Real Life Perspective: Transitioning from AutoCAD to Revit, Part 2
This article is a continuation of Part 1 from the January 2015 issue.
Autodesk® Revit® Structure implementation can be an intimidating task for new users and their employers. Finding time to properly train employees, maintain project budgets, and manage upgrades to software and hardware present significant challenges to companies of all sizes. This article discusses the best Revit implementation strategies to ensure your firm successfully transitions from AutoCAD® to Revit Structure.
Where to Begin
Successful Revit Structure implementation actually starts in very familiar territory, AutoCAD. That’s right—the most effective place to start Revit implementation is in AutoCAD. The first Revit implementation step should be defining and documenting current AutoCAD standards. The importance of this first step cannot be overstated. Without properly defined standards for items such as linetypes, text and dimension styles, annotation symbols, standard blocks, and standard details, the foundations of your first Revit drawings will be on unsettled ground. If clearly defined company standards do not exist, now is a great time to make them. Revit implementation not only provides a step towards Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other new technologies, but also provides an opportunity to evaluate and improve upon your current design and drafting processes.
Many firms have unique graphical styles for various annotations including detail callouts, level indicators, and framing or wall tags. Out-of-the-box Revit may not have your firm’s specific symbol style for all annotations. This may create user complaints and a slightly different look to Revit drawings. Do not let the “look” of Revit drawings become a stumbling block. Recreating exact replicas of AutoCAD annotations within Revit can be challenging and time consuming. Creating specific graphics to duplicate AutoCAD should not be the focus of beginners. I strongly recommend starting with any and all out-of-the-box annotations. There will always be time to modify annotation symbols after mastering other aspects of Revit.
Figure 1: Sample annotations
Defining standards from AutoCAD is so vital because of the Revit project template file. A Revit project template file contains standard notes, details and annotations, view templates, and various other settings that are integral to creating a high-quality product. This file is used as the start of each new Revit project. Much of the Revit implementation process will focus on creating and maintaining the project template file. Recommendations for creating a useful project template file can be found through Autodesk and numerous online or print resources.
Implementation Attitude
At the beginning of my company’s Revit implementation process, the office certainly had its fair share of Revit naysayers and antagonists. No one was sure how the Revit implementation process was going to work or how long it would take. This created a lot of stress and doubt that we could continue to be successful while learning completely new software. Revit turned into a curse word within the office. Revit implementation can be challenging, but it does not have to be a miserable experience. Without a doubt, one of the most important implementation strategies is to maintain a positive and confident attitude.
The first step I took when beginning the implementation process was to instill a positive attitude. I did not have all the answers, but I was confident that I could find them. Continually reiterating the message that we will work together to find solutions to our problems and be successful had an immediate impact on the entire team. Just by creating a positive attitude, Revit was no longer a curse word. It was a joyous achievement to bring about this change. The Revit implementation leader must be the most positive voice within the company.
Besides being positive, an open mind is also a requirement. Working within a BIM environment is a completely different experience than working in AutoCAD. In some ways, learning to use Revit and 3D parametric modeling would be easier without any previous knowledge of AutoCAD. You must be prepared to open your mind and accept a new reality for construction document creation and coordination.
BIM Manager and BIM Committee
The person tasked with leading Revit implementation, often given the title of BIM Manager, assumes a very serious and important role to the company and all employees. The selection of this person must be given careful consideration. The BIM Manager will be responsible for creating Revit standards and training the firm’s employees to become proficient Revit users. This person must be motivated for positive change. Having previous Revit experience is not a necessity, but a desire to learn and explore is.
To be successful, the BIM Manager must be empowered by management to make decisions affecting the entire company. Leadership without the authority to make decisions is detrimental to the entire process. It is also extremely important for the BIM Manager to have time dedicated to complete the necessary job responsibilities. A BIM Manager’s responsibilities may include:
Creating deployment strategies and directing BIM implementation
Developing, implementing, and enforcing BIM standards
Installing Revit and other related BIM software
Providing BIM software training to staff
Acting as a liaison to software vendors
Marketing BIM services
This list is a short summary of a BIM Manager’s duties and essential job functions retrieved from www.bimmanager.com/bim-manager-job-description.
These responsibilities can be intimidating for a single individual, especially if he/she has other design or drafting duties. If this is the case, the BIM Manager should create a BIM committee, which can assist in completing the BIM Manager’s responsibilities. The committee should consist of employees who are self motivated and eager to explore Revit. However, it is also a good idea to include a Revit doubter. This person will provide necessary perspective and counter arguments worth discussing. Ideally, the BIM committee will be responsible for the company’s first Revit projects.
The BIM committee will discuss numerous topics and determine the best procedures for many Revit tasks. All decisions should be documented so they can be properly communicated to other employees. However, there will almost certainly be a point where the BIM committee runs across a problem they cannot answer. The BIM committee should not hesitate to consult a Revit implementation expert. An expert can come from many places such as a local or national software training company, Revit User Group, or Autodesk University. This tip is fairly obvious, but having the input from someone who has been there before is essential to a smooth Revit implementation. The experts I have worked with have significantly influenced our Revit implementation process.
Becoming Your Own Expert
Revit Structure software offers numerous capabilities that improve the way structural engineers and drafters complete their work and collaborate with other engineering disciplines. Creating a 3D building model improves design coordination and allows better visualization of design intent. Interferences with architectural and MEP elements are easily detected. Parametric components, known as families, allow for the easy creation of column, foundation, or reinforcing schedules as well as quantity takeoffs. Analytical models created with Revit Structure contain information such as loads, load combinations, member sizes, and release conditions. Analysis programs are capable of returning design information to Revit and can dynamically update the physical model and documentation. Additional point cloud tools, such as Autodesk Recap, connect laser scans directly into the BIM process (www.autodesk.com).
Attempting to incorporate each of these capabilities into your first Revit project is a challenging proposition. Successful Revit implementation is an iterative process completed in deliberate steps, not a giant leap. Deciding which features should be implemented first depends on many factors. How much time is available to train staff before the project deadline? What are the client’s expectations of BIM? Is a clash detection analysis required? Is an analytical design model being created for the project?
Figure 2: Analytical design
Determining what is implemented and when is key to successful Revit implementation. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to apply to all situations. Each firm has unique goals and different interpretations of how to utilize Revit. Engaging an implementation expert at this stage will provide guidance with a firm’s specific needs and goals in mind.
Although incorporating all that Revit has to offer can be challenging, there is no need to rush the implementation process. Before a project begins, determine what Revit features will be incorporated. For the first few Revit projects, Revit may only be utilized to create a 3D model to coordinate interferences with the other engineering disciplines. Once this first iteration has been mastered, add another feature for the next project. Continue to add features as they become convenient with training schedules and project requirements. Starting with small goals and working towards larger ones will prevent frustration from trying to do too much at once.
For my firm, our first Revit project was an AutoCAD / Revit hybrid. We modeled the main building components in Revit, but the structural details were imported from AutoCAD. At the time, we were not fully trained on creating Revit details and had not converted our AutoCAD library. The start of our next Revit project gave us enough time to include Revit details and create smart schedules for columns and foundations. We continued to add to our new skills for each following project. Even after the successful completion of numerous Revit projects, I still find myself updating various specifics of the project template and evaluating our drafting procedures to improve upon the previous project. This iterative process is the best approach for successful Revit implementation.
Another useful tip is to document the process of modeling specific structural elements. We utilize many modified out-of-the-box families to properly convey design intent on the structural drawings. These modeling procedures act as a living document which can be modified for more efficient modeling methods as our Revit experience grows.
The only reasonable approach to becoming a Revit expert is to use it—all day every day. Switching back and forth between AutoCAD and Revit is not efficient. Once the decision has been made to use Revit, commit to using it full time and on as many projects as possible.
Ultimately, the focus of Revit Structure implementation should be to create a better product for our clients through improved visualization and increased coordination. Getting there requires every employee to be excited to learn new technologies and leaders who can motivate their teams to reach lofty goals. I hope that these strategies will aid you and your company to realize the impressive benefits of Revit Structure.
Figure 3: 3D visualization
Renderings created by Zach Engle of CenterPoint Engineering.
