# Bim software



## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

tjbnwi said:


> Does Revit do a cut list for the roof of your model? In Solid Builer I can display and print every piece that makes up the roof with all the angles and dimensions displayed. That includes the sheathing. It chooses material in the data base for best use.


It will if you model it that way. They have a ways to go on structural details, but there is some unsupported add-ons that cover this and will be integrated soon. 

There are some good OOTB things and some things you wonder why after all these years they can't integrate into the dang program. The structural framing for wood is lacking. Steel is OK. It will pop out floor joist cutlist in a blink of an eye, but wall and roof systems are manual. You can draw a roof as a solid and get general info like sheathing, roofing SFage and program a formula to spit out how many nails etc. but it is manual and left up to the end user.

Revit is a database program. It exports well to excel. There are lots of things one can customize to suit ones needs, but like I said, some nicer OOTB features would be helpful to a residential designer. 

Just like any program, it has its strong points and it has head scratchers.

It would be nice to have some ACA (ADT) features.


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## country_huck (Dec 2, 2009)

tjbnwi said:


> Kent,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Down here most work is new home production, Alot of the companys have a few plans with renderings but all their options are all about the same just differnat layouts ect, So they never really change what they are doing when they model and make plans. 

I have to differnatiate often among people that yes im a builder/remodeler but nothing i do is ever the same its custom, its per customers specs. People just dont know down here sometimes. Sorry for that.

So to get back to what i need, i need a program that will allow me to build/ design every thing from cabinets to custom bathrooms, a large data base of products that will offer maximum customazation to fit what ever the clients might want. Then I want to be able to take that info and import/enter into my estimating program and create estimates. I also want a program that i wont spend a fortune in training and I will be able to grow with.


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## country_huck (Dec 2, 2009)

Kent,

Now since revit is and autodesk program, say if i send my plans to the engineer and he makes changes and sends them back to me and i load them up, will the model and such change too.


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## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

country_huck said:


> Kent,
> 
> Now since revit is and autodesk program, say if i send my plans to the engineer and he makes changes and sends them back to me and i load them up, will the model and such change too.


If you send a Revit file and they edit it in Revit structure, yes. It's all the same program, just some different tools. 

If you send a Revit file and all he has is autocad then no, it doesn't open the file. 

They are using the fbx file alot more lately. It transfers well among all programs. I have been messing around with one of their newer rendering programs and it works well. Just very cpu intensive.


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## CGallagher (Apr 20, 2010)

I recently designed a new custom home in Revit. It was great. The program was easy to use once I got the hang of it. There is still a lot to learn. The major improvements to the program need to be in the component databases. I realize that these have to be written, and I've found a couple of sources for Revit appliances and doorways, but in general, I am strugling through it. 

However, I do believe that the component databases will grow and eventually the need will be filled. And from what I've seen this program is able to do, I've decided to abandon all other software programs and focus on mastering Revit. 

The BIM functionality is exciting. I have no idea how accurate it is, but I know when I start this project that the time spent doing takeoffs will be a fraction of what I'm used to.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Huck,

The deal breaker with Solid Builder for you may be the fact that you need the program to open any file. So the engineer would need S.B. to make changes. If you send a PDF, they would have to note the changes, then you enter them.

The red screened porch and deck in my photos, started as a deck with a screen gazebo. I was able to make that invisible and create the rectangular room that was built without having to redraw the decks. 

Your best option for your custom cabinets, most probably would be Sketch Up. Solid Builder has stock cabinets in the program that are great place holders. Custom you have to create on your own. I was thinking about this and I bet I can create cabinets using sill plates for the pieces. They are configureable, and I can apply any texture to them. May save me some time in Sliver Screen. As noted the symbol generator is clunky, it does have 3D capability plus 2 & 3D boolean capabilities. 

The data base is vast, windows and doors from all the major manufactures. It can be configured and update as you see fit. I use it to create my estimates. 

I see I've reached the max upload. I hope this works.

Tom


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

These are a roof frame, in the perspective view you can see the plates are at 2 different heights.

There are working drawings with all the necessary cuts for one section of the roof. 

There is a sheathing cut sheet, and a label sheet for the location of the pieces. 

Tom


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Hopefully the first one is rendered with color. 

Tom


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## MLandry (Aug 12, 2011)

Kent Whitten said:


> I agree, they fell behind. Much better now, especially Revit. It was a turd for awhile.
> 
> They do suites of software now. Usually get acad and Revit together. Been working heavy with inventor lately and even that is temperamental.
> 
> ...



If you say so. As far as my opinion goes buying Softplan has been the best money I have ever invested in my business.


Mike


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## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

It works for a few people, glad you are one of them.


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## bconley (Mar 8, 2009)

Archicad has spell check


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