AutoCAD MEP or Revit MEP

[hoss]

Hello all,

I have been using this MEP forum a lot in last few weeks and learnt a lot. But I am still no confident with lots of things, ie Section view and Elevations.....

All of the section views I have created have parts or pipes of ducts missing. Not been able to do elevation, because when I enable the elevation in options and click apply, AutoCAD MEP shuts down.

My manager has been trying to find some training sessions for me and to day he talked to a guy in an authorised Autodesk training centre.

When he explained our issues and what we want to do, he said AutoCAD MEP has these problems and training won’t help, as these are software issues, not user.

Then he carried on explaining, how Revit MEP is a more complete package and suites our needs. I don’t know how true this is! Is he right or he is just trying to sell us a software, as they are Autodesk reseller.

Someone else has mentioned CAD duct to me. But I don’t know anything about either of these packages. What we need is software to draw a 3D model of boiler houses for presentation purposes and then 2d for fabrication and installation.

Can someone give me some advice?! Thanks in advance

[tzframpton]

If you are wanting to create fabrication drawings then stay far away from Revit MEP. There's no question that Revit MEP is the worst candidate for fab-level.

 

As for elevations, etc... be sure you're selecting everything. Sometimes in Plan View you'll miss vertical pipes, items that are directly under similar items, or fittings. This is why a split Modelspace Viewport is the best set up when generating Sections. Keep working at it, you'll get it.

 

And TSI is a very powerful program, but too many times I've seen people use it and it becomes an extreme handicap because it's still terribly limited in other areas. I will say this, when I see that some other company is using CAD-Duct/CAD-Pipe, I cringe. I just can't stand dealing with those models. Ugh.... seriously. What's good is they've been acquired by Autodesk so in the next couple years maybe they'll merge some package into a "one size fits all" release, but that's high hopes I'm sure.

 

Either way you go, you'll find limitations. There's no getting around that.

[hoss]

Hello and thanks for your help

I have to gather some info to proof to my manager that Revit is not the right package for us and the guy is trying to sell us software that won't resolve the problem.

 

As for elevations, etc... be sure you're selecting everything. Sometimes in Plan View you'll miss vertical pipes, items that are directly under similar items, or fittings. This is why a split Modelspace Viewport is the best set up when generating Sections. Keep working at it, you'll get it.

I have tried lots of different ways, even typed all (to select all items) and still some of the parts are missing

I think I need to start looking for a job, as they seem to be looking for an experienced MEP user

[tzframpton]

Some things to keep in mind about Revit when it comes to the Fab world:

1. With Revit there is no pre-existing catalog of ANSI standard fittings for piping and plumbing, nor is there considered a "real" catalog of standard fittings for ductwork. AutoCAD MEP has a lot, but TSI has basically everything that exists in the real world. You can technically make your own Families in Revit but that's no easy task.
   
2. You can't just "draw" in Revit. Most of the time you have to build a minimal Architectural model (unless one already exist from the architect) because Revit is parametric, and needs Floors, Roofs, Ceilings, Walls, etc for things to work properly in Revit. If you're used to "drawing" AutoCAD style, then Revit will be very hard for you to grasp since it's not a "drafting" program.
   
3. Annotations are sub-par when compared to AutoCAD. It's easier to annotate things in AutoCAD because you can do it more freely. Revit tends to want to know what you're annotating, and even when you get that right, the Text and Paragraph options that AutoCAD has just aren't there. In the Fab world, extensive annotations are very necessary.
   

There are many things about Revit to love, actually. But unfortunately Revit isn't advertised as Fab software. For BIM and 3D models, workflow, coordination with other trades/companies, Revit is the real deal and AutoCAD is soooo ancient when you get the hang of Revit. AutoCAD MEP is much better than AutoCAD with the added functionality, and TSI's CAD-Duct/CAD-Pipe might have a lot of content and tools, but they still run on a stone-aged platform that I am finding myself using less and less, and using Revit more and more.

 

Just my $0.02 is all. Take it for what it's worth.