How Freely Available Revit Libraries Make Residential BIM Modelling Easier

Posted by Kuldeep Bwail on November 24th, 2020

It takes a genius to make something simple, and indeed the concept of Revit families and Revit libraries for construction design was developed by a genius, or a set of them. As BIM (Building Information Modelling) technology became more widespread in residential construction, so did the need for residential BIM modelling services. The availability of free Revit libraries online made it easier and faster for architects and designers to create accurate, high-quality residential BIM modelling.

It all starts with understanding what Revit family creation is. Revit family creation presents technical features of a product as a simple graphical 3D representation that is understandable and that enables architects and designers to collaborate efficiently. It helps manufacturers create information-laden 3D models of their products, which can be downloaded by clients from freely available Revit libraries. Through Revit family creation, furniture and MEP components can be custom designed for specific projects, making BIM modelling that much easier.

Benefits of Revit Family Creation  

• Minimises design time - Automated calculations are performed by Revit, while making parametric changes.
• Ensures design consistency - With an accurate Revit family placed in a 3D model, design inconsistencies are reduced, saving time and money.
• Precise details – Revit families of components have detailed information, which is critical for accurate pre-construction reports and helps make important design decisions, improving design quality.
• Helps compliance with industry standards – The detailed information in Revit families helps to ensure that industry standards for BIM models are complied with.
• Enhances presentations – Revit families can be organised by categories and according to parameters, making any changes easy to visualise for an owner or for presentations to potential investors.

Now, these Revit families are unique to each manufactured architectural, structural or MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) product that is used in actual construction. A Revit library is a vast organised collection of Revit families. When manufacturers create Revit families of their individual products and contribute them to the Revit libraries freely available online, the entire process of residential Revit BIM modelling is given a boost, as designers can use actual product data and parameters in their design at no extra cost.  

Benefits of Using Free BIM Libraries

BIM libraries provide BIM content as a powerful marketing and sales tool, where construction professionals can view products directly during specification. Project designers can locate, download and use BIM objects for BIM modelling. Some of the benefits of using these Revit families, or BIM content, are:

Accurate Information

• BIM objects created to international standards are accurate and of high quality.
• BIM objects have relevant environmental performance data.

Improved Collaboration

• Free generic objects can be used right at the start of a project.
• Later, the generic objects are replaced with bespoke manufacturer objects.
• The consistency of object properties facilitates collaboration between stakeholders throughout the project.

Direct connectivity with design tools

• BIM objects can be directly inserted and modified as part of the BIM modelling process within BIM environments.

Fits into the BIM Process

• Interior designers and architects can use downloaded 3D BIM objects in their Revit BIM models, try out different choices and make a final decision.
• During the implementation phase, BIM objects used in the BIM model will be purchased, helping to accurately implement project design.

Detailed Product Design

• All design elements can be viewed by project stakeholders as precise, detailed product 3D models.
• BIM objects can be viewed in detail from different angles and specific design aspects can be zoomed in to.
• The effects of textures and materials can be evaluated.

Calculating Material Quantities

•  BIM objects’ technical data with approximate prices facilitates the calculation of weight and volume of required materials.
• Designers and architects can order different BIM objects based on their budget.

Showing Exact Dimensions

• As Revit families are represented in 3D, accurate product forms and sizes are shown.
• Clients can see exact dimensions.
• Designers can select BIM content which will fit into their design specifications.

Collaboration between Building Owners & Architects

• For customised products, Revit Families can be created for specific purposes.
• Building Owners and architects can try 3D models in their designs till they reach an agreement on what works for both.
• Manufacturers then develop the real product based on the selected Revit Family, saving time and resources.

Creating Revit families can be a complex process and requires the services of a Revit professional to ensure the quality of the design. When in-house resources are unfamiliar with the process of residential Revit BIM modelling, manufacturers and construction firms prefer to outsource these residential BIM modelling services for best results.

XS CAD has valuable experience providing Revit family creation services and BIM modelling services for global architectural firms, construction projects and manufacturers. Our range of services include architectural BIM modelling, residential BIM modelling, construction documentation and 3D visualisation for all stages of the design process. We also provide architectural drafting services, manufacturing and assembly drawings, Revit family libraries and architectural and residential design support, alongside our documentation and construction drawing services.