AutoCAD and Revit are widely used by architecture and engineering companies when designing buildings . Both software packages can be used to create construction plans, but there are important differences as well. AutoCAD and Revit are often seen as competing products, but they actually complement each other and are both provided by Autodesk.
The main difference between these programs is that AutoCAD is a drafting tool , which represents buildings based on their geometry. On the other hand, Revit is a modeling tool where building components are identified by their function and the model can include technical specifications and pricing data.
- For example, air ducts in AutoCAD are simply lines representing dimensions and layout.
- On the other hand, Revit can identify ducts as components of the HVAC system, with their corresponding specifications.
Thanks to these features, Revit can be used as a Building Information Modeling (BIM) tool, something that is not possible with AutoCAD.
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AutoCAD and Revit: brief history of each software
AutoCAD has been around longer than Revit – the first version was released by Autodesk in 1982. Since then, AutoCAD has been regularly updated, and newer versions include cloud storage and mobile compatibility. Having existed for almost four decades, AutoCAD has positioned itself as the market leader among drawing software.
The first version of Revit was released in 2000 by Revit Technology Corporation and its name is a contraction of “review this” . Revit goes beyond simple drawing, allowing the creation of intelligent building models in a virtual environment. Autodesk purchased Revit Technology Corporation in 2002 after realizing the potential of the software package.
AutoCAD Overview
AutoCAD can be described as a digital drafting tool, which means designs are represented geometrically. For the program, all components of the building are geometric figures and there is no data about their physical properties or how they interact.
- Suppose you have four separate views of the same building.
- Since you are using a geometric representation, updating one view does not affect the others.
- To reflect a change, each view must be edited individually.
For this reason, AutoCAD is effective for 2D drawings and precise lines, but strictly speaking, it is not a construction modeling tool. AutoCAD can also create 3D models and renderings, but they are still geometric models without component information.
When designing with AutoCAD, coordination between engineering teams is very important as all changes must be updated individually. Before making any modifications, you should check that it will not conflict with build systems designed by other teams.
When is AutoCAD recommended?
AutoCAD is effective when working with renovations and improvements to existing buildings where the original construction plans were also drawn up in 2D. The software offers excellent compatibility between versions from different years and working with files from previous versions is not a problem. Property managers and engineering firms often have large databases of AutoCAD files (DWG format), and creating Revit models for all of these projects can take many hours of work.
- Newer versions of AutoCAD offer PDF integration, a very useful feature when existing construction plans are not available in DWG format.
- AutoCAD can import PDF files and convert them to DWG, identifying lines and text.
- AutoCAD also supports cloud-based sharing of views, and views can be viewed by other team members without installing the software.
- AutoCAD now supports 3D printing, which simplifies prototyping.
Revit Overview
Revit is a much more powerful software capable of creating 3D building models. These are not limited to geometry, including the physical properties of components and their interactions. Revit also makes modifications easier, as all project teams work on the same model.
- For example, if a plumbing change overlaps with HVAC installations, Revit can detect the conflict immediately and notify designers.
- Managing changes in Revit is much simpler, as modifications are reflected in all existing views. In AutoCAD, design engineers may need to update multiple files if there are any changes.
- This is a big advantage of Revit, and project documents can be completed faster.
Revit is also useful for taking materials or preparing a design proposal. Because the model contains technical specifications and component prices, it can automatically generate cost schedules.
The main limitation of Revit is that the building model follows a set of rules, and this rigidity applies to 2D views and sketches. When working exclusively with lines, AutoCAD gives you more flexibility to modify views as needed.
When is Revit recommended?
As Revit is a BIM tool, it is useful in planning, designing, constructing and operating new buildings. Even after the project is complete, having a Revit model simplifies maintenance and future updates. The benefits of using Revit become more evident as the project scale increases:
- When designing with just AutoCAD, an architectural change can require modifications to dozens of 2D plans.
- In Revit, views update automatically and MEP engineers can focus on optimizing building systems.
- Layout modifications and clashes are automatically managed in the background by Revit.
Using Revit successfully in your projects
Because AutoCAD is almost 20 years older than Revit, it is more popular and many engineering companies use it as their standard drafting tool. However, the commercial construction industry is evolving rapidly and companies that ignore trends like BIM do so at their own risk.
AutoCAD will continue to be a key element of the design engineer's toolkit, thanks to its versatility and compatibility with legacy DWG files. Engineering companies tend to accumulate a large volume of design files, and converting them all to Revit can require excessive man-hours. Ideally, Revit should be adopted as a new design tool rather than a complete replacement for AutoCAD. Below are some recommendations for adopting it with minimal disruption:
- Autodesk training programs are helpful because a trial-and-error approach can be frustrating and time-consuming. Autodesk offers tutorials for design engineers to learn at their own pace, along with courses and certifications.
- If you have ongoing projects where design work was completed with AutoCAD, leave them that way unless there is a significant benefit in converting to Revit.
- There will be a learning curve: design engineers will not become Revit experts immediately. However, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial effort.
When implementing Revit, you must also ensure that your network resources are up to date. As a tool with BIM capabilities, Revit consumes more data than AutoCAD.
The latest versions of AutoCAD and Revit have cloud computing capabilities where key project files are hosted in a web database. This makes work more efficient by avoiding the confusion of managing multiple file versions. These features also simplify remote collaboration between architects and engineers.
Commercial Construction Trends and the Role of Revit
Technological development has created construction systems that were unimaginable a few decades ago. This improves the building's performance, but the engineering design also becomes more complex. Interactions between these high-tech systems can only be modeled with a BIM-compatible tool such as Revit, and conventional drafting tools such as AutoCAD may be insufficient.
The following are some technologies that are revolutionizing the commercial construction industry, and Revit can be a powerful tool for their successful integration into buildings.
Distributed Energy Resources
For more than a century, the role of buildings in the energy sector has been solely that of consumers. However, technologies such as solar panels and wind turbines have allowed them to become small-scale producers. Renewable generation systems can be combined with energy storage technologies, which guarantee energy supply even when there is no generation:
- Smart batteries like Tesla Powerwall and Powerpack
- Hydrogen electrolysis and fuel cells, which provide electricity and heating
- Thermal storage, which can use high or low temperatures. Hot water can be stored in insulated tanks to provide heating at any time, and chillers can be combined with ice tanks to store BTUs of cooling.
These technologies are known as distributed energy resources (DER), and BIM is a useful tool for their design, specification and integration with construction systems.
The Internet of Things and Visible Light Communication
The Internet is expanding beyond computers and mobile devices, and connectivity is included in devices such as air conditioners and lighting fixtures. LED lighting will soon include communication capabilities, where data is transmitted with pulses of light instead of Wi-Fi signals – this concept is called Visible Light Communication (VLC). This is a promising technology as light pulses can transmit data faster than WiFi signals.
With technologies like VLC and IoT, the number of interactions between building systems will increase substantially. These systems can be designed more easily with a BIM approach, which is possible with Revit.
Conclusion
AutoCAD and Revit are powerful engineering tools that are commonly viewed as competing products. By deploying both software solutions, an engineering firm is better equipped for projects of any type. Cloud computing features in the latest versions of these programs make teamwork easier, enabling remote collaboration and eliminating the hassle of distributing project files via email or USB drives.
