My Uber Revit Computer Specs - Best Computer for Revit (Best Bang for your Buck?)

As I posted before... This machine turned out to be pretty affordable and handles Revit 2011 and 2012 VERY well...  I decided to share all the components with you all.  The whole thing came out to around $1100.00.  

• 1 x CORSAIR DOMINATOR 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMP16GX3M4A1333C9
• 1 x COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
• 1 x GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
• 1 x SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
• 1 x CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V v2.2 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
• 1 x Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7870
• 1 x Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
• 1 x ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
• 1 x Corsair H50 CPU Cooler

All parts were purchased at Newegg.com and assembled by me.  I know the motherboard is no longer carried because of the Sandy Bridge motherboards finally being stable so that might change but you get the idea.  I don't even know if the video card is "Officially Certified or Compatible by Autodesk" but it freaking screams.  I am modeling with Ambient Shadows on!

I hope this helps some of you out who are looking at $5,000.00 workstations.  


**Edit** I forgot to mention... it plays video games like a champ!

Phil Bernstein Webcast - BIM and Pedagogy

Uncle Phil has done it again... Yet another fantastic talk.  

Building Information Modeling and the Implication for Architecture Pedagogy

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is being rapidly adopted by architects, engineers and contractors with significant, if only vaguely understood, implications for the practice of architecture.  Changes in design approach, project organization, collaboration, legal and risk parameters, fabrication and construction execution are likely to be profound, as are the ramifications for pedagogy.  This presentation will examine both industry context and teaching implications of BIM in the training of architects, investigate potential relationships with accreditation criteria, and propose strategies for connecting BIM, practice and teaching approaches.

Speaker Information: Phil Bernstein is vice president, industry strategy and relations, Autodesk AEC Solutions. In this role, he is responsible for developing and delivering technology solutions and design tools to the architectural, engineering, and construction industry.  Bernstein has served as Lecturer in Professional Practice, Yale University School of Architecture since 1988.

Click here to view the WebCast Archive Pages

Click here to directly download Phil's webcast...

Revit and the i7 Processor - Rendering Results

All I can say is wow...

I built a new machine about a month ago and have been using it quite a bit.  Until this week I have not really done to many renderings with it.  Well, all I can say is wow....

A prime example are these two draft (test) images:

The image above is before any touching up and photoshopping (straight out of Revit).  It took 1 hour and 12 minutes on Best.  Interior with artificial and sun.  I can't wait to go at this bad boy with Photoshop.

The image above took 12 minutes!  On BEST.  Interior with Sunlight only.

I ran some other test renderings and compared them to my Macbook Pro.  Here is the result.  I did not save the image but it was an exterior rendering of a library I designed last year (lots of furniture inside, curtain wall, water, blah blah) .  The image was renders on medium, exterior with sunlight only (Revit Architecture 2011)

Macbook Pro : 12 minutes and 37 Seconds.

• Intel Dual Core 2.4ghz
• 4 GB ram
• Nvidia 8600m GT
• Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium

Custom Built Machine : 3 Minutes and 16 Seconds

• Intel Core i7 870 - 2.9Ghz (not overclocked for this test)
• 16GB of Ram
• AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series (1GB)
• Windows 7 64bit Home Premium

So the custom built machine (which cost all but 1100 bucks) destroyed the Macbook Pro (which cost about 2100 bucks).  Let that be a lesson to you.  Of course, the Macbook Pro is still very important in my arsenal because of the portability.  

For those of you who would like to build a custom machine let me know in the comments and I will post the specs in a future post.

#Revit RPC Plant and Tree Reference Guide

Very cool image someone over at RevitCity was nice enough to upload for our use!  Go check it out and thank him/her in the comments!

Link to the upload and comment area: http://www.revitcity.com/gallery.php?action=view&gallery_id=15837

Link to full size image: http://www.revitcity.com/gallery_images/15837.jpg

RevitCity down AGAIN?

I don't know what is going on but RevitCity is down again...

I hope it comes back soon.  It has been down for a while.  I wonder if they got hit with another hacker?  

This sucks...

-->

**Edit** Never mind... they are back up.  Weird things are going on over there...

Revit Tip - Revit 2012 Purge Unused (Revit Clinic)

This is a nice new little gem added to 2012... The ability to purge materials and property sets...  I do have to warn you that purging a project early and handing it off to someone else to use could cause some hostile environments haha.  Even if all the families, tags, etc... are in your content library it could make someone very angry to not have them already in the model. =X

In 2012, the Purge Unused commanded has gotten a little help.  Now, it is possible to delete out of your project all the unused materials and property set definitions.  I really like the ability to delete out all the unused materials. 

One thing to know about this new ability is that it may take up to three purge Unused to fully clear everything from a project. .... Click here to see the rest of the post...

BIM Book by Randy Deutsch

Greg, over at Revit3D.com first posted about this book.  This is fantastic.  Books on BIM and IPD should make you all excited.  Here is Greg's post...

I see BIM people. Congratulations Randy. Everybody, buy Randy's new book on BIM & IPD. He's a world famous BIMophile and based on the quality of his blog, bimandintegrateddesign.com, it'll be an action packed adventure.

No architects were harmed in the making of this book. One of them lost a lot of sleep and had a lot of stress meeting all of his deadlines, but I'm sure he's recovering nicely.

Randy Deutsch, the author, published a nice little post about the book...

Revit Tip - 5 Revit 2012 Timesavers (Revit Clinic)

A few nice little tips from Revit Clinic...

5 Revit 2012 Timesavers

I've organized some of my favorite enhancements below with the 2012 release which either save a few clicks, or make displaying something in the project more efficient…
1.  Project Browser right-click Shortcuts
In the Project Browser you can now right-click on Legends, Schedules/Quantities and Families as a shortcut to the tool.  This is similar to the previous right-click Sheets > New Sheet functionality.

2.  Semi-transparent Selection
By default Semi-transparent element selection is active [you can disable or change the color under Options > Graphics].  This creates a dynamic approach to select an element and automatically view it transparent.  Quick method for viewing through an exterior wall into the project, without overriding any element settings…





3.  3D Connexion Support
If you have a 3D Connexion device, you can now utilize it to navigate in Revit 2012.
For many users this may be one of the best new features for 2012, which opens up some great shortcuts for navigating the model.

Click here to see the rest of the tips...

Revit 2012 Student Downloads AVAILABLE!

Well...  Autodesk decided to up the anti and beat my original estimated date.  This is the earliest I have seen new releases in the Education Community for Autodesk Products.... THANK YOU AUTODESK.  My account shows all disciplines are available.

Log into your Autodesk Student Community homepage and download now!

There are currently 2.2 Million members of the Student Community.  When I started this blog, only 2 years ago, there were less than 1 million.  I would like to think I might have had something to do with it, but I doubt it.  All I know is that 2.2 million people have the possibility of using Revit 2012 ABSOLUTELY FREE!  That, to me, is incredible.

Little Details Count - First Revit 2012 Family

I have posted about Michael Anonuevo's website in the past but this deserves another link.  First, check out this video...



Description Under Video:
This is a Revit Walkthrough of a Bass gear. The Walkthrough was exported as individual JPEGs and assembled in Quicktime Pro. The generated Quicktime movie was then brought into Camtasia Studio where the title clip, sound and credit were added. I generated this short clip to give you an idea of how this Revit family looks like. It's available for sale at my website at:

http://www.littledetailscount.com/

Thanks for watching the clip.

Now, this model is built completely in Revit 2012.  Michael told me it is his very first all Revit 2012 family.  The model only costs 30 bucks (with amplifier)  and it allows you to change the body color.  First, as a musician myself (I have played the guitar for 15 years now), Michaels models are awesome.  He has some fantastic content over on his site and I promise you they are better than those models you get from RevitCity or SEEK.

I constantly receive emails about where to get goo Revit content.  Granted, it is not free, but,   the saying "you get what you pay for" applies here.

**Disclaimer** I am not receiving any commission or percentage of sales for posting about Michaels site.  I simply know from experience the amount of CRAPPY FAMILIES being used and have seen them cripple projects.  Good quality content is very important and I find Little Details Count's prices very reasonable.

HEAD ON OVER TO LITTLE DETAILS COUNT FOR MORE FAMILIES

By the way.  Download the FREE BEER MUG...

Revit 2012 Worksharing Display Modes and Transfer Project Standards

Nice little post about the Worksharing Visual Display Modes for Revit 2012 over at Revit Clinic.  Beats the hell out of that silly "Worksharing Monitor"...

Revit 2012 Worksharing Display Modes and Transfer Project Standards

Revit 2012 introduces new Worksharing Display Modes to visually distinguish workshared project elements.


Once you enable worksharing, you can modify the Worksharing Display Settings…





All worksets in the project and all users that have been in the project should appear in the Owners \ Worksets tab.





You can populate the list [for standard worksets you know you will utilize], or the users [if they always want to use the same color] in the project.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE POST...

Revit Tip - Hide Sheet in Sheet List (Schedule)

This is a very silly little tip but SO valuable.  I think the best example of when this comes in handy is when you have a few different Cover Sheets.  Yet, you only want that ONE cover sheet to show in your sheet list for THAT printing....

It is so easy it does not even need a video:

• Click the sheet in your browser.
• Scroll down in the Properties window.
• Un-check the box titled "Appears in Sheet List"

Just like that...  

Archinect - New Layout

I have linked to Archinect stuff in the past.  Well, I have not been on in a while and it looks like they did a complete revamp of the site... I have been exploring it and I really like the new layout...

CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF

Download Revit 2012 Suites Officially in Subscription Center

For those of you on Subscription you can officially download the Revit 2012 products now.

Here are links for Subscription Center users.

Version		Title	Release Date	Download Log
2012.		AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2012 English	Apr 10, 2011	View Log
2012.		AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite 2012 English	Apr 10, 2011	View Log
2012.		AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite 2012 English	Apr 10, 2011	View Log
2012.		Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012 English	Apr 10, 2011	View Log
2012.		Autodesk Revit Structure 2012 English	Apr 10, 2011	View Log

Thanks to Greg for the links...

For those of you not on Subscription (or students) you can download and Run a 30 free trial here...

Still no word on the Student version... It usually does not come out for a while but I am being hopeful with the new Student login integration....

Save your Revit Install FILES!!!!

This is not so good news about Revit 2012....  Appearently, it is not going to be as easy as it used to be to Activate or Re-Activate your Revit...  So, all those 3GB install packages you downloaded and the unpackaged 6GB files... SAVE THEM!   Or else you may be re-downloading them quite a bit.

Click here to see Revit Clinic's post about this unfortunate set-back in Revit 2012...

This could apply to us students running Revit on a 30 dayt trial... We MAY have to reinstall in order to activate our student licenses... so, again, SAVE THE INSTALLERS!

Revit 2012 - New Features Videos

Greg, over at Revit3D.com, linked to a whole bunch of nice videos showing Revit 2012's new features....Enjoy!

Click here to see the Revit 2012 - New Feature videos...

Revit 2012 - Autodesk Education Community Download - Still no sign...

I was getting hopeful that the Revit 2012 suites would be launching soon over at the Autodesk Education Community when I saw AutoCAD Architecture 2012 pop up recently...

Sadly, no Revit 2012 versions yet...

I think I am going to stay realistic and go with my original estimated Student Community launch date...

Why do the CAD kids get to have all the fun first?

Revit 2012 - New Feature - "Starting View"

Another cool little function that crawled its way into Revit 2012.  "Starting View" allows you to set what view will open when you launch the project... Cool.

Revit 2012 - Visual Enhancements - Transparent Selection

Another nice little touch added in Revit 2012 is "Ghosting" when selecting an object... this is already a huge bonus and I am simply flipping around in the sample model.

Revit 2012 - Ambient Shadows (Occlusion) Limit Fixed!

Well, it appears that the 2,100 pixel limit for exporting images with Ambient Shadows (used to be "Ambient Occlusion) is now gone!  Both the images below were exported as JPEG's with 6,000 pixels horizontally...  This, to me, is FANTASTIC news...

And to really test it out... I exported one  at 12,000 pixels!!!  SWEET!!  It was larger than Blogger wanted so you will just have to take my word for it.

New DesignByMany Challenge - Winner gets a plotter!

I cannot wait until this summer.... Why?  Well, I want to enter a sponsored challenge and win an HP plotter!  School has constrained me for this upcoming challenge but I really wish I could enter it.  I encourage you all to go for it!  Who doesn't want a free plotter?  Let's represent Revit on these challenge... TEAM REVIT!

Context
◦Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans, LA
◦Typical lot in the Lower Ninth Ward. Please see the provided site model


Objectives


◦Design a low-cost, extremely low-energy home for New Orleans
◦Homes should meet post-Katrina building codes, guidelines and best practices
◦Homes should be shotgun typology and strive to create cohesive neighborhoods
◦Design should strive to achieve Passive House Standard:
◦Airtight building shell ≤ 0.6 ACH @ 50 pascal pressure (simple, well-detailed construction)
◦Annual heat requirement ≤ 15 kWh/m2/year (4.75 kBtu/sf/yr)
◦Primary Energy ≤ 120 kWh/m2/year (38.1 kBtu/sf/yr)
◦Designs should demonstrate that affordable and sustainable homes can also be beautiful


Provided Materials


◦Key Passive House metrics spreadsheet
◦Building site. Orientation may be changed (.dwg, .3dw, .rvt)


Submission


◦Post design model and documentation (3d and/or 2d)
◦Post Key Passive House metrics spreadsheet
◦Post images
◦Post diagrams explaining approach (optional)
◦Post video explaining approach (optional)


Prizes


◦The winner of this HP-sponsored challenge will take home an HP Designjet T2300 PostScript eMFP, the world’s first web-connected printer with scan, print and copy functionality. A nearly $10,000 value, the HP Designjet T2300 eMFP helps simplify the printing process while letting teams print on the go and share files more easily than ever before.
◦The winner of this challenge will be featured on DesignReform on the first day of the AIA National Convention in New Orleans, May 12th




Deadline


◦Submission: Sunday May 1st at 11:59 PM
◦User Voting: Sunday May 8th at 11:59 PM


CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE DETAILS...

RevitCity.com is back... For now?

I received the same email Luke received and many of you may have... Looks like RevitCity.com is back up and running now though...

Dear RevitCity.com User,

Recently RevitCity.com was the victim of a hacker who was able to successfully bypass the security measures we had in place.  After discovering this security breach, we moved as quickly as possible to isolate and contain the problem.   In order to best protect the server from additional harm and perform a full security examination, it was necessary to temporarily take RevitCity offline.

In order to protect your own privacy, it is always a good idea to change your password as frequently as possible.  Although all passwords are protected using an advanced one-way encryption method, it is technically possible that your password was compromised during the security breach, especially if the password is a word that can be found in the dictionary.  Therefore, we encourage you to change your password as soon as possible.  You may change your password by logging in, and then clicking “Edit User Profile” under Member Options.  Alternatively, you may elect to have a randomly generated new password sent to you by going to:  http://www.RevitCity.com/forgotpassword.php

Despite our best efforts to protect the RevitCity.com community from this kind of attack, it nevertheless is a common risk we take by providing a valuable sharing platform, and you take by becoming a member.  Although we cannot guarantee that this will not happen again, we have made extensive security upgrades to the system.

We are amazed at the resiliency and support of our members who, during the short time the website was down, began helping each other on our Facebook page.  For this reason we endeavor to keep RevitCity.com running well into the future.

All the best,
Hiroshi & Jeremy Jacobs

Additionally, there was a new Forum post over at RevitCity.com

I will never understand the motive of some people that they would attack a server, and attempt to destroy computers of people that they don't even know.

We were attacked by an unknown entity that exploited a code injection security hold that existed in our ad serving software. We have upgraded to the newest version of the software, which patches this vulnerability. We have heard reports from various sources that some users may have had computers compromised by malware that was being distributed by this attack. We apologize to the RevitCity.com community that we allowed ourselves to be exploited and used as a vessel of attack on the very users we exist to help.

To any users who’s computer was infected during this attack. There are tools that will help you remove the offending software from your computer. http://www.malwarebytes.org/ is one such software, the free version should remove the software from your computer. In some cases, you may also need to log into the computer as a different user and remove the hidden application data folder under the infected account (ex. C:\Users\Infected User Name\Application Data) to completely remove the offending software.

RevitCity.com has been around for more than 7 years, and this was the first successful attack against our site and I hope that it is our last. We feel that we have in some ways let our community down by allowing the site to be used as a weapon against our users. Again, we apologize to the users, especially the ones that were infected by the attack on our site.

LEED Exam Study Materials - Updated

It has been quite a while since I posted about LEED.  The other day I was asked about what materials I used to study when I passed the exam.  Looking back I found that most of them still existed and some of them had new domains (it appears the term “LEED” in their domains is gone… hmm… sounds like LEED is now a restricted trademark?).  Anyways,  if you are preparing for LEED, or plan on it soon, here are some of the great resources that helped me pass.  A little tip, take the GreenExamPrep Tests  as many times as you can stand.  I took them over 50 times I think.

Great Study Guide:

http://leafvisual.com/

The Practice Exams I used:

http://www.greenexamprep.com/store/products/practice_tests.html

http://www.greenexamprep.com/store/products/PTLEEDGREENASSOCIATE.html

A blog with some good info:

http://www.reallifeleed.com/

A cheat sheet Forum where people discuss their tests (not sure if it is up to the new LEED test)

http://www.areforum.org/forums/archive/index.php

Audio Study Guides…. This worked fantastically.

http://www.greenexamacademy.com/

Win a 3D Mouse and Tools4Revit!

I posted about this a while ago but I don't think I had the right link...

Greg, over at Revit3D.com, is giving away a chance to win the Tools4Revit.com software and 3dconnexion Space Pilot Pro.

All you have to do is sign up for an Autodesk virtual event. Not only could you possibly win the prizes but the event itself looks worth it...Anyone can sign up for free (students included)

Registration link: www.revit3d.com/register

(*Hint* even if you cannot make the event, registering for it will still enroll you in a chance to win the free stuff).

Event description:

See how the newest Autodesk releases can help you make short work of even the most challenging projects. Join Autodesk Technical Evangelist, Lynn Allen to explore the powerful new capabilities of AutoCAD® 2012 software. Lynn will demonstrate her favorite new tools in AutoCAD, including model documentation, reality capture and 3D conceptual design. And she’ll share an overview of AutoCAD® for Mac, the power of AutoCAD in a native Mac application.

At the Autodesk Virtual Event, you attend sessions right from your desktop. In addition to seeing what’s new in AutoCAD 2012, these presentations will help you:

Understand how the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping gives engineers and designers the ability to design, visualize, and simulate a complete product, helping manufacturers reduce reliance on physical prototypes and get more innovative products to market faster

Learn how Autodesk Design Suite 2012 can enable you to design more efficiently, innovate ahead of the competition, and accelerate your path to new business.

Enhance collaboration, coordination, and communication among team members to accelerate time to market

Improve sustainability and manage projects more efficiently

See how the new Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation (DEC) solutions – including the comprehensive Entertainment Creation Suites – can help you create and deliver your most innovative work

Posted by: Jeffrey A. Pinheiro, LEED AP at The Revit Kid.com!

Mr. McCluskey's Method - An Autodesk Film Preview

Join the students at Huntley Boarding School as they meet their new teacher, Mr. McCluskey. Learn how Mr. McCluskey's unorthodox teaching methods educate and inspire the next generation of artists, engineers, architects and designers. And wait until you discover the secret that is making Mr. McCluskey's Method the viral sensation for Autodesk customers worldwide.

Autodesk presents this tongue-in-cheek parody of the classic film genre — the all-boys boarding school. Please enjoy and share with your friends.



Brilliant...

Calling all Project Architects!

Do your responsibilities include building code calculations (occupancy loads, plumbing fixture counts, etc...)?

If you find yourself doing these calculations all the time and would like to help me test a little project please email me at:

Jeff@TheRevitKid.com

It should only take a bit of your time and you will be rewarded for helping me out.

My Project - Urban Development

I decided to post the project I am currently working on in studio for you all to see.  My reasons for posting it are to show you all the power of Revit for conceptual modeling and visualization.  Also, to show you the size of this project and why I have not been able to post a damn video!  Basically, the project consists of two city blocks.

The boards I posted were for a recent Conceptual Design crit... I have been playing around with different ways of presenting WITHOUT rendering.

Click here to take a look at the project...

BIM Store - Free Revit Content

I am always getting emails and comments asking about where to get good Revit families and content.  I usually point readers to Autodesk SEEK and RevitCity.com (at their own risk of course)...  Well BIM Store is a new one out of the UK.  Looks promising...

BIM Store is a place for Manufacturers and Designers to use content.  The site is very well put together and a pleasure to navigate.  Go give it a look.  There is a nice little "What is BIM Store" feature that lets you choose if you are a designer or manufacturer and how BIM Store will help you...

Thanks to David Light for the post and find...