You probably already know that Revit is a popular building information modeling (BIM) software that serves professionals across the AEC industry—from architects and structural engineers to designers and contractors. Built by Autodesk, the software enables users to design a building in 3D, annotate the model with 2D drafting elements, and access building information from the model's database.
But did you know that there are thousands of integrations and plugins for Revit? These plugins can be a massive boost to any team’s workflow as they can help streamline processes, save time and resources, and generally tailor the Revit experience to specific needs.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through some of our favorite Revit software integrations. Here at The Wild, we’re big fans of utilizing a highly bespoke software stack to maximize your productivity, and these 7 plugins can be a great way to do so:
Originally developed by BIM One and now available open-source on GitHub, Color Splasher is a Revit plugin that allows users to graphically visualize and verify information in a model.
Color Splasher filters, selects, and colors elements based on the values of a defined parameter, enabling users to visualize errors or missing information. The user first selects the desired category, then selects a parameter, and finally sets colors for each value of this parameter; after that, Color Splasher does the rest of the work.
Creating a color scheme based on the parameter values of elements can be done with Revit’s default tools, but this process tends to be long and tedious. Without Color Splasher, users have to use the Filters tool to identify a specific category of elements, and then add the filter to the Visibility/Graphics menu with a color override. Clearly, Color Splasher simplifies and speeds up this process.
BIMLink is a Revit integration developed by Ideate Software. BIMLink allows Revit users to pull relevant information from a Revit file into Microsoft Excel—and vice versa (e.g., send precise BIM data back from Excel into their 3D model).
BIMLink takes full advantage of Excel’s capability to reveal multiple lines of data at once. Overall, the plugin is meant to reduce the chance of manual errors, avoid related costly on-site delays, and remove error-based re-work through improving Revit data organization and eliminating the “double handling” of data.
At the same time, BIMLink aims to enable collaboration between Revit and non-Revit users by helping the entire team to access relevant data without opening Revit.
Dynamo is an open-source software platform for computational design and BIM. It allows users to construct “logic routines” to optimize workflows and sift through design options.
A visual programming tool, Dynamo aims to be accessible to both non-programmers and programmers alike. It gives users the ability to visually script behavior, define custom pieces of logic, and script using various textual programming languages.
Autodesk recently announced upcoming changes to the Dynamo release model. As they explain in their FAQ: “We’re continuing to make Dynamo capabilities and functionality more robust in the tools you’re already using, including Autodesk Revit [and other programs]. However, we have made the decision to discontinue Autodesk Dynamo Studio software as a standalone product and remove it from the Autodesk AEC Collection starting January 31, 2022.”
Xinaps Spatial Requirements Assistant is a Revit plugin built for architects, drafters, and other stakeholders on the design team. The app is intended to automate model checking without leaving Revit.
Spatial Requirements Assistant synchronizes with Revit’s project units and works seamlessly in the background. The integration includes in-app notifications to keep users up to date with relevant changes.
The Spatial Requirements Assistant App helps users perform various model checking tasks, including:
Enscape is a real-time visualization engine for Revit and other BIM software and a favorite among architects and designers.
The software renders Revit models as immersive 3D walkthroughs. Aimed at improving presentations for AEC teams, Enscape offers a large asset library, customizable atmosphere settings, 360 panorama options, and other tools to maximize the impact of 3D presentations.
Enscape’s real-time rendering enables feedback to be easily gathered and studied by the design team to find the most meaningful solutions for their clients. The software even offers a virtual reality (VR) mode.
The Wild is a VR/AR platform that allows AEC teams to experience their 3D models in a fully immersive rendering. Our Revit plugin enables users to experience Revit models at a human scale, no matter where they may be located.
Our software is built to allow users to join from VR, augmented reality/AR (iOS app), or desktop (macOS and Windows), making remote collaboration possible, even if some team members don’t have a VR headset.
The Revit Add-In brings Revit models into VR with a single click. And it’s not just the 3D model that comes into VR—The Wild also imports data, so users can easily access BIM metadata and layer visibility to help see the full story.
The Wild allows users to create a virtual space from any Revit model and the integration utilizes cloud technology to keep models up to date automatically.
Prospect by IrisVR, part of The Wild, is a virtual reality platform optimized for engineering and construction teams. Prospect integrates with Revit for true-to-scale design review, clash detection, and coordination.
The platform brings complex Revit files to VR, importing native BIM data and automatically optimizing geometry. With Prospect, it’s possible to catch costly coordination issues and avoid rework orders before the actual construction of a building has even begun.
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Adding integrations and plugins to Revit can bring your team’s workflow to the next level. If you're interested in learning more about how to maximize productivity, check out 11 Top Collaboration Software for Architectural Firms.
