going to be using it in a class starting this week. looks alright.

Vasari is basically a stand alone version of the Conceptual Mass tools that are already available within Revit... there is an Analysis panel that utilizes the tools that are available via subscription in Revit 2011, the Conceptual Analysis Tools.

The added advantage comes when you realize that you can open Vasari files (which are native .rvt) in the project environment (as opposed to the conceptual mass environment) in full Revit.

It's kind of a Revit lite, and I have enjoyed working with it... but the limitations that continue to separate it from Sketchup such as the inability to model or manipulate items in a perspective view will make it difficult to be a serious 'competitor' to Sketchup. I have been training senior designers to work in Vasari to integrate their initial work into the project workflow with Revit, it seems less intimidating due to the smaller control panel and limited options.

I don't think the modeling is the thing to be talking about. Most website I have seen that have discussions on vasari only seem to focus on the modeling (the Revit lite). People don't seem to see the big picture - Vasari is opening a huge door for bim, energy modeling within Revit. This is huge - I have been experimenting with this tool since day one and have found it to be a great step forward. Still needs work, but shows that autodesk is looking in the right direction. It great for early perimeter core analysis - it is still very limited in custom inputs of systems and efficiencies, but the potential is there. It's capable of exporting to energyplus via .idf for advance detailed analysis. It can export into eQuest's detailed interface. Vasari is also capable of calculating incident solar radiation studies. Vasari is missing a daylighting componenet. But Autodesk labs has released a technology preview for a daylighting plugin for Revit. (for china only)
http://feedly.com/k/gN0XRi
So when you experiment with Vasari don't just check out the modeling look at the analysis tools.

And don't get stuck on the idea that energymodeling is just for engineers.

I have heard many times- people talking about high performance, but performance of skin or parametric studies. High performance is NOT about performing designs well but about designs that perform well!!


Fabian

Thanks Difficultfix. I was wondering about the energy modeling tool more specifically, as it doesn't seem like the modelling has much more to offer than what Michael brought-up. I'm not sure what I can use it for that I can't do already with regular Revit.

I'm completely inexperienced w/ energy modelling but eager to learn. I'd like to actually try and use some energy modelling on an early-stage project I'm working on and Vasari seems like it could be good for someone like me who hasn't used and doesn't have access to ecotect. Even if I just got some interesting diagrams out of it for this round, I'd be pretty excited. Thanks for the info and I'll be spending some time this week working with it. It will be very interesting to see if Autodesk decides to really push/develop the product.

One question, 3dsMax also has energy modelling tools, no? I thought I saw a vid somewhere on Autodesk's website that was pushing using 3ds as an energy modeler. Any chance you've played around w/ both yet? Was amazed the other day with how easy it is to drop the Revit model into 3ds max and crank out some really nice renderings.

what are the differences between google sketch up, autodesk sketchup pro, and auto desk sketchup book designer? so many programs with the word sketchup its starting to get confusing

3DS Max does not have energy modeling tools, unless there is some odd plugin that I am not familiar with... the energy modeling tools that are packaged within Vasari are considered dubious at best by building science experts that I have spoken to. The ability to export to .idf or eQuest as difficultfix points out is more promising for accurate results.

The analysis tools are similar to what can be developed from Ecotect and Green Building Studio. The previous workflow of building in revit, making 'rooms' and then exporting to a GBXML file for analysis was very messy and had a lot of problems, so I am excited to see a direct link within the program.

I have not heard of any energy analysis plugin for max, but i have heard of a daylighting plugin (Radiance). I don't Use 3d Max so I can't really comment on that. I am huge rhino user - do see these interest of performance modeling starting to leak there. Diva-for-rhino is an example of that. A group of individuals from the GSD's sustainable design program have released diva which is a radiance/ daysim plugin for rhino. I have also heard rumors of a potential energyplus plugin for rhino - which would be awesome.

Inregards to Vasari
I work for a green building consultancy that focuses on High performance design, energy efficiency and the process toward achieving Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB). So I know Vasari is not there yet. It's very limited in the inputs of Hvac & constructions, it also does not allow for identification of zones, and it's not capable of parametric runs / or energy efficiency measures (EEMs). But like I mentioned before it's a point in the right direction. Currently energy modeling tools (energyplus, IESve) looking to be used with BIM require major cleanup work after being exported (gbxml) from Revit. So the fact that Vasari is introducing this idea to Revit is great.
Other energymodeling tools such as equest and energypro aren't even capable of recognizing gbxml.

So it will be great to see how these tools evolve

i downloaded vasari, and figured out the answer to the question i posed about the different sketch programs, basically autodesk sketch is a glorified version of photoshop, on a tablet.