Generative Design - Why?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I am frustrated with the focus of recent Revit upgrades in generative design, dynamo, and other scripting / automation ventures.  As a licensed Architect, and user of Revit for over a decade, it seems to me that the vast majority of practitioners will never use these features.  And on top of that, Autodesk's continued focus on them bloats the Revit software, increases the price, and diminishes improvements to the core tools and workflows.

Yes, AI and generative design sounds fancy, and is probably a fun thing for the software team to work on.  But does Revit really need this?  Personally, I do not.

What I do need, is a way to turn a hosted family into a non-hosted family.  I need to be able to change the level of a view that I've already created, or a room that I've already placed.  I need a way to use plan regions like I use scope boxes, standardizing them across dozens of sheets because my building has 6 level changes.  I need Revit to build in more quality of life improvements that I currently rely on Ideate add-ins for, like Renumber, view clone, and Sticky for linking excel content.  I need a keynote manager overhaul, with more functionality and better UI.  And much more!

I do not need another algorithm-based method for creating fancy shapes on a highrise facade.  I do not need a scripting tool that to sink my time into making my own workarounds for things that Revit should just fix themselves.  These are things that have no benefit to me, and I do not want my subscription to subsidize their development for the fraction of designers that do use them.

Is this a case of Autodesk's programmers losing sight of who their customer is, and what our needs are?  How do other Architects feel?

Thanks,

a Revit lover,

[syman2000]

You should join the Autodesk research group. I've given the developer a lot of earful feedback. Hopefully they will focus on fixing the core issue and not focus on stuff majority of people won't use.

[martijn_pater]

I feel this summarizes several of my own forum posts, so I'm with you. 🙂 cheers.

[RobDraw]

This is a user help forum. Product feedback and feature requests belong elsewhere. Alternatively, you could what some other people do and start a blog.

[barthbradley]

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@Anonymous wrote:

What I do need, is a way to turn a hosted family into a non-hosted family. 

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See attached Non-Hosted Fixed Window Family converted from the OOTB Hosted Fixed Window using the procedure described at this Link:

Convert a Hosted Family to Face-Based or Non-Hosted Family in Revit | Revit Products 2019 | Autodesk Knowledge Network

[barthbradley]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I need a way to use plan regions like I use scope boxes, standardizing them across dozens of sheets because my building has 6 level changes.  

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Plan Regions, which are Plan View-Specific, can be copied between Plan Views using Clipboard Copy - Paste to Current View.   

[barthbradley]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Is this a case of Autodesk's programmers losing sight of who their customer is, and what our needs are?  How do other Architects feel?

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FWIW: 

https://www.aecmag.com/comment-mainmenu-36/2046-autodesk-aec-customers-demand-better-value

https://adsknews.autodesk.com/views/reply-to-open-letter-on-revit

[barthbradley]

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@RobDraw wrote:

you could what some other people do and start a blog.

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Kind of like what Dion Moult did here?: 

https://thinkmoult.com/why-revit-is-****.html

[Anonymous]

I love Revit though and think it is an incredible, sophisticated piece of software.  It makes my job easier on a daily basis.  However, it is getting more expensive every release, while the new features are less useful to me.  That is the basis of my frustration.  I want to continue using and loving Revit, but I see a future where I am driven to competitors who understand ME better, and offer a more trimmed down alternative (just the tools I need, none of the generative/AI/scripting stuff).  But again, I love Revit, so there is my dilemma, and the basis for my questioning if Revit has lost sight of their userbase’s needs. Why the focus on AI and generative stuff, when there are improvements to the CORE features and workflow that have yet to be explored?

[barthbradley]

I wasn't judging you.  Fact is, a lot of us share your frustrations, as evidence by that Open Letter to Autodesk I linked you to above.  But, you are preaching to the choir, so to speak.  This is an  International USERS Forum, in case you were unaware.  We're not Autodesk Employees - nor are we compensated by Autodesk.  Some people are unaware of this because Autodesk Customer Service literally directs people to this site to find support.  Some people even get mad at us for not being responsive to their wants and needs.  he, he.    

[ToanDN]

Valid concerns.

For now, I use PyRevit to assist with things such as batch sheet creation, revision assignment, copy legends among projects, fill pattern creation, host to non host.