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Seeking honest opinions...

15 REPLIES 15
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Message 1 of 16
Anonymous
360 Views, 15 Replies

Seeking honest opinions...

Hi all, I'm currently trying to decide whether to buy a licence of Revit or ADT2004. All the resellers are telling me Revit is the way to go, and i've played around with the Demo version, but that is very limited and without all the manuals etc. is very hard to actually get a feel for the product. My background is Structural drafting although i am now in a position where i frequently need the Architectural features that ADT offers as i am doing more and more Architectural work - mainly Residential/small Commercial and light Industrial. I currently use ADT 3.3 and am happy (...almost...) with ADT's display methods which allow me to produce Structural framing plans as well. My first impression with Revit is that the 2d detailing side is a bit cumbersome? Would this be correct? Also i've read in this newsgroup that Revit can't really produce framing plans etc. very easily? Could anybody enlighten me please? TIA Adam McNeill Darwin NT Australia
15 REPLIES 15
Message 2 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Revit can produce framing plans in a number of ways. What it does not do is automatically generate the framing elements from which to create the framing plans. But depending on how you do your framing plans, you can still do a nice job with Revit in 2D or 3D. Guy Robinson has some nice examples where he's modelled the framing and produced 3D framing diagrams, which, from my POV would be a lot better than framing plans on most jobs. The detailing features in Revit are DIFFERENT from the other programs, but not worse. Once you get used to them, revit details really fly. And they are much more intelligent than autocad details. For my money, go Revit, take some training, go through ALL of the tutorials you can find and never look back. As a structural engineer, I can say that you will not be disappointed with where the Revit teams is taking this project, and Structural is among the top two initiatives right now. It will only get better! Greg "Adam McNeill" wrote in message news:4018391F.8030808@octa4.net.au... > Hi all, > > I'm currently trying to decide whether to buy a licence of Revit or ADT2004. > All the resellers are telling me Revit is the way to go, and i've played > around with the Demo version, but that is very limited and without all > the manuals etc. is very hard to actually get a feel for the product. > My background is Structural drafting although i am now in a position > where i frequently need the Architectural features that ADT offers as i > am doing more and more Architectural work - mainly Residential/small > Commercial and light Industrial. > I currently use ADT 3.3 and am happy (...almost...) with ADT's display > methods which allow me to produce Structural framing plans as well. > > My first impression with Revit is that the 2d detailing side is a bit > cumbersome? Would this be correct? > > Also i've read in this newsgroup that Revit can't really produce framing > plans etc. very easily? > > Could anybody enlighten me please? > > TIA > > Adam McNeill > Darwin NT Australia >
Message 3 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

I worked as an Autodesk reseller for several years. I've about as much experiance in ADT as anyone out there. The program is a waste of time. I'm in private practice using Revit daily. Simply: Revit rocks. ADT is an obtuse kludge which sit on most peoples's shelves 99% unused. Don't even get me started on tool palettes. "Greg Cashen" wrote in message news:40183e0e_3@newsprd01... > Revit can produce framing plans in a number of ways. What it does not do is > automatically generate the framing elements from which to create the framing > plans. But depending on how you do your framing plans, you can still do a > nice job with Revit in 2D or 3D. Guy Robinson has some nice examples where > he's modelled the framing and produced 3D framing diagrams, which, from my > POV would be a lot better than framing plans on most jobs.
Message 4 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Besides what Greg has said, you have many Revit users in Australia. I would try to go see some of them use Revit in action, and let them show you what it can do. Also, go to www.zoogdesign.com/forums for more feedback on Revit. It's great that all the resellers are telling you to go Revit! They have finally 'seen the light', or at least down under they have! When you say you have played with the demo version, did you download the tutorials and go through those? If not, you should. You will not get a 1000+ page manual with Revit like you do with ADT. In fact, the Revit product literature that comes with the CD, fits inside of a DVD sized case, with the CD. There are 3rd party books available, and more on the way! Good luck! Once you get into it, you'll never look back! SD "Greg Cashen" wrote in message news:40183e0e_3@newsprd01... > Revit can produce framing plans in a number of ways. What it does not do is > automatically generate the framing elements from which to create the framing > plans. But depending on how you do your framing plans, you can still do a > nice job with Revit in 2D or 3D. Guy Robinson has some nice examples where > he's modelled the framing and produced 3D framing diagrams, which, from my > POV would be a lot better than framing plans on most jobs. > > The detailing features in Revit are DIFFERENT from the other programs, but > not worse. Once you get used to them, revit details really fly. And they are > much more intelligent than autocad details. > > For my money, go Revit, take some training, go through ALL of the tutorials > you can find and never look back. As a structural engineer, I can say that > you will not be disappointed with where the Revit teams is taking this > project, and Structural is among the top two initiatives right now. It will > only get better! > > Greg > > "Adam McNeill" wrote in message > news:4018391F.8030808@octa4.net.au... > > Hi all, > > > > I'm currently trying to decide whether to buy a licence of Revit or > ADT2004. > > All the resellers are telling me Revit is the way to go, and i've played > > around with the Demo version, but that is very limited and without all > > the manuals etc. is very hard to actually get a feel for the product. > > My background is Structural drafting although i am now in a position > > where i frequently need the Architectural features that ADT offers as i > > am doing more and more Architectural work - mainly Residential/small > > Commercial and light Industrial. > > I currently use ADT 3.3 and am happy (...almost...) with ADT's display > > methods which allow me to produce Structural framing plans as well. > > > > My first impression with Revit is that the 2d detailing side is a bit > > cumbersome? Would this be correct? > > > > Also i've read in this newsgroup that Revit can't really produce framing > > plans etc. very easily? > > > > Could anybody enlighten me please? > > > > TIA > > > > Adam McNeill > > Darwin NT Australia > > > >
Message 5 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Hi Adam, I will stress that Revit is exceptionally easy to learn - in fact, at times, the hardest part is forgetting your old AutoCAD tricks as you no longer have to worry about layers, pen thickness, etc. what I recommend to all is to try their on-CD tutorial and In Australia contact Karel*CAD (phone 1800 223 562) as they have an excellent support team & training packages. you can either download the current version (be warned its a large download) or contact Karel*CAD for a copy of a trial CD. You can play with it as much as you like but until licensed you cannot save or print out drawings. ;-) cheers bladams South Australia PS here's a link to a review I made in early Jan 2003 (or about) 2 weeks after using Revit full-time and 1 week of using their training tutorials http://www.augsa.com.au/serv01.htm#Revit:%20A%20New%20Users%20Overview... and I've never looked back "Adam McNeill" wrote in message news:4018391F.8030808@octa4.net.au... > Hi all, > > I'm currently trying to decide whether to buy a licence of Revit or ADT2004. > All the resellers are telling me Revit is the way to go, and i've played > around with the Demo version, but that is very limited and without all > the manuals etc. is very hard to actually get a feel for the product. > My background is Structural drafting although i am now in a position > where i frequently need the Architectural features that ADT offers as i > am doing more and more Architectural work - mainly Residential/small > Commercial and light Industrial. > I currently use ADT 3.3 and am happy (...almost...) with ADT's display > methods which allow me to produce Structural framing plans as well. > > My first impression with Revit is that the 2d detailing side is a bit > cumbersome? Would this be correct? > > Also i've read in this newsgroup that Revit can't really produce framing > plans etc. very easily? > > Could anybody enlighten me please? > > TIA > > Adam McNeill > Darwin NT Australia >
Message 6 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

I gotta jump in on this if you all don't mind. I am in a similar boat. I work for an architectural millwork firm and we currently use acad2002.... all our doors, windows, cabinetry is done in 2d. This is a legacy I inherited about a year ago. Previous cad manager couldn't do 3d, and wouldn't learn. We've made big improvements...but are still 2d. The bosses purchaced a 3d cabinet package that basically sucked. Then they purchased a "well known parametric mechanical engineering" program which is good, but a mechanical engineering program. What I have seen with revit is basically(?) a similar approach but specifically tailored to AEC industry. Here's what I am looking for in revit: 1. The ability to create a model "library" of our standard doors, windows, and cabinets. 2. These library models need to be parametrically flexible in overall size, and also in construction details, without altering our basic library pieces. 3. I need to be able to automatically generate an accurate bill of materials of all parts. Cabinet end panels, door stile size (L,W,T) and material, ad nausium... Can revit be adaptable to a custom cabinet shops particular needs? Thanks for the input.
Message 7 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

1. Yes. Revit families are basically "cabinet styles" 2. Of course they are flexible. 3. You can schedule anything. Revit would be perfect. "Birdman" wrote in message news:4018fd68$1_3@newsprd01... > Here's what I am looking for in revit: > 1. The ability to create a model "library" of our standard doors, windows, > and cabinets. > 2. These library models need to be parametrically flexible in overall size, > and also in construction details, without altering our basic library pieces. > 3. I need to be able to automatically generate an accurate bill of > materials of all parts. Cabinet end panels, door stile size (L,W,T) and > material, ad nausium... > > Can revit be adaptable to a custom cabinet shops particular needs? > Thanks for the input. > >
Message 8 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Bueno. I will continue to dive in deeper....look before ya leap, you understand. Thanks for the post
Message 9 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Thanks to all for your responses - very much appreciated! > Adam McNeill > Darwin NT Australia >
Message 10 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

If you need more information, go to www.zoogdesign.com there's an entire Revit community there. Read the posts and learn quickly! "Adam McNeill" wrote in message news:40198C36.8040402@octa4.net.au... > Thanks to all for your responses - very much appreciated! > > > > Adam McNeill > > Darwin NT Australia > > >
Message 11 of 16
steve
in reply to: Anonymous

Don't be afraid, Autodesk is currently giving away 2004 w/ any copy of Revit. so dig in!
Message 12 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

What is the "mechanical program" failing to achieve? -- Regards, Robin Capper. CAD Manager. The Warehouse Group Ltd New Zealand. Email; robin.capper@thewarehouse.co.nz "Birdman" wrote in message news:4018fd68$1_3@newsprd01... > I gotta jump in on this if you all don't mind. > I am in a similar boat. > I work for an architectural millwork firm and we currently use acad2002.... > all our doors, windows, cabinetry is done in 2d. This is a legacy I > inherited about a year ago. Previous cad manager couldn't do 3d, and > wouldn't learn. We've made big improvements...but are still 2d. The bosses > purchaced a 3d cabinet package that basically sucked. Then they purchased a > "well known parametric mechanical engineering" program which is good, but a > mechanical engineering program. > What I have seen with revit is basically(?) a similar approach but > specifically tailored to AEC industry. > > Here's what I am looking for in revit: > 1. The ability to create a model "library" of our standard doors, windows, > and cabinets. > 2. These library models need to be parametrically flexible in overall size, > and also in construction details, without altering our basic library pieces. > 3. I need to be able to automatically generate an accurate bill of > materials of all parts. Cabinet end panels, door stile size (L,W,T) and > material, ad nausium... > > Can revit be adaptable to a custom cabinet shops particular needs? > Thanks for the input. > >
Message 13 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

The SOLID modeling program that we got WORKS pretty good, but it seems to me that REVIT is more tailored to Architectural work. We'll have to either design our own custom apps (similar to revit families) or pay big to have utilities built for us in order to get the "cabinet libraries" that have the functionality that we are looking for. We gotta have much more than "boxes" with variable length, width, and height. Having said all that, it may not be the "mechanical program" that is failing to achieve this... but the time I can(t) spend that causes ME to fail. I am still struggling with learning an efficient modeling strategy that will give us all (or at least most) of the functionality that we need.
Message 14 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

If you're talking about creating families that accurately represent the casework in question, there should be no problem with that. I would be hard pressed to think of a cabinet type that could not be easily made in Revit. If you want to be able to get accurate blown up assembly details, Revit is not geared for that sort of work. You will have to get into it a bit more to see if it will do exactly what you need. "Birdman" wrote in message news:401fd7e2$1_2@newsprd01... > The SOLID modeling program that we got WORKS pretty good, but it seems to me > that REVIT is more tailored to Architectural work. We'll have to either > design our own custom apps (similar to revit families) or pay big to have > utilities built for us in order to get the "cabinet libraries" that have the > functionality that we are looking for. We gotta have much more than "boxes" > with variable length, width, and height. > Having said all that, it may not be the "mechanical program" that is failing > to achieve this... but the time I can(t) spend that causes ME to fail. > I am still struggling with learning an efficient modeling strategy that will > give us all (or at least most) of the functionality that we need. > >
Message 15 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Thanks Greg. We've got some of the best cabinetmakers you'd ever come across. Exploded assembly views are for "hobbyists" in their (sort of arrogant) view. They DO need accurate 2d blueprints, with some appropriate full scale details. This takes a lot of extra work for us now in acad 2d drawings. One small change may need to be made in many places. Blocks...we use them where it pays to....xrefs...we don't have much benefit with those. Most of our work is one off stuff. One of the things that I like about revit is that if a wall is field measured differently than we draw it, we can "stretch" it and the cabinet, and most importantly a bill of materials will update accordingly. Thanks again for the input.
Message 16 of 16
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

They are??!!? I want my money back then! Why on earth did I just pay for Revit Series if I could have gotten Autocad 2004 for free!?? Please clarify, cite references, etc!! "steve" wrote in message news:28526571.1076550564806.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum2.autodesk.com... > Don't be afraid, Autodesk is currently giving away 2004 w/ any copy of Revit. so dig in!

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