Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
only use for schedules in Revit. Using schedules to analyze the performance
of MEP systems in relation to the building model can help you make design
decisions.TheabilitytoseeandmanipulatetheinformationdirectlyinRevit
can improve the efficiency of your design processes.
Traditionally, engineers use several tools to complete building analysis.
Some are used “because we always have and we trust the results” even
though these processes can be time-consuming. It is important to verify
your design data so the results can be trusted without just relying on the
output. So, it is a great idea to run some small tests—side by side, your
trusted software with the newfangled one. Revit MEP not only provides a
greatconceptuallevelofanalysis,itdoesitfasterthanmanyoftheprograms
around. What's more, the data from Revit can be exported to a GBXML
formatthatcanthenbeimportedintootherprograms,allowingverification,
confirmation, and more-complex analysis without the time-consuming
modeling or data input procedures required for those other packages.
When it comes to analysis, the focus is mainly on the Space objects in your
model. Space objects hold a lot of information related to energy analysis,
by direct input, input from third-party analysis, or as a result of the
characteristics of components associated with the spaces. Understanding
the type of information you can retrieve from spaces during the design
process is the key to developing schedules that are most useful to your
workflow.
Analysis can be as simple as checking to see whether the components you
are using meet the engineering requirements or standards around which
youaredesigning.Thisoftenrequiresthatyoumanuallysettherequirement
information property of your spaces. Selecting each space and accessing its
properties to input this information is an inefficient practice.
Schedule Keys
A special type of schedule can be created to improve the process of adding
information to your spaces. This is a
schedule key
, and it allows you to
specify values for a parameter based on the value of a key parameter. One
example is in lighting design, where a certain lighting level is required for
specific types of rooms. A schedule key can be created to associate a specific
lighting level value with each space key parameter value. The parameter
associated with the key can be included in your Space schedule so that each
space can be assigned a key and therefore a required lighting level. The
