I’m just wondering what can dynamo do to help MEP engineers to streamline their workflows?
In what ways MEP designers benefit from dynamo?
What are the practical applications of dynamo in MEP design?
I’m just new to BIM. Sorry for my dumb questions.
2 Likes
Speaking as myself and not the whole, Dynamo has been fantastic for automation of menial tasks in MEP workflows, visualization of conflict zones without technical knowledge of Navisworks, and data transfer between tables and the project itself.
Here’s a quick example. Many firms use third-party load calculation software to determine HVAC loads. A good amount of the firm is usually trained in this software and its nuances, making any transition to Revit’s load calculation software too time-consuming to implement. So, you wind up with the menial workflow of transferring your load data, in some way or form, to Revit.
If you can produce an output file from that software (like a txt, csv, xlsx, etc…), Dynamo could enable you to push all that information into Revit. This not only saves time, but also helps control inaccuracies from bad data entry (as an example, I’ve made about ten spelling mistakes typing this out that I have corrected before sending. Imagine if this was an equipment schedule, a very bad typo could possibly have financial implications!)
There is a wealth of information available through Youtube, Autodesk University, and similar sources on MEP workflows through Dynamo. I recommend checking them out, if for no other reason than to get a few ideas on useful places to start.
2 Likes
Based on my research, data management regarding MEP design is one of the applications of dynamo.
BTW, what are the limitations of Revit MEP with regards to MEP calculations? Based on what I read, Revit MEP can’t do a hydraulic calculation for sprinkler and some piping design. Is it true?
1 Like
Sprinkler would require a third-party add-in, my limited understanding is that a good portion of sprinkler design includes ladder/lattice pipe networks, and Revit gets confused if you introduce anything resembling a loop into the network due to its connector logic. Revit added support for primary-secondary connection calculations in recent years, but it doesn’t quite get you there.
For ‘some piping design’, you’ll unfortunately need to be a bit more specific. Things like Natural Gas, Stormwater, and Medical gas systems are not ‘technically’ supported by Revit MEP calculations, but the community has developed some neat tricks to get Revit around those limitations and form functional workflows.
Can you do the hydraulic calculation for a domestic water piping system inside Revit without using a third party software?
1 Like
Hi @jesvicnaag08
For MEP calculation I suggested you use specific third party software inside Revit https://www.magicad.com/en/magicad-new-version/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4Jh-rTF6ofOCU9xlBIzZUV1w50qw-oVe59iwpriCwkJKGiCbHgvqKqRoCBFYQAvD_BwE
Cheers
Do you mean Fixture Units? Short answer: mostly yes. You would not be able to take advantage of things like bathroom groups for fixture unit reduction (it would be very difficult to get Revit to interpret a bathroom group without disrupting other functions). That being said, Dynamo wouldn’t necessarily aid that workflow.
is this free of paid?
@Robert_Younger, what third-party load calc software are you using and might you be able to share an example of your output file from it that would get imported into Revit via Dynamo?
I have familiarity with Carrier HAP and Energysoft Energypro. There seems to be a great deal of documentation/presentation work with Trane Trace 700, that is probably a great way to go as well.
HAP does not have a direct export to excel/table structure file option, but you can make one yourself through a simple copy/paste of the zone/space load report tables. I have not looked at the program since v5.10 however.
Energypro generates a temporary .csv containing space/zone loads that can be made not-temporary through the options.
As for the importing process, you would have to develop a dynamo script to read the file, filter the columns/rows for data of interest, match the software space to the Revit space (this may require some standardization of naming conventions), and plug the data in.
1 Like
Hi @jesvicnaag08 it’s not free…
Cheers