Revit or Autocad 3D?

[rygoody]

So my current modeling pipeline involves sketchup, Max and some Maya here and there.

 

Which is great for what it is. But as of late, I'm going to need to start modelling my buildings in a format which can actually be engineered and built. That can actually have detailing and real floor plans pulled off of them. I need to actually start doing 3D drafting, not just viz models.

 

What I'm wondering is, has anyone else ventured this route? Coming from being very fluent as a modeller and then transitioning into 3D drafting? What programs did you find the easiest to transition to?

 

At first, Revit seemed the ideal route to take here, I didn't think anyone actually did fully detailed 3D models in autocad, so Revit seemed to be the only full 3d solution for drafting. But I was just looking at the new Autocad and they seemed to of upped it's 3D capabilities dramatically. So I'm curious to know, does anyone actually do full 3D modelling in autocad? Is autodesk trying make autocad stand as a 3D modeller now? Or is the 3D functionallity still kind of fluky and would it be better to invest in revit for 3d drafting?

 

Also what about archicad vs revit? I'm going to be using 3DS max for the viz, so it seems like revit would provide better interoperability there. Is that true? Or is archicad actually superior enough to revit that it would be ideal to go with archicad anyways?

[AJLynn]

It sounds like what you really want is to simultaneously work on your 3d model and your architectural drawings. Autocad 3d doesn't do this, but Revit does. If you take a disciplined approach to your Revit09 the same files that generate your CDs will export as an FBX file with "ProMaterials" for mental ray in Max09.

[manta]

Is FBX the way to go...or is there file-linking also ?

I've heard the files coming into Max are a nightmare...thousands of objects etc...I'm not sure if that was FBX or dwg...

[AJLynn]

I've tried both and FBX was better. The FBX file is actually renderable - it's not great but passable for really quick work.

[chithanh119]

I also used to use both and I found that FBX was better

[ctk111]

I'm getting ready to start a collaborative project with a person who is interested in switching to Revit. Our work flow on previous projects was for him to create the 2D construction drawings in CAD and then I model in both AutoCAD and Max. My colleagues opinion is that Revit can streamline the situation by creating both the 2D and 3D drawings at once. Neither of us have used Revit and he knows nothing about modeling in 3D. A lot of our models have pretty ornately detailed moldings, so polycount can get a bit high at times. What sort of drawbacks do you see in the Revit approach?

 

AJ your comment, " I've tried both and FBX was better. The FBX file is actually renderable - it's not great but passable for really quick work. " makes me somewhat skeptical.

 

Do the models need a lot of massaging once they've been imported in to Max?

[Chad Warner]

I think what AJ means is that an FBX model into Max is passable if you are looking for quick and dirty renderings. Personally, if I plan on doing anything to the model in Max, I go with DWG export from Revit becuase the models come across much cleaner, and I also clean up a lot of junk in AutoCad before going into Max.

[neko]

i model almost exclusively in autocad, but i would seldom consider using the 3D model to generate 2D working drawings. you can output basic linework for a starting point of your plans/elevations/sections, but you would still need to add considerable detail to the drawings.

 

autocad has improved it's 3D capability, but revit is the way to go, by the sounds of what you need (fully integrated 2D/3D drawings and model).

 

i am just taking a revit course now and quite enjoying it. the learning curve is not so steep at first glance.

[AJLynn]

You should massage them. Make a lot of changes to the materials (unless you're so amazing at the materials in Revit that you can make them come out good enough for Max work) and lighting and of course cameras, and there was a script linked here a few months ago that cleans the meshes. Then you're still going to need to do trees etc.

 

That's all polish. If you're in an architecture firm and you need to knock something out so people can see it, not so people can market it, you can do it an hour. If you need the high quality, you're no worse off for having started from a Revit FBX.

[ctk111]

Chad, so your approach is Revit to AutoCAD to Max? How much cleanup work is normally involved? Do you find that you have to remodel a lot of the 3D objects created in Revit? Would you rather work on models that were created in AutoCAD or created in Revit?

[rygoody]

Thanks for the all the info. I'll be trying out revit.

 

 

Still though, no one has any experience with archicad?

[RevitGary]

I know this an old post but.

I export my revit model as a fbx then use a linking procedure recommended by autodesk. I use the link procedure because I constantly make changes to the model on a daily bases. And the work around linking is essential for my work flow. Hopefully the next revit relaese will have a more direct linking.

[dande]

If your going to do 3D drawings where you want to create a 3D model and 2D floor plans. Have you looked at AutoCAD Architecture. It creates a 3D model as you draw in 2D. It has the look and feel of AutoCAD and in addtion to all the architectual commands you have all the AutoCAD 3D commands.

 

I use it all the time. I looked at Revit and I decided not to move to it. It is a great product for standard building and developments but I thought it lacked the commands to do non standard stuff. You have standard 3D commands but they are a lot more cumbersome to use them AutoCADs 3D commands.

 

AutoCAD Architect uses the standard dwg format so you can use file link to bring it into Max. If your model changes you can just update it in Max.

[aaronrumple]

If your going to do 3D drawings where you want to create a 3D model and 2D floor plans. Have you looked at AutoCAD Architecture. It creates a 3D model as you draw in 2D. It has the look and feel of AutoCAD and in addtion to all the architectual commands you have all the AutoCAD 3D commands.

 

I use it all the time. I looked at Revit and I decided not to move to it. It is a great product for standard building and developments but I thought it lacked the commands to do non standard stuff. You have standard 3D commands but they are a lot more cumbersome to use them AutoCADs 3D commands.

 

AutoCAD Architect uses the standard dwg format so you can use file link to bring it into Max. If your model changes you can just update it in Max.

 

Lots of inacurate info there....

 

Revit can model pretty much anything AutoCAD or 3DS can. And it is much faster than AutoCAD. I do casino work and 99.9% of what I do is non-standard. It is all modeled in Revit. And they are large spaces with high level of detail. Every slot machine is drawn and detailed in 3D with screens handels buttons and detail.

 

Revit can export to FBX or to 2D and 3D AutoCAD fromats. Material definitions are preserved in both FBX and AutoCAD. AutoCAD exports can be either polymesh or ASCIS solids. File linking can be done through the exported AutoCAD files just as you would with AutoCAD itself and updated the same way.

 

Revit has Mental Ray built in so you can setup materials in Revit and even render with respectable results right in Revit. Vray is my choice and Revit has worked very well with my workflow.

 

The attached are 100% Revit modeled.