Architects and Engineers that collaborate on projects using Revit will typically link their models together to see the other discipline’s design within their model. Part of that process often includes one discipline using the Copy/Monitor function within Revit to copy specific model items from the other discipline’s model into their own model. Revit has a new twist on the coordination review feature when you monitor items between different project files.
(Please note that this article only addresses the new twist and does not explain the process of linking files or using the copy/monitor function.)
Let’s look at a common scenario to see how this now works.
- ARCHITECT: The Architect develops their model and will often place the light fixtures in the model before the electrical Engineer.
- ARCHITECT: The Architect sends the electrical Engineer the architectural Revit project model.
- ENGINEER: The electrical Engineer will link the Architect’s Revit project model into the electrical project model.
- ENGINEER: Sends the electrical project model to the Architect.
- ARCHITECT: Links the electrical project model into the architectural project model.
- ENGINEER: The electrical Engineer uses the Copy/Monitor function to get the Architect’s light fixtures into their electrical model so that they can specify the actual family & type of light fixture that they desire and so that they can circuit the fixtures.
- At this point, both the Architect and the Engineer have light fixtures in their respective models in the same locations.
- ENGINEER: Determines that some lights need to be relocated to properly light the area, so they move the lights in their electrical model that were copied from the Architect’s model.
- ENGINEER: Sends the updated electrical model to the Architect.
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This is the point where Revit has changed.
- ARCHITECT: When the Architect opens the architectural model, they will see a notice that states “Instance of link needs Coordination Review”.
- In the Coordination Review dialog box, the Architect will see the copied light fixture(s) that the Engineer moved. The Architect can then decide how they want to handle their original version of the light fixture that is now in a different location from the copied fixture in the Engineer’s model.
- In the past, the Architect did not receive this option. Only the Engineer would be told of a change of the original light fixture in the Architect’s model.
- Note that if the above process is done in reverse if the Engineer is the originator of the light fixtures and copy/monitored by the Architect.
Summary:
In the past, only the person who copy/monitored the item from the originator’s model would get a notice of a change when the item’s originator modified the item. Now, if either the originator or the copier modify a copy/monitored item, the other person will receive notification. The review feature goes both ways now!
Side Note:
I have been asked if the Architect can now tell what items in their model have been copy/monitored in the Engineer’s model (or vice versa). That it is still not possible. The parties only get notified of changes in the copy/monitored items.
Applying Technology to Architecture 