8.1 product summary

[jwilhelm]

I notice that there is an 8.1 product summary up on the Revit web site, looks pretty anemic for a major release, is it just non-descriptive or can anyone confirm or deny this?

[Wes Macaulay]

They've just taken the brochure from 8.0 and slightly gussied it up. This is an incomplete list of features:


Autodesk Revit Building Functionality
Among the new and enhanced features of Autodesk Revit Building 8.1 are:

Dimension Improvements
There is a new dimension type that allows vertical and horizontal dimensions to be created between elements that are at angles to each other. These dimensions are now called linear dimensions. The former linear dimensions are now called aligned dimensions.

Import/Export Improvements
Nurb (non-uniform rational B-splines) surfaces on ACIS objects in either dwg or sat files can be imported into Revit Building generic model or mass families, while you are creating the family. You can then use the roof by face and curtain system by face tools to create roofs and curtain systems on these imported surfaces.

When walls are exported to dwg, they become lines. You can select an option to ensure that any collinear lines produced by the export are merged.

Viewports can be assigned a layer when exporting to dwg or dxf. You can define the layer for viewports using the Export Layers DWG/DXF command. For more information, see Export Layers.

Linked files can be exported to 3D DWF.

The Export Layers command for dwg and dxf files and the command for dgn files have layer mappings for common edges for ceilings, floors, and walls.

Modelling Element Improvements
You can create a footprint roof that includes one or more slope-defining arcs in the roof sketch. If you set the Number of Full Segments property of a slope-defining arc to 0, a conical surface is created along the arc.

Type-driven curtain grid layout parameter names have changed and there are new parameter groupings. For more information, see Type-Driven Curtain Element Layout.

Mullion joins can be changed between continuous or broken. You can select a mullion after it is placed and choose two commands on the Options Bar: Make Continuous or Break at Join.

You can pick non-vertical faces to create walls by face. Walls created by selecting non-vertical faces can be scheduled, can accept inserts, and can be joined using Join Geometry.

Shaft openings that cut through several floors simultaneously can be created. The openings are visible on multiple levels. If you move the shaft in one view, it moves in all other views.

Site Improvements
Toposurfaces can be created from a comma-delimited points file. The points file must contain x, y, and z coordinate values. For more information, see Creating a Toposurface from a Points File.

Sketching Improvements
You can pick references in linked rvt files as a work plane.

Tool Improvements
Revit Building offers multi-discipline coordination review. Building projects that are worked on by teams of architects and structural engineers require a method for monitoring and coordinating changes between teams from the different disciplines.

View Improvements
Multiple elements on a curtain host can be selected using new commands available from the context menu. For more information, see Selecting Multiple Curtain Elements .

Room boundaries can be set to different layers of room-bounding walls. For more information, see Changing Room Boundary Location .

When spinning 3D views with the Dynamic View command, you can rotate 3D views about either the camera eye or selected objects in the view. For more information, see Using Dynamic View.

Elements in linked rvt files can be scheduled in a host project. For more information, see the description of the Fields tab under Schedule Properties Tabs.

Hosts that have compound structures, walls, floors, roofs, and ceilings, have a new subcategory called Common Edges. The cut line style of this subcategory controls the appearance of lines between layers in medium and fine scale views. The projection line style of this subcategory is not used.

Worksets Improvements
Element borrowing has been enhanced. The process is now more automatic. You can borrow elements from non-editable worksets without explicit permission from Revit Building. For more information, see Element Borrowing.

The size of workset-enabled files can be reduced during saves.

A file can be opened independently from the central file. This is useful for sending files to clients without relinquishing all worksets and borrowed elements. The file can then be modified by the client, but any changes cannot be saved back to the central file. For more information, see Opening Independently from Central File.

[hand471037]

Being able to Schedule across linked files is a MAJOR improvement, one that I've been waiting years for, and one that solves several major issues within Revit itself.

And there's a couple of other things in there, like the improved workset performance, that's gonna help tons.

So, to me, while this is a 'small' release, it's still a big deal.

After all, it was just two months ago (if that) that the Structural release came out, and just a short while before that Revit 7 hit. And Revit 9 is slated for less than 9 months away now, roughly.

So, yeah, ok, y'all might be thinking that it's 'disappointing'. But that just makes me wonder what you'd find 'impressive'. Must be a pretty tall order. I mean, just because Revit 8.1 doesn't solve certain issues you're having it might be a little disappointing to you, I can understand that. But still, man, you gotta admit that the Revit developement curve has been really impressive. I've been using it for five years, and man, I've never used a software that's come so far so fast...

[Steve_Stafford]

I notice that there is an 8.1 product summary up on the Revit web site, looks pretty anemic for a major release, is it just non-descriptive or can anyone confirm or deny this?You'll be singing a different tune once you get to use it I suspect... 8-)

[Scott D Davis]

You can pick non-vertical faces to create walls by face. Walls created by selecting non-vertical faces can be scheduled, can accept inserts, and can be joined using Join Geometry.
This one is huge for those that are doing 'organic' or irregular architecture.

[blads]

Is it still only slanted for a US ONLY release ???

[Martin P]

Where has this idea come from?? - is it on the website or something? it has never been the case before? - Revit structure is only released in the US as far as I know, but that is new product so seems sensible enough.

If it is put on the web. I really dont think we are going to see Autodesk start a website for US subscribers only?? I am sure even if I wanted to download Revit structure I probably could - even though it is only a US release.

I wouldnt worry to be honest even if it were - just means it would have all the bugs ironed out by US users by the time I get it ;)

[Martin P]

This one is huge for those that are doing 'organic' or irregular architecture.


This is meant tongue in cheek ;) not meant to be nasty!

but it sounds like it applies to me......

[ita]

Martin it comes from here in part . . . no doubt others got the same message>>>



Hi,

Its tanja, the revit Building PM J

Yes, the 8.1 release will only available in the United States



So, you are welcome to test, but you should be aware of that

Thanks so much!

tanja>>>an email sent to me when requesting to beta test R8.1. Please be assured that am not trying to stir things up . . but when Reviteers outside the US pay much higher subscriptions . . policy like this make us feel like highly priced second raters. Either we are subscribers to the application or we are not. The management at ADesk needs to qualify what a subscription means inside the US and outside and why there is a difference and be clear about it. :!:

[Wes Macaulay]

We should get clarification on whether that just means CDs/DVDs. I expect 8.1 will still be RTW (released to web)...

[Nic M.]

I got the same mail as Ian did.

... "only available in the US"...

There is no mention of "temporary" in this mail

It makes the whole discussion about : Revit cannot down save .....verry much alive :roll:

Lets just wait an see

[eddy.lermytte]

I think A-desk better rectify this statement.
Whether we can download 8.1. or not ...in my opinion it's bad policy to give on the one side and to deny/allow on the other side.
So ... I calculate on a rectification. ... wait and see :)

[Martin P]

Hmmm - that will be extremely irritating.

If thats the way its going to go, we may just go back to upgrading the old fashioned way, if it can be done? - 8.0 (and 8.1 by the looks of it) dont seem to have anything we would have rushed and out and paid for and upgrade to if it was done the old way. We may just be better off waiting till 10 and upgrading then like we did before Revit subscription..... if you can even do that now?

[mmodernc]

Hey I need that linked file 3D dwf export by Monday at the latest-Sydney time.

[GuyR]

As I posted on this (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=23559) thread.

From the reseller here, as far as they know:

"International 8.1 released at the end of the month for subscription download."

HTH,

Guy

[rhys]

As I posted on this (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=23559) thread.

From the reseller here, as far as they know:

"International 8.1 released at the end of the month for subscription download."

HTH,

Guy
That makes more sense. Perhaps they just didn't want us foreigners Beta testing.

[Steve_Stafford]

That makes more sense. Perhaps they just didn't want us foreigners Beta testing.I'm sure it is related to the fact that Revit Structure has not been made available outside the US yet. :)

[khomburg]

Importing points files for sites will be handy. Our architectural people won't have to bug our civil people to create surfaces for basic sites.