In this post, I want to share some tips about creating families if you want to put them inside your multi-layered wall in Revit® and get nice section views. I'll use two common scenarios to show how to add concrete thickening to precast sandwich walls.

Situation A: Adding concrete thickening around openings

Below is a simple example, but feel free to add any other elements or parameters as needed.

Step 1: Create a face-based family for thickening around the window.

Create solid and void extrusions with the same constraints. In the picture below, you can see one extrusion, but it’s actually one void and one solid element in the same location. Make sure the void does not cut the solid.

Cut a fake host inside the family with the void element. (I minimized the host size for the purpose of this post; there's no need to do that.)

Thanks to all who attended our recent webinar on MEP Hangers. Our engineer showed all the new features that have really upped this BIM app's game to whole new level. He put together a condensed version of the webinar below. For those who missed out – or who liked the live webinar so much that they want to see it again – head on over to our AGACAD Webinar playlist on YouTube. While there, please subscribe to our channel!

What exactly makes MEP Hangers so much better, er, ♪ Harder ♫ Better ♪ Faster ♫ Stronger ♪ than before?

• Hanger assembly systems from several Revit families
• Automatically find details in one element and place them in the same location in another
• One rule for the whole pipe system
• Automation of LOD 400 modeling
• Rules to find any object around MEP and connect hangers to it
• Split Pipes, Ducts, Cable Trays, Conduits by manufacturer's length

This webinar is about efficiently modeling precast slabs in Revit, specifically by using structural framing elements. Register below for this insider-look at using AGACAD's software for Precast Concrete.

Ideal for structural engineers, designers & drafters, BIM modelers & detailers, and CAD engineers & technicians. Also for companies in building design & engineering, consultancy, and manufacturing.

Thanks to all who attended our recent webinar on Curtain Walls & Panels. Our engineer showed how to efficiently framing architectural curtain walls or curtain panels in Revit. He put together a condensed version of the webinar below.

When framing a prefabricated wall panel in Revit, the “Frame Parts” function is useful when you have parts of the wall that do not belong to the prefabricated panel, e.g., siding that will be built in place. Here’s a workflow showing how you can frame parts.

Our Precast Concrete solution for Revit was just recently updated with new features and performance improvements, including new ways to split walls, add details, and create shop drawings/tickets. But by far the most significant update is that the Metal Framing Floor+ feature has been added to Precast Concrete! We did this especially for clients wanting to create slabs by using Structural Framing families and even apply this to warped double tee slabs for precast parking garages.

The whole point of creating BIM models is to reap as much benefit from them as possible. One benefit for structural engineers is that when you create a physical model, you can create an analytical model simultaneously, saving you time later because you can send it straight to structural analysis software instead of creating it from scratch.

So, with that in mind, here is one tip about analytical lines for beams.

If you want to have a physical beam under another beam but keep the analytical lines at the same level, then use the z-offset in the beam properties instead of moving the beam down.

Analytical and physical model goes into the same location:

In this webinar, we'd like to present to you the brand new version of our MEP Hangers software that has more power, handsome good looks, new features, and greater speed.

To put it more exclamatorily:

NEW software engine! NEW software interface! NEW workflows! NEW (↑) software speed!

Join our MEP Hangers webinar and see what's NEW!

Q: I want to use the split pipes command to generate fabrication cut sheets for our sprinkler lines. I need to split all the lines into segments of equal lengths. How can I add a starter length of pipe? e.g. The first segment needs to be less than all the others and will be cut in field to adjust to where our sprinkler mains have been run.

A: See video :-)

Q: Is it possible to batch-change the category of families in a project?

A: Yes. You can change the category of your families in batches by using Smart Browser. Here's how.

To exchange families inside your project, you have to add an extra parameter for those families and write some notes for Smart Browser. Smart Browser doesn’t see when you change categories, and it can’t upload a new family, but if you change category and add a parameter – it will see and change the families in your project. Let's see how to do it.