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Making the Switch — AutoCAD to Revit
2 Dec, 2010 By: Daniel StineRevit Tutorial: Before transitioning to Autodesk Revit, building design firms need to understand why, when, and how.
Many building design firms have made the switch to Autodesk Revit, either completely or for specific project types. However, many more firms have not yet made the jump. This article is meant to help those who have not ventured down the building information modeling (BIM) road yet, or who have the software but don't know what to do next.
To keep this article to the size of an article, rather than a book, only five fundamental questions will be discussed:
- Why switch?
- When is the right time to switch?
- Who should be trained?
- What content and template setup is needed?
- What should be done when things go wrong?
This article will be presented as a two-part series. The first part will address the reasons to switch, the timing, and who to train; the second part will address the remaining topics.
This article refers solely to Revit; however, many if not most principles described here could apply to any BIM software transition. To be clear, however, when the acronym BIM is used in this article, it is referring to Revit.
Why Switch?
The answer to the question "Why switch?" can vary from one firm to another. However, generally speaking most building design firms can, or will be able to, benefit from Revit. The following list highlights a few of the primary reasons to make the switch:
- Various municipal and private clients require BIM, and even clients who require AutoCAD files can still be accommodated when using Revit (except when they need specific AutoCAD blocks used). When firms start losing work because they are not utilizing BIM in their practice they should seriously begin to contemplate the switch.
- Document coordination and accuracy is improved, especially when all disciplines are using Revit (Arch, ID, Struct, MEP).
- It is very rewarding to be able to cut a section anywhere in the building and see that the ceilings, beams, bar joists, and ducts all fit within the plenum space.
- When Revit is used properly, it is almost impossible to have a section, elevation, or detail reference point to the wrong drawing/sheet.
- Because the 2D drawings are generated from a 3D model, all plans, elevations, and sections are synchronized. One does not need to remember to adjust other drawings after making a floor plan change. For example, moving a door in plan does not require making that same change in several other drawings (elevation, section, finish plan, code plan, etc.). Some notes might need to be adjusted, but nothing significant.
This high-quality Revit rendering is derived from the same model used to generate the floor plans, elevations, sections, and schedules. Notice how this view makes it easy to see how the various disciplines are coordinated.
- High-quality presentation graphics become a byproduct of the construction documents (CD). In the AutoCAD workflow, the CDs are one effort and the renderings another. Often the project budget does not afford the additional effort required for a rendering. In Revit, it is easy to create a rendering or walkthrough animation of the model — which was created primarily for construction. Of course, it still takes additional time to set up colors, materials, and entourage. But quick renders for meetings and design critiques take virtually no time.
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on: December 3, 2010 - 8:00am