Revit's Text Editor Needs To Be At Least As Good As AutoCAD's

[scbunker]

I know that the text editor in Revit is the subject of much derision and update requests. And I know that it was improved a few years ago. But it's just not enough. So I have a different take on it - just make it at least as good as AutoCAD.

In AutoCAD, you can control paragraph spacing, have multi-level lists (outlines), tab stops (multiple tab stops and different kinds of tab stops), control indents, control columns, etc. etc. 

We need text editing features this robust within Revit.

I've heard it said before that Revit is a modeling software and not a text editing software, but I don't consider this argument to be valid. Modeling is useless unless we can adequately document it, and documentation includes detailed notes. That's like saying that AutoCAD is a drafting software and not a text editing software.

[JADAstudio]

... wakes up after four years in coma...

"I can't wait to see how much the Revit text tools have improved!"

...

[Ric_Weber]

@kimberly_fuhrman-jones This should be marked as Implemented.

[kimberly_fuhrman-jones]

Thank you, @Ric_Weber . @Anonymous , do you agree that your request has been satisfied with recent releases of Revit?

[tomVKVKZ]

YES!!! 100% agree. Need better text formatting options in Revit, and starting with the basics provided in AutoCAD, like better tab control would be HUGE improvement!!!

PLEASE and THANK YOU.

[Iev60047]

Yes! I am also a fan of getting advanced text control within Revit.

[lee.imbimbo86EM4]

You need to make it so that I can more reasonably view and edit Plan Notes for a project.  Frankly giving me a sliver of a window to edit a piece of text in is ridiculous.  Most of the time the text is too small, and I can't easily see view the whole note.  The other half of the time it doesn't even show my cursor location, and/or deletes things that I don't intend it to.  If I had my preferences I would have the ability to type up my notes like I do in a normal word processor and then assign numbers to them as I use them.  They could add maybe a simple check-mark to it that would say whether a note has been used or not, but frankly I just need it to be easier to type and edit.  The current configuration is subpar at best.  Fundamentally, the current design makes the process of note editing and marking tedious, and major improvements need to be made to improve productivity and ease of use.

I'm not the first, and I'm definitely not the only person to suggest that basic Word Processing, and Spreadsheet capabilities need to be added to Revit.  I'm at the point where I don't even bother using Revit's tables anymore, because they are too cumbersome, and produce piss poor graphical results.  Most of my schedules are just done in EXCEL and exported out as PDF's to be placed in a document.  For as much as Autodesk is charging for access to their software there should be no reason that they can't resolve this kind of functionality.  In general, at this point Autodesk's entire focus need to be on improving Revit's ease of use and capabilities for producing documents faster and with more prowess.

The fact is that with most editions the changes they produce to Revit feel mostly like Autodesk throwing **** at the architect's and engineers, and claiming it to be cake, and then asking for a ton of money for the software.

[daniel.gheorghe5GJK4]

As designers, architects and engineers alike, we need to do a lot of reports and written documentation.

Often this is based on data that is available in the models. 

I believe Revit would benefit from Word-like document editor where the user would be able to build his reports based on data / views / sheets / schedules from Revit.

[sduarte_QD]

I've just made a test of exporting a text over that same text as an autocad import hatch (I'm doing a legend of fire safery signing and revit can't handle small fill patterns or lines, so I have to link from autocad - still some hatchs don't work so I'm using revit text on top as a very lame workaround for now).

I did the export in dwg, dwf and pdf and funny enough all 3 exports look slighty diferent like one too short, another a bit lower or shifter in another direction. None actually completly mach the revit visual look. 

I would like it to be consistent across all platforms as they are all Autodesk ones... On top of all the already much needed improvements already mentioned.

[IanYeager]

Please update the Text Editor to manage Tabs, Indents, Numbering, Bullets, etc from Word. We need a WYSIWYG copy/paste. We've been asking for years. Please give this some real attention. Thank you.

As my post was lumped into this one, I'll add the plea as this is likely buried a bit...Please, of all the features you work on and add, this is a priority. We shouldn't have to, Copy, Paste into AutoCAD, Link into Revit or, PDF from Word, Snip and paste onto sheets as images...or buy software from a third party...Please. Give this some reasonable attention. Thanks.

[cydufresne]

I cant for the life of me understand how TEXT has not been upgraded to at least match AutoCAD's, there is no longer no excuse, if we are expected to use revit solely for drawings you have to fix the text.

[IanYeager]

4 years later, Text, if it is on a RoadMap...it's a dirt road in the desert. Probably the most simple aspect of a UI to update but it's a not even a thought apparently. What do we know......?

[Clntnco]

Don't hold your breath. It took 17+ versions to get text that wasn't trash. So on that timeline they will probably make that improvement in 2037.  

[cydufresne]

it's almost a slap in the face, how is that i can split a schedule when it gets too long but I can't do that with text? make that make sense. Autodesk continuous to add features that half work instead of fixing what is broken, make that make sense. I'm sorry but i don't care about topography or new dynamo features or even the ACC which is BS, because in our office everything is in the cloud and now, I'm forced to use their cloud for Revit collaboration (make that make sense). Unfortunately, Autodesk only cares about their shareholders and subscription count, they know they have a monopoly and are not worried about losing us. I'm not even sure why I'm wasting my time B****ing about text because IT WILL NEVER GET FIXED. Happy Friday y'all

[craig]

HELLO !!!!!
Anybody from Autodesk ever reading theses posts or is lip service on how they listen to customers and support stakeholders - Come on Autoesk - at least respond here

[kimberly_fuhrman-jones]

@craig ,

Yes, we are reading these posts. However, we are simply not going to respond to all 11,000 Revit Ideas individually on a regular basis. While there is no update to this Idea specifically, one of our strategic focuses is on Documentation as shown in our Revit Public Roadmap. There you may also provide feedback on each of the features on the roadmap. I would encourage you to also join our Revit Preview Release to test features currently in development and to discuss those features directly with our product team members.

Thank you for your feedback. We are listening.

[cydufresne]

i go to that roadmap website almost once a week, im sorry but that strategy for documentation does not say anything about the text editor and i cant even post a comment. All it talks about is automation and emerging technologies, the technology for mtext is already here, its been here for over a decade. I want to be polite as possible, please fix the text editor, when my superiors ask me why i cant do certain things with text in revit that i can do in autocad they look at me like im crazy. Revit is great but if i cant do the simple things then i dont see the point in using it for construction drawings, its just a dumbed down version of 3D studio max. 

[kimberly_fuhrman-jones]

@cydufresne ,

If you click one of the buttons under "How important is this to you?" a comment box will allow you to add comments.

[Ric_Weber]

I agree that Revit's text editor needs some work.  I also agree that we should have seen these improvements several versions ago.  I would like to see columns, tabs, ability to insert a view reference, text color be able to be changed within the text, not just at a type level, paragraph and line spacing.... stuff like that.  But a blanket statement that the text editor sucks as some of these comments have stated or at least implied, is a bit overboard.  

I do use text but I try to keep it to a minimum.  Revit is a smart BIM platform, so we should be using it as such.  That means, tags and schedules, items that are linked to either model items or detail objects in the views.  I understand text in code analysis documentation and on-sheet specifications.  Thus the need for some more robust features.  Beyond that however, everything else should be either in schedules or tags.  Both of which also could use some work, but there are other ideas specific to those items.  

To state, "Revit is great but if it cant do the simple things then I don't see the point in using it for construction drawings...", makes no sense. Revit is built for construction modeling and drawings.  It is built to have smart views and tags and schedules.  Those are things that need to go on construction drawings.  If you are not using those, then perhaps you need some Revit assistance.  

I am keeping my vote for this idea, and other's like it, because the OP stated that he would like to see the text editor have the same capabilities as in AutoCAD.  I think that is a valid request, but to come on and comment that the text editor is just horrible is is not being constructive.  

[IanYeager]

@kimberly_fuhrman-jones We understand that all 11,000 ideas probably don't need an official response but this is reaching silliness. We aren't asking for some far reaching algorithm to calculate the  infinite stars in the sky and their proximities to Earth within 1/2". We are simply continuing to ask for a text editor, for years now. Something we can copy and paste into from Word and not lose formatting. Something that reacts like a schedule so we can split it on a sheet. Something other than TextEd 1.0. The main issue here is All Revit Users use text. Not just the structural folks, not just architectural folks, not just the MEP folks, all of us use it. It befuddles us how there appears to be a disconnect with us and Autodesk. How is it not understood that the documentation (Words on a sheet) is important to us? We can model the teeth on a gear or the threads on a screw but we can't copy a Word document into a model to explain the function or specifications about the objects. Why do we have to look to 3rd party developers for an app to do text? 

Please. Give us a tiny bit of hope that this might actually make it to someone's desk. Please.

[lee.imbimbo86EM4]

@Ric_Weber, IMHO, there is really no reason that they can't implement basic Word Processing and Spreadsheet functionality that is at least on par of Open Office.  In addition, in the scheduling of items the ability to use programming language to do simple things that would better interlink elements in the documents (specifically, I'm thinking about the ability to go into a door schedule and say that the Header Detail is 5/A501, and then have that dynamically linked so that if I move that around it automatically updates.  Even in the Plan Notes I use on my documentation, I on a regular basis will say something like: "Flooring Transition Strip, see Detail ##/###."  Given that it is a database, I think it would be really easy to build in a function like "<link>5/A501</link>"  That would then build in that interoperability.

But frankly the fact that I can't do something simple like type out a sheet spec with reasonable text modifications is silly.  Given that Revit has spent so many version, again IMHO, giving us relatively useless updates, but charging us a premium for it, it's high time that they actually give us something highly useable.  Every year their focus should be entirely on (1) how do we improve the users experience, (2) how do we reduce the time to produce documents, (3) how do we improve our users profitability because they are using our product?