anybody regret the switch to revit?

[ann29]

I am test driving the software at the moment and am looking for some ammunition to sell the switch from AutoCAD to staff and principals.
Is there anybody who regrets the switch?
Where do you see the drawbacks and limits in Revit?
Our staff has different levels of AutoCAD experience and capabilities to adapt new technologies. How did your office handle the transition?
I appreciate your thoughts.

[gregcashen]

There was one point at which I thought I had gotten myself in over my head. Maybe I regretted it a little at that point. I kept thinking that "Chief does this, Archicad does that, Softplan does this..." and Revit didn't seem to do many of the things I was missing. The point, however, was that it is a totally new way of working and it really takes a mental shift to "get it". Don't expect to jump in and get a project whipped out in a week and show your boss that you can do anything with this great new tool. As with any new major technology adoption, evaluate thoroughly beforehand and have a clear strategy for implementation. If you are a bigger office(10+ Revit users) seriously consider hiring Cyril Verley to train your users. Otherwise, get his books and make them required reading. Go through all of the tutorials.

In the end the thing you will realize is that Revit may not have a retaining wall tool like vectorworks, but that doesn't mean it doesn't do retaining walls (battered or not). It may not have automatic framing generation, but that doesn't mean you can't do framing plans with it. Commercial projects are so easy in Revit, it's silly. Chief Architect can't really do commercial. Nor can Softplan. There are always gonna be things that Revit can do that others can't and vice versa. The best thing is to try it out and see if it can do what you need it to do. And try out some others too. You'll come away knowing that you picked the best tool for you.

Greg

P.S. If you are doing Gehry type buildings, take heed of the fact that he uses a custom made software that runs somewhere in the tens of thousands of dollars to purchase, implement, train and use, and for which he has started a whole new company to develop it further for the architectural community. Don't expect the same results from Revit. That's not to say you can't do a lot of Gehry-ish designs within Revit.

[bclarch]

Greg pretty much summed things up on the positive side. I'm not sure that you will find many people here who regret the switch. If they did, then they probably went back to their previous software and stopped visiting here.

[Les Therrien]

Revit is like Golf.
When you first learn you will be beating on yourself a little. But as you learn and understand the game, there's nothing like it. I can personally promise you you will NOT regret it. Never (in my opinion) in the architecture industry has there been such a great tool which is not only for designing, but simplifies the process to make it all more enjoyable. :D

Resistance is futile.........get Revit or be left behind!!!

[PeterJ]

I'm intrigued. Who was the lone (so far) nay-sayer and what were their reasons?

[Simon.Whitbread]

The jury is still out. Saying that I think its great, I've just got to convince the PA who should probably still be using crayons. Greg hit the nail on the head fair and square, get beyond the head beating and everything is so much simpler. I tried starting a new project in ACAD, spent several hours drawing up a floor plan... then trashed it in favour of spending less time to produce the whole sketch scheme.
although ADT does NOW (2004) have some great features I'm a convert to Revit. Heaven help me if I have to go back!!

[gregcashen]

Wha?? Who?? Some(ONE) regrets switching to Revit?

Djordje must still be lurking... :wink:

[ann29]

thanks for your input. Interesting that you mention Cyril, I have been talking to him for a couple of years now about Revit. It is very likely that we will have him come in and do at least part of the training and initial set up.
How did the people in your office handle the switch to Revit who are typically resisting change or are just not picking things up so quickly? How long would you say it takes to get the hang of it?

[Cathy Hadley]

OOPS ... I voted incorrectly... mis-read the question... DOH .... please subtract one NO vote... and add a big YES vote...

[Scott D Davis]

How did the people in your office handle the switch to Revit who are typically resisting change or are just not picking things up so quickly?

Let them know that there is a nice firm across town that is looking for people to work with old technology!

[Les Therrien]

I would say that it will vary from person to person. I am a one man show. I did a lot of research before the purchase.

I attended all the free online classes and hung around the alt.cad.revit then Zoog sites reading and reading before ever making the purchase.

After signing on. I purchased the scottonstott.com tutorial CD which I found very helpful.

After all this, I'd say it took me about 6-8 weeks to really get a feel for it and begin to be productive. I know I will be compensated in that time loss in 6-12 months. I am no wizard at the family editor yet, but Revit allows you to work freely with the content that is provided.

Like you've probably heard or read, it's a different way of working. Therefore a different way of thinking. With traditional CAD, everything was a workaround. You had to focus on how to creat the graphic for your blueprints. With Revit, you consider the construction process as opposed to drafting. I literally work and smile when using Revit.

[jjhoward1840]

We are Autodesk Revit Resellers and Revit is taking South Africa by storm. We have had to up our game and unlearn what we have learn't. At last we can give our clients a product that they deserve and a product that delivers.

[Marek Brandstatter]

Annette I'll back that up. I've been writing architectural add-ons for AutoCAD since 1988 and have even managed to build a succesful business from it. As a company we evaluated Revit for 8 months (tackling numerous projects) and basically - its no contest - Revit solves every single problem that AutoCAD/ADT has and then more. I marvel at the software on a daily basis. Revit is 5 years ahead of its time. Embrace the change :)

[BomberAIA]

I have been using Revit since REV 1.0. I have seen it progress into a program you can produce WD's in. My only problem w/ Revit is producing multifamily projects w/ several building types. I have been using Acad since 1985. It sucked then and still suckes. All it is is a drafting tool. That's my 2 cents.

[John K.]

snip-- I have seen it progress into a program you can produce WD's in. My only problem w/ Revit is producing multifamily projects w/ several building types. I have been using Acad since 1985. It sucked then and still suckes. All it is is a drafting tool.--snip

Same here. Learned ACAD R10 in Fall of 1990 but it took me two more years to move to a firm that used it in lieu of the drawing board. Since then I've used ACAD, Microstation, and a handful of others. I'll continue to use ACAD [& Microstation] for various tasks: I can literally model "anything" with them from boat hulls, to maps, to arch'l products. But when I sit down to do a set of contract documents -- start to finish -- Revit wins hands down.

I now get to spend my time thinking about how the BUILDING WORKS rather than how the SOFTWARE WORKS [or doesn't... ;-) ]. Still don't know it all and never will, but that's why I check THIS site frequently. Between this and available tutorials, I only call customer service when it's time to add another seat [-- for licensing details.]

[nrenfro]

The only regret is not switching sooner. Revit's influence has changed how our office operates at all levels. Our firm has right in the middle adopting Revit as our standard tool. I serve as the center base of Revit know how for the group.

I spent three months working on real projects learning the ins and outs of the program via the online classes, built-in tutorials, Cyril's books, and this site of course.

Once we as a firm were convinced of the benefits we started the switch from Autocad. We allow those with the greatest interest to switch over first, and have found that the energy and excitement that Revit brings those people spreads to those who have been a bit hesitant to change their ways. The most important thing for someone to understand is Revit's philosophy, because it is truly a different way of working.

Once the concept is understood the next hurdle learning how to navigate and use the tools. So far it has taken people about 3 weeks to really start feeling confident. For those who have been weary of the change we are trying to break them slower. For example I have someone now who is linking a Autocad project into Revit just to layout, coordinate, and print out of. Once you can get their foot in the door Revit can sell it's self pretty well.

The biggest thing I have noted is that because Revit draws things like you build them, those with a better understanding of construction have an advantage over those who don't. The most important person(s) to sell Revit to are the principal(s) of the firm.

Revit is changing how we write contracts, fill out time sheets, and coordinate with builders to name a few. Without the principal(s) support I am not sure that a firm can make the switch. I am sure everyone has had similar but different experiences as they made the leap.

Revit is our future and whether it's now or later I think it's going to be the future of the industry.

[Simon.Whitbread]

Can we have a poll within a poll? no? ...


Anyway, the thing that really interests me on this topic is the number of Revit / AutoCAD seats everyone has and the overall size of company. The Architect I work for have around 150 people, 37 Autocad (we have ADT3.3 but only use it like PLAIN AutoCAD), 16 LT and currently 2 Revit. I'd like to be able to turn this around, but to the company it would involve a HUGE amount of training investment. On larger pracitces, how easy hs it been to adopt you company standards or...not

[Capt Steve]

Acad user since release 9 w/green screens and rubix cubes!

Our company purchased Vector works and regretted it the next day so when I went to the PA and said I have found "the One" He said, we do not believe as you do "Morph boy" to which I said the prophecy of Revit is true I tell ya. But they prefered the dependability of 3D max which nearly broke them again financially untill I loaded the Autodesk New Zealand Revit training program. The PA saw the door of opportunity and believed!

The PA was convinced and converted to Revitism. We purchased two copies that day.

Revit has a large learning curve, but once mastered it "genuinely" offers three dimensions and not one like acad. These are, (though I wish I could just get a d/load!

1. Genuine Design
2. Presentation
3. Documentation

Parting testimony.
I had designed a complex medical centre using revit last year. By bringing the A/C and structural engineers in I took them into the model to problem solve. Outcome was that I was able maintain the aesthetic's throughout the centre. In other words, no bulkheads/ducts or diffusers sticking out in wrong places, as is often the case with Services dictating.

Welcome.... to the "R e v i t".