Jason KunkelJune 5th, 2017
Revit has been around in one form or another for almost two decades now, and it isn't uncommon to find a firm that has been using it for ten years or so. In terms of software, Revit is definitely not new. The good news is that each year new features get added, but even better is the industry catches up to the idea of using a BIM model and better ways to tap into all that data that Revit excels at collecting.
In the industry we work with a wide range of firms. I want to take a minute and talk about an interesting subset that we have seen recently. These are the firms that have been using Revit for 4 or more years, and they got off to a great start: they made a great template, they made custom content, they got all their users trained, and they were off to a great start.
And then, some things happened.
The shine and polish of the fancy new software wore off a little, so maybe they didn't keep up with the training as much as they should have. Or maybe, the BIM Committee didn't pay much attention to new technology that came out. Or folks learned new and better ways to do things, and instead of really evaluating the best way to incorporate it into their template, they just crammed it in.
For a lot of firms out there, Revit is the norm, as it should be. But because of new technology, trends, and industry practices, what might have been a best practice when they started using Revit is not one anymore. And where once they were at the forefront of a new exciting technology, they are seeing other firms get ahead of them in the race.
So, for some firms out there, I would like to propose a Revit Revival.
The whole design and construction industry is picking up again. This is a great time to renew your relationship with Revit! Start a new template from scratch and get that naming convention for your shared parameters like you always wanted to! Build new content from the ground up and this time don't model those rabbets in your door frames! Get that internal training kicked off with those monthly meetings again! All those things that you know you should have done in your Revit standards, or that you have seen other folks do that you would love to implement, it's time!
Consider this a "soft reboot". Knowing what you know now, how would you implement Revit? That's a question that we see many firms asking themselves right now and everything is on the table. It's helping to get their standards more solid, lets them try out new things, and is building excitement again.