e).<br />
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dRofus has many features that CodeBook doesn't (+ vice versa) and as BIM becomes the project delivery norm and we move to more data-driven design processes, I see a great future for dRofus, CodeBook and others in the market place - plus some healthy competition!<br />
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Make it happen.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-39106419517738663382013-09-27T16:42:00.006-07:002013-09-27T16:42:57.016-07:00What do Revit, CodeBook, STRATUS and Snoop Doggy Dog have in common?Well one is a building information modelling platform, another a space data management tool, STRATUS is a private BIM Cloud and the last is a famous rapper - so nothing obvious that's for sure!<br />
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The CodeBook User Group has recently been trialling Revit + CodeBook in the Cloud, using the STRATUS Private BIM Cloud as a platform. What that means precisely is that the Revit and CodeBook software is installed on a cloud server, which is accessed remotely through your internet browser using a secure login and password.<br />
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So the applications are running in the cloud, not from your PC, think of it like STRATUS providing you with a tunnel to their server and window to view the server desktop, or perhaps more importantly the software.<br />
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The Revit model and CodeBook database are co-located (i.e. saved on the same cloud server), making both perform very efficiently. Typically most firms use a LAN or WAN, which regardless of the spec or amount of money spent on infrastructure, will be subject to latency - i.e. a time lag.<br />
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This time delay is caused by the volume of traffic passing through (i.e. your colleagues working), routers, switches etc... I've even known underfloor cabling to get damaged by rats chewing through them, resulting in slow network performance!<br />
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Running RAM, processor and data hungry applications like Revit + CodeBook from the cloud makes a lot of sense. The spec of a server can be modified quite easily and "throttled" to provide specific users with a higher spec, or provide extra RAM during intensive periods leading up to a deadline - that's the power of cloud based resources.<br />
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Removing the LAN or WAN from the equation also offers performance gains, the model doesn't have to be copied across the network to your PC when first opened - it's there on the same machine as the applications. When synching with the central model etc... the distance the communication or changes have to travel is greatly reduced and is subject to fewer human or environmental conditions.<br />
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So this all sounds great Chris, but what happens if my internet connection is slow or worst still drops off? A good internet connection and graphics card certainly helps, but should your connection be interrupted all you need to do is log back in and you'll be taken back to where you left off.<br />
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For more information on STRATUS visit their website - <a href="http://stratus.net.nz/">http://stratus.net.nz/</a> - and if you have any questions, or to arrange your own trial contact Des or one of his team and they will be happy to help.<br />
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The next CBUG is on Tuesday 1st October and Danielle, Adam and I will be collaborating to give a live demo of several cool features - Room Tasks, Flex Reports and C-sheet generation - all from the cloud!<br />
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For more details check the CodeBook User Group on LinkedIn, here's the meeting invitation for Tuesday including WebEx details - <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/idgp59x82p3sm2i/CBUG-AU13_11_invite.pdf">https://www.dropbox.com/s/idgp59x82p3sm2i/CBUG-AU13_11_invite.pdf</a>#!<br />
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Oh and back to the original question about Snoop Dog... he provided the background music to this sneak preview video of CB+Revit on STRATUS and may be making a guest appearance at the next user group session.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3zR1RXOnXwA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3zR1RXOnXwA</a><br />
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Make it happen.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-78362002997029335772013-07-03T21:39:00.000-07:002013-07-03T21:47:37.155-07:00Making the complex that little bit easier...Large, hi-tech projects are rarely easy and straightforward. They often require detailed planning and the sub-division of tasks, their sequencing, consultant inputs, reviews etc... so that the end goals are achieved.<br />
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The development of the CodeBook GUI over the last year reflects this and the user experience has been simplified, based on roles. The CodeBook software has grown organically exponentially over it's life and around a year ago the development team took the opportunity to rethink, modernise and streamline the GUI.<br />
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Those that have been using CodeBook for a while, will remember the old layout and where each function was located. For new users this could take a while to learn and get used to in v10, whereas within v11 CBI have introduced "the ribbon", large icons and grouped together tasks based on workflows which make it much easier to find the function you need and navigate around the system.<br />
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When I first looked at v11 it took me a while to understand the layout and why things were arranged in the way they are, but when I started thinking in terms of roles it made a lot of sense.<br />
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The Home Tab is aimed at your general users, that are involved in developing rooms. You can navigate around your project through the Properties section, choosing whether to view Sectors, departments, floors, rooms, room data etc... which appear in the "main window". You can switch between these views quickly and easily too from within the main window, or from the ribbon.<br />
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The Room Linking section allows you to create or remove links, synch rooms etc... based on what you have selected within the main window. The FFE section currently shows Library Viewer and Attached Files and it is at this point that I want to draw your attention to the "local window" which runs along the left hand side, next to the main window.<br />
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The local navigation and main window work together when you are in related views - i.e. if you're in a room based view in both local + main, or FFE view within both local and main. In the example shown however, I have an FFE local view and room based main window, which means I can navigate around both quickly, but also drag and drop components from my local navigation into my equipment list in the main window - adding them to the equipment list.<br />
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Those of you with a keen eye will have noticed that the ribbon has slightly changed too, to reflect what I am now working on - i.e. FFE and I now have a Placement Section available, which allows me to insert equipment into my CAD/BIM model.<br />
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This adaptive GUI is fantastic in my opinion as it keeps things generalised where they should be and more detailed when you need them to be, rather than having every option presented to you all the time.<br />
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The Synchronise commands require you to have CAD/BIM open and Reporting enables you to create reports, or generate views/drawings depending on the CAD/BIM system you are using.<br />
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<b>So most general users can now carry out 100% of their work all from within the Home tab!</b><br />
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In addition to general users, or room loaders as I sometimes call them, we have a couple of other types of users to consider - the template builders and administrators.<br />
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Template builders are able to generate Room Data Templates, Room Type Templates, Edit Equipment, Unions and Assemblies all from the <b>Build</b> Tab. Again the dynamic GUI will adapt and some additional options become available depending on what is happening within your local navigation or main window.<br />
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Administrators have several tabs to work with, first is Load, which enables you to import rooms and FFE from Excel, Revit, ADB, HFBS or wherever the brief data has come from.<br />
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Next is the <b>Output</b> tab, which contains features like creating Image and Revision databases and exporting data to A.N. other system.<br />
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Then <b>Manage</b>, which contains more advanced functions such as batch updating info, merging databases, creating shuttle databases, the placement matrix etc...<br />
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The penultimate tab is called <b>Database</b> and this allows you to compact & repair your database, query database types - yes it happens, sometimes people rename bizzarely / accidentally so knowing if a database is a project, equipment or room data is useful! If you are using the SQL server version, this is managed from here and likewise the mobile server.<br />
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The last tab <b>Mode</b> simply shows the current user mode selected, i.e. what Graphics Tool you are working with and the User Interface, i.e. Administrator, Project Manager or Team Member. You can switch between modes without having to close and restart CodeBook which can be useful on occasion.<br />
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So General Users = HOME<br />
Template Builders = BUILD<br />
Administrator = the rest<br />
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You could almost state that the tabs get increasingly more complex as you journey to the right and that individual capability is measured by how many tabs to the right you know... but that's just silly.<br />
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Make it happen.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-16494665910958866032013-05-22T05:06:00.001-07:002013-05-22T05:06:59.271-07:00The next CBUG AU will be held on May 28th, 2013The next user group session will be held on Tuesday, during which Danielle Currie will present the second part of the library development sessions.<br />
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Last month Marnie Reid presented a Library development session that focused on the many considerations when building a library, the common problems encountered and advice on how to manage things in the long term.<br />
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Danielle's session will look at how to link individual equipment definition with a family, but also how to do this en masse, using the Bulk Add functions and also how to Bulk Edit library definitions using the descriptions, codes, groupings etc... it should be an informative session, for info on locations and WebEx details check out the <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=3776442&type=member&item=239756153&qid=1e2fa609-538b-46d6-b43e-1bc6ca1c435c&trk=group_most_recent_rich-0-b-ttl&goback=%2Egmr_3776442">Invite & Linkedin post</a><br />
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The User Group does have an Australian focus but we welcome CodeBooker from overseas to join in via WebEx. You're guaranteed to learn something new, get a new perspective or perhaps a fresh approach to common tasks - hope to see you there!Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-31428676777577379552012-11-15T01:20:00.001-08:002012-11-15T01:20:29.211-08:00Save weeks of work with Room Types<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Room Types are a great way to rapidly populate your project with the Room Data Sheet requirements and also provide a powerful tool for driving information consistency across a project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Below are notes which will guide you through creating and editing data templates, but remember, strategy is everything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The basic concept is that rather than filling in the design issues, finishes, m+e, doors and required equipment for each individual room, we create templates for each of these elements which in turn are combined within a Room Type template and assigned to the applicable rooms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To get started, open the room editor window, insert a new room and then start filling in the design issues fields, notice that your information is coloured green when you hit the save button.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once you've finished, go to "Room>Make Data Template" and you will be presented with a new window - the data templates editor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All templates are assigned a code and description, which in the case of design issues defaults to DSxxx and the name of the room that the template was created from. Now edit the template code to be "DS_TEST" and template name to read "TEST DESIGN TEMPLATE" - congratulations you've just created your first template!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you go back to your room editor window, you'll see that all of the values in the Design Issues tab are now coloured black, which indicates that the values are coming from a template. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Colouring the differences in green provides a quick way to see where your room differs to your template, i.e. contains room specific overrides.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To change a green room data override to be the same as the template you simply change it to "as template" and hit save. To make all the design issues reflect the template, simply hit the "Default" button in the bottom left corner of the Room Editor window, which will update all of the design issues fields to be as per your assigned template.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Creating the required equipment list for a room is done by dragging and dropping equipment or unions from the library into the required equipment section of room editor. If you need to add the same item multiple times, you can do this by dragging and dropping multiple times, but an easier method is to right click on the item from the required equipment list, Select increase quantity and type in the number required.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">You can delete items of course, however, once your baseline brief has been established it is generally advisable to omit items and specify a Reason for Update. </span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">This is part of the track changes process and provides visibility about when and why items were removed and gives </span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">a running history of what has changed during the design phase.</span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Every project I've ever worked questions why you would do this at first, but as soon as the contractor / client RFI's start rolling in this audit trail becomes immensely valuable and saves hours (if not days) of painfully trawling back through meeting minutes and markups. So much so I'll dedicate a future post to this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">At the bottom of the required equipment window you'll see a button "Properties", which unveils a section where you can add further information against each item of equipment, such as highlight transfer items or assign an asset ID. The</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> "asset" information relates to the equipment in a specific room - not to all of the equipment in your project and it is important to understand the difference. Asset based changes = required equipment list. Project Equipment based changes = Equipment Library.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once you have created a required equipment list, you can convert this into a template, or Assembly as its referred to. Select "Equipment>Assembly>Make Assembly from Required Equipment List"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just like other templates, equipment Assemblies should have a logical code and description, so update the assembly code to "AS_TEST" and the assembly name "TEST ASSEMBLY" from the Summary tab.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Assemblies can be further edited by using the Add / Remove Member buttons at the bottom of the assembly window. The thumbnail image is displaying a cross at this stage as the equipment hasn't been arranged - so once you've "loaded" a room in your project with the items from your assembly, use the function "Librarian>Update Graphics>From Loaded Room" and this will be updated, but more importantly it means that the next time you insert the assembly it comes in set out in the desired arrangement!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Doors tab in Room Editor will appear blank when you first select it, as not every room will necessarily have a door. Select "Door>Add" and fill in each of the fields listed - again notice the green colour. Then go to Door>Create Door template and give the template the code "D_TEST" - you're probably noticing a pattern here and how easy it is to create templates.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To complete our Room Type we need to create the rooms Finishes and M&E templates using the same method as the Design Issues and Doors. Once all of your templates have been created, go to the first tab in the Data Templates Editor - Room Types.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Create a new Room Type template by selecting "Edit>Insert", give it the code "RT_TEST" and description in line with what you have used for the other templates. and then select your Design, Finishes, M&E, Door and Assembly templates from the drop down menu. This groups all of the information together as a room type, which can now be applied quickly and easily to the rooms in your project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You'll see some fields such as Standard Room Name, Required Area, Room Category etc... which relate to standard information. At this point you might be thinking "doesn't this information come from the Schedule of Accommodation that I imported?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It certainly should do, however, the SofA may have contained subtle variations to room names, for rooms that are in essence identical but exist in different departments. It might also be useful to apply a standard Room Label to the Room Type, which can then be used for tagging in certain scale drawings (1:100 or 1:50) where the full room name takes up too much space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once you have created a Room Type template, applying it to a room is easy. You can do this by opening the Room Editor window and in the Room Information tab, pick the desired template from the drop down list in the Room Type field.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To assign Room Type templates to many rooms quickly the best way to do this (two clicks) is in the Room Properties window, selected from the Control Centre. This will give you a list of the rooms in your project, which you can sort by department, or by room name etc... and then go through the list applying the room type templates from the drop down menu.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlcVcn77UzgJp-LfHyRnoBOtILIzVy7sSXdly-CYNRgGaSN8V6YurR87h6ryQBKOpQR2bUocg7Y6ruvbS7n_b3_uYVTEWElGlU1TbxlbRr5tONCBRQYY2Pml48U6y0yZIDZEUTMAscvM/s1600/RoomProps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlcVcn77UzgJp-LfHyRnoBOtILIzVy7sSXdly-CYNRgGaSN8V6YurR87h6ryQBKOpQR2bUocg7Y6ruvbS7n_b3_uYVTEWElGlU1TbxlbRr5tONCBRQYY2Pml48U6y0yZIDZEUTMAscvM/s640/RoomProps.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The above method is the standard way to create Room Types i.e. as individual templates, another option is to enter all of your information within room editor (green) and then from the Room Information Tab select the "Room>Make Room Type" option. This is a very powerful function as it gives you the ability to create room types very quickly, from room specific values, or even from a mix of templates and room specific values.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCUV5-OWpfG_reST_A58Y7kmsSSJ8LWoMFKlpcwG7FKaEdsw0FP582wmx-cDuEpzptXsnPLO8FS8a6Pj8OLz6WEM8w9BEfnCleAWRKsPOp_P8C0kx4_P8kSL61h02daHywy1NpEFnUCU/s1600/MakeRoomType.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCUV5-OWpfG_reST_A58Y7kmsSSJ8LWoMFKlpcwG7FKaEdsw0FP582wmx-cDuEpzptXsnPLO8FS8a6Pj8OLz6WEM8w9BEfnCleAWRKsPOp_P8C0kx4_P8kSL61h02daHywy1NpEFnUCU/s400/MakeRoomType.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You'll get the option of creating new templates or updating existing - AND AN IMPORTANT POINT TO HIGHLIGHT - when editing templates, is knowing which rooms have the template assigned that you're about to update.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Generally Templates will form a project wide standard or perhaps a departmental standard, which should be reflected within the code & description, however to double check run a usage report from the Data Templates editor. (File>Usage Report)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You should always use meaningful, logical and succinct codes for templates, with standard prefixes for template codes and names. The CodeBook standard for design issues templates is to use the prefix DS_xxx, finishes templates = FN_xxx, M&E templates = ME_xxx, Doors = D_xxx, Assemblies = AS_xxx and last but not least Room Types start with RT_xxx.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The xxx should be consistent across each of the templates making it straightforward to group them together and easy to differentiate with other templates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Strategy is very important - take time to consider your approach, where possible keep it simple and make sure this has been communicated between the team. Depending on the size of the project, it may even be prudent to have a single person act as the "gatekeeper" for these templates.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hopefully this post will help you understand the power of Room Types, its one close to my own heart, as I suggested them to Peter many, many moons ago.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In typical fashion I had a new build waiting in my inbox a day or two later and was able to utilize them straight away on my project saving hours, if not days of work.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make it happen.</span></div>
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Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-69795493805004949592012-08-22T15:49:00.002-07:002012-08-22T15:51:09.798-07:00CBUG-AU next Tuesday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-63475360385531070942012-07-11T21:07:00.003-07:002012-07-11T21:07:48.892-07:00It's the little things that count...Sorry for the rather lengthy delay between posts, it's been a busy few months on many fronts and I've now got to play catchup! There's been a significant amount of development by CBI over the last few months so there's lots to blog about over the next few weeks!<br />
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I've just finished putting the latest release of CodeBook (26.05.2012) through it's paces and have been very impressed with some great new functionality and lots of small enhancements that have been made. These little tweaks will save a mouse click here and there, simplify processes and make day to day work just that little bit easier - which is what this post focusses on.<br />
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I spoke with Peter about the release and he said that during the last few months they have looked at introducing new "game changing" functionality, such as the mobile tablet version, taking full advantage of the improved Revit API which will now allow CodeBook to generate c-sheets (currently beta testing) but also working through the user-based-wish-list i.e. all those little requests we've been emailing support about.<br />
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The first enhancement I came across involves Lookups Editor, which now includes several new Categories that can be edited - Equipment Library Info, Equipment Asset Info and Equipment Asset Data.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgXeDgl8HLwO4dWmHsa8N617eeEAXB6WZ7XnadngbhZBkwn79CMlM6iKjQY7GPy1hC7GJGKB1IUI6jIgl7ADC7NAGrJWRbkdwQnb_yP7m46VcpdqN5Y6srG_fMe3BLqWQVRM457WXMzI/s1600/LookupsEditor.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgXeDgl8HLwO4dWmHsa8N617eeEAXB6WZ7XnadngbhZBkwn79CMlM6iKjQY7GPy1hC7GJGKB1IUI6jIgl7ADC7NAGrJWRbkdwQnb_yP7m46VcpdqN5Y6srG_fMe3BLqWQVRM457WXMzI/s400/LookupsEditor.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ever wished you could rename some of the default Equipment Library fieldnames? Well now you can and whilst CodeBook has always been highly customizable, this demonstrates a greater maturity in the userbase and responds to the needs of the different geographic regions using CodeBook.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8G0G8-rjLpT9dX9gW6DlAQOsCnDGtxGo2Sw1u0EP2GrWU7sNXaEb_gAJTjpwi475A3j0NfIApDLI9AQXS8lYXo12YYw882rwWB_CmMZU_D_KkYokfxzUQdUoSHmZ_P8k1djsez1Bazg/s1600/Lookups-EquipmentInfo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8G0G8-rjLpT9dX9gW6DlAQOsCnDGtxGo2Sw1u0EP2GrWU7sNXaEb_gAJTjpwi475A3j0NfIApDLI9AQXS8lYXo12YYw882rwWB_CmMZU_D_KkYokfxzUQdUoSHmZ_P8k1djsez1Bazg/s400/Lookups-EquipmentInfo.PNG" width="288" /></a></div>
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Equipment Asset Info and Equipment Asset Data, relate to several areas which also can be renamed - the BIM interface fields, some relate to FF&E positional data and some to the Facilities Management realm - all of which provide the ability to respond to even the most whimsical of client requests!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZFspl2zo2-sljSMkdxGXqguw4Fzg3AXWRKYYKdx0jBi4Hpeo6oMl7BesdetPwsUxJuvXB_an7kNGoC2ZLwyTX28S4Awqz3BV_PrRTQIzhIxhwhP7_VUxX1G5uwuKNtj5jP7w3sVEb1E/s1600/Lookups-AssetInfo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZFspl2zo2-sljSMkdxGXqguw4Fzg3AXWRKYYKdx0jBi4Hpeo6oMl7BesdetPwsUxJuvXB_an7kNGoC2ZLwyTX28S4Awqz3BV_PrRTQIzhIxhwhP7_VUxX1G5uwuKNtj5jP7w3sVEb1E/s400/Lookups-AssetInfo.PNG" width="342" /></a></div>
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One to highlight is the CodeBook Asset guid, which enables each FF&E item within the building to be given a unique asset based identifier which is increasingly being requested on projects. Procurement, assigning barcodes, QR codes, asset tracking and management etc... all rely on this.<br />
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Next up is the Revision Editor, which allows you to manage revisions more easily across a project, especially when there is a staggered programme and departments with different revisions to manage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlgbdb1hlTx0zR3WOoZcC1_HR1G619ypldN-UtB0B2hoVNydjo4U8dv7ba21LkdtwdSnwcN7TVS6s1oRCMPD51G0QpdLpTUXNJdhW9KQtCV5w4NLGAXTOtpLdV8MqaTlNlzUdQyZQAJM/s1600/RevisionEditor.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlgbdb1hlTx0zR3WOoZcC1_HR1G619ypldN-UtB0B2hoVNydjo4U8dv7ba21LkdtwdSnwcN7TVS6s1oRCMPD51G0QpdLpTUXNJdhW9KQtCV5w4NLGAXTOtpLdV8MqaTlNlzUdQyZQAJM/s400/RevisionEditor.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Within the Equipment Library it is now possible to provide an Alternative BIM name. Typically you would have single Revit family|Type associated with a single equipment record within the CodeBook Library - but it is now possible to link to multiple families or family types to a single equipment record in CodeBook.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ9RO1A1MpmayqLoUEzTbgSe0m8WzaAbloUkwN0zcpjo0HjUpTa40hB2tE-DbC0OOtCWU3lyM2XLe7D0pRH4KkNGTok3ms-2R0gWaYImklQSUfHF1iWJOS7ZiSn9mGq-dJfItnaTqbMM/s1600/AlternativeBIMname.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ9RO1A1MpmayqLoUEzTbgSe0m8WzaAbloUkwN0zcpjo0HjUpTa40hB2tE-DbC0OOtCWU3lyM2XLe7D0pRH4KkNGTok3ms-2R0gWaYImklQSUfHF1iWJOS7ZiSn9mGq-dJfItnaTqbMM/s320/AlternativeBIMname.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think this is aimed at slightly more experienced Revit users and I'd suggest carefully thinking through how you wish to use this. One specific application of this for Health Projects in NSW, Australia would be to link multiple family types of different sizes (e.g. desks) to a single CodeBook equipment record and single HFBS code. The Health Facility Briefing System groups many items under a single code, yet during the user review process when planning and modifying room layouts, different sized desks are specified. So these family types can now all be linked to the same equipment record.<br />
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Whether you SHOULD group them together regardless of size is another matter and whether you need to provide a comprehenive schedule should also be considered - the functionality is there, but my advice would be to use sparingly.<br />
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Get location using BIM Pick/Hit can be used to find out the coordinate information for a piece of equipment along with the headline data (code, description etc...)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh30rbnYhTiaLfZj9oBPtCdasBfs25Wz4O8aew01ohqCiCOyinA7fjwat_GyQZgK1CXoupRqcsRZA42w1q4_cGI21wNCY5bJBaQvVPrfKM5u4BEvW4h7cjFQMsI0fnrx5czeI5Ux8fA5g/s1600/GetLocation.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh30rbnYhTiaLfZj9oBPtCdasBfs25Wz4O8aew01ohqCiCOyinA7fjwat_GyQZgK1CXoupRqcsRZA42w1q4_cGI21wNCY5bJBaQvVPrfKM5u4BEvW4h7cjFQMsI0fnrx5czeI5Ux8fA5g/s320/GetLocation.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once selected in CodeBook, click on the Revit family and the info will appear in a small window.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9VL92chojqEjyph43J8iMxUtv7ACGZ5yzEK_BAOp0UmJDIHkNZZAtUnhws0t6zEsIULsCDl_NpUlEBxV_9zWJjFNEruWfKo_xMiJDueDz-rMxxw0-g1xe6om65PZXxhVdfMqt0ReQM8/s1600/GetLocation2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9VL92chojqEjyph43J8iMxUtv7ACGZ5yzEK_BAOp0UmJDIHkNZZAtUnhws0t6zEsIULsCDl_NpUlEBxV_9zWJjFNEruWfKo_xMiJDueDz-rMxxw0-g1xe6om65PZXxhVdfMqt0ReQM8/s400/GetLocation2.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are several enhancements within the Equipment Library - Find Using Query now includes a NOT button, so you can search / filter even more precisely. For example you might want to search *stainless* to get a list of stainless steel benchtops, but you might not want to include those with a lipped edge, so you'd simply type in *lipped* and tick the Not button.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP6cGs_gmaEsfw-Fi_is1pjzPurpt0ozvuDJrrY50kOZre1TDfT7RdkfLLyqyeKcu6Z3wy_Zen03l0cf5ZlJ_dRfUgPBrU3mmDSizh2qEwiV1rNqA6PrS1yGqlakrVwzdKzT1MTXtw08/s1600/FindUsingQuery.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP6cGs_gmaEsfw-Fi_is1pjzPurpt0ozvuDJrrY50kOZre1TDfT7RdkfLLyqyeKcu6Z3wy_Zen03l0cf5ZlJ_dRfUgPBrU3mmDSizh2qEwiV1rNqA6PrS1yGqlakrVwzdKzT1MTXtw08/s400/FindUsingQuery.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The equipment library is sorted by equipment code, but there is now an option to switch the sort order to Sort by Description. Which of the two you use is a personal preference, but now you can easily change between them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8RClxiGDZ9I3QQmsfsp_OZhDTc7ChvUmX7OCWyccB9PEHJriouTvR030kPBvtLLt8keAMoZ_9HSXldWbhH43PCssELk3-z9LjIbZ2-wUL7_6qPhcNWQwo-Z6R-3Bxw4x-2VIgCCLnRA/s1600/SortByDescription.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8RClxiGDZ9I3QQmsfsp_OZhDTc7ChvUmX7OCWyccB9PEHJriouTvR030kPBvtLLt8keAMoZ_9HSXldWbhH43PCssELk3-z9LjIbZ2-wUL7_6qPhcNWQwo-Z6R-3Bxw4x-2VIgCCLnRA/s1600/SortByDescription.PNG" /></a></div>
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Two questions that I'm often asked are "How can we permanently delete equipment from the library?" and "How do I know if I have duplicate equipment codes?" There are now two functions available that do these tasks, Purge Equipment Library and Ensure equipment codes are unique.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWk85_GNZPbhEcaORqwqeLWyCFIj-qjYV_1RdbMYgianNCWasvbIOCPgtS3xMTgNaWnmVA4NIg-3ciV3H3MZg5zhlIfsRc96t4Y9wWjxdspVO2R9VdxTCQbRn-yqvk9_IJfDosKZlhOB0/s1600/Purge+Unique.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWk85_GNZPbhEcaORqwqeLWyCFIj-qjYV_1RdbMYgianNCWasvbIOCPgtS3xMTgNaWnmVA4NIg-3ciV3H3MZg5zhlIfsRc96t4Y9wWjxdspVO2R9VdxTCQbRn-yqvk9_IJfDosKZlhOB0/s400/Purge+Unique.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Both are useful, but should be used sparingly - for example, if you have just hidden several equipment items, give it a week before Purging the Equipment Library. Purging permanently removes the equipment, so if you've hidden an item by mistake you can't get it back (through using the unhide items function).<br />
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Two very welcome additions to Project Explorer are Insert New Department and Insert New Floor. In the past you had to close Project Explorer, open the Department or Floor Properties, create the new department or floor, close the properties window and open Project Explorer again. It might seem small, but this will save some to-ing and fro-ing in the early stages of a project.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41ipBGN7tfb_4kvzoinH_8x9IiOhA_4yEkvXrU0M1dueo7G1ereSIv4FIHFsqo-_Oad7fVAo38gIL3qQCnqQCuUIN_RW_aw6SVphByHnvt3m8lQ_wpASvXhD2EFQfo6UKthleMTXN6Vk/s1600/InsertNewDept-Floor.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41ipBGN7tfb_4kvzoinH_8x9IiOhA_4yEkvXrU0M1dueo7G1ereSIv4FIHFsqo-_Oad7fVAo38gIL3qQCnqQCuUIN_RW_aw6SVphByHnvt3m8lQ_wpASvXhD2EFQfo6UKthleMTXN6Vk/s320/InsertNewDept-Floor.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Room Editor has some functions that have been revised, Synchronise a (individual) Room and Remove BIM link used to require clicking on the Revit Room that you wanted to synch or remove the link to. Now you don't need to click on the Revit Room.<br />
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Show Properties within Room Editor, now expands the room editor window, as opposed to opening a separate properties window. I prefer this format from a workability perspective and it means there is one less window to worry about. You'll also notice from the image below that the Required and Designed equipment are grouped together by code where you have more than one item. You can expand this if you need to carry out a task on a individual item, but again I prefer the format and it means you don't have to count up on screen how many items you have in total.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ez36XH2-a0KlzGiOXsbn5ODAjHGnCwOh62oS9pcQDhUXnEqGaMOdA_71enGuWmALMHNCCmDDViLkfwsSSM_c-YNI0Xr3uDAdhKnBM9tUWcym-WgI6-HgUCPB6Xia_UAWORfbgGLazu4/s1600/RoomEd-ShowProp.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ez36XH2-a0KlzGiOXsbn5ODAjHGnCwOh62oS9pcQDhUXnEqGaMOdA_71enGuWmALMHNCCmDDViLkfwsSSM_c-YNI0Xr3uDAdhKnBM9tUWcym-WgI6-HgUCPB6Xia_UAWORfbgGLazu4/s400/RoomEd-ShowProp.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Adding, Removing and Substituting equipment items now has the ability to create a list of add/omits/substitutions which can be applied to individual rooms, or all the rooms in a department or all the room in the project. This will certainly help make global modifications a bit easier, but I think the most value will be when making department based changes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRkmFbqRYMWCcMSLkDTn_lnAlrhKTr_gys8Zysv6effyWOpwtUhEZpkaWx32XGtpwtRSkZpUdaBKiN5Swc-WPTQs9KWQDSgdCds12cQSWOcuShIt-IUKZu5Vd4Zs2rtrv8Rfpq_bPcbY/s1600/Remove-Add-Equip.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRkmFbqRYMWCcMSLkDTn_lnAlrhKTr_gys8Zysv6effyWOpwtUhEZpkaWx32XGtpwtRSkZpUdaBKiN5Swc-WPTQs9KWQDSgdCds12cQSWOcuShIt-IUKZu5Vd4Zs2rtrv8Rfpq_bPcbY/s400/Remove-Add-Equip.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Update Designed Equipment Lists now has two additional options. Use graphics centroid means that CodeBook will calculate this from the family extents when updating equipment lists, rather than using the origin point specified when you built the family. Also CodeBook can now pickup on the Phase data, should you have equipment placed on multiple project phases.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXm-m0d7zPI_RSfPF2PTF27jQ7O3m1qylYAMfDyGZztpcSlwZDQSvhcceXurX1GMkM-jsfNnSZ_o_IqcZFzeK9vNszTcide7LmN887URpJEo6kQhSjKX67BIApj5aPIUXWN2iM1bfapo/s1600/Centroid+Phase.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXm-m0d7zPI_RSfPF2PTF27jQ7O3m1qylYAMfDyGZztpcSlwZDQSvhcceXurX1GMkM-jsfNnSZ_o_IqcZFzeK9vNszTcide7LmN887URpJEo6kQhSjKX67BIApj5aPIUXWN2iM1bfapo/s400/Centroid+Phase.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are two major new functions that have been added - Task on Selected Rooms and Set worksets - but these are both quite large topics and deserve a detailed explanation, so I'll cover these in a subsequent post.<br />
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So all of that should save you a few clicks per day and hopefully you found the post useful, any requests feel free to email me.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-65442535293305835072012-03-14T07:50:00.001-07:002012-03-14T07:52:53.940-07:00Clarity in the sea of BIM complexityMany CodeBook users gained their experience using CodeBook with 2D software such as AutoCAD, Microstation etc... and making the transition from 'flatland' to BIM not only requires learning new CAD software, it also requires a fundamental shift in thinking and update in how you use CodeBook.<br />
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In this post I'll cover some theory, planning principles, standards and technical elements - hopefully addressing some of the questions surrounding how we used to work in CodeBook 2.5D and how we now work in the BIM world.<br />
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Historically 'CodeBook Equipment' would consist of blocks/cells that were linked to the CodeBook library database containing the code, description, group, class and numerous other properties.<br />
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Stretching items, such as benchtops, would be driven from CodeBook as would equipment fixing heights. Typically you would 'load' all of the equipment @ FFL and specify the fixing height in CodeBook, so that when you created c-sheets, or room elevations, the front or side elevation of equipment would show the bench at the correct height.<br />
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This functionality hasn't really changed in CodeBook, but how this works in the BIM environment vs CAD flatland has changed. We no longer load flat graphical repesentations of equipment @ FFL, instead we load 3-dimensional objects @ the correct fix height, so that they instantly look accurate when viewed in elevation or 3D. Additionally, equipment is often stretched directly within the Revit or Archicad interface by updating parameters / properties.<br />
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So what does this mean from a CodeBook perspective? Well, we should still correctly define this information within CodeBook, however the control of these parameters/properties may be driven by the BIM platform and so we need to consider this in how we create our family/GDL objects and also map the fields in CodeBook to the corresponding parameter/properties.<br />
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Taking the example of a benchtop, generally you'll have a set number of types based on material, depth and thickness, but the fix height and width will vary from room to room. Within the Revit family, you'll draw an extrusion of the size / shape you require and enable the control of the width (image_1) and fix height (image_2) through assigning a parameter to a dimension and locking to a reference plane.<br />
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image_1<br />
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image_2<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oYkFOYnBEjkEIHPyNgdLwwUd1PxZ-M9xLYdHdjfE9rjY7Nuiu5MVq0EMaNtQWZOMuYOtBuSx2IyCuTG-1HALT2U7YPsCia4odjA1znasgoK1liDfeT37KnDgGT3DZFHQTOr-cMzPEsw/s1600/image2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="137px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oYkFOYnBEjkEIHPyNgdLwwUd1PxZ-M9xLYdHdjfE9rjY7Nuiu5MVq0EMaNtQWZOMuYOtBuSx2IyCuTG-1HALT2U7YPsCia4odjA1znasgoK1liDfeT37KnDgGT3DZFHQTOr-cMzPEsw/s320/image2.PNG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
Recording / controlling these correctly in CodeBook requires mapping these equipment parameters within the project properties > administrator > cad and bim settings (image_3), plus project properties > administrator > define parameter mapping > equipment parameter mapping (image_4)<br />
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image_3<br />
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image_4<br />
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Configuring and mapping this data ensures that when you link equipment graphics in your library and also update designed equipment from your project, the correct values are recorded within CodeBook. There is another consideration you need to make - do you want to report the stretched size, or default size? In order to report the stretch size, you need to tick the checkbox 'output the sizes of items or stretched sizes from bim to reports' under Equipment library > Details > Options (image_5)<br />
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image_5<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00ddfkB21yAprB0JF8QbvPUBBF5a-cUUBpHA6q_mARfsKEXtjNmjUlFBP0XlK1KQiy39yq_5Bfta2Ked-bRT4oviiRCRCSjs4wigzLLxkLjDgcXlaHt3-1LsjPVIyc5hztmBnUJrMRxM/s1600/image_5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00ddfkB21yAprB0JF8QbvPUBBF5a-cUUBpHA6q_mARfsKEXtjNmjUlFBP0XlK1KQiy39yq_5Bfta2Ked-bRT4oviiRCRCSjs4wigzLLxkLjDgcXlaHt3-1LsjPVIyc5hztmBnUJrMRxM/s400/image_5.PNG" /></a></div><br />
You can control fixing heights through CodeBook, by defining the fix height value in the CodeBook library, constructing your Revit family so that the fix height parameter is locked to the reference plane (top of bench) and mapping this parameter in CodeBook as described above. It is also possible (and perhaps more common practice) to control this in Revit, in which case you should select to 'place equipment blocks with a z height of zero' - which means that the fix height is determined by what you've defined in your Revit family.<br />
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Think about it this way - specify the fix height in your Revit family by locking the parameter to the reference plane, specify the fix height value in Revit and tick the 'place equipment block with a z height of zero'. CodeBook then ignores the value it has in the CodeBook Library and uses the default value you've specified in your family.<br />
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If you lock the parameter to the reference plane and specify the fix height to be zero in your family, leave the 'place equipment block with a z height of zero' unticked and CodeBook will insert the family using the fix height specified in your CodeBook library.<br />
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Controlling such parameters through CodeBook or directly in the BIM platform is a decision each practice needs to make individually - CodeBook can work with this whichever you choose.<br />
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Utilizing family types, graphical visibility options and the ability to stretch equipment are all technical Revit family options readily available. Practical considerations relating to modular sized items, construction and procurement though are often forgotten in the sea of BIM complexity. Just because you can embed complex functionality within your Revit families, doesn't necessarily mean that you should.<br />
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A classic example of this relates to cabinetry - you could create an adaptive Revit family that allows you to freely adjust the size, shape, material, shelving etc... but this freedom doesn't take into account key construction considerations. Building contractors and cabinet manufacturers will not want to custom make every cupboard on site, rather they will have a stock set of modular sizes they will use and so discreet family types based on these modular sizes is generally the preferred option.<br />
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When handing over a BIM model to the client, there is a requirement to have order and structure within the model, so that the procurement, fabrication and installation of equipment and furniture can be managed effectively. This is partly covered by IFC standards and partly by COBie, but the fundamental question you should be asking yourself is what do we need to design, how is it constructed and whether the item in question is a prefabricated modular item that should be based on what is available in the marketplace?<br />
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Having FF&E practice standards, based on building code compliance and market availability are where synergies across projects, studios or even geographic regions are gained - which ultimately lead to fewer defects, RFI's and greater profit on jobs.<br />
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Clarity of thought, for where Design and Innovation in best focussed and should be applied to projects is common sense that is not always common knowledge.<br />
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Understanding the downstream requirements of the contractor and client are considerations that need to be applied during the design phase, software doesn't do this for you. The "BIM enlightened" integrate these considerations early on, so that software can make the documentation and scheduling of complex building easier.<br />
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Make it happen...Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-85662556301994126342012-02-23T05:36:00.000-08:002012-02-23T05:36:57.907-08:00The CAD hangover vs BIM karmaI'm quite lucky really... I work in a highly creative environment, with thought leaders, technical innovators and have a boss who really understands BIM, whilst allowing me the freedom to look at how we can do it better.<br />
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BIM implementation is largely a cultural thing in my opinion - back in the "good ol CAD drafting days" people focused exclusively on the plan, detail or section they were producing that day. BIM karma forces us to consider how we build it and what the guy sat nextdoor is working on tomorrow?<br />
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In the "flatland" 2D CAD days, we documented things in a prosaic, manually intensive way, trying desperately to coordinate drawings, packages - invariably with little recognition from clients of the effort required to make this happen.<br />
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In 2012, we have the tools available to automate these historic pipe dreams and get technology to work for us... for a change. Some of these tools have been around for a while, but generally by exception rather than as a rule.<br />
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CodeBook is a highly detailed program and when combined with Revit it can provide miraculous results - BUT - there are some basics that are often overlooked in the new world of BIM complexity.<br />
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Understanding what information you already have available to you, not re-inventing the wheel and making the most of that data is regularly forgotten when creating deliverables and "getting drawings out."<br />
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I'm an ardent believer in NOT duplicating information, but knowing how to extract and how to make the best use of the data available, in the right medium, is a skill that often comes with a high premium.<br />
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Going back to grass roots, reminding you of what you may already know and the information already available to you is the purpose of this "serendipity-esq" post.<br />
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Room information and room data stored within your CodeBook database is ready and waiting for you to utilisse within the CodeBook Reports. Most people know what is contained within a Room Data Sheet, but may not realise that this information can be pushed into your BIM model, or extracted through a report.<br />
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A room data sheet typically consists of:<br />
_design data - the function of the room, the occupancy, hours of operation etc...<br />
_finishes - floor, wall, ceiling, doors, internal glazing etc...<br />
_environmental conditions - temperature, HVAC, hepa filtration, lighting lux levels, UPS, etc...<br />
_equipment - furniture, equipment and services<br />
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...and whilst we report these conclusively in a Room Data Sheet, they can be extracted individually for architectural reasons and to aid in coordination with other disciplines.<br />
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The CodeBook reporting function has a number of pre-defined reports, but also several that can be configured or customised to provide whatever you may need through the report settings.<br />
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For example, if you wanted to extract the acoustic data, floor finishes, or lighting lux levels to send to a consultant for coordination - you can create a Room Data (xls) report specific to that data.<br />
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The way you do this is to select a Room Data (xls) report and in the report settings pick (through tick boxes) the information you require. These are categorised in sections - Room Information, Design, Finishes, Equipment and M+E - first you choose which section you require and then select the fields within these Categories that you wish to report.<br />
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For example = choose the Design section and tick the box for Occupancy - CodeBook will produce a report restricted to that information, which can then be emailed to the Services Engineer for checking.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7e9iMXFKZah-I9PwW4aiOf3VdUXN2UOAORvHhnbi9TBKZZEWUOcPibMBZNN700XdZBaeXZrqeoGFmcSq24xo2dzsLKj7vKJkxz5qlr9brhIQR59KY8WLBS_0GrIHuRuO7C22Ib-LeUg/s1600/Occupancy.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="96" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7e9iMXFKZah-I9PwW4aiOf3VdUXN2UOAORvHhnbi9TBKZZEWUOcPibMBZNN700XdZBaeXZrqeoGFmcSq24xo2dzsLKj7vKJkxz5qlr9brhIQR59KY8WLBS_0GrIHuRuO7C22Ib-LeUg/s400/Occupancy.PNG" /></a></div><br />
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An alternative to excel is to map this data in CodeBook to a corresponding Revit Room Parameter and provide the Services Engineer with a colour scheme drawing that shows each rooms Occupancy values by colour.<br />
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In practice you may wish to choose more data than this to send to your services consultant, but individual parameters may be useful, especially when represented in the context of the building through a colour themed view.<br />
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The "BIM karma" mentality involves recording information correctly once and then utilising it many scenarios.<br />
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Make it happen.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-86691082342912641422012-02-15T05:03:00.000-08:002012-02-15T06:12:36.487-08:00Spread the love - system and shared parametersIt's been a couple of months since I last posted... Christmas, New Years, getting engaged, having a baby and Tet (Chinese/Vietnamese new year) are some of my own highlights, I hope y'all had an enjoyable break!<br />
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I'm going to start by making a prediction for 2012 - it's going to be a big year for the "I" in BIM, which stands for Information or Interoperability depending on your perspective.<br />
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CodeBook 'System' Parameters are those essential for CodeBook to function with Revit, CodeBook 'Shared' Parameters are those which are user defined optional parameters relating to either room or equipment data that you want to include within your Revit model.<br />
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Many large practices use a Shared Parameters File (SPF) to predefine the key parameters important to the modelling and documentation of each project. The idea being that you define them once correctly in your SPF and then utilize them on each project - think title block info, common building element, family and view properties.<br />
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Let's start with the CodeBook System Parameters, which I've defined in the image below<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgki1zrEyNpH6fLqkjUdcgAN9AxcwNsCynH2lXKIEUppPYlasFXyGLbU28sgIq_e97AkphPML2H_BkVQkTzSKeB7UNAo2H53tl6GRl4G4DEdbVcUy3ywzomyql9axS_sGxT8SFxtTA_I/s1600/sysparams.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="128" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgki1zrEyNpH6fLqkjUdcgAN9AxcwNsCynH2lXKIEUppPYlasFXyGLbU28sgIq_e97AkphPML2H_BkVQkTzSKeB7UNAo2H53tl6GRl4G4DEdbVcUy3ywzomyql9axS_sGxT8SFxtTA_I/s400/sysparams.PNG" /></a></div><br />
...these need to be explicitly defined in your Shared Parameters File as above - or you can allow CodeBook to add these to your project by choosing NOT to tick 'Do not create missing shared parameters' see image below. Apologies for the double negatives, but make sure you get it right or you'll have issues when you synchronise rooms, or update designed equipment.<br />
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We have chosen to control all parameters and define them through our SPF, hence why this BOX IS TICKED in the image.<br />
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The CodeBook Shared Parameters are optional and you can choose to include as many, or as few as you like. The image below shows an example of the CodeBook room information and room data fields we have chosen to 'share' in one of our projects.<br />
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The columns on the left hand side indicate the CodeBook fields, the Parameter Group and Parameter Name fields relate to (in this case) the Revit Room Parameters that we wish to 'Share' between CodeBook and Revit. Once you have mapped these, you need to determine which direction the data will be exchanged.<br />
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Generally speaking it is advisable to push or publish these parameters from CodeBook into Revit by selecting Copy data TO BIM. Typically you will define room data in CodeBook long before your Revit model is developed sufficiently to include in your model - i.e. your room data sheet info such as room name, required area, floor finish etc... are created in CodeBook during the briefing phase and it is only during the schematic design or design development phase that you would look to link this information with the Revit model.<br />
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Once your parameters are mapped, you've chosen the direction in which the data will be exchanged and selected which to 'Include' you are ready to Synchronise BIM to database links. Every time you Synchronise, CodeBook will record the geometric and coordinate data of each room from Revit into CodeBook - PLUS - dependant on what you've defined in your parameter mapping CodeBook will publish room data into the Revit Room Parameters. Note: the direction is critical, if you select Copy Data TO BIM, information will flow from CodeBook into Revit. If you select to Copy Data FROM BIM, the values within your Revit Room Parameters will be copied into the CodeBook fields.<br />
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Hopefully this all makes logical sense, but to fully get the point across, let's take the example of room names. If you have room names populated within CodeBook, but not in your Revit model, you would select to Copy Data TO BIM. When you synchronise BIM to database links CodeBook will record area, perimeter etc... from Revit into CodeBook and populate the Room Name Parameter field in Revit with the values defined in your CodeBook project. If you selected to Copy Data FROM BIM (and the Revit Room Name Parameter was empty) you would end up with a CodeBook project full of empty room names.<br />
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So to recap, the CodeBook 'System' Parameters are essential for CodeBook and Revit to work together, generally you should allow CodeBook to manage this by leaving 'Do not create missing shared parameters' UNTICKED. If you have defined these in your SPF then you can tick this box - but make sure you get it correct!<br />
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The CodeBook 'Shared' Parameters are optional and you define them in the parameter mapping. Specify the data you want to exchange between CodeBook and Revit and the direction - CodeBook to Revit, or Revit to CodeBook. When you Synchronise BIM to database links, the geometry and locational coordinate data will be recorded from Revit into CodeBook AND the parameters you've 'Included' within your parameter mapping will also be synchronised.<br />
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Also within Project Parameters > Define Parameter mapping, you'll notice you that you can define parameters for equipment and doors. The same principle applies in that you specify the CodeBook data and map this to a corresponding Revit Parameter. Door parameters can be exchanged in either direction, but equipment parameters can only be synchronised from CodeBook to Revit.<br />
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The reason for having a single directional data flow for equipment families, is due to the 'data relationship type' being one to many. Each equipment family should have the same code, description, group etc... but it is possible to have different instance values for these in your Revit model, if the values were entered manually. There is a single record in the CodeBook library for each item of equipments code, description, group etc... therefore you can only publish these parameters from CodeBook to Revit.<br />
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Again to fully explain this at length, let's take the example of equipment codes. If you had a family within Revit with multiple different parameter values for the equipment code and CodeBook allowed you to exchange data from Revit to CodeBook, how would CodeBook know which was correct? WE DEFINITELY WANT these to be consistent for each family type, hence why the data flow for equipment is one directional.<br />
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Hopefully this has explained CodeBook System and Shared parameters fully, but if in doubt, contact CodeBook support who will be sure to point you in the right direction.<br />
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Happy CodeBooking!Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-62855319724083135482011-11-28T13:21:00.000-08:002011-11-28T13:21:28.819-08:00Content is King!Downloading free Revit families vs. buying stock families vs. modelling your own is under constant debate within most practices. Personally I think there is room for each, but before using any family within a project - you should take time to understand what it contains and what LOD it has been modelled to.<br />
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The 'grey hairs' are often misled into thinking there is a sea of free families out there, perfectly modelled that will insert themselves directly into a project. As Steve points out in his post (below), it's still the wild west out there...<br />
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<a href="http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2011/11/content-critique.html">http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2011/11/content-critique.html</a>Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-80741127795756189892011-11-20T05:24:00.000-08:002011-11-20T05:31:48.532-08:00CodeBook v10 - sneak peak!The Revit Application Programming Interface (API) has been somewhat restrictive in recent years and whilst it is still not as "open" as many developers would like, it is significantly better now than it was 5 years ago when the first incarnation of CodeBook for Revit was unveiled.<br />
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CodeBook International's (CBI) development focus during the past 12 months has been to refine and optimize core functionality for Revit, enhance reporting and improve interoperability with 4, 5 and 6D systems. CodeBook also has a SQL server version and as one of the users involved in the beta testing for v10, I'm very excited about the official release!<br />
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CodeBook International have been increasing their global presence during the last few years and alongside releasing v10, CBI have a fresh new website, re-juvenated brand and clearer definition about what CodeBook is and how it's used by designers, construction companies and building owners<br />
<a href="http://www.codebookinternational.com/"></a><br />
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So you may have already seen some of the new functions and utilized them in your projects through a beta, however, there have been over 100 enhancements, tweeks, or new functions added in 2011 alone. For a full list review CIS-003 when you upgrade - but in the meantime below is a summary of the major updates:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QngylumTKY57kTGB8P7zbvRXWE4Zz2uCLZkuKBxBMmPQufUnhvegYxSkGOQQ1Aakq84cYZo0YsYlPuRIIUP_eEWkuoUTsjpXaDn2kFb5YyVDXYp7xwoBp6WiOgFsmaG3o0Eum6NQpp4/s1600/v10_about.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QngylumTKY57kTGB8P7zbvRXWE4Zz2uCLZkuKBxBMmPQufUnhvegYxSkGOQQ1Aakq84cYZo0YsYlPuRIIUP_eEWkuoUTsjpXaDn2kFb5YyVDXYp7xwoBp6WiOgFsmaG3o0Eum6NQpp4/s400/v10_about.PNG" /></a></div>CodeBook Interface:<br />
_Equipment ID range extended<br />
(10,000-79,000)<br />
_Import equipment from another Library<br />
_Add 6 Assemblies to Room Types<br />
_Omit, remove & replace multiple equipment<br />
Interoperability:<br />
_Maximo integration enhanced<br />
_HFBS import enhanced<br />
_ESRI export<br />
_Export to COBie<br />
Reporting:<br />
_FF&E reports added<br />
_Flex custom report system introduced<br />
_Word reports also export a pdf<br />
Revit interface:<br />
_Assign family to a room<br />
_Edit / delete parameters<br />
_Nested family parameters updated<br />
_Link Doors in separate model to rooms<br />
_CB shared params always added<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
...and last but by no means least CodeBook shuttle is back which deserves a separate post.<br />
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There are a few functions that I think will be very useful, so here's a bit more info on them:<br />
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Troubleshooting Room links is accessed through the Revit Add-ins menu>Build>Troubleshoot and this allows you to put a marker into the rooms identifying which are linked, duplicates and unlinked rooms. You can also unlink all duplicates, which is sometimes easier than working out which is correct and you can also remove "phantom" rooms (not placed rooms).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonUIJmAcA1JzUDsgbZ5hwA5QsIpFoujld0exouOIu29C9cLy6HpQuN4NftSqsjjkE4MIVTXhnWnicriwopS2BhbLdVtcMfMdhHOzW4Yl-Nw6S2vPAyy0Uf1cNwLFSWpIhTBr3yOyQT80/s1600/v10_troubleshoot.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="319" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonUIJmAcA1JzUDsgbZ5hwA5QsIpFoujld0exouOIu29C9cLy6HpQuN4NftSqsjjkE4MIVTXhnWnicriwopS2BhbLdVtcMfMdhHOzW4Yl-Nw6S2vPAyy0Uf1cNwLFSWpIhTBr3yOyQT80/s400/v10_troubleshoot.PNG" /></a></div><br />
Updating the value for a parameter en-masse is now possible and you can also delete a parameter from your project. Whilst this can be a very useful tool, take some time to double check what you are doing so that you don't overwrite or delete data that is in use.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElzNU0RWAyVh-5iySTRmUkFYMsrWAWv278Rr060ZbjrsYaGYjMm47q5V5LZ-RJ27hma2hGciuWAXlM5ovsZCzDEZ2zX5YTBiy9anlEgGUbhI4vIFRmUokw-dBgk9b7FwTX7UnXd3LCzU/s1600/v10_update_params.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="185" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElzNU0RWAyVh-5iySTRmUkFYMsrWAWv278Rr060ZbjrsYaGYjMm47q5V5LZ-RJ27hma2hGciuWAXlM5ovsZCzDEZ2zX5YTBiy9anlEgGUbhI4vIFRmUokw-dBgk9b7FwTX7UnXd3LCzU/s400/v10_update_params.PNG" /></a></div><br />
When updating from the BIM model, CodeBook will also now place a red marker and generate a text file to list out the families that are not being reported (i.e. inside a room). This is a hugely valuable tool and knowing unequivically which items are not being reported immediately after updating will save lots of time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6de6IW78b5gHF4E-YY2TMhyphenhyphenrbqyPddq9fQt3THA2xHEgdPvDRYomcpRmMJRrQnQT5hzTzrpXtq0tuHXAVKqZaweSAH1WCgCJQ2zwwYZwRAvYUZREm-0Fcpv_Prt8Qq5hdfIGm0GqKxhQ/s1600/v10_family_not_in_room.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="227" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6de6IW78b5gHF4E-YY2TMhyphenhyphenrbqyPddq9fQt3THA2xHEgdPvDRYomcpRmMJRrQnQT5hzTzrpXtq0tuHXAVKqZaweSAH1WCgCJQ2zwwYZwRAvYUZREm-0Fcpv_Prt8Qq5hdfIGm0GqKxhQ/s400/v10_family_not_in_room.PNG" /></a></div><br />
In the case of items falling outside a room, that should be reported, for example a window blind there is now the function to assign these to a room. I know this has been high on people's wish list for some time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhB9eqww9Uzsa36znBzDWMo7OwF6kTeLihaofaHx6wXNrSn-3BLOWJAcGiom5oWQ4b2DNje5rmZVJXNC3OBTx6vHLphETfhoj7gGbL89GSZpRyngyZv3RIZ9JtoSDNwbuhzjUFqPKDiI/s1600/v10_assign.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="298" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhB9eqww9Uzsa36znBzDWMo7OwF6kTeLihaofaHx6wXNrSn-3BLOWJAcGiom5oWQ4b2DNje5rmZVJXNC3OBTx6vHLphETfhoj7gGbL89GSZpRyngyZv3RIZ9JtoSDNwbuhzjUFqPKDiI/s400/v10_assign.PNG" /></a></div><br />
So that gives you a taster of what to expect from CodeBook version 10 when it is officially released, which I believe will be in the next fortnight, to coincide with this years Autodesk University.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-39806335257813842592011-11-08T18:58:00.000-08:002011-11-08T18:58:17.210-08:00CodeBook appoint reseller in South East Asia!Having lived and worked in S.E.Asia for several years, I can say from first hand experience, that CodeBook has a captive market and real growth opportunities there.<br />
<br />
National and local government's in the region are switching onto BIM and coupled with their desire for brief conformity, whilst developing large numbers of similar schemes - CodeBook is a great fit.<br />
<br />
CodeBook has a translation editor so you can re-create CodeBook in any language (providing you also know english!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqVxtXjpUv3qi0l8IcusaEqNix8cwm7LTJmqyzYiVCfU32TbEp9Jw39souuDY3K_T9ZxI-wrsfVdTzMHe0ROrhkq2c-Ou4W6JSn8BsGXhmVtarTktjCMCGy5AZC538ldDwUBbJfUdZK4/s1600/Tranlation_Editor.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="340" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqVxtXjpUv3qi0l8IcusaEqNix8cwm7LTJmqyzYiVCfU32TbEp9Jw39souuDY3K_T9ZxI-wrsfVdTzMHe0ROrhkq2c-Ou4W6JSn8BsGXhmVtarTktjCMCGy5AZC538ldDwUBbJfUdZK4/s400/Tranlation_Editor.PNG" /></a></div><br />
Also with tools like Google Translate, which is able to convert a webpage from one language to another I predict news will spread like wildfire!<br />
<br />
Here is the announcement in Chinese:<br />
<a href="http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=en&tl=zh-TW&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.codebookinternational.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews-releases%2Fisbim-reseller">http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=en&tl=zh-TW&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.codebookinternational.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews-releases%2Fisbim-reseller<br />
</a><br />
<br />
Vietnamese:<br />
<a href="http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=en&tl=vi&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.codebookinternational.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews-releases%2Fisbim-reseller">http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=en&tl=vi&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.codebookinternational.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews-releases%2Fisbim-reseller<br />
</a><br />
<br />
Korean:<br />
<a href="http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=en&tl=ko&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.codebookinternational.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews-releases%2Fisbim-reseller">http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=en&tl=ko&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.codebookinternational.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews-releases%2Fisbim-reseller<br />
</a><br />
<br />
Plus the english version:<br />
<a href="http://www.codebookinternational.com/media/news-releases/isbim-reseller">http://www.codebookinternational.com/media/news-releases/isbim-reseller</a>Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-80496421385878182502011-11-08T06:53:00.000-08:002011-11-08T06:53:29.499-08:00CodeBook Health Secrets revealed!OK, so I needed to use a catchier title than "Database maintenance" in order to get anyone to read this post... well you're here now so you may as well carry on reading!<br />
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In this post I've outlined some of the common "health problems" that CodeBook projects can suffer from and how to resolve them. After reading this post, your very next step should be to implement a database maintenance policy on your projects as soon as possible.<br />
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Most AutoCAD files need to be purged once in a while, sometimes even "super purged", Revit models too can get clogged up with redundant data and need to be purged, compacted and central files periodically rebuilt - well CodeBook files also require the odd bit of maintenance.<br />
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The technical reason for this is that when you add information to a database, space is allocated for that information and when you delete something the space allotted for the information continues to be held in reserve by the database and it is not released for re-use. Likewise, extra space, created by modifying and shortening records, is not released for reuse.<br />
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So there are several ways to tidy up or compact your database, you can simply open the database in Microsoft Access and from the Office button select Manage > Compact and Repair Database. If you don't have Microsoft Access installed, or opening up a database in Access scares you - you can do this in CodeBook through File > Compact Project.<br />
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From within CodeBook you can also set the database to Auto-compact once it gets to a certain filesize. From the Project Properties window > Database Settings, there is a box labelled "Auto-compact database at size" in which you can enter a number.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPUG3XWVP7l02UAcAbSUvloEUPmV76AMO6slCWrCRbREjakbMsgd0dQneZqKKAZ0p5unixr0bz2tr9QE_PoKK2EVZT3Y-7lMV5j3BUDD-XPqr2mi7UNpRQov3d7fcL4tOBGq9zsrRnh8/s1600/Compact.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPUG3XWVP7l02UAcAbSUvloEUPmV76AMO6slCWrCRbREjakbMsgd0dQneZqKKAZ0p5unixr0bz2tr9QE_PoKK2EVZT3Y-7lMV5j3BUDD-XPqr2mi7UNpRQov3d7fcL4tOBGq9zsrRnh8/s400/Compact.PNG" width="400px" /></a></div><em>Note: choose a number to small and you're database will perpetually auto-compact, choose a number too large and you won't get any real value out of this.</em><br />
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As mentioned in a previous post, you can have a single database which stores all of the buildings, departments and rooms - but you may also choose to split this up into several more manageable databases when working within a team environment with multiple Revit FF&E models and users accessing and contributing to the data. This has it's pros and cons of course, typically I try to keep project database size to under 15mb wherever possible.<br />
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In addition there may be redundant data lurking in your database, which should, but has not yet been deleted. What I mean by this are things like, unlinked rooms no longer in use, duplicate rooms, lookups created by mistake, room data templates copied in error and equipment that someone else must have created??<br />
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I'm stepping into slightly dangerous turf here... but I'm a firm believer in not carrying around unnecessary baggage within files and blasting away data that is not actively in use. BUT, before doing so take some time to double check the data is definitely not being used, think it through, take a backup of your files and talk to others.<br />
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The odd unlinked (red) rooms will be common in the early stages of a project, but once the planning has settled down, the 1:200 departmental layouts have been signed off and you enter the Design Development phase you should ideally have a database full of linked (blue) rooms and a Revit model full or rooms with parameter Linked_Status = 'Valid Link'<br />
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Unlinked rooms in CodeBook may originate from the schedule of accommodation (space programme), a room may have become accidentally unlinked or even deleted from the model and so a "due dilligence" check needs to be carried out before it is deleted. In order to check this, I would first run a full synchronise for the project so all linked rooms are coloured blue in CodeBook and each linked Revit Room has a Linked_Status parameter value of 'Valid Link'.<br />
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There are lots of wonderfully technical ways to review these, but I find a visual "common sense" check is normally the quickest and best method. A quick eyeball check of each department will identify unlinked rooms in CodeBook and through a Revit schedule you can identify any unplaced or unlinked rooms in Revit. Using a combination of the CodeBook display rooms function, find room using BIM hit and the Revit function Show (from within a schedule) will zoom you to any rooms that you need to check.<br />
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New and experienced users will generate extra lookup values and room data template duplicates, whilst developing the project. Often this happens by a lookup value simply becoming obsolete, for example, a type of floor finish might be specified early on and subsequently be deleted from the scheme. Also templates may be duplicated in error and then not removed.<br />
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You may ask yourself why would someone do this - i.e. create unecessary data? Using any software is difficult before it becomes easy, and it's always easy when you know how.<br />
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Before getting rid of these items, you should first check if and where they are being used - i.e. assigned to a room and form part of that rooms data. To do this we generate lookup and room data template usage reports, which list out the rooms that are using the value or template.<br />
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From within the Lookups Editor or Room Data Templates window, you can generate these usage reports quite easily. (note, you'll need to do this for each project database)<br />
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Equipment can also become redundant and again, like lookups and templates, we first need to assess whether these are in use within the project before removing them. If you suspect an item is no longer in use, then if you browse to the item in the Equipment Library window, you can generate a usage report by selecting File > Usage Report.<br />
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You can 'Hide' individual items of FF&E, but if you are confident using Access, or even Excel based formula's you will be able to work out which items exist within your project as required or designed equipment, and compare this against the overall equipment in your library. Once you have identified the equipment that you want to hide, there is a nifty and fairly recent function that will let you do this en masse.<br />
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From Librarian > Update Data > Batch Hide Equipment, this will open a window with 2 buttons, select "Create xls file of current library" and CodeBook will generate an excel list of the equipment within your library.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJn-Ks1RMjIvSjBUlD1XJz3jaCl8uTGakLH3qByRxngqKiPDK_HZHFtxJmTDpvs9JgYgng0b8AfI2DImxF-ZUUMHtIyaYYQ1qDg9RH4WPoYdQiMdoCL3RCJnqn-vlMq6rAuIf23NsGzTM/s1600/Batch_hide.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="383" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJn-Ks1RMjIvSjBUlD1XJz3jaCl8uTGakLH3qByRxngqKiPDK_HZHFtxJmTDpvs9JgYgng0b8AfI2DImxF-ZUUMHtIyaYYQ1qDg9RH4WPoYdQiMdoCL3RCJnqn-vlMq6rAuIf23NsGzTM/s400/Batch_hide.PNG" /></a></div><br />
The excel file has a column 'Show or Hide' which you can edit accordingly. Once you've finished editing your excel file, select the Update button, browse to your freshly updated xls file and CodeBook will do the rest.<br />
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So many times I've heard people say "Well I didn't create it, so I'm not going to delete it." But these are normally the same people who complain about having too many lookups, or templates they know should be removed.<br />
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Everyone should be responsible for keeping the project dataset lean and mean, and whilst it may not be everyones role to remove redundant data you should encourage your team not to suffer in silence. Hope this gives you a few ideas...Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-37419444676257789642011-10-12T20:03:00.000-07:002011-10-15T17:12:34.015-07:00Backups, archiving and milestone imagesOne of the most useful CodeBook functions, is the ability to create a Revision database and compare milestone images against one another. You might be asking yourself "what does all of that mean?" Well don't worry, you're probably not the only person and in this post I'll cover basic backup procedures, images and revision databases.<br />
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Backups<br />
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In order to make a full backup of your data, you'll need to take a copy of the CodeBook project database(s) and also the library files (equipment + room data). As a general rule of thumb it's a good idea to take a backup of your files on a weekly basis and at each project milestone, but it's worth speaking to your IT department to find out how often they run a full studio backup. Typically this is carried out monthly and a backup tape stored locally as well as off site. Larger practices may do this on a weekly basis, but whatever the frequency this will inform the amount of backup files you should keep on your server at any time. If your practice take monthly backups and you are also taking weekly backups, you should only ever need to keep 1 months worth of live backups on your server at any time. The rest can be retrieved from the backup tapes your IT department have taken.<br />
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Over the years, I've rarely reverted to a backup file older than one month, as typically the design has moved on substantially during that time meaning you'd lose more than you'd gain. If you take weekly backups and don't delete any of these till the project is over, you could end up with a large amount of unnecessary data stored on your server. That data will also be backed up monthly in the studio backup and so the issue manifests exponentially. The CodeBook data alone won't cause problems, but having a sensible approach towards backups is critical when working in a team environment - if everyone is taking more backups than they really need and never purging these from the server, it is inevitable that you will run into problems at some point.<br />
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For large projects you may have a series of staggered milestones and there may be a timeframe of longer than one month between them. This is where milestone image database should be utilized.<br />
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Images of the past...<br />
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An image database is a single consolidated database which merges the project, equipment and room data files to provide a snapshot of the data at a specific moment in time. If you create image databases at each project milestone, you're able to generate a revision database, which compares milestone image 1 with milestone image 2. The reports that you can generate from a Revision database highlight the differences between the two milestone images.<br />
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This can be a very powerful tool if used correctly and can aid with your in-house QA checking. Often clients want validation that their comments (from a previous meeting) have been taken on board, so providing that all of the clients comments have indeed been made, you're able to create a report which demonstrates this.<br />
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Generating an image database is quite a simple process, from the Control Centre select Output>Create Image Database... and you'll then be asked to confirm the location where the file will be saved. (In Project Properties you can specify the default location for this) A window will pop up asking you to add a note, which will act as a future reminder. It's obvious right now why you are creating the image database, but may not be 100% clear in the future, especially if you are working on a large project. Speaking from personal experience, clear notes are valuable and will help ensure you can locate the right image database in future and reduce the chances for error.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYowrGFH2muennayImfwUPo1He88drPDWaj5RhQxgi3M2AEnsNP9X-rKPiN0kTTT7Uohsq-SXLocy77UgA8Nt8kIDOnfPuBJ3JJEbBH19xOV7ex79fr4zZSTt8oHjIOeVoj18vynBxy4/s1600/create_image_db_note.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="203" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYowrGFH2muennayImfwUPo1He88drPDWaj5RhQxgi3M2AEnsNP9X-rKPiN0kTTT7Uohsq-SXLocy77UgA8Nt8kIDOnfPuBJ3JJEbBH19xOV7ex79fr4zZSTt8oHjIOeVoj18vynBxy4/s400/create_image_db_note.PNG" /></a></div><br />
One very important thing to consider is precisely when you create the image database. If you create the image before producing reports and schedules, there is the chance that "last minute changes" could be made (having reviewed the reports) and your image does not fully reflect the issued set of documents. Similarly if you leave it till a few days after the issue has been made, again there may be differences between the issued set of information and the image you have generated.<br />
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The right time to create the image is straight after your reports have been generated and in conjunction with this, you should also be mindful of what other users may be working on. If another user is editing the project, equipment or room data library this may affect your image database. The key thing is communication and it should be possible to organize the production of reports and image databases to happen when the rest of the team are not editing the CodeBook data - or perhaps vice versa, the team are aware when this is happening and that they should not be editing CodeBook data.<br />
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The default CodeBook filename used for images includes the current date and time, it's advisable to keep this but to also include the project, sector and/or department the image relates to. This will be useful later on when you want to create a revision database and need to find the right image file to use. <br />
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Revision databases<br />
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An image database cannot be opened directly in CodeBook per se, it's purpose is to provide a point of comparison - so the way that you access the image information is to create a revision database. The process for creatng a revisions database is straightforward, from the Output menu simply select Create Revision Database and a pop up window will prompt you to specify the latest image and comparison image database. The latest image database should automatically be filled in with details of the last one you created, the comparison image should be the project/sector/department image database you created at the previous project milestone.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNqgU14D7uYnFhFuyMA1cf-Oo9xfOCbb6PO-ezsGdGs7_BzDrcWtv8HKbWJTXk2wkycKHISkcYNlIQDTyaamI3z-1WizXmAsP324SJT4UWCJ9xdgYXXvKXiZppWhwzY4K0AwJ2XCBhfE/s1600/create_revision.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="153" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNqgU14D7uYnFhFuyMA1cf-Oo9xfOCbb6PO-ezsGdGs7_BzDrcWtv8HKbWJTXk2wkycKHISkcYNlIQDTyaamI3z-1WizXmAsP324SJT4UWCJ9xdgYXXvKXiZppWhwzY4K0AwJ2XCBhfE/s400/create_revision.PNG" /></a></div><br />
So give it a go, explore the Revision database reports that are available and start getting real value out of your data.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-25292999559763243422011-09-14T21:36:00.000-07:002011-10-04T06:04:17.847-07:00Libraries - one size fits all???CodeBook libraries have insighted much opinion and debate over the years, in this post I'll touch on some of the history, what is available now and what makes a good library in my opinion.<br />
<br />
Back in my day...<br />
<br />
When I first started using CodeBook in 2003, it came with a library database built on the ADB briefing system and an image library of microGDS or AutoCAD blocks. At the time we had 3 major projects running simultaneously in AutoCAD, with each of them using a different briefing system - ADB, Hiltron and Healthcare Environments (HCE). Once we started to develop our exemplar rooms, we soon realised that the 'out-of-the-box' CodeBook library didn't contain everything that we needed and we would need to create project specific content. Also some of the existing blocks, weren't drawn in the way we wanted and so also required some attention.<br />
<br />
Naturally each of these projects had their own project database and library, their own set of exemplar room layouts and after drawing equipment and room layouts 3 separate times with only minor differences between them we thought - there has to be a better way! At first the questions were - why doesn't CodeBook provide a decent library? Why are the blocks drawn so badly? I'm sure that I asked Peter these questions quite directly and probably a bit rudely on several occasions.<br />
<br />
To his credit and in his usual style Peter explained politely, calmly and succintly that each practice does things differently, each project has different requirements and that he could spend the rest of his life drawing content and still not make everyone happy. Shortly after this he created a new build for me, which added additional fields in the database for different briefing systems (cwfCode2, cwfCode3 and cwfCode4) and enabled us to have an ADB, Hiltron and HCE code neatly sat in parrallel with each other all linked to the same CAD graphic.<br />
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The issue of library content had still not gone away though and so myself and a colleague decided to tackle the issue head on and organised a meeting between ADB, Hiltron and HCE. Peter also attended along with a few other architects and service engineers. There was hot debate about industry standards, what wasn't being provided and the lack of content sharing between the various parties. Unfortunately, the differing commercial interests of each party meant that the idea never really gained traction, despite the good intentions.<br />
<br />
So whilst being a little disheartened, we decided to consolidate the libraries from these 3 major projects into our very own practice library ready for whatever future project came up, regardless of the briefing system used. This was very powerful and we also picked out the best exemplar rooms from each project and made them into assemblies ready-to-go on the next project. We still felt there was something missing though, as we had lots of individual room data templates (design, finishes, m&e) and assemblies which, on a large project, were very difficult to coordinate and manage. Soon enough, we had another new CodeBook build to try out which introduced Room Types and combined all of these separate templates, plus more.<br />
<br />
I learned some valuable lessons back then and working together with Peter, gave us great results. Fast forward to 2011, Revit and Australia and I find that I'm having similar conversations with people albeit several years later on the other side of the world.<br />
<br />
So what is available now and what makes a good library?<br />
<br />
The standard CodeBook libraries offer both UK and Australian room data sheet templates and provides an AutoCAD library that can be converted into Revit families or A.N.Other platform. There is also now quite a lot of free content available on-line in the form of sketchup models or Revit families. The more astute manufacturers are starting to understand the benefits of modelling their products in Revit and making them available to the industry. Manufacturers producing these aesthetically pleasing accurate families, with O&M manuals and other FM data are already standing themselves apart from their competitors.<br />
<br />
There are also companies whose core business is building families and generally speaking these are available for a reasonable price, but you are licensing the right to use the family - not the IP or the exclusive use of it. Not a problem for many practices, but there is yet a further option for the more discerning Revit user - to outsource the creation of your very own custom built library to India or Asia, where you can specify your requirements and have your families built cheaper than you could do in your own studio.<br />
<br />
But with all of the above, you need to understand what it is that you are loading into your models and using in your documentation. What is the right level of detail (LOD)? Are the families dimensionally correct? Do they comply with local regulation? The responsibility for this has to remain with the party producing the model or drawings in my opinion and not necessarily the person who produced the family.<br />
<br />
Many people think that you can start a project with an "off the shelf library", that will not require any editing throughout the duration of the job. The reality is that you will always have project specific content and each client will want to see greater or lesser detail, descriptions, groupings or coding systems than you currently have. Personally speaking I think investing resources into creating a generic library and then resisting the temptation to make it bespoke for as long as possible is a sound strategy.<br />
<br />
At my practice we have made this investment and are now starting to realise the benefits of this work, plus have avoided large volumes of work duplication. In addition, we are generating a series of generic rooms and room data sheets with the goal that each project uses this as a starting point and, through the design development stage, update these to suit specific project / client requirements.<br />
<br />
The concept is really quite simple, start from a point of compliance and don't re-invent the wheel each time you start a new project - however - many practices struggle to understand the value of this 'non-project-specific' work, or comprehend sufficiently enough to fund it. This really makes it a strategic matter and if a practice is serious about BIM and Healthcare, they will need to invest money and resources which cost in the short term, but will provide efficiencies in the future.<br />
<br />
In addition to creating families and room assemblies, we've also spent considerable time reviewing the data component, in that we have several coding systems sat in parallel, complete with group, class and numerous other properties. These equipment properties are mapped to a corresponding Revit Equipment Parameter, contained within a Shared Parameter file, so that we have continuity and achieve synergies across multiple projects and studios.<br />
<br />
Content sharing has been a hot topic of debate and whilst I'm a supporter of the ideal, I'm still uncertain of how it would work in practice. For example, if we were to give our library to another practice, they could not utilize it in the same way that we do in a 'plug-and-play' fashion. Why? Because it is setup to work in our Revit environment and is based on the criteria that we selected. Most practices will have similar requirements, but the naming conventions we use, the coding, description, equipment parameters, revit schedules, views and other 'template' related items will differ and so other than providing a visual representation, using someone else's library has limited value.<br />
<br />
To summarize, some of the main elements that make a good library are:<br />
1. Compliance with local standards<br />
2. The correct LOD - i.e. don't model the nuts & bolts, just the general form.<br />
3. Flexibility<br />
4. Equipment data, and last but by no means least<br />
5. Guidance material<br />
<br />
You can have the best library in the world, but if no-one knows what it contains or how to use it.....maybe that's why you're reading this blog now!<br />
<br />
<i>There are many other parts to this issue, parameter mapping, types & catalog files, reports, legends etc... which I'll cover in separate posts.</i>Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-67252578344529395172011-09-10T20:48:00.000-07:002011-10-04T05:55:17.122-07:00Starting a new projectThere are differing lines of thought relating to project setup and configuration, unfortunately there is not a single strategy, but there are some key principles to consider which will guide you though a methodical thought process.<br />
<br />
The first relates to project scale. What is the overall square meterage? How many buildings make up the scheme? What is the project build cost? How many departments are there?<br />
<br />
Let's take the fictitious example of a 20,000m2 hospital, comprised of a new main hospital building, a new separate clinical services building and a small existing building to be refurbished. The project build cost might be in the region of $100 million, lets say there are 30 departments and lets be nice and give the project a name too - Opera Hospital.<br />
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Within CodeBook we have databases, sectors, departments and floors to organize and use to order and group together our rooms. There may also be a Schedule of Accommodation (or Space Programme) to be taken into account when structuring your CodeBook project. We also have the option to assign a room category, which is yet another useful way to group related rooms but we'll come back to this later.<br />
<br />
So how many databases will I need? Well, this depends on two other key factors, how will the Revit models be organised and how many CodeBook users will there be?<br />
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Based on our example, the Opera Hospital, the project would most likely have three Revit Architectural model files, one for the Main Hospital building, one for the Clinical Services building and one for the existing building that is going to be refurbished. You can of course have a single central model file, containing everything and that every user accesses, but from a practical model management perspective it would probably make sense to split into a series of linked model files. Perhaps you might also have a separate site model, structural model for each of the new buildings and there may also be various consultant models.<br />
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The architectural team for Opera Hospital will of course vary depending on the services being offered, resources available and programme, but it would seem reasonable to assume a team size of eight people. This would include a project director, project manager, architects, medical planners and architectural technicians and of this team you might have three staff using CodeBook on a daily basis, the project manager occasionally and perhaps even your client periodically.<br />
<br />
One approach would be to have a single CodeBook project database with three sectors, one for the Main Hospital, Clinical Services and Existing building. Each sector would be sub-divided into departments and floors and the departments linked to the appropriate Revit model. The room category is typically used to delineate between clinical, clinical support, general support, administration etc... the beauty of room categories is that they allow you to group rooms across different departments and you can have as many or as few category types as you see fit. If you map these CodeBook fields to a Revit room parameter, you can synchronise the data to your model and build views upon them, which can be a powerful tool and provide a visual representation of your schedule of accommodation (space programme).<br />
<br />
This arrangement would provide a good basis to start the Opera Hospital project from and by having a single database, it means that you only need setup the project properties, parameter mapping, reporting formats etc... once, rather than several times had you started off with multiple databases. It is possible to copy settings from one project database to another, but if you can avoid the extra work of coordinating multiple databases and updating them, then why wouldn't you?<br />
<br />
Well, one potential reason is the size of the project database and another is the number of users accessing, editing, updating and reporting from it. Technically you can have any number of users working in a single project database at the same time, but from a practical perspective it sometimes makes sense to split files up to avoid the performance of the whole team being adversely affected.<br />
<br />
Generally speaking I try to keep project database filesize under 15mb, I've found that project databases larger than this, suffer from at least one of the following:<br />
_as an attachment, the project database is too large for some email systems<br />
_the users may notice performance issues, i.e. how long it takes to perform a task<br />
_users often "bump into each other", i.e. one person is synchronising, whilst another is linking rooms, or updating designed equipment, or running a report...<br />
<br />
Databases will allow multiple users to access them simultaneously, but if one user has a room open, whilst another user synchronises the same room, whilst a third user tried to update designed equipment for the room - what do you think might happen? The likelihood is that at least one of these processes would not complete fully, or worse still the program might crash. Databases use record locking, a similar concept to Revit worksets, and this generally applies at the room level of granularity.<br />
<br />
Through each project phase, the Opera Hospital will amalgamate more and more information, room data sheets will be completed, detailed construction information added and costing, procurement and FM data may be included towards the end of the architectural teams involvement. The usage and demand of users accessing CodeBook will change during the project lifecycle, so it is quite likely that you may start with a single project database, but this may be sub-divided once you get into the design development stage. It is also quite feasible that your client will want a single consolidated view of the project at key project milestones and upon handover, which will require you to merge back together your project database files.<br />
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Reviewing the demands of the project regularly and considering the needs of the team using CodeBook is essential to the health of your project files. In summary the sort of questions you should consider are:<br />
<br />
1) What is the scale of the project?<br />
2) How many users will be accessing the CodeBook files?<br />
3) How many Revit models are there containing Revit rooms and families?<br />
4) Will these requirements change in the next few months?<br />
<br />
This should help you determine the best way to organise your CodeBook files, but remember files can quite easily be split and merged back together, although I wouldn't advise doing this on a regular basis. Before making a significant change to your structure, speak with other members of the project team, the BIM/model manager and take a backup so that you can revert back if needed.<br />
<br />
<i>I'll cover splitting and merging databases in a subsequent post, plus backups and archiving.</i>Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-51018033211750696622011-09-07T21:31:00.000-07:002011-09-12T06:15:23.785-07:00Upgrading a v8.2 dataset to v9The process to upgrade a v8.2 dataset to v9 is very straightforward, but before doing so, take a moment to think through the pros and cons because once you have upgraded the data you will no longer be able to open it with v8.2<br />
<br />
Generally speaking you should find more positives than negatives, but perhaps you're locked into an older CAD format (<2008) for the project by your client and that format is not supported by v9? The project is almost completed and v8.2 is doing everything you require? Other members of the design team are using v8.2? You're providing the CodeBook database files to your client, which they are plugging into their own systems?<br />
<br />
None of the above are a showstopper, but think it through first, take a backup of your files and talk to others.<br />
<br />
OK, so the process for upgrading your v8.2 data to v9 is simply:<br />
1. Run the file 'CodeBook_v82_data_upgrade.exe'<br />
2. You'll be asked to select the CodeBook project database you want to upgrade<br />
3. Then you'll be asked to select the Codebook library that you want to upgrade<br />
<em>...refer to CIS-56 for more information...</em><br />
<br />
Once you've run through this process, fire up CodeBook v9 and take a look!<br />
<br />
One of the main differences between the versions is that in v8.2 all of the lookups, room data templates, equipment and assemblies were stored in a single library database. CodeBook has evolved substantially during the last few years and storing the lookups and room data templates in one database (CDEB_RmDataLib.mdb) and the equipment and assemblies in another (CDEB_EquipLib.mdb) made sense for many reasons. The v9 library files are more portable, arguably there are performance advantages and now there are many more options and possibilities regarding equipment and it's associated data.<br />
<br />
So when you run the 'CodeBook_v82_data_upgrade.exe' what is happening in the background is that your equipment library is being split into two databases one containing room data information and one containing equipment.<br />
<br />
The CodeBook project database and library are still connected through linked tables and most users won't notice any real difference other than having to select the location of the Equipment library and also having to select the location of the Room Data library upon opening a project for the first time in v9.Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-47329959950822502252011-09-06T21:12:00.000-07:002011-10-04T19:58:58.842-07:00Installing CBv9 for Revit 2011 & Revit 2012Much of this post is stating the obvious, but for new users, CodeBookers who don't typically install software and IT departments who don't use Revit or CodeBook and normally run a single installation file - it might be useful.<br />
<br />
CodeBook Information Sheet #55 (CIS-55) will walk you through the step by step process for installing the software, but there are a few key points worth highlighting that may save you a call to CodeBook support!<br />
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1. Before you are ready to install CodeBook, you must first:<br />
a) purchase a license<br />
b) download the installation files<br />
c) download the Sample Project Revit files, ('CdeB_MasterLib_V9_Revit' & 'Sample Project v9 Demo')<br />
d) have administrator rights to the PC you are installing the software onto<br />
<em>...for local resellers, see the links on the right hand navigation...</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSrxdaLqgDpvfTBRl_5AMB3A2TXkZa2E8VU4-BSTigunPVf87AqfaKqIXYGSwrfVAVRU9RwtEo5a3zsq-D94RYITg-vN-C3nkhBru60dmvKttOY95-nAMqyDepuyD5LPjz42ZRyrdOCM/s1600/box.net_install.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="324" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSrxdaLqgDpvfTBRl_5AMB3A2TXkZa2E8VU4-BSTigunPVf87AqfaKqIXYGSwrfVAVRU9RwtEo5a3zsq-D94RYITg-vN-C3nkhBru60dmvKttOY95-nAMqyDepuyD5LPjz42ZRyrdOCM/s400/box.net_install.PNG" /></a></div><br />
2. Installation files that need to be run are:<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">a) CodeBook_v9.msi (installs the software)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">b) <span lang="EN-GB">CodeBook_x64Service.msi (MS Access = 32 bit, Revit = 64 bit so this service enables Access and Revit to communicate)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
3. License server, the process to obtain a license is:<br />
a) fire up CodeBook<br />
b) enter your 'company reference' (provided when you purchased the software)<br />
c) register a 'New User'<br />
d) check your email for the confirmation code from Nitromation (Nitromation provide the license manager server)<br />
e) copy and paste your confirmation code into the CodeBook login screen<br />
f) click 'Obtain License'<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdS5mx6-QVv_G5QeFvIamKKJKbsHcTuV6vVdjNfEkOEQ4B8UvdcZvMsXkGXTpeRHuMgga3JNvj-9UJf52N_Xfs4FYUrmOV10VJteSViqOTPTHC1YW8wyThe5Eeitn3evdpMIjAR07X9k/s1600/license.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="170" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdS5mx6-QVv_G5QeFvIamKKJKbsHcTuV6vVdjNfEkOEQ4B8UvdcZvMsXkGXTpeRHuMgga3JNvj-9UJf52N_Xfs4FYUrmOV10VJteSViqOTPTHC1YW8wyThe5Eeitn3evdpMIjAR07X9k/s400/license.PNG" /></a></div><br />
<em>...keep going, almost there...</em><br />
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4. Start CodeBook v9, assuming you've never used the software before you should:<br />
a) Create a new project<br />
b) When asked to select an existing project to use as a template > path to the location where you saved the Sample Project Revit files<br />
c) You'll be prompted to save your new project, and then<br />
d) Confirm the location of the Equipment and Room Data Libraries > again path to the location where you saved the Sample Project Revit files<br />
<br />
<em>...if you have used CodeBook before and want to upgrade from a previous version, see the post Upgrading a v8.2 dataset to v9...</em><br />
<br />
5. Revit to CodeBook command path - final step!<br />
a) Select File > Project Properties...<br />
b) Expand the Administrator > CAD and BIM Settings section and click on Revit<br />
c) In the Codebook to Revit command path check the path and location of the 'CodeBook.Addin' file<br />
<br />
For this last part, if you have a standard, out-of-the-box installation of Revit, you may choose to keep the CodeBook default location:<br />
'C:\Users\xxx your username xxx\AppData\Roaming\CodeBook Data'<br />
<br />
The chances are you'll have some Revit customisation, so you will need to check that you have the CodeBook.Addin file saved into your Revit Addins folder and that you have entered this location in the 'Codebook to Revit command path'.<br />
<br />
For example, we use various Revit Add-ins, such as Worksharing Monitor, Model Review, Bluestreak etc... accessed through the Revit Addins ribbon and these are all saved into:<br />
'C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\REVIT\Addins\2011'<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Congratulations - you've now successfully installed and configured CodeBook to work with Revit!</strong></span><br />
<br />
I'll cover Project & Library setup in a subsequent post.<br />
<br />
<em>Revit Architecture 2011 or 2012 and the Microsoft Access version of CodeBook will be used by most of the industry, but I'll keep an eye out for requests to explain the install process for other software packages or releases...</em>Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578895759704641727.post-60712567058097459802011-06-09T07:22:00.000-07:002011-09-11T20:17:46.598-07:00All things CodeBook blog now open...This is the first post of a new blog aimed at teaching, promoting good practice and demystifying the use of CodeBook within Architecture.<br />
<br />
I've been a user of the software for around 9 years and have worked on some great projects, where we've been able to add real value and generate time savings through the successful implementation of CodeBook.<br />
<br />
I've also worked on projects which have not gone according to plan and that proved... challenging.<br />
<br />
But life is a constant learning experience and sometimes it is just as useful knowing where common mistakes are made in order to avoid them and how to fix them if they are unavoidable.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned...Chris Razzellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12920696888667754342noreply@blogger.com0