BSBG trials Revit Live VR software

Words by Alistair Bradley, Wednesday 05 July 2017

BSBG has conducted an in-house trial of Autodesk Revit Live, the software that turns Revit models into an immersive visualisation experience. The trial was led by BSBG Lead Architect, Alistair Bradley, who guides us through the findings.

The design team trialled Autodesk Revit Live on the design for one of our current projects, named Plot 18. In terms of usability and speed, the software can’t be found wanting at all; exemplified by the initial export of the building model from Revit into Autodesk Revit Live – which was simple and completed very quickly. We used the HTC HIVE Virtual Reality system as the interface, choosing to trial the white and glass model of the Plot 18 project. Users are able to walk through the project in its entirety, free of lag - despite this being a large complex - and gain an excellent perspective on the flow of the building. The lighting changes as you walk through corridors and rooms, depending upon the time of day, giving an added sense of realism to the project.

Revit Live development ideas

At this stage, external views from within the project have not been made available as part of the software, so if Google Maps or a similar application were to be incorporated, a greater level of realism would be achieved and the end user would be able to see the areas surrounding the development. In addition, if a 3D image of the surrounding environment could also be incorporated into each individual project, this would give precision to the immediate external views - a huge factor in true visualisation from a client’s perspective.

Although Autodesk Revit Live models can be used with Stingray to become fully interactive experiences, complete with running taps and light switches etc., it is a time consuming and highly technical process that goes beyond an average architect’s field of knowledge, straying more into a computer programmer’s sphere. We expect components of the features that can be added in Stingray to be added in the next versions of Revit Live.

To conclude

While the Revit Live software is undoubtedly a step forward, and in its current guise would be useful for any clients, consultants and end users who do not have BIM software to gain an understanding of the project, there are still areas in which further development is required. For the moment, BSBG will continue to explore the latest VR technology and software internally for the benefit of our partners and clients; and moving forward there is potential for BSBG to have a 'VR Studio' so clients can view their projects at any point.

For the most part at its current development stage, Revit Live could have an immediate impact on our client’s sales teams, as the prospective buyer could become fully immersed in the property they are thinking of purchasing.

Thanks to AutoDesk for bringing in the software for the design team to trial.

Alistair Bradley

Associate Director

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