Looking for a quick reference guide between AutoCAD and Revit Architecture

[gmarlow]

We are currently making the slow transition from AutoCAD R2006 to Revit Architecture 2008. Is there somewhere I can find a command reference guide to help users understand and learn what is different (commands) between AutoCAD and Revit? Kind of a "the old way in CAD" and how we now do it in Revit. Someone gave me a reference .pdf sheet but it is lost. Thank you

[winnwgomez]

Hi there... Welcome to Revit!!

Well, both AutoCAD and Revit are built differently with the biggest difference that AutoCAD works with Geometry and Revit working with real building components like walls, doors etc.


Hence there is no ref for translating commands from AutoCAD to Revit. its another way of working with very little comparision,

Feel free to mail me at winn@omnix.ae with your queries and i'd be most happy to help you shift to Revit!!

[Brian Myers]

As mentioned, the two programs are very different. The few commands that are the same basically have the same names, but even they might be used differently. Your best bet would be to do the tutorials that came with the program and/or take a training class at a local ATC or reseller.

[iru69]

We are currently making the slow transition from AutoCAD R2006 to Revit Architecture 2008. Is there somewhere I can find a command reference guide to help users understand and learn what is different (commands) between AutoCAD and Revit? Kind of a "the old way in CAD" and how we now do it in Revit. Someone gave me a reference .pdf sheet but it is lost. Thank you

As Winn indicated, I don't think it's really possible to provide a direct AutoCAD "command" to Revit "tool" reference. What are you going to put down for the window tool or the floor tool? Aside from a handful of Revit drafting tools, there's really no comparisons.

Have you used Revit yourself? Could you give some examples of what kind of AutoCAD to Revit "translation" you might want or use?

But maybe the reference you're thinking of was much more general than that... maybe it was more of a "best practices" or something like that? Can you describe the reference sheet you lost and maybe someone here will recognize it?

Reference or no reference, my advice would be to stay away from AutoCAD comparisons as much as possible. The sooner new users let go of the AutoCAD way of thinking, the easier a time they'll have making the transition.

Best of luck with Revit!

[CGM]

We are currently making the slow transition from AutoCAD R2006 to Revit Architecture 2008. Is there somewhere I can find a command reference guide to help users understand and learn what is different (commands) between AutoCAD and Revit? Kind of a "the old way in CAD" and how we now do it in Revit. Someone gave me a reference .pdf sheet but it is lost. Thank you

Hi gmarlow,
I'm pretty much at the same crossroads right now, here are a few things I discovered, which I hope may be of help to your office.
Firstly, download & have a read of the Frequently Asked Questions pdf.
Secondly, I find that the Revit for AutoCAD Users white paper, answers some of your question. (For example Families versus Blocks, Alignment versus Osnaps.)

Finally, I would encourage your CAD users to post their questions, preferably here on the forums or over on the Autodesk discussion groups - (or both)

Hope this sheds some light on the matter for you; do stick at it. Cheers!

[bob.parker]

I would try to change the way you and your team is thinking. If they thing Revit is just another cad software they will be mislead. The first thing you'll notice as far as commands is you don't have to look for your toolbar when working. If the tool is available it'll become active and show. Tools also work backwards from AutoCAD in many ways. At first you'll think the way Revit does it is wrong, but you'll quickly realize it more intuitive. I would suggest thinking of Autocad as 2D or ADT as 2D.5 electronic drafting and Revit as virtually building your structure.

Good luck... you'll be happy of your decision to switch.

[kpaxton]

We are currently making the slow transition from AutoCAD R2006 to Revit Architecture 2008. Is there somewhere I can find a command reference guide to help users understand and learn what is different (commands) between AutoCAD and Revit? Kind of a "the old way in CAD" and how we now do it in Revit. Someone gave me a reference .pdf sheet but it is lost. Thank you

Gmarlow,
Welcome, welcome! I would second (or third or fourth) what has been said: there isn't going to be an analogous representation between the Autocad and Revit tools and how they 'work'. From experience, I can say that each program requires a slightly different way of thinking about how you make your projects. The good news is that the end result is the same - we want to be able to produce a (great) set of documents that someone will use to construct a building (whatever type it may be).

Before you get to the stage of looking at the tools to create a project, I would like to ask a few questions - You mention that you're moving 'slowly' over to Revit; Have you made a or looked at an Implementation plan yet? This typically assists you in the transition by outlining the 'hows and why's and what happens when'....topics. The second question is - What is your plan for training your personnel? It almost sounds like you're not using a 'formal' training solution, but I might be mistaken. Part of good training will help your users adapt to this new way of thinking that the program requires.
I'm sure we'd love to hear more about what your firm does, how big your firms is and what has prompted you to move over to Revit.

If you have an questions, feel free to send a private message (PM).
Kyle

[MikeJarosz]

It never ceases to amaze me how many Acad people think that every other CAD package is a variation of Autocad, except not as good. Years ago, about Revit 4.0 or so, the factory came to us to present their revolutionary new product called Revit. I'm pretty sure Irwin was there. When the time for questions came, the first one was "Where are the layers?" "There are no layers" "Then how can you keep track of anything?"

Mind you I worked with that guy. He had layers alright. Five or six hundred in every drawing. I hope my tone hasn't put anyone off. But it is important to understand that Revit and Acad are fundamentally different. Acad is a drafting program. You draw buildings mostly using projective geometry like you did when you used pencil and paper. Your paper skills served well to help you understand how Acad works.

Revit, on the other hand, is an exercise in model building. You do not deduce the flat projection of an object and draw that, you model in 3 dimensions using real objects and have Revit produce the planar projections needed for construction documents. Having skills in model building are actually more beneficial to learning Revit than traditional pencil and paper 2d skills. If you come from the era of 2d CAD, you have to be prepared to leave much of what you know behind.

This was the challenge that met the first computer revolution, when we all gave up our yellow trace, markers and transfer lettering for screens and keyboards. I can't say everybody made that transition, but the architecture profession as a whole did. The Acad generation is now facing the obsolescence of the 2d drafting paradigm. Their turn to face progress has come.

My advice to new Revit users: go back to being an architect. Design with walls, doors, roofs. Forget about layers and viewports. We have people in our office who have done complete building models over a weekend using only the Revit tutorial.

After a while, you won't miss Acad one bit. And you will know a lot more about your building.

[mjohns18]

We are currently making the slow transition from AutoCAD R2006 to Revit Architecture 2008. Is there somewhere I can find a command reference guide to help users understand and learn what is different (commands) between AutoCAD and Revit? Kind of a "the old way in CAD" and how we now do it in Revit. Someone gave me a reference .pdf sheet but it is lost. Thank you

gmarlow,

There is a text file in the program that has all the keyboard shortcuts listed. On your Hard drive go to PROGRAM FILES/ REVIT BUILDING (INSERT YOUR VERSION)/ PROGRAM.

Within that program file there is a text file called "keyboard shortcuts" make sure you go to the .txt file and not the .log file they are both named keyboard shortcuts. There you will find all of the out of the box revit shortcuts and all the options that revit has for potential shortcuts.

For example. the shortcut looks like the following,

"WA" menu: "Modelling-wall"

You are able to modify the short cut here. If you don't like that command for wall.

For command that doesn't have a shortcut

; " " menu: "File-New-Project"

if you wanted to make this command have a short cut simply remove ; (semi colon) and put your short cut keys between " " (quotation marks)

"FN" menu: "File-New-Project"

(All short cuts are two key commands however some will work with just one key.)

I would save the original copy of the keyboardshortcuts.txt somewhere safe just in case something happens and you want to go back to the original shortcuts.

CAUTION: BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR KEYBOARD SHORT CUT COMMAND MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T ALREADY EXIST.

FYI: these short cuts are only per your personal pc they will not be global changes.



See Attached pdf for file location and short cut example.