Mass timber: A case study in DfMA automation
This case study highlights how mass timber construction sequencing can be captured and codified in Dynamo to achieve automation at scale.
14/09/2022
No Comments
Dynamo Package Development
Dynamo is a node-based visual programming interface developed by Autodesk®. When used in conjunction with Revit, it has the power to generate and manipulate both geometry and data. Parametric Monkey can help automate and accelerate your AEC workflows by developing custom tools to suit your needs.
0
+
Components
Project Start-up
Setting up a central (workshared) model ready for your project team can be an enormous task, especially if the project requires multiple models. Due to the repetition involved, it is possible to use Dynamo to automate and speed up this process. Designed for BIM managers, these tools allow consistency across multiple projects and models.
Create Worksets
This node will create worksets based on your naming convention. If required, the default worksets can also be renamed. Note that before you can run the script, you’ll need to enable worksharing manually.
Create Rooms
This node will automate the creation of unplaced rooms en mass based on an Excel spreadsheet. The Excel file should contain the Room Name values. Additional instance parameters, such as Department or Occupant, can also be customised.
Create 3D Workset Views
This node creates 3D views which isolates a single workset to visually verify that elements are on the correct workset. Should additional worksets be created after the script has run, then it will need to be re-run to hide the newly created workset.
Create Sheet Sets
This node will create sheet sets based on a pre-created set. For example, the node will take the General Arrangement (GA) floor plans, duplicate the views, rename the views and assign the correct view template, to create Reflected Ceiling Plans (RCP), Concrete Profile Setout Plans, etc.
Create Sheets
This node will generate blank sheets from an Excel file. The Excel file should contain the Sheet Name and Sheet Number values. The user will be able to decide which title block is to be applied. If additional instance parameters are to be populated, such as Drawn By or North Point visibility, then this can be customised.
Place Views on Sheet
This node will take the selected views and place them onto new sheets based on the maximum number of views per sheet.
Create Internal Elevations
This node will create four internal elevations from orthogonal rooms in the current view.
Create Marketing Plans
This node creates marketing floor plans for each apartment. The views are cropped to the bounding box of the apartment, inclusive of any external balconies or terraces.
Marketing Plans on Sheet
This node takes the marketing plans and places them onto unique sheets. The title block parameters, including key plan visibility and north point rotation, are also updated.
Documentation
It is inevitable that, over time, designs evolve. These tools allow the design team to quickly clean up the model to ensure consistent documentation throughout the model.
Renumber Rooms
This node will renumber rooms sequentially based on a (model) spline. Only rooms that intersect the curve will be processed. This allows for batch processing which is often desirable. The number padding can then be set. For example, no padding will result in 0, 1, 2 etc., whereas a 2-digit padding will result in 00, 01, 02, etc. An optional prefix, such as the level number, can also be set.
Renumber Balconies
Due to SEPP65 requirements, it is often necessary to know which balcony is associated with which apartment. This node will rename balcony rooms with a suffix based on the apartment room number. This allows for easier scheduling and compliance testing.
Rename Rooms
This node will rename rooms based on the model group that is located within. This is useful as often apartment model groups are decoupled from the party walls and façades. This node thus allows for the room and the model group to be in sync.
Centre Room Location
This node moves all rooms within the project to the centroid of the room. If you have an odd shaped room and the centroid is going to fall outside of the room boundary, the node will keep the room in its current position. The room tag can also be moved to the new location.
Adjust Upper Height
This node will take all the rooms in a model and modify their properties so that the upper limit is based on the level above and with a 0 offset, rather than an unbounded height.
Renumber Doors
This node will renumber doors based on the room in which it is located. For example, Element prefix - Room number - Sequence number (D-101-01). For this node to work, the door family should ensure that the ‘to’ and ‘from’ parameters have been enabled
Renumber Windows
Like the renumber doors node, this node will renumber windows based on the room in which it is located.
Rename Wall Types
This node will rename wall types based on the wall build-up. The node calculates each wall layer’s thickness and its material code, and then renames the wall type based on this sequence.
Rename Grids
This node will sequentially rename or renumber grids. Since no two grids can be named the same, the node ensure that you won’t receive the error: “the name entered is already in use. Enter a unique name.” This node works only on orthogonal grids
Centre Door Tags
This node moves the door tag from its default location, which corresponds to the door’s insertion position, to within the swing of the door for clearer, graphic representation.
Stair Documentation
This node generates annotations for stairs, both in plan and section, by creating dimensions, number systems, spot elevations, stair run tags and minimum clearance zones. The node works best on standard stairs or typical stairs which are grouped and copied up.
Sync Room Parameters
This node synchronises room parameters nested within a model group. Parameter must be instance based and set to ‘values can vary by group instance’.
Management
These tools allow BIM managers to periodically go into a model and perform necessary model maintenance procedures quickly and efficiently.
Assign Elements to Workset
This node will assign elements to a workset based on its category and/or properties, for example, exterior or interior walls. The node can be re-run multiple times to ensure every element is on the correct workset and that views display as intended.
Views to Uppercase
Depending on the option selected, this node will rename either views, schedules or sheets to be upper-case.
Rename Working Views
This node removes the default suffix applied to duplicated views and renames the view based on your company’s naming convention for working views. This ensures working views are properly organised and separated from production views.
Align Views on Sheets
This node will align views on sheets based on a template sheet. This ensures that all sheets have a consistent graphic layout to them.
Add Revisions to Sheets
This node will batch add revisions to selected sheets saving precious time when issuing drawing.
Delete Direct Shapes
This node deletes all direct shapes in the project. This is necessary when updating direct shapes as any direct shape with an identical name in the project will cause the file to crash.
Analysis
These tools assist in compliance testing, whether it be for the Apartment Design Guide (ADG)/ SEPP65 or the National Construction Code (NCC).
Balcony Size
For SEPP65 compliance it is important to know the dimensions of balconies and if they satisfy the minimum dimension as defined in the Apartment Design Guide. This node checks compliance and assigns a yes/no value to the room’s shared parameter.
Views From Sun
This script will generate a series of 3D views based on a time period, for example 9am - 3pm on 21 June. This is useful for visual verification for SEPP65 solar access requirements.
Stair Compliance
This node will check all stairs in the model and test for maximum riser height, minimum going length, maximum number of risers, and minimum clearance width.
Solar Access
This script will evaluate the SEPP65 solar access for rooms based on a time period, for example, 9am - 3pm on 21 June. Results are shown as a heatmap in Revit and pushed to shared parameters.
Popular
Incomplete and unused: Design Technology’s dirty secret
As organisations turn to automated solutions to streamline their workflows, greater consistency is needed to reap the benefit of these tools.
02/08/2022
No Comments
Popular
Technical debt: Architecture’s ticking time bomb
Technical debt is the term used to describe how shortcuts taken today to hit a deadline means more work tomorrow.
29/05/2022
10 Comments
Knowledge elicitation: Capturing knowledge in the digital age
True digital transformation means harnessing technology to do better things, including how knowledge is captured for the digital age.
11/01/2022
2 Comments
Copyright
© 2023 Parametric Monkey
Parametric Monkey and the Parametric Monkey logo are trademarks of Parametric Monkey Pty Ltd.
