8
454 Chapter 20: Managing Scenes and Projects
“Revit data” is found with an object, the object is
treated differently by the import/file link process.
The primary differences are:
•objectnamingconventions
• scene organization of incoming geometry (how
the objects are combined)
• parent-child hierarchy of scene objects
• possible automatic material assignments
Impor tant: 3ds Max cannot directly import (or link) a
native Revit project (RVT). You mu st first expor t a DWG
or DXF file from Revit before you can import the model
into 3ds Max. The impor ted or linked file will contain
scene objects that correspond directly to individual Revit
objects. In addition, most materials are translated and
assigned to the objects, giving Revit customers a head
start toward better visualization and faster rendering
of their models.
Note:
If you’re working in 3ds Max 7.0 and you
perform a File Link Reload of an Autodesk VIZ
2006 scene containing a linked Revit model, the
scene may not reload correctly. This limitation
is corrected when you’re running 3ds Max 7.5 or
higher.
See also
Revit Elements in 3ds Max (page 3–454)
Material Translation and Linked Revit Objects
(page 3–459)
Revit Elements in 3ds Max
Whenever you use the File L ink Manager or
DWG/DXF Import functionality, 3ds Max detects
a useful distinction between categories of a Revit
elements. It automatically separates names and
groupstheelementsin3dsMaxtomakethem
easier to work with. The new objects created in
3ds Max through file linking are grouped together
hierarchically below a special object called a
Block/Sty le Parent (page 3–1012)
,allowingyou
to deal with individual objects in the hierarchy
or with all of them as a group. This hierarchy is
similar to the one created when Architectural
Desktop objects are linked.
You can v iew this hierarchy, but you cannot change
it in 3ds Max. You can change the hierarchy
only indirectly by editing the elements in Revit,
exportinganupdatedDWG,andthenreloading
the drawing.
Criter i a for S ubdiv iding R ev it E lements
The File Link Manager organizes Rev it elements
intomultiple3dsMaxobjectsbasedonthe
following classification of elements:
•
Cat eg orie s—Categories are the most general
class of element. They are subdivided into
model categories
and
annotation categories
.
Model categories include doors, windows,
walls, and furniture. Annot ation categories
include dimensions, grids, levels, and text
notes.
•
Fa milies—Families are classes of elements within
a category that group elements with a common
set of parameters (proper ties), identical use,
and similar graphical representation. Different
elements within a family may have different
values of s ome or all properties, but the set of
properties—their names and meaning—is the
same.
For example, six-panel colonial doors are one
family, although the doors that compose the
family come in different sizes and materials.
Most families are component family files,
which means y ou can load them into your
project or create them from family templates.
You can determine the set of properties and
the graphical representation of the family.
Other families are called
system families
and
are not available for loading or creating in
Revit. A utodesk Revit predefines the set of