CAD to Revit Transition
Why Adopt Revit?
Unlock automations and collaboration
Switching from CAD to Revit is no easy task. It takes a detailed plan, converting assets so that they are ready when needed, and project-specific training.
Despite the challenges, transitioning from AutoCAD to Revit brings significant advantages and opportunities for design professionals. The shift to BIM and parametric design fosters collaboration, improves project efficiency and enhances the overall quality of the design and construction process.
Why do it with LVL8?
Get Revit’s benefits early.
Start Small.
1 Small Team
1 Small Project
LVL8 strives to make the transition from CAD to Revit sustainable so that the impact on your business is kept to a minimum. We do this by breaking down the process into phases and bringing you the many advantages of using Revit very early on in the process. This way you will be able to offset the expenses that come with training and standard development.
The transition does not have to happen overnight. Many firms start the development and training with a small team, to keep any risk to a minimum, and then scale from there. A small first pilot project will give the necessary lessons learned that will prompt adjustments to the new standards and workflows. On top of that, even when reaching 100% production staff adoption, firms may still evaluate whether to use AutoCAD on certain projects depending on the size or type.
Below are some opportunities and challenges compared with AutoCAD to consider. We can help you navigate both and tackle the challenges specifically.
Opportunities by phase.
PHASE 1
EASE OF PRINTING
AUTOMATIONS
SMART TAGS
PARAMETRIC DESIGN
TWO-WAY EXCEL DATA LINK
REAL TIME AREA READINGS
VIEWS UPDATE IN REAL TIME
SOLAR STUDIES
EFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION
HATCH PATTERN FROM SKETCH
SMART SCHEDULES
DATA-DRIVEN DESIGN
ENHANCED COLLABORATION
QUANTITY TAKEOFFS
VISUALIZATION
ACCESS HIGH PROFILE WORK
Challenges.
STANDARD ASSET CONVERSION
LEARNING CURVE
PHASE 2
SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
PHASE 3
Having done this for years, we can help you with each one of these challenges. For more info, see our strategy below.
DESIGN IN 3 DIMENSIONS
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
WALKTHROUGH AND VR
CLASH DETECTION
BUILD FROM MODELS
FILE INTEROPERABILITY
Phases of Adoption
Phase 1 - 2D Documentation.
Model the essentials in 3D and focus on recreating the same drawings you are drafting in CAD. Working with Revit’s smart objects will allow you to start taking advantage of time savings and automations with minimal time investment. The goal is minimize the additional time required to use the tool for the first time on a project and then let the time savings offset the remainder.
For example only focus on: Floor and Ceiling Plans, Elevations, Sections, and Details. Leave 3D visualization, schedules, and other items that you wouldn’t do in AutoCAD for the next phase.
Once your team becomes more comfortable in Revit, you can explore more featuresDesign and produce 3D content as needed based on your goals (e.g. Construction Drawings).
Phase 2 - Intermediate Revit
SMART SCHEDULES
VISUALIZATION
DATA-DRIVEN DESIGN
Phase 3 - Full Revit workflow.
AUTOMATED QUANTITY TAKEOFFS
REAL TIME COLLABORATION
CLASH DETECTION
Take full advantage of Revit as a parametric tool with a database, refine your overall documentation workflow to use its data.
Our Strategy.
Implementation plans vary depending on each firm, however, this is the overall strategy we always start from.
Revit adoption feasibility. Can Revit make your team more efficient and elevate the quality of your work over CAD?
Revit Template Development. We can convert your current CAD standards and content so your deliverables are consistent.
Standard Detail Library. We can help you convert your standard details to Revit parametric details.
Standard workflows and Reference Guides.
Staff Training.
