Learning to Design Connections in Autodesk Revit Structure with SDS/2 Connect

Learning to Design Connections in Autodesk® Revit® Structure with SDS/2 Connect

Learning to Design Connections in Autodesk® Revit® Structure with SDS/2 Connect

David Zabka – Design Data

SE2151-L This hands-on lab will teach you the ins and outs of code-based connection design using Revit Structure and SDS/2 Connect by Design Data. You will learn how to set connection types and control connection variables—such as bolt types, material grades and sizes, and welds—to meet your project requirements. You will also discover how to import end reactions from analysis packages and print design calculations, including full formulas for all force checks. Finally, this class will take you through the process of round-tripping your models with the manufacturer, thereby preserving control while receiving and approving updates.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this class, you will be able to:

• Set up SDS/2 Connect to design connections to your standards in Revit Structure
• Design, edit, and customize connections within the Revit environment
• Streamline connection calculation and sketch creation
• Send and receive intelligent models with greater control

About the Speaker

David Zabka has been a customer support specialist with Design Data since 2006. In this capacity, he is responsible for day-to-day problem solving for software users, suggesting and testing software enhancements, and performing on-site training on an as-needed basis. Mr. Zabka serves as an internal resource on SDS/2, SDS/2 Engineering and SDS/2 Connect, and is a specialist in interoperability with Revit Structure, FabTrol MRP software and other BIM platforms. Mr. Zabka has an associates degree in architectural engineering technology from Southeast Community College in Milford, Nebraska.

Set up SDS/2 Connect to Design Connections to Your Standards in Revit Structure

Before designing connections in Autodesk® Revit® Structure, SDS/2 Connect must first initialize the project. To do this, simply click on Initialize Project. This button should only be available if a project has not yet been initialized or a convert is required after upgrading to a new version of SDS/2 Connect. During this process, SDS/2 Connect will load families into the project, including Angle, Plate, BentPlate, Bolt, and several others. These can be seen in the Project Browser and are listed under the Structural Connections category. SDS/2 Connect will use these families to create the connection material. A tag is also loaded into the project, which allows users to tag connection material and bolt sizes using the Tag by Category command, while creating connection detail drawings.

During the initialization process, SDS/2 Connect will also modify Structural Columns and Structural Framing families that are currently loaded in the project. Most modifications done to these families are injecting voids to accomplish the required end preparations. Keep in mind that while it currently is not possible for SDS/2 Connect to display the correct end preparations in every situation, they will be taken into account during connection design. Although end preparations may not be displayed 100% accurately all the time, they can be modified on connections and will be transferred to and from SDS/2.

Initialization may take a considerable amount of time, as each Family Type loaded into the project must be modified individually. If new family types are loaded into a project, Revit overwrites all types of that family, therefore causing SDS/2 Connect to have to re-modify each type.

Revit templates can be initialized to save users time on future projects. Options and Setup can also be set up correctly in templates to save users these steps when future projects are created from already initialized templates.

Map Revit Families to SDS/2 Material Types

SDS/2 Connect may not always be able to modify families, and therefore would not be able to design connections for elements made of these families. The most common reason for this is that SDS/2 Connect does not recognize the family name as a proper structural steel shape. Family types may also be named differently than what SDS/2 Connect recognizes. To locate these elements in the model, use the Check Project tool found under the Options pull down. Select the function Find undesignable members from the Check Project window. This will display a list of elements for which SDS/2 Connect cannot design connections. “Element Family requires setup” will be displayed as the reason if SDS/2 Connect failed to modify families. Material grades that are not steel, and currently unsupported elements, such as joists, may also cause elements to be listed here.

Families that are not automatically recognized can be manually mapped by users. Use the Materials command found under the Options pull down to open the Material file mapping window. Structural families that are currently loaded in the project will be listed on the left of this window. If a small picture is displayed next to the family name, this indicates the family has been mapped to a proper section type and SDS/2 material file, and will be modified. If mapping is required, first pick the family. Next, choose a section type and an SDS/2 material file from which to read section properties.

The list of available material files to select is populated from the MaterialFile folder, which is located in the directory selected for Program Files during installation. By default, this location is C:\Program Files\SDS2_Revit_Addins\conn_design\2013 or 2012, depending on the version being used. If custom material files are being used in SDS/2, send these to the Revit users to place in the MaterialFile folder and use with SDS/2 Connect, to achieve consistent results in both models.

Once the appropriate section type and material file have been selected, Section and Instance variables are displayed. If symbols are displayed next to the different variables, hover over the symbol to find out what is indicated. These symbols may mean the variable needs to be created for this family, the variable differs from the SDS/2 variable, etc.

Under the Sections tab, all the Revit family types currently loaded in the project will be displayed, as well as the corresponding Material File Section Size. If a Revit family type is not recognized, the Sections tab will display a missing warning and an arrow will point to the unrecognized family type. The user can manually select a corresponding section size to map these properly.

Finally, if Modify this family is selected, SDS/2 Connect will add the required variables to the Revit family. Also, a small picture of the material type will be displayed next to the family on the left of this window when this is selected. When selected, Overwrite existing values will overwrite the value currently stored in Revit with the SDS/2 value for variables that differ between the Revit family and the SDS/2 variable specified in the material file. It is a good idea to use this option, especially when roundtripping models between Revit and SDS/2, to achieve the same results in both models. Select Inject end preparations if physical representations of end preparations are to be generated and displayed in the Revit model. By selecting this option, SDS/2 Connect will create voids within the family to achieve the physical representation. If this option is not selected, the voids will not be added to the family and end preparations cannot be seen in the Revit model. However, they are calculated during connection design, can be seen and updated in the End Prep section of the Connection Edit window, and will be taken into account for the design calculations.

Modify Default Revit Structure Families and Their Type Catalog to Speed Up the Initialize Process

As already learned, using Initialize Project makes modifications to families loaded into the project and has to redo modifications if a new family type is loaded into the project later on. While this method works, it is not the best and most efficient. The Library tool of SDS/2 Connect has advantages over Initialize Project. The Library tool will modify the default Revit Structure families, as well as their Type Catalog, which contains the variables for each family type. It is recommended that users run the Library tool on a copy of the default families to ensure that modifications are made properly and do not make unwanted changes — especially if not using the out-of-the-box families provided by Autodesk, as this cannot be undone. Once it is determined that modifications were made properly, use Library to modify the original default families.

Users may first need to know how to set up different libraries in Revit Structure. Different libraries can be set up by clicking the Revit logo pull down in the upper left corner and then selecting Options. In the Options window, select the File Locations tab and then click Places…. The plus button can be used to add new libraries, the minus button used to delete libraries, and the up and down arrows can be used to rearrange the order in which libraries are displayed.

To modify libraries with SDS/2 Connect, select Library, found under the Options pull down. This will first open a window that is populated with the libraries that are setup in Revit. Users can either select the library they wish to modify or use the Browse button to browse to and select a library not shown in the list. After the library is selected and OK is clicked, SDS/2 Connect will load and display all families contained in the chosen library in a window identical to that seen in the previous Map Revit families to SDS/2 Material Types lesson.

SDS/2 Connect will not automatically map any families with this feature unless Apply Defaults is selected. Then, users can change specific options, such as material file, that are to be different than the defaults.

To use these default families after they have been modified by SDS/2 Connect, users will need to reload the families into existing projects or templates. This can be done by dragging and dropping the family files into the project or template to reload them. Note: this will only work correctly if all the parameters required by SDS/2 Connect are already present for the families currently loaded in the project or template. Families modified by the Library tool will not be available to modify in the Material file mapping window, as the proper modifications should have already been done.

Understand How to Transfer Setup Information from SDS/2 to SDS/2 Connect

One of the keys to being efficient and successful using SDS/2 Connect is to make certain all setup options are set correctly according to project/fabricator standards. By ensuring correct setup before beginning to design connections on a project, users will spend less time editing connections to achieve the desired results. Setup will affect everything from connection design methods (ASD 13th, LRFD 13th, CSA 9th, AS4100) to material clearances and everything in between, such as bolt diameters to be used, hole edge distances, default material grades, etc.

Since setup is roundtripped between Revit and SDS/2, if working with an existing SDS/2 user, their standard setup can be transferred easily to Revit by importing a test model that was exported with their standard setup.

Save and Load SDS/2 Connect Setup Information

Once setup is either transferred to Revit by importing a test model from SDS/2 or manually set up by going through all the options, users can save their settings for future projects. To do this, with Setup open, click the File pull down and then choose Save as… A Save As dialog will open, which allows you to browse to the location the file is to be saved and specify a file name for the particular setup being saved. Setup files can be saved anywhere with any file name; however, it is suggested to organize them in one central location using a fabricator name or other means to easily distinguish the files.

To load a setup that was saved previously, open Setup, click the File pull down and then choose Open…. Finally, browse to and select the setup file you wish to load. Keep in mind that Setup will also be saved within a Revit template if SDS/2 Connect is initialized in the template.

Options

While the settings in setup will affect the way connections are designed, the settings in Options will mostly affect performance in Revit, but can also provide different functionality when working with SDS/2 Connect.

Design established connections causes SDS/2 Connect to set all connections to Plain End when inputting elements into the Revit model. It is up to the user to set what type of connection is to be designed for all connections. If SDS/2 Connect is initialized after inputting the model, all connections will be Plain End. Design whole structure causes SDS/2 Connect to set all connections to Auto standard when inputting elements into the Revit model. If SDS/2 Connect is initialized after inputting the model, all connections will be Plain End.

Generate connections with bolts determines whether bolts are placed in the Revit model when required. If this option is turned off, SDS/2 Connect will design exactly the same connections — the bolts required are simply not placed in the Revit model. This option has no effect on the connection designed or the design calculation output, but rather is a performance and file size option (when it is turned off, the time required to design connections and file sizes are reduced). Also, be aware that the bolt family used by SDS/2 Connect will only be displayed if the view’s detail level is set to Fine.

If users choose to generate bolts, the option Use bolt arrays will also be available. When this option is turned on, SDS/2 Connect will attempt to group rows of bolts to reduce the number of elements created in designed connections. This is another performance option to reduce the time for designing connections and file sizes. If this option is turned off, each bolt is created individually, giving users the ability to acquire correct bolt counts in a Revit schedule.

Connection material file allows users to select which SDS/2 material file is referenced for the available section sizes and their properties. It is these properties that are used during connection design calculations to determine the size of material required and to create the solid information in the Revit model. Angle, channel, and w tee materials may be selected from this material file.

Design, Edit, and Customize Connections Within the Revit Environment

SDS/2 Connect will function differently depending on whether Design established connections or Design whole structure is selected in Options.

When Design established connections is selected, SDS/2 Connect will set all connections to Plain End when inputting elements into the Revit model. A Plain End connection simply means that SDS/2 Connect will apply setbacks and end preps, but no connection material. It is up to the user to set what type of connection is to be designed for all connections. To set connections to be designed, use the Connection Type pull down; choose the supported element and then the supporting element. SDS/2 Connect will attempt to design the chosen connection type for the chosen supported element as well as any elements that frame nearby because of node matching and erectability checks. The nearby elements that SDS/2 Connect attempts to design connections for is not affected by the connection type chosen, but rather will have an Auto standard connection applied. This method of applying connections allows users to set one connection at a time. If users wish to design connections for both ends of an element or a group of elements, simply select the elements before choosing the connection type from the Connection Type pull down.

If Design whole structure is selected, SDS/2 Connect will set all connections to Auto standard when inputting elements into the Revit model. Users can also still use the Connection Type pull down the same way as described previously to apply different connection types.

Previously, it was discussed how to design connections using the Connection Type pull down. If users need to change different aspects of connections, this can be done by editing connections individually. To do so, first select Edit on the SDS/2 Connect toolbar. Next, if a connection is not designed, pick the element whose connection is to be modified. This will display a connection node at both ends of the element. Then, pick the connection node at the appropriate end of the element. If a connection is already designed, pick any part of the connection materials or bolts immediately after selecting Edit.