“Revit Renovatio”

By: Justin Davis

The relationship between Revit and 3-D printing has proven its potential for generating a worthwhile Architectural model.  Autodesk began supporting, with the release of Revit Architecture 2010, a plug-in that outputs the .STL (Stereo Lithography) file format that is commonly used in 3-D printing and rapid prototyping.

Even though the potential for 3-D printing from Revit exists, that isn’t to say that the “art-form” of 3-D printing has lost any of its “artsy-ness”. Although, the industry would like to be able to simply output an .STL file from Revit, hit the print button, and get results – that is often times not the case. However, with the right tools and file preparation process, 3-D printing a Revit architecture file can yield some favorable results.

Architectural form, typically, is easily translated from three dimensional space into a three dimensional model. The difficulty in printing an architectural model lies in the details; “the devil is in the details”. Interpolating and translating architectural details from a BIM modeler such as Revit requires a simplification process that must be approached with the utmost care so as not to destroy any of the Architect’s vision. It is at this point that 3-D printing becomes an art.

The following model was created in Revit entirely from “scratch” in roughly ten hours using a set of not-to-scale plans and hand sketched exterior elevations. Some input was provided by the architect via telephone the following was achieved.

Even though the timeframe wasn’t ideal this model project was started on a Friday morning and the model was delivered the following Monday. The model printed over the weekend. Allowed more time, imagine the possibilities of this technology.

 “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

This quote may pertain more to the garage sale lovers,  however it’s a fitting gesture for the principles of sustainability practices. Professional Reprographics recycling program, Sustainable Reprographic Solutions, SRS, provides clients a method of turning their trash into cash.

SRS, is a on-site site based recycling program. SRS provides client based receptacles, regular pick-ups, sorting, and transportation to the recycling centers for reimbursement. Using the SRS program allows the client the flexibility to decide the usage of the funds to a charity of their choice. Not only do the advantages consist of ease of use and flexibility but also firms are then able to become a part of the environmental movement.

The more trash that is collected and sorted the more money goes to benefit organizations around our community. Taller House San Jose and Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach are just a few groups that have benefited from the SRS program. 

Doing your part to become a member of the environmental movement has never been this easy. I have enjoyed seeing different organizations benefit from this simplistic system. I look forward to see what the future of these organizations will be with the help of Professional Reprographics and our clients.

Welcome! Welcome to the official, auspicious, ever popular, Professional Reprographics blog-a-torium; or so we hope. Dear readers, it is with immense pride and excitement that Professional Reprographics presents you with the latest in trends, technology, and forecasting as related to our industry. As a visual communications company Professional Reprographics strives to be the industry leader in communicative innovative technologies. With this blog Professional Reprographics will attempt to investigate the evolving reprographics industry and what that means for the future. With the aid of advancing technology the future of communications appears to be on the cusp of revolutionizing how the world interacts.