Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro vs. Revit

It is very efficient to set up projects using configurable templates for files, issues, and roles. Data management is easy to be understood by many users. As we have multiple users that are located in different areas in the world, it allows managing multi-discipline teams in only one environment. Clash analysis on shared models saves us time too.

Incentivized

Revit is well suited for creating collaborative projects that are fully integrated into the design and construction document process. We work a lot with engineering firms who also use Revit and the program allows us to fully integrate and coordinate our models together to make sure that everything is correct. I can see where my electrical engineer has placed lighting into the model and same with my mechanical engineer and their HVAC equipment

Incentivized

• Live updates between design teams. This keeps the team up to date for quicker design and frees up personnel from having to do file transfers.
• The cloud-based platform gives your company a little bit of a break on computer requirements.
• Allows multiple offices and/or cloud-based consultants to collaborate on a design as if they are one office or one company.

Incentivized

• Revit has the capability to design a wide range of unique details, which allows us to model exactly what is going to be built.
• This program is compatible with several BIM programs, allowing coordination with trades that may not be using the program.
• The sheets are easy to set up, and finding contract drawings in a list of sheets is simple.

Incentivized

• Bim360 is extremely unintuitive and frequently confusing to end users.
• There are multiple avenues of sharing and collaboration for models and information. The advantages/disadvantages of each and how to perform even the most basic of tasks requires extensive training and mentoring for even the most advanced of users.
• There are many enormous limitations and constraints to BIM 360 that are not immediately obvious and even contrary to published marketing materials and even product naming.
• Development cycles of the product are seemingly monthly, but incredibly minor. This makes the desperately-needed and glaringly obvious massive usability, capability, and performance improvements into deal-breakers and hair pulling events. Change cannot come fast enough.
• There are no integrations into Microsoft's Azure AD SSO or other 3rd party SSOs available for SMBs. This makes the provided MFA a huge headache for all SMBs.
• There are no integrations into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem for SharePoint/OneDrive or Outlook. This is desperately needed for most organizations using Bim360.

Incentivized

• Revit is a very complex application with lots features. Autodesk the makers of Revit should simplify these tools to make it easier for the end user to learn & apply.
• Revit is missing some key functionality in the area of being able to duplicate drawings on the sheet level. Though there are macros offered by third parties, this should be really built-in to the product.
• Revit does not support the very popular PDF format. So currently there is no option to attach or link a PDF file into Revit.

Incentivized

We will almost certainly be renewing all of our current seats of Revit and will likely be adding seats as we look to get more and more of our staff trained and using Revit. The software is starting to become the standard for our projects as we move forward as more and more of our clients are requesting or accepting use of it

Incentivized

It's not very difficult to use for majority of all our users. We really like storing and managing all our project data in one location so users have only one option to access the requested information. Managing our architectural engineering projects with two workflows in one system is really a good asset

Incentivized

It is a professional environment, but far from easy and overly complex in many places. The system is often too deep in settings and overrides (see Visibility/Graphics in combination with linked files, filters, color overrides and view templates). I don't really like the dialog-in-dialog interface and its spartan looks. But it works well overall if you know what you are doing.

Incentivized

Revit seems to always be available when I need it. I have not experiences an outage. There are occasions where we need our internal IT department to trouble shoot a file on our Revit dedicated server and that sometimes causes a delay however that is not a software access issue

Incentivized

Revit is a fairly graphics heavy piece of software. It is powerful in its capabilities but as a result it takes a lot of the graphics card, the memory, etc. For all that it can do and the specs of my computer I find it pretty good from a performance standpoint

Incentivized

AutoDesk support is slow and if you are not an enterprise customer they will likely tell you to go to forums and post for help pushing the support on the high-level end-users (some of which are AutoDesk employees). I haven't actually had issues requiring support with docs altough there are some features I wish it had

Incentivized

Autodesk has always had a good support system in place. There is a massive user base for Revit, and there are thousands of forum threads and other discussions online about any and every problem that you could ever run into. For being such a large program with so many different options, there aren't many roadblocks or pitfalls that users can fall into.

Incentivized

The training was Revit Essentials and it was very beneficial. I would say that it is best to get the training right before you know you will be using Revit as learning the basis then applying what you learned immediately is the most effective and best value for your money.

Incentivized

The online training is hit or miss. I feel that its better to be live to be able to pace and ask questions to a live person as you are learning hwo to do things. Its not natural to learn Revit especially if you know AutoCAD so my suggestion is the live training

Incentivized

Implementing Revit as your main drafting software (i.e. moving to BIM from CAD) may be a tough decision if you have learned drafting. It is a different way to approach and think about developing a project. However, if you are able to adapt to a new way of thinking and get used to it by working through a few projects than it is as efficient as CAD in most areas in general and will also be both better/worse in some areas

Incentivized

Personally I prefer Procore for reviewing submittals and other documentation for LEED purposes only because that platform holds more of the information we are looking for like drawings as well, all in one place. Newforma has been used from time to time, but Autodesk is preffered to that because of its straightforward nature. Overall, we use the platform that our projects are already using, but they do make a small difference in the time and effectiveness of which we are able to do our job as consultants.

Incentivized

Revit is specifically for the design and documentation of buildings. As Revit's predecessor, AutoCAD has similar functionality for creating construction documents but Revit has the advantage of speed and simultaneously creating a 3D model when drawing walls, rooms, and floors which allows for the creation of 3D views and sections later with less effort. SketchUp can also be used for designing buildings but Revit allows for more specificity earlier in the process as opposed to SketchUp's general massing

Incentivized

While I am not directly involved with the deployment of Revit, it seems that our internal IT department has appreciated the ability to increase or decrease the number of seats. I have never had an issue with the deployment if and when needed, especially regarding the availability of a set

Incentivized

• Well, I would say it's helpful for me to exchange different models with different specifications.
• Number of people can work and also characterized models based on its modelling.
• Even if a number of people are working, none of the models get disturbed, which is one of the most important points of BIM.

Incentivized

• Revit is included in our AEC Collection. I find the cost of my suite affordable for what I am getting. The true cost of Revit is not found in the license cost, but in the training, SOPs and content management. We get our ROI from flushing out design errors/omissions which can add up to a large number. One issue can easily cost the project 10-100k depending on the issue. I see no reason anyone would find it challenging to get ROI from integrating 3d modeling in your business development.
• Revit really is the foundation of content creation. If we didnt use Revit, it would be hard to claim we have a functioning BIM/VDC department. I would question any AEC professional that claims they can perform VDC and does not know how to use Revit.

Incentivized