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CHAPTER 1 UNDERSTANDING BIM: FROM THE BASICS TO ADVANCED REALITIES
or making a door schedule) take almost no time using Revit. On the other hand, some tasks may
seem to take longer in Revit. This may initially seem true; but remember that as you’re modifying
or adding something in plan, you’re also adding it in section, elevation, and detail. Be prepared to
discover and embrace new tasks with BIM that were never part of a 2D workflow.
Speaking of 2D workflows, in Revit, you’ll often feel as if you are working in traditional types
of 2D views—just keep in mind that it’s still a 3D model. Moving walls, windows, and doors in plan
feels like a 2D operation, but of course it’s not. If you’ve never worked in a model-based environ-
ment, it can be jarring at first to see the drawing you’ve been working on change as a result of an
edit in a different view. As we mentioned, this becomes even more dramatic when you start work-
ing in a team and sharing a model. You’ll learn that preventing movement of elements becomes just
as critical as being able to edit elements to the model. Pinning down grids, levels, and exterior walls
will become part of your workflow, especially in larger projects with many users working in a
single file.
Revit Is Relatively New Technology
Revit is the newest and most technologically advanced BIM application, and it’s under constant
development. What began as a single tool for architects has expanded to include structural and
mechanical engineers. The evolution of the Revit software platform will continue. As with any new
technology, you’ll run into problems, get flustered, and no doubt pull out some hair. That said,
no other application on the market delivers the advantages of BIM as well as Revit does. Consider
this for a moment: Most other architectural products in today’s market are based on technology
that is 20+ years old, whereas Revit is a new technology that was designed from the ground up as
a BIM tool to specifically address the AEC industry. From its inception, Revit has had the goal of
improving design communication, coordination, and change management. It has a patented para-
metric change engine that is unmatched in sophistication. It’s also the leading software package in
the international market. Revit is not the only BIM package out there, but we feel it offers the most
holistic approach.
As you complete more projects with Revit, you’ll begin to understand some of its advanced
functionality. In this book, we’ll delve into advanced concepts and guide you through some really
cool features. We’ll touch on the fact that Revit is now a technological platform that supports archi-
tectural, structural, and mechanical disciplines. The fact that you can share a model with your
structural and mechanical, engineering, and plumbing (MEP) engineers is an exciting new pros-
pect, and one that will continue to drive changes in process.
Where Can You Go From Here?
Building Information Modeling is a revolutionary approach to the design, analysis, and documenta-
tion of buildings that takes full advantage of modern-day computational technology. At its core, BIM
manages the flow of information throughout the lifecycle of a building-design process, allowing you
to experience the building before it is built. Using BIM from early conceptual design through construc-
tion documentation and into construction administration and beyond, it’s possible to better predict,
plan, and execute the complex task of creating architecture to meet today’s demanding requirements.
The flow of information in this new world consists of virtually all imagined inputs that go into
a building design: the gross area of the building; its impact on the environment; the number of win-
dows, doors, and plumbing fixtures; the cost of materials; the size of heating and cooling equip-
ment; you name it. All this information is stored in a digital model—a virtual 3D database chock
full of information primed for extraction, analysis, and representation. The input turns into output
in the form of coordinated document sets, which can be shared across multiple disciplines and
which serve as a centralized design-management tool for an entire project.
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