REVIT?

[Guest Gen. Disorder]

Ok, so ive been hearing alot about revit latly from people who either are, or at least claim to be rather in the know about these things. & much of the chater is to the effect that Revit is going to replace what VIZ is in autdesks catalog.

 

has anyone heard about what is in the pipe for this? & should any of use be looking at revit now? ive seen some demos of it, & read some reviews, but thats about it. it seems at this point to be rather CD focused for people like us who are just doing visualizations. i dont want to have to wade through wall section types to do massing.

 

any thougths on Revit, what it is, what it will be or what ever would be cool.

 

thanks

 

GenDis

[CHE]

Revit....I have been playing around with the Demo a little bit and I have to say that the work flow is very impressive. I think that the program will revolutionize the architectural project development. In Revit you are able to handle 2D full plans, sections, elevations, a 3D model (quick renders) and paper work all in one file interactively .Very impressive uh?

Personally I doubt that it could replace VIZ at all. Accurender might be added to revit, but that's just a thought. The software is very easy to use, friendly. Everyone should give the demo a try. My 2 cents.

 

[ October 15, 2002, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: CHE ]

[Sawyer]

Gen. Dis.

Haven't played with it yet but all I hear is good. What I have heard is that Architectural Desktop will be taken over by Revit not Viz. But that is just gossip.

[Kerry Thompson]

Hi Guys

 

Revit, or something using its technology and methods seems to be the future for AutoDesk Architectural software. The system does have Accurender as part of its features and the workflow is initiative and easy to learn. Revit address the contract documentation by providing an excellent process and method for doing this work as well as “hot” linking the documents to the initiative modeller.

 

ADT, on the other hand is more flexible and powerful but quite quite difficult to learn. You need to be very conversant with AutoCAD to pick up all the oblique twists. I have got ADT working with a similar workflow to Revit (after a lot of effort). – You can build “Revit” using ADT (lisp, VB, Templates, etc.) but you cannot use Revit to build an ADT.

 

At present, ADT has a far broader modelling base with AutoCAD, ACIS solids, ADT massing tools, the AEC objects and the drawing linking to Viz. Revit, like ArchiCAD, is a bit “canned” in terms of standard models and it can take major effort to take things beyond “what is supplied in the box”. This can lead to “cookie cutter” Architecture (where the CAAD package renders the Architecture rather than the Architecture being rendered by the CAAD package).

 

If you are new to CAAD, or used to other parametric architectural system such as ArchiCAD, then Revit would be the direction you would look but if you use to AutoCAD, ACIS modelling and you “sculpt” your models, then, in it present form, you would find Revit frustrating and quickly reach its modelling horizons. At present, Revit does not seem to exchange 3D data all that well and there are no “hot” drawing links to Viz.

 

ADT4 and Revit 5 are also about to hit the deck so the ground will shift again.

 

Have a look on some of the AutoCAD and Revit newsgroups – there are numerous bunfights on the subject. Any comments are very welcome

 

Regards

 

Kerry Thompson

[Guest Gen. Disorder]

great post kerry. thanks a ton.

[Brian Cassil]

From a fairly reliable source I was told that Revit (or a technology based on the methods of Revit) will eventually replace ADT.

[Spongebob]

Gen. Disorder,

 

Revit will never replace VIZ. It looks very CD oriented because that is its purpose. Accurender cannot touch VIZ in quality and possibilities.

 

Now that AutoDesk owns Revit I am certain that the next release will have a 'filelink' of some sort to VIZ.

 

Accurender is supplied within Revit just like the default renderer shipped with AutoCAD. It is there for anyone who cannot afford both a document program and illustration program, but anyone who is serious about illustration will still use VIZ.

 

________________________

 

Kerry,

 

You sound very informed. Great answer.

 

Where did you hear the new versions are about to be released? At one time I followed the AutoDesk NGs often as well but have strayed since I found this site. (cudos to Mottle)

 

I know ADT 3.3 quite well (I teach a class on it in community college) and I am now digging into the tutorials of Revit 4.5. I have heard that the new releases of both packages will be vastly different and better than the current ones. If they are being released soon I will hold off studying Revit until they do.

 

Spongebob

[Kerry Thompson]

Hi Spongebob

 

I have a strong interest in the area, especially in terms of applying technology to the practice of Architecture and I keep my ear very close to the ground. Helped also, I guess by my past background as a technical director of a CAD consulting and sales firm.

 

I have seen lots of AutoDesk technology come and go over the years and they have had some amazing technology has not taken in the market. For example, the concept to the “Teamwork” feature promoted in ArchiCAD has been available in AutoDesk technology for over ten years as the Advanced Data Extension. ADE allows you to extract (as a SQL query) any parts of a set drawings into a save set, object lock it at an entity level to protect it from other users of the drawing, make changes and put it back where it came from. Very powerful stuff and has great application to AEC but it is currently only available in AutoDesk Map.

 

With most AutoDesk technology, until things like Revit, the products are very powerful toolboxes - a framework, and to apply them takes customisation. AutoDesk products, in the AEC area have been like supplying a database program and expecting the user/client to build the accounting system. Revit has an “accounting system”, ADT is a "database".

 

I understand that ADT4 will be available in the new year but I do not know what is in it – just supposed to be far better that ADT3.3 ???. I do not know much about the next release of Revit but I will be finding out more over the next month. As far as the long term, you may see a concept amalgam of Revit, ADT, Viz and Architectural Studio into a new platform based initially on Revit. Nothing stands still but it looks as initiative usability appealing to the majority of CAD users is very high on the software design objectives and this will be fundamentally important to the successful marketing of the products.

 

Well - so much for my rave. Any comments gratefully received.

 

Kerry Thompson

[jackb602]

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a Revit seminar hosted by a local Autodesk reseller. The Autodesk rep. (who had originally been an employee of Revit) stated that Autodesk has said "Revit is the future of CAD," and that ADT will be phased out over the next few years. Some of its features will be incorporated into Revit.

 

Regarding rendering, Revit currently has Accurender as its built in rendering engine. It will probably eventually incorporate VIZ's rendering capabilities, but he didn't say how soon this might happen. He didn't specifically say whether Revit would replace Viz, or just incorporate its rendering technology. Hope this helps,

 

Jack