Implementation at a large firm.

[rsharp]

If someone asked you, how is the best way to implement Revit on a large project with a team of inexperienced people, what would you say?

I've been rattling this around in my head over the week-end and I thought this might be an interesting subject for this forum.

What I came up with was is something like this:

First, there are (3) major divisions in the project scope as pertains to Revit. We have to deal with the 3-d model. We have to document that model, and we have to assign BIM parameters to as many building elements as possible.

Let's say that our project is a 1,000,000 sq.ft. of combined use that are broken up into (2) major structures and several peripheral small buildings.

Is it that important that every team member is introduced to the (3) major divisions of the Revit system at the same time? For example, could some team members that are focusing on the BIM programing enter the Revit experience from that point of introduction? Couldn't we set up members of the team who are doing the documentation to to be introduced to the 2-d documentation portion of the tools first. And then comes the modeling. We introduce Revit at this level to those doing the Modeling and not focus so much on the other two divisions at first.

You notice I didn't include rendering. I am assuming that our firm outsources this function and we are going to export out 3-d dwg's or 2-d hidden line perspectives to our Renderer.

It's not that our Revit team should stay pigeon holed like this through the life of our project. Naturally crossing over these lines by team members would be necessary.Certain team members would emerge from their particular focus and naturally cross these lines.

The thing is, I'm not so sure that the way to introduce Revit to your support staff is to give them a little book and show them how to make a little building. Some autocad draftspersons are going to respond to the 2-d tools more readily if that is there point of introduction. I don't know if any of us are fully comprehending the depth of detail we need to go to achieve this BIM thing. Some members of the team might be quite inspired to be set out to see what we can do with Revit from the BIM perspective.

This is simply throwing out some ideas. I'm very interested in knowing what experience others have had on this subject.

[aaronrumple]

1. I wouldn't start with a 1,000,000 sf. building as your first.
2. You need a "master modeler" up front and throughout the project to get the project of to a solid start and keep people from doing stupid stuff.
3. You need someone good with the family editor. You'll be building a lot of content on th fly for the first project. Stopping to make a new family slows the design process for everyone.
4. People can be brought on for drafting, but this happens at the end - not the start. Again, you need someone looking over them to make sure they don't do stupid stuff and use the tools as they should be used instead of like AutoCAD.

[Mr Spot]

Totally agree with someone to continually audit the model for best practices. It really helps if there is an experienced user who can guide those through "best practices" and things to steer clear of for young players...

[rsharp]

So... Why does the entry level person start at modeling instead of 2-d drafting. Remember this is a large project, lot's of details to bring over from Autocad.

[sultarc]

I would say, you should have been at tonights implementation class. But I think it was recorded. In fact we got a CD at the class with the recording on it. I think.

[Prodev75]

1. Are we going to use workset?

2. Are we going to link files together?

2. How do we organize the worksets?

3.What are you wanting to get from the building model
-Renderings, counting objects for cost etc

4.Are we exporting any data for consultants?
-If so are you using AIA CAD layering standards or an in-house version?
**** This also can apply to number 6 on this list***

5.Object styles need to follow some type of organization or at least make sense. Other wise the exporting process becomes a little cumbersome in a large project. Also it helps when trying to modify visibility in a view.
******There nothing more frustrating than trying to turn off a toilet when someone created it in the category of specialty equipment with no subcategory.

6.Don’t overload the model!!!
- Doing things like trying to model the keyhole on a door knob, its a waste of time. When people figure out the interesting things you can do with the family editor, things can get outta hand quick.

[PeterJ]

It is perhaps somewhat reactionary to say it here, but Aaron is right, a big project may not be the way to get into Revit.

Perhaps a smart way would be to create a masterplan in Revit with linked buildings resting in that masterplan, then each buildnig will be a separate Revit project and you will be able to take a view on how much you do in Revit and how much you hand back to an experienced AutoCAD team. Maybe you take the midsized building and take it further than the stage demands to see what you can get from Revit and then take a better informed view on how you implement the new tool across the rest of the project.

These things are not purely a factor of Revit's capabilities, they are also dependent on your training budget, your staff's willingness to look at a new tool, your need for more or less interaction with other teams and so on. For this reason having a campus style project would give you some flexibility in how you implement things.

[rsharp]

OK, obviously the team has to be made up of a certain amount of experienced people. The market right now doesn't have an overflow of Revit people. The point is "what if" we were pressed into training people on the project. Let's say the management decision has been made. This project is going to be a Revit project. So the main thrust of my question here is, " Does everyone have to learn Revit starting from the same place.

[aaronrumple]

No. However, as we've all noted: You'll be in short supply of those that can manage 3D effectively - either for building manipulation or family generation. The 2D is dirt simple compared to other aspects of Revit. So what you'll end up doing is putting a big burden on a small group (like me in our office). The other issue is that those that just do the 2D (we've tried this approach) will end up short changing the 3D when they eventually get into it. So you'll end up with filled regions being used as band-aids all over to make up for the lack of true Revit skills. (...been there, done that.)

[rsharp]

It sounds like the main obstacle that introducing Revit to a team of inexperienced people is to inspire them to re-think. And to start out with a fresh approach to designing and assembling the documentation for a project.

[Andre Baros]

How many Revit people do you have. You might let them start on the project, 1,000,000 SF should only take 2 or 3 people for the first 3 months while you train the rest of your staff. By the time the core team needs help, you will have several additional people trained. Even if all the new people do is tutorials, it will be worth it not to have them develop bad habits, just to get it done. Also, for the initial set up of a project extra people provide deminishing returns because people trip over each other and spend more time talking about how to cut up the pie than getting things done.

[rod.74246]

I really have a problem converting sq. feet to metric, but if what i think the size of the project is correct then you will only need 2 or so people to start off with getting the models done. Then you would throw the bodies on for a lot of the detailing. (which has been said before is really easy to pick up for any CAD competent person.)

Its quite scary actually how few people you actually need to get a set of CD's done on a Project with Revit. We just finished a 8000 square metre project with 2 architects (not actually doing any drafting or documenting at all, just answering phone calls, sending faxes and going to meetings) and 1 (yes thats correct) 1 Revit drafter who modelled and documented the entire building and every detail in the space of 12 weeks. We originally allowed for 4 staff drafting and modelling on the job (and it would have taken about 7 in AutoCAD).

I think that says something.