B3-How does Revit relate to Autocad and other drafting programs?-Mengnan Yang

The Revit is a very new software to me. Firstly, I want to write about my personal use feeling about the differences between the Revit, AutoCAD and the Sketch Up which are the three-popular draft software in the industry.

For my feeling, the Revit will be more intelligent than the AutoCAD and the Sketch Up. It will be very easy to make changes in the Revit. For example, when we make the format of the drawing sets, in the Revit, we only need to set a family file and make changes in the family file, and the changes will be applied to every drawing. But in the AutoCAD, we need to use blog or the X-drive to do the same thing. Sometimes, we need to enter by hand one by one to make changes. And when we want to insert a table to the drawing, the Revit needs have the table function, but the AutoCAD needs to enter manually.

Another difference for me is the rendering. The Revit has the inside rendering function. It will be easy to do the simple and quicker rendering in the Revit. But both Sketch Up and AutoCAD needs to download other software to do the rendering work.

But now for me, I will still use Sketch Up to do the outlook draft drawing and use CAD to make detailed plan and section drawing because I am more familiar with that two software.

Now, I read some materials about the differences between Revit and other software. And the last week class study. I feel like I have some official differences between Revit and Auto CAD.

AutoCAD is a great Software to create basic geometry that represents real life, mostly for 2D and drawing of partly details. But the Revit is great for modeling, clash detection, and change management. It is a software for the whole construction process not only for the drawings. AutoCAD Supports a drafting workflow, where individual drawings are created and edited independently. But the Revit support a group people work together at the same time. And the Revit is not only having detail drawings like plan or elevation but also combination with all model, schedule, and other elements in whole work flow.

Sources:

http://www.autodesk.com/solutions/revit-vs-autocad

Ronald: (Link)

I think you had a great post about the advantages of the Revit. Especially for the Sequence, which I didn’t think about that before. The Revit is great that can have different information in different levels, and come with a work path for different steps also make that information visually. There is too much information in the construction process, it is important that the Revit provides some sequences of the information

Andrew:(Link)

I like your analysis about the disadvantages of the Revit/BIM is very comprehensive. Especially about the electrical engineer. I didn’t pay attention about that. It is correct that the electrical engineers only can put the symbols in the drawings which is the same thing they did in the CAD drawing. I think now one of the biggest disadvantages for the BIM/Revit is that the people are not familiar with it and still need a process to learn and get into it.

Arthur: (Link)

I like your analysis that the future program will include capabilities like structural calculations, HVAC flow calculations, electrical component sizing. Which will be very helpful for engineers to work with Revit. And one of my hope about Revit is that paperless. Which the Revit can be used on PC, Pad, Phone and all the equipment to save the paper and paper work time.