If newbiesthink Revit Modeling is Awsome, then what about ...

[cosmickingpin]

Now I ain't bragging here, but I have done extensive Animation and modeling in Autocad Viz/max ( a couple of years full time) and Let me share something many of you might already know and that is the "REAL TIME MODELING EXPERIENCE." Now in my unimpressive career spend eating up what ever came along, there is the "virtual modeling experience" where you are sitting there, the young guy, and the principals of the firm (your bosses) are standing behind you and a "brain storming" session is going on, and they are watching every little move you make. I used to hate those because I would sit there and they would shout vague and excessive commands over my shoulder. "make it longer, turn it red, put that closer to that, make it shorter, now move it up, now move it down, etc..." you get the point. and there they would stand like Nemo in the matrix giving commands and expecting instant results. and about every ten minutes one of their demands would require extensive re-modeling and I would have to tell them, "come back in five minutes, come back in ten minutes, come back in 20 minutes" (etc. you get the point.)

NOW! In Revit and this has been true for the last three years I have been using it I can offer the previous generation (my bosses) those who spend hours getting a decent 3d view, something I call "the real time modeling experience" where as I sit there desperately trying to keep pace with each and every single whim and fancy that enters their heads, and actually get instant results. Especially with the innovations in the massing tool recently. I can change and alter the design to match their wills in real time in ways I never could in any other platform out there.

Anybody else have a similar take on this. Perhaps this could become a selling feature for Revit, just imagine it. (and if so can I get a check for this, Just a little something for my trouble here?)

"real time modeling, with a competent user, Revit allows you to explore any and all design options in real time speed, now matter have extreme your explorations get, in the hands of an experienced user Revit allows you to keep pace with any brain storming session."

I ain't bragging, I am sure many of you could blow me away but, anybody out there feeling me on this? If so can I get a witness?

[BWG]

I love those brainstorming sessions! And I think revit is perfect for my daily need of instant gratification.

[Wes Macaulay]

I've never thought of Revit in that scenario, even though I've been there. And you have a good point: it's good for those brainstorming design sessions.

Good that you mention this because people ask me what my favourite design tool is: I tell them Trace Paper. But Revit is a great design review tool - where you can take your design and see if it really works in the real world.

Great post, Cosmo (if you don't mind me calling you that!)

[mmodernc]

ditto here but be careful with linked files, design options, phasing and worksets when you are doing realtime design. I think when you are "realtiming" with bosses and clients you have to KISS. (Keep it simple stupid)- unless you have everything set up 100% and know every little bug, quirk and nuance like second nature.

[luigi]

If so can I get a witness?
You've got me babe....you ain't alone!!!! ;)

[clydej]

I agree with you and can honestly say there is only one package I've worked with that'll top
Revit, Inventor, when it comes to handling changes with models. For an architectural package to give full command over what components can be added to your model, this is definitely a first!! :D

[Martin P]

Yes, we have 2 of those Voice Control Cad drafters in my office ;)..... its very good when its something being designed, that can be quite enjoyable for the computer operator and the designer. You will very often hear the "its amazing what you can do with this Revit!" when that is happening in our office. For me who rarely gets involved in the design process I really enjoy doing this, and for the older Architects in our office who rarley sit at a computer they get to enjoy making a computer do what they say - very quickly, no coming back in 20 mins!!

[cosmickingpin]

My Personal Favorite is when they are standing there and they give you a series of commands that does a whole bunch of things and then completely undoes it all of it (in a very mixed up order) and then say, "there that's better" and I use the undoes to show them that the result is exactly what I had 15 minutes ago. I love that, but I try to be all super careful and polite about it. I love that through.

My point is that it allows for extensive design exploration without the barriers of we had in the past. I love that more

[jsadams2]

It wasn't real time modeling, but the ability to quickly view and manipulate hidden line 3d views saved my behind a few weeks ago. I was at a clients office reviewing 90% CD's for a 5 building industrial park. They were sittin' there staring at the plan, then the elevations, then the pricing numbers that had recently come in. Then they started talking about deleting entries, or worse, stretching and rearranging them (and in these buildings 90%of the modeling and detailing is in the entries). So I whip out my 400 lb. laptop, pull up Revit and start spinning around a site model I had pulled together with all 5 buildings (I say pulled together, because I did no special modeling beyond what was needed to generate the CD's). Their jaws dropped open and after a few "can we see it from there"'s, suddenly the conversation changed to "leave it exactly like it is, we'll up the rent". After that, if anyone wants to bad-mouth Revit in my presence, they'll find my 400 lb. laptop dropped on their head.

[DanielleAnderson]

I will admit it, I spend a lot of time being a " Voice Control Cad drafter" and Revit has actually really helped me out here at work...My boss seems to design best in perspective views, plans and elevations are completely useless to him, so the "real-time" aspect of Revit has been great. We are able to make all kinds of snap-decisions that would take a lot more agonizing in a 2d program or even Max. So rock on...now if only some of my CD-technical wish list requests could be met, I'd be even more popular around here. :)

[janunson]

Yes, i love that you can do this in Revit. I'm trying now to get adept enough with it that i can run it this way with the client in the room. The trick is definitely to pre-visualize the areas they'll want to change, set up careful constraints, and flex the model ahead of time! We have a conference room with a 10' screen at the end of a work table, it's a great place to show the client the model, then talk through changes in real-time, and the clients love it. we have some clients that are in the automotive business and they tend to expect this type of thing from us because they see it w/ solidworks in their offices all the time. I think they've been surprised in the past to find that we draw things in 2D cad like old-time drafters... the automotive industry made the BIM-equivalent leap a long time ago.

[cosmickingpin]

I supposed with some it is fine (builder clients, highly construction savvy types) but the average run of the mill client, well it could quickly turn into a video game for them, where because they have no idea how things get built, they will goes through this exercise and end up with something they love- but it is completely unsuitable, unfeasible or otherwise a bad building. I think this is great for architects because while they are shouting commands, they are also seeing the design with experience and know something that is no good when they see it. Not only that it is like using a ouija board (forgive me Luigi- devils toys I know) where everyone is anonymously moving the design around and at the end of the day nobody can singularly claim credit for the design, and it truly feels like a collaborative effort where even the lowly voice operated modeler has a say.

[BWG]

Yes, I completely agree. I also liking designing on trace paper and usually do this before designing anything from scratch. Sometimes I do have the draftsman/designers working through a series of changes just to go back to the way it was. That is the beauty of it. On paper, doing this when things need to be accurate is very difficult, especially in 3d where the hand drawn lines can lie. I know it can be very frustrating, but look at the end result of what you are designing/drafting. Shame on any architect/boss who does not let the designer/drafters experience the building process to see the creation come to life. We have been waiting for a very long time for a system like revit, so I can just imagine what the future holds. Personally I am waiting for the diodes in my office window that will let me draw on it like trace paper and have that information possible interace with the model - so that maybe I can either discard the sketch, save it to other or simply "Join Geometry". Just can't wait!

Bruce W. Green, AIA

[Martin P]

My boss is a big fan of tracing paper too. Its a great way to work, we just print off A3's he marks them up - back and fore, till the design is right. Very good method, he gets to carry on with other work while I spend time modelling what he has sketched (sketched in a 5 minute discussion - modelled over a longer period) As in our ofice the technicians tend to know a lot about the ins and outs of the building regulations (building codes I think you call them?) it is very useful as we dont (often!) run into problems with designs that maybe dont quite comply with certain things, ie you have 2+ pools of different knowledge involved in the design - which cant be a bad thing.