Fabrication piping Revit - What works - What doesnt?

[craigjonnson]

All,

A lot of views and no response. I've rewritten this to keep it simple.

Who is successfully using Revit fabrication pipework for pressurized systems?
Does your configuration work well with multi-point routing as well as CADmep button mapping would or are you having to stick build items such as dielectric connections?
Any tips lessons learned for someone moving CADmep itm pipe side into Revit. We have our sheet metal working amazingly. Just having a few issues on the routing pipe side.

[dopefish]

We started with evolve eVolve database. It is by no means complete but was a good starting point.

Multipoint routing works

not sure what you mean by dielectric connections. CS x CU uses flanges or thread o lets and nipples.

Be ready to convert all your 928s & 912s to 1175s and master that process.

[cadbyken]

We have been using Revit on the pipe side for over a year now.  Our database isn't perfect but I will be focusing on it in the coming months.

Some hints: as mentioned before, watch for invalid patterns.  Some of the CIDs are not compatible with Revit.  You can look at the compatibility list on the front page or here http://www.xtracad.com/forum/index.php/page,CIDs1.html

Also, look into the scripts on Darren's site https://www.darrenjyoung.com/resources/fabrication-cod-scripting/
It will let you get a lot of info regarding your database so you can clean it up and find those parts that are not compatible.

[craigjonnson]

Thank you, Yes Dielectric copper to steel etc. Thanks for the heads up on the CID's. I like most people have learned so much from what Darren has shared. ive ran his scripts to find all itms that we not in the Product Information and started to build those in.
I change the prodinfo Range value to match the Revit categories. This allows me to use filters within our schedules. I've rebuilt all materials on the piping side to include OD's & ID's and made the naming more uniform which helps the scheduling & reports more manageable.

I do find that quite a lot of services work well in ESTMEP & CADmep, but fail in Revit. Routing etc.

Really appreciate your feedback though.

[cadbyken]

Connectivity is the biggest issue I have ran into while moving into Revit.  You can fake it in CAD but not Revit.

The material is another thing that stops the process.  Everything needs a material assigned but looks like you have been addressing that.

For the dielectric transition, I haven't worked on that yet.  It does work in the default Pipe service that comes with the software and that is where I was going to start.  Oddly enough, one thing that I noticed we don't have in our services are pipe nipples.  Once I build those, the change from steel to copper should work.

Currently I am ironing out some round ductwork issues.

[mjohnson7]

I have noticed that the Product Entry parameter in Revit, which I believe is tied directly to the Name property in the Product List catalog can really screw with connectivity. Weldbend's default .itm database came with the majority of the butt weld fittings as 1/8" or 1 1/4" and so on depending on the fitting. The Product Entry for default OOTB pipe was 1/8 or 1 1/4. After I went though and matched the characters in those cataloged items and the connectors, they wouldn't disconnect. I found it was doing the same thing if the Product Entry parameter was 1-1/2" for the fitting and 1 1/2" for the pipe or connector. It seemed to me that even the dash was causing issues with the connections. I was told by a sheetmetal database dude that only the Diameter determined the connection, but since I have changed the characters in the Name property, they have all been getting along much better.

I brought this up to Autodesk and eVolve when looking through their Origin database. Not sure if either of those have even looked into it.

[cadbyken]

That is very interesting.  When rebuilding our database, one of the things I was going to do was take care of these two things.  Removing the " mark was because of faster input (also, some are not inch marks but two ').  The other was to put the dash in the fractions to make it easier to read.

I will play with this to see if I get the same results that you have seen.

[Darren Young]

I have noticed that the Product Entry parameter in Revit, which I believe is tied directly to the Name property in the Product List catalog can really screw with connectivity. Weldbend's default .itm database came with the majority of the butt weld fittings as 1/8" or 1 1/4" and so on depending on the fitting. The Product Entry for default OOTB pipe was 1/8 or 1 1/4. After I went though and matched the characters in those cataloged items and the connectors, they wouldn't disconnect. I found it was doing the same thing if the Product Entry parameter was 1-1/2" for the fitting and 1 1/2" for the pipe or connector. It seemed to me that even the dash was causing issues with the connections. I was told by a sheetmetal database dude that only the Diameter determined the connection, but since I have changed the characters in the Name property, they have all been getting along much better.

I brought this up to Autodesk and eVolve when looking through their Origin database. Not sure if either of those have even looked into it.

This is interesting. Not sure how you'd properly test this other than do it both ways and draw an @$$ load of pipe each way.

[mjohnson7]

I have found that I can select full size runs of pipe and fittings that are all the same size and change them to a different size without disconnection. It used to change just the pipe, or just the fittings and before when I would select them the Product Entry parameter box would be blank because of the inconsistent sizing, whereas now I can see the size show up because they are all the same.