Monday 17 June 2013

7 great new features in the NBS for Autodesk Revit plug-in 2.0

The NBS for Autodesk Revit plug-in version 2.0 is now live. It works with Revit 2012, 2013 and 2014. I summarise some of the great new features in this free tool below.

1. Drag-and-drop objects direct from National BIM Library
All of the nationalBIMlibrary.com content is available in the NBS panel within Revit. Users can drag and drop component objects straight from the National BIM Library cloud into their model. Layered objects can be opened directly from the panel and then copied and pasted into the model. All of the search and filter functionality available within the main website is also available in the plug-in.
Drag and drop generic objects directly from the National BIM Library
Drag and drop manufacturer objects direct from the National BIM Library
2. Synchronised design guidance
NBS subscribers can benefit from direct access to the NBS guidance within the panel. This maintained, expert, content is the equivalent of 10,000 pages of A4 printed at 8pt single line spaced. As the user selects objects in the model, if the panel is open, then the equivalent "general guidance" page in the NBS guidance displays. The "general guidance" shows information such as design principles, performance, health and safety, environmental and contractual issues.
Synchronised design guidance
3. Automatically create an outline specification
At a click of a button, an NBS Create outline specification can be created from the design model. This will be synchronised with the model and highlight any objects that may not have been added (as they haven't been correctly classified).
Automatically create an outline specification
4. Improved specification navigator
Once a specification is coordinated with the model. It is possible to continue to manage the links to the specification. The navigator component has been much improved.

View the specification clauses in a tree-view
Toggle from tree-view to list-view to enable sorting
Quickly search the specification to find the clause you need
5. Improved object navigation
A report on the associated objects may be generated. Each associated object is clickable so it possible to quickly locate the instances of this in the model.
Improved object navigation
6. Improved association report
The association report now indicates what objects are not associated to a specification clause, which specification clauses may have been renamed and which objects have no classification. The user is guided through the process of fixing these with QA information such as what user renamed an item and when.
Improved association report
7. Combined IFC generation (Beta)
Still at beta functionality stage is a new IFC export that allows the user to combine property sets from the linked specification clauses with the objects in the model. This functionality is explored in more detail at the blog post below -
http://constructioncode.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/bim-specifications-and-ifc.html
Combined IFC generation (Beta)
Further information:
Video of plug-in in action
Update 20th June 2013
Nice to get a tweet from Autodesk HQ too...
Phil Bernstein - Autodesk VP responsible for their building industry vision and strategy for technology 
Update #2 21st June 2013
Also, in other news - there is a behind the scenes feature on how the plug-in has been developed and some example code for Revit API fans on Autodesk Developer Network's Jeremy Tammik blog.

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