Learning materials for Revit &Co.

Most offices organize training courses for all employees when switching software - good training is the be-all and end-all for a good introduction to a new program. But of course, after the training, there are still plenty of questions and a need for additional information and deeper insight.

Fortunately, nowadays there are many ways to acquire this additional knowledge easily.

Basically, you are much more flexible if you don't just focus on German-language content, as the English-language community offers much more simply because of its size.

Since everyone learns differently and prefers one or the other learning method, I have compiled a list of common 'Learning Resources' for the Autodesk / Revit area:

 

1. reference books

They belong on every desk, whether digital or in 'oldschool' paper form. I find the mastering series of the Autodesk Official Training Guides very successful in the area of Revit. For beginners, I recommend the Essentials series, which starts from 0 and slowly builds up specialist knowledge.

It should be noted that the English-language specialist books on current Autodesk versions are available shortly after the official release in spring. The German translations or books specially designed for the German market usually follow in the fall. Among the German-language Revit authors, Markus Hiermer is highly recommended.

 

 

2. forums & blogs

In the social media age, forums and blogs are a great way to quickly access very specific information or get expert feedback on your own problems. There are a number of great blogs and sites that contain a lot of valuable knowledge. Here is a small compilation of the sites I visit regularly:

German pages

revitforum.com - the German-language Revit Forum, operated by the veteran of the German Autodesk Training Center cmotion

forum.rug-dach.de - the forum of the German-speaking Revit User Group

revit-family-planner.blogspot.com - Oliver Langwich's blog with many valuable tips not only on 'family planning' in Revit!

revitde.blogspot.com - the blog especially for civil engineering in Revit by Thomas Hehle & Axel Gehring

bimblog.typepad.com - the Autodesk Support Team blog with regular tips and updates

 

International / English pages

forums.augi.com - the forum of the International Autodesk User Group

revitforum.org - independent Revit forum

forums.autodesk.com - Autodesk Discussion Groups

whatrevitwants.blogspot.com - the blog of Luke Johnson, one of the big names in the international Revit scene

revitoped.blogspot.com - Steve Stafford's blog about general Revit topics

therevitkid.blogspot.com - Jeffrey Pinheiro's blog with a focus on Revit Architecture

thebuildingcoder.typepad.com - Jeremy Tammik's blog with a focus on Revit API

buildz.blogspot.com - Zach Kron's blog with a focus on parametric design methods / Dynamo / Vasari

 

3. youtube / free videos

On YouTube you can find tons of video tutorials on all topics, unfortunately the quality is not always that good. Here are a few channels worth watching:

Autodesk Building Solutions - the official Autodesk channel for the construction industry

Revit Addict - Videos on general Revit features

Oliver Langwich - German-language tutorials on all Revit topics

Zach Kron - Videos on parametric design methods / Dynamo / Vasari

RWTH Aachen CAAD Chair - Focus: parametric design methods, student projects

 

4. chargeable learning videos

If you miss the structure of YouTube videos, but generally learn better through videos, learning videos are the right thing for you. There are various providers that offer unlimited access to hundreds of high-quality videos by certified trainers for a monthly fee (usually 10-20 euros). All providers now also have iPad apps that allow you to access the tutorials from anywhere. Alternatively, you can of course still purchase specific tutorials (usually 70-100 euros) as a download or DVD.

On the German-speaking market video2brain is the market leader and offers subscriptions from €19.95 per month. The quality of the videos is first-class, but the range is somewhat limited in my opinion and in comparison to English-language platforms.

There is of course more choice on the English-speaking market, such as Infinite Skills, Lynda.com, I get it or the English version of video2brain. My favorite is Infinite Skills - The iPad app is very clearly laid out and offers many free videos even without a membership. Membership costs €8.99 (as an in-app purchase) and can be canceled at any time. As a member, you have access to all learning videos and can also download them (for example to watch them on the go / without a data connection) or stream them via AirPlay.

 

5. autodesk documentation / wiki

Is better than many people think! Offers help and information on all areas of the software - perhaps very technical here and there, but definitely a good place to start.

wikihelp.autodesk.com

 

6 Autodesk Support / Subscription

The Autodesk subscription, i.e. the maintenance contract, not only includes updates and additional tools, but also the option of contacting Autodesk support directly in the event of problems. The software companies also offer their own support contracts, including hotlines.
Conclusion: there are many different types of learners and it is important to find the ideal medium for you. I like to make use of all the sources mentioned, depending on the situation.
With this in mind: Have fun modeling! ; )

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