Tag: inspiration

The Revit Mind and What Revit Wants

Luke Johnson

6,000 of us graduating while there are still 20,000 more experienced architects looking for jobs too?!
… what do we have that those 20,000 architects do not? The Revit Mind.

The Revit Mind does not simply mean we know Revit and they don’t. It means we think differently. We problem solve differently. We naturally collaborate across disciplines without a hint of discrimination or hesitation…

via
The Revit Kid.com!: So You are Graduating…What Now?

It reminds me of these posts:
The Revit Mindset
… it’s the ability to clear your mind of any preconceived “knowledge” or “understanding” of Revit and then layout a plan of attack before even beginning a project. (via ArchDesignLabs)


The right Revit attitude
… you MUST understand, at least to some degree, how Revit works. Otherwise you will never succeed, and you will face a lot of frustration. Yes, you must grasp What Revit Wants.
You must try to think in the same way that Revit thinks. Why is it trying to join the walls this way? Why is object A masking object B? What is causing Revit to show this line dashed instead of solid? Instead of getting frustrated and angry … just try and understand WHY.

‘It’s a way of thinking’
One of my fellow staff members was recently doing some work in AutoCAD (after using Revit), and he said something quite profound:
“It’s a way of thinking, isn’t it”
And it really is. Using Revit properly is not a matter of ‘why can’t Revit do xxx’, its a matter of ‘why does Revit do xxx this way?’ And there is usually a very good reason.

Assertive BIM
let’s say 3 people like 3 different colours. Mr Aggressive says ‘Red is the best colour and you are all idiots if you don’t agree with me!’ Mr Passive loves Yellow, but he meekly nods. Mr Assertive says, ‘I respect the fact that you like Red. However, I personally like the colour Green.’

Mr Assertive does not need others to change – he just shows respect and wants to be respected. His beliefs are not dependent on forcing others to change.

When it comes to BIM, the ‘aggressive’ stance is often taken (AutoCAD is rubbish!) However, perhaps a more successful tactic would be to truly Listen, Acknowledge, and then firmly express why You believe in BIM.   

Complaining whingers and What Revit Wants

Luke Johnson

When users complain, moan, whinge about #revit, they need to find a mirror & look in it, cos more often than not, its u the user not #revit
via David Light
Twitter / @davewlight: When users complain, moan, …

As I have stated many times before, if you want to be a successful Revit user you must make an effort to understand What Revit Wants.

Here are some quotes from my previous posts about What Revit Wants:
With what Attitude do you use Revit?
Instead of getting frustrated and angry, and instead of uttering unrepeatable phrases directed at ‘Autodesk’, just try and understand WHY.
It is a little bit like meeting someone you don’t know for the first time. You may choose to judge them from first impressions. Or you may try to understand them, and why they act the way they do. If you come to understand them, you may be able to have a rewarding relationship with that person.

Excuses used to avoid Revit adoption
Revit wants its users to be passionate about good design, technology, co-ordination and quality documentation.
Sadly, many people are looking for excuses to avoid Revit adoption.  When I say ‘sadly’ – it is sad…
for them.

‘It’s a way of thinking’
One of my fellow staff members was recently doing some work in AutoCAD (after using Revit), and he said something quite profound:
“It’s a way of thinking, isn’t it”
And it really is. Using Revit properly is not a matter of ‘why can’t Revit do xxx’, its a matter of ‘why does Revit do xxx this way?’ And there is usually a very good reason.

Assertive BIM
let’s say 3 people like 3 different colours. Mr Aggressive says ‘Red is the best colour and you are all idiots if you don’t agree with me!’ Mr Passive loves Yellow, but he meekly nods. Mr Assertive says, ‘I respect the fact that you like Red. However, I personally like the colour Green.’

Mr Assertive does not need others to change – he just shows respect and wants to be respected. His beliefs are not dependent on forcing others to change.

When it comes to BIM, the ‘aggressive’ stance is often taken (AutoCAD is rubbish!) However, perhaps a more successful tactic would be to truly Listen, Acknowledge, and then firmly express why You believe in BIM.  

What inspires you?
It really excites me to see some lines on a page become an intelligent, precise, beautiful building model, that can be easily viewed, navigated and altered. The full benefits and amazing uses of this technology are not yet fully explored. I am deeply interested in BIM and where it is heading. I aim to keep in touch with the many facets of building modeling that I encounter here at Dimond Architects.

What drives a successful BIM project…?

Luke Johnson

There was time spent changing a design that didn’t need to happen, all because of an unwillingness to accept that something might be different than what we know.

And in BIM, everything is. You have to be willing to get outside the box – do things differently – ask questions – be humble, but be motivated…to learn, to change your ways. It doesn’t matter if you’re a newly graduated intern or a 40 year engineer. The day you stop learning is the day you need to retire, so don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

From The MEP CAD Engineer: What drives a successful BIM project…?

The Parametric Life (repost)

Luke Johnson

Interesting post over at BIM + Integrated Design. It includes 14 Rules for Living In, Out and Around BIM.

My blog has dealt with ‘What Revit Wants’ in more than a few posts over the last few years. So I found it interesting that one of these 14 points (in particular) gives Revit a personality:
Ask yourself: If I was the model what else would I do? What else can I provide that others may need? Your original intention for your model may have been to use the model for one thing – but what if you also used it for a rendering? For an animation? As a database to run energy applications?….
and so on.

The whole post is quite thought provoking – I think I may need to have a glass of wine and ponder it further…

With what Attitude do you use Revit?

Luke Johnson

No doubt you would agree that our ‘attitude’ can have a big effect on our lives. If we look at things with the right outlook and viewpoint, we are more likely to feel successful and satisfied. So how does this relate to Revit?

There are a number of ways to approach Revit as a software platform. Consider some examples:

  1. “Revit is a modeling tool, and I want it to be able to easily model any form I can conceive.”
  2. “Revit is a drafting tool, and I want it to be able to draft quickly and easily, and I demand absolute graphic control over every single visible 2D element.”
  3. “I believe Revit should be intuitive and easy to use. It should be able to guess what I want and deliver the result that I seek.”
  4. “I have to use Revit because it is becoming the industry standard. I don’t have to like it or understand how it works.“
  5. “I want to understand What Revit Wants, so that I can use it in a productive and appropriate manner.”

I would say that the first 3 are basically impossible, for any software tool. However, in some ways Revit can deliver the results that you seek when approaching it with the attitudes of 1, 2, or 3. It is capable of many things, but it does have limitations. Attitude Number 4 is a problem though. Why? Because you MUST understand, at least to some degree, how Revit works. Otherwise you will never succeed, and you will face a lot of frustration.

Yes, you must grasp What Revit Wants. You must try to think in the same way that Revit thinks.

  • Why is it trying to join the walls this way?
  • Why is object A masking object B?
  • What is causing Revit to show this line dashed instead of solid?

Instead of getting frustrated and angry, and instead of uttering unrepeatable phrases directed at ‘Autodesk’, just try and understand WHY. It is a little bit like meeting someone you don’t know for the first time. You may choose to judge them from first impressions. Or you may try to understand them, and why they act the way they do. If you come to understand them, you may be able to have a rewarding relationship with that person.In conclusion, give Revit a chance. Try to understand. Try not to judge or lose your patience. Don’t be afraid to find out What Revit Wants.

Revit wants you to ADVERTISE its benefits!

Luke Johnson

Okay, we are not all in love with Revit – it can even be frustrating at times.

But check out this link:
http://blog.lpainc.com/lpa-blog/bid/20431/Why-REVIT-Works

In part, the author states “Here at LPA, we’ve begun to bring all of the various integrated sustainable design disciplines in-house, which I think directly relates to the adoption and full utilization of Revit and all its potential.”

I discussed some similar comments in my What Inspires You? post.

We here at Dimond Architects continually strive to keep pace with current and emerging technologies, and have made a significant shift from AutoCAD to Revit as our design and documentation software of choice.

The result of this shift is a better, more comprehensive and coordinated architectural package that can be delivered to the Client in a variety of interesting forms.

What inspires you?

Luke Johnson

In any field, there are those who work primarily for money, and those who work for passion (and many are somewhere in between 🙂 When it comes to architecture, many graduates would say they are inspired by ‘design’ or ‘the environment’. But what about those staff members in a more technical role, perhaps as CAD or BIM operators?

As a CAD Technician / IT Manager at Dimond Architects Pty Ltd, and in a role that is rapidly evolving towards a BIM focus, what motivates and inspires me? Well, I am a very inquisitive person that enjoys learning. I also enjoy the feeling of a ‘job well done’. In that context, I am inspired by accurate, rich and aesthetically pleasing architecture. I am thus motivated to create an electronic, digital version of that architecture that will enhance the building delivery process at every stage.

It really excites me to see some lines on a page become an intelligent, precise, beautiful building model, that can be easily viewed, navigated and altered. The full benefits and amazing uses of this technology are not yet fully explored. I am deeply interested in BIM and where it is heading. I aim to keep in touch with the many facets of building modeling that I encounter here at Dimond Architects.

As a practice, we continually aim to enhance our practice through electronic means. We take regular steps to keep pace with technology, and our Clients are reaping the benefits. One major factor in our current technological advantage has been our adoption of the Revit BIM Platform. I am keen to see where this technology can take Dimond Architects in the future.

One final thought – don’t divorce passion from your career.

Revit wants AN INSPIRED USER!

Luke Johnson

So, what inspires you?

In any field, there are those who work primarily for money, and those who work for passion (and many are somewhere in between 🙂 When it comes to the field of architecture, many graduates would say they are inspired by ‘design’ or ‘the environment’. But what about those staff members acting as support staff for Architects?

As a CAD Technician / IT Manager at Dimond Architects Pty Ltd, and in a role that is rapidly evolving towards a BIM* focus, what motivates and inspires me? Well, I am a very inquisitive person that enjoys learning. I also enjoy the feeling of a ‘job well done’. In that context, I am inspired by accurate, rich and aesthetically pleasing architecture. I am thus motivated to create an electronic, digital version of that architecture that will enhance the building delivery process at every stage.

It really excites me to see some lines on a page become an intelligent, precise, beautiful building model, that can be easily viewed, navigated and altered. The full benefits and amazing uses of this technology are not yet fully explored. However, I am deeply interested in BIM and where it is heading. I aim to keep in touch with the many facets of building modeling that I encounter here at Dimond Architects.

As a practice, we are continually taking steps to enhance our practice through electronic means. We take regular steps to keep pace with technology, and our Clients are reaping the benefits. One major factor in our current technological advantage has been our adoption of the Revit BIM Platform. I am keen to see where this technology can take Dimond Architects in the future.

One final thought – don’t divorce passion from your career.

*Building Information Modeling (obviously!)