I'm a extensive Revit user and can model and document pretty much anything in Revit. Revit requires a degree of rationalization. In other words, you build your model the same way you would build it in real life. This obviously is the best way to work as you address all the problems in the before it gets build. However, In the early design process, sometimes you want to do some fast form finding without really thinking how it ought to be build. Therefore, I'm looking for a software that is more geared towards this early design process to work in conjunction with Revit. Everyone here is a huge Rhino fan, but how about Maya? Or parametrically driven software like Inventor, Solidworks or Digital Projects?
I have to say Inventor and solidworks are not even options..I have used them in the past for designing products att past employers. They are great programs but not what you want to use. I have never used Digital project so I will not comment on that.
I have been A rhino User for about 3 + years, and Have Recently Started on Maya (for about 3 months+). Right of the back go With Rhino It has a very easy learning curve. Rhino imports well with Revit not too difficult to use. Besides Maya having a difficult learning curve it is not to architecture friendly in my opinion. Even though you plan to use it for conceptual modeling I would still say use Rhino, You can pretty much do anything you do on Maya in Rhino, Rhino is a great program with Strong Surfaces tools, Cage Deformers, and even T-Splines a subdivision surface modeler plugin. The Reason I am learning Maya is so that I can create strong animations. Rhino can do animations, but is a lot more limited in what you can do.
Importing Rhino into Revit is really easy you export as a dxf, then in Revit under the massing tools, you select the creat mass tool, then Instead of using revit to create your mass you import the dxf file that you created in Rhino.... pretty simple......
Personally, I prefer Maya for form finding -- Rhino looks like AutoCad in 3D, so for early form finding, you ill end up with something that looks like it was made by an engineer.
For more complete design tasks, I actually use both -- Maya for form finding, then take a volume into Rhino to make everything match and cut the funny holes (and generate basic plans, sections, and elevations), then back to maya for the simplicity and quality of the hypershade (I haven't had an opportunity to use Maxewell yet).
Rhino is an excellent tool because it's accurate and you can slice your model and import the sliced sections into Autocad for further documentation. However, Revit makes Rhino in that particular workflow obsolete. So it doesn't really matter what software you use, since you don't have to deal with vector lines in autocad.
Before Revit 2009, parametric software like DP, GC, Inventor or Solidworks, were a viable option to create complex geometry and import them as a sat files in Revit. Now that the API has been vastly extended you can create your ow macro's in Revit or use the built-in VSTA. So you can drive parameters though the API as you would do with DP, GC etc.
So, if you have a limited budget, i would just ad 3ds Max Design 2009 to the mix. You good enough for the obvious renderings and animations and use it to do some free form finding. Remember to always post rationalize the geometry in Revit through parameters instead of importing it. You want to be able to do iterations and keep he model light.
If you have some more cash to spend, ad rhino to your list. Keep in mind that cage modifiers and tools like the loft tool are being developed in Revit. So Rhino is cheap and easy enough to use for the time being.
yes i have imported many times cool shapes and used them in Revit.
why would you even consider Maya. sure i know it and learned it in school and do rigging and char. animation in it. but it is not for architecture and it is a autodesk product. (why use any more than you have to)
ps get rhino for 150$ just take any class and it is a full commercial license. the best policy on licensing i know of. and the support is rock solid 24/7.
Rhino or Maya to go along with Revit?
I'm a extensive Revit user and can model and document pretty much anything in Revit. Revit requires a degree of rationalization. In other words, you build your model the same way you would build it in real life. This obviously is the best way to work as you address all the problems in the before it gets build. However, In the early design process, sometimes you want to do some fast form finding without really thinking how it ought to be build. Therefore, I'm looking for a software that is more geared towards this early design process to work in conjunction with Revit. Everyone here is a huge Rhino fan, but how about Maya? Or parametrically driven software like Inventor, Solidworks or Digital Projects?
I have to say Inventor and solidworks are not even options..I have used them in the past for designing products att past employers. They are great programs but not what you want to use. I have never used Digital project so I will not comment on that.
I have been A rhino User for about 3 + years, and Have Recently Started on Maya (for about 3 months+). Right of the back go With Rhino It has a very easy learning curve. Rhino imports well with Revit not too difficult to use. Besides Maya having a difficult learning curve it is not to architecture friendly in my opinion. Even though you plan to use it for conceptual modeling I would still say use Rhino, You can pretty much do anything you do on Maya in Rhino, Rhino is a great program with Strong Surfaces tools, Cage Deformers, and even T-Splines a subdivision surface modeler plugin. The Reason I am learning Maya is so that I can create strong animations. Rhino can do animations, but is a lot more limited in what you can do.
Importing Rhino into Revit is really easy you export as a dxf, then in Revit under the massing tools, you select the creat mass tool, then Instead of using revit to create your mass you import the dxf file that you created in Rhino.... pretty simple......
Personally, I prefer Maya for form finding -- Rhino looks like AutoCad in 3D, so for early form finding, you ill end up with something that looks like it was made by an engineer.
For more complete design tasks, I actually use both -- Maya for form finding, then take a volume into Rhino to make everything match and cut the funny holes (and generate basic plans, sections, and elevations), then back to maya for the simplicity and quality of the hypershade (I haven't had an opportunity to use Maxewell yet).
Rhino is an excellent tool because it's accurate and you can slice your model and import the sliced sections into Autocad for further documentation. However, Revit makes Rhino in that particular workflow obsolete. So it doesn't really matter what software you use, since you don't have to deal with vector lines in autocad.
Before Revit 2009, parametric software like DP, GC, Inventor or Solidworks, were a viable option to create complex geometry and import them as a sat files in Revit. Now that the API has been vastly extended you can create your ow macro's in Revit or use the built-in VSTA. So you can drive parameters though the API as you would do with DP, GC etc.
So, if you have a limited budget, i would just ad 3ds Max Design 2009 to the mix. You good enough for the obvious renderings and animations and use it to do some free form finding. Remember to always post rationalize the geometry in Revit through parameters instead of importing it. You want to be able to do iterations and keep he model light.
If you have some more cash to spend, ad rhino to your list. Keep in mind that cage modifiers and tools like the loft tool are being developed in Revit. So Rhino is cheap and easy enough to use for the time being.
yes i have imported many times cool shapes and used them in Revit.
why would you even consider Maya. sure i know it and learned it in school and do rigging and char. animation in it. but it is not for architecture and it is a autodesk product. (why use any more than you have to)
ps get rhino for 150$ just take any class and it is a full commercial license. the best policy on licensing i know of. and the support is rock solid 24/7.
I second what Antisthenes said "the best policy on licensing i know of. and the support is rock solid 24/7."
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