Implementing Design Review

[nsinha73]

Is Anyone out there been using Autodesk Design Review?
We want to implement it, however, how do we work this with consultants?

[Denis01]

It's not hard. Have the consultant down Design Review from the AutoDesk Website (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/mform?siteID=123112&id=9131297).

Once they have it on their computer, you publish what you want to "DWF", either 2D, or 3D, and save it to a folder on you computer, then send the saved DWF file as an email attachment.
I do this frequently with clients for design review (thus the name, i suspect). The love it and so do I.

You may want to download it yourself and practice a bit so that you tell them what to do.

Good luck,

Denis Dunderdale, AIA
Cotter, AR

[Denis01]

I should have mentioned that you "publish to DWF from the File puu down in Revit.

//Denis

[nsinha73]

Hey Thanks dude!,
I will give a try!!

[trombe]

I have had a good run with Design Review when letting an ArchiCAD practice have my model for review. We have been doing dual mark-ups with the model and a pdf file and they have been waiting for a similar system for ArchiCAD for a long time.
They have really liked what Design Review can do and a number of Revit models published into Design Review, have been issued to their clients with a copy of the model of course.
the clients reaction has always been surprise and WOW, although it has taken a set of custom instructions to get them past the industry aimed toolset. They have got it fast though. I recommend using this as a viable means for markup. I am doing a small project in Perth , WA right now and I live in NZ and this system has been productive.


On the flip side, This week I put the same ArchiCAD practice in touch with their reseller and the US website to check out Graphisofts new VBE suite - Virtual Building Explorer. There are two versions. I am told that one retails for about NZ $740 + GST , while the other approximately NZ $1,400 + GST - in this more expensive version you get to do some editing functions you cannot do otherwise - this is just the same usual bull#6!@ we get all the time right ?

VBE allows you to select paths and create animations as .exe files as well as a range of things Design Review does not do or does not let you do. I hate this rubbish. In Design Review only people using Inventor, can export animations for use in Design Review (for instance)

In VBE, you have control over day and night type effects and the general user interface is a huge improvement over Design Review in terms of graphics and presentation, although Design Review is a very useful tool mostly.
The sort of stop / look type viewing method is well better than DR.
VBE also has some sort of motion impact detection - you cannot walk through a wall only a door, and the means to ascend stairs, ramps etc. is far more sensible and easier to use than DR - especially for the casual user.

Overall, VBE has the missing tools that Design Review ought to have had to begin with and still is missing. With so many system,s and viewers on the market doing motion viewing studies / fly / walk throughs etc. it seems kind is silly in the extreme not have all of these elementary review tools readily accessible.
The AchiCAD practice was gutted when hearing about the cost and we wonder whether there is a way for them to adopt Design Review and have the DWF writer installed,
After all, the DWF Writer site, advertises that it does not matter which design package you have etc....... so maybe this is a doable thing.

You should check out the US Graphisoft site to see this competing market product just to see where things are moving.

regards
trombe

[sfaust]

sure, that sounds better, but it's also $740 minimum, compared to free. I would expect it to be better...

[nole]

Hi there!
It seams like You are comparing apples and pears, which are not comparable. Much more suitable comparison would be between VBE and NavisWorks.

[trombe]

How do you mean ?

Navisworks is aimed at being a hub for a range of different applications...but is ArchiCAD among them ? and what cost for Navisworks ?

Design Review vs VBE is a good comparison I think.
VBE is for Graphisoft users only, and ArchiCAD 12 on by the looks.
It is for them and their clients to view and navigate the model.
It can run pre-determined animations of the ArchiCAD 12 model, as well as navigate a model in the same manner as Design Review , that is to say, stop -go-look-pan-ascend, or look at a still or set of stills or set of animations.
It is mainly oriented at a range of users.

Navisworks is not oriented for smaller clients and casual users.
Navisworks is aimed at hard industry players / stakeholders - its aimed at the industry itself.
VBE appears not to be so narrow in its focus.
For instance, could you find anywhere where it talks about mark up ?, can you cut sections anywhere with it ? (from the web site presentation).
Sure you can measure with it or access a range of embedded data in a similar manner to DR, however, it lacks features and power that Navisworks has.
When things like the publishing of the exe file in VBE is concerned and that is related to the iterative process that AD have used in conjunction with Microsoft to develop the dwfx format (for Vista and above to avoid the need for user to have to have the 40 Mb download file and install Design Review), there is another thing to compare appropriateness.
Here VBE makes the exe file and this includes a viewer - sure, not a new approach, but the ArchiCAD user then is able to easily generate a ready to market animation without going through a lot of fuss or time consuming rendering if it is not needed.

Lots of people still don't have or want Vista and so they need the (DWF) viewer installed. Then I need to help them from getting confused with trying to use a lot of unnecessary tools (for their needs).
Its OK as I am used to this now, however, if I was as easily able to publish an animation (say a hidden line or shaded view walkthrough out of RAC for using inside Design Review as a single image / view / sheet, it would be a lot easier than them mucking around trying to get to know how to orbit the model without losing control of it, which they always do.
Then they get disparaged - at least until I do a hands on with some of them. This is all easy to you, but your average punter is not at all au fait with much of this technology and I am not arrogant enough to cast aspersions on their intelligence.
So, when these things are considered, it seems quite appropriate to compare VBE and Design Review.

2c
trombe

[sfaust]

still doesn't change the fact that you pay $740 for VBE and $0 for design review...

[mthurnauer]

We have been using design review quite a bit as well. Another nice feature that had some bugs, but I think has been improved is you can do your redlines in design review and load them into your revit project. As people pick up the changes, they can mark them as complete or they can post a comment that is then visible back in the Design rReview markup set.

[nsinha73]

We have been using design review quite a bit as well. Another nice feature that had some bugs, but I think has been improved is you can do your redlines in design review and load them into your revit project. As people pick up the changes, they can mark them as complete or they can post a comment that is then visible back in the Design rReview markup set.

How many users do you guys have?....we are not many but still think if it might benefit us in anyway. Guys here do not want another learning curve.....
Is it worth a try?

[STHRevit]

For what it is, it is great and it doesn't take that long to get your head around how to use it.
Def give it a shot, it is a great communication tool for clients and consultants.