Can we talk about the push for 3D modeling over 2D drafting for everything?

I just finished a simple site plan update that took three times longer in Revit than it would have in AutoCAD. The extra detail for a basic boundary and building footprint was just not needed. When do you think a 2D approach is actually the better tool for the job?

3 comments

3 Comments

bell.laura2mo ago

You might be using the wrong tool within Revit. For a simple site plan, you should be drafting in a 2D detail view or on a drafting sheet, not modeling the topography in 3D. That's the real time sink. In my experience, the push is for a coordinated model, but not every single view needs to be a live model cut. Sometimes a 2D detail placed on top is the right answer, even inside a BIM program. Your mileage may vary, but it sounds like the process might be the issue, not the whole software.

margaret_gonzalez252mo ago

@bell.laura gets it, 2D details save lives.

holly7132mo ago

Wish I could print this out and tape it to every project manager's monitor. The amount of time I've seen wasted modeling stuff that will only ever be seen in one flat view is painful. Laura's right, it's about picking the right tool for the job, not making the model do every single thing. Sometimes a 2D line is just a line, and that's perfectly fine.