Autodesk 24108-051462-9000 - AUTOCAD REVIT ARCH STE 08 COMM NEW SLM DVD, Revit Architecture 2008 Questions And Answers

Revit® Architecture 2008
AutoCAD

(Formerly known as Autode sk® Revit® Building and Autodesk® AutoCAD® Revit®
Series—Building)

®

Revit

®

Architecture Suite 2008

Questions and Answers

In Revit® Architecture software, every drawing
sheet, every 2D and 3D view, and every schedule
is a direct presentation of information from the
same underlying building database. As the user
works in familiar drawing and schedule views,
Revit Architecture collects information about the
building project and coordinates this information
across all other representations of the project.

Revit Architecture 2008 includes many new and enhanced features to help you work the
way you think, provide higher coordination and quality, and improve your business for a
competitive advantage.

Contents

1. General Product Information....................................................................................... 3

1.1. What is Revit Architecture?............................................................................... 3

1.2. How does Revit Architecture help with Sustainable Design? ............................ 3

1.3. What is building information modeling?............................................................. 3

1.4. Are there any industry-specific applications built on the Revit platform?........... 4

1.5. What is AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite software?........................................ 4

2. Revit Architecture Features......................................................................................... 4

2.1. What are the important new features in Revit Architecture 2008?..................... 4

2.2. Revit Architecture handles modeling well, but what about conventional drafting

and detailing? Do I still need AutoCAD for that? ...................................................... 5

2.3. How does Revit Architecture work with large teams and projects? ................... 5

2.4. Can Revit Architecture produce elaborate geometry?.......................................5

3. Interoperability ............................................................................................................. 6

3.1. What standards and file formats does Revit Architecture support?...................6

www.autodesk.com/revitarchitecture

REVIT ARCHITECTURE/AUTOCAD REVIT ARCHITECTURE SUITE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS

3.2. What if clients or consultants insist on DWG deliverables?...............................6

3.3. What about object compatibility between Revit Architecture and AutoCAD

Architecture and AutoCAD MEP?............................................................................. 6

3.4. Does Revit Architecture have layers like the products based on AutoCAD

software? How does Revit Architecture organize data?........................................... 6

3.5. What about data compatibility between AutoCAD or Bentley MicroStation

software products and Revit Architecture?............................................................... 7

3.6. How do I use Autodesk Buzzsaw with Revit Architecture?................................ 7

3.7. Revit Architecture uses AccuRender raytracing and radiosity as a rendering

solution. Can I use Revit Architecture with Autodesk VIZ or Autodesk 3ds Max?.... 7

3.8. Is there an application programming interface (API) or other third-party

development tools for Revit Architecture?................................................................ 7

4. Parametric Components.............................................................................................. 8

4.1. What are families in Revit Architecture, and how many are there in the library?8

4.2. Do I need to know a programming language to create content in Revit

Architecture?............................................................................................................ 8

5. Parametric Change Engine.......................................................................................... 8

5.1. What does parametric mean, and how does the parametric change engine
keep everything updated when I make changes? Why is the concept important? ... 8

5.2. Do I have to regenerate sections and schedules manually? What if I want to

work in the section?.................................................................................................. 9

6. Licensing Revit Architecture and AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite ..................... 9

6.1. Can I use the product in trial mode or demonstration mode?............................9

6.2. Is Subscription available for Revit Architecture? ............................................... 9

6.3. Does Revit Architecture use the Network Installation wizard like AutoCAD–

based products for network deployment?............................................................... 10

6.4. Does a stand-alone AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite user have to put both

Revit Architecture and AutoCAD applications on one machine?............................ 10

6.5. Can I install my network license of AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite with a
separate network license of AutoCAD on one server? What gets checked out when

I open my AutoCAD-only licenses?........................................................................ 10

6.6. Does the License Borrow feature available for the network version of AutoCAD

software–based products work with Revit Architecture? ........................................ 10

7. Consulting, Training, and Support............................................................................10

7.1. What consulting services are available for Revit Architecture? ....................... 10

7.2. Where can I find training courses for Revit Architecture?................................ 10

7.3. How can I get technical support information?.................................................. 11

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REVIT ARCHITECTURE/AUTOCAD REVIT ARCHITECTURE SUITE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS

1. General Product Information

1.1 What is Revit Architecture?

Revit technology is Autodesk’s platform for building information modeling. Built on the

®

platform, Revit Architecture software is a complete, discipline-specific building

Revit
design and documentation system supporting all phases of design and cons truction
documentation. From conceptual studies through the most detailed construction drawings
and schedules, Revit-based applications help provide immediate competitive advantage,
deliver better coordination and quality, and can contribute to higher profitability for
architects and the rest of the building team.

At the heart of the Revit platform is the Revit parametric change engine, which
automatically coordinates changes made anywhere—in model views or dra wing sheets,
schedules, sections, plans…you name it.

1.2 How does Revit Architecture help with Sustainable Design?

Revit Architecture offers a rich set of capabilities that support better sustainable design
decision making. For example:

• Calculating material quantities to support cost estimating and study design
analysis against LEED criteria is greatly simplified through the use of the material
takeoff feature.

• Revit Architecture sun studies enable designers to quickly analyze sun positions
and solar effects while informing the design process.

• Designers can also export building information, including materials and room
volumes, to green building extensible markup language (gbXML) to perform
energy analysis and study building performance.

• Using design options easily develop and evaluate multiple sustainable desi gn
alternatives. Visualize, quantify and present any combinati on of schemes to
inform the decision making process.

Whether you’re considering one or several sustainable design options, thro ugh the
analysis of materials, quantities, energy use, and lighting in a virtual building information
model, designers can better create sustainable building performance in the real world.

1.3 What is building information modeling?

Building information modeling (BIM) is the creation and use of coordinated, internally
consistent, computable information about a building project in design and construction.
The ability to keep this information up-to-date and accessible in an integrated digital
environment gives architects, engineers, builders, and owners a clear overall vision of
their projects and contributes to the ability to make better decisions faster—helping raise
the quality and increase the profitability of projects.

For more information about building information modeling and Autodesk’s strategy for the
application of information technology to the building industry, see the white papers an d
other information at www.autodesk.com/bim.

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REVIT ARCHITECTURE/AUTOCAD REVIT ARCHITECTURE SUITE QUESTIONS AND

A

ANSWERS

1.4 Are there any industry-specific applications built on the Revit platform?

®

Structure software is a fully integrated modeling, design, and documentation

Revit
system for structural engineers and drafters that takes full advantage of Revit platform
change management technology. Revit Structure offers building information modeling for
structural engineering firms.

Revit® MEP is the building information modeling solution for mechanical, electrical, and
plumbing (MEP) engineering design and documentation.

1.5 What is AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite software?

AutoCAD
AutoCAD® software with a single serial number and a single authorization code. This
combination enables you to maintain your investment in technology and training, while
offering the competitive advantage of building information modeling, and provi ding the
flexibility to move to a new technology platform when you’re ready. For more information
about AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite, visit

www.autodesk.com/autocadrevitarchitecturesuite.

®

Revit® Architecture Suite is a bundle consisting of Revit Architecture and

2. Revit Architecture Features

2.1 What are the important new features in Revit Architecture 2008?

Revit Architecture helps communicate design proposals more quickly and clearly, offers
better design insight through on-demand visualization and analysis, and provides a
process that mirrors the real world of building.

With its parametric change technology, you can make any change, anytime, anywhere,
and Revit Architecture automatically coordinates that change everywhere in your project. .

Revit Architecture 2008 continues to deliver the best possible information for decision
making by further enhancing existing functionality, and better leveraging performanc e and
quality. Graphic display options and visibility control during design and documentation are
key themes in Revit Architecture 2008. In addition, increasing support for interoperability
streamlines workflow with other Autodesk products and industry leading software
applications. Here are a few of the key features in Revit Architecture 2008:

Download the complete
feature list for Revit

rchitecture 2008 at

www.autodesk.com/
revitarchitecture.

Color Fills: Color Fill enhancements provide better control over the creation,
management and display of color fill patterns. Because the software offers more options
for conveying design ideas in plan, Revit families such as furniture, equipment, and floors
no longer hide behind color fills.
legend reports only those color fills represented in the active view.

Revit Groups: Revit Groups, also known as repeating units, provide a modular design
technique ideal for building types comprising of many rooms of similar size, shape, or
configuration; such as, hospitals, hotels and apartment buildings. New workflow
enhancements include the ability to load an RVT file as a group, save a group as an RVT,
or change a group to a linked file. Additional enhancements include a new Group Edit
Mode, which provides for the creation of elements while editing a group, numerous user
interaction improvements, and the ability to exclude elements on an instance basis to
accommodate special conditions.

Maximizing valuable drawing real estate, the color fill

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