Forma to Twinmotion - Conceptual sites ready to go!

A little about Forma first. It is a relatively new application accessed from your subscription center website. It is available to everyone with an AEC collection. Its focus is on the earliest stages of planning on conceptual design within a given project location. There will be other blog posts that will discuss the various tools found within the Forma software. However, for purposes of this one, we will discuss how you can get that information into Twinmotion quickly and easily!

All you need to do once you have accessed a project and created a Project Proposal (in this case, I am using the demo project that is already set up for you in Forma), is ensure that you have downloaded and installed the Forma addin for Revit. It will be a “.msi” file, similar to other add-ins. After that, simply go to the same dropdown as you got the download from, and with your Revit project open, select Send to Revit (Beta). This will form a preliminary link between Forma and Revit.

Next, in Revit, you will want to go to the Massing and Site tab. This is where the add-in installs to, which makes sense given how it’s generally site related! On the Forma panel, select Load Proposal.

This will load your Proposal with whatever Options you chose in this dialog box. Among other things, yes this is a quick and easy way to get roads that follow your terrain also! (No more generic, flat Twinmotion Context roads… high-five!!)

Whatever topo comes in, comes in as the new 2024 Topo Solids, which makes for normal editing. The context buildings are just Generic Models that are in a Group. Same way with the trees and other ancillary objects. Keep in mind that you will want to ungroup these items before taking the project into Twinmotion so that you can better swap out the assets.

From there, simply Open in Twinmotion or Unreal Engine like you normally would and synchronize! Now you have preliminary topos, streets, context buildings, and more for your Twinmotion concepts! And you didn’t even have to wait for the civil engineer to send you a mesh!

About the Author

Building Solutions Applications Expert<br><br>Having spent more than 20+ years working in the building industry, Kenniston puts his expertise to work for clients whether its creating complex electrical systems for data centers, design custom luxury homes, or helping them integrate all disciplines into a cohesive BIM process.<br><br>He’s spent time doing custom residential architecture and electrical designs, creating quantity takeoffs, and developing construction sequences, and implementing construction pre-fabrication services. Helping organizations make the most of their technology – and plan for future goals – is a key part of how he aids clients at IMAGINiT.

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