Objective
With the abundance of elements available on Google’s 3D Warehouse the designer, particularly the interior designer, is provided with opportunities to place the furniture that they specify into 3D modeled space. However, there are a much more limited number of 3D furniture models (families) currently available for Interior Designers using Revit. This project blog’s purpose is to experiment with the integration of Revit Architecture 2010 and Google Sketch UP 7; more specifically, the importing and modifying of SketchUP models into Revit. The creation, importing, modification, material assignment and tracking of these elements will be researched.
Methodology
The process I followed was:
a. Introduce both programs
b. Describe the best way to make a SketchUP model that will import properly into Revit
i. Saving SketchUP models for optimum compatibility
c. Show examples
d. Importing a SketchUP model as an Import CAD symbol
i. Assigning materials to an ImportCAD symbol
e. Other options for importing
i. Importing as a conceptual mass component
f. Scheduling
Throughout the study I introduced tutorials and other similar projects to show the many options one can take with SketchUP>Revit.
Outcome
The project resulted in an outline for the small scale integration of SketchUp and Revit. The goal was to benefit the interior designer and make their space planning and layouts more accurate. Using the blog’s techniques will curb the lack of 3D furniture models currently available. There is a focus in the study towards importing SketchUP models as an Import CAD symbol. This is likely a result of my personal experiences of which is most efficient.
I adjusted the scope of my project from exploring all the ways of integrating and importing the two programs to ways that I was most familiar with exploring. I also was sure to be clear from the beginning that there was to be a very limited scope—dealing with mostly interior fixtures/furniture.
I learned through the study of this project that the concept of integration of programs is much more complex than I originally thought. There are different issues that effect each program, version and file type that dictate its ease of integration.
In the future, I hope to refine my skills of importing these two programs and I hope to explore the other methods of integrated not explored by this study. Also, I am very interested in taking a model from SketchUP>Revit>3D Studio Max to explore its rendering capabilities.
My peer, Victor, provided inspiration for my future study. Also, I thought it was an interesting comparison looking at SketchUP>Revit and Revit>3DS, especially when looking at the level of sophistication of SketchUP vs. 3DS. The level of sophistication we achieved in our renderings is similar even though we approached the process from different angles.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Schedule Tutorial
This is a blog entry/tutorial that demonstrates how to create a schedule in REvit. With this you can track the quantity of each furniture piece that has been placed from sketchUP as a conceptual mass family.
CAD Notes: Creating Schedules
CAD Notes: Creating Schedules
Other options for importing
We have already explored importing SketchUP models as importCAD symbols. Another option includes:
Importing as a conceptual mass family
>open Revit
>Create New Conceptual Mass
>Import tab
>>Import CAD (follow directions as before)
>Open the project you are working on
>In the conceptual mass window Click 'Load into Project'
>>The object will show up as a component family in the open project
Becaue the object is an importCAD as a part of the family the quantity of that object are trackable by using a schedule.
Importing as a conceptual mass family
>open Revit
>Create New Conceptual Mass
>Import tab
>>Import CAD (follow directions as before)
>Open the project you are working on
>In the conceptual mass window Click 'Load into Project'
>>The object will show up as a component family in the open project
Becaue the object is an importCAD as a part of the family the quantity of that object are trackable by using a schedule.
Fellow SketchUP to Revit-er
I found this blog: Revit- for real
It has posts for revit issues, in general, and this one shows a basic interplay between SketchUP and Revit both ways.
It has posts for revit issues, in general, and this one shows a basic interplay between SketchUP and Revit both ways.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Assiging Materials
After importing and placing your object as an import CAD symbol materials must be assigned. Through trial and error, I have found that assigning materials immediately after importing adds to less confusion later. When importing as an import CAD gerneric rendering materials are applied to the object. This typically a matte gray color.
The work and tips presented earlier will allow for ease in assigning desired materials. These imported materials are put in the 'unassigned' category of the Material Class tab. It should be easier to find the different materials by looking at their display material colors. If you assigned the color as bright purple in SketchUP it should be that display color.
*you might try cahnging the display color and hitting 'apply' to make sure that the material you are looking at is the one you think.
Once you are sure that you have the desired material rename it by clicking the a][b button (a, cursor symbol, b)
Next, click the 'render appearances' tab.
Click the 'Replace' button and search for the desired material.
A helpful tutorial from RevitKid explains the way to replace materials and how to create custom materials. HERE
Repeat until all materials are assigned. It is helpful to run test renderings to decide if the materials you selected are rendering properly.
The work and tips presented earlier will allow for ease in assigning desired materials. These imported materials are put in the 'unassigned' category of the Material Class tab. It should be easier to find the different materials by looking at their display material colors. If you assigned the color as bright purple in SketchUP it should be that display color.
*you might try cahnging the display color and hitting 'apply' to make sure that the material you are looking at is the one you think.
Once you are sure that you have the desired material rename it by clicking the a][b button (a, cursor symbol, b)
Next, click the 'render appearances' tab.
Click the 'Replace' button and search for the desired material.
A helpful tutorial from RevitKid explains the way to replace materials and how to create custom materials. HERE
Repeat until all materials are assigned. It is helpful to run test renderings to decide if the materials you selected are rendering properly.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Importing 1.0
When importing a SketchUP model into Revit there are a few options. The first is to import it as an 'Import CAD'. This option makes the imported object into the category of 'imported symbols'. This option does not allow for tracking and counting. However, for rendering purposes this is a simple option.
The steps to follow include:
1. Insert Tab
2. 'Import CAD'
3. Select your file
>At the bottom of the window there are several options. Make sure to choose 'Preserve' under Colors. Select 'All' under Layers. Select the level of the project that you are working on, otherwise, it will seem like your model didn't successfully load in.
4. The object will import to the origin point. Move it to the desired location.
5. Select 'Shaded with edges' from the Model Graphics Style tab.
6. Create a 3D Perspective View with the new object imported.
In a future post the assigning of materials will be emplored.
(The lobby space posted before but in its 'Shaded with edges' model graphics style)
The steps to follow include:
1. Insert Tab
2. 'Import CAD'
3. Select your file
>At the bottom of the window there are several options. Make sure to choose 'Preserve' under Colors. Select 'All' under Layers. Select the level of the project that you are working on, otherwise, it will seem like your model didn't successfully load in.
4. The object will import to the origin point. Move it to the desired location.
5. Select 'Shaded with edges' from the Model Graphics Style tab.
6. Create a 3D Perspective View with the new object imported.
In a future post the assigning of materials will be emplored.
(The lobby space posted before but in its 'Shaded with edges' model graphics style)
Saving your SketchUP file
It is important to save your SketchUP file as a SketchUP 6. Introducing 'Introducing Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010' suggests saving your model as version 6. In my experience this works best. EArlierw versions of SketchUP are less sophisticated and information is lost when importing.
What we're following...
This is the SketchUP model that this blog will use as an example of the SketchUP>Revit process. Notice that the colors of it are bright and do not represent the eventual material. Again, this allows for easier identification of the model when assigning it materials. If many SketchupUP models are imported there will be many materials in the 'unassigned' category. With these bright colors you can look at the 'display color' and then reassign the material from 'default' to on of your choice.
SIDE NOTE: This is a piece of furniture I designed for my studio project. It is a custom built in storage cabinet that sites to the right of the fireplace in my corporate office's lobby. Its eventual form is pictured in an earlier post.
Other Bloggers
I found this blog: [as] On the blog there is an interesting post about using a SketchUp model that has been imported into Revit to run a solar study. While this is not the intent of this blog it shows the many directions one can take with building information modeling integrated systems.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Plan of Action Version 1.0
Nov 30-Dec 6: Tips for creating an easily imported SketchUP model, Example model, benfits of SketchUP to Revit, Importing as an importCAD in Revit
Dec 7-11: Other importing techniques, assigning materials to imported models, rendering the object, schedules
Dec 12-18:Summary, What are the positives and negatives of these preocesses?, Benifits to the student interior designer using Revit and SketchUP
Dec 7-11: Other importing techniques, assigning materials to imported models, rendering the object, schedules
Dec 12-18:Summary, What are the positives and negatives of these preocesses?, Benifits to the student interior designer using Revit and SketchUP
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The first step- Creating a SketchUP Model
This part of the process is both the simplest and potentially the most problematic if the .skp model is not properly constructed. It is extremely important to use the ‘layers’ function of SketchUP. Each layer is, or will be, a different material when it is later imported into Revit and rendered; while this can be time consuming when creating furniture and other interior fixtures it will provide more realistic rendering and tracking/numbering benefits later. For a tutorial on how to use layers check out this tutorial: LAYERS
It can also be helpful to make each of the layers its own component. This seems to provide further separation of information so that when it is loaded into Revit it separates each material more accurately. From a process of trial and error I found this step to be beneficial. For a tutorial on how to create components check out this tutorial: COMPONENTS
Another thing that will come in handy later is to assign each material different, bright and outlandish colors. When they are imported as an import-CAD in Revit it will be easier to find and reassign these materials.
It can also be helpful to make each of the layers its own component. This seems to provide further separation of information so that when it is loaded into Revit it separates each material more accurately. From a process of trial and error I found this step to be beneficial. For a tutorial on how to create components check out this tutorial: COMPONENTS
Another thing that will come in handy later is to assign each material different, bright and outlandish colors. When they are imported as an import-CAD in Revit it will be easier to find and reassign these materials.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sample
This is an example of the raw images that REVIT can provide. All of the furniture in the room, as well as, the ceiling was created in SketchUp, imported to CAD and then rendered. This is an example of the scope of work this blog will cover.
Where to find SketchUP...?
Here are the links needed to download the latest version of SketchUP. For the purposes of this blog SketchUP 7 will be used.
SketchUP 7
SketchUP 3D Warehouse- this is where some of the example models can be found.
SketchUP 7
SketchUP 3D Warehouse- this is where some of the example models can be found.
Resources (WEB)
Resources that I have found that will help me develop the best independent study/tutorial are:
Autodesk Discussion Boards-
http://discussion.autodesk.com/forums
Other Blogs-
Revit for Real
SketchUcation Community Forums
Revit City
A video I found-
CADclip- REVIT Massing Using SketchUP Skippy Files
Autodesk Discussion Boards-
http://discussion.autodesk.com/forums
Other Blogs-
Revit for Real
SketchUcation Community Forums
Revit City
A video I found-
CADclip- REVIT Massing Using SketchUP Skippy Files
Friday, November 20, 2009
INTRO
Blog Title: SketchUP goes Revit
Purpose: With the abundance of elements available on Google’s 3D Warehouse the designer, particularly the interior designer, is provided with opportunities to place the furniture that they specify into #D model space. However, there is a much more limited number of #D furniture models (families) currently available for Interior Designers using Revit. This project blog’s purpose is to experiment with the integration of Revit Architecture 2010 and SketchUP 7; More specifically, the importing and modifying of SketchUP models into Revit. The creation, importing, modification, material assignment and tracking of these elements will be researched.
Purpose: With the abundance of elements available on Google’s 3D Warehouse the designer, particularly the interior designer, is provided with opportunities to place the furniture that they specify into #D model space. However, there is a much more limited number of #D furniture models (families) currently available for Interior Designers using Revit. This project blog’s purpose is to experiment with the integration of Revit Architecture 2010 and SketchUP 7; More specifically, the importing and modifying of SketchUP models into Revit. The creation, importing, modification, material assignment and tracking of these elements will be researched.
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