The Revit Post-Implementation Blues

The last post got off on a fairly disconnected rant about the lack of information flow that I (and most designers) get faced with on just about every project.  There are exceptions, but for the most part I just assume that I'm not going to get the information I need until the last second (if at all - and even then it's a crapshoot whether or not the information is correct), and that the scope of a project will creep out of control - especially in the final days before (and for some time after) a project gets issued.

I attempted to tie it back in at the end - or at least explain (again) how important rock-solid, no-bullshit tools are for having a chance in hell of keeping up.  It's not Revit or Autodesks fault that some of the people I work with (and that we work for) are incompetent, or that the processes that are being put in place are counterproductive and pointless - but it is clear to me that they did not have this kind of work environment in mind when they shat out this piece of crap.

I don't know what kind of work environment they had in mind - government type work if I had to guess (where a lack of productivity actually gets rewarded in most cases).  It certainly wasn't made for someone who needs to get anything done this year.  The ironic part is, I complete yet another project on time, and then watch the Reviteers drag along for another couple of days, weeks, months, or years (and I'm not exaggerating in the least).

I'm not fucking around - part of a lot of projects that people don't realize, is that if you get it done, and get paid, that's what the fuck we're here to do.  Instead, these people waste massive amounts of time detailing out their model, instead of getting the damn thing out the door and it drives many of us nuts (even some of the Revit users).

I've thought about it long and hard, and the only conclusion I've been able to find is that the program simply breeds complacence.  It tricks people into thinking they are doing something that they aren't - and that is being productive.  Yes, they have some happy bullshit to wave around - No, they don't have the goddamned project done (meaning everyone gets fucked).

They don't care, because they can keep bullshitting people that don't understand it - although I've watched a few of them have to start facing the harsh reality that they have gotten themselves in over their heads.  I constantly see large-scale projects that had reasonably long schedules and fees when they started out, and it's still down to the wire to get something even remotely passable out of the Revit box (and even then it necessitates taking shortcuts and just slapping it together at the last second.

 It's fucked - and it's getting worse.