integrating Cadmep into a revit model?

[chriskaykinetic]

Hello all, i wonder if you can help/

 

The company i am currently working for is well up to speed for using 3d co-ordination (produced to a level it can be fabricated) using Autodesk cadmep fabrication 2013. To date we, we have gotten by buy using the steelwork contractors 3d steelwork model and 2d architectural backrounds which are then inserted into drawings where required.

 

More and more we see clients are asking us to integrate our model from fabrication into the revit model generally received from the architect. Having come up against a brick wall using cad 2013 & revit 2013, our software manager had it sold to him that the new 'Autodesk design suite 2014' package was able to fully interact the fab model with the revit model, but so far, to no avail... i fear we are about to lose this order due to the fact this was promised to the client off the back of the words of an autodesk sales rep.

 

Can anyone help? Any advice is appreciated greatly.

 

Chris

[tzframpton]

You definitely hit a brick wall. *Sigh* Salesmen..... they get you every time.

 

However, you can do a workaround since you got the Suite you're in luck. This workaround works pretty good actually. Open the models in AutoCAD MEP, then use the Export option to export out as an IFC File. When you open Revit, you can then import an IFC File, but here's the beauty - it will convert it to a native Revit file format and translates all the objects to static Generic Models, which can be used seamlessly with the way Revit handles Views (cutting, display overrides, etc) for coordination and visibility control.

 

Give this a shot. Come back if you need more detailed assistance. Just remember, IFC is the file format that is interchangeable between information-rich 3D models. I've done this plenty of times and it works great. It's not "native" Revit objects that can be edited, but it's native enough for Revit to handle the objects in a static environment.

[chriskaykinetic]

Thanks so much for your reply, i shouldve mentioned at the time that the design suite software has only just been installed. the original drawing i have was drawn in fabrication 2013, when i open it in the new 2014 autodesk MEP (which looks a LOT different, by the way), then all of my 'fab items arent here (pipes, bends, valves etc.) the only thing that is showing up is the 3d building backround. Is there an add on i need to get for the new cad to show fab items?

 

Thanks again for the reply, really helpful (if only i could get this damn thing to work!)

[tzframpton]

See if you can export directly from Fabrication 2014. It should have IFC export capabilities.

[David Metcalf]

See if you can export directly from Fabrication 2014. It should have IFC export capabilities.

 

Hi folks try this technology preview from Autodesk's Labs to get CADmep into Revit.

http://communities-stg.autodesk.com/?nd=blog_detail&blog_id=14074&minisite_id=5

 

Regards,

David

[wspier]

For IFC export directly from CADmep, right click on screen in CADmep, and from the menu select CADmep->Utilities->Export as IFC, or you can type in the command IFCE.

 

Also, not many people know you can use the same menu to export PCF (or type in the command PCFEXPORT), and a PCF file is portable to/consumable by Plant3D for Isogen purposes.