Mastering Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2011

Mastering Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2011

by Marvin Titlow, Simon Whitbread, Don Bokmiller
Released October 2010
Publisher(s): Sybex
ISBN: 9780470626375

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Book description

Master all the core concepts and functionality of Revit MEP

Revit MEP has finally come into its own, and this perfectly paced reference covers all the core concepts and functionality of this fast-growing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing software. The authors collate all their years of experience to develop this exhaustive tutorial that shows you how to design using a versatile model.

You'll discover tips, tricks, and real-world exercises that only authors who use the software daily in a professional environment can know and explain.

  • Explores the basics of the interface, how to create and use project templates, how to generate schedules that show quantities, materials, design dependencies, and more

  • Examines the mechanical side of Revit MEP, including chapters on creating logical air, water, and fire protection systems and evaluating building loads

  • Delves into how to best generate and model content, including solid modeling, creating symbols, using parameters, creating equipment, and more

Featuring real-world sidebars, hands-on tutorials, and a supporting Web site, this reference allows you to jump into any tutorial and compare your finished work to the pros.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Dear Reader,
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. About the Authors
  5. Introduction
    1. Who Should Buy This Book
    2. What's Inside
    3. Sybex.com
    4. The Mastering Series
  6. 1. General Project Setup
    1. 1. Exploring the User Interface
      1. 1.1. The Ribbon
        1. 1.1.1. Tabs
        2. 1.1.2. Contextual Tabs
        3. 1.1.3. Family Editor Tabs
        4. 1.1.4. Customizing the Ribbon
      2. 1.2. Quick Access Toolbar
      3. 1.3. User Interface Features
        1. 1.3.1. Options Bar
        2. 1.3.2. Properties Palette
        3. 1.3.3. View Control Bar
        4. 1.3.4. Status Bar
        5. 1.3.5. Info Center
        6. 1.3.6. User Interface Control
      4. 1.4. Menus and Settings
        1. 1.4.1. Keyboard Shortcuts
        2. 1.4.2. Graphics
        3. 1.4.3. Context Menus
      5. 1.5. The Bottom Line
    2. 2. Creating an Effective Project Template
      1. 2.1. Understanding Templates
      2. 2.2. Understanding the Project Browser Organization
        1. 2.2.1. Determining Which Views Are Grouped Together
        2. 2.2.2. Sorting Views within Groups
      3. 2.3. Determining the Number and Types of Views Needed
        1. 2.3.1. Number of Levels
        2. 2.3.2. Plan Types
        3. 2.3.3. Creating a Working View
      4. 2.4. Choosing How to Display Each View
        1. 2.4.1. Visibility Settings for Template Views
          1. 2.4.1.1. View Range
          2. 2.4.1.2. Visibility/Graphics Overrides
          3. 2.4.1.3. View Filters
        2. 2.4.2. Visibility Settings Shortcut: View Templates
        3. 2.4.3. Schedule Views
      5. 2.5. Establishing Project Settings
        1. 2.5.1. Object Styles
        2. 2.5.2. Drafting Line Settings
          1. 2.5.2.1. Line Weights
          2. 2.5.2.2. Line Colors
          3. 2.5.2.3. Line Patterns
          4. 2.5.2.4. Line Styles
        3. 2.5.3. Export Settings
        4. 2.5.4. Annotation Styles
          1. 2.5.4.1. Text
          2. 2.5.4.2. Arrowhead Styles
          3. 2.5.4.3. Dimension Styles
        5. 2.5.5. Project Units
        6. 2.5.6. Project Phases
      6. 2.6. Defining Preloaded Content and Its Behavior
        1. 2.6.1. Annotation Families
        2. 2.6.2. Component Families
        3. 2.6.3. System Families
        4. 2.6.4. MEP Settings
      7. 2.7. Creating Sheet Standards
        1. 2.7.1. Titleblocks
        2. 2.7.2. Sheet Organization
        3. 2.7.3. Preset Sheets
      8. 2.8. The Bottom Line
    3. 3. Worksets and Worksharing
      1. 3.1. Understanding Central Files
        1. 3.1.1. Creating a Central File
        2. 3.1.2. Creating a New Workset
      2. 3.2. Working with Local Files
        1. 3.2.1. Ways to Create a Local File
        2. 3.2.2. Synchronizing a Local File with the Central File
      3. 3.3. Managing and Using the Power of Worksets
        1. 3.3.1. Taking Ownership of Worksets
        2. 3.3.2. Model Elements and Their Worksets
      4. 3.4. Visibility and Worksets
      5. 3.5. The Bottom Line
    4. 4. Best Practices for Sharing Projects with Consultants
      1. 4.1. Preparing Your Files for Sharing
      2. 4.2. Working with Linked Revit Files
        1. 4.2.1. Linking Revit Files
        2. 4.2.2. Managing Revit Links
        3. 4.2.3. Visibility of Revit Links
      3. 4.3. Coordinating Elements within Shared Models
        1. 4.3.1. Monitoring Elements
        2. 4.3.2. Responding to Change Alerts
        3. 4.3.3. Reconciling Hosting
        4. 4.3.4. Tips for Maintaining Project Coordination
      4. 4.4. Working with Non-Revit Files
        1. 4.4.1. Linking in CAD Files
        2. 4.4.2. Exporting Your Revit File to a CAD Format
        3. 4.4.3. Using Image Files in a Revit Project
      5. 4.5. Options for Quality Control
      6. 4.6. The Bottom Line
    5. 5. Schedules
      1. 5.1. Defining Schedules
        1. 5.1.1. The Fields Tab
        2. 5.1.2. The Filters Tab
        3. 5.1.3. The Sorting/Grouping Tab
        4. 5.1.4. The Formatting Tab
        5. 5.1.5. The Appearance Tab
        6. 5.1.6. Editing a Schedule
      2. 5.2. Scheduling Component and System Family Data
        1. 5.2.1. Mechanical Equipment Schedules
        2. 5.2.2. Lighting Fixture Schedules
        3. 5.2.3. System Family Schedules
          1. 5.2.3.1. Duct Schedules
          2. 5.2.3.2. Pipe Schedules
          3. 5.2.3.3. Space schedules
        4. 5.2.4. Creating a Schedule of Model Components
      3. 5.3. Using Schedules for Design and Analysis
        1. 5.3.1. Panel Schedules
      4. 5.4. Using Schedules for Project Management
        1. 5.4.1. Sheet List
        2. 5.4.2. View List
        3. 5.4.3. Note Block
      5. 5.5. The Bottom Line
    6. 6. Details
      1. 6.1. Drafting and Detailing Tools
        1. 6.1.1. Line Styles
        2. 6.1.2. Regions
        3. 6.1.3. Detail Components
      2. 6.2. CAD Details
        1. 6.2.1. Drafting Views
        2. 6.2.2. Converting Details
      3. 6.3. Strategies for Creating a Detail Library
        1. 6.3.1. Insert 2D Elements
        2. 6.3.2. Insert Views
      4. 6.4. Model Detail Views
        1. 6.4.1. Plan Callouts
        2. 6.4.2. Section Callouts
      5. 6.5. The Bottom Line
    7. 7. Sheets
      1. 7.1. Creating a Titleblock
        1. 7.1.1. Using Existing CAD Graphics
        2. 7.1.2. Text and Labels
        3. 7.1.3. Logos and Images
      2. 7.2. Working with Sheets in a Project
        1. 7.2.1. Project Browser Sheet Organization
        2. 7.2.2. Placing Views on Sheets
        3. 7.2.3. Viewports
        4. 7.2.4. Annotations
        5. 7.2.5. Schedules
      3. 7.3. Sheet Lists
      4. 7.4. Sheet Revisions
      5. 7.5. Printing Sheets
      6. 7.6. Exporting Sheets
      7. 7.7. The Bottom Line
  7. 2. Revit MEP for Mechanical
    1. 8. Creating Logical Systems
      1. 8.1. Managing Systems
        1. 8.1.1. Why Are Systems Important?
        2. 8.1.2. Mechanical Settings
        3. 8.1.3. System Browser
      2. 8.2. Air Systems
        1. 8.2.1. Parameters
        2. 8.2.2. Creating Mechanical Systems
      3. 8.3. Piping Systems
        1. 8.3.1. Parameters
        2. 8.3.2. Creating Pipe Systems
        3. 8.3.3. Fire Protection
      4. 8.4. Display Properties of Systems
        1. 8.4.1. System Filters
      5. 8.5. The Bottom Line
    2. 9. HVAC Cooling and Heating Load Analysis
      1. 9.1. Modeling Spaces for Building Load Analysis
        1. 9.1.1. Space Modeling
        2. 9.1.2. Placing Spaces
        3. 9.1.3. Space Properties Schedule
        4. 9.1.4. Modifying Space Properties
        5. 9.1.5. Zones
        6. 9.1.6. Building Construction
      2. 9.2. Performing Heating and Cooling Load Analysis
        1. 9.2.1. Load Analysis
        2. 9.2.2. Weather Data
        3. 9.2.3. Outdoor Air Infiltration
        4. 9.2.4. Sliver Spaces
        5. 9.2.5. Details
        6. 9.2.6. Heating and Cooling Loads Report
      3. 9.3. Exporting gbXML Data to Load-Simulating Software
      4. 9.4. The Bottom Line
    3. 10. Mechanical Systems and Ductwork
      1. 10.1. Air Distribution Components
      2. 10.2. Mechanical Equipment Components
        1. 10.2.1. Air Conditioning/Handling Units
        2. 10.2.2. VAV Boxes
      3. 10.3. Ductwork
      4. 10.4. Duct Types and Routing
        1. 10.4.1. Creating New Duct Types
        2. 10.4.2. Automatic Duct Routing
        3. 10.4.3. Manual Duct Routing
          1. 10.4.3.1. Adjusting Fittings and Extending the Design
      5. 10.5. Duct Sizing
        1. 10.5.1. Duct Sizing Methods
        2. 10.5.2. Factors That Do Not Affect Duct Sizing
      6. 10.6. The Bottom Line
    4. 11. Mechanical Piping
      1. 11.1. Mechanical Pipe Settings
        1. 11.1.1. Creating System Pipes
        2. 11.1.2. Creating Fittings for System Pipes
        3. 11.1.3. Pipe Material
        4. 11.1.4. Pipe Sizing Table
        5. 11.1.5. Fluids Table
      2. 11.2. Pipe Routing Options
        1. 11.2.1. Automatic Pipe Routing
        2. 11.2.2. Manual Pipe Routing
      3. 11.3. Pipe Fittings
        1. 11.3.1. Using Pipe Fitting Controls
        2. 11.3.2. Placing Fittings
      4. 11.4. Visibility of Pipes
      5. 11.5. The Bottom Line
  8. 3. Revit MEP for Electrical
    1. 12. Lighting
      1. 12.1. Efficient Lighting Design
        1. 12.1.1. Spaces and Lighting
        2. 12.1.2. The Reflected Ceiling Plan
        3. 12.1.3. Lighting Worksets
      2. 12.2. Lighting Analysis
      3. 12.3. Hosting Options for Lighting Fixtures and Devices
        1. 12.3.1. Placing Light Fixtures in a Ceiling
        2. 12.3.2. Lighting Fixtures in Sloped Ceilings
        3. 12.3.3. Ceiling Changes
        4. 12.3.4. Overhead Fixtures in Spaces with No Ceiling
        5. 12.3.5. Wall-Mounted Lights
        6. 12.3.6. Switches
      4. 12.4. Site Lighting
        1. 12.4.1. The Site Plan
        2. 12.4.2. Site Lighting Layout
        3. 12.4.3. Site Lighting Analysis
      5. 12.5. The Bottom Line
    2. 13. Power and Communications
      1. 13.1. Methods for Modeling Power and Systems Devices
        1. 13.1.1. Using Annotation Symbols
        2. 13.1.2. Using Face-Hosted Families
        3. 13.1.3. Avoiding Interference of Symbols
        4. 13.1.4. Creating Circuits
      2. 13.2. Creating a Fire Alarm System Model
        1. 13.2.1. Fire Alarm Riser Diagram
        2. 13.2.2. Fire Alarm Diagram Using Drafting Tools and Symbols
      3. 13.3. Equipment and Connections
        1. 13.3.1. Disconnect Switches
        2. 13.3.2. Distribution Equipment and Transformers
        3. 13.3.3. Switchboards
        4. 13.3.4. Panels
        5. 13.3.5. Other Equipment
      4. 13.4. Power Distribution Systems
        1. 13.4.1. Power Diagrams
        2. 13.4.2. Tips for Creating Power Diagrams
      5. 13.5. The New Conduit and Cable Tray Tools
        1. 13.5.1. Electrical Settings
        2. 13.5.2. Placing Conduit in a Model
        3. 13.5.3. Placing Cable Tray in a Model
        4. 13.5.4. Family Types
      6. 13.6. The Bottom Line
    3. 14. Circuiting and Panels
      1. 14.1. Electrical Settings
        1. 14.1.1. Wiring Settings
        2. 14.1.2. Voltage Definitions
        3. 14.1.3. Distribution Systems
        4. 14.1.4. Load Calculations
      2. 14.2. Creating Circuits and Wiring for Devices and Fixtures
        1. 14.2.1. Editing Wiring
        2. 14.2.2. Editing Circuits
        3. 14.2.3. Drawing Wires Manually
        4. 14.2.4. Wire Display
      3. 14.3. Managing Circuits and Panels
        1. 14.3.1. Circuit Properties
        2. 14.3.2. Wire Properties
        3. 14.3.3. Panel Properties
        4. 14.3.4. Other Panels and Circuits
      4. 14.4. Using Schedules for Sharing Circuit Information
        1. 14.4.1. Scheduling Panels and Circuits
      5. 14.5. The Bottom Line
  9. 4. Revit MEP for Plumbing
    1. 15. Plumbing (Domestic, Sanitary, and Other Piping)
      1. 15.1. Plumbing Fixtures
      2. 15.2. Working with Architectural Linked in Plumbing Models
        1. 15.2.1. Creating Custom Pipe Assemblies
        2. 15.2.2. Copy/Monitor Plumbing Fixtures
      3. 15.3. Plumbing Pipe Settings
        1. 15.3.1. Creating System Pipes
        2. 15.3.2. Creating Fittings for System Pipes
        3. 15.3.3. Pipe Material
        4. 15.3.4. Pipe Sizing Table
        5. 15.3.5. Fluids Table
      4. 15.4. Pipe Routing Options
        1. 15.4.1. Auto Pipe Routing
        2. 15.4.2. Manual Pipe Routing
        3. 15.4.3. Sloping Pipe
      5. 15.5. Fittings
        1. 15.5.1. Using Pipe Fitting Controls
        2. 15.5.2. Placing Fittings
      6. 15.6. Visibility of Piping
      7. 15.7. The Bottom Line
    2. 16. Fire Protection
      1. 16.1. The Essentials of Placing Fire Protection Equipment
        1. 16.1.1. Point of Connection
        2. 16.1.2. Fire Pump Assembly
        3. 16.1.3. Creating a Fire Riser Assembly
        4. 16.1.4. Sprinkler Heads
      2. 16.2. Creating Fire Protection Systems
        1. 16.2.1. Creating a Fire Protection Wet System
        2. 16.2.2. Filtering Fire Protection Systems
      3. 16.3. Fire Protection Piping
        1. 16.3.1. Auto Pipe Routing
        2. 16.3.2. Manual Pipe Routing
      4. 16.4. The Bottom Line
  10. 5. Managing Content in Revit MEP
    1. 17. Solid Modeling
      1. 17.1. Solids and Voids
        1. 17.1.1. Extrusions
        2. 17.1.2. Blends
        3. 17.1.3. Revolves
        4. 17.1.4. Sweeps
        5. 17.1.5. Swept Blends
        6. 17.1.6. Joining Geometry
        7. 17.1.7. Voids
      2. 17.2. Reference Planes and Lines
      3. 17.3. Constraints and Dimensions
      4. 17.4. Visibility Control
      5. 17.5. The Bottom Line
    2. 18. Creating Symbols and Annotation
      1. 18.1. Drafting Tools in Revit
        1. 18.1.1. Drawing Arcs
        2. 18.1.2. Filled Regions
      2. 18.2. Building a Symbol Library
        1. 18.2.1. Generic Annotations
        2. 18.2.2. Subcategories
        3. 18.2.3. Text and Labels
        4. 18.2.4. Detail Components
      3. 18.3. Visibility Control of Lines, Regions, and Annotation
        1. 18.3.1. Visibility Parameters
        2. 18.3.2. Using Constraints
      4. 18.4. Labels and Tags
        1. 18.4.1. Label Format Options
        2. 18.4.2. Labels and Line Work
      5. 18.5. The Bottom Line
    3. 19. Parameters
      1. 19.1. Parameter Properties
        1. 19.1.1. Parameter Naming
        2. 19.1.2. Type Parameters
        3. 19.1.3. Instance Parameters
        4. 19.1.4. Parameter Discipline, Type, and Grouping
      2. 19.2. Parameters in Families
        1. 19.2.1. Dimensional Parameters
        2. 19.2.2. Parameter Types
        3. 19.2.3. Type Catalogs
        4. 19.2.4. Formulas
        5. 19.2.5. Coded Parameters
        6. 19.2.6. Lookup Tables
      3. 19.3. Shared Parameters
      4. 19.4. Using Parameters in Projects
        1. 19.4.1. Project Parameters
        2. 19.4.2. Parameters in Schedules
        3. 19.4.3. Creating and Using Parameters in Families and Schedules
        4. 19.4.4. View and Sheet Parameters
      5. 19.5. The Bottom Line
    4. 20. Creating Equipment
      1. 20.1. Modeling MEP Equipment
        1. 20.1.1. Hosting Options
        2. 20.1.2. Family Categories
        3. 20.1.3. Detail Level
        4. 20.1.4. Geometry for Connection Points
        5. 20.1.5. Equipment Pads
      2. 20.2. Adding Connectors to Equipment Families
        1. 20.2.1. Duct Connectors
        2. 20.2.2. Pipe Connectors
        3. 20.2.3. Electrical Connectors
        4. 20.2.4. Multiple Connectors in Families
      3. 20.3. Creating Clearance Spaces
      4. 20.4. Adding Parameters and Constraints
      5. 20.5. The Bottom Line
    5. 21. Creating Lighting Fixtures
      1. 21.1. Types of Lighting Fixture Families
        1. 21.1.1. Nonhosted Lighting Fixtures
        2. 21.1.2. Face-Hosted Lighting Fixtures
        3. 21.1.3. Face-Hosted Families for Wall-Mounted Lights
        4. 21.1.4. Fixture Types Based on Dimensions
        5. 21.1.5. Fixture Types Based on Fixture Performance and Lighting Characteristics
        6. 21.1.6. Naming Conventions
      2. 21.2. Lighting Analysis
        1. 21.2.1. Light Source Location
        2. 21.2.2. Light Source Definitions
        3. 21.2.3. Light Source Parameters
      3. 21.3. Fixture Families as Intelligent Objects
        1. 21.3.1. Adding Connectors
      4. 21.4. Representing Light Fixtures on Construction Documents
      5. 21.5. The Bottom Line
    6. 22. Creating Devices
      1. 22.1. Modeling Device Geometry
        1. 22.1.1. Category and Parameters
        2. 22.1.2. Geometry and Reference Planes
      2. 22.2. Annotations for Devices
      3. 22.3. Parameters and Connectors
        1. 22.3.1. Parameters for Labels
        2. 22.3.2. Adding Connectors
      4. 22.4. The Bottom Line
    7. A. The Bottom Line
      1. A.1. Chapter 1: Exploring the User Interface
      2. A.2. Chapter 2: Creating an Effective Project Template
      3. A.3. Chapter 3: Worksets and Worksharing
      4. A.4. Chapter 4: Best Practices for Sharing Projects with Consultants
      5. A.5. Chapter 5: Schedules
      6. A.6. Chapter 6: Details
      7. A.7. Chapter 7: Sheets
      8. A.8. Chapter 8: Creating Logical Systems
      9. A.9. Chapter 9: HVAC Cooling and Heating Load Analysis
      10. A.10. Chapter 10: Mechanical Systems and Ductwork
      11. A.11. Chapter 11: Mechanical Piping
      12. A.12. Chapter 12: Lighting
      13. A.13. Chapter 13: Power and Communications
      14. A.14. Chapter 14: Circuiting and Panels
      15. A.15. Chapter 15: Plumbing (Domestic, Sanitary, and Other Piping)
      16. A.16. Chapter 16: Fire Protection
      17. A.17. Chapter 17: Solid Modeling
      18. A.18. Chapter 18: Creating Symbols and Annotation
      19. A.19. Chapter 19: Parameters
      20. A.20. Chapter 20: Creating Equipment
      21. A.21. Chapter 21: Creating Lighting Fixtures
      22. A.22. Chapter 22: Creating Devices

Product information

  • Title: Mastering Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2011
  • Author(s): Marvin Titlow, Simon Whitbread, Don Bokmiller
  • Release date: October 2010
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9780470626375