Object Substitution Workflow for Revit

When you import Revit files into Twinmotion with Datasmith, you can use the Object Substitution workflow to automatically replace the family geometry in your imported Revit files with Twinmotion objects.

All the local or downloaded cloud-based objects in the Twinmotion Library (including Sketchfab and Megascans objects) as well as the objects in the User library, can be used as replacements.

Steps in the Workflow

The Object Substitution workflow is divided into two parts:

1. In Revit, start by enabling the Twinmotion substitution workflow, then choose the families you want to substitute and select their Twinmotion replacements.

2. In Twinmotion, import your Revit file using either the Datasmith Direct Link or the Datasmith File Import workflow. Your Revit scene is imported into Twinmotion, and the families in the scene are automatically substituted with the Twinmotion objects you specified in Revit.

Prerequisites

If you want to use any of the cloud-based assets in the Twinmotion Library, you must download them before you begin the Object Substitution workflow. For information on how to download assets, see Accessing Twinmotion Assets on the Cloud.

Using the Workflow

1- In Revit

Enable the Twinmotion substitution workflow, and then select a Twinmotion object for each family you want to replace.

To enable the Twinmotion substitution workflow, do as follows:

1. Go to View > Twinmotion > Substitution Settings to open the Twinmotion Substitution dialog box.

   

2. In the Twinmotion Substitution dialog box, select the Enable Twinmotion Substitution for compatible Revit family categories checkbox, then click OK. This makes the Twinmotion substitution parameter visible in the Type Properties dialog for the families you select.

   

To select a Twinmotion object as a substitution for a family, do as follows:

1. Select the family you want to substitute.

2. Open the Type Properties dialog, and under Visualization click in the Twinmotion Substitution field to open the Select Substitution Object dialog.

   When the Twinmotion Substitution field contains the word “None”, a substitution has not been defined for the family.

   

3. In the Select Twinmotion Substitution Object dialog, click the thumbnail of the Twinmotion object you want to use as a substitution. To filter the types of objects that are shown in the dialog, select an object type in the Type dropdown list, or use the search box to search for an object by name.

   

4. Click OK once you have made your selection.

   The name of the substitution object you select appears in the Twinmotion Substitution field in the Type Properties dialog.

   

5. Click OK.

2- In Twinmotion

Import your Revit file into Twinmotion using either the Datasmith File Import Workflow or the Datasmith Direct Link Workflow.

Datasmith File Import Workflow

Create the .udatasmith file as described in Creating Datasmith Files, and then import it into Twinmotion by following the steps in Importing Geometry Into Twinmotion. During the import process, in the Import window under Options, select the Enable Substitution checkbox.

If you define more asset substitutions in Revit after the first import, you need to reimport the file into Twinmotion. For information on how to do this, refer to Replacing or Updating Datasmith Files in Twinmotion.

Datasmith Direct Link Workflow

Create a Datasmith Direct Link by following the steps in Setting Up a Datasmith Direct Link. When you get to the Import window, make sure to select the Enable Substitution checkbox.

Updating a Direct Link

If you define more family substitutions in the Revit file after you import it into Twinmotion, you need to update the file in Twinmotion. Once the file is updated, the new asset substitutions are updated in the scene.

To update a file in the Direct Link workflow, you can use the Direct Link Auto Sync or Synchronize with Direct Link feature.

1. In the View > Twinmotion menu choose AutoSync or Synchronize.