Revit 2019.2 new features connect data, cloud, and customers

Written by: Harlan Brumm, Sasha Crotty, Ian Molloy, Pawel Piechnik

The Revit product team is very excited to announce the release of Revit 2019.2 — the latest version of Revit — to current subscribers.

Before we dive into Revit 2019.2 new features, here’s some background on how we determine what to include in each new release. We capture user feedback and requests via the interactive Revit Ideas page and maintain a public Revit Road Map that outlines the direction of Revit software development in three areas:

• Create: Creating models that capture design intent at a high degree of accuracy and detail is central to why you use Revit. Our goal is to help you create project data in all phases while engaging in a delightful, intuitive, and contextual experience.
• Optimize: Because you’re always striving to create better designs using the best possible tools, software development works to support both. We’re working on features and functionality that enable you to analyze, simulate, and iterate and pick the best design options. We’re optimizing software performance to help you work more productively and automate routine tasks so you can focus on the design.
• Connect: With more multi-disciplinary collaboration and detailed design engineering done up front, we’re considering how you integrate teams and products. We support multidisciplinary project teams and tools that connect design to fabrication for structural steel and precast and that connect MEP modeling to fabrication.

 So what are the Revit 2019.2 new features?

The Revit 2019.2 update reflects how Revit has evolved to more tightly connect you with your data and with others via the cloud and Autodesk BIM 360. We feel strongly that the future of design is inextricably connected to having BIM information in a data-centric cloud environment. With Autodesk BIM 360—a single platform that connects all project members and phases from design, to fabrication and pre-construction—project teams can access the right information at the right time. The direction of Revit development is to allow as many people as possible to participate in the BIM process and to improve your workflow and experience.

CONNECT

Several Revit 2019.2 new features provide easier access and a tighter integration with the BIM 360 platform to connect project teams, and create better multi-product workflows.

Cloud Models for Revit extends BIM 360 access

With a subscription to BIM 360 Design, multiple project team members can co-author Revit cloud models using Worksharing.  We are excited to announce that you can now store non-Workshared models in a consistent way in the BIM 360 cloud platform. This is valuable for those cases where a model need not be workshared, and for individual users to store their data in the BIM 360 platform. Cloud Models for Revit is a new Revit 2019.2 feature and entitlement for Revit and Revit LT subscribers.

What’s the benefit of using cloud models? Revit models in BIM 360 are stored in a data format optimized for cloud storage and syncing. Cloud Models synchronize directly between BIM 360 and your desktop, facilitating faster and more efficient updates. That means no more uploading to share your projects with others.  Extending the ability to work with this cloud-optimized format to individual users working on non-workshared models provides a consistent experience for all Revit users, including those using Revit LT, and makes it possible for the whole team to participate for better project delivery. For subscribers to BIM 360 Design, it’s a simple one-step action to make a Cloud Model a Workshared Cloud Model. Use tools like the BIM 360 Docs viewer to access data from anywhere and view and markup Revit models from any device.

Using cloud models is even easier now that you can navigate to and access your cloud models as they’re published to Revit Home, the new screen that opens when Revit starts, released with Revit 2019.1. If you are a subscriber to BIM 360 Design, you can now access and control publishing of both workshared and non-workshared cloud models all from Revit Home.

One click Revit version update with Cloud Model Upgrade

As if you need more convincing, here’s another reason to use cloud models. We all know updating existing projects from older versions of Revit to the latest release can be a painful process. Timed with the release of Revit 2019.2 we’re delivering a preview of Cloud Model Upgrade, an automated and reliable solution that –with the push of a button– lets Project Admins in BIM 360 update projects stored as cloud models to later versions of Revit. Currently this capability supports upgrading Workshared cloud models from Revit 2018.3 to Revit 2019 data format. Cloud Model Upgrade makes it easier to use Revit features and enhancements as soon as they are available without having to manually update existing projects in older versions of the software. The Cloud Model Upgrade feature is now available as a technical preview for BIM 360 project admins and covered by the Autodesk Terms of Use for Trial Features.

Connecting civil engineers and architects with site collaboration workflow

Site Collaboration, the Civil 3D terrain to Revit topography workflow introduced in Revit 2019.1, delivers an even better experience for sharing data across Autodesk tools. Using BIM 360 Document Management and Autodesk Desktop Connector, the workflow lets you link topography from Civil 3D into Revit. With Revit 2019.2 new features you can also place building pads and sub-regions on complex surfaces. Using BIM 360 to help transfer site information and project location data between project teams, architects and civil engineers can save time and improve accuracy.

Extending the automation of the design-to-fabrication process for concrete structures

Working on top of Revit 2019.2, the Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2019 Update 1 comes with new features for customers working on precast and cast-in-place concrete projects. To learn full details, read this dedicated post. 

With Extended CAM Export*, you can better connect both cast-in-place and precast concrete projects to automatic fabrication processes. CAM Export lets you create Unitechnik and PXML files for:

• any selection of shape drive reinforcement
• assemblies containing structural solid wall or structural solid slab system families (including their reinforcement, built-in parts, contours and fabrication parameters), not split using Structural Precast for Revit
• assemblies containing loadable families that can host rebar, including their reinforcement, built-in parts, contours, and fabrication parameters.

Unitechnik 7.0 CAM Export* further automates the design-to-fabrication process with the capability to export the information associated with precast assemblies (such as Solid Walls, Solid Slabs, Hollow Core Slabs, and Girder Slabs) or rebar cages using Unitechnik 7.0. This format is supported in the same way Unitechnik 5.2, Unitechnik 6.0 and PXML 1.3 are supported, providing a consistent user experience.

CREATE

Revit 2019.2 new features also deliver on several Revit Idea page requests for enhancements that help you be more efficient in creating project data to capture design intent.

• Seeing what you’re doing is important and many of you have requested the ability to Zoom in schedules. Now you’ll be able to use familiar keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and more easily read small fonts in a large schedule view,  especially valuable when using complex, high-density characters such as kanji, or working with a very large schedule. You can zoom in and out within the schedule and see the zoom level with an indicator in schedule view.

• Another user request has been to be able to move objects small distances. Addressing this, the “too small on screen” blocking error has been removed, letting you now move elements the very small distances that are sometimes required.
• To help you generate more beautiful and higher quality images when you are using out-of-the-box materials, with high resolution texture support, Revit 2019.2 will automatically use the highest resolution texture.

Create Custom Fabric Sheets (CFS) using any collection of reinforcement (individual rebars, rebar sets, free-form rebar sets, area reinforcement). You can automatically convert the reinforcement for the supported precast elements into custom fabric sheets. This feature speeds up the precast concrete modeling process and further automates design to fabrication.

To help increase your modelling speed on precast projects, Revit includes new precast hollow-core slabs (HCS) families with 13 additional types of precast hollow-core slabs, offering additional void geometries and strand patterns. (This functionality comes with the Structural Precast for Revit Update).

MEP fabrication modeling and design elements enhancements and improvements

For MEP Fabrication users, Revit 2019.2 new features include several improvements that make it easier to work with branched connections by streamlining the connection of off-center taps, and auto-updating tapped connection elements. We have also improved the behavior related to splitting duct and pipe to ensure expected end treatment as you detail your models.

Get more detail on usability improvements for mechanical fabrication modeling here. 

Delivering on a highly requested item from the Revit Ideas page, with MEP routed design elements, you can now directly edit the top elevation and bottom elevation properties of cable tray, duct, and conduit elements, facilitating easier model modification and coordination.

Move to Revit 2019.2

With continual development happening behind the scenes, we’re growing and evolving Revit in multiple areas at the same time. Delivering on user requests submitted via the Revit Ideas page and inspired by the vision set out in the Revit road map, Revit is constantly evolving to lead the way in BIM.

Let us know what you think!

Revit Ideas page

Information on the Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2019 Update 1

Deep dive post into Mechanical Fabrication Revit 2019.2 new features

Revit Road Map update for January 2019

*Available with Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2019 Update 1