B4 - Project Idea - Group A, Ilana Ritvalsky

For my project, I have selected to work alone on a research paper. The composition will explore various available technologies that allow building systems to automatically adapt to changes in the weather and natural environment. By definition, an intelligent building is one whose systems take advantage of adaptive technology and involves said mechanisms throughout its life cycle - conception, design, construction, daily operation, maintenance, etc. My selected topic depicts one way in which automation can be utilized on a daily basis within a structure. These buildings have the ability to detect/obtain an input - lighting levels, outside temperature, relative humidity, etc. - and will instinctively adjust as necessary. Several systems are affected by these changes including HVAC, electrical and even architectural.

I chose this topic because it's something that greatly interests me. I've been curious about intelligent systems for a while especially after witnessed such a mechanism in action. One day I was studying in the new LeBow building and noticed the window shades going up and down on their own. I mentioned it to one of my friends (who was more familiar with the building) and she explained that a system had been installed that adjusted the shades according to the time of day and level of sunlight coming through the windows. I figured that this project would be the perfect opportunity to explore my interest. My only concern is being able to obtain a significant amount of original material. We're all familiar with the obvious adaptive systems for HVAC and lighting but I was hoping to find information on newer technologies that haven't become so popular yet. One in particular is the ability of a building's architectural system to adapt - changes in facade/building skin, room positioning, etc. Other than that, I have no worries regarding this topic.

Anticipated Paper Outline: (subject to change)
I. Introduction
a) Reiteration of Intelligent Building Concept
b) General Explanation of Topic
c) Relevance to Course
II. Discussion of Technology that Allows Such Adaptations to Occur 
a) Temperature Sensors
b) Humidity Sensors
c) Light sensors
d) How sensor input is translated to building system output
III. Specific Applications/Examples
a) HVAC system
b) Electrical/lighting system
c) Architectural/structural system
IV. Conclusion and Remarks

Project Timeline:
• 02/14/15 – Completion of research
• 02/17/15 – Completion of draft (75% complete)
• 03/02/15 – Completion of research paper final draft
• 03/04/15 – Begin preparing for presentation
• 03/10/15 – Deliver project presentation

Comments

To Alex, Giovana and Pangyan: Your topic sounds very interesting. Both the concept of intelligent building and the concept of green building have reached a point of popularity in recent years and I think it'd be great to see how the two coincide. I'd really like to see specific cases in which a building's "intelligence" can add to its ability to be green. It would also be interesting to see if there are cases in which increasing the intelligence can have a negative impact on a building being green.

To Lee: I really appreciate the topic you've chosen considering that I know little to nothing about the vast capabilities of Revit. I learned so much just from doing last week's bookshelf exercise so I can only imagine how much you could learn from going through some of the other tutorials that are available.

To Drew and Derek: I love how unique your project is! It appears as though so many of us are focusing on Revit as a drafting tool or creating a research paper.This topic is extremely practical and I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more about the data base you're creating and the exact methods used. 

Week 4 – Alex dePinhoNunes - How does Revit relate to Autocad and other drafting programs

Since the computers began to be used for the construction firms, autocad have been the most used software that companies use to design bildings. Although Many other softwares from different companies have been made and used for diverse projects, autocad is the most used software for 2D drawings. In comparison with the second most used software 2D the Bentley Microstation, in my opinon,  I can say that autocad has advantages and disadvantages. First, the most efficient thing in autocad is the easy shortcuts for every single command in the program making you be able to drawing fast than in the microstation, that you need to point click in every command that you want to use. In my opinion the microstation has the advantage of create block with a simple click in ctrl+b, and in the autocad you need to have a way complex steps to achieve this. In general the two software are very similar and very good for use in 2D, but talking about 3D they are a complete disaster. I don’t know if the Autocad 3D or Microstation 3D are still being used for companies, but they cold not be even close to reach many aspects that the Revit nowadays is able to do. First of all, these 2 old programs aren’t able to creat blocks like furniture, doors, window and etc, instead were used rectangular blocks to represent that . Second they are not capable to support complex anf big structures, the program usually crash and had a very dalay to execute commands. In comparison with revit, these 2 old programs reaaly have many disadvantages. In the revit nowadays  these two problems that I told does not exist, with revit you are able to desgn any kind of structure that you  want and is relatively esier tha other 3D softwares. The simple commands and the very intuitive interface of the program, alyed with the previously kkowledge of the commands from autocad can make the use of Revit a vary easy task for some people.

I’ve used other kind of softwares since I began to work and study in the engeneering field, I have used Smart Plan, PDMS, Smart Marine, Inventor, and some of others that are very similar and very complex to learn, and of this kind of software I definitelly think that Revit, it’s the best one. Have a good knowledge in this softaware can be a good skill that you want to have for you job in the future.

B3 - Week 4 - How does Revit relate to other BIM programs?

My experience with design software has been limited to Revit and AutoCAD, with a few other softwares that are used for other types of design. Therefore I want to focus on the relationship between the two as it is what I can speak about most intelligently. Revit is a piece of software that is used to create digital models of buildings with the added benefit of pertinent building information being linked to different components of the model. The software is known as BIM, or building information modeling. This is done such that different requirements -- including schedules, elevations, plans, 3D views, etc. -- can all be generated from a single plan model. Obviously, some building components need additional parameters added from different views and some components are better designed from a different view. However, what this software allows is to step out of line work and simple pictorial representations that require each view to be created separately and are truly only helpful in 2D views. With this benefit now one can sit down and each time a person "sketches" or "drafts" the parameters of a component and accept those parameters, a fully finished and detailed component is created. This component also has material information linked to it as well as many other types of information that designers require. For instance, one can automatically create detailed schedules in a few clicks.
With that description of Revit established, we can compare how this relates to AutoCAD. AutoCAD is also able to create digital models, however it is actually software for digital drafting, which means it really is only an electronic sketch table. The software will allow for lines to be drawn and the spaces between them in 2 or 3 dimensions to be saved to create a digital drawing of the building. This differs greatly from Revit in that one using AutoCAD is only connecting lines to create shapes and the model is not so different from the same drawing done on paper. The computer assistance, however, allows for different features such as copy and paste as well as having a universal model scale that allows for exact dimensions to be satisfied. This was a major improvement, at the time, from drawing by hand which takes a tremendous amount of time and effort.
Compared to Revit, AutoCAD pales in comparison in terms of time and effort efficiency and efficacy to create a helpful, useable model. Revit allows for components to be represented as whole pieces with various types of data and modifiable parameters that relate to that type of building component. For example, a door in AutoCAD is really just a number of lines that will look like a picture of a door whereas a door in Revit is a predesigned component that is fully 3D, has multiple parameters in many different categories relating to design, and has a tremendous amount of metadata linked to it. It is simple to see that Revit can eliminate many of the tedious tasks associated with current design processes, including the dreaded updating of schedules and other information as the model changes.
Some other types of software do exist, such as Bentley Architecture V8i, Vico, and Tekla BIM which are all different in terms of interface and overall scope of use. For instance Bentley Architecture V8i is generally the software of choice for large international firms, which speaks volumes about the overall efficacy and dependability of the software. They also offer a myriad of different types of software that address many of the needs and concerns of highly professional and large projects that can be international collaborations. Vico is another type of BIM software that can allow for up to 5D models, which allow for advanced estimating and planning to be linked to the model. Vico also allows for projects to be remotely accessed and updated by multiple workers. Finally Tekla is mainly for civil projects as its main material types used for building are concrete and steel. All of these mentioned BIM softwares have the main difference from AutoCAD of being BIM and not just visual representations of a building. These BIM softwares will allow for advanced models to be created all at once while generating the necessary supporting documentation about the building components.

As Hamad Al-Sulaiti said, Autodesk did not fall from the limelight after the emergence of Revit -- they actually bought it and championed it. Autodesk is diversifying its products and evolving what we know as BIM into new and ever more useful programs. What is considerable is that they have found a way to thrive in a market where the paradigm of digital design is constantly changing. I think this is due in part by them identifying the inevitability of needing to adopt new systems to govern digital design and adopting these ideas as  their own. When Revit was being designed Autodesk found out who was creating this and bought it outright because they knew that their initial design software would be obsolete soon.
Hang Wang also referenced his own experiences using both softwares in different coops. I agree with how he described both types of software in terms of usefulness. AutoCAD does have some applications where it performs better than Revit. For instance, when only simple, 2D plans are required Revit is much too involved and would not be useful for simple representation. Also for projects involving renovations or designing within a preexisting building would require the entire building to be recreated in Revit before any new designs could be done. Therefore it should be understood that Revit does no outshine AutoCAD in all was.
Angela Castro referenced that Revit is technically creating 4D models -- 3D models with even more information or parameters attached to it intelligently. There is a potential for 5, 6, 7D that have been loosely defined but essentially what they describe is adding increasing levels of metadata to a building model. This includes comprehensive aspects of the building design process so that there is the potential to complete the entire building design process at once by creating a the model in a BIM software. This is more or less the direction that BIM is currently taking -- allowing for computers to perform more of the tedious and time consuming tasks related to building design, such as cost estimates, material schedules, spatial conflicts, etc.

Week 4 - Giovana Pelisser - How does Revit relate to Autocad and other drafting programs?

Autodesk was the first company to create a software for engineering design, and many companies after them  are improving this sector. AutoCAD is a complex software, with a enormity of commands, you can draw since a small house to big highway.

 Even though Revit is similar to AutoCAD, there are many differences between them, and the hard part it was not used the keyboard commands that AutoCAD has, which greatly streamlines the process. Revit is much more intuitive and can be created walls, floors, windows and doors more easily, with a much wider range in choice of materials, not to mention the 3D practicality, which is nothing available with AutoCAD.

The good thing about Revit,  since you can create a template and renders it immediately. Another thing that stands out is the connection between the components, both within the architectural project, the structural and systems, as can be seen in some examples inside the Revit. Furthermore, the ease with which it creates the final sheet, enabling the editing and the attachment of the elevations, views and profiles designed previously.

Also, you can see that despite the AutoCAD generate a more accurate design and have command and simpler interfaces, Revit facilitates the design when it comes about the time spent. Unlike AutoCAD, with Revit, the drawing steps may be done automatically, for example, in designing the plant it is possible to decide where the cuts will pass, thus cutting the program automatically generates, as the perspective is also generated simultaneously.

ArquiCAD is another good software for drawing, is the oldest BIM program available on the market, ArchiCAD is intuitive to learn and has a relatively large user base, distributed worldwide. Some Professors and Companies like to work with this software, but it has limitations, it lacks power to work with more complex projects, and database system is a little more basic than in similar programs, like Revit.

Comments:

Derek Lavigne talked about the advantages of Revit, giving more sense to projects, putting everything into a single set.

Angelina explained the differences and similarities between AutoCAD and Revit, such as Revit is easier to create a wall, for example.

Week 4, Abdulghani Albaloushi, Group D

Advantages of Revit/BIM

 

Revit is a BIM program that is used by architects, structural engineers, and MEP engineers. It allows you to design buildings including their detailed components in 3D and 2D.  The idea is to design a 3D model or virtual representation of the actual physical structure. It is compatible to work with 4D BIM (which refers to the intelligent combination of 3D CAD components with time or deadline related information).  The 4D tool tracks the different stages in the building’s lifecycle from initiation to conclusion, and also performs material quantity calculations.

 

Revit can also be used as a very great collaboration tool between different disciplines in the building design process. When using Revit in a project, one should look at a company’s existing workflow process and determine if such an elaborate collaboration is needed.

 

The Revit work environment also allows clients to control whole buildings (project environment) or individual 3D shapes (family editor environment). As mentioned earlier, by using Revit, the user can design a building and its components in 3D, annotate the model with 2D drafting elements and access building information from the building model database. When Revit is used in the initial design stage, the 3D massing of a building is easily and clearly developed. It also speeds up the development of the whole model and increases the accuracy of the final product

 

Revit had made building design process much easier. Many companies nowadays invest in BIM for better design, project quality and documentation. Multinational companies such as AECOM, Skidmore, Owings & Merril (SOM), and Emaar use Revit for more insight and better predictability for their projects, and as result achieve better business results.

 
Comment to Derik
I agree. The transformation from a 2D basic drawing to a complicated 3D (even 4D and 5d) is extremely important in this day and age. I also agree that Revit does a great job in integrating the different disciplines of the design.
 
Comment to Mark
I agree that if designer worked with the owner on design, this will definitely reduce the amount of errors and will reduce the design costs. Using BIM software like Revit saves both time and money.
 
Comment to Jonathan
I agree. Revit is one of the best CAD software in representing the product/plans to the clients. It is extremely useful for floor plans as wells. I agree that this software can be used by both architects and engineers.
 
Sources:

"Case Study: WSP Flack + Kurtz." WSP Flack + Kurtz | BIM Case Study | Autodesk. AUTODESK, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.

"Skidmore, Owings & Merrill." Autodesk -. AUTODESK, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.

 

Dickard, Paul. "AECOM Deploys BIM for United Kingdom Schools." AECOM Deploys Building Information Modeling (BIM) for United Kingdom Schools. AECOM, 20 July 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.

 

B3-Jinhao Liang-Group E

How does Revit relate to AutoCAD and other drafting program?

Revit has its database and been set up under the design framework of BIM, which could offer more accurate and high quality projects through its unique operation between 2D and 3D. As a future’s structure engineer, the intelligent models given by Revit give us assistance to simulate and deeply understand the project before beginning the project, in the meantime, which also help to forecast the performance of the building. The database of Revit categorize and sort these objects, such as pipes, walls, doors, floors, furniture and so forth, into different groups (Family) that could be easy to found in the left manual. These parametric components provide a wide platform for designers. Thus, Architecture designers don’t need to draw the components through complicated sketching in 2D plane, but alter the parameter values of the templet according to the existing models. For an Architecture company, a unique and creative database would be a direction of the competition.  If an institute intend to do new model that quite different from other company, it is good choice to draw and design the component in AutoCAD and import it into Revit database because these two software have the same drawing pattern and can be translate each other. Furthermore, AutoCAD is a comprehensive design software, focusing on 2D drawing, can be used in various areas, hence it lacks of specific expressive force in building. However, Revit, obviously, have a better advantage in expressing 3D model like the camera system and optional conversion between 2D and 3D. We can view the part of the building from other perspectives. In comparison, Revit could lock the relative position, the length and height can be kept until the project is completed.  The setting of stairs, walls and floors are more convenient than AutoCAD. Actually, these functions are all from AutoCAD and Revit have combined a great number of functions and from ArchiCAD and make them turn in parameterization. Nonetheless, AutoCAD have more smooth operation speed for that it will close the unnecessary calculation during drawing. Unluckily, Revit is relatively slow because it keeps work to calculate what you did all the time.  For me, I pretty like the generating system of project sheet. With Revit, it becomes easier to alter it in the floor plan manual and drag the modified floor plan to the project sheet anytime. For AutoCAD, you need to draw everything in the sheet.  

"AUTODESK UNVEILS AUTOCAD REVIT SERIES 7." Computer Workstations 1 Feb. 2005. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.

Revit and AutoCAD, 2014, web. http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2014/04/revit-and-autocad.html

Comment to Hang Wang

You really did the researches about the Revit and provided the reference. I noticed that you said Revit is mainly used for Architecture design. I strongly agree with you. However, this software also offer adequate technique support for structure analysis. So, you not only do the design job through Revit, but also conduct the analysis about shear stress and bending moment like the SAP 2000 does. It’s a really nice software.

Comment to Angelina Castro

I agree to this point you said that Revit have a better expression on 3D model than AutoCAD especially the visual illustration in different perspectives . The characteristic of AutoCAD is that you can draw the lines in different layers. Actually, AutoCAD also have the Architecture edition, which is called ArchiCAD. It also provide lots of models like walls, electrical machines, steels pipe for user to adopt in the project. Revit and AutoCAD are from the same company, so Revit imitate some main functions of AutoCAD.

Comment to Hamad AL Sulaiti

It is a good point for you to relate the week 3’s lecture to the blog. It’s the first time I hear that Autodesk Inc. will publish the Building Design SUITE Premium 2015. I think they will do a great amount of improvement on visual expression and adding more models to the software. To architects and engineers, that will be a good news. The word, “cinematic-quality 3D”, make me excited and I hope they can get the software much easier to use. 

Jonathan (Yu-Sen Liu) B3 - Group C

What are the possible future advantages of Revit/ BIM?

BIM and Revit has been a great help in the design and visualization of modern infrastructure. The use of BIM programs has allowed designers to see how multiple systems interact with each other and to make connections between two 2D planes. For example, AutoCAD works primarily with 2D planes where a designer draws something on a x-y plane  for the North elevation of a building and then a separate page for East elevation for the building. Revit allows the connection between these two planes and adds a 3-Dimensional perspective on the whole building. This is something that many designers and design companies are converting to in order to become more efficient with the integration of multiple systems.

I believe that Revit is only a template of what BIM programs can become. With the integration of rising technologies such as 3D printing, 3D Virtual holographic interfaces, and motion tracking interfaces, BIM design can grow to even greater hights. Revit and other BIM programs may also allow for a more complicated designs with the use of modern product design such as structural glass that is stronger than steel and 3D printing of concrete for more complicated shapes and demands.


References:

Structural/ more durable glass:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13B5K_lAabw

3D Printing Concrete:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzmCnzA7hnE

Revit Future Problems - Week 3 - Group A - Castonguay

What are the possible future problems with Revit/BIM?

After reading BIM: Trends, Benefits, Risks, and Challenges for the AEC industry, I learned about many future challenges BIM faces. The main challenges for the future are technical and managerial. Management issues include the implementation and use of BIM. At this moment, there is no common agreement on how to implement and use BIM. There isn't one single document giving instruction on BIM's application and use right now. According to an artile on Ralaw.com, not much has been done to diminish this issue and create BIM contract documents. In the future, this will definitely need to be addressed. Also, the BIM process is commonly not used a a whole. Often times firms will use certain aspects of the model, but no he entire process, which could defeat the purpose for using BIM all together. In the future, there needs to be some way to standardize the process and create guidelines for using BIM.

Another topic brought up in the article is how we will need to figure out issues of ownership and risk management. Facilities managers are not usually included in the building process, but involving them more could help them implement maintenance strategies in the design process rather than just based on the as-built condition. Finding a time for facilities managers to be included in the BIM process could be challenging but it would resolve many problems.

Something else that could be an issue for the future is the development of content in Revit. Manufacturers have been slow to develop their content and some create content that lacks quality. As time passes and many new products are developed, Revit needs to be able to keep up with it. All of these products need to be updated in Revit so they can be modeled. I see this as a huge issue for the future because of how fast new products are being manufactured.

Additional Comments:

Catherine Stevens brought up the idea of future issues with legal ownership of BIM data. I definitely agree that there is no simple answer for the true owner of a BIM project. Licensing issues could definitely develop major issues with BIM.

Ilana Ritvalsky discussed BIM's effect on employment rates. I agree that it could take jobs away from some people who are less experienced technicians, but this is also what happened with AutoCAD drafting and the industry seemed to survive. As times change, people need to adapt to be able to make it and I think that the adoption of BIM won't have too much effect.

J Schwakoff brought up a great point about keeping models up-to-date. After buildings are created, many things get changed and upgraded. There should be someone specifically in charge of editing these models so they can continue to be references throughout the buildings life cycle.



Azhar, Salman. "Building Information Modeling (BIM): Trends, Benefits, Risks, and Challenges for the AEC Industry." Leadership and Management in Engineering 11.3 (2011): 241. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.

B3 - Justin Hileman - Group E

The topic of discussion for this weekly blog post today is presented in a question:

     "How does Revit relate to Autocad and other drafting programs?"

The question brings up many other sub-questions with respect to how it relates, what other programs, etc. There is not a very easy answer for this question because they are unique in their own ways, but they do have some similarities.

For a simple answer, Revit and AutoCAD are both computed based drafting programs that allow you to design and draft 2-D and 3-D models. An interesting section I found on the Autodesk website actually allows you to compare Revit and AutoCAD side-by-side, as well as against the Building Design Suite. If you are to scroll down on this page and find the instances where the section contains a check mark for both Revit and AutoCAD, you will find that there is only one. This is the section for "Point cloud viewing and editing". This is actually something we have discussed previously in class and allows users to create and edit 3-D models across different platforms using the cloud to share the model.

After more comparison and consideration, one can conclude that Revit relates to AutoCAD because of it's purpose and use. Revit and AutoCAD can both be used for design and implementation of different models. Although Revit and AutoCAD differ significantly with Revit allowing you to use BIM and scheduling and costs, they both will allow a designer/drafter to create a model to use for building purposes.

Some of the main ways that Revit and AutoCAD can relate with with other drafting programs are the way they allow you to design and edit and share these files. A great deal of design and drafting is done on the computer, instead of by hand now. This allows quicker editing and fixing mistakes, whereas before, you would have to redraw the design. Both of these programs, as well as other computer-based programs, save companies time and money and also provide more accuracy. Using computers require more precise detail because errors can and will occur and not allow the model to not be complete.

For this post, I only tried to use the two basic programs mentioned, Revit and AutoCAD. There are many other versions that could've been discussed but I was trying to relate the two programs with the best of my ability based solely on those instead of trying to incorporate the other parts and services offered by Autodesk.

Comments

In response to the post written by Hamad Al-Sulaiti, I thoroughly enjoyed how you began your blog with discussing the topic of technology and how useful it is, then transitioning into talking about how AutoCAD and Revit are part of that technology. I would have to say that I think you could've compared Revit and AutoCAD better, stating more similarities instead of what each program offers. When reading this post, it sounds more like discussing the benefits of each program instead of how they relate.

In response to the post written by Angelina Castro, it was an interesting read. I enjoyed the background on each program, as it would've been helpful if I had no experience with either program. I then like how you transitioned into how the two programs relate and how they can both be used to model similar 2-D designs. The information on how they differ was unique and enjoyable to read. I like how you ended the article leaving the reader with the idea that there is plenty more research that can and should be done.

In response to the post written by Hang Wang, this is very thorough and detailed. I enjoyed reading the background on the design software and your personal experiences with using each program. By stating that you have used the program shows you understand what it has to offer and how they could relate. I like how you separated the different sections when comparing the programs. It was very easy to read how they both relate and then how they relate to other programs. As I stated in my post, I did not consider any of the other types of Autodesk products and this made the post interesting to read.

Sources:

Revit - http://www.autodesk.com/products/revit-family/overview

AutoCAD - http://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/overview

http://www.autodesk.com/suites/building-design-suite/compare/compare-to-other-products

Week3 - Group A Blog Post: Possible future problem with Revit/BIM?

What are possible future problem with Revit/BIM?

     This is still early to discuss since Revit has not been heavily adopted due to the fact that designers are very used to CAD design or other 2D tool. However, it will be beneficial to know some possible issue that it might lead to in the future so we can avoid or solve it in advance. Essentially, Revit are programmed based on CAD but more of add-ons to show integrity of lines and dots. For example, in AutoCAD, designer will need to create multiple lines with certain distance to create a wall, whereas in Revit, a required wall can be created in one step, just like creating a line. Therefore, more and more young people started to learn this handy tool to make design faster and less errors. This proves a shift-way from the era of craftsman to automation.  Consequently, the problem that Revit bring along is, more and more experienced CAD draftsmen are unemployed since the demand is no longer strong. In another angle, the young professionals equipped with Revit knowledge might lack the experience of drawing lines and memorizing the building code because it will be all built in with the BIM tool. Furthermore, since most of the designers, engineers, construction mangers are trained to use AutoCAD, the change of tool in design end will impact the way other part in the industrial line, despite the inherent ability of Revit being visualized.

      With its intrinsic “accuracy”, people are no longer proud of the architecture sketch which may indicate the author’s style. People used to value the drawings as work of art and it certainly can be exhibited to the other generation. Revit design file has no indication on who makes it. Hence, the appreciation on the drawing sketch might be dismissed in the future. Along with the disappearance of free hand drawing skills, someone might argue that this bypasses the creative part of the brain due to lack in flexibility of drawing.

      In addition, the Revit itself requires a huge storage, and it is still a difficulty as for nowadays. For the future, we might invent larger storage machine but as the time being, Revit file normally needs to be separated into different work files to transfer to others. 

Comments to others: 

Amegan
I totally agree on what Revit can benefit the architecture field. In my perspective, the advantage of Revit outweighs the drawbacks of it. As I also mentioned in my post, this mainly be due to the fact that I am not that used to CAD and learning Revit seems a lot easier. I can imagine the pain and struggle for those professionals been using CAD the whole career and try to adjust themselves to Revit.

Yue
I totally understand your concern that more and more amateurs can be able to design buildings with Revit because it is so user-friendly that users are not required to be equipped with certain professional knowledge. This inherent character can drastically benefit the professionals with architectural knowledge. However, the problem one step further would occur to users are foreign to this knowledge, whose design may look architectural aesthetic but lack in every kind of architectural elements.

Castonguay
I agree that the issue of fast updates can be problematic to Revit. I remember reading an article before that new features are needed to add in using CAD by engineers. However, less and less young people will be attentive to CAD. In that sense, CAD support will be holding back the updates of Revit. 

B3 - Advantages of Revit

While not perfect, BIM is bringing the building industry into the 21st century by doing what makes sense, giving meaning to drawings though metadata.  By changing the idea of drafting from a 2D drawing with multiple layers, to a 3D drawing with components, we have officially brought drafting into the "iron age" (if you consider Blueprints as the stone age and 2D software as the bronze age).  What Revit does really well is the integration of the different disciplines of the design phase.  Every discipline can work in one file, rather than every body working from scratch in the same file and because of this, it will help the industry in embracing IPD (Integrated Project Development) as the standard form of design.  What Revit is also good at is presenting a rendering of the design, making the engineers job of explaining work to an owner or zoning board easier.  Lastly, the major benefit of BIM is clash detection.  Because of all the different disciplines working in the same file, each company can see where there design falls in space, and the software can determine if the (for example) HVAC system goes through a concrete column... I think BIM shows great promise for the future, but there is so much more room to grow.

What are the current problems with Revit/BIM?

As we discussed in class last week, interoperability is a major concern in the BIM community, where programmers and engineers want and need systems to work seamlessly with one another. This was, is and will continue to be a serious issue of BIM if a universal program or sister applications can't be created to make all disciplines and aspects of a project function without any problems. The first source briefly touches on this subject. "In addition, dual platforms functioning within the same office pose a staffing challenge". In the past (prior to when BIM became to how we know it today), most companies only utilized CAD in their projects/design work which made it possible for any employee to be a part of that project. However, now programs such as Revit and BentlyArchitecture limit the personnel that can contribute to a project. BIM programs can be more challenging to learn due to their intricacies and vast array or capabilities but do provide valuable functions once they are understood. This can lead to companies either being forced to not bid on a project or needed to spend a lot of money and hours to train the staff to use a specific program.

Another question raised about BIM that never crossed my mind before was liability. My second source asks the question "who should hold liability if the building fails to comply with the recent or latest construction codes"? Is it the contractor, architect or engineer? The reason this is an interesting topic to address is because the overall goal of BIM is to have a large variety or personnel and engineering disciplines working on the project at one time (or each group dealing with specific aspects). Legal issues could arise due to designs that are incorrect or misrepresented. This misrepresentation could be attributed to a general contractor not being exposed to the 3D drawings or terminology that an architect might use on a daily basis. Legal fees can lead to larger overall cost of the project as well as scheduling delays. Additionally, BIM models can be used to produce a rough estimate for an overall building cost, however it cannot "consider actual price variation from emerging market, such as metals, petroleum-derivative products, high gas prices, and other natural disasters affecting manufacturer’s plant”. While this may not be on the top of BIM developers lists of things to fix, this feature could drastically change how buildings are constructed, scheduled and price, creating near perfect accuracy for cost estimates of all aspects of a project.

Comments:

Zilong Juno Xiao - You bring up an interesting problem with Revit/BIM in the future. While we have talked about original draftsmen who became unemployed when CAD came about and now how CAD draftsman are hesitant to learn BIM, I never thought about the younger generation (us). Will people slowly not need to know building codes as well as they do now because BIM will eventually do all of the calculations and checking for us? It will be interesting to see how integrated BIM will become in the design process.


Grig Papadourakis - I too came across the article "Growing Pains" while looking for material on our blog topic this week. Its interesting because when I think of BIM I instantly think of structural and architectural systems being able to function together in a building design. I feel like MEP, and in this case electrical especially, is always left on the back burner. Hopefully as the AutoDesk software gets better and the growing demand for BIM to be implemented in more and more projects, electrical contractors will have more experience in BIM because of is advancements in the software itself.

Illana Ritvalsky - It will be interesting to see how BIM effects the employment rate, but I'm skeptical to it having that significant of a negative effect and definitely not nearly as much as when 2D CAD came about. Right now it is a highly specialized field, but so was 2D CAD when it was first released. I think people in general are much more computer savy and will be able to pick up the nuances of BIM fairly quickly. With BIM rapidly becoming integrated in larger and more complex projects, it will only become more mainstream.

References:

Architectural Evangelist - BIM Implementation: Problems, Prospects and Strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.architecturalevangelist.com/building-information-modeling/bim-implementation-problems-prospects-and-strategies.html

Rodriguez, J. (n.d.). BIM Risks: Building Information Modeling (BIM) Risks. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://construction.about.com/od/Trends/a/Building-Information-Modeling-Risks.htm

B3 – Week 4 – Hamad Al-Sulaiti – Group E

“How does Revit relate to AutoCAD and other drafting programs?”

Technology nowadays has helped a lot of scientists to proceeds with their work without consuming time and wasting money. But if we concentrate more on the technology used in the engineering field, it would be found that technology has granted engineers the necessary tools to designing buildings with accuracy and efficiency. Companies that create those designing programs are competing with each other to provide a better efficiency and more features to their users.

According to the assigned topic, I have collected some important data to relate two different products from Autodesk Inc., which is one of the leading companies for 3-dimentional design, engineering and entertainment software now. In 1982, Autodesk Inc. has introduced its first designing product called AutoCAD, this 2D design software have impressed the users. Autodesk Revit software was then introduced with a lot of additional features that are helpful for architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, contractors and designers. What made Revit more unique when it was first introduced is the 3D representation of a model, also how all different systems in a building can be combined together and edited. If we are comparing now the 2015 versions of AutoCAD and Revit, more features can be found in Revit that makes a better production of a model. Both of them can produce 3D models in 2015, but Revit now contains intelligent 3D model-based design tools and coordinated models and documentations. Those additional features give users more options to include to their design.  According to the lecture we have attended in Week 3, it can be learned how Revit coordination looks like, and how easy to monitor and link models for the structural design to the architectural design to the MEP design. This type of software gives more ease for users not only to represent 3D models, but to also share their designs to produce a complete building that contains all the necessary components. 

Autodesk Inc. is now the leading software corporation that does not only provide designing programs. It is also looking forward to provide building visualization that involves cinematic-quality 3D animation in its new software called Building Design Suite Premium 2015. Technology keeps advancing each year to provide more ease that help generations to make a better production in designs.

Comment on Hang Wang:

Thank you for your helpful comments regarding my blog. I have read yours and I think it is very interesting because you have not only mentioned AutoCAD and Revit, but also mentioned some other programs like ArchiCAD and AutoCAD Architecture. You have also given your personal view on what you think is a better program. 

Comment on Justin Hileman:

Since you are still submitting your blog as a draft and no other students in Group E. I would have to say that I really liked how you used Autodesk's website to compare the two different type of products, which are AutoCAD and Revit. However, some more sentences should be added to complete the word count requirement.

References:

Autodesk: http://www.autodesk.com/

Lecture: Mitchell, James. "Revit Structure." Drexel University. 20 Jan 2015.

A3 - Angelina Castro - Group E

This week were asked to respond on the following question: " How does Revit relate to Autocad and other drafting programs?"

Revit is a program that is created by a company called Autodesk. The purpose of Revit is to create BIM or Building Information Model files. A BIM file is a new type of medium in which buildings from the infrastructure, utilities, and architectural plans can be designed and managed and be found in one single 3D model. In addition BIM files can be incorporated with a 4D aspect that integrates a building schedule and how work is phased out. Next there is AutoCAD. Just like Revit, AutoCAD is owned by the company Autodesk. AutoCAD is a program that allows designers, architects, engineers, etc. to create 2D plans (and 3D plans) by use of “drawing” lines and shapes. These two programs are related firstly that they are compatible due to the fact that they are owned by the same company. Secondly these two programs do allow for the ability to create 2D plans of buildings with almost similar results. However, Revit will be able to make the process of creating the building way more efficiently. This is so because in if you need to do something like draw an exterior wall, you can easily just click on wall in Revit, specify that it is an exterior wall and draw out your walls in a few easy clicks. In AutoCAD, every single line will need to be drawn out making the process, although not difficult, take longer to complete. In addition, AutoCAD will only recognize those lines as just that: lines. In Revit, it recognizes lines as actual objects, like a specific wall type, and can be edited as such. This merely touches the tip of the iceberg of the many new features that a BIM creating program like Revit has in store for designers and others alike as opposed to drafting programs like AutoCAD. 

Sources:

http://www.autodesk.com/solutions/building-information-modeling/overview

http://blog.digitaltutors.com/autocad-revit-draw-line/

Responses: 

dePinhoNunes:  I really enjoyed your comparison between the two programs AutoCAD and Microstation. Being that I have never used Microstation before, reading your description between the two programs really helped me understand the pros and cons of each program. 

Giovanna: This post did a good job in describing the advantages of a BIM program like Revit. Being a common AutoCAD, I always find myself trying to use CAD shortcuts or commands while using Revit thinking that it will work. I thought it was interesting how you described Revit as intuitive when making the switch between the two platforms can sometimes be a challenge when in reality that observation about Revit is mostly true. 

Justin: A good read. You did a good job in describing how the AutoCAD and Revit are related to each other laymen's terms, but also diving into a more in depth description as well. You mentioned that one of the ways these two programs are related is that they are both programs ensure an ease in sharing and editing files now that drafting is done on the computer these days. I find it weird that, although fully true that fact is, I always seem to forget it because of how advanced technology is today.  

B3 - Group D Jiaao Wu

What are the current advantages of Revit/BIM?

           With the spreading idea of Building Information Model (BIM), Revit becomes a “standard” tool for building design in famous companies. We may raise a question that what the current advantages of Revit are.

          First of all, as Professor Mitchell had discussed in the class, the mechanism of Revit is totally different from AutoCAD. In AutoCAD, any drawings can only be identified as the combination of lines. Only in the case that people define the different meanings of those lines, we can understand that thicker lines refer to walls, and thinner lines refer to other stuff. Machine or program itself could not identify them. However, when it comes to Revit, the situation is different. In Revit, the drawings are bases on different elements instead of lines. And, machine or program knows that this element is wall, and that one is window. Besides, each elements can be assigned basic information such as dimensions and material. Those information can be scheduled and kept with the element. This can help users to better understand what they are doing.

         Second, Revit can serve multifunction as an analysis program. In addition to the design function, Revit can combine all models from other programs for the analysis of architectural, structural, MEP and so on. All those depends on the element based program. As I have discussed above, since program can understand the representation of each element, the program can directly take the data of the model for analysis purpose. In addition, Revit has a strong linkage function, which means when you make modification either in section view or 3D view, the whole model will automatically update to avoid any simple mistake. This can help the design firm to save a lot of time for checking the model. I have read an example that, a design firm reduces their project from two and a half months to one and a half months just in design phase.

          Third, Revit has great ability in modeling and exporting. Using Revit, we can export dimensions and volume data of any building element. All these data can help us to calculate the cost estimation of the project, which also depends on the accuracy of the modeling. Since cost is always vital to a project, a better cost estimation can help designers to follow the budget strictly. And the render function in Revit can provide you a great view of your design including color, shape as well as height. It can give you a thinking image of the building before you actually see it. Any needed modifications could be caught easily.

In addition to the advantages I have discussed above, Revit has a lot of other advantages. In my opinion, skilled in use of Revit or other BIM tools will become a must for both Architectural Engineers and Civil Engineers especially in the practical world.

Comments: 

Comment to Santiago Uribe: Santiago lists about five advantages very clearly. I have the same idea that Revit or other BIM software increase the speed of project delivery. I think this is a very important criteria. On company side, time means money. Increasing the project delivery will save a lot of money for the design company.

Comment to Mark Bancroft: I agree that different contributors can work off one model. I think this relates to the data share between different programs. if we can make data translatable, this will provide more help for the integrate of the design.

Comment to Yanzhao Nong: I agree that schedule is a very good property in Revit. As professor Mitchell discussed in the class, schedule actually represents the database stored in the software. From the schedule, we can clearly see the number of doors or windows uses, as well as the dimensions and materials. It will make users to check each detail very convenient. 

 References:

“Why do we use Revit?”, Jeffrey McGrew, http://becausewecan.org/node/261

“Advanced Revit 2014 API Features and Samples” 

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/files/dv2010_advanced_revit_2014_api_handout-1.pdf

B3 - Group C - The Future Advantages of BIM

As present trends indicate, the use of BIM in the building industry has become the norm. As more and more projects use BIM to succeed, the use of BIM is becoming expected by clients more and more. Current trends in green building also increase the popularity of BIM as these systems are better modeled using BIM programs. As the adoption across the industry increases the face of the industry is changing—since using BIM is a new skill set, the existing jobs that are focused on programs such as AutoCAD are falling out of favor in exchange for employees who know the new programs. In addition the intelligence of BIM programs recognizes the data placed into the program as a building rather than a collection of lines, enabling the program to check for errors that drafting programs would not catch and also enable checking codes against the model without needing a human to understand what they were looking at. The future trends of the BIM programs looks promising and time will tell what the powerful software will be able to do in the future.

One of the biggest impacts that BIM will have on the industry in the future is the changing nature of the profession and those employed in it. However, this happened when 2D drafting software became popular decades ago, and the industry evolved to adapt to this new technology, as it will with Revit/BIM. At this point, AutoCAD is still used widely, but as BIM becomes more popular, it will become the go-to software for most firms to generate drawings and intelligent information about the model. As such, employees who are familiar with BIM programs will become highly sought after and employees that do not have such experience will find it harder to get a job. However, at least for the near future, the industry standard remains 2D drawings, and many companies only use BIM to generate these drawings.

Response to Ami Amegan:

The numbers you provided on how much money BIM saves were incredible! I definitely think that as BIM becomes more mainstream and the programs improve those numbers will continue to increase.

Response to Husain Ibrahaim:

I agree with your point that BIM helps clients visualize the building better. I have friends who don’t know how to read plans or sections and it is very difficult to explain to them how it relates to the rest of the building—a 3D model makes it easy to show parts of a building to a potential client. 

Post#3 - Revit and AutoCAD (Group E)

AutoCAD and Revit have been both widely used for architects and architectural engineers. AutoCAD application can be used for 2D and 3D computer aided design and drafting. Its available since 1982 as a desktop application and developed a mobile version (AutoCAD 360) since 2010. AutoCAD has not only been used for architectural propose but for most of engineering use such as mechanical, Automobile design as well. On the other hand, Revit is majorly used just for architectural design. According to my personally experience, I have used both program by not much about other design programs, so I am going to mainly talk about these two programs and finish of with the compression with other programs.

AutoCAD vs. Revit

I did my co-op in capital project city of Philadelphia, during my internship, I was asked to use the AutoCAD for all of the city project which most of them were about building design, space reconfiguration, and furniture design. I found that AutoCAD is a very good 2-D plan design program in terms of precision drawing and professionary. Designer could easily adjust the room configuration and plan views by adding additional layers with out messing up the original drawings.

However, in my point of view,AutoCAD is stronger and relatively handier for drawing 2-D floor plans than 3-Ds, the designers could design different futures in different layers and this makes convenience to the contractors easy to figure out what their work it on the plan. Additionally, by applying multiple layers, the plans are very maneuverable, for example designers and contractors can easily shut down the unnecessary layer for the certain project. On the other hand, AutoCAD is very easy in terms of change the thickness of the interior and exterior walls.

However, drawing a 3-D view as well as the building interior cross-sectional view using AutoCAD would relatively require more work and skills from designers than Revit. In Revit, once the floor plans have been done, designers could just give the model a 3-D view by simply click the 3-D view tag in the view bar. In AutoCAD, 3-D view has to be done by dragging every single wall and make the connection between them.

Additionally, speaking the of the building modeling, Revit is also more convenient then AutoCAD. Revit has a good number of loadable, ready-to-use family members such as doors, windows, furniture and even electrical and pumping system whereas, in AutoCAD the design has to draw those future themselves and save them as a block if they still would like to use the same item later one. However, by using Revit, most of those items especially doors, windows and furnitures can just be added the plan by loading the certain family members. One thing they are in common in this feature is if the design would like to draw a specific member, the process and the amount of work is the same for both programs.

Revit and AutoCAD vs. other design programs

Finally, I am going to talk about the relationship between Revit and AutoCAD to other programs. According to my search, AutoCAD Architecture and ArchiCAD are also two of the very popular design program in architectural design filed. AutoCAD Architecture (ASA) is a version of Autodesk's flagship product with tools and functions specially suited to architectural work. It was initial released on 1998 and designed for Windows system. I have watched some video clips of designers using ASA to design floor plans, in my perspective, it sits between the AutoCAD and Revit, ASA has the ready-to-use family member like and the wall drawing option like Revit, but it also has the precision like AutoCAD. However, unlike Revist family members, designer could adjust the size of the family member by just input parameters into the proper parameter tags.

ArchiCAD is also an architectural BIM CAD software for macintosh and Windows developed by the Hungarian computer aided solutions for handling all common aspects of aesthetics and engineering during the whole design process. AchiCAD features some very similar aspects to Revit but much better in detailing the exterior and interior design such as materials detail, 3-D model. One very good feature I need to point for ArchiCAD, Revit, and ASA in common is, they are not allowed any structural inappropriate.  

Comments for other group members:

1. For Hamad Al-Sulaiti: I really like how you introduced basic features of AutoCAD and Revit and you also introduced some of the discussion information which we have done during the class. I could see you also did a lot of searches for both programs. However, just one quick thing, the topic not only asked for AutoCAD and Revist but other similar programs as well, I understand that we normally just use these two software, but it would be nice if you could do same searches for other softwares. Here are two of them, AutoCAD Architecture and ArchiCAD, hope that could help you.

2. For Justin Hileman: Hey Justion, I really like how you did after your compression you came out with the conclusion to indicate the AutoCAD is related to Revit, which I should improve on my post. Just a quick thing, I think you could also point out other design programs such as ArchiCAD and AutoCAD Architecture.


Improvement After Reading Others Post

After reading other peoples post, I found one of the major downside of my post this time is I was concentrating on compare of the different programs. However, I did not come out with the conclusion of they actually related to each other. Unfortunately, I did not have time to re-write the post but if I could do it on my time I will add the conclusion on.

Resource:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD_Architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArchiCAD

B3 - Week 4: What are the current advantages of Revit/BIM?

A big advantage to using BIM models is the ability to work closer with the owner on design. With the owner involved in design, the amount of errors will be greatly reduced, and in turn will reduce design time and costs.

Using BIM models allows various contributors to the building design to work off of one model. Being able to see where different parts of a building are placed, such as structural members, allows others to either work around their placements or work with designer to come to a solution that everyone is happy with.

Using BIM models also allow the designer to run analyses during various stages of design. This is a huge advantage because it allows the designer to see how certain aspects of the building affect cost, energy consumption, etc.


Response to Kevin Saldivar: I agree that using BIM models will be great for owners because they can be more directly involved in the design process, which will help them develop a building exactly to their liking for a cheaper price tag.

Response to Anthony Yao: I think that the most beneficial aspect of BIM models is the ability to run various analyses in during different stages of design. However, this currently is difficult since a lot of BIM software files do not work well with other softwares.  I feel like this is just a result of BIM being relatively new and will be resolved in the future.

B3: Future advantages of BIM/Revit

I think that some ways BIM could become even more useful would be the integration of the walk tool that allows a virtual tour of the building with emerging virtual reality software, such as Oculus Rift or Microsoft's Hololens. I think this could be a really great tool for showcasing plans to a client, in that it would physically allow them the client to interact with a building that doesn't even exist yet. I definitely think this is further down the line than interface improvements or other changes that make the software easier to use, but hopefully will happen soon.

Kevin- I think that owner integration with the model could be interesting, but I see that more as a "read-only" type of exchange. An owner may very well want to take an active role in the project design, but they hired the architects and engineers to design the project for a reason- they are specialists in Revit and the owner mucking around in the model makes me nervous that they might mess something up and lead to costly mistakes. Of course, if an owner goes into a design firm with a conceptual model already in Revit, that may save some time for the drafting engineers when making the full model.

Ami- You mentioned a 2007 report that explored the reduction in manual effort needed to draft plans and expect to see further reduction in the future. I wonder if Revit and other BIM software will become so powerful that one person can perform all the drafting on their own and trust the software to do the rest. At the moment, lots of people are needed across a variety of disciplines with some sort of project manager or coordinator to run the whole show, but in the future what if the software itself could act in a supervising position? If that happened, we would see a further employee reduction, much as Professor Mitchell discussed when computer drafting first became mainstream several decades ago.

B3 - Potential Future Problems w/ BIM - Group A, Ilana Ritvalsky

During the past few weeks, I've learned so much about BIM/Revit and its many uses. The technology clearly has an immense amount of potential and could completely revolutionize our field. However, we must stop to ask ourselves - will these changes really be for the better? Despite its many benefits, BIM also has some cons.


As with many new technologies, my biggest concern is BIM's effect on employment rates. We've discussed many times how traditional draftsmen went practically extent upon the release of AutoCAD and similar drafting software. In my estimation, BIM could very well have the same effect. Research conducted for last week's blog spot confirmed this is already underway, as less experienced technicians are losing their jobs and fewer designers are actually needed. Additionally, BIM is currently a highly specialized field that requires extensive training; I predict that it will be a lot more common and easier to use in the near future. I agree with Kaili Yue, who believes that easier access could also be a bad thing. Easy access + a flood of specialized technicians + easy to learn software could lessen the value of actually being a pro at Revit. At that point, you're nobody special; everyone will be able to do what you can do.


Another issue with BIM (current AND future) is its compatibility with other software. Revit serves a very specific purpose. It would be even more useful if a designer could easily export a model into system-specific analysis and simulation programs. It would also be helpful if designers could import information/tables/data from those programs back into Revit, to be stored in the model for review by others. We've spoken before about how Revit brings together all teams working on a project - whether that's MEP, structural, architectural, construction management, the project owner or even fabricators; wouldn't it be easy if all of the groups had easy access to a simplified version of this information?


Another issue discussed a bit in class and even further by my peer J Schwakoff, is the idea of ownership. If everyone on the project has access to ALL of the building project information and system details, there's little exclusivity. It's no longer about my data; it's our data. As a result, the question becomes, "Who owns what? Whose model is it? Who still has access and who has ownership even after the project is closed?"


Without a doubt, BIM is a wonderful invention. However, there are a lot of issues that still need to be addressed and questions that need to be answered.


Additional Comments


J Schwakoff also raised another excellent point. BIM is intended to enhance the design process but what if it does that exact opposite? What if it actually dumbs down the process and takes away from a designer's creative effort? We've all been warned about the dangers of technology doing the thinking for us. Just look at the computer/internet and its role in education. It's greatly improved the learning process in some ways but in other ways, it's also destroyed the learning process. We as humans don't have to know as much because the machine remembers everything for us; as long as we know how to operate the machine, all is well.


I really appreciate Catherine Stephens' use of formal resources. Her more in-depth discussion of BIM's technical issues was extremely informative.

B3 - Advantages of Revit/BIM

Topic: What are the current advantages of Revit/BIM?

According to AutoDesk’s website, Revit building design software is specially built for Building Information Modeling (BIM). It has features for architectural design, MEP and structural engineering. It is a revolution for BIM because it provided a platform that utilized a visual programming environment for creating parametric families. In this case, architects and engineers are able to use this software to generate a building model directly.

The interface of Revit is good so it is convenient for the users. The tools are categorized. For example, if we want to draw a wall, we can find the wall components in “Structure” tap. Also, if we are looking for ducts or pipes, we can find them in the “System” tap. In this case, users are able to easily find what they are looking for to complete their design

For structural design, Revit has great advantage. In the software, models of structural components are provided. In this case, we don’t have to assign the properties of material again. After the floor plan was drawn, the 3-D model will be created automatically, so we are able to evaluate the design in different directions.

For interior design, the families are extremely helpful. Instead of creating the models by ourselves, we are now able to input existing models which are provided by Revit itself. In this case, it really helps save a lot of time. For example, when engineers design to add furniture for their building, they can just simply drag the modes into the drawing. In comparison to Autocad, that is a significant advantage. I still remembered that on ENGR 100 class, we were asked to create a floor plan for a house, including all the furniture. At that time, we had to draw the furniture by ourselves, and it really took us a long time. By using Revit, this problem was solved, and we were able to freely add furniture without spending too much time.

Moreover, it is convenient to generate blue prints on Revit. The template of engineering drawing is provided, so the only things that people have to do is to drag the desired drawing to the sheet. Since the format is fixed, all the works are seemed to be organized.

Schedule is another useful tool in Revit. Since all the components in the drawing are identified by properties, Revit is able to generate a list for a specific components. For example, in the assignment, I created two schedules (one was for doors, and other was for windows). The advantage of this function is that it helps save a lot of time on integrating those information. Also it helps avoiding human error such as mistakes in counting or recording data.

Reference:

Anonymous. “Building Design and construction software”. AUTODESK.  <http://www.autodesk.com/products/revit-family/overview> (Jan 27, 2015)

Bergin, M. S.. “A Brief History of BIM”. Style of Design. <http://www.styleofdesign.com/architecture/a-brief-history-of-bim-michael-s-bergin/> (Jan 27, 2015)

Comment to Mark

I agree that using BIM models is a way to reduce time and cost. By applying BIM software, engineering are able to effectively create and adjust their design, and this will eliminate the mistakes.

Comment to Jonathan

I’ve never used Oculus Rift or Microsoft’s Hololens, but I agree that improvement of interface will make it easier to people to use the software.

Comment to Derek

I agree that Revit is a revolution in engineering. Without using Revit, our efficiency will significantly decrease.

B3 - Current Advantages of Revit/BIM - Santiago Uribe

Current advantages of Revit/BIM

Revit and BIM have many advantages. As a relatively new technology that is getting increasingly more important for engineering businesses, BIM software provides companies with something that they haven’t always had.
Even though I could go on for days talking about all the benefits and advantages that software’s such as Revit have, I will narrow them to what I consider to be the 5 most relevant advantages;

1.       Improved visualization

The fact that we can bring projects into life without having to build it first is probably the biggest advantage of BIM. Being able to visualize how the project is going look can help in all processes of the design. It also helps when it comes to checking in with a client.

2.       Improved productivity

Computers have made completing tasks easy and fast, that is no different when it comes to BIM. With these software’s companies can get projects done quicker and with better accuracy. BIM software makes it easy to modify, delete or add information to projects without ever worrying about having to start over.

3.       Coordination with construction documents

Revit and other BIM make it easier than ever to set up construction documents. By simply working on one view, Revit will automatically create the different plans and elevations needed. This speeds up the task of creating all the necessary components for a set of construction drawings.

4.       Increased speed of project delivery

Similar to improved productivity, BIM software will allow companies to deliver projects to their clients faster. This will make the clients happy and may lead to more work coming from them. That is why companies want to have this technology.

5.       Reduced cost

All of these advantages help build up to this one. By making everything faster and easier, BIM also reduces the amount of money needed to complete a project. By being able to things fast you are saving money in extra wages of employees having to work longer hours to accomplish the same tasks they can now accomplish with BIM.

Comments:

1.       Addressing Future problems with Revit by Kaili Yue; You’re saying that Revit or other BIM software is not yet capable of designing more complex buildings but I have to disagree with you. I have been exposed to Revit for some time now and I still find new things every time I use it, The extent of the capabilities that this software possess goes beyond what me and you can imagine. I believe Revit software would surprise you if you could see everything it can do. I’m not saying there’s no room for improvement, there always is, but I just think Revit is a much more powerful tool that what we give it credit for.

2.       Addressing Future advantages of BIM/Revit by Kevin Saldivar; I agree with you in that the area where Revit will become more advantageous in the future is in user interface and organization. Right now, the software is pretty straight forward to use in order to make simple designs but as rookie users, a lot of us don’t have the capability to create the more complex designs. As the software develops more, users will be more capable of designing these complex structures with more ease.