Introduction
Revit is a powerful tool that is very familiar to those of us who work in the AEC industry. It serves as a bridge between the architect, the engineers, the designer, and the contractors. Without it, many details would be challenging to communicate, and our jobs would take much longer to complete. As a result, any new improvements and updates to the software are always important in order to produce the best quality work.
Below are the main updates to Revit 2020 that will definitely make our jobs (and lives) easier.
Inserting PDF into Revit
We’ve all experienced the situation – A beautiful drawing is created (by hand). You want to discuss details with the contractor, but not many details can be seen through a document. You have to redraft everything entirely into Revit to proceed with the job and it takes up a lot of time and effort. Well, with the newest update, PDF’s can now be placed as 2D objects in the current view and can be modified just like an image. If there is vector data on the PDF, you can even enable snap and pick lines for quick tracing. This update will help in streamlining the work process.
Path to Travel Tool
Calculating the shortest distance between two points was a tedious job in the previous editions of Revit. There was no way to calculate a chain of lines, which also had to be drawn in as well. This was also quite an important thing to do, as many code requirements had to be met regarding the path of travel. In Revit 2020, however, there is a new path to travel tool. All you have to do is select a start and end-point, and the tool will automatically analyze the geometry and avoid obstacles such as walls to find the shortest route. You can even assign elements that can or cannot be considered obstacles, such as doors or curtain panels. The time it takes to travel the path will also be calculated as long as you set a speed of travel.
Elliptical Walls
Previously in Revit, there was no way to create elliptical walls. If you had an elliptical wall, you had to create a mass and then create a wall by face. It was a tedious and lengthy process. Now that has been addressed in Revit 2020; there is a new tool to create elliptical walls. It works pretty much exactly like how the circular or arc wall tools work. All features hosted by other types of walls can be expected with this tool as well. You can even switch between walls created for different wall types. This new tool definitely expands the design capabilities in terms of creating walls.
Copy/Paste Legend Across Sheets
In older versions, legends had to be placed manually over each sheet, and they did not always align in the same place. In the new update, the legend can now be copied to the clipboard and pasted onto each page. Even better, there is an option called Paste Aligned to Same Place to ensure everything lines up.
Improved “OR” in Filters
Filters are everybody’s best friend. No matter if you’re on social media or working in the industry, filters have made life so much easier. Previously though, only parameters common to both categories could be selected when creating a filter. This greatly limited the capacities of the filter tool. Now, however, parameters specific to a single category can be selected, which significantly expands the use of this tool. It brings high specificity while granting enhanced control over the model.
Importation of Sketchup Files
Sketchup is another program we are very familiar with. In fact, the two programs are often used in conjunction in the design process. However, transferring files from one program to another was a complicated process. The material names were changed to Render Material with a RGB code, and only certain versions of Sketchup files could be supported. Now, the importation process is much smoother. Sketchup 2018 is supported, and imported material names are all kept as is.
Cloud Models for Revit
Revit 2020 has added a new feature that allows any model to be saved into the cloud. It is accessed through the Save As menu. The cloud is easy to navigate and can increase workflow efficiency as other people can view the models. One thing to note however, is that this feature requires a subscription to BIM360.
Conclusion
Revit 2020 offers a plethora of updates, adding to the ones described above. These are just a few that really will bring a significant impact to the user experience. However, if you find these new updates challenging to navigate or understand, or if you have many projects and don’t have enough time to draft everything, Design Everest can help. Our skilled and experienced engineers and architects who carry a wealth of experience and expertise can offer drafting support, amongst many other services related to the industry.
