Making breakthroughs

There are 3 placement modes available for creating cutouts:

• Create manually
• Generate automatically
• Create in active view

Manually select base components and cable elements in a view. The collisions of the selected elements are analyzed sequentially, and cutouts are placed at all permissible intersection points. The selection can be made in both 3D and 2D views.
Optionally, you can temporarily override the configuration in this placement mode. This allows you, for example, to easily change the cutout shape for the next placement from “Rectangular” to “Round” without having to switch to the configuration settings to make the corresponding adjustments there.

During automatic generation, the model is analyzed according to the predefined settings (models, layers, components, etc.), and openings are placed at all permissible intersection points.

In this mode, the base components and line elements for the collision check are selected based on the active 3D view. All visible elements within the 3D section area are taken into account.
The unique feature of this mode is that you can start creating openings immediately without having to configure any settings first. However, you also have the option to further restrict the selection using the placement settings (e.g., consider only base component walls).

The "Edit Configuration" menu item first takes you to the configuration overview.
Here, you can create, duplicate, rename, and delete configurations. You can also import and export configurations to share them between projects.

Note: The "Standard" and "Standard_Fire_Protection" configurations are already available, so you can start creating openings right away. These two configurations cannot be deleted or renamed.

Select a configuration and click the 'Next' button to proceed to the settings.
Here, you can configure settings for each line type or line system individually, or for an entire category (e.g., cable trays).

The following settings are available

• Shape:
  Determines the shape of the cutout family to be used.
• Horizontal/Vertical Distance:
  Determines the distance between the line element and the base component for a rectangular shape.

The assignment of cutout families to the corresponding base components is fully automated.

Simply load the relevant families into your Revit project and then open the Revit add-in "Generate Openings." The parameter values for the dimensions of the openings are also assigned automatically. The "Created on" text parameter is used to store both the creator’s username and the corresponding placement date in the opening instance. This parameter is also assigned automatically.

Automatic assignment applies exclusively to the following families of Plandata content:

• Allg_WD_rectangular
• General_WD_round
• Gen_BD_rectangular
• General_BD_round
• General_DB_Area_Rectangular_Top
• General_DB_Surface_Round_Top
• General_DB_Surface_Rectangular_Side
• General_DB_Surface_Round_Side

In addition, you have the option to manually assign additional families.

If assigning a family fails (the status shows "Missing") even though the family is present in the model, it means you are using an outdated version of the family. The Revit add-in "Generate Openings" has been optimized for use with the latest families from Plandata Content; please use this in your project.

If you would like to update outdated families in your project, please discuss this with your BIM manager and contact our customer service team if necessary.

After the cutouts are created, a detailed results report is generated.

This report contains the following information:

• Cutouts
  To make the review process easier for you, the cutouts are listed in sequential order. Cutouts that could not be placed successfully are displayed at the end of the report and are marked with the letter "F" for "Failure."
• Family & Type
  This column shows you both the placed cutout family and the family type.
  Note: In the 'Family Types' section, you can learn how automatic type assignment works.
• Base Part Type
  The family type of the base part.
• Plane
  The reference plane of the cutout.
  Note: In the "Cutout Properties" section, you can learn how plane assignment works.
• Dimensions
  Depending on the opening type, displays dimensions such as diameter, height, width, and length.
  The depth (corresponding to the base part depth) is not displayed.
• Fire Resistance Class
  The fire resistance class of the base component
• Room Number
  Displays the room numbers of the rooms adjacent to the opening.
• Status
  Displays the current verification status of the opening. This is also indicated by the color of the entire row.
  Note: Only openings with the status "Checked" (= Green) remain in the model after placement is complete. Openings with the status "Not Checked" (= Red) are removed from the model.
• Placement
  Shows whether the placement was "Successful" or if errors occurred. You can find more information on this topic in the "Errors and Warnings" section.

You can expand each indented line to view information about the line elements that generated it.

• Piping
  : Piping elements are listed by serial number. The piping category is also displayed. Example: 'L1: Pipe'
• Type
  The family type of the line element.
• System Abbreviation
  The abbreviation of the piping system.
• Insulation
  Specifies the type of insulation, if any.

The "Export CSV" button located below the results report allows you to save the results report as a text file.
Note: The text file contains a variety of additional information, such as element IDs, system name, etc.

The Parameter Updater keeps the elevation parameters of openings up to date at all times.
As a result, the labels for openings always display the correct elevation values. This means that manually entering and updating these parameter values is now a thing of the past. It is a "Dynamic Model Updater."

The following families and parameters will be updated:

• Allg_WD_rectangular (Plane height above 00, Plane height, Bottom edge above plane)
• Allg_WD_round (Plane height above 00, height of plane, axis above plane)
• Allg_DB_Area_Rectangular_Top (Depth*)
• Allg_DB_Surface_Rectangular_Side (Plane height above 00, axis above plane, depth*)
• Allg_DB_Surface_Round_Top (Depth*)
• Allg_DB_Surface_Round_Side (Plane height above 00, axis above plane, depth*)

*The depth of the base component "Beam" is updated only for "Skel_STB".

Note 1: Cutouts that were not created using "Create Cutouts" will also be updated.

Note 2: Only the modified breakthrough instances are updated; not all instances in the model.
Let’s take a closer look at how the parameter values are calculated:

• General_WD_rectangular:
  
  • "Layer height above 00" = Height of the linked layer
  • "UK above level" = "UK above level" + "Height of level"
  • "Height of layer" = 0.0
• Allg_WD_round:
  • "Plane height above 00" = Height of the linked plane
  • "Axis above level" = "Axis above level" + "Height of level"
  • "Level height" = 0.0
• Gen_DB_Rectangular_Area_Top:
  • "Depth" = as per base component
• Gen_DB_Area_Rectangular_Side:
  • "Plane height above 00" = height of the component list plane
  • "Axis above plane" = "Height of plane"
  • "Depth" = as per base component
• General_DB_Area_Round_Top:
  • "Depth" = as per base component
• Allg_DB_Area_Round_Side:
  • "Plane height above 00" = height of the component list plane
  • "Axis above plane" = "Height of plane"
  • "Depth" = as per base component

Let's first take a look at the settings in "Automatic Generation" mode.

• Configuration:
  Select the configuration you created under "Edit Configuration" or use one of the default configurations. The configuration determines the shape and dimensions of the openings depending on the type/system.
• Phase:
  The selected phase defines which base components are used for the clash detection. All elements created at the time of the selected phase and not canceled are taken into account. If there are no more than 2 phases in the model, the option is grayed out and all phases are used for the collision check.
• Included Base Component Types:
  Select the base component types for the clash detection. Only types with a valid prefix are displayed: GeDe, TrSt, Wall, Skel, BoPl, FuPl, Fund, FuWa. When making your selection, note that elements with incorrect type names (e.g., Wall_Tiles_015) would also be available here. Check the types carefully before placing them to avoid incorrect placements.
• Included Models:
  Select all models whose line elements should be available for the collision check. These can be linked models, but the active model is also available for selection.
• Included Types and Systems:
  All types and systems of the selected models are displayed here; the list therefore depends on the model selection and updates as soon as the model selection changes. Systems from linked models are prefixed here with the corresponding model name.
• Included Levels:
  By selecting levels here, you choose the area to be used for the clash detection. Only clashes that actually lie within this area will be marked with a break-through. Note that the selection "5,0000_00_EG_RDOK (5.00 - 8.50)" does not include the floor slab with "Level 5,0000_00_EG_RDOK". However, the floor slab with level "8,5000_01_OG_RDOK" is included.
• Existing Openings:
  The add-in saves all previously resolved collisions, i.e., collisions for which an opening has already been created. The pipe element and the associated base component are saved together.
  If, during a new placement process, you select a pipe element and base component whose collision has already been resolved by "Create Openings," you can use this setting to decide how the placement should now proceed.
  With the "Delete and Reposition" option, the clearances for already resolved collisions are deleted in the first step, but only if the pipe element and the base component of this collision have been selected for the placement process. The placement process is then executed as usual.
  With the "Ignore" option, only a new collision check is performed. This will generally not result in new collisions for already resolved collisions, since breakthroughs already exist there. However, if a line element has moved, this will result in a new collision, and another breakthrough will be created.
  Note: Breakthroughs that were not created by "Generate Breakthroughs" are generally ignored.

The same settings are available in the "Generate automatically in active view" placement mode. However, the "From active view" option is preselected so that you can start generating immediately. You do not need to select any layers; the 3D clipping plane defines the boundaries.
In the "Manual Creation" placement mode, you do not need to configure these settings, as you select the elements directly.

The types of family elements used to create cutouts are determined automatically. To do this, "Create Cutouts" examines the line elements to identify their trade, and then places the appropriate cutout types.

• Electrical Line
  Elements Elements in the Cable Trays and Conduit categories are assigned to the 'Electrical' trade. Accordingly, a cutout with the family type 'Electrical' is generated for these elements.
• HVAC ductwork
  elements Elements belonging to the HVAC trades are identified based on their system type. The fifth character serves as an identifier for the trade.
  Example: The system with the system type '200_H_VL' corresponds to the heating trade.
  The opening family types are assigned as follows:
  • System with identifier H = cutout family type 'Heating' 
  • System with identifier K = Penetration family type 'Cooling' or 'Refrigeration' 
  • System with indicator L = Breakthrough family type 'Ventilation' 
  • System with code S = Breakthrough family type 'Plumbing' 
  • System with code B = Breakthrough family type 'Fire protection' 

Types of families when merging openings:

If openings are combined with different family types, a suitable family type is selected, such as 'Heating, Ventilation, Plumbing'. If there is no suitable family type for the given combination of trades, the family type 'TGA_general' is assigned.
Note: In the standard configurations, there are special settings for electrical openings. Openings for empty conduits are not merged. Openings for cable trays are only merged with other openings generated by cable trays. You can, of course, adjust these settings to suit your needs. 

The clash detection feature is a key component of this Revit add-in. But which elements are actually allowed, and how does it work in detail? This section explains the underlying logic.

• 
  Base components: Only elements that are exactly horizontal or vertical are taken into account. Sloped floor slabs and foundations are ignored, as are sloped, tapered, or curved walls. Furthermore, floor slabs to which points have been added through shape editing are ignored.
• Pipe elements:
  A collision is only permitted if the intersection angle between the base component and the pipe element is not less than 30° (for vertical base components/surfaces, e.g., walls), or not less than 45° (for horizontal base components/surfaces, e.g., floor slabs).
  Categories currently considered include pipes, air ducts, conduit, and cable trays. Ductwork elements not currently considered include, for example, fittings (cable trays, pipes, air ducts) and accessories (e.g., fire dampers).

Note - Borrowed elements:

Elements that are currently being used by other users are ignored during the collision check.

Note - Processing areas:

In "Automatically Generate" placement mode, elements whose editing area has not been loaded are also collected.  These are therefore also included in the collision check. When checking for cutouts, the corresponding editing areas are loaded to make the components visible in the control views.

When creating cutouts, a variety of settings are applied to them; these are described in detail here. 

• 
  Machining area: Always corresponds to the machining area of the base part.
• 
  Phase: Always corresponds to the phase of the base component.
• 
  Level (Wall): Without exception, an FBOK level must always be assigned to openings. For wall openings, the corresponding level is determined as follows: Starting from the base plane of the wall, a search is performed within a 1.00 m range upward for a plane that contains the term "FBOK" in its name. Floor planes take priority in this process. If no corresponding FBOK plane is found, a warning is displayed.

• Component list level (TrSt, Skel, Fund, FuWa):
  The same rule applies here: Openings must always, without exception, be assigned an FBOK level. This is determined as follows, depending on the category.
  TrSt, Fund, FuWa: Starting from the base level of the base component, a search is conducted within a range of 1.00 m upward for a level whose name contains "FBOK." Floor levels take priority in this process.
  Skel: Starting from the base level of the base component, a search is conducted within a range of 10.00 m downward for a level whose name contains "FBOK." Floor levels take priority here as well.

While generating cutout families, Revit continuously displays errors and warnings. To prevent these from constantly opening error dialog boxes that interrupt the placement process, the "Generate Cutouts" feature automatically resolves common errors. In this section, we’d like to explain how this works in detail.
Errors: 

• No instance(s) of TGA_Allgemein intersect with any other object.
• Instance(s) of TGA_General cannot be cut out of the base component.
• Instance of TGA_General cannot be cut out of a wall.
• The type "Allg_WD_rectangular : TGA_General" cannot be created.

Solution: The breakthrough instance is deleted.

Error:

• Elements cannot remain connected.
• A connected element cannot be cut.
• Changes to groups are only allowed in group editing mode. Use the Edit Group command to apply the change to all instances of the group type. You can use the "Ungroup" option to proceed with this change by ungrouping the modified group instances.

Solution: All breakthrough instances just created in this base component are deleted.

Error:

• One or more dimension references are invalid or have become invalid.

Solution: The relevant dimensions (dimension lines, elevation marks, etc.) are deleted.

Warnings:

• Instances of TGA_General cannot be cut out of the base component.
• The highlighted inserted elements overlap with other inserted elements or do not touch the associated base components at all.
• The inserted element causes a conflict with the connected wall.

Solution: Warnings are suppressed when the model is generated, but continue to be displayed in Revit afterward.

• Create manually
• Generate automatically
• Generate automatically in the current view

Open any view in which you want to create cutouts. This can be either a 2D or a 3D view.

Click the "Create Openings" button to launch the corresponding Revit add-in.

The user interface opens. We are now in "Manual Creation" placement mode.

Note: Family assignment occurs automatically upon startup and is therefore not covered in this guide. For more information, see the "Assign Families" section in the feature overview.

Tip:

• The "Override Configuration" button allows you to easily set options for the current placement. Instead of switching to "Edit Configuration" mode, changing settings, saving them, and returning to "Generate Breaks" mode, you can override the settings directly and temporarily here.

In this example, we will proceed without overwriting the configuration. We will use the "Standard" configuration. 

Clicking the "Create" button takes you to selection mode. The user interface will now guide you through the selection process. Note that we are using the "Standard" configuration for placement.
We enable the "Selection in linked model" checkbox, since our line elements are located in a linked model. Next, we drag a selection frame over all line elements in the view. However, you also have the option to select or deselect individual elements with a mouse click.

We confirm the selection by clicking the "Finish" button on the Revit ribbon (at the top).

Now select the wall by clicking on it. Alternatively, you can select as many basic components as you like here.

We confirm your selection.

"Create Cutouts" will now begin the calculation and placement process. Information about the progress will be displayed. The results report will then open.

Let's take a closer look at the earnings report:

We can see that all openings have been placed successfully. Various details, such as the layer, room numbers, and dimensions of the openings, are displayed. Regarding the families and types, it is noticeable that both round and rectangular openings have been placed. This is because some round openings were merged into a single rectangular opening. The corresponding settings are defined in the configuration we used for placement.
It is also noticeable that there are openings that have been assigned to multiple trades.
Opening 4 was created with the type 'Heating_Plumbing'. Opening 5, on the other hand, was assigned the type 'Heating_Cooling'. The type assignment is performed automatically based on the trades of the pipes creating the openings. Each opening row can be expanded to view information about the corresponding pipe elements. Let’s take a closer look at openings 4 and 5.

Clicking the "Check All" button starts the necessary verification process. This generates optimized verification views that allow you to easily check the placement visually.
The navigation window and the first verification view will open.

Cutout 1 is centered in the view and marked in red. The fill color corresponds to the cutout’s status. Furthermore, the cutout is already selected, so you can see its parameters directly in the Properties window. Now check the position of the opening and make any necessary adjustments.
Tip: The control views contain various view filters. Adjust these as needed.
Since the opening has been placed correctly, we confirm with the 'Confirm Position' button; the opening is now marked in green.

Tip: Keep the results report open on a second screen during the control process. Changes to the breakthrough parameters or the control status are also displayed in the results report. In addition, the active breakthrough is expanded in the report.

Now use the navigation arrows or the drop-down list to select the next checkpoint.

For illustrative purposes, we will skip a few openings and continue with the combined Opening 5.

During the review process, you can switch between 3D and 2D views as desired. The "Section" 2D mode is available for wall openings. You can select this mode using the drop-down list.

A corresponding 2D preview window opens.

Checking the design using 2D views allows you to add dimensions and elevation marks.
Since the cutout was positioned correctly, we confirm its location, and the cutout indicator turns green.

Once you have checked all the openings, finish the inspection.

Finally, we'll wrap up the placement.

The placement has been successfully completed.
Note:
Openings whose control status has not been set to 'Controlled' will be deleted from the model. You will be notified of this via a warning message. The deletion of uncontrolled openings must be explicitly confirmed.

Click the "Create Openings" button to launch the corresponding Revit add-in.

The user interface opens. We select "Auto-Place" mode and configure the following settings.

Note: For placement, we select only one layer. Creating cutouts for all base components and all cables in a complete model can result in several thousand cutouts and long computation times for large projects.

"Generate Cutouts" will now begin the calculation and placement process. Various details regarding the progress will be displayed. The progress percentage and remaining time refer to the current operation, e.g., "Calculate Collisions per Base Component." The display showing which element is currently being processed, e.g., 4/75, always refers to the base components.

Note: When creating openings in a floor slab, the progress bar often does not update for an extended period and appears to be frozen. This is because a floor slab can contain hundreds of openings. The status will update as soon as all openings have been created in the base element.

The results report will then open.

Let’s also take a look at the last few lines of the report.

Let's now take a look at the results report:

We can see that 205 breakthroughs were marked as "Successful." However, three breakthroughs are shown as having errors. We will take a closer look at these at the end of this guide.

Various details, such as the layer, room numbers, and dimensions of the openings, are displayed. It is noticeable that both round and rectangular openings have been placed in the families and types. This is partly because different opening shapes are assigned to different conduit categories. On the other hand, some round openings have been combined into a single rectangular opening. The corresponding settings are defined in the configuration we used for the placement.
Furthermore, it is noticeable that there are openings that have been assigned to multiple trades. Each opening row can be expanded to view information about the corresponding conduit elements. Let’s take a closer look at openings 37 and 38.

Opening 37 was created with the type "Refrigeration_Plumbing." Opening 38, on the other hand, was assigned the type "Heating_Ventilation." The type assignment was performed automatically based on the trades of the pipes creating the openings. In these cases, openings from different trades were combined into a single, larger opening. For more information on the logic behind type assignment, see the "Family Types" section.

Clicking the "Check All" button starts the necessary verification process. This generates optimized verification views that allow you to easily check the placement visually.
The navigation window and the first verification view will open.

Cutout 1 is centered in the view and marked in red. The fill color corresponds to the cutout’s status. The cutout is already selected, so you can see its parameters directly in the Properties window. Now check the position of the cutout and make any necessary adjustments.
Tip: The verification views contain various view filters. Adjust these as needed.
Since the opening has been placed correctly, click the "Confirm Position" button.
The opening is now marked in green and its status changes to "Verified."

Tip: Keep the results report open on a second screen during the inspection process. Changes to the breakthrough parameters or the inspection status are also displayed in the results report. In addition, the active breakthrough is expanded in the report.
Now use the navigation arrows or the drop-down list to select the next breakthrough for review.

Note: For illustrative purposes, we are skipping a few breakthroughs.

The control view for Breakthrough 39 opens.

During the review process, we can switch between 3D and 2D views as needed. For floor openings, the 2D "Floor Plan" mode is available. We select this mode using the corresponding drop-down list.

A corresponding 2D preview window opens.

Checking the design using 2D views allows you to add dimensions and elevation marks.
Since the cutout was positioned correctly, we confirm its location. The cutout turns green.

We will now move on to wall opening 61. Since we are currently in 2D mode, a cross-sectional view will be generated.

This is another merged cutout. It appears to be positioned correctly. We’ll switch back to 3D mode to check the cutout there as well.

A corresponding 3D view is generated.

The breakthrough was correctly positioned, and we confirm its location. The breakthrough turns green.

We'll go through all the changes we want to keep in the model and then click the "Finish Review" button.

Finally, we complete the placement by clicking the corresponding button (bottom left).

The placement will be successfully completed provided that all openings have been checked.
Note:
Openings whose check status has not been set to 'Checked' will be deleted from the model. You will be notified of this via a warning message. The deletion of unchecked openings must be explicitly confirmed.

Incorrect cutouts:
Let's now return to the three faulty breakthroughs.

The "Placement" column displays the corresponding error messages and warnings for incorrect cutouts. In this case, all three cutouts report the same error:

• "No other object intersects with the 'Elektro' object(s)."

To be able to analyze failed placements as well, we can also generate these review views for them. The line elements for which a cutout should have been created are displayed in pink.

The review view quickly makes it clear that the cutout for this conduit could not be created because it would have been located entirely within an existing cutout in the cable route. Use the review process to investigate failed cutouts.

Open any 3D view in which you want to create cutouts. 2D views are not allowed in this mode.

Click the "Create Openings" button to launch the corresponding Revit add-in.

The user interface opens, and we select the "Automatically place in active view" mode.

The "Generate" button is active immediately, as all settings are set by default according to the current view. However, you can use the drop-down lists to filter the selection. Selecting layers is not necessary in this mode; the 3D cropping area defines the boundaries of the selection.
Since we have already customized our view to our liking, we click the button 'Create' without making any further changes.
Note: From now on, this example will correspond exactly to the example 'Create Manually'.
"Create Cutouts" will now begin the calculation and placement process. Information about the progress will be displayed as the process runs. The results report will then open.

Let's take a closer look at the earnings report:

We can see that all openings have been placed successfully. Various details, such as the layer, room numbers, and dimensions of the openings, are displayed. Regarding the families and types, it is noticeable that both round and rectangular openings have been placed. This is because some round openings were merged into a single rectangular opening. The corresponding settings are defined in the configuration we used for the placement.
It is also noticeable that there are openings assigned to multiple trades.
Opening 4 was created with the type 'Heating_Plumbing'. Opening 5, on the other hand, was assigned the type 'Heating_Cooling'. The type assignment is done automatically based on the trades of the pipes creating the openings. Each opening row can be expanded to view information about the corresponding pipe elements. Let’s take a closer look at openings 4 and 5.

Clicking the "Check All" button starts the necessary verification process. This generates optimized verification views that allow you to easily check the placement visually.
The navigation window and the first verification view will open.

Cutout 1 is centered in the view and marked in red. The fill color corresponds to the cutout’s status. Furthermore, the cutout is already selected, so you can see its parameters directly in the Properties window. Now check the position of the opening and make any necessary adjustments.
Tip: The control views contain various view filters; adjust these as needed.
Since the opening has been placed correctly, we confirm with the 'Confirm Position' button; the opening is now marked in green.

Tip: Keep the results report open on a second screen during the control process. Changes to the breakthrough parameters or the control status are also displayed in the results report. In addition, the active breakthrough is expanded in the report.

Now use the navigation arrows or the drop-down list to select the next checkpoint.

For illustrative purposes, we will skip a few openings and continue with the combined Opening 5.

During the review process, you can switch between 3D and 2D views as desired. The "Section" 2D mode is available for wall openings. You can select this mode using the drop-down list.

A corresponding 2D preview window opens.

Checking using 2D views allows you to add dimensions and elevation marks.
Since the cutout was positioned correctly, we confirm its location, and the cutout marker turns green.

Once you have checked all the openings, finish the inspection.

Finally, we'll wrap up the placement.

The placement was completed successfully.
Note:
Openings whose control status has not been set to 'Controlled' will be deleted from the model. You will be notified of this via a warning message. The deletion of uncontrolled openings must be explicitly confirmed.

The Updater automatically keeps the elevation parameter values for openings up to date.
It is no longer necessary to enter the relevant parameters manually, update them when changes are made, or update them using MultiPushTool.

Tip: The Updater is designed to remain active at all times.
Let's now place a wall opening in a floor plan using Revit's "Place Component" feature.

The cutout is positioned and updated automatically.
It can be labeled immediately; the label shows the correct value of UK +9,000 m.

We switch to a section view to move the cutout to its target height.

Note:
When the Updater is active, the elevation parameters of openings are always kept up to date when placing or modifying them. As a result, labels always display the correct values.

Note:
If you disable the updater, your breakthroughs will no longer be updated automatically. A warning will appear to alert you to this.