Design Review Workflow for Comparing Changes on Sheets

Ever receive an updated package of design files and wonder if there is an easy way to convey what changed? Using the compare tool in Design Review 2011 you can do just that. This video shows a process using Revit Architecture to create DWF files, then opening them in Design Review to compare what has changed.
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Vasari

So quite a few of my colleagues have posted that Project Vasari is now live on the labs. Yay! I'm really glad to see this released. Over the past few days I've tried a few things out just to test out some of my own questions. Here are a few key take aways I've found.

• Yes you can open files saved from Vasari, in Revit.
• Yes, you can open files saved from the full version of Revit, in Vasari.
• What you can do with the file from the full version of Revit in Vasari is somewhat limited. Also, if the project is not modeled properly, the energy analysis portion of Vasari will not function properly.
  
• From what I've been able to discern, there is no difference between the massing functionality of the full version of Revit and what is found in Vasari.
  
• If you have Revit and are on subscription, you already have the energy modeling tools found in Vasari available to you via the new conceptual modeling package. However, Vasari does have the sun radiance tool to analyze surfaces whereas Revit does not.
• If you already have and use both Revit and Ecotect in your workflow, Vasari is probably not for you.
  

However, don't let this stop you from getting into Vasari and exploring it. If you use Sketchup or Rhino to explore forms, find yourself wishing you had energy analysis tools in your workflow and eventually do stuff in Revit, give Vasari a look!

Workflow Using Revit Server with Project Bluestreak Desktop App and the Revit Activity Stream App

So much of this technology is so new I've been left trying to figure out how it all works together. Well, I think I finally have a clearer picture. Here is how I see the whole scenario playing out between the latest releases from Autodesk consisting of Revit Server, Project Bluestreak Desktop App and the Revit Activity Stream App. Plenty of people have blogged about how to setup Revit Server and connect to Revit Server, etc. but what I've been wanting to see is a workflow showing these 3 tools work together. Here goes the following where a designer goes to work on a model that has been setup by his BIM Administrator:
Assumptions

• A Revit Server has been setup (This link will only work if signed into subscription center)
• Your computer has Revit 2011, Web Update 2 installed
• Your computer has the Revit Server Extension - Application Extension installed (This link will only work if signed into subscription center)
  
• You have signed up for Project Bluestreak
• You have installed the Autodesk Bluestreak Desktop App
• You have installed the Autodesk Revit Activity Stream App
  

After opening Revit, go to the Collaborate tab and expand the Synchronize panel, then click "Connect to Revit Server".


Enter your Revit Server Name or the IP address of your Revit Server.


Now that you are connected to a server, Go to the purple R (Revit application menu) and choose open, then click the shortcut on the left hand side called Revit Server. Browse to where your project lives in the Revit Server environment and open it with the option selected to create a new local file.


As the designer works, they might get a request to STC and relinquish all borrowed elements. They will go to Sync w/ Central box as before, only now the directory path and browse button will be grayed out (a result of opening a model from Revit Server). The only thing to do now is click OK.


If this is the first time the designer has worked on the file, they will get the following box to appear. They have several options here. If the BIM Administrator has already created a group, the designer can select it from the list. If no group has been created the designer has the option to create one. Or they can choose not now or specify they do not have access to the group. If you choose one of the first 2 options the model will become associated with the group for future saves and this box will not appear. AUTO-MAGIC!


Once you choose an option and click OK on the above shown box, you will get a pop-up in the bottom right corner of your screen like this.


Followed by a confirmation showing the process is done and what happened.


Provided others are part of this group, they will see the same notifications. Also, now you will start to see where the add-in "Manage Sharing" comes into play.


Clicking the button shown in the prior image will take you to your bluestreak account page and now you will see a new tab appear for managing what Revit projects you are receiving notifications for.


Hopefully this will give you a better idea of what to expect when getting this process started.

Certifications are in!

Well, Autodesk has approved me as a Certified Professional in AutoCAD, Revit Architecture and 3ds MAX Design, in addition to my existing certified expert status with AutoCAD Architecture. It's nice to have this under my belt after the tests they put you through!