How much detail should you include in your building model? How do you decide?
In Revit, the level of detail included in your building model depends on the stage of the design process and the intended purpose of the model. The initial design stage, or the conceptual design has minimal detail. This includes broad geometry, basic forms, and key elements like walls, floors, roofs, and major structural components. Next is the design development stage, iterative design, which should have intermediate detail. Here we begin to refine the building’s geometry and add more specific elements such as doors, windows, materials, and preliminary structural systems. The construction documentation stage has high detail. At this stage, all necessary components should be modeled in detail. This includes specific dimensions, annotations, and details for fabrication or installation.
Many door and window manufacturers provide Revit families for doors and windows that you can specify for your building design.
By providing Revit families for doors and windows, manufacturers ensure that their products are easily accessible to architects and designers within the design software. This increases the likelihood of their products being specified in a project. This speeds up the selection process and drives demand for the manufacturer’s products. Providing Revit families creates brand recognition within the design community, helping manufacturers stand out in a competitive market. Lastly, By offering detailed, manufacturer-specific Revit families, manufacturers can ensure that designers are using accurate dimensions, materials, and specifications, reducing the risk of errors and incorrect installations that could harm the brand.
What are the advantages of getting the Revit component families (for furniture, equipment, and fittings) directly from the manufacturer versus from an online sharing website like RevitCity.com?
Getting Revit component families directly from the manufacturer ensures higher accuracy and reliability since the models are created to reflect real-world specifications like dimensions and materials. Manufacturer-provided families often include up-to-date product data and can enhance project documentation and coordination. In contrast, families from online sharing sites like RevitCity.com may vary in quality, lack detailed specifications, or include outdated models, potentially leading to inaccuracies or project inconsistencies during design and construction phases.