BIM and applications such as Revit use a very advantageous
structure for engineering firms; the ability to coordinate information from
various disciplines into one product pre-production is invaluable. Errors and
conflicts can be identified, and it is easy to adjust the model and see how all
systems are affected. However, like all other applications, Revit and BIM have
their disadvantages.
The first one is on the backend of the programs; programs
like Revit are based around one database and file. All information is stored in
the same model, which makes the files massive. Firms currently using programs
with a more distributed file system, where many pieces are created and then
brought together to represent the entire system, likely need to upgrade their hardware
and data management tools in order to handle the change in file size. Computers
that can handle 3D drafting programs aren’t necessarily going to be as
efficient working with a program like Revit. On top of this, Revit isn’t
compatible with OSX systems, so Windows must be used. Although I can’t name
many firms using OSX over Windows, this can be an issue for the private user.
The second is the amount of information necessary for design
work in the early stages of a project, sometimes not yet available. Not
necessarily a disadvantage, but more of an encountered issue on some projects,
BIM applications require information in the beginning of projects that isn’t
always available. It then makes up for this later on, when the information is
of use in the model itself.
With many software packages, there are countless smaller
disadvantages or obstacles to overcome when introducing the program. Switching
to a new program costs time and money, and training is almost required to
ensure adequate productivity and less frustration for the user. Revit, due to the
size and capability of the program, requires fast hardware; namely, as much RAM
as possible, and a quality graphics card, as Revit is selective for these. File
size is massive, and Revit has scalability issues where in can only be used up
to a certain point; once buildings and designs become too large, Revit modeling
will encounter issues. Every program has inherent disadvantages such as these
simply due to their structure,and although Revit and other BIM applications
such as ArchiCAD have flaws that should be addressed, this doesn’t take away
from the massive advantages in design and construction that they also provide.
Works Cited
http://cadonia.com.au/which-bim-software-is-better-archicad-or-revit/
Comment to Dianna Vogel:
http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b3-dianna-vogel-current-issues-with.html#comment-form
I also discussed file size and scalability issues in Revit in my post as well. I used Bentley products on co-op previously, and although I can't say for Bentley's primary BIM application, Bentley Systems, I've never seen them used for full cities like mentioned the other day. That's not to say it doesn't have the capability I suppose, but the structure of Revit does limit it in this aspect. That being said, Revit isn't meant for full-city applications (imagine the file size of a Revit model of Center City Philadelphia). I feel Revit, like every other program, has its' own niche of building applications; using BIM, that niche is simply much wider than for other programs, as it can coordinate such a wide variety of information.
Comment to Bryan Cummings:
ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b3-group-b-cummings.html?showComment=1453662613419#c9115796233580736886
I really liked that you brought in a legal complication here; this wasn't something I had thought of before. On top of this, I agree with the frustration of transitioning to a new program. Suddenly transitioning to an (almost) all-encompassing program that intertwines disciplines is likely a difficult move, and although the advantages are evident, there is an upfront "cost" for a move like this. For firms that use Revit, I'm sure collaboration between disciplines gets more and more efficient as the users become more aware of Revit's possibilities. However, the initial jump likely leaves the user feeling unsure of exactly how to apply these new tools.
Comment to Dianna Vogel:
http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b3-dianna-vogel-current-issues-with.html#comment-form
I also discussed file size and scalability issues in Revit in my post as well. I used Bentley products on co-op previously, and although I can't say for Bentley's primary BIM application, Bentley Systems, I've never seen them used for full cities like mentioned the other day. That's not to say it doesn't have the capability I suppose, but the structure of Revit does limit it in this aspect. That being said, Revit isn't meant for full-city applications (imagine the file size of a Revit model of Center City Philadelphia). I feel Revit, like every other program, has its' own niche of building applications; using BIM, that niche is simply much wider than for other programs, as it can coordinate such a wide variety of information.
Comment to Bryan Cummings:
ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b3-group-b-cummings.html?showComment=1453662613419#c9115796233580736886
I really liked that you brought in a legal complication here; this wasn't something I had thought of before. On top of this, I agree with the frustration of transitioning to a new program. Suddenly transitioning to an (almost) all-encompassing program that intertwines disciplines is likely a difficult move, and although the advantages are evident, there is an upfront "cost" for a move like this. For firms that use Revit, I'm sure collaboration between disciplines gets more and more efficient as the users become more aware of Revit's possibilities. However, the initial jump likely leaves the user feeling unsure of exactly how to apply these new tools.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point you made about the disadvantage of the training time that goes into implementing a 3D modeling BIM program, such as Revit, into a company. Many managers struggle with the decision on whether or not to pull employees off projects to dedicate up to a week of training to a new system. Obviously, the end result would be very beneficial; however, when a company is trying to meet week-by-week deadlines it becomes hard to let the employees go. Thus, the training generally comes in stages, with each individual employee completing the training once they have a free week. While this helps the company keep on schedule, it delays the full implementation of the hardware for the company. Thus, the decision to adopt a BIM program, or upgrade, generally comes with a great deal of frustration.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteI have also experienced many issues with file sizes of the Revit program. The entire program also takes a lot of memory space alone as well as the saved files. I have also researched a comparison to other file sizes for similar programs and have found that Revit is definitely known for a larger file size. This could pose many issues from a slow speed on the computer to crashing of the file. I think that this is an important issue that should be addressed by the programmers.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteWhat you have mentioned is indeed problems for many users and I believe the reason why many office are still tentative about dive into this software. But dont forget our world is changing everyday, as well as the hardware. Although it seems like a issue for super large files and additional RAM requirement for students, and many other small firms, it will be less of a issue many next year or even the end of this year.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Your first point on current problems using BIM and Revit is interesting but I do not completely agree with it. Working in a large consulting engineering firm for my coop, I learned that their Revit files are actually a compilation of multiple Revit files. The whole model is on a network, which can be accessed by multiple users on the network. The whole model then can be compiled and compressed into one big file if needed. Although, I do agree with you on how sometimes these files even when split into multiple files can get slow and lag a lot.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Your first point on current problems using BIM and Revit is interesting but I do not completely agree with it. Working in a large consulting engineering firm for my coop, I learned that their Revit files are actually a compilation of multiple Revit files. The whole model is on a network, which can be accessed by multiple users on the network. The whole model then can be compiled and compressed into one big file if needed. Although, I do agree with you on how sometimes these files even when split into multiple files can get slow and lag a lot.