Files Out

Summary

The ‘File Out’ flow is aimed at model issue processes requiring:

• Revit models to be issued and:

  • Certain views / sheets are removed from the model prior issue.

  • A purge unused elements is under taken.

  • Worksets of levels / grids / scope boxes / reference planes are checked and if required changed to the default value

  • Revision information is appended to the Revit file name.

• NavisWorks:

  • Cache files are generated either from a number of 3D views or the entire model

  • Cache files are named following a given naming convention.

• IFC:

  • IFC files are generated either from a number of 3D views or the entire model

  • IFC files are named following a given naming convention.

• A meta data file for document exchange platforms

Actions Overview

This flow is run through a powershell script which executes:

1. A pre-processing script allowing the user to select which files to issue out.

2. STEP 1: No 3 off parallel running sessions of Revit Batch Processor which:

   1. Create a detached copy of the Revit file(s) in a given location. (Revit files are opened with all worksets closed)

      1. Saves file under a new file name includes Revision information

   2. Delete views as specified per model.

   3. Delete any links from the model ( That is so that the second step can open this model with all worksets open for exports to NWC and IFC)

   4. Workset checking and, if required adjusting, of of worksets of levels / grids / scope boxes / reference planes

   5. Create a text file for each new Revit file containing meta data for document exchange platform

3. A STEP 2 pre-processing script creating task files based on Revit files created in STEP 1.

4. STEP 2: No 3 off parallel running sessions of Revit Batch Processor which:

   1. Create detached copies of Revit files created in STEP 1

   2. Delete all views but the ones required to export.

   3. Exports view or entire model to navisworks cache file ( including revision information in file name )

   4. Create a text file for navisworks cache file containing meta data for document exchange platform

   5. Copies navisworks cache file into separate /BIM360 folder and strip revision information from file name. (This file can be used on BIM360 to directly overwrite previous versions)

   6. Exports view or entire model to ifc file ( including revision information in file name )

   7. Create a text file for ifc file containing meta data for document exchange platform

   8. Optimizes ifc file using Solibri IFC optimizer ( separate installation required )

5. A post process which:

   1. Combines meta data text files of all exports into single meta data file.

   2. Updates file list with latest revision information.

   3. Checks Revit batch processor log files for any exceptions

Setup

This chapter describes the flow directory setup.

Directory structure

This flow expects the following directory structure to be in place:

├───_docs

├───_LogMarker

├───_Output

├───_sampleFiles

├───_Script

│ └───logs

│ └───utils

├───_SessionData

├───_settings

└───_TaskList

_docs

Directory containing flow related documentation.

_LogMarker

Directory containing log marker files. Those will be deleted at the end of each flow run.

_Output

This folder contains a number of temp files:

• Step 2 creates temp Revit files which are saved in this directory and deleted at the end of the flow.

• Pre processing script for STEP 2 writes task files for STEP 2 into this directory as well.

_sampleFiles

Any sample files provided.

_Script

The python and powershell scripts of the flow:

• ModifyFilesOut_StepOne.py

  • the first task script executed by each Revit Batch Processor session

ModifyFilesOut_StepTwo

• the second task script executed by each Revit Batch Processor session

• Post_FilesOut.py

  • the post script executed by the flow after all Revit Batch Processor sessions of STEP 1 and STEP 2 have finished

• Post_KillWSM.py

  • the post process script executed by each Revit Batch Processor session

• Pre_MarkerFiles.py

  • the pre process script executed by the second and third Revit Batch Processor session

• Pre_StepOne_MarkerFilesAndModelOutDir.py

  • the pre process script executed by the first Revit Batch Processor session of STEP 1 only

• Pre_StepTwo_FilesOut.py

  • the pre process script executed by the first Revit Batch Processor session of STEP 2 only

• settings.py

  • a module containing global variables / settings for this flow

• startAddRevision.ps1

  • The powershell script executing:

    • pre Revit Batch Processor scripts

    • concurrent Revit Batch Processor sessions STEP 1

    • concurrent Revit Batch Processor sessions STEP 2

    • post Revit Batch Processor scripts

• FileNames.csv

  • Revit project meta data file:

    • This is a comma separated text files which contains meta data of the Revit files to be processed in the following format:

    • header row: none

    • column 1: current file name (Revit) or view name for IFC / NWC exports

    • column 2: Export file name (including revision separator prefix)

    • column 3: revision

    • column 4: revision suffix and end of file name

    • column 5: file extension in format .extension

    • column 6: meta data document number

    • column 7: meta data document name

_Script/logs

Log files which cover script outputs outside of Revit Batch Processor log files

_settings

Location of Revit Batch Processor settings files.

For this flow there are 6 settings files in this folder:

• 3 for STEP 1 - one for each session of Revit Batch Processor (OneA, OneB, OneC)

• 3 for STEP 2 - one for each session of Revit Batch Processor. (TwoA, TwoB, TwoC)

_SessionData

Directory containing Revit Batch Processor session data files. (This sample flow has session data files disabled.)

_TaskList

Location of task list files processed by Revit Batch Processor.

For this flow there are 3 task list files in this folder, one for each session of Revit Batch Processor.