Revit Structure and ArchiCAD coordination

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon,

My firm is currently using Revit Structure and we are getting ready to do a project with a local architect who uses ArchiCAD. Has anyone here had any experience with trying to coordinate the 2 formats of models?

I'm wondering if we'll need to utilize some 3rd party software like NavisWorks?

Any insights would be great,

Rick McElvain

[Aaron Bourgoin]

Since Revit appears to have only one-directional IFC capability, the ArchiCAD model will house the building data you model.

I would not wait to start on the project, but rather build a doghouse with the ArchiCAD team and have a look at the issues that arise. Take a bit of time of front, meet at least once in the same room and make some decisions about protocols. Do that for modeling as well as output and base information exchnage and you'll all draw/construct less and be happier at the end of the day.

The bottom line is that you have to achieve a buy-in from all concerned.

Build a doghouse. First.

[Aaron Bourgoin]

A multi-story doghouse.

With a back porch.

And a walk-out basement.

[Anonymous]

Aaron wrote:
A multi-story doghouse.

With a back porch.

And a walk-out basement.

Good info and great ideas Aaron, that doghouse bit made me laugh! My first project was a humane society building

[Scott Davis]

Well, the architectural model will be in ArchiCAD. Then there will be an export process to 3D DWG, and that model will be imported into Revit Structures. The 3D DWG will have no intelligence of the AC model, so Revit will treat it as a series of 'solids' in simple terms. You will end up rebuilding in Revit Structures, all of the 'structural' parts of the building. (which could be a substantial model, depneding on the building)

You may be better off to have the AC model exported as 2D dwg, and then rebuild it in Structures using the 2D as backgrounds. You could then export out a 3D DWG model from RS that the AC guys could re-import for interference checking. Or the RS model could be exported in an IFC format for importing back to AC...but since I haven't done this yet, I'm not sure how it works.

[Aaron Bourgoin]

Stick to your guns and use the IFC export tools. You're paying Autodesk good money for support, Revit Structure is new and so your dealer will want to make sure that you succeed. Figure out how to do it yourself if you have to so you can show them. They'll be amazed, I'm sure.

Don't use DWG export. Its a dawg whose days are numbered.

[TomWaltz]

Scott wrote:
Well, the architectural model will be in ArchiCAD. Then there will be an export process to 3D DWG, and that model will be imported into Revit Structures. The 3D DWG will have no intelligence of the AC model, so Revit will treat it as a series of 'solids' in simple terms. You will end up rebuilding in Revit Structures, all of the 'structural' parts of the building. (which could be a substantial model, depneding on the building)

You may be better off to have the AC model exported as 2D dwg, and then rebuild it in Structures using the 2D as backgrounds. You could then export out a 3D DWG model from RS that the AC guys could re-import for interference checking. Or the RS model could be exported in an IFC format for importing back to AC...but since I haven't done this yet, I'm not sure how it works.

Scott

is there no way for Revit to import an intelligent model, like IFC?

[Scott Davis]

currently, Revit has an IFC export, but not import. I expect the import is around the corner. Revit will import intelligent data from ADT....but who wants to work in ADT??

[Aaron Bourgoin]

take care to look at the version or flavour of IFC export out of Revit as I think its currently at a pretty low level. If its 1.0 or thereabouts there may be multi-story compatibility problems and you may have to do the exporting floor-by-floor.

ADT's IFC implementation is probably more robust but is handled by a third party.

[Anonymous]

To my understanding Risa and Ram import/export the model from Revit without IFC - see my earlier post this is what the vendors told me.