Autodesk Updates Revit-Based Solutions for MEP Engineers

Autodesk has updated its Revit platform for building information modeling (BIM) software applications, and has expanded it's portfolio of solutions that address the building industry's evolving requirements for productivity and efficiency.

To even more closely align products with customer needs and requirements, Autodesk has modified the names of several Revit-based applications. Revit Architecture 2008 (formerly Revit Building), Revit Structure 2008 and Revit MEP 2008 (formerly Revit Systems) software products support new ways of working for architects, designers, drafters and engineers, helping them to predict, analyze and deliver better building performance.

Revit MEP 2008 delivers BIM for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering market with improved features to support building performance analysis and better decision making. Revit MEP 2008 is available as part of AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite, which combines Revit MEP 2008 for systems information modeling and AutoCAD MEP 2008 (formerly Autodesk Building Systems) for MEP documentation.

Important features in Revit MEP 2008 include:

• Fully parametric change management increases coordination and maximizes the efficiencies of the Revit-based workflows across the architecture and engineering teams.


• Automated exchange of engineering design information improves communication and minimizes design coordination errors between MEP engineering disciplines, as well as with the architectural and structural engineering disciplines.


• Integrated building performance analysis for sustainable design through a direct link to the Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES), Virtual Environment -- providing reportable building analysis data including annual energy requirements, whole building carbon emission output, occupant satisfaction, day-lighting and thermal analysis capabilities.


• Improved management of linked model information and improved DWF file specification support.


• Google Earth Plug-In for publishing Revit models to Google Earth mapping functionality.


• Better interoperability with Autodesk 3ds Max animation software to helpdrive design consensus across project stakeholders.


• Revit MEP 2008 also delivers new features to enable sustainable design with analysis of materials, quantities, energy use and lighting. With enhanced gbXML (Green Building Extensible Markup Language) functionality, designers can quickly perform energy analysis and study building performance using tools such as those from Green Building Studio, Inc. and IES Ltd.


• Construction documentation enhancements such as dependent views for split drawings, dimensions and element visibility.