Arch | Tech

Call for Proposals

2012-04-25T10:57:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year again! Call for proposals for AU 2012 is now open. Click the above image to submit your proposal or click here.

MARA 2013 Cover Art

2012-04-09T06:45:00.000-04:00

We had a lot of great submissions this year for both the Mastering and Essentials covers. But when push came to shove (almost literally :) we selected the above image for this years Mastering cover.

Congrats and thanks to Sean Burke and team over at NBBJ (link) for the cover art for Mastering Revit 2013! Phil Bernstein (link) has graciously agreed to write this years forward and we'll post a link to the PDF as soon as it's availble.

On a personal note - I had the great pleasure of working with Sean Burke (link) for a number of years at Autodesk. Sean's got a great passion for all things BIM, Technology and Sustainability.

But don't let his measured seriousness fool you - he's got a wicked sense of humor as well. ;)

Thanks Phil, Sean and NBBJ!

Matt Jezyk says it all

2012-03-28T22:09:00.002-04:00

As part of the book process, we cajole some poor sole into taking some of their precious personal time and writing a foreword for us. For our upcoming Essentials book, we got Revit founder, Matt Jezyk to do so. And what he did was great. And long. So good, we wanted to share it with all of you.

To help roll in 10 years of Revit with Autodesk, check out this great essay.

http://db.tt/2K9F0AzM

Thanks a ton, Matt. We're looking forward to 10 more.

New Features of Revit 2013

2012-03-28T11:26:00.001-04:00

The news is now starting to flood the blogosphere…Revit 2013 will soon arrive! As usual, Mastering Revit contributing author, David Light, has provided an in-depth review of the new features. Please hop on over to his blog and read all about it…

http://autodesk-revit.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-new-in-autodesk-revit-2013.html

Bird Brains

2012-03-23T07:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it turns out the guy that claimed he could fly like a bird was FOS. Apparently he's an "artist" that wanted to create an "experiment about online media". It's not his first effort to create this thing he calls art:

In 2006, Kaayk created a hoaxed documentary about a fake disease called Metalosis Maligna that causes medical implants to grow and overtake the body.

Sorry if you felt a bit disappointed. Many people seemed inspired by the idea of flying like a bird - even if it was false inspiration.

So if Bird Man left you feeing a bit jaded, here's a far better inspiring alternative

The next video is a fourth grade girl at ski camp taking her first 60' ski jump. It turns out you really can fly (albeit for a short distance). But it takes real nerve, determination and staring down your fears to do it.

And the result is what looks and sounds like real character building - even though the little kid didn't get a televised interview after the fact or over four-million views on YouTube (as Bird Brains did).

You go girl. I showed your video to all my kids - and I got choked up each time.

A Spring Gift for You

2012-03-20T18:20:00.003-04:00

The alternate title is "It's All Just Buzz"

you can take your pick.

That said, we received some truly inspiring copy in the form of a couple short essays. Both deal with the fact that Revit was acquired by Autodesk 10 years ago as of April 1, 2012. Both pieces will appear in the upcoming books, Mastering Revit and Revit Essentials, but as a reflection of the past 10 years and the the next 10 to come, we're going to post a link to them for you to download and read, free of charge.

I hope you find them as inspiring as we did. More to come on those thoughts, but check back in a week for a link.

Ripoff Report

2012-03-16T06:23:00.001-04:00

Ever get a weird text on your cell phone and ignore it?

Then please pay attention to your next cell phone bill.

I was going to pay my cell phone bill this morning and found this:

WTF? One time use charges? That'll add up over a year…wonder what it is.

Dammit. I never ordered any of their shit.

So I called T-Mobile. And the customer service person was very apologetic and immediately reversed the charges. She also went on to say, "they're complete bastards". No - hang on…I think I said that.

But what she did say was this: "Just yesterday, I had to reverse nearly $200 of charges on someones cell phone bill from this company."

Here's how it works:

They get your cell phone number (like a telemarketer).
You get a strange text message.
You open the message to see what it says.
By opening the text message - you just agreed to accept the services and they charge you.
There's nothing (yet) illegal about doing this.

Here's the company web-site.

And here's some more info from people that have been harassed by this horrible effing company.

And here's the LinkedIn page of their demon-spawn-child CEO Russell Klein, which brings up another point: Russell K. is a Harvard Business School graduate. This simply reaffirms that Harvard and Yale have no shortage of graduates that just love to $#*% with your wallet. Seriously? Harvard? Yale? If you guys are really the modern fonts of all that is knowledge and wisdom - then why do you keep graduating lobbyists on K Street, bankers on Wall Street and lawyers on 1st Street that are completely @#*$&ing over our economic well-being?

Dear Russell,

If you're reading this - there isn't a level of Hell deep enough for you and your fellow graduates. You provide so little value yet you charge so much. Why? Because after all the reversed charges from angry, sucker punched "customers" that have to take the time to call their cell phone companies - you need to make sure you still have some money left over (from the customers that either don't hate your "service" or just didn't take the time to check the details of their cell phone bill).

Wait - I take that back. I don't think you have a single customer that doesn't hate what you guys do. I can't imagine SendMe has one - just one - customer that pays for your service and loves what it does. Not one.

Not. A. Single. One.

Sounds of Science

2012-03-15T07:12:00.000-04:00

Even if you're not into gaming, you should check out "Portal" . It's thoughtful, challenging and unique as far as I know. And the moral implications of a caring for an inanimate companion cube are…well…interesting.

It's also interesting that the creators of portal have released a three-volume soundtrack which is available for free. Coupled with the visuals and game play the music reinforces the importance of sound in order to complete a compelling experience.

If you're not familiar with "Portal" check out this short film by Dan Trachtenberg. Without giving away any spoilers, it will give you some insight into the mythology of Portal.

You may also know Dan from the "Totally RAD Show" - a wonderful podcast that reviews games, movies, graphic novels and more (Revision3). I had the great pleasure of meeting the TRS team team a few years back. Great group of guys that deserve all the success coming their way.

Revit Essentials cover

2012-02-13T19:13:00.003-05:00

Our first cover is in! A HUGE thanks to Robert M. and the SOM gang for the smashing rendering. To date, we've received over 140 images from all of you so it hasn't been an easy decision to make. There's still one cover left to go, plus the image gallery we put into the Mastering Book.

Keep them coming!

ps. obviously, this cover has been redacted to protect the innocent. Finished, but not final. :)

Vonage

2012-02-09T07:42:00.000-05:00

Another free calling service for iOS and Android hits the app store. Free app to app calls and reduced international calling to cell phones and land lines. You don't have to be a Vonage customer to use the mobile version of the app.

Installation was straightforward Vonage users are indicated in the contacts list.

Links to iOS and Android here.

Blueboxes unite!

Packway Handle Band at RTC in Stone Mountain, GA

2012-02-07T07:25:00.000-05:00

Georgia's finest - The Packway Handle Band has signed on to preform after the Gala Dinner at RTC in Stone Mountain, GA. If the weather holds up we're planning on having dessert and drinks on the expansive back deck behind the resort that overlooks the tree-lined lake.

Packway Handle have been working together over the last decade and traveled around the world. For example, the above video was shot in Scotland as part of a BBC documentary. They're mostly located in and around Athens, GA - home of some other well known musical greats.

They typically preform a wide range of songs - from traditional bluegrass (links here and here) to modern covers from the likes Woody Guthrie, Lou Reed, Violent Femmes, and even Madonna (links here and here). And they've won numerous awards in the process.

So what's next? Well, if Clay Starr promises to bring his banjo, I'll bring my acoustic bass. I wonder if Steve Shell has a mint Martin D28 buried among his growing pile of Les Pauls. Anyone else? Eddy? The only thing he plays is the radio - so he's bringing Angela.

Last year was the west coast - this year it's the best coast. ;) The very best of BIM and Bluegrass. It's going to be a great RTC USA this year in Stone Mountain!

General registration opens soon!

11 Years Ago (Yesterday)

2012-02-06T10:10:00.001-05:00

11 years ago yesterday I went to work for Revit Technology Corporation. Most shocking first impression: the soft drink machines didn't even need money! And it's been an adventure every since.

Thank you Dave.

Thank you Hunter.

Thank you Matt.

Thank you Sunil.

Thank you Leonid.

And many, many more.

Here's to the next ten years!

Friday Reprieve #35

2012-02-03T16:05:00.001-05:00

I was continuing to eliminate my paper records (re: Total Recall) and came across a story that was circulated at SOM many years ago. Author unknown.

The Balloonist

A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised my friend I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man below says, "Yes. You are in a hot air balloon, hovering approximately 30 feet above this field. You are between 40 and 42 degrees North latitude and between 58 and 60 degrees West longitude."

"You must be an ARCHITECT," says the balloonist.

"I am," replies the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," says the balloonist, "everything you have told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost."

The man below says, "You must be a CONTRACTOR."

"I am," replies the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

"Well," says the man, "you don't know where you are, or where you are going. You have made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is, you are in the exact same position you were in before we met, but now it is somehow my fault."

Effective User Groups, Part 2

2012-01-31T08:10:00.001-05:00

Following up on Part 1 of my tips for organizing and maintaining effective user groups, this post will cover the physical and virtual spaces that support great interaction.

Meeting Locations

Where you host your meetings is probably the biggest variable in the equation for an effective user group. There’s no perfect answer because you must find the best balance of function, space, and cost that meets your needs. I’ll offer my own experiences for your evaluation.

Offices

Probably the most common place to start a user group is at the leader’s office. If you have a large enough conference room or even a lobby space with plenty of stacking/folding chairs, this might be all you need. Sometimes it’s fun to rotate locations of a user group meeting to various participating companies. The main drawback is the number of people you can pack into a space. Meetings can get disrupted when attendees are standing or sitting on the floor (yes, I’ve had that experience!)

Issues: Building security, space set up & clean up, limited number of attendees

Hotels

The DC Revit Users Group meets at a beautiful space atop the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington. I’ve done some research in the past into meeting spaces in New York City and the cost may be $1,000 – $2,000 per event.

Issues: Cost

Showrooms

These kinds of spaces are likely only available in major metropolitan centers, but they are an interesting option. Product manufacturers like Steelcase may have showrooms in your region that can be utilized for group functions. In NYC, I’ve attended events at Steelcase, The Gunlocke Company, Haefele, and the McGraw Hill Auditorium. I’ve never organized a meeting at a showroom, so I can’t speak to the costs involved.

Issues: Cost?

Restaurants

Why not mix learning and networking with some food? I’ve attended a few user group meetings held at restaurants over the years. One of the early NYC Revit User Group meetings was held at a bar which was actually an old bank. Our ‘private meeting room’ was actually the old vault and I recall giving a presentation where the ‘screen’ was actually a backdrop of safe deposit boxes! The Ontario RUG used to meet at a restaurant called Alice Fazooli’s. This was fun because they had a large dedicated space and the food was great.

Issues: Cost, A/V equipment

Academic Institutions

Our group was really fortunate to connect with Pratt Institute and use their lecture space on a monthly basis. For two years, we were able to utilize this space without cost because they enjoy the exposure for Pratt’s continuing & professional studies programs in the building. Recently we were asked to provide insurance coverage for our meetings and yet again, an interested company came to the rescue to provide this contribution as a group sponsor. More on this to come in Part 3…

Personally, I think an academic location is the best option because it seems that it is the most mutually beneficial solution. You can bring potential students in and they can provide a space well-suited to learning events. So reach out to your local university or technical college and see if they are willing to share some space.

Group Websites

Now that we’ve covered the physical space, let’s talk about virtual space. As I mentioned in Part 1, there are so many free social tools available on the web today that can support groups. When we got the NYC RUG started in 2006, Google Groups was a pretty good option. This free service is still around, but its functionality is somewhat limited. You can create custom pages, upload files and manage members – but that’s about it. I’d keep an eye on Google+ and see how it evolves.

In addition to an Internet home for your group, you should also think about how you want to handle events. In the past I used Evite.com to manage events while we were on Google Groups. It’s a free service and does a nice job handling RSVP’s and automated reminders; however, it wasn’t integrated with the group website, so I had to manage two member databases.

Facebook seems to have highly functional group tools where you can create and manage events, have discussions, post links, photos and videos. It’s all free, but you have to be a Facebook user to join a group. Some people like to keep their personal interactions on Facebook, so they may not want to mix business-related stuff there. Also, some offices may even block access to social sites like Facebook. LinkedIn has groups as well, but I haven’t found them as easy to use as FB.

The NYC Revit Users Group uses a site called Meetup.com. It’s a paid service ($45 every three months), but our members seem to really appreciate the functionality. It has discussion boards, file/photo uploads, topic suggestions, and it’s event management is great. Automated email reminders, dues collection (if applicable), name tags, sign-in sheet, and more.

I’ve only discussed a few web-based group platforms here, but there are so many more out there. Do some homework, look at other group sites and pick one that suits your taste such as Ning.

Call for Art

2012-01-22T21:29:00.006-05:00

Hey all.
It's that time of the year again - we're on the hunt for new cover art for next year's Mastering Revit and Revit Essentials books.

Think you've got what it takes to make the cover shot?

'cause here's the thing - our publisher was looking to shake it up a bit and gave us these two covers as ways of 'trying something new'. The first one I kinda get. But the 2nd one - am I supposed to be the goose? I'm just not seeing it.

So, help us help you help us. What we're looking for is a rendering of a Revit project (the rendering doesn't have to be done in Revit). Something you or your firm created that you'd let us use for the cover of the book.

Please email your submissions to masteringrevit@architecture-tech.com for consideration. Two really important points:

Don't send high-res images suitable for publication (yet). Just send medium-res PNGs and JPGs for now for review.
If accepted, you (or someone with the appropriate authority) will need to sign a waver allowing the images to be published. Then we'll resolve where to send/upload the high-res images.

What's in it for you? Fame. Glory. International distribution. Plus a free copy of the book with your art on it! We've gotten some great renderings for the last two years. We're hoping to see some more this year.

Effective User Groups, Part 1

2012-01-19T23:45:00.001-05:00

I’ve been thinking about sharing my user group experiences for some time now and an email came in asking me about just such information. (How do you approach businesses or individuals to attend and then speak at the meetings? How do secure sponsors for venues and food? How do you deal with topics specifically geared towards a particular discipline without losing the rest of your members?…) Needless to say, I am taking the initiative to write about the evolution of the New York City Revit Users Group.

In a series of posts, I’ll discuss the following topics:

Getting a group started
Organizing topics and speakers
Meeting locations
Group websites
Sponsors
A/V technology

I hope you will find my opinions interesting and I welcome comments about your experiences.

Getting a Group Started

There’s quite a bit of a story leading up to April 2006 that I now realize will have to be yet another series of posts on my journey with BIM. That said, I was 2 years into implementing Revit on World Trade Center Tower One at SOM and each of the New York area Autodesk resellers were starting to ramp up their own Revit user groups. As I recall, there were at least two – maybe three – separate groups and they all wanted me to speak at their events at one time or another. I thought, "there has to be a better way.”

Lesson #1: By the people, for the people

Users don’t need to sell anything. There…I said it. I have the utmost respect for the VAR’s (value-added resellers) and trainers with whom I’ve collaborated in my career, but (in my opinion) they don’t have that grassroots, real world, in the trenches, battle-scarred approach to the tools. Whether a VAR has an agenda or not, I frequently get that feeling when I attend a VAR-organized user group. We’ll talk more about sponsorship later…

The first step in creating a successful user group is finding some local people in your industry who share the same passion. Look at your current or most recent project team, consultants, contractors…did you make some new friends as you worked through the last all-night deadline? Get together for lunch a few times and you might have the seedlings for a user group!

Back in 2006, we didn’t have Twitter or Facebook, so getting the word out about new user groups was either by word of mouth or mass e-mailings (but you had to know your recipients first!). And websites were pretty expensive back then…if GoDaddy.com was around, you sure couldn’t buy a site for $9.99 and be up and running in a matter of minutes.

Today, you can create a group presence for free on Facebook with just about everything you’d need to get a group going. More on technology in a forthcoming post…

Lesson #2: Maintain regular meetings

Research has shown that the leading cause of user group death is apathy. OK, that’s my own observation, but I’ve seen it happen. Even if you just get together and have a roundtable discussion about BIM standards, it’s still a meeting and your attendees will come to expect the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Organizing Speakers and Topics

So, what’s the magic formula for finding interesting speakers and topics? Sorry, there isn’t one. In the early days, we did two things: spoke about our own experiences; and had VAR trainers give how-to lectures. The best advice I can give to new organizers is to network, network, and then network some more. I’ve met so many people at events like Autodesk University and those connections inevitably lead to memorable guest appearances for our group.

Lesson #3: Get help

We have been conducting regular monthly meetings for almost 5 years and with over 770 registered members, we only recently have achieved 10 volunteers on our advisory board. The overwhelming majority of user group attendees just want to receive content – not participate in creating the content. The best thing our group did was to assign vice presidents (those who were the most active and available to co-organize the meetings), and create an advisory board of members who just wanted to help contribute topic ideas and perhaps suggest some contact connections for guest speakers. The burden shouldn’t rest squarely on one person.

Lesson #4: Lock in dates for guests early

When you are speaking to potential guest speakers, try to get them to commit to a date far in advance. They may not know what their schedules look like two months or more ahead, but they will know when they have agreed to present at your group.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, coming soon…

Event: BIM in Modular and Prefab Construction

2012-01-18T13:10:00.001-05:00

As the president of the New York City Revit Users Group (nyc-rug.com), James organizes monthly meetings around various BIM-related topics. The January 2012 meeting featured guest speaker Ian Atkins who shared some of his real-world experience in applying BIM to modular and prefabricated construction.
UPDATE:
Unfortunately, Kullman requested that the recording of the NYC RUG presentation be removed and we have complied. Please stay connected with our group for future topics and check out recordings from other meetings on our Vimeo group: http://vimeo.com/groups/revitusers

Preview of M-SIX's VEO™ Platform

2012-01-09T20:48:00.001-05:00

I’ve had a lot of requests for more information about our soon to be launched VEO™ platform and apps. With this in mind, I’m delighted to share a link to our "VEO™ Video Preview" available from M-SIX's company page:

http://tinyurl.com/8yu5g62

Since we'll be using Linkedin to communicate with our followers, we hope you click the ‘Follow M-SIX’ link and stay tuned!
All the best!
Phil

Stone Mountain | RTC North America

2012-01-09T18:42:00.001-05:00

Exclusive alumni registration for RTC North America ends this Friday (1/13/12). If you attended RTC in Huntington Beach last year - check your inbox for the special registration link. Only four days left!

I did. I spent $40 on a lightbulb

2012-01-05T06:42:00.001-05:00

But you have to believe, it's the best light bulb ever. I mean ever. The picture doesn't do it justice, really. You have to consider - what is one looking for in a light bulb? Well, there's LIGHT, but there's also a quality to that light. Which is why when you go to buy your spouse jewelry for a holiday gift they always have halogen lights. Those make things sparkle the best. Or why hospitals or offices have always been associated with fluorescent lighting. Cool, economical, and slightly institutional.

But in your home, you want the nice, warm glow of an incandescent. Downside is, if you live in California, they're illegal and if you're sustainable in any way, you don't buy them.

That's where LEDs come in. 10x more the life of a CFL and NOW, FINALLY, in the same light spectrum as an incandescent. I bought one of these for christmas and I have to say, I'm having a hard time telling it from a regular incandescent bulb. Plus, it's got a 25,000 hour life expectancy.

[UPDATE:]
25,000 hours of light from this bulb.
I can run it 8 hours a day for over 8 years before it burns out.
it uses 4.8x less energy than one incandescent.

60x24/1000*.22 (MO) = 32 cents (one incandescent for 24 hours)
60x25,000 / 1000 *.22 = $330 (one incandescent for 25,000 hours)

$68.75 for 25,000 hours of an LED bulb.
$330 for 25,000 hours of an incandescent (not counting replacement costs)

Mind = Blown

2012-01-03T17:52:00.001-05:00

CloudOn: Your iPad, Microsoft Office and Dropbox.

Integrated.

Start here.

Update: Seems that they're not taking on any new customers. No reasons given buy I wouldn't be surprised if the response was a bit overwhelming yesterday. If you downloaded the app you can still register an account (even if you didn't create one by yesterday's cutoff).

The process to get signed up is really straightforward. Launch the app to be taken to the home screen. Select the option to Create an Account.

Next, type in your email address and a password for your account.

Then you'll be given the opportunity to Add your Dropbox account. If you don't have one, I'd strongly suggest you check it out. Cloud storage and shared folders. Mac, Windows, Linux. 2GB free.

If you already have a Dropbox account, just add the email address and password associated to the account.

That's about it. Now it'll log in.

Once you're logged in, everything is pretty straightforward. You can see all your Dropbox folders (and there's options to change this from a list to a folder or grid display).

You can also create new folders as well as create new World, Excel or Powerpoint files. You can only view and edit these three file types. It'll be interesting to see if CloudOn adds photo-editing tools in the future.

I tested opening an existing Word document. CloudOn opened the docx file just fine. I was able edit the document (including image cropping tools).

Here's a screen shot of the text editing features. Standard ribbon, keyboard and function keys.

In conclusion:

Pros: Very useful. Not as responsive as you can imagine. Fat fingers will struggle a bit with the smaller icons.

Cons: Autosave. I can't figure out how to turn it off. Closing the file seems to automatically save your work. Sure - you can "undo-undo-undo…" just to be sure. But I prefer to be able to deliberately save (or not) when I'm done with a file.

Overall: It's free. It's useful. It works. And it let's me work inside my cloud, rather than restrict me to Apple's, Microsoft's or Google's internet cul-de-sacs.

Thesaurus fun, part one

2012-01-03T11:14:00.001-05:00

It’s good practice to keep your mind sharp by focusing on something other than BIM. In cleaning up my desk drawers and old files, I have stumbled upon some brain teasers and funny memos collected in the earlier years of my career. I’ll share them with you in this and future posts.

The following phrases are well-known sayings that have been ‘translated’ using more elaborate words. See if you can figure out what they mean. (Hint: #1 is ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star.’)

Scintillate, scintillate, diminutive asteroid.
Members of an avian species of identical plumage congregate.
Surveillance should precede saltation.
Pulchritude possesses solely cutaneous profundity.
It is fruitless to become lachrymose over precipitately departed lacteal fluid.
Freedom from incrustations of grime is contiguous to rectitude.
The stylus is more potent than the claymore.
It is fruitless to attempt to indoctrinate a superannuated canine with innovative maneuvers.
Eschew the implement of correction and vitiate the scion.
The temperature of the aqueous content of an unremittingly ogled saucepan does not reach 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
All articles that coruscate with resplendence are not truly auriferous.
Where there are visible vapors having their prevalence in ignited carbonaceous materials there is conflagration.
Sorting on the part of mendicants must be interdicted.

New books in the new year

2011-12-29T11:31:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is having a good holiday, getting rested, and recuperating from a lot of fun. We, on the other hand, are using some holiday slow time to work through some new changes to Mastering Revit and Revit Essentials for the new year. Some exciting stuff!

I wanted to drop a quick note and tell you to follow us on Facebook (or keep checking the blog) as we're soon going to be doing some give aways for the new year.

Happy Holidays!

Wonder Twin Powers Activate

2011-12-22T06:49:00.000-05:00

Like Madonna but hate bluegrass?

Like Bluegrass but hate Madonna?

Now you can have the best of both worlds!

Who'd a thunk? More about the Packway Handle band here. Oh yeah - bonus - listen closely to the last ten seconds (very carefully).

Don't like Bluegrass or Madonna? Careful…this song's addictive!

Last Minute Gift Idea

2011-12-21T10:22:00.001-05:00

Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah this time of year, consider this for the architect or designer in your life…

Both Mastering Revit Architecture 2012 and Revit Architecture 2012 Essentials are still on sale from most online retailers and in your local book store. They are also available in the iTunes Store (Mastering/Essentials) and on Amazon for the Kindle (Mastering/Essentials). There are some really great prices available now…(check out Mastering on iTunes!)

‘Mastering’ is the perennial best seller that takes the casual Revit user above and beyond the basics into Jedi status. This is much more than a ‘picks and clicks’ book – it includes so much insight into the reasons and workflows for using various tools and settings.

‘Essentials’ is a new venture for the Mastering author team. It is designed for an academic or training environment and is targeted for beginners who have had little or no experience with Revit. Each chapter contains detailed step-by-step exercises that can be used in 90 minute lessons. Various chapters can be combined to create a customized 3-day training program to get yourself, your students, or your employees up to speed with Revit Architecture.