Humans first struck branches to start fires. Later, tallow tapers glowed in homes and temples. Then, hearths flickered across parlors, their smoking chimneys fashioning city skylines. Finally, the lightbulb emerged. Tungsten filaments illuminated industrial society. Unpredictable, crackling fire was replaced, encased in glass. Labor was no longer bridled by nightfall. With a switch, miniature suns could be controlled by hand.
So, why reinvent the incandescent bulb? Dark boulevards are now lit with LED streetlights, which are prudent implements with long lives that reduce maintenance costs. Liquid crystal displays–our laptop screens–require CCFLs, tiny backlights connecting the world. Efficiency, energy laws, and advancements have called for specialized emissions.
Autodesk® Revit® is the incandescent bulb. It has revolutionized architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) by introducing Building Information Modeling (BIM) to Computer-Aided Design (CAD), allowing users to draft 3D models of structures using a computer.
But like the tungsten lamp, Revit has its shortcomings. Fortunately, CTC Software’s specialized BIM Suites fill in Revit’s gaps, bolstering a more intuitive and effective platform, which translates into a greater ROI for you and your firm. Reach out to our team to learn more about the benefits of custom Revit tools for specialized project needs.
From CAD to BIM: Illuminating the Possibilities in AEC Design
CAD was to architects what Microsoft Word™ has been to authors–drafting became more manageable and faster, but bringing a project to fruition takes more than that. There is a bottleneck effect if the professionals downstream from the plan’s originator cannot interact with the draft as it is being finalized.
Additionally, the design process is not linear. If an engineer deems an architect’s CAD-generated blueprint unsustainable in light of a parcel’s topography on which a building is to be constructed, the architect will be forced to redraft.
BIM aims to address these inefficiencies, which extend building deadlines and compound costs. BIM plus CAD (i.e., AutoCAD® in Autodesk®) gives rise to Revit®. This combination still helps architects create 3D models of their ideas and garner information on how features of these representations work collectively.
On a grander scale, AEC professionals, from engineers to urban planners and interior designers to construction managers, can visualize this data electronically. Another benefit of custom Revit tools is that information stored in internal programs, such as Autodesk Civil 3D®, as well as external sources, like Microsoft Excel™, can correspond with BIM. This interconnectivity puts every project contributor on the same page, so problems are spotted earlier, and decisions are grounded in quality data.
CTC Software Suites for Customizing Revit Tools
Just as laptops needed specialized liquid crystal displays to light up their screens, each AEC project is unique and demands customized devices beyond standard Revit options. CTC Software’s BIM Suites provide customization opportunities.
Two such Suites are the BIM Batch Suite™ and the BIM Project Suite™.
CTC Software’s BIM Batch Suite focuses on automation-driven speed. Whether it is the Family Exporter™ tool, which reflexively uses exportable family categories and geometry to organize folders, or the Project Processor™ tool, which applies new standards across Revit models without manual revision, the BIM Batch Suite is dedicated to saving you time.
The BIM Project Suite by CTC Software is chock-full of powerful extensions accessible to users of assorted Revit skill levels. This Suite operates within the Revit microcosm to automate burdensome work, export data held in Revit models, and troubleshoot real-life situations virtually. As an example, the Revision Manager™ tool can track revisions to Revit figures so that uniformity can be enforced, and construction managers can extract information into user-friendly formats.
CTC Software also offers the BIM Manager™ and BIM Data Suites™, in addition to Nexus Suite™, a content management collection for designers and the AEC teams that materialize their dreams. Revit add-ins across suites can be strategically selected and integrated to customize Revit capabilities.
Functionality Versus Efficiency: How CTC Software Impacts ROI
BIM-based Revit, that incandescent bulb, is a beacon of progress in the AEC field. But functionality does not always equate to efficiency.
Explore how CTC Software’s BIM Suites increase Revit productivity by engaging with our ROI calculator and “Products” tab. The calculator considers your construction plan’s specialized needs, and a deeper dive into CTC Software Suites for Autodesk Revit will reveal choices for customization that will take your project from functional to efficient.
