BIM Blog

Running CNC Machines from Revit — What You Need to Know

Designers have tried to make CNC machines work with Revit for a long time. There’s often a demand for specialized tools or software that can make things happen easier, and it is possible using solutions that can export BTL, WUP, BVX and other files from Revit.

There’s no need to take the tougher road using other file formats such as DWG and DXF that require ABViewer for G-Code generation. We have a few efficient solutions in place — AGACAD’s CNC Exporters for exporting data of timber or light steel wall, floor, and roof frames from Revit into a format readable by CNC machines. Although there are a number of Wood / Metal Framing CNC Exporters, here I will briefly review only one of them in more detail.

Revit Relief: Flexible Terms for Leading BIM Solutions

We’re offering special terms on the AGACAD BIM Solutions that many top Revit professionals rely on.

To meet your needs and give you more flexibility in current conditions, for a limited time we are offering 3-month licenses with free network activation. Take advantage of this offer by using it for any of our BIM Solutions for Revit listed below.

Get your 3-month license while this limited-time offer lasts!

New Features for Smart Assemblies: Reinforcement Dimensioning Settings

Although our Smart Assemblies BIM tool already had ways of showing dimensions of rebar, more flexible options were needed for dimensioning rebar in assembly views. That’s mainly due to the fact that we’ve added some robust reinforcement tools for Revit to our portfolio.

This latest update of Smart Assemblies brings to bear the power of our well-known dimensioning technology – Smart Dimensions – so that you can automatically measure rebar in views. It takes a load of manual tasks off your plate, eliminating a lot of mouse-clicking so that you have more time to focus on real design tasks.

You can see few of the features applied in this video. Read in more detail about each below.

Copying Revit Parameters into Openings with Cut Opening [ENHANCED FEATURE]

Our Cut Opening BIM Solution does more than just create openings in Revit models. Among its other useful functions is one that lets you transfer parameter values into an opening element from the elements to which it belongs. For example, you can transfer parameters like System Name, Type, Classification, and Service Type.

Sometimes, though, that doesn’t cut it, and you need more information to be transferred.

That’s where the latest update Cut Opening comes in. Now you can copy all parameter values from a host (structural element) into the parameters of openings. The same goes for MEP elements: you can copy all parameter values from them into openings’ parameters.

So, if you need to copy the mark of, say, a wall into an opening or any information about an MEP service into an opening, you can do that with no problem using Cut Opening.

In this blogpost, we’ll look at how to do it in both the structural and MEP situations.

How to Rotate Revit Assembly Origin Automatically for Precast Sandwich Walls [VIDEO]

This feature of our Smart Assemblies tool has been around for several years already, but I’d just like to remind our existing users about it and show it to Revit users who are new to our Precast Concrete design software. Because this is a tip that can really help you save a lot of time by avoiding a lot of inefficient, boring clicking in Revit.

If you want to create individual piece tickets for precast concrete walls in Revit, your best option is to go with assemblies because they have separate views, schedules, and information about each production element.

The downside: Working with assemblies can be quite a pain if you use Revit out of the box.

Here’s an example with precast sandwich wall panels. In my test project I drew a couple of panels in different directions and created assemblies with Revit. Revit creates the assembly origin, which gives information about view directions.

Below you can see the axes of the origin, the green arrow being the direction of the front view. Notice that the orientation of the origin for most of the wall assemblies that I have created below is wrong.

Revit Assembly Rotation – Manual vs Automatic

Reacticon’s Joonas: AGACAD Precast Suite Unlocks Revit’s Potential

This Northern European engineering practice says AGACAD’s software for modelling precast concrete elements in Revit^® has no peers on the market in terms of guiding users to optimal workflows and enabling quality BIM results.

Client Profile

Jörgen Joonas runs his own civil engineering firm, Reacticon OÜ, out of Estonia. His focus is on buildings and other structures that use precast concrete.

How to Create Grid Lines in Revit Assembly Views [VIDEO]

Ever wondered how to make grid lines appear in assembly views in Revit?

By default in Revit, grids are only visible in model views. So, to remedy that, we spiffed up the shop drawing configurations of our Smart Assemblies add-on.

Now there’s an option to show grid lines in assembly views if they cross your element in the model. It works with different categories, and grids can go in both directions. All you need to do is to select ‘Insert Grids’ in the far right column of the Shop Drawing Configurations window for the views that you would like to see gridlines on.

Tilt-Up Wall Panels: Modeling & Documentation in Revit [WEBINAR]

Recently clients have expressed interest in working with tilt-up panels in Revit. Given the benefits of tilt-up construction and the number of people who work in the industry, we’re going forward with this webinar that will hopefully encourage engineers to design tilt-up projects in Revit. Flawlessly.

Join our free 30-minute webinar on April 8th and see how our Precast Concrete add-on can help you with the modeling and documentation of buildings comprising tilt-up wall panels. Whether you’re working with highly detailed models with connections and rebar (LOD350) or less detailed projects (LOD200), it’s worth saving your time by doing all the design work on one platform – Revit.

We will run through the modeling of insulated walls and solid walls, openings, cuts, and corner joints. Then we’ll place lifting points, support and connection plates for foundations, slabs, decks, beams, and joists. Temporary bracing (bracing props) will also be modeled for construction planning. You will see the automated process of wall reinforcement by using flexible rebar configurations. And last but not least, dimensions in elevations, plans, and piece drawings for each wall.

The webinar will be held twice, so please sign up for the session that’s more convenient for you. We especially invite precast designers and structural engineers to participate in this webinar. Content will also be of interest to out-of-box Revit users and those thinking of switching from AutoCAD 2D to BIM.

Wall Reinforcement in Revit: Latest Updates

During our recent webinar about reinforcing precast concrete walls in Revit [WATCH], I showed some of the new features of our Wall Reinforcement add-in. These updates resolved several important issues that had come in from clients, so now the tool is better than ever, thanks to the Revit and BIM experts who use our software in their design work.

What we have done is add a new tab at the bottom-left of the configuration window – Additional reinforcement. Basically, it is reinforcement that can be distributed along any horizontal or vertical edges of the wall. There are different shapes, layout, and cover options, everything you need to automate the process of modelling reinforcement in Revit.

How to Create Dowel Bars in Precast Walls in Revit [WORKFLOW+VIDEO]

Dowels are used in precast concrete walls for forming connections between wall panels, usually in conjunction with grout tubes or cast-in-place elements. In this context, they’re also known as tie bar, lap bar, starter bar, or projecting bar. With our Wall Reinforcement tool, you can add straight or bent (L-shaped) dowel bars in Revit walls automatically according to the configurations that you define.

Follow the steps below to auto-insert dowel bar in precast wall panels in Revit.