NEWSLETTER

BSD LinkMan-E Now Available

BSD is proud to announce that BSD LinkMan-E (LME) is now available to all SpecLink-E users. Using LinkMan-E is a multi-step process that allows a project manager to compare data from the linked applications and to identify discrepancies. It’s also possible to use LME to activate sections and select product data in SLE, based on the information from Revit.

In LME, the fastest results happen when standard Revit objects are used in the model and when SpecLink-E master text is used for the product specifications ― both are pre-linked to the LME Dashboards. Since this is not possible in many cases, particularly in Revit, LME provides for easy additions by using drag-and-drop to make the links. In addition, all additional linkages are saved in the LME database for use on subsequent projects. To take best advantage of these features, you should plan to re-use your custom Revit objects and custom specification text ― once they are linked to LME they will stay linked. For instance, if you create a new specification section in SpecLink-E, put it in your office master project, so that it is available to each project that is started by copying that project ― the links to LME will also carry over to the new project. If you make new Revit objects that you expect to re-use, put them in a project template or save Family files. The key to linking custom Revit objects to LME is to avoid changing the Family and Type names after you link them ― the Family and Type names are stored in LME as the identifier of the object, so changing either of those will void the link. This is also true of Revit Library objects ― when you copy one to modify it, or even just to rename it, any LME link that existed goes away.

Below are some step-by-step descriptions of how to use BSD LinkMan-E:

1.  

Right out of the box, LME can do some really interesting things. After a particular Revit project file and a SpecLink-E project have been associated via the LME project grouping dialog, LME can:

• List all the Revit objects currently loaded in the Revit project file, whether or not they are used in the building model, with the number of instances, their quantities (if applicable), and if they are pre-linked to any LME assembly.
• View all the products that are specified in the SpecLink-E project by section, division, or within the whole project, without being distracted by the remainder of the specifications.
• List all the products in the LinkMan-E master product list ― the Products Dashboard ― with status indicators that show whether each is specified in the SpecLink-E project and/or is part of an assembly corresponding to a Revit object.
• List all the Assemblies in the LinkMan-E master assembly list ― the Assemblies Dashboard ― with status indicators that show whether each is attached to an active Revit object ― one that is in the building model ― theand/or whether the products that make up the assembly are specified in the SpecLink-E project.

Before we go further, here are some definitions:

• Revit Object:  Each Type in a Family is a Revit object, from LME's point of view.  A few Families are not relevant to LME's function, such as Annotation Symbols, and so are ignored.
• Product:  Products are the discrete physical "things" that are installed in a building. Products can range from fundamental materials, such as a piece of lumber, to manufactured items like a wood window, a furnace, or a light fixture. The distinction between an assembly and a product is often arguable and is frequently blurred in Revit, but this ambiguity does not affect LME’s operation. 
• Assembly:  An assembly is a built element, usually made up of more than one product but not always. An assembly has an explicit function in the building, while a product just "is" and can exist without functioning as anything. For example, when a piece of structural steel is in the warehouse it is a product, but when the same piece is installed as a column in a building, it is a built element and, thus, an assembly. At first, the column assembly consists only of one product, but it could have other products added to it, such as sprayed fireproofing and a gypsum board covering.
• LinkMan-E Dashboards:  The Assemblies and Products Dashboards in LME contain a master list of assemblies and products, to which the Revit and SpecLink-E projects are compared. Revit objects correspond to the Assemblies Dashboard, while SpecLink-E spec statements correspond to the Products Dashboard. The Revit and SL-E projects are compared to each other through the association between the LME Assemblies and the LME Products that make up those Assemblies.

2. 

The project manager's next step is to link any Revit object that is not already linked to an LME assembly. To make this job easier, the Revit objects that are included in the 2009 Architectural Imperial Library ("in the box") have been pre-linked by BSD to LME assemblies. That is, about 2/3 of them have been linked ― the other third are so generic, or unspecific, that it was not possible to deduce which assembly to link them to. Obvious examples are Generic Walls, Floors, and Roofs.  Less obvious examples are doors that are not identified as wood, steel, or aluminum ― SpecLink-E needs to know which material a door is made from in order to associate it with a spec section. Revit objects made by the Revit user, or others, are obviously not pre-linked, so the software makes it easy to link any Revit object to an LME assembly. If a suitable assembly already exists in the LME database, that is the one that should be used. If not, the LME user creates a new assembly for the purpose and attaches LME products to it.  

3.

At this point, what needs to happen next depends on the state of the SpecLink-E project. If the project contains specs for the products that the needed assemblies are made of, that will show via green status boxes on the Products Dashboard, and all is well. If not, some status boxes will be gray, indicating that no spec has yet been included. If a spec for that product is needed, the project manager can switch to SpecLink-E, make the necessary selections, return to LME, "refresh" the LME data, and review for discrepancies again. Alternatively, in the LME Products Dashboard, he can select the relevant products, "synchronize" (to send the information to the SLE project), and "refresh" (to retrieve the results). Products can be selected by manually checking individual boxes in the "Select Specs" column or by pressing the "Auto Select Specs" button to select all.

As of Spring 2010, LME contains links to the 2009 Revit Imperial Architectural Library. Additional "out-of-the-box" Revit Libraries will be pre-linked in coming updates. The Revit Add-In delivered with LinkMan-E works with both Revit 2009 SP1 and Revit 2010, all flavors – Architectural, Structural, and MEP.