2018... A Year in Review...

"The Revit Dad" + FREE Dynamo Workshop

Over the last nine years, I’ve always made it a point to not only share Revit tips and tricks with you but to also share things about my personal life. For example, I shared when I became a licensed architect and when I got married.

Why do I share my personal life with you? 

First, so you get a chance to know the person behind the “avatar” that is “The Revit Kid”. Second, because the events that take place in my personal life help give context to the content I create here on the blog.

For example, when I made the tough decision to leave my full-time job at a large architecture firm and took on a role at a construction management firm it was not a surprise that some of my content had a construction focus.

Revit Tutorial - Parking Striping the Follows Topography

I was pretty excited when Autodesk introduced the ability to host railings to topography a few releases ago... But, I didn't realize the possibilities a simple new feature (albeit, one that should be applied to more than just railings) would open up.

The ability to host a railing (which contains swept profiles (rails) and repetitive families (balusters)) can be "hacked" to created other types of objects that host to topography.  To date, I have taken advantage of this feature to make things such as earth retention, utility piping, site fencing, retaining walls, curbs, and guard rails...

Today, I want to demonstrate how to use the railing tool to overcome Revit's limitations in parking and road striping.

Continue reading to learn how to "hack" the Revit railing and make parking / road striping that will actually follow your tomography.

Case Study - Rocky Mountain Modern House

Even though this project is from a couple years back I’ve been wanting to use it as a case study and share it on the blog since it’s completion.

Why?

Because this project and the initial presentation illustrates all of the facets of Revit for presentation style graphics in one deliverable.  What I’d like to do in this blog post is break down the presentation page by page and give a little background on what technique, tip, or tick was used to produce the graphics (ie. floor plan, elevation, diagram, etc…).

First, I’d like to give a little background on the project itself …

Continue reading to view the “Rocky Mountain Modern” Case Study…

I Need Those Renderings… By Tomorrow

Yesterday I published a post about how ugly “default” Revit could be.  I was hoping to evoke a response out of you, and it worked.  I received a bunch of emails and comments describing your experiences with Revit and presentation graphics.  As I suspected, this problem is an epidemic in academia and pervasive in the workforce.

Doesn’t it feel great to know you’re not alone?  In fact, I decided to highlight a few of the stories:

Your Revit = Ugly

Let’s face it. Out of the box, Revit is ugly.

I bet many of you reading those first two statements are nodding your heads.  Those who aren’t, create a new camera view in Revit right now without applying any templates.   Yeah, pretty ugly right?  Like you, I have always been frustrated with the un-attractiveness of “default” Revit.

The good news is you don’t have to live with “default” Revit.  There are lots of features and settings that can make Revit sexy.

The bad news?  No one knows about them!

Between teaching at a university, working for a large construction firm, and running this blog for the last ten years I have seen my fair share of Revit projects and presentations.  The quality of presentation materials (plans, sections, elevations, renderings, diagrams, etc..) coming from these models is inconsistent to say the least.  Therefore, Revit still has a reputation in many corners of our industry for “looking bad”.

Revit Tutorial - Diagrams: "BIG" Style

The diagram has been a staple in the architecture community for as long as I could remember.  From 2-dimensional "parti" diagrams to full-on exploded axonometric diagrams, many techniques and styles have been used to describe our vision to the world.

A specific style of diagram has arisen thanks to the popularity of Rhino and Bjarke Ingels. This diagram is a blend between a 3-D form and a "parti" and truly is a great way to present your architectural concepts to the world.  It has the vector graphics feel of a graphic designer but the shading and composition of a "cel shaded" video game.

It looks something like this...

Well, guess what?  The image above was modeled and created directly in Revit and Revit only... No need to use Rhino, Grasshopper, Illustrator, or any other piece of software.  

Continue reading to learn how to make "BIG" style diagrams in Revit....

Revit Tutorial - Adding Depth to Your Elevations (Redux)

I posted a tutorial over five years ago that illustrated how to add some serious depth to your elevations in Revit (Click here to view that post and tutorial).  The concept of creating better looking elevations is clearly a pain point for many Revit users because the aforementioned video has been viewed nearly 27,000 times! Technically, this tutorial is still relevant and the technique can still be used today.  So be sure to check it out.

Fortunately, the process of adding depth and making better looking elevations is a lot easier thanks to a new feature in Revit (introduced in 2017) called "Depth Cueing".

I decided to not only create a new video tutorial about how to use depth cueing, but also dig into the feature and really understand how it works. 

Continue reading to view the new Adding Depth to Your Elevations tutorial and my notes on how it works...

Coming Soon... We're bringing sexy back...

I am back from BILT North America full of excitement and motivation.  As usual, the conference was fantastic.  I was able to catch up with some old friends and meet plenty of new ones.  I can't tell you how humbled I am to meet readers of this website in person.  You are all amazing!

My presentation, "Construction can be Sexy: How Visualization Helps us Build", went extremely well.  I was a bit worried turnout would be low due to the fact that it was the first session on Saturday morning. If you have been to a BILT event before, you know that getting up for the first session can be very difficult.

I was pleasantly surprised with the turnout and engagement during the session.  Thank you all who attended and asked such poignant questions!

Coming Soon...

My session at BILT focused solely on presentation techniques (from diagrams, to renderings, to virtual reality).  Focusing on this topic has proved timely as I am hot and heavy into the creation of BIM After Dark - Volume 1 (Redux)...  Additionally, while at the conference I was reminded that many folks are still struggling with getting their Revit models to look the way they want them to look.

I closed Volume 1 a few months ago so I can re-build it from the ground up (after nearly 5 years and 766 students!).

The time has finally come to set a date for open enrollment of the brand new Volume 1 course.

Are you ready?

Mark your calendars...

BIM After Dark - Volume 1 (Redux): BIM can be sexy...

Open for Enrollment:

September 17th, 2018

What is BIM After Dark - Volume 1?

Volume 1 is focused on one thing and one thing only: making your Revit models look good.  From floor plans, to topography, to sections, to diagrams, and renderings.  Volume 1 is a comprehensive course that will take your presentations to the next level.

Who will Volume 1 be for?

If you are tired of people telling you that BIM is not for presentations and that Autodesk Revit is only good for documentation, this course if for you.

If you spend hours developing a fully detailed building information model but find yourself underwhelmed with the graphic presentations and renderings it produces this course is for you. 

If you want to take your rendering, post-processing, and overall presentation skills to the next level with proven techniques, short-cuts, and processes this course is for you.

Finally, if you want to learn how to make images like the one below as quickly as possible then this course if for you.

Learn how to make images like this with your Revit models...

What will it contain?

In "Revit Kid" fashion, the course will include simple, easy-to-follow, video tutorials, sample files, optional live sessions with me, and possibly some bonus items.

Click here to view the contents of the course...
(Thanks to those who gave amazing feedback on the video outline a few weeks ago).

How do I enroll?

If you are interested and want to be first in line when enrollment opens click here (or below) to get in line!

It's BILTNA Week! See you in St. Louis!?

BILT North America is this week!

I am pretty excited to be heading to another BILT conference (formerly known as RTCNA).  I love looking back on my previous review posts from this conference...  They remind me about how valuable and impact each year has been for me.

Every year I come home with a sense of vigor and excitement.  Additionally, my mind is usually spinning around all of the ways I can use the new tips, tricks, and topics discussed that week.

Let's Assemble in Hartford - Live Event

Did you hear?  Autodesk acquired Assemble. Many of you may have heard this news and thought:

"What is Assemble?" 

I have spoken a bit about Assemble here on the blog and appeared as a guest speaker on a webinar with Assemble back in September of last year.  Additionally, I have been using Assemble for just over three years now.  That being said, I am extremely excited to share the good, the bad, and the ugly of Assemble Systems for you here on the blog. 

Unfortunately, I am not finished with my big Assemble review post yet....

Fortunately, if you are located in or around Hartford, Connecticut I will be speaking at a networking event about how Turner Construction uses Assemble on August 2nd!

Continue reading to find out more about the event and how to register... it's free! (Oh, and there will be beer ... ;) )

Enscape3D - Free Sample Projects and Files

Photo courtesy of Enscape3D.com

Last year I published a post that explained why Enscape3D had become my virtual reality (VR) software of choice.  If you missed it, you can read the "Virtual Reality and Revit" review post by clicking here.

Well, fast forward to today and Enscape3D is still my VR program of choice for many of the same reasons I mentioned last year.  Of course, the folks over at Enscape3D have done a great job adding new features and improving the software since then.  Today I just wanted to point out a little-known resource available on the Enscape3D website...

Continue reading to find out about the free Enscape3D sample projects and where to find them....

Volume 1 Closes Tonight + Discounts Ending

Tonight is the night.  Volume 1's cart and sales page will officially be taken offline.

Time Remaining to get Volume 1 or use the discounts....

As I mentioned on Monday, I will be taking down Volume 1 to completely recreate the series from the ground up.  If you have been thinking about purchasing Volume 1 today is the day to act and make sure you take advantage of all the great content, help shape the new version of Volume 1, and utilize the deepest discounts on the courses.

Not Sure if Volume 1 is for you?

Who is BIM After Dark - Volume 1 for? 

If you are tired of people telling you that BIM is not for presentations? That Autodesk Revit is only good for documentation? If you spend hours developing a fully detailed building information model but you are under-whelmed with the presentation images or renderings you create from it Volume 1 is for you.

Don't believe me? 

Keep reading to find out....

The Best of BIM After Dark - Volume 1

As I mentioned earlier in the week, Volume 1 is closing this Friday and I thought it would be fun to look back at the most popular presentation content here on the blog. Five years of “presentation” content is a lot to look through but here are some of the most popular posts (some of which are directly extracted from Volume 1).

The “BAD Ultimate Gallery”

There is definitely a sense of nostalgia I feel when looking through the renderings and images within the “BAD Ultimate Galleries”. It also reminds me that I need to make a “Part 3” with examples newer than 2014. Either way, I think these galleries represent what can be created using the techniques, tips, and tricks from BIM After Dark - Volume 1:

Click here to view the BAD Ultimate Gallery - Part 1

Click here to view the BAD Ultimate Gallery - Part 2

Tutorial - Adding Depth to Your Elevations

Believe it or not, this tutorial is one of these most visited posts on the blog. It also has over 25,000 views on YouTube. Clearly, creating sexy elevations is a need/want for Revit users. Good news, this tutorial is still relevant today… Although, I will be exploring the “Depth Cueing” abilities of newer Revit versions for the re-make of Volume 1….

Rendering Tip - A Simple Material Change to Add Realism

This tutorial is also one of the highest ranking on the blog. Why? Probably because the default Revit glass material can be underwhelming in many situations. This tutorial shows a technique that will create a dynamic and more realistic glazing material.

Click here to view the tutorial and video….

Revit Material Management Tips and Tricks Post

This post is actually one of my favorites because I find myself referring to it from time to time (yes, I do forget the content in some of the posts I’ve created over the years). This post included tutorials about creating a materials library and bringing it from project to project.

Click here to view the ultimate Material Management post...

Course Closing Discount is Still Going On...

Don't forget this week I will be offering 20% off BIM After Dark - Volume 1 and 10% off any other BIM After Dark volume or bundle.

For 20% off BIM After Dark - Volume 1 use offer code “sexyclosing20”

Click here to purchase BIM After Dark Volume 1 before it closes!


For 10% off any BIM After Dark course use offer code “sexyclosing10”

Click here to view the Bundle discounts (remember, it will be 10% off this already reduced price).

Click here to view Volume 2 - BIM Can Make Paper...

Click here to view Volume 3 - We are family…


Remember, Volume 1 will be closing this Friday, June 22nd, 2018 at 8PM EST.

BIM After Dark - Volume 1 : Course Closing + Discount

I created “BIM After Dark: Volume 1 - BIM Can Be Sexy” in the fall of 2013. Yes, I know, crazy. Almost five years ago!!

Well, needles to say, it is about time for a major update. Revit has added some great new features for presentation techniques, real-time software has come a long way (Enscape3D, Lumion, etc…). Therefore, this year I am bringing sexy back to BIM. In order to do so, I plan on taking Volume 1 down to work on the completely new version this summer.

On the day I am writing this post, 766 readers have downloaded and completed BIM After Dark - Volume 1. Also crazy, I know!

I wanted to make sure anyone who has been on the fence about Volume 1 had a chance to get the original version before I take it offline, and at a discount.

I plan on shutting down the Volume 1 cart and sales page this Friday, June 22nd, 2018 at 8 PM (EST).

Keep reading to see why you should download BIM After Dark - Volume 1 today (before it is gone!)...

BILT NA 2018 - See You There?!

It's that time of the year again!  Time to plan your trip to BILT NA (formally known as RTCNA).  This year BILT NA is in St. Louis from August 9th to 11th.

I have talked about how valuable I find this conference every year on the blog...  So, do yourself a favor and show all of these posts to your boss and tell him or her you want to go!

If you've registered, or will be registering soon, make sure to sign up for my lecture on Saturday morning: 

Session 3.1 - Construction Can Be Sexy: How Visualization Tools Help Us Build

It is hard to imagine where many of the new visualization technologies will be used within a construction company. Truth is, at Turner Construction we are using tools like Autodesk Revit, Lumion, Enscape3D, Photoshop, In-Design, HTC Vive (virtual reality hardware), and 3D Printers everyday as part of our construction process.

Register for BILT NA today!   I hope to see you all there!

DIY Dynamo Class of 2017 Reviews + Live Happy Hour (and Giveaway)!

In the midst of enrollment for DIY Dynamo's Spring 2018 session I thought it would be fun to ask the first ever "graduating" class of DIY Dynamo their thoughts on the course, and, of course, share them with you!

Additionally, if you are interested in hanging out with myself and a few special guests online this week keep reading for more information about the next free and live BIM After Dark Happy Hour (I know, it's been a while!).

Continue reading to see what the DIY Dynamo Class of 2017 has to say and to learn more about the BIM After Dark Happy Hour this week....

DIY Dynamo - Enroll Today

It took me a while to decide what kind of Dynamo class to create when I sat down early last year and began planning the course.  After much deliberation and our first successful session last October with 74 students I am glad I chose to start right at the beginning.

I published some posts recently that discussed some of the challenges I recall from a few years back when I began learning Dynamo.  The first had to do the challenge of where to begin.  The second was a "Q&A" session to analyze those first attempts at learning Dynamo... 

Finally, last week I posted a video tutorial (extracted directly from DIY Dynamo) to demonstrate how and where to begin and how easy it can be to get started!

Now, are you ready to start your Dynamo journey?  Enrollment is officially open for DIY Dynamo - A Beginners Course on Dynamo for Revit. 

Continue reading to learn more about the course, what's inside, and a special launch day discount...

Have You Tried to Learn Dynamo?

In my last post, I discussed the two major challenges that beginners will face when learning Dynamo for Revit.  The first challenge to overcome is being able to relate Dynamo to a real-world problem as a solution.  The second challenge is figuring out where and how to begin.

Because getting started is such a huge obstacle to overcome at the beginning of your Dynamo journey, I wanted to expand a bit on how I began and talk to those of you who may have attempted to learn Dynamo already.... (Oh, and there may be a FREE giveaway inside, too...)

So You Want to Learn Dynamo but You Don’t Know Where to Begin?

I’ll go out on a limb here and assume you have heard of Dynamo by now. Additionally, you’re probably familiar with what Dynamo is and how it is rapidly changing the way we use Revit.

If not, I touch on what Dynamo is here and check out the first chapter of the Dynamo Primer here.

Assuming you have heard of Dynamo and you know what it is, I'll bet you have been saying to yourself, "maybe I should learn how to use this Dynamo thing?".

Then, your immediate next question is "but, how and where do I begin?".

Continue reading if you have been pondering where and how to begin learning this Dynamo thing...

DIY Dynamo - Spring 2018 Enrollment Coming Soon...

I launched my first ever Dynamo course called "DIY Dynamo" last October.  The goal of the course is to get every student started using Dynamo for Revit and build the proper foundation to consider Dynamo just another tool in the bag (as opposed to the "mysterious creature" it is to many Revit users).

In total, there were 74 students that signed up last "semester".  All 74 students worked through the modules and successfully completed the course and many sent me some example "scripts" they created themselves from scratch to solve every day Revit problems or automate every day Revit tasks.  I will be sharing some of their feedback and thoughts on the course over the next few weeks.

Due to the success of the course I've decided to hold a "Spring Semester" session.

Registration for the Spring Semester of DIY Dynamo will open on the week of April 9th, 2018.

If you are interested, want to stay up to date on registration, and recieve email-only discounts click here to sign up to get in-line today...

From Revit to Lumion - The Ultimate Review #3 (Lumion 8 Pro)

"HOLY SH**!"

Those were my first two words when pressing render for the first time in Lumion 8 Pro.  

I have been taking my time getting to know the new release before posting a review.  Today is the day.  In this post I will highlight my favorite new features and why I love them.  I will also talk about my wish-list items (in hope that maybe the next go around will address them). 

But, before you read through the review below you should take a minute to check out my previous reviews of Lumion 6 and 7.  This is a continuation of the series and some of the thoughts and feedback I give on my workflow, process, and opinions of the older versions are still valid.... Also, in the previous posts I give some background on why I started using Lumion and what it was like.

Click here to view my Lumion 5 Review...

Click here to view my Lumion 7 Review...

Now, continue reading to hear about my favorite new enhancements and features in Lumion 8...

The Mysterious Case of the Moving Parameter Button and Arrays

When I am teaching students how to create parametric families in Revit it I have become familiar enough with the differences between each version of Revit that I can usually call out where a button may or may not be.  For example, in the image above the "Add Parameter" has moved from the options bar in 2016 (top image above) to the ribbon in 2018 (bottom image above).

Great, so whenever I am teaching someone how to add a parameter in the family editor in 2018 versus 2016 I can tell them where to look....

Or can I ....?

Revit Tutorial - Streamlined Topography (Auto-Clicker Update)

Way back in 2011 I posted a tutorial showing how you can use a simple little tool to streamline your topography creation.  This is especially valid if you don't have a CAD file and are using an image file of contours, etc... If you are still making topography by clicking every little contour point, and giving yourself carpal tunnel in the process, you need to see this tutorial.

Well, that tutorial is still relevant today, but, the Auto-Clicker software I link to does not work on Windows 10...

I still use this technique today when modeling topography from image files so I thought it would be helpful to re-post it and add the Windows 10 download link...

Keep reading to view the tutorial and download "Auto-Clicker" to streamline your topography creation in Revit....

Revit Tip - The "Site Settings" Dialog

Well, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks...

Last week, I posted about missing secondary contour lines.  Until now, my solution was to simply move the topography up so that there were no "negative" contour values.  Ivan (from BIM Level) commented on the post and flipped my world upside down.

After over ten years of using Revit, I found a dialog box that I have honestly never even seen before...  I can admit it.  Ivan, you've humbled me.


Continue reading to learn about the "Site Settings" dialog and where it is located...

Revit Tutorial - Missing Secondary Contour Lines (Topo Tip)

File this post under "random things that are good to know about Revit".  Although, it seems to come up more than you would think...

Have you every had a topographic model within Revit not display the secondary contour lines?  Look closely at the two topographic images above.  What is different?  Notice that the model on the left is missing three sets of secondary contour lines (the dashed lines that represent 1'-0" of elevation change).

Why?

Keep reading to find out....

Revit Tutorial - Line Weights and Silhouettes

There area  few things to keep in mind when creating "illustrated" graphics with Revit.  What do I mean by "illustrated" graphics?  I mean anything exported out of Revit as an image file for use in presentations or other mediums.  For example, diagrammatic images (like the one below) or maybe images like the exploded axons in this post...

Example Diagrammatic Image...

I thought I would put together a simple post that helps shed some light onto how you can control line weights and "vector" looking graphics in Revit.  Believe it or not, one of the best ways to control your graphics is using the view scale...  

Continue reading to find out what the heck I am talking about...

2017 Highlights and What’s Coming in 2018

Happy new year Revit-ers!  I know, I know… This post is a little late this year.  I typically publish my “year in review” posts before the craziness of the holidays.  This year, my personal and professional schedule pushed it into the new year.  Well, better late than never, right?

Welcome to 2018!  

Before I dive into what’s on the drawing board for The Revit Kid and BIM After Dark in 2018 I wanted to review and highlight 2017.  When I think of 2017, three key subjects come to mind: Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, and Dynamo…

Continue reading for a detailed review on 2017 and what’s on the boards for 2018….