Introduction Welcome to the first edition of Mastering Revit Architecture , based on the Revit Architecture 2008 release. This is the second book we’ve written for you. The feedback we received for our first book, Introducing Revit Architecture 2008 (Wiley, 2007) , was so stimulating that we decided to invest some more time in writing a second, more comprehensive and in-depth book to share more of what we know about Revit with you. Writing this book has been another great experience. We’ve enjoyed the synergy of three friends, three designers, three educators, three authors collaborating to bring this project into reality. But mostly, we were all driven by the feeling that we’re doing something important: sharing knowledge and best practices about Revit and Building Information Modeling (BIM) to those who have already been acquainted with its incredible power and feel the need to go deeper and further to fully leverage its abilities and values. We want to help you make better designs and be more efficient in creating correct documentation and put some fun back into using software. We wanted to make a book that is as much about architectural design and practice as it is about software. We think we’ve succeeded, because the book follows real-life workflows and scenarios; it’s full of real-world examples that show how to use Revit practically and creatively. Who Should Read This Book This book is written for architects who have already gotten their feet wet with Revit and are eager to learn more so they can optimize workflow and leverage the full power of this tool. It’s for architects of any generation—you don’t need to be a high-tech wizard to dive into this book. However, a basic understanding of Revit will make it easier to work through the book. Revit is very rich, and the topics we’ve selected include both the areas most widely used and those least understood. Many more books need to be written to cover the entire world of Revit. This book is also for the seasoned user who has already received training or has started work- ing on projects with Revit and is looking to discover useful best practices and tips that will make the work on a project smoother and the implementation easier. We’ve added many timesaving and inspiring concepts to the book, supported with examples from architect friends and col- leagues from all around the world, to motivate you and help you on your journey into the new era of Building Information Modeling. The book also offers insights for BIM managers into the best practices for creating good project or office templates; these managers should also take a sneak peek into the powerful world of building content and Revit families. 44831flast.fm Page xxi Friday, October 12, 2007 8:13 AM Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. xxii INTRODUCTION What You Will Learn This book will help you take the basics of Revit and BIM that you already know and grow those skills by using real-world examples. It is intended to go beyond an introduction to Revit. Thus, we won’t be starting a project from scratch and teaching you how to build a simplified BIM model from the ground up (if you are interested in that approach, please see Introducing Revit Architecture 2008 (Wiley, 2007) , which is meant to be complementary to this book). Instead, we show you how to take a very preliminary model and add layers of intelligence to help analyze and augment your designs. Our book begins with a brief overview of the BIM approach. As you are already aware, BIM is more than just a change in software; it’s a change in architectural workflow and culture. To lever- age the full advantages of both BIM and Revit in your office structure you will need to make some changes to your practice, and the book is designed around an ideal, integrated workflow to help you make this transition. Starting with the workflows for conceptual design and feasibility studies, it continues through best practices for design iteration and refinement. You’ll learn about powerful modeling techniques, design documentation, presentation graphics, and some strategies for sustainable design. The book concludes with a chapter on troubleshooting and best practices so you can avoid common pitfalls. But throughout the book we’ve tried to share our practical experience with you, particularly in the form of Real-World Scenario sidebars. Whether you’re studying Revit on your own or in a class or training program, you can use the Master It questions in the Bottom Line section at the end of each chapter to test your mastery of the skills you’ve learned. Also featured is a color project gallery containing inspirational Revit projects. All the tutorial files necessary to complete the book’s exercises plus sample families are hosted online at www.sybex.com/go/masteringrevit2008 . To download the trial version of Revit Architecture, go to www.autodesk.com/revitarchitecture , where you’ll also find complete system requirements for running Revit. Enjoy! Revit has changed our lives. Maybe it will change yours as well. We welcome your feedback! Please feel free to email us at GoRevit@gmail.com . Go Revit! Tanja, Greg, and Eddy 44831flast.fm Page xxii Friday, October 12, 2007 8:13 AM Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. . Introduction Welcome to the first edition of Mastering Revit Architecture , based on the Revit Architecture 2008 release. This is. www.sybex.com/go/masteringrevit2008 . To download the trial version of Revit Architecture, go to www.autodesk.com/revitarchitecture , where you’ll also