Configuring Areas, also referred to as BIM Areas, the Work Breakdown Structure, or the Construction Sequence, is key to being able to filter the model, create assemblies, and define work packages efficiently. Project deliverables are dependent on configured project Project Areas (Package Per Area Breakdown). The Package "Per Area Breakdown" number depends on the number of hierarchical areas defined in the project. For example, an AutoCAD model by default might only have the building as an area, whereas a Revit model might include a more granular hierarchical breakdown by Level, Scope Box, Room, etc. 

Configure

Import as Areas

To configure project Areas:

1. Click the Import Areas button. The Import Areas from Model dialog will display.
2. Select the model that will be used to define areas for the project. All models published to the project will display in the list.
   
   
   
3. For Revit models, depending on how the model was detailed, you may have additional options to breakdown areas by Levels, Scope Boxes, Zones, Rooms, and Spaces. Check the option(s) you want to use. Your selection will display in within the dialog.
   1. Levels is checked.
      
      
      
   2. Levels and Scope Boxes are checked:
      
      
      
4. When done, click the Import as Areas button. The Assign Parts (All Models) button will highlight yellow indicating that NONE of the model's parts have been assigned to an area yet because there is some additional editing options that you can use. 
5. Note: Anytime Import Areas is clicked, any previous edits to the Area table will be lost.

Assign Parts (All Models)

Once the Import as Areas button is clicked the Assign Parts (All Models) button and the Assign Unassigned Parts (All Models) button will highlight yellow. The yellow highlight indicates that NONE of the model's parts have been assigned to an area yet because there are additional editing options that you can use (see the Area Data Editing section below).

1. Assign Parts (All Models) - Click the Assign Parts (All Models) button when you are ready to assign all parts in the model to an area. This may take a few minutes depending on the number of parts in the model. When in process is complete, a message will display informing you how many parts were assigned to areas. The Assign Parts (All Models) button will no longer be highlighted yellow once the process completes.
   
   
   
2. If at a later time you need to edit Area data (see the Area Data Editing section below), you would need to either:
   1. Repeat the Import as Areas steps if you need to change the area breakdown by Levels, Scope Boxes, Zones, Rooms, and Spaces.
   2. Or, click the Assign Parts (All Models) button to reassign parts to areas.
3. Assign Unassigned Parts (All Models) - After a model is updated and re-published, parts that have been added to the model or removed from the model need to be assigned or unassigned from an area. Click the Assign Unassigned Parts (All Models) button to accomplish this task.

Area Data Editing

Area data can be edited. When editing is done, click the Assign Parts (All Models) button so that each part in the model is associated with the correct area data.

1. Name - The imported areas will display in a tree structure under the Name column. The name of each Level, Scope Box, etc will display. Names are not editable, but the Sort order is editable. See the Sorty by Name and Sort by Elevation options below.
2. Expand All - By default, all areas are expanded. Use the Expand All button to expand the areas after they have been collapsed.
   
3. Collapse All - Use the Collapse All button to collapse all areas to the highest tree branch, usually the model. Expand the model to view collapsed Levels.
   
   
   
4. Add Row Below - The Add Row Below button enables you to add an area row below the selected area. When clicked, a copy of the selected row will be add to the data grid. Edit the row as needed. Note: In one of the Viewers, Filter by Area and the newly added area row will display. It does not yet have any parts associated with it. See the Graphical Selector section below. 
   
   
   
5. Add Row Child - Click the Add Row Child button to add an indented row (child) to the selected row. The selected row becomes a parent row that can be expanded and collapsed. Edit the row as needed. Note: In one of the Viewers, Filter by Area and the newly added area row will display. It does not yet have any parts associated with it. See the Graphical Selector section below.
   
   
   
6. Delete - Click Delete to delete a row.
   
   
7. Arrows 
   1. Up - Moves the row up.
   2. Down - Moves the row down.
   3. Left - Outdents the row so that a child row is at the same level as a parent.
   4. Right - Indents the row so that the row becomes a child of the row above.
      
      
8. Sort by Name - Click Sort by Name to sort the rows by the Name column in alphabetic order. Note: The row order on the Areas page will drive the row order on the Projects > Deliverables page. 
   
   
   
   
9. Sort by Elevation - Click Sort by Elevation to sort the rows by the Elevation column (lowest to highest). Note: The row order on the Areas page will drive the row order on the Projects > Deliverables page. 
   
   
   
   
10. Edit row data - Double-click to edit the row data.
    
    
    
11. Color - Row colors display in the Viewers under Display Modes > Areas. 
12. Graphical Selector - By default, when the model includes Levels, Scope Boxes, Zones, Rooms, and Spaces, those will be automatically be matched up when the Import as Areas button is clicked (above).  The Graphical Selector can be used to override or redefine areas in the model that will be assigned to the selected row area.  
    1. The Graphical Selector is accessed by double-clicking any area row and clicking the Graphical Selector button in the Contents column.  The Select Regions for Area dialog will display. In this example, the region displays and since Scope Boxes were defined in the model, the SB (Scope Box) button is automatically selected, and the row area's scope box checkbox is selected.
       
       
       
    2. Display grid - To override default area settings, click the Display grid button to display grid cells with a checkbox in the center. Grids will display if the model includes Display Grids. By clicking a checkbox, any part whose centroid is within the grid cell will be assigned to the selected area.
       
       
       
       1. Click Done. The Areas table will refresh and the Contents of the select row will update with the number of grid cells that are included in the area.
       2. Since the Area data has been edited, the Assign Unassigned Parts (All Models) button will highlight yellow indicating that the parts have not yet been assigned to the area. Click the Assign Unassigned Parts (All Models) button to assign all parts in the model to the areas noted on the Areas page.
    3. RM - Click the RM button to manually select Room regions for the area of the selected row.
    4. SM - Click the SB button to manually select Scope Box regions for the area of the selected row.
    5. SP - Click the SP button to manually select Space regions for the area of the selected row.
13. Abbreviation - Manually enter an abbreviation for each row if you want STRATUS to automatically use the Area Abbreviation field as part of your assembly or package naming scheme under Admin > Company > Naming Conventions. See the Naming and Numbering (Admin) article for more information. Since area abbreviations are used within the name of an assembly or package, you'll want to standardize the naming scheme and keep them short.
14. Elevation - While you can edit the elevation, this elevation comes from the model so won't likely need to be changed.
15. Range Bottom Offset and Range Top Offset - The Range Bottom and Range Top settings tell STRATUS which parts in the Z will be included in the area. 
    1. For example, in the Models > Viewer, you may filter to an area that should include anchors, but it doesn't. This is because the anchor centroid is outside of the Range Bottom or Range Top setting.
       
       
       
    2. In this example, I'll enter -5" as the Range Bottom Offset for all of the Roof areas, and, to "offset" this I'll enter -5" as the Range Top Offset for all of the Level 1 areas.
       
       
       
    3. If any changes are made, click the Assign Parts (All Models) button to assign parts to the area. 
    4. Once the Models > Viewer is refreshed, Filter to the Areas (Roof), the anchors now display.
       
       
       
16. Code - The Code represents a sub-string for cost coding. The Code will be used in the future but is not currently an active feature.

Questions

Q: If after defining project areas the model is republished, will project areas be lost.
A: No, republishing the model does not overwrite or delete project areas defined in STRATUS. In fact, if new parts are added to an area in the model, they will be included in the defined area in STRATUS. And, if parts are removed from the model, they will also be removed from STRATUS.

Q: Are project areas imported back into the model or drawing?
A: No. A Project Area is a STRATUS only definition. It really does not need to be part of the model or drawing data.

Q: I have already set project areas by clicking the Assign Parts button. If the model is republished, will the new parts added to the model be assigned the correct project area?
A: Yes, the Part Property = STRATUS.Part.BIMArea will be assigned the correct area based on the project area assignments.

Videos

Project Areas Overview (9:42)

This video demonstrates:

1. How to how to import and configure areas from a Revit model or CADmep drawing.
2. How to use the Graphical Selector to manually add quadrants to an area.
3. How to Assign areas to parts.
4. How to auto-name a spool with an Area abbreviation.
5. How to isolate areas to create assemblies or packages.

STRATUS 01-24-19 Implementation Webinar (Project Areas 19:51)