Helo everyone, I was sent here from architecture subforum. I have reasonable experience with Revit but have never done steel structures so I have a couple of questions.
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General question about truss creation:
This is what we get from the structural engineer. It's very specific and detailed, so in the family template I created that exact truss, with those exact dimensions and then stretch it to that exact dimension in the project. Since it doesn't have to be parametric. Everything looks fine, Is this an OK approach for such cases or did I broke some Revit truss rule that will give me headaches down the road?
Specific question 1:
How to notch multiple elements, as in these examples. I can get there by drawing reference planes that follow bottom chords and then extend one web, cut, extend another, cut, draw reference planes that follow the webs, extend the middle one, cut, cut again... Is this it, or is there a faster automatic way?
Specific question 2:
What is the proper way of creating custom elements? Cyan element that sits on top of the red column in this image. I just pick a template and model it? I though I'd start with the column itself and modify it, so I can keep structural analysis parameters, so I can get the weight of them. Is this an OK approach for such cases or did I broke some Revit rule that will give me headaches down the road?
Specific question 3:
Connections, they can be placed only one at a time. For example column base plates, I can't select all of the columns and place base plates on all of them. Is it OK to place one and copy it to others, or did I broke some Revit rule that will give me headaches down the road?
Thanks in advance!
I am sorry if I am not being clear to you. I guess I am asking because you mentioned that you get the CAD from your structural engineer, which probably meant that you aren't(?), so I just wanted to know your intention in modelling your trusses. This was asked to you to avoid overmodelling your project because being on the overmodelling side is not always good. The Revit file will become large and laggy to use. Also, for us structural engineer, we don't really need to model every connections if we don't need to model them since doing structural analysis of the whole building and designing connections are usually 2 separate matters.
To answer your questions:
General question - Yes, there are no hidden Revit truss rule that I know of.
Specific question 1 - The connection shown is very weird. It looks like all the truss members are just fully welded together, from what I can see. You could also use Modifiers and Parametric Cuts (under Steel) to achieve that. Still definitely a lot of manual work since I don't think the Steel Connection is smart enough to automatically combined the truss members as shown.
Specific question 2 - I wouldn't edit the family of the column. It is definitely easier to use regular column for red, regular beams for yellow, and show plates for cyan. You could also group this assembly if you want it repeat.
Specific question 3 - Connections are quite unique usually. But if you could just copy them, since they are all the same, why not?
@gevanKGYB4
I am sorry if I am not being clear to you. I guess I am asking because you mentioned that you get the CAD from your structural engineer, which probably meant that you aren't(?)
Exactly, I'm not. We (the architects) send our design to structural engineer whit trusses just schematically drawn, literally bottom chord (for minimum clearance) and top chord (for slope and height). He calculates the members and where everything needs to go, sends us back dwg as in the screenshot, and we just copy it into our drawings.
This was asked to you to avoid overmodelling your project because being on the overmodelling side is not always good.
Oh, I know, when I notch everything in this truss and copy it around, it takes some time for Revit to figure it out. But, we must do things as they are done here. Luckily that doesn't mean every single connection, weld and bolt. What we must do is notch everything in the truss, add column base plates, and any custom elements that are important enough to be drawn (as cyan element on top of the columns) . If we left the truss members as Revit does it, people would look at us funny ????
Specific question 1 - The connection shown is very weird. It looks like all the truss members are just fully welded together
That is exactly what's going on.
You could also use Modifiers and Parametric Cuts (under Steel) to achieve that.
I am, but it sometimes fails even when notching just two members. Like here, it completely cuts one off (changing which is primary just cuts the other one). And this is something completely random! Make a truss, it automatically notches and connects those bottom members! Make a new one, it doesn't. Notch one side, every thing looks fine. Notch the other side, it cuts one off.
Oh well, manually it is.
Specific question 2 - I wouldn't edit the family of the column. It is definitely easier to use regular column for red, regular beams for yellow, and show plates for cyan.
Sorry, I wasn't clear about what I intend to do. I don't mean to add that cyan connecting element to the column family. I mean to start with the column family and create a new one from it, just that cyan column-to-truss connecting element. Since it's the same dimensions as the column and doesn't need to be parametric. I'd just cut it up to required size and shape in the family, and place it on top of the columns.
Specific question 3 - Connections are quite unique usually. But if you could just copy them, since they are all the same, why not?
No idea honestly, just wanted to make sure I won't mess up rvt file with it somehow, when I copy base plate from one column to the other (all columns are same size, same type and family). The fact that you can't select more than one column to add base plate to it made me think Revit may not like it being copied around either.
As for the non parametric truss, that is fine. Industrial trusses I tend to model the way that you. Just define a truss family for the length (Span) that I need, and then create additional Types if the chord members change.
For the small gaps you see, I tend to leave them. There is no need to chamfer the end of each member of a truss. If you are doing a truss loading or profile view, then I might take the time to modify it. Usually I end up just using Detail Lines or Detail Components to clean up the connections. A lot easier, quicker, and won't make your model huge.
As for connections or even beams, I try not copying them from one place to another. Which is hard when you are used to CAD. This is NOT cad. Revit is a database program, not a drafting program. Each element you place has lots of information associated with it.
When the contractor builds it, does he copy things from one place to another? No.
As for cutom content, starting with something that came with Revit is ok, but I would use it as an example and try not modifing it, as that will tend to break the family. You need to recreate the object for the best results. It will help you understand the program more, and not cheat the program.
I also don't model cap or base plates. Mostly because it is not required. Just because you might have shown it in CAD does not mean you need to model it in Revit. What are the requirements of the owner? Has he mandated that these be modeled? I sort of doubt it.
Again, this is where Detail Components can be used. You can create a Detail Component of the base plate and anchor rods to place whenever you cut a section.
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