One of the most common questions I’m asked by firms who are starting their transition from a 2D design and documentation process (CAD) to a 3D visualization and data-rich documentation process (Revit) is whether to train a project team on the basics, or let them get their training directly on the project. Which is better? they ask. Is ‘basic’ training necessary? I fully understand the dilemma. In these financial times, it’s difficult for any firm to swallow the overhead of training a team of designers, and the inclination is to push towards ‘on the job’ training, so that overhead is enfolded into project specific billable hours. There’s also the argument that generic training doesn’t ‘sink in’ like learning directly on the work to be done, and that if it isn’t being used immediately, that formal learning is more often lost than not. All of these perspectives are valid, to a point, but then I counter with a return question: Has the team ever made lasagne?
Lasagne is that staple of Italian comfort food fare. It’s a dish most everyone is familiar with – ribbons of ruffled-edged pasta layered with rich, meaty (or veggie) tomato sauce and zones of ricotta cheese. When it’s good, it’s heavenly. But when it’s not…? Overcooked mushy pasta, clumped cheese, watery or cakey-dried sauce can ruin the whole deal.
I compare an initial Revit project with the making of lasagne because while we may all be familiar with the ingredients that make up the dish, it takes some specific knowledge of the unique preparation requirements to make the dish a success. The pasta needs to be precooked, but only partially and must be very well drained because it will continue to take on moisture in the final baking process. The sauce needs to be reduced enough to eliminate excess water, but still fluid enough to fill in around the structure of the other ingredients. The ricotta must be blended and well interleaved in lifts thick enough to stand on their own, but not so thick as to block liquids intermingling across the whole. In short, the team making lasagne would stand a better chance of producing a successful dish if they had some knowledge of the basics of cooking pasta and sauce, but also some learned guidance as to how that basic knowledge needs to be ‘tweaked’ for this specific recipe.
Baseline Training
I firmly believe that some baseline Revit training is necessary prior to any project-specific modeling being done. There just needs to be an explanation of some very fundamental – and therefore critical! – cornerstones of how the program structures the model, how it organizes views, where those views are coming from, and how/when/why to make more. There’s a need to outline the programming concept behind the two approaches to creating the model – system families and component families – and what that means in terms of an element’s creation, behavior, and POTENTIAL behavior. What’s reacting to what. What’s reliant upon what. Ideally, the team gets some ‘hands on’ without fear of consequences – some overhead hours alloted to collectively model the firm’s office space, for instance – where they can see the impact this baseline functionality has on the development of a model, without billable hours and project deadlines breathing down their necks. This training phase is especially important for letting team members gain confidence with a model, take pride in grasping and demonstrating understanding of the techtonics, and just in general getting each other excited – rather than petrified! – about modeling in Revit.
Project Approach Discussion
Once a baseline of understanding and proficiency is established, training should focus on some specifics of the selected pilot project – especially for complex designs such as multi-family, or institutional projects with intense programming needs. Drawing parallels to the ‘old way’ versus the ‘new way’ is a good way to emphasize that the key approaches often are not changing, just the specific methodologies are. Modeling strategy is key to discuss early on in a complex design, so everyone on the team is clear on the approach and how it impacts their workflow. Discussions on worksharing, worksets, collaborating with consultants should all be introduced in concept, so that when they are actively being introduced in the project model the team has some familiarity to both the thought process and the terminology.
Next Phase Training
While in many project situations, the baseline training can carry the team rather quickly through knocking out a basic model of the developing design, eventually (in some complex designs IMMEDIATELY) there is a need for training the team on ‘breaking the rules’ of how Revit creates the fundamental model elements in order to achieve the specific aesthetic and technical requirements of the intended design. THIS is where the knowledge of cooking the pasta only half-way BECAUSE of the impact of baking the lasagne comes in. In my experience, THIS is the training that must be immediately applied in order to be truly effective, and develop deep understanding of both the process and the behavioral impact on the model. And this phase is not a one-time deal. As various team members are tasked with new development of both the model and the derived documentation from the model, ‘next phasing’ is always on the horizon!
Identifying the Target
Not unlike how most everyone can imagine what their lasagne dish might look like being served to hungry diners, teams should have a good idea of what they are expected to ‘serve’ to their client – what are the required deliverables, what are the standards of content and formatting. A team that models without clear documentation goals often finds that they’ve spent far too much time emphasizing visualization, without ensuring their approach would result in the needed output of data – counts, identifiers, adequate element detail, exportable geometry. The approach of managing both team AND client expectations is as important as managing the model!
Evaluating Metrics
The perception of success of our team’s lasagne would be based upon both the taste and appearance of previous servings of lasagne. But it should also be tempered by the expectations appropriate to novice cooks attempting the dish. The success of a pilot Revit project is no different. Initial projects should have modest expectations, as the team is both exercising newly engrained baseline skills, but also having to grasp and implement project-specific requirements and challenges. The success/ failure of each phase of the project should be gauged on how effectively it compares with processes by the ‘old way’ but also in how it enables / refines / streamlines the project in ways the ‘old way’ could not.
Tweak the Recipe
No lasagne recipe ever tastes the same, twice. A bit more oregano, more al dente pasta, a switch to low-fat ricotta are all part of the evolution of repetition. Likewise, Revit teams gain confidence with experience, and processes become smarter, more efficient, more adaptable as a team matures. Support your team as they grow with this process, and let them proliferate their lessons across future teams. And enjoy the process, as well as the final dish!
~NMcClure
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