How to save time using Revit Dynamo
How you can save time in Revit using Dynamo
Integrating Dynamo with Revit enables customization and streamlining of existing BIM workflows and processes, saving hours of labor with repetitive tasks.
Construction companies work on tight deadlines and defined budgets. Often, a lot of time and effort is spent on time-consuming and tiresome repetitive tasks which may also be prone to manual errors. BIM automation tools like Revit Dynamo automate repetitive tasks, manage data, and generate complex geometry to reduce manual tasks, and gain precise deliverables in a short turnaround time.
Dynamo is a Revit API and visual scripting tool that gives users the possibility to automate a chain of commands in Revit that might otherwise be extremely time-consuming. With Dynamo’s open-source visual programming language, users can type lines of code for creating algorithms with nodes.
In this blog, we discuss the challenges faced by stakeholders without automation and how Revit Dynamo can overcome these challenges and save time.
Challenges faced without Automation
Activities such as viewing set-ups, sheet set-ups, adding parameters from data files, etc. are extremely time-consuming. Here are some challenges faced by companies without automation:
• Time-consuming manual repetitive tasks take up a lot of time and effort
• Manual work may be error-prone while transferring data manually from Excel or other databases
• Delayed design decisions due to lack of visualization or better project clarity
• Inconsistent results to solve computation problems with intuitions and creativity
How Revit Automation overcomes these challenges
Adopting Dynamo with Revit for daily workflow can help you complete tasks in just a matter of a few minutes. With the benefit of visual programming in Dynamo, one can connect nodes and use simple logic to ease time-consuming Revit tasks. Dynamo can enhance design efficiencies by using an intuitive interface and an easily available number of pre-made scripting libraries.
Dynamo can also be connected with various Revit elements to define custom algorithms with consistent relationships and sequences. The algorithms can be used with minimal programming code for many applications like data processing, geometry generation, etc.
Here are some of the areas where Dynamo integrated Revit workflow reduces productivity time:
1. Automates repetitive tasks and saves time
Many repetitive and time-consuming tasks in Autodesk Revit are made easy through the Dynamo user interface. Dynamo can also create error-free sheets directly from the views in the model or Excel file, reducing workflow time from hours to seconds. Some of such tasks could be batch insert families, adding a revision to multiple sheets, changing text case, etc.
Hitech CADD Services created 100,000 residential BIM models for European Social Housing Corporation. They used Dynamo to retrieve data from the BIM model to their online portal.
The use of automation enabled the client to maintain 100% accuracy, 50% time-saving, and 18% cost-saving in the workflow. READ THE COMPLETE CASE STUDY >>
2. Error-free building data access
Revit has limitations in data-specific tasks like merging data from various file formats as well as being able to calculate specific values.
Dynamo has made this process easy by enabling a dual-link between Excel and the Revit model. By creating a script to export data to Excel one can make modifications as required in the Excel. Another Dynamo script then transfers that modified data back to the Revit model. This data may be used by users to generate a project-specific dashboard as required.
3. Easier to explore multiple design alterations
Dynamo clearly defines generative design rules. It delivers the possibilities of many options by encoding rules in a computing framework.
By encoding a standardized design into a Dynamo visual script, one can generate various options easily as per specific criteria in no time. Automating such mundane tasks through Dynamo can give designers more time to focus on designing the critical parts of a building.
4. Solving computation issues and predicting design performance
Dynamo enables processes or workflows to be encoded by using actual computational workflow instead of relying on the intuitions and creativity of designers. Using Dynamo-based computing, each process transforms into a series of step-wise instructions for easier revisions and evaluation.
The problems are easier to solve with a step-by-step process and considering inputs and outputs in the process.
Conclusion
Integrating Dynamo with BIM reduces production time, speeds up repetitive project tasks, and improves coordination and collaboration. Dynamo also validates designs by automating analyses and creating efficient designs in lesser time as compared to other software.
Revit Dynamo is increasingly being adopted by architectural and engineering firms to accelerate their workflows and processes and save cost and time.
About Author:
Harika Singh is an academician and published writer. Her passion for engineering and technology reflects in the in-depth coverage she provides on technology trends. 20 years of work association with institutes of repute across India and the US positions her to provide valuable insights to business stakeholders on achieving scalability and operational efficiencies through digitalization.
