We could all use a little change – AutoCAD to Revit.

Recently I have come across lots of practises both in manufacturing and AEC who are still using AutoCAD to create shop drawings and outsourcing the 3d modelling and rendering capabilities to others. I myself have been at a company that used this kind of workflow and maybe for some it genuinely is the best option. A no frills approach with renders not being in huge demand with an as and when process. However I have found that sometimes it has been left to the workflow because “that is what has always been done.” For the construction industry, Revit is the most obvious choice to switch from AutoCAD and I’ve heard many things about why Revit is inferior to AutoCAD.

Three of the most common reasons are as follows;
1. Revit’s drawings look ugly.
2.  Revit does not get across detail.
3. We do not have time or money to make that big of a change.

“You can drive many miles and get to almost anywhere in the world, but first you must learn to drive”.

I have used Revit for years, I am straight off the back of AutoCAD. The new practise I joined only used Revit and I so was destined by a 3 month probation to learn it to a very high standard, and it was tough! But the thought of going back to AutoCAD (I know this feeling because sometimes I have to), genuinely feels like a backwards step.

Here is my retort to the three common reasons for not changing to Revit.

1. Revit drawings are ugly: At first this was actually my opinion. Out of the box Revit settings are a mix of the first Walt Disney film ever created and an etcha sketch Porsche I once tried to draw ( I never used it after that again). However with the correct settings and understanding of available options Revit can output exactly what AutoCAD can, and do it more consistently.
2. Revit doesn’t show any detail: I have seen some drawings that would instantly make me assume this as well. If you download the trial and draw some 3d elements maybe get a decent section going, you might notice you don’t have the coursing, or the wall ties, or the damp proof membrane, flashing the list goes on. This is because Revit quite heavily utilises a 2D aspect of working as well as a 3D. To have those elements in 3D would pretty quickly slow down the fastest of computers. 2D is where your detail comes from within Revit and it has more than enough capability to give you as detailed a view as you are used to.
3. No time or money: This is probably the biggest and depends hugely on the type size workflows etc. of your company. The only way to work it out is to assess the situation. Look at current processes and the time they take, look at both long term and short term costs of anything that is sub contracted, renders, walkthroughs, detailing, changes. Take into account impact on your company and the companies you work with (maybe their life would be easier? Maybe you would attract new partners?). Change is never easy and certainly not to be taken lightly, but the research has been done and the resources are out there. Make the change a cushion landing and not a concrete one by weighing up the opportunities.

It wouldn’t be right to get all the way through a piece of Revit and not mention BIM. But I have now.