Questions in Revit: Follow the Process
Thank goodness Autodesk® Revit® cleverly asks users questions that guide decisions. It’s when questions are ignored and the process breaks down that consequences follow.
The movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is about a human’s life in reverse. Unfortunately in architecture, no project starts at completion and then ends with the Request for Proposal. That would simply not work. Yet for some reason architects seem too often to want to skip steps in the process, jumping from A all the way to Z and not thinking about B to Y.
Revit is based on a simple understanding of processes, which are continually presenting themselves through Revit’s user interface. Changes will happen in a project—this is unavoidable—which simply means that a new process (or series of questions) will begin in conjunction with the already established process, which may or may not be revised.
Through reviewing the simple creation of a Revit family, this article will demonstrate how Revit addresses the planning process and how this basic idea is repeated and evident throughout its functions and features.
What We Learn from a Simple Base Cabinet Family
1. Type of Family
Before the mouse is clicked, Revit has already presented a question, or the first step in the process of creating a family. Is this base cabinet wall based? Floor based? Surface based? And it can go on and on. Based on one decision, certain functions of this family are assigned. Revit presents questions to help keep the users on track. It’s like a guardian angel of the model—not telling you what to do, but rather presenting the options available to consider before making a decision.
Brainstorm before Beginning
2. Family Flexibility (Parameters)
Parameters are all about control and flexibility. Parameters in a family are asking: what might be required to change or adjust in this component within the project environment? The height, width, depth, material, and visibility are only a few of the many parameter options.
It is understandable that as a project develops, a family might need additional parameters previously not required. This change should not cause alarm; it is simply a reason to review the current condition and plan what course of action is required to successfully achieve the new requirement.
Revit wants the users to pause and think before creating. Dare I say, pick up a pen and paper and sketch out the intent and analyze the best action. Instead of making rash decisions, take the time to plan what is the best course of action given all the known factors. This “pause” should not be considered a waste of time or unnecessary. If efficiency and saving time is important (this is for most businesses), then this planning step should not be skipped.
Like this base cabinet family in Revit, projects will most likely require a change or changes. Pause, Plan, and then Proceed.
Figure 1
3. Building the Family
Now that there is an understanding of how the family needs to adapt, how should this component be built? Revit provides many ways to accomplish the goal. It’s up to the user(s) to determine which option makes the most sense. This is where differences of opinion can be a hurdle. People have preferences, but the conversation should be about a team consensus. A difference of opinion should always be welcomed, but it should never be the cause of delay. In the base cabinet example, which orientation should an extrusion be created, will voids be utilized, and will there be nested families are only a few of the questions to discuss among the team. Conversation, Consensus, then Create.
Figure 2
4. Using the Model
Although the family might be already loaded into the project, what information does that family contain and how is the information being shared in the documentation? Is the family being tagged? If tagged, what information does the tag convey? It should come as no surprise that questions are again being asked. Revit follows a simple rule: we must know the what, to determine the how, to act.
Figure 3
Conclusion
Frustration with Revit occurs when the user(s) want to skip steps (i.e., ignore the process). So the next time a team faces a challenge and points the finger at Revit, maybe the team will pause and begin to consider the questions previously ignored and change their course of action.
As a “younger” design professional at RTKL Associates in Chicago, Kaitlin McVehil is passionate about sharing knowledge with fellow professionals, but more importantly listening and learning from others. She has worked on a variety of project types, scales, and the challenges unique to each. Kaitlin excels at taking responsibility for her work and actions. As Kaitlin gains valuable architectural experience, she has learned that being responsible, even for mistakes, is where we learn the most.
