Manage Cloud Credit Costs
The area of floor objects included in the analysis determines Cloud Credit costs. Keep Cloud Credit costs down by considering the following:
- Choose only the floors you are interested in.
Sometimes floor objects can be used to build exterior surfaces, shading devices, etc. Analyze only specific levels or remove unwanted floor area from the 3D “_Lighting Analysis Model View.” Also, make sure there are not duplicate floors overlapping on the same level.
- Choose one level at a time to confirm model settings before running a full analysis.
If your level's floor area is within the free pricing threshold, you can often run these setup analyses for free. Use these free analyses to get familiar with how the tool works and test different setting before running an analysis for the full model.
- Choose low resolution (72 inch) to confirm model settings before running a high resolution (12 inch) analysis.
Use a low resolution analysis to check your settings and materials and get familiar with the tool. Low resolution analyses are available for some study types, and require less Cloud Credits. When ready for final analysis, you can use a high resolution.
- Only run a new analysis when you make an invalidating change.
Once you populate analysis results in your model, you can do a lot without having to run a new analysis. If you modify Rooms, Room Parameter settings, analysis display styles, schedule layout and column contents, or modify or create new 3D views, just select the run to repopulate and update results. When you change the model geometry, materials, or light fixtures, then you should run a new analysis, as the lighting conditions are changed.
- Join finish floors to underlying floor layers on the same level so only one layer is analyzed.
Many Revit models include layers of floors to indicate different finish surfaces in different areas of the building. This results in increased floor area, and increased Cloud Credit costs. Best practice is to use Modify > Geometry > Join to join the layers. You will still be able to show or hide finish floors in different views, but if floors are joined, only the top level will be used for the analysis.