Joe Keogh

Twinmotion 2023.1.2 in Revit

there are a few steps to get up and running with Twinmotion in Revit, but we believe it is absolutely worth it.

Twinmotion 2023.1.2 in Revit 2023.1.1

As you have likely heard, Autodesk announced at AU 2022, that Twinmotion is now shipping with Revit 2023.1

As Epic Games partner, Australia’s leading Reseller of Twinmotion, and active member of the Beta advisory team, we are able to provide advice, training and support on using Twinmotion in Revit.

This article is simply intended to help you access Twinmotion in Revit 2023.1

If you already have it installed you can get the Revit 2023.1.1 update, released last week, from the Autodesk Manage Portal, or the Desktop App.

Using the Filter in Product Updates page makes it easier to find.

At this point you might want to search, download and install Twinmotion too!

First of all, you will need to have Revit 2023.1.1 installed. If installing from the Autodesk Desktop App, you can install with updates.

Once updated, Twinmotion in Revit is accessed from the View Tab, on the Presentation Panel.

If you don’t already have a version of Twinmotion installed, by clicking on the Twinmotion Menu and selecting Open in Twinmotion, you will be prompted to download it from your Autodesk Manage Portal.

I used the Search function in the Autodesk Manage Portal

Clicking Access on Twinmotion will take you to the Epic Games Twinmotion Page, where you will need to View and Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA), before being able to Download and Run the Twinmotion installer.

You will also need a supported version of Datasmith Exporter for Revit.

Here is a link to Download Now

A couple of things you should be aware of:

To Run Twinmotion, you’re going to need at least 30 GB of Free Disk Space. In this case, I strongly recommend you take that as meaning you will need 100GB of free disk space before installing, because Revit needs 30-50GB free disk space to run efficiently, the TM download size is 16GB.

You are going to need a decent Graphics Card (GPU). we recommend as minimum, the NVIDIA RTX 3070 with 8GB Dedicated memory. We find these are a great card for Revit and have been recommending this as standard for as long as they have been available, we run RTX 3080’s on our laptops, and they run Revit and TM beautifully.

Hit us up if you want to know more about running Twinmotion in Revit.

Once downloaded, extract the contents of the ZIP file to your desired folder.

Run the TwinmotionRevitSetup.msi installer.

Run the Datasmith Exporter for Revit MSI file downloaded earlier, or click below and run it now.

Download Now

We hope you enjoy using Twinmotion in Revit as much as we do. And don’t forget to ask us if you have any questions or need any help getting amazing results out of Twinmotion in Revit.

Transition to Named Users

Making the move from Autodesk Network Licences to Named-User.

We take you through the steps, from trade-in, to analysing how often users are accessing their software.

Network License Trade-in Offer

From August 7 2021, Autodesk are no longer renewing Multi-user Subscriptions.

From May 7 2021, Autodesk are no longer renewing Network Maintenance licenses.

Key Points

Trade-in one multi-user subscription or network maintenance seat for two standard subscriptions, for one named user each, at a similar price you’re paying today for your existing seat or subscription.
For example, if you have 20 multi-user subscriptions, you can trade them in for 40 Single-user subscriptions at a similar price to what you’re paying today.
Then, renew at an ongoing discount to 2028*.
At time of trade-in or later, choose to upgrade to a Premium plan for more advanced features, such as single sign-on and detailed user reporting.

We strongly recommend discussing your Trade-in options with us, to ensure you get the best value for money.

Step 1. Create new users in the Autodesk Manage Portal

Sign in to your account at manage.autodesk.com and click User Management > By User in the left navigation menu.
Click the Invite Users button. If your users are organized by team, select the appropriate team from the drop-down list.
Select Invite Multiple
Copy / Paste the user’s first and last name and email address from Outlook
Click Send Invite.

Step 2. Import Bulk Users

Prepare a CSV file listing the users you want to import.
- Add a single row for each user.
- Add three columns – First name, Last name, and Email address.
- You can add up to 5,000 users.
- Users that already exist in your team are ignored.
1. Sign in to your account at manage.autodesk.com and click User Management > By User in the left menu.
2. Click the Invite Users button. If your users are organized by team, select one from the drop-down list.
3. Select the Import tab and click Upload CSV file. You can continue working while the file is uploading. A notification displays when the import is complete.
4. When the upload is complete, click Continue.
The user’s status displays as pending until they accept the invitation. They will not have access to any products or services until you assign them.

Step 3. Assign Users, By Product

Select a product to view details.
Click Assign users.
Enter the user’s email address and:
Click Assign, to assign all product items, or
Click Customize to select individual items.

Note: If the user does not accept within 7 days, you’ll need to resend the invitation.

Step 4. Assign Products, By User

Sign in to your account at manage.autodesk.com and click User Management > By User.
Select a user to view products that can be assigned to them.
Select a product.
- To assign all the product’s items, click Assign.
- To customize which product items to assign, click the arrow next to Assign. Select the applicable items and click Save changes.
The user will receive an email notifying them that they can download and install the products and services from their account.

Step 5. Switch Products from Network to “Sign In”

Start your Autodesk software.
At the upper-right, click the triangle next to the username.
Select Manage Licenses.
In the License Manager dialog box, select Manage License Type. The Let’s Get Started screen appears.
Choose “Sign In” and enter your Autodesk Account email and Password.

Step 6. Configure your Autodesk license usage across a network

System administrators can update all devices for all users with an automated tool that changes the license type for 2017 and newer products. To run the tool, users must be able to connect to the corporate network.

Download the Guide here.

Here’s a bonus video on accessing User Analysis in your Autodesk Manage Portal:

Autodesk Disclaimer:

*Actual pricing may vary due to the impacts of currency fluctuations. Pricing commitments apply only to seats moved to subscription from maintenance pursuant to the Move to Subscription offer. This price commitment is subject to product and/or offering availability and does not apply to new subscriptions purchased by customer; switched subscriptions (i.e., permitted switches from a subscription for one product to a subscription for another product), or substitute or successor subscription products.

Autodesk User Management “Improvements”

Autodesk have heard your feedback and are introducing some changes to Autodesk Account user management to improve your experience.

We have all endured the trial and error process when software companies introduce major changes. The Autodesk Manage Portal is no exception. Hopefully these new changes will solve a lot of confusion though.

Easier invite:

Instead of a fixed text box that requires additional manual effort, they’re providing new invite options to make it easier for us to invite users:

Invite one user at a time
Invite multiple users at once

Autodesk have fallen into line with other software providers, so you can now copy and paste your invite list directly from Outlook or Gmail.
- Old format: Jane, Doe, [email protected]
- New format: Jane Doe <[email protected]>

This a great time saver and works toward more predictable behaviours.

Coming soon:

Bulk import: Upload a .csv file to add a large number of users at once.
Import to assign: Upload a .csv file to add and assign a large number of users at once to a specific product.

Hopefully there won’t be too much trial and error in the process of getting this right.

2. New assign button

To prevent accidental assigning, they have updated the assign capability from a check mark to a clearly labelled button! This change will also make it easier to see which products have already been assigned to the user. I’m yet to see if this is an improvement or simply adding clicks to a seemingly very simple process.

3. Confirmation before changes to product access are made

Products with additional cloud services and add-ons, such as rendering, can be turned on or off for individual users. To prevent errors, they have added a confirmation screen that allows you to save or cancel your changes.

4. Update to look and feel

Autodesk are retiring card view and providing user management in list view, just like it was before they made the change… because apparently you can easily search and sort your users and products. they have also updated the general look and feel of user management to make it more like it was before they updated it previously.

Check out the roadmap to see what other updates are coming soon!

BIM 360 Design vs BIM 360 Teams

Confused about BIM 360 Design? We shed some light on what’s included and what you should be using.

On April 9 2018 the very popular Collaboration for Revit (C4R) cloud work sharing platform was re-branded as BIM 360 Design, and was quickly followed by a chorus of confusion and questions…

Why change?
Can I still use C4R?
What’s the difference?

In this post I want to answer those questions and more, and for some of you introduce the features that sets BIM 360 Design up as a powerful design collaboration platform and document management tool in the cloud.

But first, what do you get with your BIM 360 Design Subscription?

For those of us already using C4R and Teams, the good news is we can continue to use them. C4R has been repackaged and rebranded as BIM 360 Design, and as a current subscriber, you can continue to use your Collaboration for Revit and BIM 360 Team subscription for as long as you subscribe. As your project team expands, you can add new subscriptions of BIM 360 Design and assign them to new members who need access through Revit.

In addition to the legacy C4R + Teams access, you also receive Design Collaboration (Next-Gen BIM 360 module) connecting Revit projects to the cloud, and BIM 360 Docs for Document Management.

Both BIM 360 Teams and Docs synchronise to your local hard drive through the BIM 360 Desktop Connector, however BIM 360 Team does not connect to the new BIM 360 platform.

Project members who are not using Revit, but need access to BIM 360 Teams, can continue to use and renew existing subscriptions to BIM 360 Teams, however NEW Team members will require a new subscription to BIM 360 Docs. The BIM 360 Docs subscription includes access to both BIM 360 Docs and Teams.

So why have Autodesk changed the name?

Let me assure you, this is much more than a name change, while with C4R and BIM 360 Teams there was a disconnect between the two platforms, BIM 360 Docs is accessed directly from Revit, so unlike C4R & Teams, you will see the folder structures in Docs from Revit.

The new (Next-gen) BIM 360 platform is fully integrated, BIM 360 Docs supports controlled data and document management from design through construction and offers similar functionality to BIM 360 Team but with greater file- and folder-based access and permission controls and unlimited storage.

What’s BIM 360 Design?

BIM 360 Design offers design collaboration, and data management solutions for project delivery, built on the new BIM 360 platform.

Similar to Collaboration for Revit and BIM 360 Team, with BIM 360 Design you can:

Co-author multi-discipline Revit models
Access data management and collaboration functionality like 2D & 3D viewer
Use markup tools
accessible via web, phone, and tablet.

With BIM 360 Design’s new BIM 360 platform you can also use features like (not available with C4R and BIM 360 Team):

Access controls by user, role, or company
File and folder-based permissions
Issue management
Tracking and deliverable coordination
Change visualization, and
Unlimited storage

Is it time to change to the new BIM 360 Design?

Until now we have been advising clients to hold off on moving live projects to the Next-gen BIM 360 platform. There were some features that were not quite ready, and as with anything, there is a learning curve associated with the move.

Now however, we are confident that BIM 360 Design has matured sufficiently to warrant the move! the benefits of BIM 360 Design certainly outweigh the functionality of BIM 360 Teams.

For advice on setting up and accessing your BIM 360 Design hub, get in touch with Viewlistic and we will walk you through the process.

Office 365 and BIM 360 Docs

Two powerful cloud platforms working seamlessly together

Autodesk has now made it possible to edit Office 365 documents such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint directly in BIM 360. Version history and all other benefits of BIM 360 and Office 365 are honoured when editing documents in BIM 360. Meaning your team will always know which is the current schedule or document.

To view a document from BIM 360, simply click on it.

To edit the documentopened in BIM 360, click edit in browser.

Once you are finished click Return, to return to BIM 360 and your version will be updated. documents auto-save while editing.

Viewlistic welcomes Guy Smithers

Viewlistic is pleased to announce the appointment of Guy Smithers as Director and Managing Partner.

From a 32 year career history in architecture, Guy brings hands-on experience in operational management and efficiencies, business strategy and cultivating relationships. Together with Joe Keogh , Guy will further strengthen our in-house expertise and create opportunities to expand our service offering.

Viewlistic’s leadership team bring extensive experience in the architectural industry. With this, we are quick to understand industry challenges, and bring relevant perspective and understanding to best support our clients.

Guy commented: “I’m particularly glad to be joining Viewlistic because, having been a client of theirs since the beginning, I know I’m joining a company that prioritizes their clients, has a culture of innovation and a reputation of excellence – and it’s great to be a part of that.”

Viewlistic remains dedicated to great service and further opportunities for collaboration and innovation with our clients. Thank you for your support as we continue to grow our business.

VR For Architecture

Presenting architectural projects in virtual reality.

Virtual reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are hot topics in Architecture, Engineering and Construction today.

Many design studios around the globe are experimenting with virtual reality solutions, while the innovative and savvy companies have well and truly embraced VR into their daily workflows and are reaping the rewards of these evolving technologies.

VR, for architecture provides an entirely new perspective, one that can only be understood once experienced firsthand. As early adopters of VR technology for Architecture, we were rolling out systems to design studio’s, while most of the leading solutions today, were still only in BETA. We remain enthralled by the ever-changing capabilities and developments in VR, AR and MR, and know too well, that we are now only scratching the surface in theses and other emerging media.

Virtual Reality (VR) in Design Workflows

The greatest value of VR is realized when designers and design teams embrace VR to frequently test and review their designs.

When done in a 1:1 immersive environment. The rewards for all involved in the process are astronomical. We see, as you might expect, graduates and younger designers, pick up VR and run with it every day. Let’s face it no matter how many Dimensions you are Building into your Information Model, until you engage with it in VR, you are still experiencing 2 Dimensions, either on a flat screen or on paper.

Viewlistic customize training courses, workshops and demonstrations to educate, inspire and guide you through the many options and complexities of working with virtual reality in the architectural, engineering and construction space.

Although many design organisations appreciate the benefits of VR, the justification to invest in it can sometimes be difficult due to many contributing factors. Our Virtual Reality on Demand service provides you with the tools and knowledge to guide you through the experience of VR in your own business.

“With the right VR Hardware and Software, you actually experience the true proportion and scale.”

VR Software

With VR now available to all, 3D game engines offer a powerful, low-cost (and sometimes free) alternative for architectural VR. Innovative and forward-thinking VR developers, like IrisVR and Enscape however, take even this specialized workflow out of the equation for architects, freeing valuable time and resources for more important tasks, while still giving you the ability to interact in immersive design reviews, and client presentations. IrisVR goes one giant leap further, delivering Multi-user Meetings for Prospect. Prospect allows up to up to 12 individuals to meet in VR from any location, communicate and collaborate on design review and coordination within the design model.

Iris Prospect

IrisVR’s Prospect offers an impressive and ever-expanding set of tools for interrogating Design Models in VR. In addition to the Multi-user meeting capabilities, Prospect allows you to mark-up, place dimensions and take screen shots to refer to later. There is also the ability to automatically remove co-planar errors in the model, removing the annoying shimmer effect.

However, one of my favourite features of Prospect is the scale Model. Upon exporting the model directly from Revit, you are presented with a fully interactive scale model. You can cut sections, change the scale and orientation, then when you’re ready teleport into any area of the building.

Enscape and VR

Enscape is a real-time visualization tool designed to work specifically with Revit. The software can be used on a standard display or in VR for high quality rendered environments. Enscape’s still and animated render outputs are simply brilliant, and their VR capabilities are improving with every update.

Autodesk

Autodesk Stingray offers a live link to Autodesk 3ds Max, which is great for design viz specialists familiar with the 3D modelling, rendering and animation software. However, Autodesk makes VR technology accessible to architects and other users of Revit with a push button Revit to VR application called Revit LIVE.

VR Hardware

Choosing the right Hardware can be tricky. Viewlistic supply a range of up to the minute solutions, whether you are getting started or looking to enhance your VR capabilities.

Viewlistic recommends the HTC Vive as the best in class VR headset for architecture. There are alternatives, and we are happy to work with all of them, however from bitter and sometimes nauseating experience, HTC Vive stands out as the most immersive, reliable and highest quality headset available today.

The HTC Vive does demand a relatively high Frame Rate (fps) delivered to each eye. Actually a minimum of 90fps per eye. Coupling the Vive with HP Omen and powered by Nvidia GPU delivers everything you need. If you need further details on a complete set-up, get in touch.

Revit 2019: What’s New

Like a box of goodies delivered right to your PC. This year doesn’t fail to impress, with some of our favourite pet hates being at the very least tempered…

This is my first pass at what’s new under the hood in Revit 2019, and I have to say I like what I see!

Over the coming weeks I will delve more deeply into these and other features you really need to know.

Multimonitor support and tabbed views

Improve working space by organizing and arranging views using tabbed documents that can be docked, tiled, and viewed on multiple monitors.

Finally, you can stretch your Revit interface across both screens, with out having to constantly adjust each individual view, or annoy the daylights out of your BIM Manager… Great for the Rhino users!

Filters Just Got Real!

“OR” condition in filters!!

The potential impacts of this one will be felt far and wide, now with the ability to create view filters with multiple rules and nested sets with combination of AND and OR conditions.

Levels in 3D views

This functionality was always part of Vasari and then Conceptual Massing, leaving many pondering why…?
Either way, now you can understand and manipulate important datum heights in your project in 3D views.

Uncropped perspective views

It’s a beautiful thing! Work in full-screen uncropped perspective view.

Move around the view freely with navigation commands such as Zoom, Pan, and Orbit…

Double-fill patterns Double-fill patterns

Go Revit, Go Revit, Go Revit!! After many years of building hatch patterns in third party apps to compensate for this short-coming, you’ll have to excuse my excitement…

Double-fill patterns!!

But wait, there’s more…

Double Fill Patterns in Cut! OR Surface!

Go Revit, Go Revit, Go Revit

Custom steel connections

For those of us using apps like Enscape and Iris Prospect, this is going to revolutionise our experience of steel connections. With an entire new tab dedicated to Enhanced detailed steel modeling, the ability to create your own steel connections with dedicated tools is sure to be a massive improvement. I can’t wait to see what people do with this.

Engineering documentation for steel

Create accurate engineering documentation for structural steel, including details with steel connections.

Free-form rebar shape matching

Use Revit to match existing rebar shape families or create new rebar shape families based on free-form bar geometry.

Autodesk Drive

Securely store, preview, and share your 2D and 3D design data using data storage designed for individuals and small teams.

Precast girder slabs automation

Perform segmentation; add reinforcement according to predefined rules; generate shop drawings; and run CAM Export.

Complex piping networks

Improved pressure drop analysis for complex networks, supporting primary/secondary separation for hydronic systems.

Keep an eye on our blogs for further investigations into these and more tools.