Is it worth modeling a complicated site in Revit

[formarch.70565]

I have a site that has retaining walls, sloped driveways, curbs and sidewalks (sloped everything) and I'm wondering if Revit can support this type of modeling efficiently. If the site plan changes could it be updated easily or is it better just to forget it and draw it in 2D. I've seen a few methods in previous threads they seem time consuming. Any suggestions or threads would be helpful.

[SCShell]

Hi there,

Well, nobody else has taken a stab at this one, so I will.

I really comes down to one basic question. Do you really need to show the entire project in 3D? If you are going to want show the client, or, see for yourself, accurate 3d isometric views, perspectives and renderings, then you need to model the site.

If you are never going to show 3d views, and plan on only using conventional plans, elevations and sections, then you may consider not modeling the site and doing some "drafting" in order to make it look correct in Section and Elevation views. (Heck, that is the way we did before...remember? Some of us by hand!)

A good piece of advise to follow is this. Revit, like all technology, is there to help you and save you time hopefully. Just because you CAN do something, does not necessarily mean you SHOULD do it.

Good luck!
Steve

[DanielleAnderson]

While we're on the subject, does anybody have a good way to model curves in topography? I have an incident where I am trying to model a circular drive that is going up a gradual slope and I'm not sure how to get curbs.

[Scott D Davis]

not that it will help you now, but I see a logical progression to how the Factory has been 'adding' to the site tools. In 7.0, we can now define a region of a topo, and assign a different material. My hope is that in 8.0, we can define the region, change the material, AND define an offset distance (height) to build curbs, drives, sidewalks, etc., that will follw the topo.

Currently, you have to use in-place families and slope arrows to try and get site items to follow the contours.

[DanielleAnderson]

Okay, well, add it to the wishlist I guess. :)

We have found a trick that may be useful to someone out there when it comes to low site walls and curbs. We had a project where we were modelling some ferry dock concepts and to get low walls or curbs for that that would appropriately follow the slope of the dock, we used floors to create the dock surface and then made a railing that was curb shaped and attached it to the host floor surface. It was perfect for the exercise, so I suppose if one can get away with floors as sites, then that's one way to build a curb.

[jose.sam]

I have a site that has retaining walls, sloped driveways, curbs and sidewalks (sloped everything) and I'm wondering if Revit can support this type of modeling efficiently.looks like you too are a new user to revit.

from what i have found so-far, revit isn't great in the topography department. there has been some requests for it to be more usable for ordinary site representation (as opposed to detailed modelling of the site). so if ordinary site representation is a desired feature that is lacking then the advanced modelling you seek, as a newbie, might be too much.

others please disagree if you think i am wrong.

[formarch.70565]

Thanks alot for everyones advice.

[robmorfin]

It is really worth detailing & carving the site as it is going to be built and you can get accurate results, accurate slopes, accurate top elevations, accurate cut or fill (this has been hard to obtain, if you modify or delete existing by accident, this data is lost), accurate top of walls, bottom of walls, real views, real heights on elevations and very accurate renderings as they would look on real life (view wise and object location), it works great for grading & drainage plans and for landscape location on perspectives.

My advice: do it, detail it, it doesn't take too much time it's just a matter of getting used to the site tools.

Here is an example. (one shows existing been demo or cut and the other finished).

[brakware]

Robmorfin,

have you had any luck with trying to do site work that involves overhangs or caves in Revit? The firm I work for is trying to do a switch over to Revit, but the type of work that we do (zoos) involves a lot of intensive site work for animal exhibits, which often involve not only overhangs and caves, but also shotcrete work over the surface of the overhang. We need to be able to detail this in site sections and we need to be able to follow the surface of the site for a lot of things, since none of this is built on a flat surface.

[robmorfin]

Cameron,

I haven't tried doing that, so I'll talk from what I've seen (which may not be right),
I don't think it's possible, even if you get to create it in 3D as empty from the bottom of the surface, once you create a section from the bottom of it to infinity below a fill will be shown.

Maybe someone else has done it, good luck.

[petervanko]

Are you using any other 3-d software? Doing things like caves is much better suited for Max/VIZ/Rhino/etc (choose your flavor) and then importing into Revit. In general I feel Revit is a building maker and it does it better than any one else; however, this is not necessarily true for "organics"--whether buildings or otherwise--which are best left to other softwares to model. That's not to say Revit can't do some rational organics, but use Revit, rather, to manage the wild, imported organic and to make the building that results in and around it. Benefit from its handling of levels, vertical circulation, standard and/or slightly exotic building components, and unsurpassed general project management. Keep us posted!

[brakware]

That is kind of what I have started to think... It has taken me a while to figure out how to model things in Revit in any sort of complex manner, and, obviously, topography is my current challenge.

I haven't had a lot of experience with importing models from other programs, though. Does it work pretty well? Can you specify materials in an imported model? What about making an imported model parametric?

I will keep you posted on the progress.

[neb1998]

While we're on the subject, does anybody have a good way to model curves in topography? I have an incident where I am trying to model a circular drive that is going up a gradual slope and I'm not sure how to get curbs.
Maybe this is to simple a solution to your problem but i have been using walls as curbs on complex slopes. At least the wall can follow the slope and curve, then i just modify the wall in profile to be the correct height along the length of the slope.

[brakware]

How do you make the walls follow the topography?

[whittendesigns]

Does it work pretty well? Can you specify materials in an imported model? What about making an imported model parametric?I'm pretty sure in Max/Viz you can give it materials but I'm just as sure that you can't make an imported model parametric. Just not 100%