Revit Etiquette: Becoming a Model Citizen
It's safe to say that many of us felt the paradigm shift from Revit first arriving on the scene as a replacement drafting software to becoming more of a carefully crafted environment—an ecosystem in which the project is reliant on the delicate balance of disciplines, teams and individuals doing their part to make their slice of the Revit community the best it can be.
Like it or not, as with any community, there's a code of conduct that comes with being a part of the Revit community. While projects do have BIM execution plans that clearly outline responsibilities, deliverables and other kinds of workflows, there is no singular document that explains the unspoken etiquette required to successfully work within this unique type of collaborative environment. Based on personal lessons learned, the following represent my Top 4 Revit etiquette tips that can help you to become a “Model Citizen.”
Look After Thy Neighbor
Let’s face it, Revit is hard. And while our college education helped us to attain a basic knowledge of this game-changing software, I’ve found that you truly don’t know how to get the most out of Revit until you're well into your career. On top of that, every firm has their own flavor of modeling standards, tools, plug-ins, and such. That’s why on-the-job training and coaching is essential to understanding and experiencing the trade secrets of “Reviting.” If you know somebody is new to their career or new to your firm, be a good neighbor and help them out as much as possible on their Revit journey. Direct them to internal and external training resources, introduce them to a subject matter expert, or simply make yourself available and accessible for any questions they may have.
On the flip side, as members of an ever-evolving industry, we learn something new every day. Maybe it's a purposeful endeavor to seek out answers for ourselves or our project team, or maybe it's more of a lessons-learned scenario. Either way, there are people who will benefit from your experiences with Revit. So, dust off your teaching skills and share your experiences! Have meetings, create presentations, speak at conferences, or write a delightfully upbeat blog post to name a few options.
Don't Be A Litter Bug
At some point, we've all come face to face with that dreaded “junky” model and know that it becomes impossible to work in without having to correct, move, hide or delete the remnants of someone else’s sloppy work. We should all strive to not be "that guy" on a project team—the one who leaves a Hansel-and-Gretel-style bread-crumb trail that leads to that very unfortunate place where another team member has to clean up after them—or the Revit outlaw who disregards standards and processes, turning the model into the wild, wild west with their unruly modeling.
We should all strive for tidy, consistent and organized model environments. And that responsibility starts and ends with you, dear Revit user! Stay in touch with the latest and greatest Revit best practices, workflows and tools that will ultimately help your team and your model be the best that it can be! You can easily stay on the straight and narrow by engaging with your project BIM manager.
Join the Neighborhood Watch
If you see something, say something! If you come across a straggling detail line or a family stranded on the Island of Misfit Families out in Revit space, be a good neighbor and take care of it. If a problem keeps recurring, you should feel empowered to call attention to it. That said, nobody likes a tattletale. After all, this is a neighborhood watch, not a model militia. We need to recognize that, more often than not, the reason behind sloppy modeling is simply a lack of awareness, a misguided approach, or even outdated information.
If we approach these corrections from a place of guidance and genuine concern for not only the model but also for our fellow teammates, there is a much better chance of the corrections being made. Who knows, you might have just tapped into an unrealized passion for BIM management thus broadening their career prospects. And that’s a big win-win for everyone!
All For One and One For All
It's easy to open a model and approach your to-do list for the day in full-on focus-mode, with your head down and your blinders on. As you’re working, however, there will most certainly come a time when you find yourself at a fork in the road and are forced to choose how you go about completing your assignment. One road is a shortcut to the finish line. But this shortcut means you leave the door open for reworks, blind spots, duplication of work or sloppiness. The other road, the one less traveled, isn't via a shortcut. In fact, it will take a little more time, attention and coordination, but in the end, that little bit of extra work produces an outcome that many members of your team will benefit from.
It should be obvious which path we should all choose, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. Ultimately, shortcuts and quick fixes benefit nobody, and almost always cause more problems down the line than they ever helped to solve originally.
So, when you find yourself at the next fork in the road and tempted to fake it until you make it with filled regions, override graphics or “hiding in view,” choose the path that will help your team and not just you. They are very likely doing the same for you.
