Maita - B3 Post

What are the current problems with Revit/BIM?

I believe that even though Revit and other BIM programs have mostly positive impacts, there are some problems with them. One of my main problems with Revit is the current availability as a program. This may not be considered a huge problem with the program as a whole but I do know a lot of different people who share this same opinion. During coops at Drexel, most students use BIM software like Revit or AutoCAD but more often CAD than Revit. In addition to this, there are little to no classes offered that teach students any sort of BIM. Freshmen have a half quarter course on CAD but that is about it. Revit is also not the most user-friendly program, especially if someone has experience in CAD and think that some of the techniques they have learned could be used in Revit. Things as simple as the move command have different shortcuts and are executed differently between the programs. I believe that this makes it harder for people to initially get the grasp of Revit and may turn some people away from the program.

Revit and other BIM programs have problems addressing other needs of engineers. Advanced structural analysis cannot be performed in many BIM programs which causes engineers to either create their designs in other programs, like SAP2000, or complete the calculations by hand. There is no good way to transfer the data that a user has inputted into Revit to other programs to perform other types of analysis on them. The same goes for HVAC analysis of buildings. Revit gives the user the ability to insert many ducts and vents into their building and to perform an okay flow analysis but to perform any high-level analysis of the building, all data must be input into another program, like eQuest. As stated above and in my post last week about interoperability, Revit currently does not allow the users to efficiently move their models into other programs for advanced analysis and does not offer means to perform the said analysis in the program itself.

Comments
Jordan: I like your point that soon buildings are going to be downloaded by a computer program rather than an engineer. I disagree somewhat with your post, however, I do think there will need to be a human element for design and construction. Your addition of the video was helpful to your point. 

Tyler: I completely agree with your friend Alex on all the problems and struggles that were faced with Revit. I also think that the point of using a personal story helps explain your point. I have experienced a lot of problems with Revit and have been in their shoes with the having to explain how programs work to other employees.

Chris: I like your comparisons between CAD and Revit; I think that Revit is a great program but CAD is always going to have a place in the field. I think CAD can be used for some simpler drawings and Revit is very useful for more complicated drawings or buildings.

Future Problems with Revit/BIM

Week 4: What are the possible future problems with Revit/BIM?

Some problems that BIM could face in the future include technology becoming too advanced or too simplified. Although a certain amount of user friendly aspects need to be maintained, it would significantly decrease the usability for authorized construction aspects of the program if it were to be made too simple. Along with that, there exist other similar programs which could be described as simpler versions of Revit, such as SketchUp that may be accessed by less advanced users.

In examination of BIM/Revit becoming too advanced too quickly could cause it to be too difficult to learn and not adopted as widely. However, BIM has a sort of monopoly on the construction fields since it is one of the most compatible methods of tying projects together completely. This would deem it very difficult to update, and looking at its history would prove that quick updates or advancement of the program are not the aim of Autodesk corporations. If it were to become too complicated, then all of the older generations within correlated work fields would be unable to perform as well in their jobs. This could lead to greater expenditures in training and other related matters which over time could add up significantly.

Other costs besides those that would have to be invested into necessary training implementations would be due to the program directly. Files containing a large amount of information such as structural and architectural details tend to be quite heavy. If these programs are going to get more detailed, then the files will get even heavier and this will require higher resolution viewing methods along with higher storage systems and rule out people/companies who don’t have the most updated software available for access. 


Comments: 

Mark - I very much agree with your outlook on BIM dependence factor. I never saw this as a downfall but now I can see clearly how too much trust in these types of software could likely get us into trouble. Perhaps even though hand drafting is very much a thing of the past, we should still try to incorporate it into a few college classes or internships so that our generation of engineers has a deeper understanding of methods and design. This could be helpful in aiding us in coming up with better ways to use BIM and get us accustomed to double checking everything in our computerized models instead of trusting them outright.

Cody – I like how you mentioned simple time cutting tasks that BIM can offer as advantages to its users through the use of added commands and coding. Also, I never knew that BIM incorporated energy analysis software. That is quite interesting and must be one of the smaller updates that they keep improving slowly over the years that you had mentioned. While I do agree that it is important for Autodesk to keep listening to its clients, I do believe that it is also important for them to concentrate on listening to the current client base for the best possible improvements to be made.

Lauren – Your post mostly goes to show that even though AutoCAD is a very useful tool, BIM is slightly better with its automated generation of things. For example, in different views such as an elevation, will be automatically created when a user has only created something such as a plan view. I have never heard of MicroStation, but I should look more into it. I do agree that on the surface Revit seems quite simple and easy to follow but mastering it takes a great level of dedication and time. I like how you point out that only so much can be perfected when it comes to AutoCAD and similar programs and therefore it is easier to manage unlike Revit software as one delves deeper into its intricacies.