Speaker 1: Hello guys and welcome again to another edition of Learning with Rich. In this topic, we are going to talk about importing. Although I already have some topics about importing files, but let us try to dig deeper on some cool tips on how to use the import tool in Revit. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to create a new project using the sample, the default architectural template, and then I'm going to create a drafting view from the view tab. I select the drafting view. So again, I already have topic on my drafting view. You can go ahead and review what is this for. So I go ahead and select the drafting view, and then I'll just put a name here. Okay. So our objective here in this exercise, so we are going to learn about some best practices in importing files. Okay. All right. So let me just call this CAD detail or whatever name that you want to call this drafting view. So I'll just go ahead and select. Okay. So again, in drafting view, what will happen is it will create a separate view. Okay. So this is a separate view. So if it is a drafting view, it's just a 2D environment. All right. Okay. So as I've said, we are going to use import. Okay. So we're going to use import. Okay. So to start with, did you know that you can drag your AutoCAD file directly from the Windows Explorer to your Revit? Okay. I don't know if you know that. Probably what you know is you need to go to insert tab from the import panel. You can select there the import CAD, right? So probably that is what you know, which is actually correct. Okay. But I'm going to show you another cool way of importing your CAD. So let's say for example, this is my folder. Okay. So like what I've said, you can drag and drop your drawing file inside Revit. So you will be able to import it. Not link, but import. Okay. So did you know that? Okay. So take a look. I'm going to drag this here. There you go. Right. But you will not be able to set it because there's no settings dialog box. But at least this is another knowledge to you that you can drag and drop your AutoCAD file, although you will not be able to change the settings. Anyway, I'm just going to use the drag and drop, and then I'm going to pick for the location. There you go. Okay. So this is now my CAD file. Okay. So what we're going to do is, we are going to discuss the query tool. Okay. So what I want to do is to dig a little deep more into the query command. Okay. So we already talked about the query command. So for you to be able to access that, all you have to do is to select your AutoCAD, your imported CAD file. And then from the import instance, you'll be able to select the query. Okay. So let's say, for example, I want to know what is the layer of this arrow here. So what I'm going to do is, I'll just go ahead and select the AutoCAD, the imported CAD file, and then select the query tool. And then after that, I am now able to select this line here. So once I click that, it will show you the import instance query dialog box, which shows you some parameters like type, block name, layer, which is what I want, styled by. Okay. And then you can also have the option to delete the element as well as hide in view. Okay. Right. So the best thing here is, you'll be able to know what is the layer of that particular selected element. So all right. So I want to hide that. So I'll just need to select here, hide in view. There you go. Okay. So I'm now able to hide it. Now, let's say, for example, you want to show it back. Okay. So what you can do is, I'll go ahead and select the modify here to deselect the object. So what I'm going to do next is, let's say, for example, I have changed my mind. I want to change the, I want to return back the CAD layer that I have hidden. So what you can do is, you can go to the visibility graphic overrides. Okay. You can type VV, Victor, Victor, VV to turn on the visibility graphic overrides. And then after that, from the imported categories, you will now see here your imported CAD file. And then if you're going to expand this, check out all the layers included to that particular CAD file. Okay. So as you can see, a unknown note here is unchecked. Okay. This is the one that we have unchecked or hide a while ago. So I'm going to check this one if I want to show it back again, and then I'll go ahead and select okay. Right. Beautiful. Okay. So you can use that one to hide your elements. Okay. So another cool feature that you can use is, let's say you want to modify the layer of the CAD file. So what you can do is, you can go back again to the visibility graphic overrides. And then from the imported categories, what you can do here is, you can expand that again. And then from here, you can change it. Okay. So currently my thin lines here is turned on. That's why as you can see, all my lines here is being shown as a single line width. But if I'm going to cancel this first to turn off this, okay, you will be able to see the thickness of my element, right? Okay. So if this is turned on, so as you can see, it's single line width. But if this is turned off, you will notice that it will show you the line width of your object. So let's say, for example, you want to change the line width of this line here. So first, what you can do is, you can click that. And then you just need to check what is that particular layer. So you just need to click this one. And then you can see here that that layer is a detail wide. So I'm going to select here, okay. So now that I know the name of that layer, so I'm going to select modify here. And then I'm going to type VB for visibility graphic overrides. Or I can also select edit here to open the visibility graphic overrides. And then from the imported categories, I'll just expand this one and then look for detail wide. Okay. So let's say I want to override this. I'm going to select this, override. And then I can change here the line width. So let's say, let me just make it a bit thicker. Let me make it five. Okay. Let me just change the color. So let's say I want to make it red. And then I select here, okay. And then I select okay, and then okay. So you will now see that the Revit modifies the layer of my model. Okay. Okay. So that is what will happen. Now there are some instances that, or I mean, most of the time, what we use is linking CAD, not importing CAD file. Because first of all, if you import a CAD file in your Revit project, what happens is it increase the file size of your Revit. Okay. So if the file size is too big, most of the time it affects the performance of Revit. It becomes kind of slow. Okay. So that's why most of the time, the best practice is you can use the link CAD. Okay. You can use the link CAD instead of imported CAD file. Okay. There are some instances that you may want to import your AutoCAD, but most of the time, what we do is we link our CAD file. And another difference of importing and CAD file is that in import CAD, like this one, if you're going to click that, you'll be able to, what, actually explode it. Okay. So best practice, do not explode your AutoCAD drawing in your Revit. Okay. Because it will dramatically increase the file size of your Revit file. Okay. So that's the best practice. So don't you ever explode your model. Okay. Because if you try to explode that, it will make the file size bloated. Okay. If it is a link model, if it is a link CAD, you will not be able to select this explode option here. This is only available if your object is imported. Okay. So, but if it is a link, you will not be able to explode it. Okay. All right. So hope you can follow. And another thing, the reason why it is best practice not to explode your AutoCAD file is that if you try to explode this, okay, so what will happen is it will create the line types from your AutoCAD file, which you do not need, actually. So let's say, for example, okay. So I'm going to explode this. So let's say I'll just explode it. Partial explode. Oh, by the way, before I explode, let me just go to manage additional settings. And then I check here the line styles. All right. Okay. So as you can see, these are my line styles here at the moment, right? So what I'm going to do is I'll try to, okay, I'll try to create, I'm going to snap this one. I'm going to, okay, snip this one so that we have a comparison later on. So this is currently the line style. So what will happen is if I try to explode this, partial explode, okay, so it's now exploded. As you can see, one advantage, let's go to just a bit of advantage. So one advantage is that you'll be able to change the text here if you want. Okay. So let's say, for example, it's wrong spelling. You can actually click that and then you can modify, right? Okay. And then you can add some lines, literary lines, et cetera, et cetera. But the thing here is if I try to go back again to additional settings and then check the line styles here, and then I expand this, so you will notice it will create also the line styles from the AutoCAD file, which is quite difficult or which is quite troublesome if you're trying to create a template or if you're trying to standardize your project. Okay. So this is okay if you want to get these line styles from the AutoCAD, but it is not the best practice. The best practice is you insert this AutoCAD drawing in a new project, temporary project file, and then after that, you can explode the AutoCAD from that temporary file. Okay. So after you explode it, let's say, for example, this is the exploded file. This is, for example, the temporary file. What you can do is you can copy the line, and then you can create another project. For example, this is the project that you want to be standardized. So you open that project that you want to create a template from, and then you paste this one. Copy, paste. You select that, and then after that, you copy. Okay. So after you copy, let me try to create a new project. So let's say I'm trying to create a template here. So I want to get that. Okay. So aside from transfer project standards, you can also do this. So you see, if I am going to control B, okay, and then click, so that is now the object. So I'm just going to finish. So what will happen is if I go to the manage here, if I go to the additional settings and line styles, and then you expand these, you will be able to see that that particular line style is already transferred in this project. Okay. So that is the best practice if you are going to explode an AutoCAD drawing. Okay. Do not explode the AutoCAD drawing in your live project. Okay. Explode your AutoCAD drawing in a temporary project file, and then all the types that you want to be copied from that temporary file, you just copy and paste it to your new project where you want to start your company template. All right. So as you can see, it's now transferred here. So that is the best practice in dealing with your imported CAD file. Okay. All right. So that's basically the difference between importing and linking your files. Of course, in linking files, you will not be able to explode it, but for you to be able to modify the link model, you need to open the AutoCAD file and then open there the one that you have linked, edit from AutoCAD, and then after that you save it. Okay. And then from here, you go back to the Revit where you have linked your AutoCAD file. You just need to go to the insert and manage links. Okay. And then you go to the CAD formats. So if you already link the AutoCAD drawing, you'll be able to see it from here. You just need to select that, and then you just need to reload it. So what will happen is the Revit will reload the latest CAD file. Okay. All right. So again, if you import the file, you can explode the nested XRef to your Revit elements. However, if the XRef file is updated after the import, Revit will not automatically reflect changes to the XRef file. So just remember that one. So if you link the file, Revit automatically updates the geometry to reflect changes to the XRef files. However, since it is a link CAD, you will not be able to explode it. So that's basically the difference between the import and then the link. Okay. And another thing, so don't forget to use your query command. That is one of the most powerful tools for you to be able to check out what is the property of this particular imported CAD file. Of course, you will not be able to use the query here because this is, ah, this one is not yet exploded because a while ago, I only select partial explode. That's why I was able to select the query here. But as you can see, these lines, this is already part of Revit. So no more option here for import the query tool. Okay. But this one, this is still imported category. You see it's still an import symbol. That's why I was able to use these options here. Okay. All right. So basically that is, ah, the important thing that you need to know in importing and linking your CAD file. So again, ah, don't forget to like this video and subscribe to my channel. So if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can put it on the comment section below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. All right. So once again, this is Rich. Thank you for watching and have a nice day.