Urban and site plan in Revit?

[AP23]

I was wondering if you do large city/urban and site plans for analysis and presentations in Revit. Before Revit, I use to draw the 2d master plans in AutoCAD and export them to a 3d software to give it a third dimension. The building itself, was drawn in a separate file in AutoCAD and the 3d representation of the building was built in Rhino. Once everything was finished I had to merge everything together.

How would you go about this in Revit? Are you still using AutoCAD to make the master plan and a seperate 3d software to make a 3d model of the master plan?

I have some examples of city plans renderings. Not mine, by the way.

[ejburrell67787]

I can't remember the thread but someone has posted on here before with a masterplan (urban) done using Revit massing tools very effectively.

[luigi]

It is quick and easy just to do the 3d surround in Revit. No need for additional softwares.

Import the map as a background, draw solids for your buildings, extrude them with the proper heights...

I used to do it is acad, with the extrude solid command, Iit is no different in Revit., actually it is easier to handle.

It becomes a topic in how one should tie into the main property/building in the file....linking the building onto the site, or just have it all in one file with worksets enabled.

Just my point of view...
Take care,
Luigi

[AP23]

I remember from a Revit web cast given by James Vandezande that SOM used autocad for the master planning of Ground Zero. I'm not sure if they used something other that Revit for the 3d appearance as well.

[AP23]

It is quick and easy just to do the 3d surround in Revit. No need for additional softwares.

Import the map as a background, draw solids for your buildings, extrude them with the proper heights...

Luigi

How about, importing an acad file into Revit and use the lines to make solids? It was quite painfull doing this in 3ds max. I had to join the lines together to make a closed shape and weld the vertices. Or I has to make regions in acad and then export the closed polylines to 3ds max.

[Paul Andersen]

We've successfully used Revit Structure on several large campus projects. Attached is a crude example that we threw together one morning for an afternoon meeting. The topo was developed from contours we got off the site plan (all of the pavement in the attached image is one large subregion). We massed the existing buildings with extrusions of the building footprints from the site plan. Finally, we linked in the other Revit models that we already had further developed. Attached is an aerial view and underground view showing some of the foundations and tunnels. This was developed primarily as a working model to cut cross sections through the campus and check for interferences with the existing tunnel system. We have also produced presentation quality campus plans in either 100% Revit Structure or in conjunction with SketchUp.

[ejburrell67787]

Paul,
Thanks for posting those they look great. It would be nice to see more examples like this in the gallery... hint hint! ;)

Cheers, Elrond

[Wes Macaulay]

Of the two images jamesberryjames posted at the top of the thread, I would have concerns about #1 and fewer about #2.

This has been mentioned a few times on the forum, but from what I understand, OpenGL doesn't have the accuracy to deal with modeling cities and buildings in the same go.

If you've ever imported a very large AutoCAD drawing into Revit you may notice that the display accuracy goes awry for anything under 6" in size. It's not the Revit's coordinate system can't handle it, it's that OpenGL can't handle it.

[Scott D Davis]

Here's some of our Master Planning work in Revit.

[BWG]

Nice work!