Hi,

I've been learning the basics of Revit on and off for a while now but have not yet achieved any real level of competence. Now however, I want to take things further and begin to get inside what Revit has to offer and develop some real level of aptitude. I start my 5th year architecture in a month and a half and have time before then to put aside for learning this. I hope that I can get to the point where I can work on my projects through Revit, rather than falling back on AutoCAD, SketchUp and Photoshop, my previous tools. This is for two main reasons.

1.

Revit, and BIM overall makes absolute sense: Under pressure of time and resources it makes absolute sense to work from a shared model that can be more easily adjusted once it is created. This means more refinement can be carried out on the design, as changes are faster to implement. Work does not have to be chased through several software packages and formats, it can be seen developing in parallel in terms of structure, aesthetics, performance, costs and schedules. Also, the parametric element of Revit, which I'm sure will continue to evolve, offers a fantastic tool to produce interesting physical and conceptual relationships. Overall Revit seems a great vehicle to take ideas from the sketch right up to the production drawings.

2.

The depressed work situation for architects may well continue to damage the profession for the forseeable future. When I graduate from part 2 I'd like to be able to offer a clear skill set that takes me in a positive direction with my career. I think through specialisation in software and technology (like Revit) I will have something extra to offer potential employers in a competitive job market.

The problem I have is that I've not found any real framework for developing intermediate Revit skills. Following the tutorials provided with Revit only gives a tiny introduction. As a student I can't sign up for courses that require lots of travel and thousands of pounds. It's hard to go from following tutorials and applying a little of that to some simple designs of my own, to beginning to carry designs from concept into model... beginning to work more intuitively, which is the freedom I crave. I'm looking for some clear advice on how I can best direct my energies and hopefully get to the level where I can apply Revit to the projects I'm working on in 5th year. If I manage to achieve a level of skill in Revit over the next year I'd like to think about going on to develop even further, complimentary skills, such as with 3dsMAX.

Thanks!