New in Revit 2013 - Gauntlet thrown or playing catch up?

[Bricklyne Clarence]

http://autodesk-revit.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/what-new-in-autodesk-revit-2013.html



For those of you who may be interested an Autodesk blogger just posted the new features in the latest version of Revit and you'll be glad to know that most of the "new features" seem to be the Autodesk developers merely catching up with ArchiCAD........of 2 or 3 versions ago.


A few of the "new features" in this regard are the view and view templates which seems to be a rudimentary version of what we've had in ArchiCAD for the longest time in Model view options and the ability to save a view as is and place on layout and have it remember the layer and layer combination settings, scale settings and text/annotation settings

Another of their "new features" are the DWG/DGN(Microstation) and IFC import export improvements.
For anyone who knows just how crappy the above features are in the current versions of Revit.....Enough said.
"New" indeed!


Other 'intersting' "new" features are some worksharing improvements, which, sadly for Revit users, still lags in the Stone Age compared to TEamwork 2.0 and BIMserver in ArchiCAD.
And it's also nice, (I guess) that Revit users can now add gradient fills to their elevations and Sections - something we've had in ArchiCAD since they introduced gradient fills....oh, 3 versions ago. Or was it 4 versions ago.

It's also nice to see that they can now dimension circles and add a diameter dimension tool which oddly enough never existed in Revit prior to 2012. Yes, shocking, I know.

I will give them credit for a couple of the new improvements though, which would be nice to have a version of in ArchiCAD.

They have a 'Divide and distribute' function which seems very generative and allows the user to intelligently place or array objects along a spline or line (and it's parametric from the looks of it, which means as the line updates, the objects placed and associated with it, update too) - and this seems like it can also be really useful in tools like Rail tools, profiling and that sort of thing.

They also have a cool tool to divide elements (I guess in elevation or section) using a sketch line in what seems like it can be useful in creating panelled walls without having to rely on texture fills or vectorial hatching like we have to do in ArchiCAD outside of the complex profile which is only uni-directional.

And the last thing I really liked is the fact that they now have Progressive real-time ray-trace render which interactively updates the render view as you update the model view.
Think VrayRT, or Octane render.
But the fact that it uses the CPU as opposed to the Graphics card (GPU) to do this tells me that it essentially slows the program and grinds it to a halt to pretty much make it unasable as it's rendering - since Revit is not (as far as I'm aware) fully Multi-core aware like ArchiCAD is and it only uses one core for most functions.

Their stairs and railing have also gotten somewhat of a facelift - but from what I can tell it only brings it to the level of an ArchiCAD user who has access to Cadimage stair tool or ARchistair with a lot of those features already existing in the ArchiCAD environment.

For any of you who ever thought that ArchiCAD's stair tool was bad, you ain't seen nothing yet until you use Revit's atrocious version.
Even the 2D display features and options are so godawful , that I sometimes wonder how any Revit user is able to produce building code-compliant drawings of stairs with what they have available.
Revit 2013 seems to address this, but only somewhat.
If ever a Stair tool needed a complete revamp, Revit's stair tool is by far the leading candidate and even the guy doing the review admitted as much
But at least they are listening to their users, so let's just hope that GS are doind the same.

In my personal opinion, I don't think any of these new features are going to strike fear into the heart of GS developers since Revit is so far behind on the major features to ARchiCAD, but I would still hope it inspires them to still keep pushing on to keep ARchiCAD, 3-4 years ahead of the game (if not more) and address some of the long-standing issues and wishes of users.

Thoughts?

[Rakela Raul]

another feature is that the 'structural', and mep 'systems' are part of the standard revit ribbon now...
no separate installations for those modules
...price went up... i think

[TMA_80]

Bricklyne wrote:

In my personal opinion, I don't think any of these new features are going to strike fear into the heart of GS developers since Revit is so far behind on the major features to ARchiCAD, but I would still hope it inspires them to still keep pushing on to keep ARchiCAD, 3-4 years ahead of the game (if not more) and address some of the long-standing issues and wishes of users.

Thoughts?

lets not foget that revit has the massing and the family editor that are more advanced ...for the modeling of freeform parmertic forms for the first one and for the visual interface for the second...

I should compare the revit architecture version only with ArchiCAD ....but The Mep/structure are apparently now included in the revit2013 version- something that Gs isn't offering right now..._( let see what about the price...)

[Bricklyne Clarence]

TMA_80 wrote:

Bricklyne wrote:

In my personal opinion, I don't think any of these new features are going to strike fear into the heart of GS developers since Revit is so far behind on the major features to ARchiCAD, but I would still hope it inspires them to still keep pushing on to keep ARchiCAD, 3-4 years ahead of the game (if not more) and address some of the long-standing issues and wishes of users.

Thoughts?

lets not foget that revit has the massing and the family editor that are more advanced ...for the modeling freeform parmertic forms for the first one and for the visual interface for the second...

I should compare the revit architecture version only with ArchiCAD ....but The Mep/structure are apparently now included in the revit2013 version- something that Gs isn't offering right now..._( let see what about the price...)

True.

But although I should mention that the mass editor for freeform parametric forms is only available in the conceptual phase and not the project phase of the Revit environment, it should still give GS a clue on where they really badly need to improve ArchiCAD on (a visual/graphical interface for creating parametric objects to replace GDL coding along with massive improvements to the Stair Tool).

I suspect that the price of Revit might go up, but I still think the MEP/Structure are useless for most Architects
Some architects may use the MEP part just like ArchiCAD users use MEP modeller, but I still feel the overall reason for Autodesk adding those modules was to make it easier for larger firms that have MEP and Structural departments along with the Architectural design departments.

I was just surprised that Revit was lacking so many of those basic tools that have been standard in ArchiCAD for so many years, (and actually which should be standard in any basic CAD design package).
I mean, no dimension tools for the diameter of a circle?
Really?

[Anonymous]

Bricklyne wrote:
http://autodesk-revit.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/what-new-in-autodesk-revit-2013.html


And the last thing I really liked is the fact that they now have Progressive real-time ray-trace render which interactively updates the render view as you update the model view.
Think VrayRT, or Octane render.
But the fact that it uses the CPU as opposed to the Graphics card (GPU) to do this tells me that it essentially slows the program and grinds it to a halt to pretty much make it unasable as it's rendering - since Revit is not (as far as I'm aware) fully Multi-core aware like ArchiCAD is and it only uses one core for most functions.


Thoughts?

I always wonder if Autodesk writes anything from scratch...that realtime render view has been a feature of Softimage ( which they bough from AVID some years ago). Coincidently, Soft also uses Mental Ray.....

[Rakela Raul]

I suspect that the price of Revit might go up, but I still think the MEP/Structure are useless for most Architects
Some architects may use the MEP part just like ArchiCAD users use MEP modeller, but I still feel the overall reason for Autodesk adding those modules was to make it easier for larger firms that have MEP and Structural departments along with the Architectural design departments.

maybe aimed to other countries, where architects and/or engineers 'do it it all'

BTW...one of the reasons i picked archicad in lieu of microstation that had tons of modules !! i know, we talking too many yrs ago !! :oops

[Anonymous]

Bricklyne wrote:
I was just surprised that Revit was lacking so many of those basic tools that have been standard in ArchiCAD for so many years, (and actually which should be standard in any basic CAD design package).
I mean, no dimension tools for the diameter of a circle?
Really?

This goes both ways. There are many features that are standard in Revit since its conception that only recently have been implemented in Archicad, if or are still awaiting for implementation.

I'm more impressed by the new features and enhancements in the API than the ootb features. There is where GC should be concerned about. Just look at the amount of add in's that were developed for revit since 2010. It's just of matter of months before a company brings out a proper stair and railing add in.

[Anonymous]

I came across this on the web. Sure seems they are very excited about the upcoming version of ArchiCad. I think it's a reseller though. I hope the excitement is for real!

Some confidential news about ArchiCAD 16! I had just returned from a long walk and I was tired! I was not planning to read that 21 page document until I saw the Executive Summary! Wow! I read the whole document breathless!

It is WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW!

I have never been this much excited about any ArchiCAD releases before!

It has everything you have been asking for!

Morever, it has so many cool stuff you have not even noticed you needed yet:))

As soon as we are allowed to speak about it, we will spread the word with conferences, newsletters, new features training events and several live online seminars to make sure that you are all aware of it:))

Can't wait!!!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

[Bricklyne Clarence]

outpostarc wrote:
I came across this on the web. Sure seems they are very excited about the upcoming version of ArchiCad. I think it's a reseller though. I hope the excitement is for real!

Some confidential news about ArchiCAD 16! I had just returned from a long walk and I was tired! I was not planning to read that 21 page document until I saw the Executive Summary! Wow! I read the whole document breathless!

It is WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW!

I have never been this much excited about any ArchiCAD releases before!

It has everything you have been asking for!

Morever, it has so many cool stuff you have not even noticed you needed yet)

As soon as we are allowed to speak about it, we will spread the word with conferences, newsletters, new features training events and several live online seminars to make sure that you are all aware of it:))

Can't wait!!!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

That's all relative you know.

One man's "cool stuff" is another man's useless stuff.

Not to....um, 'sell' him short, but it does sound like a reseller.
As with everything in these things it's always best just to wait for the actual release before making any judgements and pronouncements.

If recent history is anything to go by and judging by their past releases, I would wager that ArchiCAD 16 will be a continuation/completion of ArchiCAD 15 in terms of the new features and tools.
Maybe some entirely new tools and features, but more likely continuation and completion of recently introduced new tools in ArchiCAD 15 - as keeping with the current theme of modelling improvements.
That can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you were expecting/hoping for.

GS have a history of spreading out major release features over 2 consecutive versions that complement each other and there's no reason to think this will be different.

I just hope that somewhere in there, there's room for a Stair tool upgrade and a custom parametric object/door/window builder to replace GDL coding completely.

[Anonymous]

Lets not misunderstand revit's 2013 arch design, mep and structural "all in one" thing...

There are 2 products available for architectural design:

-Autodesk Revit 2013, a comprehensive solution containing the functionality of Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2013, Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2013, and Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2013 software, available in the Autodesk® Building Design Suite Premium and Ultimate editions.

-Autodesk Revit Architecture 2013, a standalone application

So, not much changed, The 2012 Building Design Suite had the same things but splited in 3 softwares. Obviously the Building Design Suite costs much more than a single Revit Arch license. If anything, It could be Revit got even heavier than already is...