Revit Prerequisites

What to Learn Before Revit

Revit is a commercial building information modeling (BIM) tool that is available from Autodesk. This software is a go-to for professionals like Contractors, Engineers, and Architects because it helps them make detailed project models and 3D visualizations that can be updated in real-time and shared with others who are working on the project. If you want to study Revit, you may worry that it will be too hard to learn. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning Revit and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. This way, you’ll be successful however you choose to apply your new skills. 

What is Revit?

Autodesk Revit is popular building information modeling (BIM) software that professionals like Contractors, Engineers, and Architects use to perform a range of essential building-related tasks. This tool can easily and accurately model structures, systems, and shapes in 3D. It also helps users create the structural elements of a building in 3D and then annotate them using 2D drafting tools. Revit users can make instant revisions to plans, visualizations, schedules, sheets, or elevations, which are updated in real time so that all team members are working with the most current information.

One of the main benefits of using Revit is that it can unite team members working on multidisciplinary projects, leading to better collaborative practices and higher overall efficiency.

This software provides users with tools for annotating, visualizing, sketching, scheduling, and sharing work. Revit offers users tools for integrated analysis and features for uniting multiple file types and datasets, which allows them to create designs with accuracy and confidence. It also has tools for fabrication, cost analysis, and quantity takeoffs.

Read more about what Revit is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Revit?

Revit training has applications for construction projects of all sizes and types. This commercial BIM software helps professionals like Structural Engineers, Designers, Mechanical Engineers, Architects, and Contractors design, edit, review, and share detailed 3D models. Revit users can place building elements like doors, walls, and windows into their drawings, which helps their drawings be precise and exact. It helps generate floor plans, sections, details, and schedules. Before the advent of this BIM software, the design process was much more tedious and time-consuming. 

Revit offers advanced analysis engines and can access performance data. It can also run extremely accurate cost estimates and help professionals monitor a building or project’s performance throughout its lifecycle. This tool’s 3D visualization capabilities can be used to create construction project documentation that features stereo panoramas, 3D views, and cutaways. Those who work with Autodesk’s 3Ds Max software and Revit Interoperability can even view their building in virtual reality.

Revit is a multidisciplinary platform that allows different team members who are involved with a construction project to share their work in real time. Architects can share the models they create in Revit with Structural Engineers and other team members as they’re updated. This not only significantly expedites the design process but also helps create a more accurate and affordable final product. 

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Is Revit Easy to Learn?

No two learners are the same in terms of their study process, the skills they bring to the table, and their ultimate goals for learning Revit. For most, however, they will find that learning this software is a fairly straightforward endeavor when they break it up into phases. A good place to start is to explore its layout and range of tools and features. Individuals who acquire software skills quickly or who come from a tech-savvy background will find the Revit learning process easier than those who are starting from scratch. After learning its basic capabilities, the average learner can then build on this foundational knowledge and complete small projects. Individuals with prior experience working with tools like AutoCAD or BIM software will typically find that learning Revit is easier and faster than those who are new to CAD tools. 

Generally speaking, the most challenging aspect of learning Revit is transitioning from traditional drafting methods to using 3D parameters. When working with 3D models, even a minute change to a single element can have huge ramifications for the whole design. Beginners who are trying to learn how to navigate Revit’s interface while manipulating model elements at the same time will likely find this difficult.

The timeframe required to learn Revit is largely subjective to the individual. For most, it takes about a year to fully learn this software. Studying the basic features and layout of Revit requires about three months. Then, intermediate skills that build on this knowledge base will take another three or four months of study and practice. After the learner is able to complete small projects using Revit, they can then start tackling more advanced jobs. This phase of study requires about five or six additional months. Studying Revit for professional purposes is more challenging for the average student than learning its basic functions for personal use.

The best way to expedite the study process is to sign up for a program that provides guided learning in the live environment. Those who are interested in exploring CAD software can enroll in Noble Desktop’s AutoCAD Bootcamp or AutoCAD Masterclass. Both training options provide small class instruction and include a free retake option for up to a year.

What to Know Before Learning Revit

Before you get started learning Revit, you may wonder if there are any related skills or tools that you can study to expedite your training or make you a more well-rounded employee or job applicant. The following sections will take a brief look at what you can do to prepare to learn Revit, including studying basic computer literacy, other CAD software, and architectural design. 

Basic Computer Literacy

Although you don’t have to be a computer expert to use Autodesk Revit, you do need to have basic computer literacy to fully optimize this software. This includes familiarity with how to navigate interfaces, including their toolbar functions, menus, and standard window layouts, as well as a working understanding of how to use basic keyboard commands like paste, copy, and undo. Additionally, file management experience, including how to organize, open, save, and create files, is necessary to work with Revit. 

Knowledge of CAD Software

Computer-aided design (CAD) software is a computer program used by professionals like Engineers and Designers to render 2D and 3D digital models of various structures, components, or products. Using a computer to create and visualize designs is a much faster and more accurate way to create and edit precise drawings than would be possible by hand. The digital designs created with CAD software like AutoCAD, Revit, or Inventor can be edited and analyzed before it’s applied in the real world. 

Although knowledge of other CAD software like AutoCAD isn’t a formal requirement for studying Revit, these tools are often used alongside one another in a professional setting. AutoCAD and Revit are interoperable, which means the designs created in AutoCAD can be incorporated into Revit. For this reason, knowledge of different CAD tools can provide students with a fuller and more well-rounded skill set with which to approach construction-related projects. This training not only helps individuals create their own accurate drawings but add dimensions or make other alterations as they go, then visualize their design from different angles to ensure their creation is optimized before moving into the construction phase.

Basic Architectural DesignConcepts

A working knowledge of basic architectural theories and concepts is essential to learning Autodesk Revit. This includes familiarity with spatial relationships, design principles, construction methods, and building components. It’s also useful to be familiar with how Revit is used for BIM-related endeavors. The more prior knowledge the learner has about how buildings are constructed, the easier they’ll find it to model them in Revit. Since Revit incorporates a parametric modeling system, changing one element can affect the entire model. This is why Revit learners who know how the components of a building relate to one another will find it easier to use this software. Those who are new to the field of architecture can still learn Revit but may first need to brush up on basic design principles.

Learn Revit with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

VDCI's BIM Certificate program offers comprehensive training in Building Information Modeling through intensive, small-group classes led by industry expert instructors. Students master essential skills through hands-on experience with real-world commercial construction projects, learning everything from 3D modeling in Revit Architecture to creating detailed construction documentation and specializing in MEP or structural design. The program stands out for its practical approach and student-friendly policies, including free course retake options to ensure mastery of the material.

Noble Desktop offers several hands-on classes for those interested in learning how to work with AutoCAD. The AutoCAD Bootcamp provides learners with comprehensive training on basic techniques for drawing and modifying technical drawings, as well as how to use this software to make 2D drawings. During this program, students design and edit a basic drawing to practice with AutoCAD tools. This bootcamp is designed for PC users, though Mac users can attend this program live online.

Noble also has an AutoCAD Masterclass. This rigorous program provides small class instruction and is a great opportunity for learners to acquire in-depth AutoCAD skills. Coursework begins with an introduction to AutoCAD basics, such as how to navigate its interface, create basic drawings, and use core editing commands. Training then progresses into intermediate-level AutoCAD training that focuses on accurate positioning and effective working methods, such as how to use templates, layouts, and styles. In the final portion of this program, learners explore advanced topics like how to work with attributes, dynamic blocks, and tables. Those interested in sitting for the Autodesk Certified Professional in AutoCAD for Design & Drafting exam can enroll in Noble’s AutoCAD Certification. This rigorous class provides students with a combination of private tutoring and live AutoCAD training. 

All Noble courses are taught by expert instructors and include a free retake option for up to one year. Students can complete their training live online or attend classes in New York City.

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