Revit vs Autocad MEP

[Anonymous]

Good day, 

Currently I'm looking at two software which is Revit and Autocad MEP for learning. But I was wondering, which one  is better for use in current market today. I am working more towards on HVAC systems. I understand that both provide the platform to do HVAC system works. The question in my mind is which software is better, is it Revit or AutoCAD MEP? and do Autocad MEP provide the platform for analysis and in Revit aside from clash detection analysis is it offer any other analysis?

Please clarify this, Your insight or reply is appreciated.

[RobDraw]

Since you are asking in a Revit forum, the answers will obviously be in favor of Revit.

[Anonymous]

ya.because i have no idea where to post this kind of question. But is it possible to know in what way does revit offers more compare to autocad mep

[Anonymous]

when in doubt, I search with google - best hits using 'Autocad MEP vs Revit MEP'

https://www.indiacadworks.com/blog/autocad-mep-vs-revit-mep-which-one-is-better/

https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/when-bim-is-bim-comparing-autocad-bim-and-revit-bim

In my case, one of clients insisted on using Revit.

As for the market, based on my experience it will depend on your clients.

As for which to learn? Why not both? I'm old (58), and glad I'm fluent with many different software, makes learning yet another one (Revit) that more simpler.

Best

Henry

[Scott_D_]

The coordination capabilities and multi-disciplinary model sharing features of Revit are worth the price of admission alone, anything else is just icing on the cake.

AutoCAD Electrical certainly has its place but you cant use it for BIM in anything like the sam way as Revit. With that being said Revit is not a calculation tool in any way, shape or form, at least at the moment.

[chris.kershaw]

Sorry Scott.dakin but thats not true 'Revit is not a calculation tool in any way, shape' We design pipework & ductwork systems in Revit & with the Elumtools addon you can do lighting calculations too. Ive just tested elumtools & its its very good.

As for the original question dont wast your time learning anything but the very basic CAD commands. there is nothing Autocad can do that revit cant do plus revit dose much much more. We employ trainee BIM people & Apprenticeship BSE students & no longer teach them AutoCAD   

[Scott_D_]

Perhaps I should have put the word 'accurate' in there somewhere with regard to the calculations.

The duct sizing mostly works, the pipe sizing is horribly broken, electrical calculations don't work and single phase panels are completely broken.

Elumtools is not part of the standard Revit software package although I agree it is very good, I wish my company would buy it. It's not for a lack of asking....

[chris.kershaw]

can say about the electrical not done much with that but the pipework & ductwork work well Ive tested both against other software & manual calcs & revit was closest to the manual calcs 

[Scott_D_]

Might be worth checking out this thread on the front page of this forum - "Pipe Annalysis, Revit PIpe Sizing, flow GPM"

[chris.kershaw]

Im based in the UK & from our testing Ive not had the problems described on that forum the only time we got incorrect results was on the very low outputs (single sink) giving a 22mm pipe instead of 15mm 

We did a lot of testing both stand alone. 

[Scott_D_]

Our building was about 4000m² with mixed offices, general use spaces and bedrooms, all with ensuites.

I have also tried very small samples which also did not work correctly.

[HarryHighpants]

---

@chris.kershaw wrote:

can say about the electrical not done much with that but the pipework & ductwork work well Ive tested both against other software & manual calcs & revit was closest to the manual calcs 

---

Agree it's pretty handy for pipe and duct sizing. That being said, HVAC design involves a lot more than just sizing. As it stands, Revit falls well short of being a proper design tool, especially in the area of ventilation which is fundamental to HVAC design.

[RobDraw]

---

@HarryHighpants wrote:

---

Agree it's pretty handy for pipe and duct sizing. That being said, HVAC design involves a lot more than just sizing. As it stands, Revit falls well short of being a proper design tool, especially in the area of ventilation which is fundamental to HVAC design.

---

Falls short how? 

[HarryHighpants]

---

@RobDraw wrote:

---

Falls short how? 

---

Fresh air calculations - especially in VAV systems. Not to mention there is no provision for make-up or transfer air.

Unless you can enlighten me..

[s.borello]

It's like comparing apples to hand grenades... very different software.  Will you be doing BIM? if so I would use Revit.  I would also recommend you familiarize yourself with both Revit and AutoCAD MEP. 

[Scott_D_]

I just tried AutoCAD MEP as I haven't used it before.

There doesn't appear to be a big obvious 'create electrical circuit' button like there is with Revit.

Seems overly complicated and old-fashioned to me but then I am used to Revit.

I did quite like the wire trimming options however, Revit needs a dose of that.

[RobDraw]

---

@HarryHighpants wrote:

---

@RobDraw wrote:

---

Falls short how? 

---

Fresh air calculations - especially in VAV systems. Not to mention there is no provision for make-up or transfer air.

Unless you can enlighten me..

---

You're being very general without any substance.

Fresh air calcs - Can you please explain what you are referring to?

Provisions for make-up and transfer air, what kind of provisions would you like?

[HarryHighpants]

---

@RobDraw wrote:

You're being very general without any substance.

Fresh air calcs - Can you please explain what you are referring to?

Provisions for make-up and transfer air, what kind of provisions would you like?

---

Rob, apologies if I confused you.

I was speaking to those on the engineering side of HVAC. They know what I am referring to.

Again, for general drafting and 3D coordination, Revit is fine.

As a HVAC engineer, I can tell you that 50% of the engineering design is done outside of Revit because the capabilities just aren't there. I know there are useful add-ons for Revit (eg MagiCAD), but that's a different conversation altogether.

[RobDraw]

I'm on the side that you speak of. That is why I asked for some context.

[ben]

We switched from Fabrication AutoCAD MEP to Revit a couple/few years ago, and I'm glad we did. Revit makes it so much easier to actually visualize the building and makes it easier to see structural obstacles such as beams.

Here are a couple of side by side comparisons of what you see drawing in Revit vs drawing in CAD. Technically they were both drawn in Revit, but on the first one architect and engineers used Revit so you can actually see the walls, beams, trusses, everything. The second one everyone else drew in AutoCAD and I put the CAD file in Revit; you can see it's just flat, no depth, nothing.

RevitAutoCAD

You can see from the side views that the CAD drawing is flat (the pink line is the entire level from floor to ceiling). My piping that I drew with Revit has actual depth and elevation, but the building drawn in AutoCAD has none. The Revit model has an actual building that you can really see.

AutoCADRevit

Also, AutoCAD uses "layers" and Revit uses "visibility graphics". In my opinion, Visibility Graphics are much easier to understand. Using walls as an example, it's the difference of one thing that says "walls" and next to it you get the options of how do you want to see it, a percentage of transparency, color, etc. Whereas in CAD you have to  try and figure out if walls are layer A-WALL, A-WALL-IDEN, A-WALL-PATT, or sometimes one of 12 or so different things listed under an "A" layer category. There's no consistency with the AutoCAD layers, one architect might have 12 different A-WALL layers for different things about the walls (and different types of walls), and they all label them differently. However, in Revit it's it's always consist and they fall under "walls". Just like instead of a million different layers for duct work there are just visibility graphics categories for duct, duct fittings, duct accessories, air terminals, etc.

AutoCADRevit

I'm glad we switched from AutoCAD to Revit.