Monday, June 10, 2013

Take-Off Eh!

I've probably mentioned it before, but talking about actual full-blown 3d conduit layout in a project reminded me of another falsification peddled by the Revit-elite - that anyone with a functioning brain would use Revit for 'take-off'.

For the uninitiated, 'take-off' is what happens once a set of construction documents (remember those?) are completed (remember that?), and in order to make sure that the bids are realistic, somebody sits down and acts like they are the contractor, and attempts to estimate what the building will cost to build - as appointed.

You hear people throw around dollar/square-foot numbers all the time - many (if not all) of which are whipped directly out of that persons rectal-calculator.  You can get a rough idea, especially once you've actually seen a few projects from conception to completion, but there are too many variables - and people are way too willing (just like when we are designing the project) to say 'oh - it's just like that other project we did'.

The key word there is 'like'.  If it's 'like' the other building in that it has a floor, walls, roof, windows, and all of the other things that make a building a building, then yes, it could be considered to be 'like' the other one - but unless you are willing to hang your hat on it being *exactly like* the other building, you better not start handing out even rough estimates without educating yourself a little bit.

Between what the codes require, what the owner/architect wants (which may vary wildly, not agree, and is subject to change on a daily basis), and what is necessary to accomplish all of the tasks necessary to take a design from conception to completion, and take a site from whatever state it is currently in, to a completed building (with a certificate of occupancy) that you can drive up in front of, walk into, turn on the lights/hvac/plumbing, and use it for whatever purpose it was intended for - there are huge differences in every single building that gets built.

Even simple boxes that we crank out all of the time - someone does a rough-estimate, bases what they think they can afford to do on that, then reality kicks in, and we wasted half of our time designing and drawing/modeling shit that should have never been in the project to begin with.  If you ever hear someone say they can do 'X' for '$X/s.f.' - unless they are willing to agree to pay the difference (and get that in writing), tell them that they need to fuck off.

Enter Revit - and every archidoodlehead thinks they can:

1. Slap together a model.

2. Magical rainbows and sparkle ponies.

3. Have an accurate idea of what it will cost to build the building.

The fact is - attempting to use the glorified spreadsheet that is Revit as an actual spreadsheet fails just as badly as trying to use excel would be for 3d design.  The first thing that any intelligent person does to a Revit model before attempting to use it for take-off is print the CD's out, and then turn off Revit (or preferably have someone else do it - so you don't have to spend half an hour opening, re-opening in the right version, etc.).

A set of .pdfs makes it easier to review files at any time - and is an absolute must-have (even when not working in Revit), *BUT* has to be kept religiously updated, or changes/revisions to the working file do not get passed along.  I always make .pdfs of signed/sealed drawings, but I almost always refer back to the working drawings anyway - in ACAD this is a non-issue, because opening a file doesn't require hunting down the right version of the software (as long as what you are using is newer), and the file will be open before your dick rots off.

Maybe continued use of ACAD has given me an unrealistic expectation of speedy access to my working files - and usually if I'm viewing it, it probably means someone dropped the ball (maybe even me) and tweaks (small or large) to the design are going to be necessary.  I've already been into an electrical ACAD file this morning that didn't belong to me - and was able to get the information I needed in seconds, and then open a mechanical ACAD file to cross-check it in only a few more seconds.

And in the (very likely possibility) that I have to fix it, I will be done before the Revit splash screen would even have time to pop up.

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