Autodesk University: Design, Develop, Deploy - Create Revit Content from Inventor Designs

This year at Autodesk University I presented on a topic that seems to come up weekly if not more nowadays in my conversations with clients.  That being the confluence of BIM and Digital Prototyping towards a Digital Twin.  A large part of this is getting the software to work with each other and no-one has had more traction and thought leadership around that than Autodesk.

I was actually honored with a Top Rated Speaker award for Top-Rated Product Demos

Here is a brief Introduction to the class as well as the direct link to the Presentation, Handout, and Recorded Video at the end of this post.

Introduction

Inventor software has the functionality to export assemblies and parts for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing connections directly into Revit software. This class will focus on the dynamics and logistics between the two programs. You'll learn best practices for creating Inventor architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) equipment and exporting it effectively to Revit programs, and how to best maximize their design intent.

Current trends in the building product manufacturing segment—including HVAC, lighting, plumbing, doors/windows, and furniture systems—require that building product manufacturers deliver very specific content to the AEC community. The process that drives the need for this type of content is known as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is rapidly becoming the standard around the globe. This presents a significant challenge (but also new opportunities) for all building product manufacturers and system designers, and drives an immediate need for companies to develop strategies and workflows to deliver BIM-ready consumable content for use by customers, distribution channels, and building owners.

Building Information Modeling

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the holistic process of creating and managing information for a built asset. Based on an intelligent model and enabled by a cloud platform, BIM integrates structured, multi-disciplinary data to produce a digital representation of an asset across its lifecycle, from planning and design to construction and operations.

3D CAD Modeling

We all know what 3D CAD Modeling is. Whether you call it Digital Prototyping on the Inventor side or the Revit platform’s geometric enablement of the BIM model, 3D CAD programs contain the visual representations needed to facilitate the BIM process.

The Path to Digital Twin

A digital twin is a dynamic, up-to-date replica of a physical asset that brings together design, construction and operational data. With the addition of real-time data, digital twins acquire the behavioral awareness necessary to simulate, predict and inform decisions based on real-world conditions. The cohesion of BIM and 3D CAD Modeling and operational data are pivotal to the path to a Digital Twin.

Inventor and Revit: Where are We Today?

For years Autodesk has been working toward the interoperability of Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Inventor. These two hero class products have always stood out on their own and even Autodesk for years siloed them and regulated their interoperability with neutral format transfers with .SAT files. To be where we are at now with two products that carried different development schedules and core programming is pretty amazing. Over the last 4 years alone, may strides have been made to increase the collaboration between these two products. 

For well over a decade Autodesk Inventor has been able to create RFA (Revit Families) directly from the software, however the methods of making the RFA and the nuances around it tend to be completely lost on the Inventor user (we will get into this later). More recently there have been strides to bring in Revit data to the Inventor user directly through the use of the AnyCAD technology in 2021. The next obvious step was to be able to produce the opposite which came with the ability in Inventor to create RVT (Revit Projects) in 2022. Finally, based on user feedback and collaborative empowerment came Data Exchanges in 2023. We will investigate all three of these in this class.

For the remainder of the class and the supporting documentation available for download...continue to the Autodesk University page here: Design, Develop, Deploy - Create Revit Content from Inventor Designs

About the Author

Engagement Engineer, Manufacturing<br><br>Mark has implemented the Autodesk manufacturing products with several industries including the blow/injection molding, automotive, and custom machinery markets. Autodesk Inventor has been a profound augmentation in his abilities allowing him to bring 3D digital prototyping to the forefront of the industries with which he has interacted. He has extensive experience and a comprehensive understanding of the technical, practical business, and human dimensions of implementation. He is an effective and skillful communicator, consulting with his clients to help achieve their business objectives. Mark is an ATC certified instructor and he helps his customers maximize their project’s effectiveness through training, support, and implementation.

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