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Message 1 of 133
sbsaint
16673 Views, 132 Replies

I hate Revit

Ive been required to learn Revit, Ive been at it for 6 months now, I started on a trial version of 2009 then my company purchased 2010 and they changed so much in the two releases that I had to learn where everything was all over again, many for the worst. I find myself using other programs to model components in order to avoid the labourious and impractical procedures in Revit.

Using Revit to draft and model is like driving a car using a boatload of of push buttons rather than a steering wheel.

Ive been using 3D programs since 1995, starting with FormZ and have been using AutoCad since 2000. I think that Revit is a terrible modeler and a mediocre drafting tool. I admit that it does alot, but I have to jump through the hoops and mindset of a team of programmers who think this is the practical approach of what creating architecture should be, If this is a program that screams design, then Id rather go back to a leadholder and a Mayline. The program is NOT intuitive, and instead of me VISUALLY creating a building component with numerical parameters, Revit seems to operate in the reverse manner. Im constantly battling the Revit Gustapo dialog box that says something to the effect that my model is an illegal operation. Ever try to do a 2 path sweep? FormZ had this nailed 15 years ago, and I could easily draw any profile and the computer would do the calculations for me. Revit seems to make you work harder and not the other way around.

The interface sucks, edit parameter controls buried deep within two to three dialogue boxes. The steering wheel is a joke. Why would you make a virtual controller to replace something that your mouse already does? Its like going back to the time before they invented the joystick, and Im using the keyboard to play pac-man.

My bottom line, Revit is a chore to use, It doesnt think for you, it makes you do all the thinking. Its not fun to use at all, and it takes the wind out of your sails when trying to come up with concept designs, and has me scrambling to find a pencil. Edited by: sbsaint on Mar 24, 2010 10:53 PM
Tags (1)
132 REPLIES 132
Message 81 of 133
Anonymous
in reply to: sbsaint

The people hate what they can´t understand...

Message 82 of 133
jpinheiro
in reply to: Anonymous
Message 83 of 133
hobbes29063
in reply to: sbsaint

I quote you:  " It seems like Autodesk didnt pay attention to any of that when they made Revit. "  But didn't you know that Autodesk didn't make Revit.  They bought it from Revit Technology Corporation.  This is why I am convinced Revit is so weird sometimes.  AutoCAD was/is great.  I keep asking my self, why did they make it soooo different?  I think the answer is, they didn't have a choice, it was what it was and they had to work with it.  My guess is they felt behind the 8Ball with Graphisoft and wanted to a jump to get ahead and figured they could use the "industry standard" leverage to make people buy.  Personally, I've a had an easier time going from 2d AutoCAD to "other" BIM products, then going from AutoCAD to Revit.

Time is on our side.
Message 84 of 133
john.kinder
in reply to: sbsaint

That's one of the best summaries of Revit I think I've ever read, sbsaint.

Message 85 of 133
john.kinder
in reply to: sbsaint

lol, again, great summary. Why is anyone defending Revit?
Message 86 of 133
john.kinder
in reply to: sbsaint

Autodesk is committed to making quality errors.

Message 87 of 133
john.kinder
in reply to: sbsaint

I agree.  What's so great about the software if the time made up is spent all over again on training (for almost any task I might add).  Intuativeness means something.  In fact it means everything today.  Autodesk provides nothing in the form of how to use Revit effectively.  Just flashy gimicks applied under very specific situations with very specific steps.  I'm no programmer but the issues with this program should be an easy fix.  Things like renaming a lengend value or masking areas of a 2D cad import.to draw options on.  The material browser crashes (sketchups never does).  Voids are really picky.  Stairs are just awful to work with.  Visualization takes way to much trial and error.  Updates don't always happen.  I expect and can generally handle issues with any software but it's way to expensive to be told we need to buy ancellary software to present a project properly.  The most frustrating part is that is has such great potential but Autodesk will never ever bring it to a level of quality that doesn't require a workaround every 3 commands. I've chaulked it up to this;  Autodesk is a marketing company.  They don't really care about creating good software any more.  They bought out Revit, fired most of the employees and will never touch it in any significant way again unless it has to do with how they sell subscriptions or some other marketing gimmick.  Their a marketing company that buys potentially awesome software and then sits on it until the end of time, from a development stand point.  I just get annoyed when folks defend it so adimitly when clearly no real improvements are being made.  They could just call EA or Rockstar but I don't think they really care.  It's up to us to fugure it all out for them at $5k a pop.  Game on!

Message 88 of 133
embolisim
in reply to: john.kinder

I love posts like this.
Not that I understand why people think it's so hard.
When I look at the AUGI Salary Survey, I'm off the scale, simply because I can.
Even at my exorbitant rate, I get good performance reviews & run profitable BIM projects - delivered entirely in Autodesk Design Suite.
Because I need Navisworks.
Game on!
Message 89 of 133
RMorales4
in reply to: john.kinder

Agree 100%.


@john.kinder wrote:

I agree.  What's so great about the software if the time made up is spent all over again on training (for almost any task I might add).  Intuativeness means something.  In fact it means everything today.  Autodesk provides nothing in the form of how to use Revit effectively.  Just flashy gimicks applied under very specific situations with very specific steps.  I'm no programmer but the issues with this program should be an easy fix.  Things like renaming a lengend value or masking areas of a 2D cad import.to draw options on.  The material browser crashes (sketchups never does).  Voids are really picky.  Stairs are just awful to work with.  Visualization takes way to much trial and error.  Updates don't always happen.  I expect and can generally handle issues with any software but it's way to expensive to be told we need to buy ancellary software to present a project properly.  The most frustrating part is that is has such great potential but Autodesk will never ever bring it to a level of quality that doesn't require a workaround every 3 commands. I've chaulked it up to this;  Autodesk is a marketing company.  They don't really care about creating good software any more.  They bought out Revit, fired most of the employees and will never touch it in any significant way again unless it has to do with how they sell subscriptions or some other marketing gimmick.  Their a marketing company that buys potentially awesome software and then sits on it until the end of time, from a development stand point.  I just get annoyed when folks defend it so adimitly when clearly no real improvements are being made.  They could just call EA or Rockstar but I don't think they really care.  It's up to us to fugure it all out for them at $5k a pop.  Game on!


100% Agree.  

Message 90 of 133
john.kinder
in reply to: Anonymous

He's right.  It totally sucks.  Doesn't matter what you can do with it.  Autodesk will only ever make it worse by adding flashy graphics and things no one asked for that only half work anyway.  Then they'll charge too much for it  You're in total denile if you think otherwise.  They just buy potentially excellent software companies (like Revit), market them and never make any real improvements. Text and Annotations suck, parametrics suck, pdfs can't be imported, out of box families are awful, making options sucks, lack of snap nodes sucks, material browser sucks, and on and on and on...

 

I like solutions.  I'm all about solutions and the people here offering them.  But how/ why would anyone defend Revit after it was bought out by Autodesk?  Let the haters hate.  It's our only outlet.  Autodesk doesn't care about the industry.  They don't solve any of our problems. They don't offer any solutions.  They don't make legitamate improvements.  They don't listen to or apply ANY of our feedback.  They just buy and sell software and make money for share-holders.  That's it.  That's really all they do.  

 

So give yourself a pat on the back if you know Revit well enought to help others.  We are grateful.  We truly are!  Please don't deny us our loathing for Autodesks though.  We should not all have to be programmers to use the program.  Otherwise, why would we need the program?  Most of us just want to design with an acceptable level of program knowlege required to do so.

Message 91 of 133
colbycline
in reply to: sbsaint

I know this article is a few years old, but now we have Plusspec for SketchUp which blows Revit out of the water. Revit is so bad about user friendliness that it makes everyone hate their jobs in the workplace. SketchUp is fun and easy, and open platform which allows for plugins to be used to make life easier. Revit has nothing close to the plugin or 3d warehouse that SketchUp has. And exporting models in to Revit, or out of Revit is like pulling teeth. It never works well.

Message 92 of 133
kaylakrause20
in reply to: sbsaint

i h8 revit btw

💔

 

 

Message 93 of 133
caddman1RHNBX
in reply to: Anonymous

I just want you all to know there is a happy 3D world inside of AutoCAD Architecture and the whole

3D design suite from 2012. Ever since then the programmers at Autodesk have no idea how anything works.

I think they fired or relocated the entire team. But seriously I can make anything in AutoCAD proper 2012 with the ADT and Dimension, an Detailing, structural, mechanical...or detqailing to complete your project. Better yet buy the building design suite. I guess I got the only copy that works. Revit dreamed of being so capable but they always say you need AutoCAD to do detailing... lol what a joke! We give it to u for free, just means we cant even understand a detail much less make a program to help create them. Hello???? We do remember the real detailing programs even if you don't. AutoDesk has left all the real users in the dump while making bs users look good until they actually have to make a section, wall section, detail or any kind of meaningful drawing. it sux how the support people don't even know the first thing about any other program autodesk makes. What you're not on Revit? Omg you really make details? I didn;t know that people make them we just download them sir....Wow, let me see if that old support guy is on today cause none of us regular guys know the 1st thing about that. Nice support policy..... We actually never built a building but..... Hmmmm sounds like the city plan checkers work for you tools at autodesk now too, they cant read a drawing unless it looks just like the last one either. I have civil, MEP, Structural andrchitecturalmodules of AutoCAD all at my fingertips with the building design suite.., upgrading only makes it crash... Of course AutoDesk doesn't support it anymore because it worked but they don't even know what it is!!! love those dudes! 

Message 94 of 133
laurasmagin
in reply to: caddman1RHNBX

I really love this post!

 

When people struggle change and get really passionate about avoiding change it makes me laugh!

 

I loved drawing with crayons when I was a kid, maybe I should ask my boss if the client would like me to delivery my BIM models with crayons!

 

I love digital and all things BIM, I encourage all of the negative posters here to get over it!!!!

BIM is more than 20 years on

It's not NEW.

It isn't going away any time soon

Embrace the change

Learn how it works

Smell the coffee, move on from CAD!

 

BTW if CADis so great why do I still see people trimming lines, never heard of SSM, multilines, walls doors or windows in CAD. CAD too has changed, did you?

Give me Kudos or mark as a solution if this helps
Regards
Laura
Message 95 of 133
RobDraw
in reply to: laurasmagin

Let me also add that the hater's hate is usually due to not knowing what is at their fingertips. Their are similar haters for every new AutoCAD release, too. Sure, they have years of experience but they haven't learned anything new since their first year and when they see something new in their CAD environment they get all upset and blame the program when they really should be blaming themselves for not keeping up with new features and programs.

 

Food for thought:

 

If Revit is so bad, then why are more and more companies moving to it from AutoCAD as their main platform?


Rob

Drafting is a breeze and Revit doesn't always work the way you think it should.
Message 96 of 133
pkolarik
in reply to: RobDraw

Good gawd the word "haters" really needs to die a quick, painful death.

 

As for the issue of someone not liking something being labeled a "hater". Why is it not legit to not be a fanboy about something?

 

Every issue imaginable has it's detractors just as it has its supporters who will support it to the very death (often times blindly doing so). I use Revit. I use AutoCad.

 

AutoCad definitely has some strong advantages over Revit. While Revit definitely has some strong advantages over AutoCad. It doesn't have to be one or the other is the only "right" one. And fanboys of one throwing out derogatory labels at fanboys of the other gets no one anywhere.

 

Someone is entitled to dislike Revit (I've uttered the phrase "Argh! I hate Revit!" on more than one occasion in the time I've been using it.. I've said the same about AutoCad from time to time as well) for whatever their reasons are. You could just as easily be labeled a fanboy for putting the poster down for disliking Revit.

 

As for "If Revit is so bad, then why are more and more companies moving to it from AutoCAD as their main platform?"... .there are several answers to this. One of which is often being "forced" to by leadership who knows nothing about the software or the workflow, but hears it as a buzzword that "everyone is doing it" (which is never accurate in the first place). Another could be said that AutoCad hasn't really been focused on developmentally by ADesk for several versions now, leading to no new earth-shattering features, etc.

 

It's not as simple as "Revit is better, that's the only reason people are switching"

 

Ok, climbing off my soapbox now...

Message 97 of 133
RobDraw
in reply to: pkolarik


@pkolarik wrote:

Good gawd the word "haters" really needs to die a quick, painful death.

 

As for the issue of someone not liking something being labeled a "hater". Why is it not legit to not be a fanboy about something?


Uhm, they are saying they hate Revit.

 


@pkolarik wrote:

 

 

As for "If Revit is so bad, then why are more and more companies moving to it from AutoCAD as their main platform?"... .there are several answers to this. One of which is often being "forced" to by leadership who knows nothing about the software or the workflow, but hears it as a buzzword that "everyone is doing it" (which is never accurate in the first place). Another could be said that AutoCad hasn't really been focused on developmentally by ADesk for several versions now, leading to no new earth-shattering features, etc.

 

It's not as simple as "Revit is better, that's the only reason people are switching"


History repeating itself. The haters said the same thing about switching to AutoCAD from the board when it was in it's infancy.


Rob

Drafting is a breeze and Revit doesn't always work the way you think it should.
Message 98 of 133
sforsberg215
in reply to: pkolarik

US and other government requiring Revit models is the main reason firms are
switching to Revit.

Revit continues to NOT address engineering issues and/or requirements,
cannot be used by contractors for take-offs and estimating and does little
to contribute to construction efficacy.

Just sayin'.

--
Sincerely
Scott E Forsberg
C: 651-408-5438
H: 651-405-8720


Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future.
- Niels Bohr
Message 99 of 133
RobDraw
in reply to: sforsberg215


@sforsberg215 wrote:
US and other government requiring Revit models is the main reason firms are
switching to Revit.

Revit continues to NOT address engineering issues and/or requirements,
cannot be used by contractors for take-offs and estimating and does little
to contribute to construction efficacy.

Just sayin'.

--
Sincerely
Scott E Forsberg
C: 651-408-5438
H: 651-405-8720


Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future.
- Niels Bohr

Government is hardly a driving factor. In fact, their submittal requirements are usually lagging behind advancing CADD technology. I've been doing Revit for many years and not one government job.

 

As to the rest of what you said. Where do you get it from? Everything there can be refuted and then some.


Rob

Drafting is a breeze and Revit doesn't always work the way you think it should.
Message 100 of 133
pendean
in reply to: sforsberg215

I think you've been reading alternate-facts: General Contractors with the capacity to bid and build medium-large projects have switched, as have major non-government Developers, Property Owners, Architects, MEP and Structural Design Engineering firms working on those projects.

But it is challenging to master for new-comers, those that have not fully embraced the BIM concept/model, plus it's really not geared for smaller firms to use in a value-added pricing structure. Do you or your information sources fall into one of these categories?

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