New User

[nainesh1844]

I have just started a small practice in west london and joined zoog as a new member. I have decided to migrate from ADT2004 to Revit and want to start a new project on Revit. I do not have any experience of Revit at all but having attended a seminar and spoken to some existing Revit users convinced myself that Revit is the way forward for me.

My background is entirely in AutoCAD and ADT for the past 14 years. I need help and support with Revit starting from Jan 2004 and am hoping that this forum will come to my rescue when I need it.

[gregcashen]

You can bet on it. Glad to have you here!

[bclarch]

In some ways it is harder two switch from Autocad to Revit than it is to learn Revit from scratch because you have to unlearn certain ways of doing things. The biggest change is in how you approach the project. Revit is more like the real world in that you need to start thinking about defining and assembling elements of the building rather than drawing abstract representations of them in 2D. If you think along these lines, the transition will go fairly smoothly. Good luck.

[ita]

As an ex Autocad and ADT user, I found that I wanted to go back to the former apps when I had got the Revit model to a certian point. I found the dimensioning and text clumsy and hard to implement - simply because I wanted my previous tools and styles.

When I realised that I had crossed the Rubicon and life was differnt on the other side and that Revit was what I had chosen, it all started to change quickly. Now I will not go back!

Yes there will be times and things that frustrate you and things that should work but don't - and somewhere eventually you will talk to someone, or read about how to do it or just experiment to make things work - and from trial and error learn the work arounds - like all CAD apps. And one day you will say this is great. You will look at your project models and feel very satisfied.

To accelaerate the process, find someone who is willing show you what they can do and is prepared to spend some time assisting -by phone even - and use this forum. Open up existing families and look at how they are put together. Read all the topics in ZoogDesign - even if you don't understand what is being discussed - it wil stick in your mind and when a situation arises you will rember that you had read about it here and go search for the string.

Also be prepared for that 1st project to take some time to complete.

[funkman]

Read all the topics in ZoogDesign - even if you don't understand what is being discussed - it wil stick in your mind and when a situation arises you will rember that you had read about it here and go search for the string.
w00t to that!!!


Also be prepared for that 1st project to take some time to complete.

make that a double 8)

[Griff]

Nainesh,
I know the fear your going through because I am new to Revit also, and plan to do my first project in Revit after the first of the year. I too came from many years of ADT but after going to AU and talking to several Revit users, I agreed that Revit is the future and I need to just jump in.

I also agree with ita's post about reading all the newgroup posts. There was a lot of excitement at AU about this newsgroup so as soon as I returned I joined and since I'm the only one I know of around here that is using Revit, I plan to be here alot.

Good luck and I hope we learn from each other.

[cphubb]

Some good advice that our firm learned in our switch from ADT3 to Revit was not to try everything at once. We had a number of Autocad users and a couple of non-CAD people using Revit and found that the time to learn the program was about the same. (+ for Revit that 2 non-CAD users learned the program in the same amount of time that a 10y+ Autocad vetern did).
One big thing for our firm was utilizing the drafting views and Autocad to draft details and other views that can be difficult to learn in Revit when you are not fully aware of the various tools that can help. Don't be afraid to foresake the model from time to time and use the drafting views to draw a detail or import an Autocad detail from yuor library. As time goes on and you realize how much dupilication your are drawing you will naturally move from having drafting views to sections and elevations. This forum is a great place for the tips that will help you make that transition. Good luck.

An example or first project 3 Section views 75 drafting views
Our latest project 25 section views 40 elevations 15 drafting views (All but one imported Autocad site details from our library)

[JamesVan]

Make sure you go through the Tutorials under the Help menu, they are the BEST resource for new users. I even return to them occasionally to refresh on something I might not use that often.

Also consider the manuals that Cyril Verley and David Driver have written on Revit. They're extremely helpful.

Go to www.cdvsystems.com

[Griff]

Thanks for all the helpful advise.

I'm starting by creating our company standard Titleblock and tags in Revit. We use a font in ADT that is an Architectural Chisel (shx) font. I am trying to see if any of the questions I have, have already been posted so that I don't bother everyone with my questions.

Am I right in thinking that Revit won't use shx files and that I have to buy a good looking truetype font?

[Allen Lacy]

You're correct, you can't use shx fonts. Click here (http://www.zoogdesign.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1567&highlight=font) for some good architectural fonts that are "freebies" (scroll to bottom of page).

[Griff]

Thanks Al, I think one of these will work.