Save walls

It is time to save the walls. 

Go to IMPACT - Elements - Save Walls to start the command. 

Start with selecting all sandwich walls on floor 1. We are getting the prefix SW from the definition, but we want to control the numbering so that we start from SW100 for the first floor, SW200 from the second floor and so on. To change that, select all elements in the list so that they end up blue and press 'Renumber selected'. Write 'SW100' and press apply. All the elements will now get renamed. 

Figure 1. Renumbering the elements before saving. 

In the list, there is an option to 'Export to OBJ'. If this setting is active, the element will be saved with a so-called object file. This object file will later be used to show the element in the model viewer of IMPACT Project Manager.

Figure 2. Export to OBJ

Normally when an element is shown in the model viewer, IMPACT draws all details from the information in the database. For some complex elements, such as a specific column top, or all linked elements, we don't have sufficient information in the database to draw the element properly. Instead, we have the option to use the 'OBJ file' which is used to represent the element in the model viewer. 

Figure 3. Difference between elements generated from the database compared with OBJ file. 

The reason why not all elements are saved with 'OBJ' is that we lose the ability to select the level of detail in the IMPACT Project Manager. This since the level of detail generates the element with more or less information from the database. 

Figure 4. Level of detail in IMPACT Project Manager.

The recommendation is to use 'Export to OBJ' for all linked elements and when the element looks wrong in the model viewer. 

To end the process of saving, click 'Apply'.

Figure 5. Save. 

Repeat the steps above for the sandwich walls on floor 2 and the solid walls. The sandwich walls on floor 2 will start with 'SW200' and the solid walls will start with 'WP100'.

All elements are now saved, but it could be a bit tricky to confirm that from most views in Revit. Go to the project browser and open the view called 'Update Status'.

Figure 6. Update status view

That view is prepared with a filter that colors the elements depending on their save status. 

• Element color (e.g. gray) means that everything is saved to the database. 
• Pink means 'Unmarked' - elements that haven't been saved yet. 
• Orange means 'Modified' - elements that have been saved but modified after that. 

Figure 7. Elements in different saving statuses. 

We are done with the walls for now. The next step is to take a look at the columns.

Next: Beams