The Settings Window for Configurations
In the Synchronization Settings window, click the Edit button for a configuration. The window that opens contains the settings for the configuration.
Select the Synchronize view checkbox to synchronize elements contained in the 3D view selected from the Select view list. The Create selection checkbox is selected by default to generate selections for the synchronized elements. This mode of synchronization is useful for projects without any room definitions and when the elements are not contained in rooms. The type of elements that can be synchronized include for example wall layers, structural framing and foundation elements, mechanical and electrical equipment.
Clear the Synchronize view checkbox to enable the synchronization of room volumes, elements contained in rooms, and conceptual masses. To synchronize both room volumes and the type of elements that are only available when synchronizing 3D views you can create two configurations, one for the room volumes and another for the 3D view. Then in the geometry sequence of your COMSOL® model you can add two LiveLink™ nodes for separate synchronization of each configuration.
Room Settings
The Rooms table displays a list of rooms that are defined in the Revit® project. To turn on the synchronization of a room select its checkbox from the list.
Room synchronization may fail or produce unexpected results if the room is not defined by room bounding elements. In the Revit® project check that walls, floors, ceilings and roofs are set to be Room Bounding, and that Room Separators are defined where necessary.
Room Extension
Select Extend to walls to generate a room volume that extends to the room bounding elements, such as walls, interior walls, floors, windows, and ceilings or roofs. The room volume is transferred to the COMSOL model as a solid object.
Using the extend to wall option for rooms results in the geometry objects for adjacent rooms to be disconnected unless solids for room bounding elements are also synchronized. Select the Solids for room bounding elements checkbox under the Synchronize room bounding elements section.
With the Extend to wall centerline option the surface objects for the room bounding elements are generated at the centerline of walls, and at the top plane of floors, ceilings and roofs. Note that with this option a solid object for the room volume is not generated during synchronization, only surface objects are transferred. In the COMSOL model, after synchronization create a solid using either the Convert to Solid or Knit to Solid operations with the surfaces as input.
Element Settings
The Elements table contains a list of elements contained in the rooms that are selected in the Rooms table. By default all available elements are shown in the table, to filter the display of elements by category use the Show category list box.
A selected checkbox for an element in the Synchronize column means that the geometry for the element will be transferred to COMSOL during synchronization. In the COMSOL model this can result in one or multiple solid or surface objects for the element, depending on how the element is represented in the Revit® project.
The setting in the Detail level column determines how the geometry for the element is generated before synchronization. The following options are available:
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Bounding box (default): An enclosing box is generated for the element.
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Original: The geometry of the element is transferred without alterations.
Elements may be represented only by surfaces in the Revit project and they may also have small details that may result in problems during mesh generation. Transferring elements with Detail level set to Original may therefore require the geometry to be modified and/or simplified in COMSOL after synchronization.
Select the checkbox in the Create selection column for the synchronization to create a selection in the COMSOL model for the element. After synchronization the selections appear in the LiveLink for Revit settings window, in the Selections from CAD Package table. The selections are available in all applicable selection lists but do not appear as separate selection nodes in the COMSOL model tree.
Synchronization of Room Bounding Elements
With the checkboxes in the Synchronize Room Bounding Elements section you can control the type of geometry that is synchronized for room bounding elements such as walls, floors, ceilings, roofs, windows. The following options are available:
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Solids for room bounding elements: Select this checkbox to synchronize solid objects for room bounding walls, floors, ceilings and roofs. Solid objects are generated for all walls, including interior walls, which are adjacent to selected rooms.
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Surfaces for room bounding elements: Select this checkbox to synchronize surface objects for room bounding walls, floors, ceilings and roofs.
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Surfaces for room interior walls: Select this checkbox to synchronize the midsurfaces of interior walls to the room. This setting is enabled only when the Extend to wall centerline option is selected for the room extension.
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Surfaces for openings: Select this checkbox to synchronize surface objects for windows, skylights, curtain walls, and doors. This option also generates surfaces for openings that do not have any elements defined.
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Create selections: Select this checkbox to create selections in the COMSOL model for the geometry objects representing the walls, floors, windows, ceilings and roofs. After synchronization the selections appear in the LiveLink for Revit settings window, in the Selections from CAD Package table. The selections are available in all applicable selection lists but do not appear as separate selection nodes in the COMSOL model tree.
Conceptual Masses
Conceptual masses in a project are synchronized when the checkbox Synchronize masses is selected. Synchronization of masses can be enabled independently of the synchronization of rooms. To include the mass floors in the mass synchronization select the Include mass floors checkbox. Selections for masses in the COMSOL model are automatically generated when the Create selection checkbox is selected.