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Revit Architecture 2010 (Cadalyst Labs Review)
July 15, 2009 By: Patrick DavisLook beyond the controversial ribbon interface and you'll find some great improvements, including gradient backgrounds, local file creation, conceptual design tools, and a flexible API.
If you've read other reviews about Revit Architecture 2010 or some of the other Autodesk 2010 products, you're aware that they have introduced a Microsoft Office-style ribbon user interface (UI). In the case of Revit, this major change has elicited outcry from many users and has overshadowed many of the other updates in the product. Indeed, there's a lot to discuss about this new UI, and I'm eager to share my impression of it.
What's New in 2010
Before I get into a discussion about the new ribbon-style UI in Revit Architecture 2010, let's first take a look at several of the other new and noteworthy features in this version.
Gradient backgrounds. In Revit Architecture 2010, you can add a background gradient color to 3D views to create some additional depth. Gradient Background is a new option in 3D views under View Properties //var/www/html Graphic Display Options //var/www/html Background. Checking this toggle allows you to define a Sky Color, Horizon Color, and Ground Color. These settings allow you to create a gradient that will blend between the ground or sky color and the horizon color. It's a great addition. Support for elevation views would make it even better.
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Gradient background options. |
Filter by view type. Users now can filter views by type. This allows you to create a view template to exercise more control over which views are displayed, such as working views (sections, elevations, and details) that are turned off in a sheet view. You also can create a filter that can hide detail symbols in an elevation view but not in a detail view. There's a lot of functionality in this feature.
Local file creation. Revit Architecture 2010 provides a process for creating local files on projects that are using work sets. At first glance, this feature might seem minor and unnecessary. However, if you're involved in BIM management, you know that local file creation or the lack thereof is a major issue for some users. In Revit Architecture 2010, when you open a project file, the application will check to determine if you are opening a central, local, or stand-alone project. If you are opening a central file, Revit will create a local copy automatically in your default user file path location. If a local copy already exists, Revit Architecture provides an option to overwrite the existing file or append a timestamp to the existing filename. I particularly like the the ability to append a timestamp to the existing file to create an archive copy.
Like many other users, I use scripts to control the creation of local files from central files. The script files I use offer additional functionality and keep the users from having to touch the central file to create a local copy. This capability is good first step, but I prefer using the script files. More information about these scripts is available if you search the Autodesk User Group International Revit forums.
Shared coordinates. The shared coordinate system in Revit Architecture 2010 is more accessible and visible than it has been in past versions. When you click the Reveal Hidden Elements button, the new coordinate system icons display. Revit Architecture 2010 has three coordinate systems: internal, shared (survey), and the new project coordinates. As shown below, it has a shared (survey) coordinate and project coordinate icon and a base point icon. The internal coordinates system has no icon.
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Halftone/underlay control. In previous releases, the halftone control was limited at best. In Revit Architecture 2010, users can control the specific level of halftone for objects or linked files. Adjusting the line weight, pattern of underlay, and the brightness of the halftones controls this display.
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Halftone/Underlay dialog box. |
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About the Author: Patrick Davis
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