• Revit
  • Revit LT
  • Civil 3D

Existing conditions modeling for architects

A full understanding of the existing conditions can help you design a better building. Learn how to take advantage of point clouds for modeling the existing buildings. Also learn how to take advantage of the work done by other project team members like the civil engineer, surveyor, or structural engineer.


Course overview

A full understanding of the existing conditions can help you design a better building. Learn how to take advantage of point clouds for modeling the existing buildings. Also learn how to take advantage of the work done by other project team members like the civil engineer, surveyor, or structural engineer.

Course outline

30 min.

Coordinate Designs Across Disciplines by Setting the Shared Coordinates

Set up the shared coordinates at the beginning of the project to reduce design errors and make collaboration easier across disciplines. In this module, you learn what questions to ask in order to define the project coordinates. Then, you add the shared coordinates to the Revit model to ensure everything lines up across disciplines and design firms.

Set up the shared coordinates at the beginning of the project to reduce design errors and make collaboration easier across disciplines. In this module, you learn what questions to ask in order to define the project coordinates. Then, you add the shared coordinates to the Revit model to ensure everything lines up across disciplines and design firms.

This module takes approximately 25 minutes to complete. By the end of the module, you should be able to:

  • Publish shared coordinates
  • Readjust sharing
  • Set up another discipline's model

Before you start

  • Please make sure you have the Revit and Civil 3D software loaded.
  • If you have technical difficulties, please reach out to product support


30 min.

Take Advantage of GIS Data to Determine Where to Place the Buildings on the Site

Investigate solar angles, site lines, easements and more. In this module, you learn how to create mass objects in Revit to show where the building cannot be built to better understand where it can be built.

Investigate solar angles, site lines, easements and more. In this module, you learn how to create mass objects in Revit to show where the building cannot be built to better understand where it can be built.

This module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. By the end of the module, you should be able to:

  • Import GIS data into Civil 3D
  • Bring the Civil 3D drawing into the Revit Site Plan

What you should expect to learn

Before you start

  • Please make sure you have the Revit and Civil 3D software loaded.
  • If you have technical difficulties, please reach out to product support