Conceptual Modeling: A sample workflow using Autocad, Revit 2010, 3d Studio and Photoshop

So I've been looking at getting some conceptual modeling done using some of the new Revit 2010 tools. One of the workflows we sometimes need to get done is to give a client or a prospective client a conceptual rendering that is based on a feasibility analysis. On the one hand, it is important at this point from our perspective to get the basic things right on the site: property lines, number of parking spaces, stairs and exits and gross square footage.

On the other hand, for various reasons, the client may need a conceptual image in order to illustrate the idea to potential partners, investors etc.

The point here is to give the idea a sense of realism, both functionally and aesthetically. This 'suspension of disbelief' becomes something very valuable to clients, particularly in the early phases of a project.

We typically aren't going to spend a lot of time on the design at this phase, but at same time, it is important that the piece is appealing and attractive. In a sense, the exercises is about finding a minimum threshold for the project, both functionally and aesthetically while maintaining some flexibility.

The other issue is about doing this fast. Now normally, you kind of do some of these things quickly, the material kind of gets put away and you start over when the project goes into the next phase.

The opportunity here is to get a little bit more utility out of this phase: if you can build a Revit model that is based on the feasibility study, if the image begins to explore some of the real issues with project and if you can maintain some of the integrity of the work, there is the potential that it can be an asset in the next series of iterations. So the upside of being able to make more out of this phase is real. This is what this exercise was trying to explore.

Above we see an early version using the new Revit 2010 conceptual mass modeling toolset.

Once we move the mass model into the Project workspace, applying 'bricks and mortar' to the massing is relatively easy. The powerful thing here from a project assesment perspective, is the ability to do quantities analysis quickly and accurately at this very early phase.

The other thing is that you can get a fair amount of mileage in terms of simple visualization from Revit itself. I'm not a huge fan of the Revit rendering interface, despite the inclusion of the mental ray rendering engine, but I do think it tends to hold its own very well relative to the kind of output you get out of sketch up. While it is harder to move as quickly as you can with sketchup, you can leverage the work in terms of documentation in a way that is difficult to do outside of Revit. Its not that everything about this is gravy, there are plenty of things about the interface that remain clunky, but I still think the scales tip to the up side.

With 3dStudio, you get to leverage the better lighting controls, animation and so on, but what is really valuable to me at this stage is the materials interface. I like to be able to spend time with the material maps, adjusting colors and easily swapping out materials. Also, the ability to add fairly good entourage quickly, re-use portions of old files, and evaluating daylighting really helps. There are several advanced features that relate to 3d studio I hadn't really combined with this kind of concept modeling- but it is fairly easy to see how the two tools can be leveraged powerfully. 3d studio is also an easy place to do some quick and dirty edits to the model, if you need something adjusted prior to outputting a rendering.

Finally, I think taking the results into photoship and being able to do quick 'post production' on them is invaluable. Adds a lot of bang quickly.

None of these steps are ideal in their isolation. You can always do a better rendering, a better Revit model, a better 3d Studio model without having to worry about being able to use these pieces in a coordinated way- but creating an integrated workflow allows you to get a lot more mileage out of the entire peice with just a little bit more work.

In the coming weeks I will be posting video tutorials of how we moved the study through each phase of the workflow.