Autodesk Revit

BIM authoring software for designing buildings as intelligent, data-rich 3D models.

Quick Answer

Autodesk Revit is Building Information Modeling (BIM) authoring software made by Autodesk. Architects and engineers use it to design buildings as intelligent 3D models where elements carry data and relationships. Because plans, sections, elevations, schedules, and quantities all derive from one model, a change in one view updates everywhere. Revit is a primary tool for producing coordinated design documentation.

The Full Picture

Revit exists to replace drafting disconnected 2D lines with modeling a coordinated, data-rich building. In traditional CAD, a plan, section, and elevation are separate drawings that must be manually kept in sync, so changes cause errors. Revit models the building once; every drawing and schedule is a view of that single model, so coordination is built in rather than maintained by hand.

Mechanically, Revit is parametric: walls, doors, and equipment are objects called families that carry dimensions, materials, and behavior, and relationships between them hold as the design changes. Move a wall and the doors, dimensions, and room areas update. The model also holds non-graphic data, so it can generate schedules and quantities and support structural and MEP engineering in the same environment.

In AEC workflows Revit is mainly a design-side tool used by architects and engineers to author the model and produce construction documents. Those models and the PDFs exported from them then flow downstream to coordination tools like Navisworks and to construction platforms like ACC, where contractors consume them.

Revit sits at the authoring layer — it's where the building is actually designed and documented. It is not a project management platform or a review tool; it creates the model and drawings that other tools then coordinate, review, and build from, which is why it's the upstream source of much of the data used across the rest of the workflow.

Real Examples

→Coordinated documentation: An architect moves a stair in the Revit model, and the affected plans, sections, and the room schedule all update automatically, keeping the drawing set consistent.

→Model-based schedules: Because doors are data-rich families, the team generates a complete door schedule directly from the model instead of counting them by hand.

→Downstream coordination: The structural and MEP Revit models are exported and federated in Navisworks so the team can clash-check disciplines against the architectural model.

Common Misconceptions

People assume: Revit is just a 3D version of AutoCAD.

Actually: AutoCAD draws lines and geometry; Revit models intelligent building objects that carry data and relationships. In Revit the drawings are outputs of a coordinated model, not independently drawn sheets — a fundamentally different, information-driven way of working.

People assume: Revit coordinates and clash-checks the design for you.

Actually: Revit authors the model, but multi-discipline clash detection is typically done in a review tool like Navisworks or BIM Collaborate. Revit helps keep a single model internally consistent; federating separate discipline models to find clashes is a downstream step.

Does MeltPlan Solve This?

Not directly

Revit is a design authoring tool used by architects and engineers to create the model and drawings; MeltPlan is not a design or modeling tool and doesn't author anything. MeltPlan works downstream, reviewing the 2D drawings and specs produced from Revit models — flagging missing requirements and coordination issues — but it doesn't replace or perform the design work Revit does. Different users, different phase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes Autodesk Revit?

Autodesk makes Revit. Autodesk acquired the original Revit Technology Corporation in 2002 and has developed Revit since as its flagship BIM authoring platform for architecture, structural, and MEP engineering.

What is Revit used for?

It's used to design buildings as intelligent 3D BIM models and to generate coordinated construction documentation — plans, sections, elevations, schedules, and quantities — from that single model, supporting architectural, structural, and MEP design in one environment.

Is Revit free?

No. Revit is a paid Autodesk subscription, sold on its own or in the Autodesk AEC Collection. Autodesk offers a free trial and free education licenses for students and educators, but professional use requires a paid subscription.

What's the difference between Revit and AutoCAD?

AutoCAD is a general drafting tool that produces 2D and basic 3D geometry as separate drawings. Revit is BIM software that models a coordinated, data-rich building where all drawings derive from one intelligent model. Revit is model-centric; AutoCAD is drawing-centric.