Stop Teasing Us! Revit 2010 Videos

David just keeps on going!

Revit 2010 Sweeping and Reference Points Video

The wait is killing me!

Thanks for the videos David.

Tutorial - Angled Beam Systems

Chris asked:

"I have attached a file to illustrate what I'm attempting to accomplish.  Given the scenario:  two masonry bearing walls, joists spanning between the bearing walls.  
How do you slope the entire beam system at, say, 1/4" in either direction?"

Here is a quick tip/tutorial for your enjoyment.

Topics Covered:

- Created a beam system

- Sloping a beam system

- Changing the beam's orientations

Tutorial - Angled Beam Systems

Another Revit 2010 Video!

David is on a role over at Design Reform... Must be nice to have Revit 2010 already!

Check it out here.

Monster DLP

I received an email regarding this event and became very interested. I am thinking of attending the one in New York. Thought I would share given that this blog is directed towards students.

"The Monster Diversity Leadership Programs (DLP) is designed to empower top college students in a dynamic, collaborative setting. These free programs offers rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors of diverse backgrounds a venue for leadership and career development to navigate personal and professional success in the ‘real world.’

In 2009, 3,000 like-minded student leaders will connect with some of the nation’s most inspiring speakers and top organizations; uncovering topic areas of diversity, leadership, and career development all over the course of an energetic, jam-packed weekend."

Check it out here!

ARCHcareers.org

Another great find I would like to share.

"Do you want to be an Architect? ARCHcareers.org will lead you through the steps in becoming an architect. The “Three E’s” of architecture will be your guide. They are: Education, Experience and Examination. Whether you are a high school student, a parent, a university student or an intern, these are the three core principles of the architecture profession. You must satisfy all three parts to call yourself an "Architect." This Web site will give you an overview to the varied and diverse paths to a career in architecture and of the requirements for registration..."

I am still exploring and reading all of the information they have on this site.  This is especially a great site for students.

ARCHCareers.org

New Site Functions!

Hey guys!

I added a new search function to the site.  This will allow you to search for any keywords in my entire  site/posts.

Check it out! It's over on the right side of the page above the online store link. 

Tutorial - Door Frame (Plan View) - Part 1

Phillip asked:

"Thanks for the great video tutorials. I have a problem modifying the doors. I don't like Revit's format of not showing the door frame.I tried many different ways and I just can't get the frame to appear on the floor plan. On construction drawings, showing the frame makes it easier to locate and dimension doors especially in a modular masonry wall. I know I am doing something wrong, any info to correct this would be highly appreciated."

Thanks for the question Phillip.. I have ran into this problem in work and have been asked by fellow students the very same question.

There are two ways to go about this.  The first is to create a parametric masked region in plan view and the second is to model the actual frame.

Topics covered:

- Editing a door family

- Creating Parametric Masking Region (Symbolic)

- Loading Door back into project

- Editing Object Style of Door (Line Weight, etc...)

Tutorial - Door Frame (Plan View) - Part 1

Stay tuned for the second option...

New Revit 2010 Video.

Great new Revit 2010 video out over at DesignReform.  For those of you who have been using Revit for a long time now the improvement in free form modeling is enough to make even the most depressing architect smile.

Check out the video here.

Revit Component Blog and Site.

Stumbled upon a cool blog.  It appears as though he gives away Revit Components as well as sell Revit Components.  

Free Revit Components

Buy Revit Components

I downloaded a free component (The Chair you se above)  just to give it a look over.  Very usable and semi-parametric.  Definitely a site to keep an eye on.  

Cool Video.

Just ran by a cool little video on youtube and thought I would share it with you all.  

I just loved the animation at .40 seconds or so.  Without getting into the politics of architecture in Dubai the experimentation of the projects their is intriguing. 

Revit 2010 Detailed Feature List.

Autodesk has released an entire page of new features for the new revit!

Check them out here

I am personally very excited about 64bit and the new modeling tools.

Tutorial - Foundation Brick Shelf

Chris asked:

"I've been going through the tutorials and they've proven to be a huge help.   

With regards to the foundation, do you have any tips for a brick ledge?"

There are lots and lots of ways to do brick shelves depending on the application, use, and construction of the foundation wall.  I used the most typical situation.  I will be remaking the "reveal" section soon to come... It is a little vague and all over the place.  Enjoy.

Topics Discussed:

- Creating a stacked wall

- Creating a Reveal (Stay tuned for a more informative tutorial).

- Modifying a wall

- Adjusting the Brick to meet the shelf

Tutorial - Foundation Brick Shelf

The Revit Kid Online Store!

I was on Archinect.com and they have some really cool t-shirts. That prompted me to look for some t-shirts that had to do with Revit. Long behold, there are none! I found a select few here and there and on CafePress.

This lack of Revit Apparel forced me to create The Revit Kid.com! Online Store. Right now all of the products have the Revit Kid logo and my original Lock idea (see store). I would like to create a lot of different designs for Revit users to wear and show their Revit pride!

Please email me with any graphics or ideas you would like to see on a t-shirt, hat, etc...

The Revit Kid.com! Online Store

Tutorial - Basic View Titles

Wanda asked:

"I am taking a Revit course and need to put a title on a drawing (the typical architectural circle with a line and drawing title above with scale below). I can’t seem to find it in the text I have (Sham Tickoo). Can you tell me where I can find the info/command?"

I found this to be a great question to create a very basic tutorial on view titles.

Topics Covered:

- Adding a View to a Sheet

- View Title Properties

- Loading a View Title Family

- Customizing a View Title

Tutorial - Basic View Titles

Objet Geometries - 3D Printers

I have always read about 3D Printers.  The entire concept fascinates me.  Back in high school I used to think that building an entire 3D model of a building on a computer was impossible.  Now, with Revit, it is already done.  The possibilities are endless. 

I visited a college a year or so ago that had a 3D Printer in their studio.  Being able to print your 3D Revit Model and physically study the building is a great feature during the design process.  Objet Geometries is one of the leading brands in this department.  I urge you all to check out there products and case studies.  I believe these printers will be as common as plotters in the architecture classroom of the future.

Object Technology 3D Printers 

Tutorial - Rendering a Flower Vase

Julie asked:

"I am a student in The Art Institute of Las Vegas and I'm making a project with Revit. I have found several families in Revit City, some of them I've been able to change the materials and colors. But there are some that I can't make any changes on. Do you know how I could make changes, for example a single banquet I found, I would like to change the color of the seating, and a flower vase, when its being rendered the flower is in default color, how could i change the color of the flower?"

Thanks for the question Julie! Julie is an Interior Design student utilizing Revit. It is great to have Revit questions come from different perspectives of the fields. Julie also informed me that she was the President of her school's ASID (American Society of Interior Designers).

See if your school has an ASID Chapter.

I created a little video to explain the very basics of setting up rendering materials.

Topics Covered:

- Editing Materials

- Creating New Materials

- Adding Rendering Materials

- Relationship Between Project and Family materials

Tutorial - Basics of Render Materials

Here are the two (low quality) renderings I made during the video:

Rendering 1 - No Materials

Rendering 2 - With Materials

P.S. I would not suggest using those families she downloaded. I find the flower hideous and the chair could be made much better.

Event - Experimental Geography

I will be attending a discussion at the New Museum in New York this weekend.  I am very excited because I have been wanting to see the museum itself since the day it opened and the discussion looks to be very interesting.  

Check it out here.

Anyone in the area should definitely go.  If you recognize me from Facebook please feel free to approach me.  I would love to discuss all things Revit and Architecture related and meet any students or professionals who hare my passion for the future and direction of this field.

Tutorial - Curtain Wall Doors

This is a quick and easy tutorial.  Here is the question I was asked (this is only one of the people who asked it... I have had many questions about this exact same question):

"Can you show me how to insert a glazed door into a curtain wall /store front?

I normally do this in ADT using 'door and window assembly' procedure."

It is very easy to insert a door in a curtain wall... I sat there tinkering with it for a long time getting very frustrated back when I learned this.  Thankfully I had someone who showed me.  So now I would like to show you all.

Tutorial - Inserting a Door in a Revit Curtain Wall

Blog Updates: Revit 2010

David over at Everything Revit posted a couple blogs that caught my attention:

Inside the Factory

This appears to have a great amount of info on all things Autodesk. More importantly, a bunch of Revit 2010 information.

"Welcome to Inside the Factory – a blog about designing the Revit user experience. I’m Tom Vollaro, Senior User Researcher with AEC Solutions User Experience Team at Autodesk. Myself and other members of the team will be using this blog as a way to connect with you, Revit users. This blog has two goals. First, we want to provide a window into how the Revit user experience is designed (a bit more on that later). Second, we want to establish a conversation with our users to improve the Revit user experience."


Designing the User Experience at Autodesk

"Designing the User Experience at Autodesk provides a venue for the individuals across our global user experience teams—including user researchers, designers, and user assistance professionals—to share insights on methods & practices, innovation, leadership, design’s connection to achieving business objectives, and reflections on topical interests in the design community."

The Powerhouse Project: Detroit

Read an interesting article in the Times which prompted me to do some google searching.   

Interestingly enough, I found the blog of what is now being called the "Powerhouse Project".  A very interesting idea and bold way of thinking, but is it so bold?  Why is it so crazy that a house provide enough solar and wind energy for itself and neighbors?  I commend the couple on their effort and wish them the best.

The Power House Report Blog

Tutorial - Studio Topo Tip - Part 3

The final part in our Studio Topo Tip!

Topics covered:

- Exploring the different options in "Site"

- Creating a Pad

- Grading

- Creating a Sub Region

Tutorial - Studio Topo Tip - Part 3

Revit 2010 on the Way.

I have received a bunch of emails and comments regarding the release of Revit 2010.  Including a great post by Alan at Revit Structure Learning Curve. (Thanks for the acknowledgement!)

I always wanted this blog to be based on a Question and Answer discussion between Students using Revit and it has been working great so far.  Ultimately, I plan on doing an entire series of video tutorial's exploring every tool, property, and menu in the new Revit.  The Student to Student Revit Guide will continue on into Revit 2010.

I know many schools will not update soon (if at all) to 2010 so I will continue using Revit 2009 on request.  Personally, my school is still running Revit 2008 with single core machines.  Ultimately, I want to cater to my readers needs and knowledge.  The Architecture student and profession is evolving.  I believe in Revit as the a tool that will evolve with the Architecture profession.

Stay tuned for many more videos to come!  I am prepared for Revit 2010... are you?!

Tutorial - Studio Topo Tip - Part 2

Topics Covered:

- Using Toposurface

- Creating a Toposurface from an Image File

- Changing the Toposurface Properties

Tutorial - Studio Topo Tip - Part 2

Tutorial - Studio Topo Tip - Part 1 (Remastered)

For those of you who watched the "Studio Topo Tip - Part 1" video that I posted you may have notices the part where I had a mind blank.  I completely forgot how to use the "Resize" tool in Revit to scale the topographical image.  (In my defense, I had to use AutoCAD for the last two days in work ... yuck).

Juan emailed me and reminded me how to use the Resize tool.  We will call the last post one option and this post the second, quicker, option to scaling and image in Revit.  Thanks for reminding me Juan.

Topics Covered:

- Scaling an Image in Revit using the Resize Command

Tutorial - Studio Topo Tip - Part 1 (Option 2 - Resize)

I apologize if those of you who are not new to Revit were thinking "Why the hell is he doing it that way?"  I thought the same thing.

Arch.MAAIK Comic Strip

I was roaming the internet (AIAS's website to be more specific) and I ran across a daily comic strip about Architecture that I wanted to share.  I subscribed and receive it daily.  I hope to become a media partner with them and have the strip update on my blog daily.  Absolutely great  comic strip, artwork, and idea.  

The Arch.MAAIK Network

Tutorial - Studio Topo Tip - Part 1

The program is laid out, the concept or idea is brainstormed, you've been researching for days, and you have gone through a roll of trace already.  Your professor finally chooses a site for the project.  He posts a scanned image of the topographical map.  Now what?

Topics Covered:

- Importing and image

- Scaling the image to your project

Tutorial - Studio Topo Tip - Part 1

The Student to Student Revit Guide - Part 7 - Advanced Floors

Topics Discussed:

- Advanced Floor Using Beam Systems

- Introduction to Beam Systems

- Loading a Beam

- Sketching a Beam System

- Selecting Beam Direction

The Student to Student Revit Guide - Part 7 - Advanced Floors (Beam Systems)

Revit 2010 UI Video.

Found this video during my roam of the blogosphere.  Very interesting.  Looking forward to creating a whole new series of tutorials just on the User Interface! 

The Student to Student Revit Gide - Part 6 - Basic Floors

New part in my saga...

Topics Covered

- Creating a Basic Floor

- Assigning Materials and Structures to the Floor

- Sketching a Floor in

The Student to Student Revit Gide - Part 6 - Basic Floors

To be Continued...

Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession

I finished reading this book about a month ago. It is an interesting read for those in the profession or entering the profession. Roger K. Lewis is an Architect and MIT Professor who offers an interesting perspective on the profession of architecture.

I found it insightful and just a very interesting read. Here is a quick review:

"Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession by Roger K. Lewis, is required reading for architecture students and interns. The new edition includes updated information as well as more illustrations, all drawn by Lewis, to complement the text. When I first read the book as a freshman in architecture school, it gave me more insight into the education I was beginning and the profession I was entering than most of my professors could... Lewis brings a wealth of experience to this guide... his advice will serve most of his readers well on the road through architectural education and practice. And while the book's value to aspiring architects and architecture students is clear, it should also be read by practicing architects to affirm (or rethink) the reasons they entered the profession." -- John E. Czarnecki, Architectural Record, September 1998

I encourage you all to check it out. It is a quick and easy read.

Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession

Tutorial - Brick Window Sill

A received an anonymous question:

"Very good tutorial. When doing brick sills under windows with diferent sill heights on the same wall. do you one create segments of a sweep, or multiple sweeps?"

Here is a quick tutorial to answer that question. You do not want to model a brick sill within the project. It is much easier to model it within the window family, lock its parameters, and it will update to the many different window sizes. This is a pretty basic tutorial (I think this is a tutorial for the Revit 5.1 tutorial book).

Tutorial - A Brick Window Sill

P.S. - I recorded the video very fast. If you are really planning on using this I would definitely suggest placing the brick sill inside the opening void and creating the correct sill detail.

Rem Koolhaas - A Kind of Architect

I get excited when new Architecture movies come out so I would like to share this one with you.  I have not seen it yet but I can't wait.  I just simply love movies about architecture... no matter who the architect.

"The busy, captivating "Rem Koolhaas: A Kind of Architect" takes a documentary approach to the creations of the Dutch architect who designed the downtown Seattle Public Library. The film, which is the centerpiece of Northwest Film Forum's By Design series, runs through March 12."

Read the rest of the Seattle Times review here.

Everything Revit & BIM

I would like to thank David over at Everything Revit & BIM for the post today.  If anyone hasn't checked out his blog through my links section please check it out now.

Everything Revit & BIM

Thanks again David!

Competition open for Students. $2500!

I was contacted by an employee over at Turbosquid.com about a competition they just launched.  Really cool looking competition.  I am thinking about entering it myself.

Revit Architecture Contest - TurboSquid.com

The Revit Family Contest will run from Dec. 2, 2008 to March 31, 2009.

Prizes will be awarded in three categories:

Individual/Freelancer - Professionals submitting their personal creations
Corporate - Submissions on behalf of a company or other entity
Student - High school, university, or community college students

1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes will be awarded in each category:
1st prize: $2500
2nd prize: $1000
3rd prize: $500

All nine winners will get promotion on TurboSquid and a TurboSquid T-shirt.
You may submit as many entries as you like, but you must fill out a separate Revit Contest Entry Form for each entry. Entries can be interior, exterior, MEP, or any other kind of Revit design. TurboSquid reserves the right to use images entered in promotions of the contest. TurboSquid also reserves the right to eliminate one or more categories if insufficient entries have been received.

Entries will be judged on three criteria:
Quality of design (aesthetics, structural)
Number of published Revit families used in scene
Quality of published Revit families used in scene (correct flexing and parameterization)
Although you should strive to represent your entry as well as possible in the images you submit, the scene does not have to be rendered. Entries will be judged on the quality of scene as viewed in hidden line drawings.

The Revit Kid on YouTube!

A friend of mine told me I should start a YouTube account/channel.  So I did.  I hope this brings other Reviteers to the site who, up until this point, have not heard about The Revit Kid.com.

I am still in the process of uploading as many of the tutorials to youtube as I can.

The Revit Kid.com YouTube Channel

Open Architecture Network.org

I would have to say my favorite part about being an Architecture student is the design studio.  Ultimately, this is why we chose the field... no?  The creativity and problem solving that go into the design process is unlike any other profession or class.  Sadly, there was one semester that I did not have a design class! (DUN DUN DUN)

I took it upon myself to look around the web for competitions open to students.  I found this wonderful website and registered for the competition.  I am now registered for The Open Architectural Network Challenge: Classroom.  This is a great competition open to basically anyone.  The challenge is broken up into different aspects of classrooms.  I decided to design a new portable/temporary classroom given that every public school in my area has fields of them.

Please check out the web site and sign up for a competition! It is a great network for students and architects to share ideas and designs.  Open Architecture Network has direct relations with Architecture for Humanity whom I have great support for.  I will be sharing my classroom design on this blog throughout the next few months as well (of course I will be doing it in Revit!).

Open Architecture Network.org

Architecture for Humanity

Here is my profile page.

Student to Student Revit Guide - Part 5 - Thicken Slab Edge

Topics discussed during this part of our series:

- Dropping Foundation Wall at Garage Doors

- Thickening a Sloped Garage Slab

- Hosted Sweeps - Slab Edge

- Editing a Slab Edge hosted sweep

- Fitting the Slab Edge to your Wall

Student to Student Revit Guide - Part 5 - Thicken Slab Edge

Tutorial - Visibility Parameter

Here is another very powerful tool/parameter in Revit.  This parameter allows you to model different objects in families but have them turned on and off in your project.  I discovered this during a design studio when I needed many different mullion types for the same type of window.

Revit Tutorial - Visibility Parameter

The Student to Student Revit Guide - Part 4 - Slab Basics.

Topics discussed during this part of our series:

- Creating a Concrete Slab

- Modifying the Structure of the Concrete Slab

- Sloping a Concrete Slab

The Student to Student Revit Guide - Part 4 - Slab Basics

Revit 2010 Sneak Peak.

This one goes out to one of my professors who claimed that Revit was restrictive and difficult to be free. 

Welcome to the new Revit... Be Free friends... be free.

Tutorial: Parametric Array's

I discovered a neat little formula to use when creating line based generic models.

Topics covered:

- Creating a Generic Model - Line Based

- Importing and using the line based model

- Adding an Array to the line based model

- Using a formula to Array the model for you

Generic Model - Line Based Array Parameters

Please feel free to comment or email me with any questions and input!

Great Interview.

A great interview about Revit by Gregory Arkin over at Revit3d.com.

Very informative interview explaining the history and future of Revit.  This is the future we are going to be starting business's in.  The future we are going to be creating buildings in.

Interview (K-Cast) by Konstructr

Screencasting Update.

Screencast had a major update today for their pro users.  Check out any of my tutorials for an all new layout!  They now have a cool layout and new colors.  

If anyone knows how to allow downloading of these video files through Screencast let me know.  

Tutorial - Angled Wall Sweeps

I received a question from a fellow named James about the previous wall sweep tutorial.  He asked:

"How do you create a sweep along the top of a sloped wall (not tilted), i.e. one that has been profile edited? Is it even possible?"

I have not found a way to make the integral wall sweep follow the wall profile, but I did find a pretty simple work around:

Angled Wall Sweep Video Tutorial.

Thanks for the question James and keep them coming!

Autodesk Student Community

For over two years now I have been using Revit completely free!  This is all thanks to the Autodesk Student Community.  Find out if your school participates in this great community.  A network of over 500,000 students and teachers belong.

The site enables you to share your designs, connect with other students, and use Autodesk software completely FREE! (Including Revit).

Find out if your school participates.

Your school doesn't participate?  Let your teacher know and become a member!

The Autodesk Student Community

Already a member?

Join The Revit Kid.com! Autodesk Group.

The 3GB Switch!

I have to give credit to Greg at Revit3d.com for showing this to me.  I wanted to let any of my readers and fellow students know about this.  I have been using it in work on my 32bit machine and it works great.

Following the steps on Autodesk's website will allow you to use more RAM when running Revit on a 32bit computer with 3 or 4 gigs of ram.  Those of you who cannot afford to keep up with technology (which is all of us) should check it out!  Improved my Revit performance greatly!

Link to Revit3D.com post.

Link to Autodesk's Support Page with Instructions.