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.
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