Autodesk Revit Architecture 2015: No Experience Required

Autodesk Official Press

Eric Wing

• Publisher: Sybex
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781118862155
• eBook ISBN: 9781118862148
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: CAD-CAM
• Index: Computer Science

Learn Revit Architecture the hands-on way

For those who like to learn by doing, this Autodesk Official Press book shows you how to build a four-story office building one step at a time, providing you with real-world practice you might expect to encounter on the job. Concise explanations, focused examples, step-by-step instructions, and an engaging hands-on tutorial make this book the perfect way to learn Revit Architecture. In addition, you can download starting files for each chapter from the website in order to compare your work to the authors, or start fresh with any chapter in the book.

Expert author Eric Wing first introduces the interface and Revit conventions, and then moves directly into building modeling. You'll learn to place walls, doors, and windows, work with structural grids, beams, and foundations; add text and dimensions, and use dimensions as a design tool. As the building takes shape, you'll discover how to generate construction documentation, create schedules, work with families, consider site issues, and use Revit's rendering capabilities. Here are some of the skills you can acquire from this book:

• Understanding Revit's interface, views, and grids
• Creating and editing roofs, railings, stairs, and ceilings
• Generating documentation and construction schedules
• Using advanced features like creating hosted families, system families, and formulas

Autodesk Revit Architecture: No Experience Required is a completely self-paced guide. You can work along with the tutorial from cover to cover or jump in anywhere. No matter how you use this book, you'll be able to transfer the useful concepts to your professional practice.

Chapter 1
The Autodesk Revit World

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of presentations on how wonderful and versatile this 3D Autodesk® Revit® Architecture revolution is. You may be thinking, “This all seems too complicated for what I do. Why do I need 3D anyway?”

The answer is: you don’t need 3D. What do you do to get a job out—that is, after the presentation when you’re awarded the project? First, you redraw the plans. Next comes the detail round-up game we have all come to love: pull the specs together and then plot. This is a simple process that works.

Well, it worked until 3D showed up. Now we have no real clue where things come from, drawings don’t look very good, and getting a drawing out the door takes three times as long.

That’s the perception, anyway. I’ve certainly seen all of the above, but I’ve also seen some incredibly coordinated sets of drawings with almost textbook adherence to standards and graphics. Revit can go both ways—it depends on you to make it go the right way.

One other buzzword I’m sure you’ve heard about is Building Information Modeling (BIM). Although they say BIM is a process, not an application, I don’t fully buy into that position. Right now, you’re on the first page of BIM. BIM starts with Revit. If you understand Revit, you’ll understand Building Information Modeling.

This chapter will dive into the Revit graphical user interface (GUI) and tackle the three topics that make Revit … well, Revit.

• The Revit interface
• The Project Browser
• File types and families

The Revit Interface

Toto, we aren’t in CAD anymore!

If you just bought this book, then welcome to the Revit world. In Revit, the vast majority of the processes you encounter are in a flat 2D platform. Instead of drafting, you’re placing components into a model. Yes, these components have a so-called third dimension to them, but a logical methodology drives the process. If you need to see the model in 3D, it’s simply a click away. That being said, remember this: there is a big difference between 3D drafting and modeling.

With that preamble behind us, let’s get on with it.

First of all, Revit has no command prompt and no crosshairs. Stop! Don’t go away just yet. You’ll get used to it, I promise. Unlike most CAD applications, Revit is heavily pared down, so to speak. It’s this way for a reason. Revit was designed for architects and engineers. You don’t need every command that a mechanical engineer would need. An electrical engineer wouldn’t need the functionality that an architect would require. In the new Revit 2015 interface, the functionality I just mentioned is available, but it’s tucked away so as not to interfere with your architectural pursuits.

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NOTE The preceding paragraph is the longest one of the book. This book is designed to cut to the chase and show you how to use Revit Architecture in a step-by-step fashion without having to read through paragraph after paragraph of theory just to find the answer you’re seeking. Datasets are provided on the book’s accompanying website (www.sybex.com/go/revit2015ner), but you can also use your own model as you go through the book. If you don’t wish to read this book cover to cover, don’t! Although I recommend going from front to back, you can use the book as a desk reference by jumping to a desired topic. The datasets will be added in phases to accommodate this type of usage. Either way, get ready to learn Revit!

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You’ll find that, as you get comfortable with Revit, there are many, many choices and options behind each command.

Let’s get started:

1. To open Revit, click the icon on your desktop (see Figure 1-1).

   

   Figure 1-1: You can launch Revit Architecture from the desktop icon.

2. After you start Revit, you’ll see the Recent Files window, as shown in Figure 1-2. The top row lists any projects on which you’ve been working; the bottom row lists any families with which you’ve been working. The column to the right allows you to view some tutorial ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Titlepage
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Autodesk Revit World
• Chapter 2: Creating a Model
• Chapter 3: Creating Views
• Chapter 4: Working with the Autodesk Revit Tools
• Chapter 5: Dimensioning and Annotating
• Chapter 6: Floors
• Chapter 7: Roofs
• Chapter 8: Structural Items
• Chapter 9: Ceilings and Interiors
• Chapter 10: Stairs, Ramps, and Railings
• Chapter 11: Schedules and Tags
• Chapter 12: Detailing
• Chapter 13: Creating Specific Views and Match Lines
• Chapter 14: Creating Sheets and Printing
• Chapter 15: Creating Rooms and Area Plans
• Chapter 16: Advanced Wall Topics
• Chapter 17: Creating Families
• Chapter 18: Site and Topography
• Chapter 19: Rendering and Presentation
• Chapter 20: Importing and Coordinating Models
• Chapter 21: Phasing and Design Options
• Chapter 22: Project Collaboration
• End-User License Agreement