The AEC Complex Comic

Hello, I am excited to announce the newest member to the SimplyComplex Family of Media.
The AEC Complex Comic!
The link to the website could be found here.
The issues are (for now) online single page comic strips.
Eventually they will be able to be printed.
Make sure to subscribe to get the issues.

www.aeccomplexcomic.com

How to Place a Wall By Face Using Dynamo

Have you ever wanted to place a wall by face in Revit using Dynamo? Its easy. Simply follow the steps shown in the image below.

Note that only some surfaces in Revit allow walls to be hosted to them including Mass and Adaptive Component Surfaces . Try and experiment and good luck hosting those walls.

HOW TO QUICKLY GET APPROXIMATE LENGTH BETWEEN TWO OBJECTS IN REVIT

Most objects that are aligned or orthogonal in plan and in elevation are easy to dimension in Revit.

How about objects that are not aligned in anyway?

See image below on how to approximate these lengths in 3D.

This method is only meant to be used as an approximation when objects are not aligned in anyway.

Good luck finding those distances!

CREATE POINTS IN ETABS USING DYNAMOBIM

Why does Revit get to have all the fun with Dynamo? Now you could write points from Dynamo into ETABS! Simply follow the steps below in the image and give ETABS a chance!

Notes: 

1. ETABS is a very popular structural analysis program created by CSI and I would recommend you run these nodes in "Manual" mode
2. This method uses custom nodes from my custom package and its programmed in c# using Zero Touch. If you want to learn more about Zero Touch check out these videos on the Simplycomplex youtube channel and subscribe. 
3. There are other methods to get Points from Dynamo to ETABS. Try this method and give ETABS a chance!
4. This method is NOT meant to replace the "bi-directional" linking of structural analysis between Revit and Etabs nor any other "linking" method to Revit. 

CREATE ROOF BEAMS FROM 2 POINT ADAPTIVE COMPONENTS - PLACE WITH DYNAMO BIM

The image below shows an "alternate" way to place structural ROOF framing using an adaptive component and Dynamo to make the beam end points smart. Follow the steps below!

Why should you use this method to place structural framing you may ask? Well.................

The structural framing tool in Revit is not very robust. Its based on 20 year old technology. The problem is the roof framing beam "end points" are not very smart. Meaning you are not able to place a structural roof framing at a "quarter point" along a beam (for example). However a 2 point adaptive component that is made up of two simple adaptive component (AC) points and a model line between them could substitute for the "work line" of a structural beam and have smart end points. Consider creating and placing these AC beams on your roof as shown above. Note that this method does not have much advantages for "flat" floor framing. For flat floor framing I would recommend you just use the conventional Revit Structural Framing Tools.

 

Also if you are not familiar with Adaptive Components I would highly recommend that you learn about them because they could make your Revit Modeling Life easier. 

CREATE A SOLID SWEEP IN DYNAMO

Here is a quick way to create a curved pipe in Dynamo by sweeping a circular profile along a "path".
See the image below

Note that the circular profile was not "drawn" on the curve. It was first drawn at 0,0,0 for simplicity then "relocated" using the transform node. As always there is more than one way to perform this task and this only creates Dynamo Geometry. Happy Sweeping!

ORIENT BEAMS PERP TO SURFACE USING DYNAMOBIM

Have you ever wanted to orient your beams perp to the surface?
See the following image and learn how. Also click this link for the sample Revit file.  BEAM_ORIENTATION_START.RVT

Note that Adaptive Component Beams were used for this example for simplicity.

A more complex example using structural framing family beams to follow soon.