Dulux DuSpec Add-In For Revit Introduction and General Use Guide

Transcription

1 Dulux DuSpec Add-In For Revit Introduction and General Use Guide Table of Contents 1.0 The DuSpec Revit Add-In Introduction: Adding Paint Specifications to your Revit Project has never been easier: A Whole New Way of Working with Materials and Paint Specifications in Revit: Tagging Materials and Paint Specifications in Plans and Elevations: Creating Native Revit Project Paint Specifications: Creating Advanced View Filters: What is a DuSpec? Background: Where it all began The Dulux Colour Atlas Add-In for Revit: What is DuSpec? The DuSpec Online Portal: Datasheets: Specifications: Project Specification Builder: DuSpec Applied to Revit? The DuSpec Revit Add-In Installation: A Straight Forward Installation Process: What Versions of Revit is the Add-In Available in? How do I Install the Add-In? Where does the Add-In Install to? How do I Uninstall the DuSpec Add-In? Where does the Add-In Appear Within my Revit Ribbon? P a g e

2 4.0 The DuSpec Revit Add-In User Interface and Settings: The Duspec Revit Add-In Objective: Tooltips Included to Assist When Using the Add-In: The DuSpec Revit Add-In User Interface On First Load: #1 Project Spec. Tab: #2 Walls, Floors, Ceilings Tabs: #3 Elements Tab: #4 Advanced Search: #5 Standard Windows Form Functionality: #6 Select in Revit and Select From Revit Buttons: #7 Export Button: #8 What Does the Sync Button Do? How Long Does the Sync Process Take? Where Does the DuSpec Add-In Application Data Save to and How Much Larger Will It Make My Revit Project File? #9 Settings Button: # 9 Settings Button Activating the Elements Tab: Basic Workflow Utilising The DuSpec Revit Add-In: Specification Tabs Review Walls: #1 Sync On First Load: #2 Top Window - Project Walls Schedule: #2 Top Window Project Walls Schedule How is My Revit Element Information Displayed? #2 Top Window Project Walls Schedule Sorting, Filtering and Analysing the Data: #3 Middle Window DuSpec Selection & #4 Lower Window DuSpec Results: Application of DuSpecs to Revit Element Materials: How Do I Change or Delete a DuSpec That I Have Applied? Pushing Data Back Into Your Revit Project Explained: How Do I Delete the Pushed Project Parameters If I Want to Reverse the Process? Activating and Refining DuSpec Project Parameters to Push into Your Project: Closing Note from The Developers IGS BIM Solutions: P a g e

3 1.0 The DuSpec Revit Add-In Introduction: 1.1 Adding Paint Specifications to your Revit Project has never been easier: Dulux Australia have made it even easier to add detailed paint specification information to your BIM workflows via the DuSpec Add-In for Revit. Within the Add-In specifiers can now interrogate and data-mine their Revit project materials like never before. It is now possible to apply DuSpec paint specifications to Revit Elements and natively schedule and analyse the results. In addition, PDF project specifications and excel datasheet versions of the project specification can be exported directly from the Add-In at the click of a button. 3 P a g e

4 1.2 A Whole New Way of Working with Materials and Paint Specifications in Revit: Once the basics of the Add-In are understood users can start to leverage the full potential of their Revit project material data and paint specification information in new and innovative ways. The prospect of material driven schedules and filters becomes a new reality! Some of the advanced uses of this Add-In include: Tagging Materials and Paint Specifications in Plans and Elevations: By activating the Add-In s ability to push data back into your Revit project (turned off by default), advanced users can leverage the information stored in Project Parameters. In the below example material and DuSpec information can be natively Tagged in Revit project Plans and Elevations. 4 P a g e

5 1.2.2 Creating Native Revit Project Paint Specifications: In the below example a selection of tables have been painted using the Dulux Colour Atlas Add-In for Revit. Following the colour application, the DuSpec Add-In is used to apply specific DuSpec s to the relevent tables. This data has then been pushed back into Revit by the Add-In. This process allows the painted tables to have their material and paint specification informaiton natively scheduled in Revit. 5 P a g e

6 1.3 Creating Advanced View Filters: The below example demonstrates a View Filter that shows only elements that have been painted in Blue (Dulux - Carter s Scroll Blue). This has been achieved by leveraging the data that can be pushed back into Revit Elements as Project Parameters. 6 P a g e

7 2.0 What is a DuSpec? 2.1 Background: Where it all began The Dulux Colour Atlas Add-In for Revit: Before we look at what a DuSpec is in detail let s quickly revisit Dulux s first Add-In The Dulux Colour Atlas Add-In for Revit. This Add-In is all about colour and allowing specifiers to easily interact with Dulux colour information within their Revit project. A snapshot of some of the ways this is possible includes: Choose from over Dulux Decorative colours in addition to a range of Protective and Powder Coat colours. Interact with these colours in a variety of ways including colour sliders, colour wheels and a built-in Search function Allow users to directly Paint their Revit project from within the Add-In in addition to viewing basic information about the specific Dulux colours. 7 P a g e

8 The Colour Atlas Add-In for Revit allows users to work with colour in their Revit project. The next stage in the design process is the paint specification that outlines the desired product specification and warranty periods. In the world of Dulux this is known as a DuSpec. Before we look at the Duspec Add-In for Revit we need to review what a Dulux DuSpec is. 2.2 What is DuSpec? DuSpec is a Dulux initiative that provides specifiers with a guide to choosing the best paints for different surfaces and applications. The information is provided through an online portal that can be accessed at 8 P a g e

9 A Duspec contains all of the relevant information about a given Dulux product; how to prepare and apply the product in order to achieve the products specifications and warranty period. Every Dulux product #1 has an accompanying DuSpec code #2: A snapshot of a portion of a DuSpec document can be viewed below. 9 P a g e

10 2.3 The DuSpec Online Portal: The DuSpec Add-In for Revit has many similarities to the online DuSpec portal ( The online DuSpec portal allows users to interact with Dulux DuSpec information in the following ways: 10 P a g e

11 2.3.1 Datasheets: Browse Product Data Sheets (DuSpecs) by choosing from Dulux Group s extensive range of products Specifications: Search for Dulux Group products based on a particular project application: 11 P a g e

12 2.3.2 Project Specification Builder: Create custom project specifications that link DuSpec information to your specific project. 12 P a g e

13 2.4 DuSpec Applied to Revit? Dulux Australia have now create the DuSpec Revit Add-In allowing specifiers the ability to interrogate and datamine project material information from within Revit. In addition, users can use the Add-In to apply DuSpec paint specifications to Revit Elements and natively schedule and analyse the information. The Add-In also provides the option to export specifications in PDF and Excel at the click of a button. The following sections in this document will provide a greater insight into features and benefits of using the Duspec Add-In for Revit. 3.0 The DuSpec Revit Add-In Installation: 3.1 A Straight Forward Installation Process: Like with the Dulux Colour Atlas Add-In for Revit the installation process is very straight forward. Outlined below are answers to the most common installation questions. 3.2 What Versions of Revit is the Add-In Available in? The Add-In is available in Revit 2014 (32-bit and 64-bit), 2015 (64-bit) and 2016 (64-bit). 13 P a g e

14 3.3 How do I Install the Add-In? After downloading the Add-In from open the Windows Installer Package (.msi file). Then follow the onscreen prompts. 3.4 Where does the Add-In Install to? By default, the Add-In will install to your default C drive Program Files directory if you select #1 Typical, if you select #2 Custom, it will allow you to install the Add-In to a drive location of your choosing. 14 P a g e

15 3.5 How do I Uninstall the DuSpec Add-In? Like with the Colour Atlas Add-In for Revit you can uninstall the program from your default Windows Uninstall Programs section within the Control Panel. 3.6 Where does the Add-In Appear Within my Revit Ribbon? You will find the Add-In under the Add-Ins tab. 4.0 The DuSpec Revit Add-In User Interface and Settings: 4.1 The Duspec Revit Add-In Objective: The DuSpec Revit Add-In user interface has been designed to allow viewing access of your Revit project database (Revit Element information) and a condensed database of DuSpec information/specifications. The tool allows users to sort and search both the Revit database and DuSpec database information from within the Add-In in intuitive ways. However, the primary purpose of the Add-In is to link the DuSpec data to Revit project data. The secondary purpose is to make this unified information available in a variety of formats including: - Export Project Specifications to Excel - Export Project Specifications to PDF An additional advanced user benefit of the Add-In (turned off by default) is the ability to Push Add-In data back into Revit as read only Project Parameters for further native Revit project use including: - Advanced Tagging in Plan and Elevation - Native Revit scheduling - Advanced view-based Filtering. 15 P a g e

16 4.2 Tooltips Included to Assist When Using the Add-In: Tooltips have been used throughout the Add-In to provide insight and explanation of what each function of the application does. 4.3 The DuSpec Revit Add-In User Interface On First Load: When the Add-In is first loaded from the Revit Add-Ins ribbon, users will be brought to the home splash page of the Add-In while it commences syncing your Revit project data in the background. The Add-In undertakes this process regardless of whether you are starting a new specification with the application or if you are picking up where you left off. The user interface has the following key features: 16 P a g e

17 4.3.1 #1 Project Spec. Tab: The Project Spec. tab, on first load of the Add-In will display the Getting started with DuSpec video on the home page #6 as shown above. Unchecking the box Show Getting started with DuSpec on opening the Add-In will stop this introductory video from being shown next time the Add-In loads. In addition, as soon as you navigate to another tab and back to the Project Spec. tab you will be able to view the project specification overview. As shown below the Project Spec. tab provides a summary project overview of the DuSpecs you have applied to your Revit Elements. The Area/Item code can be tagged in documentation should you choose to push this data back into your project as explained in Section 5.2 Pushing data back into your Revit project explained: 17 P a g e

18 4.3.2 #2 Walls, Floors, Ceilings Tabs: These tabs provide users with information about the Walls, Floors and Ceilings in their Revit project, in addition to providing a means of applying DuSpecs to these building Elements. An insight to how these tabs function in detail can be found in section 5.0 Basic Workflow Utilising The Duspec Revit Add-In #3 Elements Tab: (Note. By default, the Elements tab is not active and will not include any of your project data on first Sync of the application. In order to include Elements, you need to adjust the settings of the application as outlined in section ) The Elements tab provides access to every other building element that is not classified as a Wall, Floor or Ceiling in your Revit project. It functions in the same manner as the Walls, Floors and Ceilings tabs. 18 P a g e

19 4.3.4 #4 Advanced Search: This tab allows you to search through the DuSpec database in the same fashion as the online DuSpec database as explained in section Specifications #5 Standard Windows Form Functionality: The Add-In can be moved around your screen using standard Windows form functions including minimise, maximise, moving and custom resizing by selecting the bottom right of the Add-In window. This is ideal for placing the Add-In on a second screen or adjusting its size so you can work on your Revit project and the Add-In at the same time. You can also move the Add-In around your screen using the Windows key and left and right arrow keys. 19 P a g e

20 4.3.6 #6 Select in Revit and Select From Revit Buttons: These two buttons allow users to interact directly between their Revit project database and the Duspec database. Hover over each button to activate the Tooltip to gain a greater understanding of what each function does #7 Export Button: This button allows you to export your project spec to PDF or Excel when you are on the Project Spec. tab in addition to allowing you to export to Excel your active Walls, Floors, Ceilings and Elements information. Example of Export to PDF of the Project Spec.: 20 P a g e

21 Example of Project Walls Schedule Export to Excel: #8 What Does the Sync Button Do? This button is like the Save button. It activates two-way communication between the Add-In and your Revit project. Syncing of the application occurs whenever the application is first opened or when the Sync button is pushed. This process on first load of the Add-In enables the application to analyse your Revit project database and display the key information in the Add-In. Every time the Sync button is used thereafter the Add-In checks your Revit project for changes and also saves a small amount of DuSpec information in hidden parameters within your project for use next time the Add-In is opened How Long Does the Sync Process Take? The Syncing process time is directly proportional to the size of your Revit project (i.e. the amount of data stored in your project) and the spec of your computer. Tests on a decent spec HP Revit machine had initial load time of the Add-In on the out-of-the-box advanced 2014 Revit project at around 15 seconds for the initial load of the Add-In (i.e. not including Elements tab). Subsequent Syncing in the project via the Sync button took around 4 seconds Where Does the DuSpec Add-In Application Data Save to and How Much Larger Will It Make My Revit Project File? The DuSpec data for any given Revit project is saved into hidden Project Parameters. This allows the project to be moved to another computer. When the DuSpec Add-In is opened on the new computer it will recognise all of the previous applied DuSpec Add-In information. In terms of additional file size, tests on the out-of-the-box advanced 2014 Revit project saw the following overall file size increases: - When the default Walls, Floors and Ceilings were synced to the project: 100KB - When the Elements tab was also activated and synced to the project along with the Walls, Floors and Ceilings: 700KB As demonstrated above the Add-In s additional burden on a Revit project file is minimal. 21 P a g e

22 #9 Settings Button: This button provides you access to the basic and advanced settings within the application. This includes the ability to change the fields that are displayed in the Add-In from your Revit project and what fields are pushed back into your Revit project. As with the rest of the Add-In, Tooltips have been provided to further explain the functionality, in addition section 5.0 below provides further insights # 9 Settings Button Activating the Elements Tab: By default, Walls, Floors and Ceilings are synced when the Add-In first loads. The Elements tab is not activated by default as on larger projects it would make the load time for the Add-In prohibitive. The reason for this is that the Add-In will look for every Element that is not a Wall, Floor or Ceiling when Other Elements #1 is checked. This could be 100,000 s of Elements on a large project. However, in some cases users may want to activate this function in order to apply DuSpecs to Elements other than Walls, Floors or Ceilings. In addition, Version 1.0 of the DuSpec Add-In, Curtain Wall Elements are classified under the Elements tab. This is due to a Curtain Wall being made up of a sum of independent subset families/profiles etc. The Curtain Wall scenario is explained in greater detail in section #2 Top Window Project Walls Schedule Does This Include Curtain Walls? 22 P a g e

23 5.0 Basic Workflow Utilising The DuSpec Revit Add-In: 5.1 Specification Tabs Review Walls: The Add-In is broken into 4 main specification tabs; Walls, Floors, Ceilings and Other Elements. Below is an insight into how the tabs allow you to Sync, select, interrogate and apply DuSpecs to your Revit project Elements. The Walls tab will be used for demonstrative purposes but all 4 tabs work in the same manner #1 Sync On First Load: When you first load the Add-In and click on any of the tabs you may find the top window #2 Project Walls Schedule is still blank. This is because the Add-In is still gathering the project data from the Revit Project to populate the window #2 Top Window - Project Walls Schedule: This window provides viewing read only access to all of the Walls in your Revit project. The window allows you to interrogate your Revit model using multiple functions including sort, filter, Select In Revit and Select From Revit your Revit Elements/data. 23 P a g e

24 5.1.3 #2 Top Window Project Walls Schedule How is My Revit Element Information Displayed? Below is an example of a standard Wall in a Revit project that has been painted on 4 sides using the Dulux Colour Atlas for Revit Add-In, the 5 th side has been left as the Plasterboard material finish (White) and the underside (6 th side) of the Wall has not been touched therefore it is listed as having the Revit Default Wall material. Isolated Wall example demonstrating the 6 external sides that DuSpec Add-In recognises of any given Wall: The Wall Assembly breakup as display in Revit: 24 P a g e

25 The Wall as analysed by the DuSpec Add-In is shown below. Match the numbers in the table to the Wall external finishes image (shown below again for ease) to visualise the correlation between the DuSpec Add-In and a Revit Wall.: As shown above, all of the 6 faces of the wall are available in the Add-In to have a different DuSpec applied to them should the situation warrant. 25 P a g e

26 An alternative way of having the Add-In recognise the two main faces of the wall is to ensure the two external Wall Assembly layers are two different materials. In the example below the Exterior Side is set to Wood while the Interior Side is set to Plasterboard. Below the Revit Wall Assembly image is a demonstration of how the DuSpec Add-In reads the Wall breakup #2 Top Window Project Walls Schedule Sorting, Filtering and Analysing the Data: In many ways the Add-In works in a similar manner to Excel. The Project Schedule windows of the Add-In can be sorted and filtered as follows: a) Expanding and contracting Elements is achieved by clicking on the + Symbol. When expanded the different materials applied to the element can be viewed. The Materials displayed represent the different external layers of the Wall and can have DuSpecs assigned to them as outlined in section #2 Top Window Project Walls Schedule How is My Revit Element Information Display 26 P a g e

27 b) Clicking on the column headings filters them alphabetically and numerically: c) Clicking on the down arrow of any of the columns allows for a filter to be established based on the items that are checked. When a filter has been applied a little filter symbol will be shown in the column being filtered. To remove the filter(s) simply click on the filter symbol and press (Clear Filter): 27 P a g e

28 d) The Project Walls Schedule columns, by default, have the fields of Dulux Paint Code and Family and Type activated however this can be customised to reflect any of the parameters available in your project including Shared Parameters. To change the Schedule Fields you will need to navigate through the Settings Window (ref. to section # Settings Button) to the appropriate tab prior to utilising the standard Revit Add and Remove fields buttons. Note. All of the Instance parameters are listed by their name, meanwhile the Type parameters are listed with the term Type as a prefix to their parameter name please see Type parameters below highlighted in Yellow as an example 28 P a g e

29 5.1.5 #3 Middle Window DuSpec Selection & #4 Lower Window DuSpec Results: The DuSpec Selection window #3 allows users to filter through the DuSpec database based on the application scenario in their building. This window works in the same manner as the Advanced Search tab of the Add-In. The DuSpec Results window #4 provides a refined selection of DuSpecs that match the filter criteria. Clicking on the Spec Info > link under the Info column will load the PDF detailed overview of any given DuSpec Application of DuSpecs to Revit Element Materials: In order to apply a DuSpec to a Revit Element external material the user first needs to select the material they want the DuSpec applied to (Covered in section #2 Top Window Project Walls Schedule Sorting, Filtering and Analysing the Data). You will notice that the Assign function becomes active blue when this has occurred. When you push Assign the DuSpec will now be applied to the selected Elements material. 29 P a g e

30 5.1.7 How Do I Change or Delete a DuSpec That I Have Applied? A DuSpec can be changed simply by assigning a new DuSpec over the top of the old assignment. Alternatively, the Delete key on the keyboard will delete the DuSpec from the selected Revit Element material. 5.2 Pushing Data Back Into Your Revit Project Explained: This is a very powerful feature of the Add-In that allows users to natively schedule, tag and perform advanced view filtering using the data created by the DuSpec Add-In. This process is achieved by the Add-In creating Read- Only Project Parameters in your Revit project that the Add-In writes to whenever the Sync button is pressed. Please Note; if you want to reverse the process, you cannot simply untick the box and re-sync the Add-In. You have to manually execute this operation in the Modify, Project Parameters tab explained in section 5.3 How Do I Delete the Pushed Project Parameters If I Want to Reverse the Process? - We strongly suggest experimenting with this Push feature in a sample project to become comfortable with the process before applying it to your live Revit projects - By default, all of your DuSpec information is available in the DuSpec Add-In and is not pushed back into your project-based Revit content. However, if you would like to natively use both DuSpec and material information in your Revit project you can choose to push this information back into your project via Project Parameters. Illustration demonstrating that by default, the Wall does not have any DuSpec Add-In information available despite having a DuSpec applied to it within the Add-In. The Push feature has not yet been activated in the Settings window. 30 P a g e

31 In contrast, once the Push button has been activated the Add-In will push the DuSpec Add-In information back into your Elements. These Project Parameters are now available for advanced native Revit specification schedules, view filtering as well as tagging in both plan and elevations. The process of adding these parameters can be reversed and is fully explained in section 5.3 How Do I Delete the Pushed Project Parameters If I Want to Reverse the Process? 5.3 How Do I Delete the Pushed Project Parameters If I Want to Reverse the Process? To Reverse the process firstly uncheck Push DuSpec fields into Revit Elements Parameters in the settings window and Sync your project. The next step is to Remove the Project Parameters. In version 1.0 of the Add-In the Pushed Project Parameters have to be deleted manually from your project by accessing the Manage tab on the Revit Ribbon and clicking on Project Parameters: 31 P a g e

32 Once in the Project Parameters window it is a simple process of selecting the DuSpec parameter, hitting Remove #1 and then pressing Enter on the keyboard to activate Yes #2. This process can be completed very quickly with each parameter deletion requiring a mouse click and an Enter push of the keyboard. Future versions of the application may include a Remove all DuSpec Parameters button. Note. Deleting the Project Parameters will not delete any information stored in the DuSpec Add-In. These Pushed Project Parameters are Read-Only parameters that display the Add-In information. 5.4 Activating and Refining DuSpec Project Parameters to Push into Your Project: As demonstrated in the sections above you can Push DuSpec and general material information back into your Revit project from the Add-In as Project Parameters. In order to achieve this, you first need to select the Push DuSpec fields into Revit Elements Parameters button #1. You are then in a position to refine what parameters you want to push back into your project by pushing the Edit DuSpec fields pushed into Revit Parameters button #2. 32 P a g e

33 Once you are within the Schedule Fields window you are able to select which parameters you would like to push back into your project. Once you hit OK on the Settings Windows and then Sync your project the parameters will be pushed into your active DuSpec Add-In tabs. (i.e. by default into your Walls, Floors and Ceilings). 6.0 Closing Note from The Developers IGS BIM Solutions: The information supplied in this document is designed to get you up and running with the Dulux Duspec Add-In for Revit. It contains an overview of the basic features and settings of the Add-In including its general Revit project use. Please note that it currently does not include a detailed explanation of advanced uses of the Add-In including the specifics on how to leverage the Pushed DuSpec and material information. We do encourage you to explore and experiment with Pushed Add-In information in order to create Revit native specifications, advanced view filters and the ability to tag materials and specifications in Plan and Elevations. We highly encourage leveraging the List format data that is produced when the Push function is active. We look forward to your feedback and reviews so that we can make this product even better in future releases. 33 P a g e