Viewer for 3dmodel

[Nic M.]

A client wants to view the revit 3dmodel on his computer.
only Looking no touching

I told him he could download a demo version of the program, but he thinks its to difficult to move arround in it.

So is there a program/viewer that can display an exported revit model?

[Arnel Aguel]

I don't think that we have an an interactive viewer for Revit at the moment.

Perhaps this will help, why not set-up different 3d views (shaded or rendered) then "file export image" as jpeg for each 3d view.

[Nic M.]

Thanks for the reply Arnel,

We offerd him different jpeg's / PDF's / plots ...
But he keeps asking for a solution so he can look at the model himself

I thought there where possibilities with a dwg export?

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Nic,
If you have the time (and the client is willing to pay the freight!) you might try doing a walkthrough or 'fly by' animation that gives the client the aerial tour. You can export to avi format and then they can view, and pause, the movie at any time. Ask them what they want to see and arrange your camera angles to suit. It's a canned presentation but I believe, other than, the only option is Revit in demo mode and about fifteen minutes of instruction or a good cheat sheet the client can take with them.

[JamesVan]

You can also create Panoramic renderings (*.PAN) files that your client can view with a browser plug-in.

[bclarch]

Nic,

Revit is so easy to move around in I am surprised that your client considers it so difficult. Is he using a mouse without a scroll button? Does he know about hitting F8 to bring up the dynamic zoom box?

[Nic M.]

Nic,

Revit is so easy to move around in I am surprised that your client considers it so difficult. Is he using a mouse without a scroll button? Does he know about hitting F8 to bring up the dynamic zoom box?

I did mention him about the demo version and his exact reply was: "yeah,next you gonna ask me to do your job, or what!!??" but then in dutch.
So the more I think about it, it isen't allways a good ID to mention the demo version and you have to supply the original .rvt file to your client.

A real nightmare to have a client poke arround in the file, I know he can't save but he can make screencaptures.... (been there dun that)

All I want is an export to a file, send that file to client and a link for a free viewer.
Well gonna cal him ans say "no can do" notting bad about that.

[Phil Palmer]

Nic,

Dont know if you have come across NAvisworks before.
This programme can take various file formats (not RVT yet) and is a good 3d viewer. I think its quite expensive but there is a free viewer for your clients. THe solution would be to export the Revit model to a 3d dwg file.

http://www.navisworks.com

May be worth a look

[Martin P]

So the more I think about it, it isen't allways a good ID to mention the demo version and you have to supply the original .rvt file to your client.

A real nightmare to have a client poke arround in the file, I know he can't save but he can make screencaptures.... (been there dun that)

All I want is an export to a file, send that file to client and a link for a free viewer.
Well gonna cal him ans say "no can do" notting bad about that.

I'd definitely go for "no, sorry, there is no such thing, nothing I can do about it"

as you say you dont want clients poking around your drawings. I read something in BD magazine about this recently, where a client was altering autocad drawings and sending them back. From what I read I dont think it is a path you want to start to go down. (although your guy couldnt alter them!)

I have been looking at some mechanical engineering AEC magazines we get delivered, and there is that 3D model printing - Rapid Prototyping, or laser sintering - you can get done now for mechanical parts etc.... dont know if it is possible or how much it would cost, and I dont know if it has been used for buildings at all yet??? But it is aimed at producing disposable real world 3D models very cheaply, it would be really good to get that type of thing done for a model of you buildings, imagine handing the client a 3D "print" of his building!!

[PeterJ]

Brilliant idea Martin. I think it is expensive at present but already prices are falling.......

[bclarch]

I have been looking at some mechanical engineering AEC magazines we get delivered, and there is that 3D model printing - Rapid Prototyping, or laser sintering - you can get done now for mechanical parts etc.... dont know if it is possible or how much it would cost, and I dont know if it has been used for buildings at all yet??? But it is aimed at producing disposable real world 3D models very cheaply, it would be really good to get that type of thing done for a model of you buildings, imagine handing the client a 3D "print" of his building!!

There are a couple of threads on this forum about this issue. I forget what terms they used for the subject line but you could probably find them relatively easily by searching. The concept is indeed interesting but way too expensive at this date.

[aggockel50321]

Here's one site mentioned in an earlier thread...

http://wwwwww.lgmmodel.com/index.html

[beegee]

Heres a link (http://www.zoogdesign.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1150&highlight=models) to one of the threads on sterolithography.
And here's another (www.zoogdesign.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1147)

[Nic M.]

Thanks all for the sugestions
Had a look at the stereolitho's :shock: nice verrrrry nice
a lot of potential

[nick.carter]

I know of a company that has actually already begun to do some laser sintering models for architects. They've done several for architects all over the U.S. www.advatechmfg.com

[Steve_Stafford]

Just a note, this thread is just over three years old now so the fairly obvious answer today is DWF and the free viewer that will be native inside Internet Explorer 7 supposedly.

[CGM]

Just a note, this thread is just over three years old now so the fairly obvious answer today is DWF and the free viewer that will be native inside Internet Explorer 7 supposedly.Yip Steve,
Personnally, I think it's always a bad idea to send the client the files, before he has paid the bill. ~Shrug~ :?: Does RealDWG work with Revit?

[narlee]

I work with residential clients, many of whom are not computer savvy beyond the basics.

I started looking into this recently. I wasn't happy with the DWF Viewer route because a) the client has to download and learn it (though it's simple), b) the Revit tranfer loses the material "clarity", and c) though quite navigable, one cannot do an internal walkthru.

I then looked into Adobe's 3D software, which can publish to the free reader that most people already use. That software also doesn't keep any good material settings for 3D "active" viewing, and the navigation tools, though they include the internal walkthru, are absolutely atrocious. Hopefully their next version, due this spring, will be an improvement.

One thing I noticed, in regards to my desire for viewers to retain Revit's material "clarity" is that the material "clarity" seems to consume CPU power. I say that because, with both DWF viewer and Acrobat 3D, the "active" navigations are quite smooth, but mousing thru walkthrus within Revit can induce miniature time lags as the software is recalculating (I guess) the proper location of material surface patterns and so forth.

One thing I realized is that to keep the Revit material "clarity" with "active" navigation, requires the large files, which is a problem right there. You'ld have to send the file up to your FTP and have the client download the monster. Unfortunately, I don't think "zipping" Revit files helps.

One thing I'm planning to try is to load only the Revit.exe file onto a computer and see if it has enough of the program for a client to use as a viewer. It is "only" 30MB, not the 1/2GB of the whole darn program.

I agree that I wouldn't neccessarily be thrilled to have client's messing around too much with the files, but an "active" 3D viewing aspect gives them the best feel for their project, and a neat little novelty, too :-).

[narlee]

Also, I have Explorer 7, and went to Microsoft's website, but cannot find 3D CAD viewing cabability. I assume the CAD file would need to be converted to .U3D or something, which Revit cannot do without a third party software, like Acrobat 3D (or is there a cheaper alternative?).

[Chirag Mistry]

Well if he just wants to see the model, you can use 3D DWF. Export from revit directly, a free viewer is available on Autodesk website and has a lot of cool feature like the ability to cut a section etc.,

Hope this helps

[trombe]

I agree on the DWF Viewer route for the moment.
It will be a significantly better gig when materials and colours are able to be integrated with the 3D dwf file properly rather than the current form only model type surfacing as now.

Clients seem to be pretty happy at being able to get a close feel for what is intended. I must look closer at the DWF Viewer 7, but can't you export walkthrough files into DWF Viewer already so they can be experienced within that medium ?

Bring on advances in the DWF Viewer.
2c
trombe

[irfan]

Export it as 3d DWF. and the DWF Viewer is free to download s/w from Autodesk website.