eVolve Mechanical v6.0

Updated 1 year ago by Adam Heon

Resources

  • Downloads: http://evolvemep.com/downloads
  • Feedback and Ideas: https://www.evolvemep.com/evolve-electrical-ideas/
  • Support: https://www.evolvemep.com/contact-support/
  • Foresite: https://foresite.evolvemep.com/

Compatibility

  • Autodesk® Revit® 2020.2.9
  • Autodesk® Revit® 2021.1.7
  • Autodesk® Revit® 2022.1.3
  • Autodesk® Revit® 2023.0.1

Summary

The eVolve 6.0 release was focused on core functionality and utility development, but also includes some cool new features as always.

Compatibility Notice

The method signatures within eVolve.Core.Revit.Integration.API have changed in this release. Any extensions which are referencing methods within this namespace may need to be updated.

🎉New:

  • Points enhancements
    • Show Points in Links
    • Create Grid Points
    • Import Points
  • Location enhancements
    • Assign Location via grid selection
    • Connect to Foresite Locations
    • Location specific element filtering
    • Automatically calculate the area of a Location
  • Disconnect Tool
  • Family Browser Enhancements
    • Custom columns
    • Custom image per type entry
  • Feature Element Selection configuration
  • Find Elements feature
  • Optimize Fitting tool
  • Support Types for Titleblocks
  • Colorizer
  • PowerShell enhancements
    • $eVolveRevitVersion variable available in PowerShell scripts
    • $eVolveVersion variable available in PowerShell scripts
    • PowerShell Test tool
    • Workstation Setting to limit PowerShell execution time
    • Add PowerShell rule copy/paste functionality
  • Parameter Sync enhancements
    • Parameter Sync run on second pass option
    • $eVolveRevitVersion variable available in PowerShell scripts
    • $eVolveVersion variable available in PowerShell scripts
    • Allow Multiple Processing for rules
    • Process Nested Elements option for rules
  • UI Theme selection
  • Data Tables, PowerShell integration, Public API
  • Dockable Settings Launcher
  • XYZ Rotate tools
  • Custom Properties Dock Panes
  • Integration Profile enhancements
    • Feature name changed to 'Data Profiles'
    • Add Group and Sub Group columns
    • Allow PowerShell script processing
  • Report Manager
  • Foresite Dashboard
  • Revit 2023 support
  • PowerShell Test tool
  • Option to associate placed sleeve to host level
  • Allow PowerShell filters in Selection Filter
  • Add ability to suppress Foresite Project Prompt on project open

👍Improvements:

  • Renumber Tool
    • 'Process Nested' option
    • Legacy settings removed
  • Ribbon updates
  • View Data in Grid feature removed
  • Move common functions to Embedded Grid Navigator
  • Improved control for entering Dynamic Parameter Names
  • Trapeze Hangers uses new traversal algorithm
  • Restore Mechanical Properties refresh operations
  • 'eVolve Properties' renamed to 'Mechanical Properties'
  • Change to Integration.API signatures for improved processing visibility and control
  • Update some settings for cross product compatibility
  • Update to 'Order' columns
  • DevExpress 21.2.8
  • Use "eVolve MEP, LLC" as copyright
  • Standardize accessing to Family Browser, Selection Filter panel settings
  • Updates to Foresite Login Window
  • Family Browser grid view shows find in own panel
  • Update Multi-Traverse Debug Tool (internal tool)
  • PowerShell performance improvement in bulk operations
  • Feature name added to debug log output prompt
  • Allow (almost) all dialogs to be resized
  • Content updates
  • Licensing status check period changed from 45 to 30 minutes
  • Current Localization and Theme is reported to stats on model open

💪Stability

  • Bulk Update measurement field support
  • Fix crash when export to TFL encounters an error
  • Hanger Placement can enter an infinite loop
  • Update validation of User Annotations and Shortcuts
  • Sleeves may not place when unloaded linked model is present
  • Update determination of opposite connector in an element
  • Handle placement of hangers on locked length Fab Parts
  • Using a non-standard category in a Selection Filter causes error
  • Spool annotation crashes on certain ITM parts
  • PowerShell does not always use ElementId type text values
  • Update Parameter Sync System Rules to be localization safe
  • Fix dimensioning errors on taps in some situations
  • Trapeze Hangers may place incorrectly on duct after elevation change
  • Rod Diameter is not displayed in Mechanical Properties Grid

📂Content Updates

🧠Technical Notes

Supported alongside installation of eVolve Mechanical v6.0 see multi-product install notes below.

Compatibility issue with other addins

Our product uses DevExpress 21.2.8 for it's UI components. Any other Revit addin (regardless of vendor) installed on the client also using DevExpress but on a different version may cause crashes and/or unpredictable behavior with our product and/or the other addin. When this is the case, the user must either uninstall the other addin or contact the vendor to issue a new release with updated DevExpress references.

External communication

Access to the following must be allowed and unfiltered on all client machines:

  • api.evolvemep.com
  • app.pendo.io
  • cognito-idp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
Unit precision

Content and/or default configurations shipped with the product use measurements of a set precision level. Revit projects must use (at a minimum) this precision level otherwise content and/or configurations may produce errors, incorrect results, or behave unpredictably.

Length units must be set to a precision of at least:

  • 1/32" in imperial
  • 0.0001 m in metric
Rounding

Configuration data will be saved against the precision level at the time of save, regardless of the precision level of the previous value.

For example, assume a configuration value is currently set to 2 1/32" and the current precision level is 1/16". When the user opens the configuration form, the value will show as 2 1/16". Upon the user clicking OK or Apply, the value will be saved as 2 1/16" even if the user did not explicitly update this particular value. The value will remain 2 1/16" even after the precision level is changed to 1/32", however at this point the user can update and save the configuration value as 2 1/32".

Configuration setting incompatibilities

Some feature's project configurations may not be compatible with previous versions. To prevent compatibility issues, all project members should be on the same version.

  • All legacy Renumbering configuration settings are removed. Users must upgrade their rules prior to installing this release or risk these rules becoming invalid.
  • Synchronization data within Foresite Properties
  • Assign sleeves to same level as source element option in Sleeves Configuration
  • Configured Data Tables within Parameter Sync rules
  • Last used placement values in Create Points
  • Features which use an embedded Selection Filter with enabled PowerShell criteria will lose the enabled option and script

If a user is actively using both 6.0 and a version prior on the same machine (across different versions of Revit), the following user machine configuration values will be erased/reset back to default after closing Revit where a previous version was loaded.

  • Family Browser custom column names
  • Selection Filters with enabled PowerShell criteria will lose the enabled option and script
  • Option to suppress Foresite Project prompt on open
Duplicate Custom Properties

When multiple custom properties with the same name are present, only the first one will be editable in the eVolve Properties grid. Additionally, the respective eM_ property with the same name will have the data type of this first entry.

In the event there is a duplicate name with a different data type this can cause issues if it is not fixed across all models (where the first property by the name is the same data type for all). These situations will need to be addressed manually.

Licensing

When a license is disabled, the following automatic processes will not run which can cause the elements they update to become "stale" and/or lead to data issues:

  • Data protection prompts and integrity enforcement on elements with a Pre-Fab Package (eV_PackageId) assigned
  • Spool Modeling
    • Modification: updates association of parts merged into/added to/removed from a spool
      • Prompt to add parts cut into or added on to the end of an existing spool
      • Prompt to update sheets when a spool is modified
      • Prompt to renumber when a spool is modified
    • Deletion: disassociates parts, deletes generated spool sheets
    • Change monitoring: assists in monitoring spools on the document
      • If this is re-enabled in a session where spools have been modified then this must be rebuilt by either closing/reopening the model or by opening Spool Manager.
        Failure to do so can cause incorrect behavior with the execution and/or detection of spooling events.
    • Reset on Copy: when a spool is created via a copy from existing, associations of the "source" spool (packages, status, etc.) are removed from the new spool
  • Properties
    • Fabrication Part properties sync with Revit parameters
    • Carry over values
  • Working with Family Hangers may fail or produce incorrect results
  • Automatic control of product specific View Template parameters
  • Parameter Sync
  • Workset Manager
  • Macro Automation
  • Automatic Point Status updating
Localization

On startup, our product will set the Revit process' localization/culture according to the language settings configured. If the auto detect setting (which is the default) is used the culture will be set to the language which Revit was launched in.

Examples:

  • Auto detect is set and Revit is launched in English. The culture will be set to "en-US".
  • Auto detect is set and Revit is launched in French. The culture will be set to "fr-FR".
  • French is set as the language and Revit is launched in English. The culture will be set "en-US".

When the environment is in a hybrid setup where all of the following localizations are not consistent: Windows, Revit, and eVolve - the following inconsistencies can occur:

  • Some dialog messages may display in a different language
  • Numeric formatting may be inconsistent
    • For example, if Revit Project Units define numbers using the #,###.## format and the culture is set to use French, some numeric values may appear as # ###,##
    • Certain input fields may require for data to be entered in the format of either the Project Units or the culture
Revit Limitations

In Revit versions prior to 2023, eVolve Properties and Mechanical Properties may not update when selecting similar elements. To refresh the data displayed in this situation, click on a empty space within the view to clear the grid and then select the target element.

Misc
  • Mechanical Properties, Parameter Sync, Workset Manager, Colorizer, and Macro Automation may not work correctly until a project is saved with a unique RVT file name.
  • If a Revit Workset referenced in a Workset Manager rule is deleted then Workset Manager configuration must be addressed immediately, otherwise elements may continue to be assigned to the deleted Workset.
  • A licensed version of Microsoft Excel must be installed on the local machine for some import/export functionality to work.
  • Background processes required for successful operation of the product are flagged as optional within Revit. If Revit fails to load them for any reason, the user will not be notified.

Multi-Product Install Notes

This section applies when both eVolve Electrical and eVolve Mechanical are installed on the same computer and both are active within Revit.

General Guideline

In general, it is recommended that only a single product be installed and/or active on the current machine as this will ensure the best experience in terms of performance and consistency. Our internal testing processes attempt to eliminate possibly of catastrophic events such as data corruption, infinite loops, unreasonable inconsistencies, etc. when multiple products are installed but do not place heavy emphasis on performance.

Background Processes

Each product registers its own set of background processes which can be redundant and, in some cases, may impact performance. When both products are installed, it is generally required that a Revit model is saved after updating the configuration of one of the listed background processes in order to ensure consistency.

Background processes effected include:

  • Parameter Sync
  • Workset Manager
  • Macro Automation
  • Colorizer
  • eVolve Properties
  • Family Hangers processing
  • Point Status updater
  • Spool and Package data integrity checks
  • View Template parameters initialization
Dockable Panels (Dock Panes)

Each product includes its own distinct registration of common features utilizing a dock pane. While the functionality of these features is identical, each can have different configuration options and embedded settings which may lead to a slightly different experience depending on the product the respective dock pane is registered to.

Features:

  • Family Browser
  • Selection Filter
Default Configurations

Default feature configurations (what is applied when a feature is first used within a model) is applied in the following order (first match wins):

  1. Configuration exists within the model (i.e. the project template the model was created with contains configuration information)
  2. Default configuration is defined within Network Default Configuration of Workstation Settings
  3. Default configuration exists in the local machine's user profile folder for the product the feature was opened under
  4. Factory defaults are used
Example

Consider a common feature such as Renumbering.

If resolution falls to the local machine's user profile and the current user opened the feature for the first time from eVolve Mechanical - the default configuration under the local user's eVolve Mechanical user profile will be applied even if a different default configuration is saved under the local user's eVolve Electrical user profile folder.

Conversely, if the user (on the Renumbering configuration dialog) clicks the Save as Default option when the feature was launched from the eVolve Electrical menu - the currently set configuration will only be applied to the local user's eVolve Electrical user profile folder even though they also have eVolve Mechanical installed.

To prevent this and have consistent settings, regardless, one of the following should be done:

  • Configure company standards via Network Default Configuration in Workstation Settings for all installations within the company
  • When performing a Save as Default, immediately open the same configuration within all other installed products on the machine and perform a Save as Default within them as well. This will ensure the same default configuration is applied on all products
Workstation Settings

Because our products are based off a common core, many of the local machine user profile configuration options are common between them. This section lists configuration settings which are both common and stored on the local machine. If a machine specific setting is not explicitly mentioned here, it is product specific and not applicable to these lists.

The following are shared across all products (changes apply to all installed products):

  • Licensing
  • Language
  • Network Default Configuration location
  • Messaging Configuration
  • PowerShell execution options
  • Properties Panel options
  • Default Grid options
  • Logging options
  • Theme Selection
  • Materials batch size

The following are not shared across products (changes only apply to the product the feature was opened from):

  • Assign Level
  • Family Browser
    • Custom library location
    • Custom column headers
    • Favorite/Recent selections
    • HotKey bindings
  • Form/Dialog size and positioning
  • Grid States
  • Reconnect Tolerance
  • Rotation Angle
  • Run Alignment
  • Spooling
    • Sheet opening options
  • Selection Filter
    • Network location
    • Ranking/Last Used data
    • HotKey bindings
  • Suppressed Messages
  • View Sheet Names (last used)
    • Location
    • Package
    • Spool

Reset Workstation Settings will only apply to the product settings under which the command was run. To completely reset workstation settings, this should be done on all installed products in immediate succession.

After installation notes

The first time a product is run after a new installation, configurations should be reviewed as shared options may be inherited from an existing installation of a separate product.

For example, if eVolve Mechanical has been installed on the machine for some time and then eVolve Electrical is installed, some shared configuration options may appear within the eVolve Electrical Workstation Settings which were previously set within eVolve Mechanical. These should be reviewed and adjusted as needed - keeping in mind what is shared and what is not.

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