How are you getting on?

[James]

Just curious to all those that have started using revit how you are getting on?

im starting this year with an intention to use revit for all my projects and im still learning/making my killer template

[RFRUSSO]

So far I have been using it for a project where we are only doing a 15% design. The scope of the project is to create a basic floor plan, elevations, 2 section cuts, and a roof plan. It is a 18,000 sf dinning facility. So far Revit has been awesome for that. I am a bit apprehensive about using Revit on projects where we have fine detailing or things like beams penetrating through walls, but I suppose I will cross those bridges when I get there.

[Domdeezy]

Currently we have 5 designers useing Revit, haven't used it on new job yet. We're just recreating projects that have been done in AutoCad and making our models. So far we have recreated 5 projects ranging from single story to 6 story Casino add-ons. Seems to going go. Can hardly tell Revit drawings from our Cad drawings. Our office is still in the middle of setting up standards.

[RFRUSSO]

Our office is still in the middle of setting up standards.

Our office has about 30 CAD users, ranging from architects, engineers, designers and good ol' fashion CAD monkeys. Out of the 30 users there are 4 of us that are transitioning to a Revit platform; Architecture, structural and MEP. While at the same time trying to develop an office wide CAD standard because currently each department has there own CAD users with there own CAD standards or guidelines. Now that we are starting to use alternates to AutoCAD we need to figure out how to include Revit and Civil 3D into the standards documentation. Looks like it is going to be quite the journey.

[Domdeezy]

need to figure out how to include Revit and Civil 3D into the standards documentation.

Same here our civil department is using Civil3d we also need to incorporate... let me know how it goes. We also need standards for our engineering program to link our models to RISA. Gone be a fun year for us.

[-sun]

I have to say after using revit for a month or two doing a tenent improvement which requires some walls to remain and other to be added this program is very insufficient. There are other problems i see when thinking about doing newer construction projects. When i was first introduced to Revit i was skeptical having used Architectural desktop. This product is very inflexible and in my option not "ready for primetime". It seems as if the program was completely designed without any architectural professionals present.

Sample Case: Doing a toilet room and having to specify Accessiblity minimum and maximum requirements. It is very typical for the actual room dimensions to be either larger than the minimum or smaller than the maximum. However with revit you cannot edit the dimensions without "tricking the system". The common response is to draw it to those dimenions which basically means you have to draw the minimum size toilet room or instruct the contractor without any flexibility with their layouts which is critical considering that plumbing fixutres come in so many different sizes. You might have space for a very comfortable toilet room but you would have to layout the space to the minimum requirements in order to instruct the contract that a toilet may move as long as it is a minimum of 18" off the adjacent wall.

I wish i could add images to further describe what i mean. But this is just one of many scenarios that reinforce my point on this. I will admit that this program is making me re-consider a position at an otherwise excellent firm.

Other issues:

Try viewing the lower level of a buidling in 3D. You have to hide everyting on every floor above that level element by element.

Use phases to delete a portion of a wall or build another wall next to the end of an existing wall. The cleanup will not always work properly and you can't turn off the clean up. You again have to "trick" the software.

Remove a door in an existing opening and try putting a new door of a smaller size in that opening or try to fill that opening with a solid segment of wall. You need this to show the existing demo plan and then the new configuration. This is difficult. YOur elevation will end up with a line that shows that opening that you filled.


These are all real world issues that regardless what the software developers believe, people run into. I wish i had more time to explain this slower, but I have to get back to fighting with Revit. Have a good day everyone.

[James]

I have to say after using revit for a month or two doing a tenent improvement which requires some walls to remain and other to be added this program is very insufficient. There are other problems i see when thinking about doing newer construction projects. When i was first introduced to Revit i was skeptical having used Architectural desktop. This product is very inflexible and in my option not "ready for primetime". It seems as if the program was completely designed without any architectural professionals present.

Sample Case: Doing a toilet room and having to specify Accessiblity minimum and maximum requirements. It is very typical for the actual room dimensions to be either larger than the minimum or smaller than the maximum. However with revit you cannot edit the dimensions without "tricking the system". The common response is to draw it to those dimenions which basically means you have to draw the minimum size toilet room or instruct the contractor without any flexibility with their layouts which is critical considering that plumbing fixutres come in so many different sizes. You might have space for a very comfortable toilet room but you would have to layout the space to the minimum requirements in order to instruct the contract that a toilet may move as long as it is a minimum of 18" off the adjacent wall.

I wish i could add images to further describe what i mean. But this is just one of many scenarios that reinforce my point on this. I will admit that this program is making me re-consider a position at an otherwise excellent firm.

Other issues:

Try viewing the lower level of a buidling in 3D. You have to hide everyting on every floor above that level element by element.

Use phases to delete a portion of a wall or build another wall next to the end of an existing wall. The cleanup will not always work properly and you can't turn off the clean up. You again have to "trick" the software.

Remove a door in an existing opening and try putting a new door of a smaller size in that opening or try to fill that opening with a solid segment of wall. You need this to show the existing demo plan and then the new configuration. This is difficult. YOur elevation will end up with a line that shows that opening that you filled.


These are all real world issues that regardless what the software developers believe, people run into. I wish i had more time to explain this slower, but I have to get back to fighting with Revit. Have a good day everyone.

hi

having used the software for a couple of months i have ran into these problems myself, mostly if im drawing an extension i get the infill/new door problems and as you say 'cheat' Revit to get what i want to do, and the elevation part is highly annoying.

still bar this problems, it still is so much quicker and more accurate to draft in that AutoCAD (so much so i rarely use AutoCAD at all now)

also 2009 has alot better dimension control allowing you to add text to the dimension etc and phasing control.

[-sun]

I wonder when you say AutoCAd do you mean regular autocad or Architectural Desktop. Architectural Desktop is to me equal in almost every respect to Revit but with the added versatility that we sometimes need on our projects. I can create projects that are vastly more complex than anything i'd try in revit at the same speed or faster in most respect.

I will say the fact that revit keeps track of detail and plan locations is one great asset Revit has.

The other thing is what if you needed to create a complex project like a school or medical campus with multiple building etc? I can't imagine how that would work out with revit. Opening the files would eventually kill any computer system.

Architectural Desktop also has Keynotes which revit doesnt seem to have (in a database format). I will follow that comment with this: I hate keynoting but i've worked with some that swear by it and ADT has a keynoting system that is hard to setup but excellent once it is setup.

I am working with Revit. My office just upgraded to Revit Architeture 2008. I will still be giving it a shot, as my job requires it. I guess i'm still not convinced. Maybe i'll be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for the Response.

-sun

[RFRUSSO]

I know for myself, I have been working with AutoCAD for 8+ years, so of course I am much more knowledgeable of how to do things in CAD Rather then Revit. I have only worked with Revit enough to do a 15% design. I assume that most of the issues that I encounter are based on my lack of knowledge rather then Revit's lack of ability. I know for a fact that revit can handle complex designs simply because I know people and have see examples of complex projects that have been done in Revit. Again that brings me back to the belief that just because I don't know how to do some thing smoothly, doesn't mean it cant be done smoothly. As for not being able to force dimensions, I say thank god. I hate forced dimensions! A simple General Note can cover any flexibility that you may (for what ever reason) want to give the contractor. Just remember, the end has been reached, by a bunch of people, it does exist, we are here to share information and knowledge as we achieve it, so that we can get there to.

[slimjramirez]

We're transitioning from 99% AutoCAD with one architect that we use Revit for, to ALL Revit for all projects. I'm the only dude that has had no training in it (yet is the second go-to guy after our drafting coordinator) and am finding that it requires a lot more intuition than CAD. CAD (only from my 2D experience) is almost monkey-work. I don't mean that derogitorally (...sp?); but you could essentially pull almost anyone outta highschool, give them the basics, and end up with a homogenous product for a relatively simple task.

With Revit, you really have to pay attention to what you're doing, and there are so many little quirks, it's sometimes maddening. Granted, I'm not doing much in-depth stuff right now, and a lot of it is electrical stuff; but it seems like once you get the hang of creating families and editing/adding blocks (or objects, or whatever, I still call 'em 'blocks'), it's kind of easier.

But this program is going to need a LOT of 'growing up' to do. Between the engineers, our head draftsman, and I; we're starting a list of things to send to the Revit Development group