AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Education Curriculum Student Workbook Unit 4: Sustainable Design

Lesson

Integrating Architectural and Site Design

Overview
In this lesson, you learn how to combine building design data with civil engineering design data. In some circumstances it is helpful to be able to visualize both the architectural and civil engineering components of a project at the same time. Architectural data typically consists of information above the ground, and includes buildings as well as all of the components within buildings. Civil engineering data usually consists of information representing the ground surface and below, and can include roads, site grading, and sewers. Large site development projects often involve a public participation process, where the public and other interest groups are given the opportunity to provide input on a proposed project. A very effective means to portray the intent of a project is to use 3D visualization techniques. When you combine architectural and site design data, you get an accurate representation of the proposed works for both above ground and below ground construction. This is shown in the following illustration:

Unit 4 Lesson 4: Integrating Architectural and Site Design

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Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to: Describe the Autodesk Revit Architecture application. Explain how to incorporate a Revit building model with a Civil 3D site design model. View a model in 3D.

Exercises
The following exercise is provided in a step-by-step format in this lesson: 1. Insert a Revit Model

About Autodesk Revit Architecture

Autodesk Revit Architecture is a model-based architectural design software used to design buildings, and takes into consideration building components such as foundations, structural members, windows, doors, roofs, and all other building details.

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Architects use Autodesk Revit Architecture to generate building design options, final designs, details, construction scheduling, quantity material takeoff, and design visualization. Revit Architecture data files are in a completely different format from Civil 3D data files. You can export data from Revit Architecture and import it to Civil 3D.

Import a Building Site

To insert a Revit Architecture building to a Civil 3D drawing, you use the Import Building Site command. This command can be found on the ribbon, Insert tab, Import panel.

When you import a building site you need to: Specify the file: a Revit building site is contained in a file with an adsk (*.adsk) extension. Specify a name for the Civil 3D building site. Specify the insertion coordinates (if necessary).

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If the architect uses the same coordinate system as the civil engineer, then there is no need to specify insertion coordinates. The Civil 3D Building Site appears as an expandable tree in Prospector, and shows the building components. These are shown in the following illustration:

Key Terms
Revit Architecture Building Site An Autodesk software application used for designing buildings. A Civil 3D object used to store the Revit building model.

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Exercise 1: Insert a Revit Model

In this exercise, you insert a Revit architectural model containing a building to your Civil 3D drawing.

A preview of the Revit building model is displayed. You can experiment with the view in the preview window.

For this exercise open \M_InsertRevitModel_EX1.dwg. 1. On the ribbon, Insert tab, click the Import panel dropdown. 2. Click Import Building Site.

6. On the Import Building Site Select File page, for Building site name, enter Housing Coop. 7. Click Next. 8. Review the settings on the Import Building Site Confirm Units page. Click Next. 9. On the Import Building Site Display Properties page, click Next. 10. On the Import Building Site, Insertion Point page, review the insertion point information. The insertion point coordinates are correct because the civil engineer designing the site uses the same coordinate system as the architect designing the building. 11. Click Finish to insert the building model. The building model is inserted to the drawing. Civil 3D zooms to the insertion location and displays the outline of the building model.

The Import Building Site wizard launches. 3. On the Import Building Site, Select File page, click the icon to browse to a file.

4. Browse to the location where your data sets are installed. 5. Click M_BuildingFromRevit.adsk. Click Open.
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You now view the building model in 3D. A named view has already been prepared for you. 12. On the command line, enter V. Press ENTER. 13. In the View Manager dialog box, on the left side, click 3D1. Click Set Current. Click OK. The building model is displayed in a 3D view, along with the grading, roads and sewer data.

18. Click OK. The EG FG Combo surface is displayed, and shaded.

19. Experiment with other views and to visualize the entire model. Notice the roads, pipes, and grading objects. Finally, review the data in Prospector. 20. Click the Prospector tab. 21. Expand Building Sites. Click Housing Coop. 22. Notice the components of the building site (Utility Connections, Roofs, Doors and Floors). 23. In the Item View area, notice the data associated with the Building Site.

14. On the command line, enter shade. Press ENTER to shade the model. The 3D model is shaded. A surface has been created that shows the existing and proposed conditions combined. You now turn on the display of the EG FG Combo surface. 15. In Toolspace, Prospector tab, expand Surfaces. Note: If Toolspace is not visible, on the command line, enter showts. Press ENTER. 16. Right-click EG FG Combo. Click Surface Properties. 17. In the Surface Properties dialog box, Information tab, for Surface style, select _Triangles.

24. Close the drawing and do not save the changes.

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Assessment
Challenge Exercise
Instructors provide a master or challenge exercise for students to do based on this lesson.

Questions
1. What is the Autodesk Software application used to create architectural and building designs? 2. What is the Import Building Site command used for? 3. Why is it important to view architectural data in conjunction with civil engineering data? 4. What is the Civil 3D object used to show architectural data?

Answers
1. Revit Architecture 2. The Import Building Site command is used to import an Autodesk Revit building model to AutoCAD Civil 3D. 3. Many projects involve a participation process with special interest groups. This process makes use of 3D models that show the project plans for both above and below ground conditions. It is important to visualize how the building interacts with the civil engineering aspects of the site. 4. A Building Site.

Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned how to combine architectural data and civil engineering data into a single model. You imported a Revit Architecture model to a Civil 3D Building Site, and reviewed the data in 3D and in Prospector.

AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Autodesk, Autodesk Revit Architecture, Civil 3D, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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