[workflow] switching from SketchUp + AutoCAD to Revit?

[eidam655]

Hi everyone,

 

Whether it's archviz or studio projects in school, my usual workflow is to use SketchUp for massing studies and final renders (coupled with VRay) and AutoCAD for 2D project documentation.

 

While for simple archviz this has sufficed so far, I have quite a hard time keeping the 2D and 3D work in sync when I come up with a revision to the building mass during the design process at school.

 

Therefore I was thinking of switching to Revit. Since it has included the Vasari tools, I assume it should be possible to do informed massing studies quite quickly, and keep the documentation always in sync; with the final rendering done in 3DSMax, for example.

 

What are your thoughts on this? Has anyone done a similar workflow switch, or the other way round? What was it like? What tutorials/books did you use?

 

Thanks for any answer.

Edited March 30, 2014 by eidam655

[kadritahir]

ArchiCAD + C4D has seamless compatibility. - http://www.archicadwiki.com/Cinema4D

 

not well informed about Revit/vasari + 3ds.

[TomD_Arch]

I tried the 3DS MAX > REVIT thing as an experiment at my last job to satisfy my boss who was insiting we utilize the revit model in Max to render as opposed to just rebuilding geometry in Max for each scene we needed. To do it right can be very complex. There are a few ways to get revit into Max and of course the easiest way gives you the least amount of freedom to make alterations once in max. I seem to recall an article or .pdf from Autodesk University that walked you through a very complicated method of exporting Revit to Max and you ended up with a clean model that was worakable and easy to apply materials, but was not linked back to the original revit.

[alfienoakes]

Draw it all in revit, Fbx it, and then file link the Fbx into max. Make a change to the revit file, re Fbx it and then reload in max using the linked files dialogue.

 

Use this method all the time. You can then add all you little extra bits in max, but revit is driving the main design forward. Fbx file link allows you to the update when needed. This process takes minutes, and I find it's pretty clean. No real problems as yet. Although I still use max 2012, I know that newer versions you can bring the revit file straight into max. Can't comment on that method yet, as I haven't used it.