Why do millions of industry professionals wrestle with the world’s number one BIM software?
By Ryan Solomon on November 6th, 2019
Let’s unpack the challenges faced by new users - and consider how to deal with them accordingly.
1. Fear of the Unknown
It’s like booting up your first computer, or opening the bonnet to your new car. You feel as if you are going to break something. You won’t.
And the more time you spend at it, the more comfortable you will become. Remember when Outlook and MS Word seemed like daunting applications?
We’re afraid of what we don’t know. So we procrastinate. We’re too busy. AutoCAD works just fine. We can’t afford it. It’s just a fad. Stop making excuses.
A free 30 day trial is available from Autodesk.
2. Complexity
It’s true, a functioning 3D model with integrated BIM systems is quite different to the flat, 2D environment of AutoCAD and it's kin. To operate effectively you will require at least a basic understanding of families and 3D object functionality.
You can either learn how to create families from scratch, or you can download and modify. Everything else functions with similar principles to AutoCAD - if you can draw a line, you can draw a wall.
For help with more complex Revit systems we highly recommend Jeff, TheRevitKid for in-depth family creation tutorials, plugins and much more.
3. Mindset
As professionals we focus on the visual and the tangible. Our designs are solved via sketching and model-building. We’ve also trained in AutoCAD and we’re comfortable with it. Changing the formula is like trying to convince a Toyota owner to drive a Volkswagen.
You need to put down the T-square, step out of your comfort zone and embrace change.
Revit is menu-driven 3D drawing software that prefers you to know the dimensions before inserting the item. This requires you think in reverse to normal.
It pushes you out of your comfort zone because it requires you to think differently.
The best things in life are often waiting for you at the exit ramp of your comfort zone.
― Karen Salmasohn
4. Time and Training
You are concerned about how much time and resources will be taken up in getting staff up to speed on Revit. You should be.
Budget a week to become comfortable with the interface, and expect to spend at least a month producing your first set of serviceable drawings.
Believe me, it will get easier. You will become faster and soon you will start enjoying it. You will begin to wonder why people still use 2D drawing software.
If you prefer to learn on your own, or after you've completed the training, YouTube tutorials will be your greatest asset. Check out Balkan Architect as one of the leading platforms for Revit help and tutorials.
5. Worksharing
There are a number of misconceptions on worksharing in Revit. Here are the facts:
Revit drawings can be (easily) exported into a number of user friendly files including DWG, DXF, ACIS, IFC, FBX, PDF and JPEG.
Revit does not allow saving back to previous versions. Autodesk have since moved towards an annual subscription, hence everyone should be running the latest version anyway. So your uncle who purchased the full version back in ’95 will need to get with the times!
CAD and JPEG formats are easily imported and worked on.
Multiple users can work on the same file simultaneously and even remotely. What do you think of that, AutoCAD?
6. Implementation
If you are starting from scratch you will find Revit quite sparse on content such as walls, floors and doors. It's also not particularly user-friendly whilst one is learning, which can delay projects and inhibit learning through experimentation.
We strongly suggest that you bookmark:
RevitCity: Create a profile and you will have access to thousands of free Revit families. RevitCity is widely considered the best (but not only) source of free families.
TheRevitNetwork: If you lack the time to set up families, templates and project standards, we have done this all for you. Various purchasable content is available on the store page.
Once you get a hang of it, to further improve your productivity you can hire a Revit developer to automate repetitive tasks, integrate Revit with other software systems and databases, and enhance Revit's functionality in general.
SO WHAT NOW?
Understanding your hurdles is the first step - and getting over them is easier than you think.
Consider the areas above carefully and make use of the resources provided.
Affordable training courses for various levels are available in most cities. Simply Google revit courses and accredited institutions should pop up.
Are you experiencing an issue that we haven’t mentioned? Let us know down below in the comments section.
Be sure to hit subscribe down below as next week we will showcase our top 10 tips in switching over from Autocad to Revit.
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