Sunday, January 26, 2020

Blog Post 3 - How does Revit relate to AutoCad and other drafting programs?

AutoCad and Revit are two programs used widely in engineering as well as architecture firms. Both programs are capable of creating drawings for projects. Both AutoCad and Revit are used to aid one another and work together, rather than compete with each other. While AutoCad is used more for drafting, Revit can be far more advanced. 

AutoCad is capable of communicating with numerous programs, such as Microsoft Excel, a software for structural analysis, and Microsoft Word for text documentation. The thing is, one would have all of these files separately. Transferring the files manually can be tedious and is very much prone to error. Revit, however, can transfer and communicate with other programs much more efficiently. Your data would be held in one file which makes working that much easier. 

If one was capable of mastering both Revit and Autocad, the projects worked on will be completed more efficiently. This is due to the fact that each program is better suited for certain situations. Long-distance collaboration is hassle free thanks to a cloud system that has been implemented. This system enables Revit and Autocad files to communicate with one another, deleting the hassle of transferring data back and forth.  

Revit is also capable of communicating with Bluebeam. Revit can output certain files into PDF format and import them into the Bluebeam software. Bluebeam can be useful in taking measurements. For example, you can find out specific measurements and specifications of certain HVAC equipment that may not have been so easy to be done in Revit. 

Being that Autocad is roughly 20 years older than a software like Revit, people who have been in the field longer than students now are much more educated in Autocad. On the other hand, a student may be more equipped in Revit than an engineer who has been doing work for 20 years now. This change in dynamic will influence what other programs will be eligible for communication with Revit. Developers will see that future engineers will be better equipped in Revit than other programs and will design their software to communicate as such. 

sources:
https://www.ny-engineers.com/blog/how-do-autocad-and-revit-compare


Comment to Varsha:

Varsha,

I totally agree with you. Tools like Revit and AutoCad have made drafting much more simple than hand drawings. I think hand drawn drafts are much more personal however, and I sometimes catch myself wishing hand drawings were still popular! I like how you were able to make the comparison between the two software from your first co-op!



Comment to Brian:

Brian,

I agree with your reasoning as to how Revit can make people run into some errors within their projects. I also think some problems in Revit would be how complex the software actually is - learning completely all the tools and functions is a battle in and of itself. The complexity of it can cause issues on its own.


Comment to Amanda:

Amanda,

I agree with your assumptions about future advantages of BIM/Revit. Like you mentioned, the implementation of drones in construction is what interests me the most. The drones will be capable of flying around the building during the construction phase in order to detect errors that would not be seen by the naked eye. I am eager to see this in real life myself!

3 comments:

Manon Flamini said...

Reece,

You make a goof comparison between Revit in Autocad in their compatibility with other softwares. I think one of the biggest problems with engineering softwares is that you have to spend too much time translating on file into another platform. I agree with the need for a single software that is able to manage all aspects of modeling in order to save time and simplify modeling.

Douha Alqudaihi said...

Reece,
In my experience, while my job interviews all of the companies and firms that I had applied for asked about my AutoCAD skills. In addition, the firm that I worked in used AutoCAD although they knew about Revit, but it seems that it is a new tool. Honestly, I don’t know how to work on something other than AutoCAD. However, I think this will change in the future corresponding to me or to the firms where Revit going to replace AutoCAD, but we need some time for this change.

Larisa Parshakova said...

I liked your post it was very on point and made some good comparisons between AutoCAD and Revit. It was a good point you made about younger professionals and students being more proficient in Revit than AutoCAD. It the way that it works not only in construction field but in any other field that uses different types of software. In engineering field learning is crucial to development. Introduction of new technology can be revolutionary not only to existence of a single company but to an advancement of industry in general.