Revit Training - A Starter/Primer

[dandlf]

Hi Guys,

I have finally been asked to give some in-house Revit training to the rest of the office here (initially 10 people, then more).
It is amazing to see the Resistance to any approach toward Revit from the existing ArchiCad users.... they flatly refuse to look at it..

We work on mainly commercial and institutional buildings, large scale stuff, Universities and Laboratories.
I was hoping that someone could point me in the right direction with regards to training materials (ie. powerpoint maybe?)
OR alternatively maybe a step-through on how to setup a large commercial building that will be designed with 10 users/architects.

Any help you guys could help with will be appreciated as I am literally fighting to get this up and running and need all the ammunition I can muster....

Cheers
D

[Steve_Bennett]

My first word of advice would be this: Stay away from powerpoints at all costs! Just show them what the software can do & that is far more powerful than just teasing them with pics. Tease them with the software itself & let it prove to them what it can do.

The next thing is to remember the KISS approach (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Just design a simple building in front of them. Do this a couple times by yourself & outline what the building will look like so you have something to follow when they are in training.

Hope these points help you towards winning the battle against Archi-CAD.

[beegee]

Books - Lay Christopher Fox + James Balding's " Introducing and Implementing Autodesk Revit " is a good one to use for training.

Cyril Verlays Advanced Courseware for Autodesk Revit - Commercial is equally good.

Autodesk also publish Essentials and Advanced training courseware for Revit, which can be ordered through your reseller.

Check out our LINKS (http://www.augi.com/revit/default.asp?page=375) page ( Publishers ) for details.

For initial training, get them doing stuff hands -on as quickly as possible. Cover the interface briefly, then get straight into modeling with them creating walls, windows, doors, floors , roofs etc.

Put that into practice modeling a small building.

Then show them how to quickly dimension and place views on sheets. Then get into some easy scheduling.

Follow that with an intro to families.

Should have a happy team by the end of that process !

[jbalding48677]

Some very good advise above, and I would add to it by saying that you need to demonstrate the power of Revit and how it out performs ArchiCAD. Coordination is a good one, ease of use and intuitive workflow good to follow up with. Bi-directional workflow is also something they might be interested in. That would mean working in schedules, elevations, sections and 3D and seeing the whole model up date.

You are in for a big battle but one worth fighting, good luck and keep us posted.

[Scott D Davis]

Show them you can open numerous plans of the same model within one session of Revit, something you can't do in ArchiCAD.

Show them you can 'drill-down' a detail to an almost infinite level. ie: building section to a wall section to a callout of the wall section to a detail of a piece of the wall section to a specific piece of the detail, and so on. You can literally make a detail of a detail of a detail....something you cannot do in ArchiCAD.

Show them how easy it is to do multi-story walls in Revit. ArchiCAD has a very tough time dealing with walls that pass from floor to floor continuously.

Show them how easy it is to set up sheets with views, internally in Revit, without having to open a second program as you do in ArchiCAD.

[patricks]

I myself found the included tutorials to be quite good at getting me going. I liked how it walked you through the creation of a whole building first, and then went more in depth into each of the different parts like walls, floors, roofs, doors and windows, etc. I think that using the tools in a basic way first and then learning more about each tool is a good approach, as opposed to just telling all about each tool straight away.

When a new version of Revit is released that has new tools and features, I usually just go through the tutorial for those new features to see how they work.

At my office we just printed out the whole tutoral (nearly a full ream of paper printed front and back) and just went through each tutorial session. That's my suggestion.

[BWG]

I myself found the included tutorials to be quite good at getting me going. I liked how it walked you through the creation of a whole building first, and then went more in depth into each of the different parts like walls, floors, roofs, doors and windows, etc. I think that using the tools in a basic way first and then learning more about each tool is a good approach, as opposed to just telling all about each tool straight away.

When a new version of Revit is released that has new tools and features, I usually just go through the tutorial for those new features to see how they work.

At my office we just printed out the whole tutoral (nearly a full ream of paper printed front and back) and just went through each tutorial session. That's my suggestion.

I went through the tutorials just to see if the program was right for us. I also went through the Archi CAD tortoise as well, but it was to complicated compared to revit. The supplied tutorials should be enough to get them going. Since you are dealing with 10 users, be sure and make them at least do the workset training course that is mentioned the first time you click on worksets. There really isn't any other program out like revit. Archi CAD is old technology. If they don't like change, then consider changing them. :mrgreen:

[rod.74246]

ArchiCAD users seem to pick Revit up a hell of a lot quicker than ACAD ADT users by a long shot.

To me the biggest and best selling point of Revit over ArchiCAD is the family creation. Revit wins hands donw in this regard. However it isn;t something that is picked up straight away and really needs a good familiarity with the program before you can really pick up that side of the software.

On another note, from experience i would really hseitate dumping 10 people who are new to Revit on the same project at one time. A project that requires that amount of staffing in Revit must be bloody huge. You will be up for all sorts of problems letting 10 inexperienced users have a crack at a new job that size. The best bet is to start off slow and introduce a few at a time to get the hang of it.

Any project requiring 10 staff working on it should have at least a few that have a decent amount of experience of using it in a practical sense to guide the others through the process.

Revit beats ArchiCAD and ACAD hands down and is much easier to use, but in all honestly would you have a job with a deadline... pick 10 staff and say "heres some new software, get this job finished while you figure it out".? It just doesnt work.

Don;t want to scare you, but there is a reality to deal with regarding changing software packages. It is best to jump in on the deep end but you don;t want a team of novices on any software trying to document a project without some good guidance. Setting up a decent size project

I think however you will be pleasantly surprised when you actually start dicumenting. Even with inexperienced teams we have cut what would have been an 8 person team on a 15 storey building down to 2 using Revit.

Anyway other than all that the links mentioned above provide some good guides for implementation. All i suggest is take it slow, as more and more people get used to it the easier training will be.

[tc3dcad60731]

I agree with staying away from the powerpoint. Show the software directly and be familiar with a simple design that you can show them.
I also have used the built in tutorials to train myself. I am by no means a guru but the old joke used to be how useless the books and tutorials were in the older versions of ACAD. Well, ADSK out did themselves with this help file and tutorial system!

Thomas Cannistra
Palmetto State Custom CAD, LLC

[Wes Macaulay]

It is amazing to see the Resistance to any approach toward Revit from the existing ArchiCad users.... they flatly refuse to look at it..So you're an ArchiCAD office? Why bother switching?

I know why I would, knowing how ArchiCAD works... but an established group of users... that's tough.

[Phil Read]

Funny.

True story:

I was going to buy at ArchiCAD at the last firm I worked for - but the ArchiCAD reseller (being honest) told me I should also look at something called "Revit". In addition to 1) having resolved fundamental building relationships (wall/roof/floor/ceiling/levels/hosted elements...) and 2) made creating content approachable...they had also, 3) "...integrated documentation". We both considered exporting/linking for CD's to be problematic either functionally (horribly disruptive) - or philosophically (from an implementation standpoint it's horribly complex). Integrated CD's - not linking....not exporting...seemed to be a fundamental leap forward...so elegant.

So I downloaded 1.0 and have never looked back.

And the reseller? He's using Revit. :)

-Phil

[Rols]

I actually did a little lunchtime demo. I took the "First Model" tutorial and ran through it live as everyone watched. As simple as it is, it really shows off all of Revit's capabilities. It really got everyone charged up, from drafters to vice presidents!
I followed that up with an open offer that I would install a 30 day demo and anyone could run through the same tutorial and see the benefits for themselves.
It's really paid off big. People love it when they can take it at their own pace. Some people "unlearn" Autocad faster than others!

[jyeager]

visit www.ascented.com...well established courseware with instructor's kits

[ryanmcin]

I too would avoid using a Powerpoint presentation as training, although it is helpful to provide an overview of what to expect if you presenting Revit instead of training Revit. A few months ago I ave a 90 minute Revit presentation to the entire company. Our drafting department was required to be there, but the rest of the company was invited, the presentation was also being recorded so our other locations could see it. About 80-90 people showed up including the 35 members of our drafting department. The presentation started with a Powerpoint presentation that outlined what to expect, what the differences would be, what the benefits were, and so forth. From there I ran through a demo showing off all of the great things that can be done with Revit. I was in a fortunate position because I didn't have to convice people to use the program, that decision had been made long ago, I was just showing people what to expect and trying to get them excited about the program. It worked very well, most of the staff couldn't wait to be trained, quite a few people were volunteering for the first training group.

When I started the training I planned on doing 7 hours a day for 4 days for the initial training, with short training courses to occur once or twice a month. I generated two sample projects that we would do during training. The first project was a large project with regards to SF, but was very simple and had repetition. The second project was actually a small pilot project that I had done which was a common but small type of project that we normally do. The training was arranged so that each command was taught one at a time. I would show them how to use the command and the different options that applied to the command, then I would have them do that portion of their project (example: draw the walls). One of the most helpful things I did was to explain the command relative to the AutoCAD command and explain why they operated in different ways, this seemed to help them understand the process or "rules" Revit uses. We actually completed the training in about 25 hours instead of 28 and the first group (3 drafters and a project manager) began work on a large project the next week. The project is a new campus our portion of the project is 12 buildings totaling about 69,000 SF, we had rough floor plans complete for all of the buildings in about 12 hours.

The best advice I can give is first make the training project like a real project that you would do, second don't waste time and brain space on commands and features that your company won't use.

[Kevin Janik]

Have people seen the E-mail below from CDV Systems on the Family Editor?

Kevin


CDV Systems Announces Release of New TLC Videos for Autodesk Revit

Consulting Firm Adds Advanced Video Training Products to its Line of Comprehensive Services for Revit Users

PORTSMOUTH, RI (September 6, 2006) – CDV Systems, Inc., providers of Autodesk® Revit® and CodeBook® implementation services, training, consulting and courseware to the AEC market, nationally and internationally, announces the release of the first in its new series of TLC (Technical Learning Courseware) Videos for Autodesk Revit.

These TLC Videos are designed for existing Revit users interested in improving their advanced skills. Each TLC Video is comprised of fully animated, sequential “chapters” containing instructional vignettes of approximately 1-1/2 minutes in length. In addition to the hyperlinked chapters, a fully hyperlinked index provides convenient access to specific topics and commands.

TLC Videos take the user step-by-step through many of the various scenarios that an AEC design professional may encounter when using Revit on a project. This process introduces the user to both simple and complex issues and, furthermore, provides reasons why a task is being performed.

TLC Videos offer improved functionality over other forms of video and printed courseware which include:

Downloads easily to the user’s desktop for an unlimited number of convenient viewings
Easy to understand step-by-step instruction
Detailed index zeroes in on specific topics for in- depth learning
Videos utilize “real world” scenarios with the most efficient solutions
Available to the user 24/7 without internet connection

Steven Nutter, Graphics and Technology Director for the architectural firm Miller Dyer Spears, has previewed the new video courseware. “Nothing in the industry exists to my knowledge that covers the full breadth of Revit’s features as well as these videos,” Nutter notes. “They’re terrific and a must for any user interested in improving their Revit skills.”

First Topic in the TLC Series: “The Family Editor Revealed”
The first TLC Video to be released describes in great detail the uses and management of Revit’s “Family Editor”. Using sixty-eight unique video vignettes, “The Family Editor Revealed” runs for an hour and a half.

The decision to begin the series with “The Family Editor Revealed” was deliberate, given the importance of family editing within Revit. “Any Revit user will benefit from using the TLC Videos to supplement their knowledge of the software,” notes CDV Systems President Cyril Verley. “Understanding the possibilities of using Revit is a great thing. But once the user understands the management, editing and treatment of Revit families as mini- databases, a whole new world of possibilities opens; these videos expand those possibilities.”