Workflow best practice question: Segmenting a 3D mass

[bdb]

I am a student with access to AutoCAD, Revit and 3DS Max (2015). I am working conceptual masses and am looking for suggestions on how best to segement a larger conceptual mass into smaller regular peices.

 

Previously I have done this in 3D AutoCAD, taking the mass and segmenting it with planes set at regular intervals. This process does not seem available in Revit where ideally I'd like keep my project to utilize Revit's other documentation tools.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how they would attack this problem?

 

Thanks,

Edited December 1, 2014 by bdb
Took out reference to 3d printing.

[bdb]

Bump for edit. ^^^

[Smile of Fury]

What is your goal for the segments of the Revit geometry? You can link (not import) an FBX from Revit into Max, then use modifiers such as Slice Plane and Edit Poly to work with the geometry non-destructively. The link can be updated by a new export from Revit and the geometry will be preserved when you remove the modifiers.

[bdb]

Well, the use is ultimately to feed the segmented masses into a 3D printing workflow but, for the moment, we are working at the conceptual stage so the real problem before us is efficiently segmenting a single large mass into smaller regular masses, hence the workflow question.

 

I've only worked with very simple FXB linking so if I can confirm a possible workflow: Say I create a complex curved mass in Revit. One can work with it in 3D Max with FXB linking, segment it with planes at regular intervals etc, and then re-import it back to Revit in a workable (able to assign it to a sheet etc.)? Is that correct? That would be awesome! What do you mean by "removing modifiers"?

[Smile of Fury]

I really can't confirm any of that because I have no history with 3D printing. It seems Rhino is probably the software you want to get into. 3DS Max back to Revit is not ideal. There are some tutorials out there, but you may have to go through the Family Editor before going straight into Revit. Maybe someone who knows what they're talking about will respond.

 

As for modifiers, they are non-destructive editing tools in Max, somewhat similar to adjustment layers in photoshop. In Max you could either convert something to an edit poly (not reversible) or add an edit poly modifier. If you then make a bunch of changes and decide you don't like what you've done you can simply remove the modifier and the geometry will go back to its original state.

[bdb]

Ah. Okay. So modifiers work like masses and voids and adaptive components in Revit to keep them editable later. Good to know. The reason I keep warding off the 3d printing angle is that I will be able to hand techs just the geometric data and then it will be their problem to print the stuff (most likely out of solidworks). I have more than enough work cut out for me trying to figure out how to accurately and efficiently segment complex forms into more manageable regular shapes and keep it all organized in a larger Revit project.

 

Getting the segmented forms back into Revit, even into the family editor, is perfectly acceptable because that's back onto terrain I'm quite familiar with. I can make this work.