Architecture workspace in MEP

[hertz hound]

I am ready to give Revit another try now that I have some time. I want to try a different book this time. I was looking at a revit fundamentals book for architecture, "Revit architecture: no experience required". I was thinking I would like to start there even though my end goal is MEP.

 

My question is, will this book be hard to follow if I have Revit MEP and/or is there a way to change the user interface to Architecture. I know they are the same program like AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP are the same. But with AMEP you can change the user interface to be one or the other.

 

Edit: I have the old 2012 MEP suite that has Revit MEP and AutoCAD MEP bundled together, they don't offer that anymore. Now you have to buy the design suit premimum to get the two. It is more money but you do get Navis.

 

Thanks

[tzframpton]

I am ready to give Revit another try now that I have some time. I want to try a different book this time. I was looking at a revit fundamentals book for architecture, "Revit architecture: no experience required". I was thinking I would like to start there even though my end goal is MEP.

Glad you are getting back into using Revit.

 

My question is, will this book be hard to follow if I have Revit MEP and/or is there a way to change the user interface to Architecture. I know they are the same program like AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP are the same. But with AMEP you can change the user interface to be one or the other.

Let me clear one thing up for you. Revit.... is Revit. There is no difference between the three flavors as far as platform goes. The only difference is that certain tools are enabled/disabled per flavor, but that has now changed as consumers can now buy what's being called "Revit OneBox" where all three disciplines are wrapped into one package.

 

To answer your question though, is absolutely yes. You can (and should) use the Architectural fundamentals as training because to be completely honest, before you ever hit the MEP specific stuff you need to know the way Revit works. The only real difference between the down-n-dirty MEP tools in Revit MEP is the connectors in the Family Editor, Mechanical Settings, and all the calculation tools for loads, etc. Other than that you'll see practically zero difference between Revit Architecture and Revit MEP. In fact, MEP specific things technically should be about the last thing you should be covering, although it's certainly okay to dip off into the MEP tools as you're learning.

 

Attached is a ZIP file of some general Revit information and older MEP Autodesk University stuff (that still applies) that I've accumulated through the years. I still keep it around just to pass on to people in need:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4989089/Images/cadtutor/2013-05-30/Revit_Material.zip

 

The Revit Formulas document is more advanced stuff, so don't worry about that for now. When you start getting into Family Creation, print it out and keep it by your desk.

 

Revit will definitely seem like it's putting the hurt on you at first, but be patient and come to this board often, and be ready to just "accept" things you cannot change, and don't get frustrated when you can't change something. The way AutoCAD handles things is based on decades of hand-drafting practices and Revit considers some things, but for the most part Revit makes you put away what you're used to and get into the 21st century. BIM is where it's at!!

 

Have fun.

[hertz hound]

Thanks for the advice and the files.

 

The switch from ACAD to AMEP was not too bad because I had the ACAD core down. The switch to Revit I can see will be much different.

 

I really don't need to know much about the MEP stuff because I don't have to calculate loads or anything like that, I just have to get the stuff to fit without any hits. So after the core is learned, and I can get it on paper, I Just need to learn building custom parts with connectors and to route conduit. Pipe routing seemed similar to AMEP.

 

Another thing that is going to be tough is going to be not letting go of ACAD. It will probably be used for work for a while since they do not have Revit. From what I have read this is something you have to switch to and not look back.

[tzframpton]

You are electrical, correct? I always assume you are HVAC design. If so, the Electrical Conduit tools are much easier and better than the Piping and HVAC tools. But, that's only relative to the way Revit works, not AutoCAD MEP. When compared to AutoCAD MEP, then AMEP still trumps Revit when you want to just "draw" in 3D.

 

Not letting go of AutoCAD is usually the hardest part, but as things begin to make sense in Revit, when you open up AutoCAD you reeeeeally want those simple little things Revit does so easily but you can't. That's when you know you've made the transition.