Alpine Releases Updated VisionREZ® for Revit Platform

Alpine, a leading North American supplier of products and services for the architectural drafting, building and component manufacturing industry, has announced the release of VisionREZ® 2016 for Revit®.  This is the third and most complete release of a VisionREZ product designed specifically for the Revit platform, and is based on the award-winning VisionREZ products for AutoCAD® Architecture (ACA).  Three individual modules (Architecture, Structure and Options Management) encompass the release.

Enhancements to the Architecture module give design professionals the ability to manually create complicated roof planes using a combination of walls, beams and model lines.  An automated tool set creates fascia, freezes and soffits directly from a roof style.  The Structure module now offers the ability to create horizontal floor framing layouts and support for solid sawn joists, EWP and floor trusses.  The Options Management module is a new plug-in to the VisionREZ tool sets for Revit.  More than 15 months in development, this module gives production home professionals support for creating Master Plansets and Lot Specific Plans, all within the same workspace.  A Workspace Grid creates complete visualization of all option geometry and combinations, including structural options. 

According to Steve Bumbalough, ITW global software product manager, “We recognize Autodesk's Revit as the premiere BIM (Building Information Modeling) solution on the market today.  Making Revit work for single-family and multifamily construction is what VisionREZ is all about.  Production home options management with light-frame wood detailing drives the natural integration of BIM with fabrication using building components.  The Revit platform, created initially for large commercial projects, also handles the large modeling requirements of multifamily applications just as well.”            

All VisionREZ products are an integral part of the Instinct Residential Design System, a residential-specific 3D BIM process designed to facilitate collaboration among construction professionals.  Instinct ties the residential CAD design work of builders, architects and engineers directly to component manufacturing professionals and the practical application of established structural framing practices.  It also allows professionals to exchange a single BIM file and collaborate to identify potential problems and offer solutions on-screen, not on-site.

The process starts with truly parametric 3D building modeling based on the industry’s BIM standard – Autodesk’s Revit.  With the VisionREZ plug-in, the power of Revit is finally available for residential BIM.  The virtual 3D model becomes the foundation for all design workflows, generating construction documents, driving fabrication with trade partners and making building information accessible for reuse downstream.

When a VisionREZ ModelMap file is shared within the national network of Alpine component manufacturers and design partners, the 3D model is recognized instantly, including walls, roof and ceiling planes, and all connections.  Work begins immediately to create optimized structural framing components, including roof and floor trusses, wall panels, I-joists and hardware connections, which meet local building codes and regional preferences and help keep projects lean and sustainable.  The updated model is then shared to keep everyone up to date.

“Industry experts have long known that every dollar spent to solve a design problem in the office before construction saves 10 dollars during construction and hundreds of dollars in repairs costs once the project is complete,” said Michael Schwitter, business manager for Instinct, North America.  “The emphasis on upfront accuracy saves time and money, which is why VisionREZ makes perfect sense.”

For additional information about VisionREZ 2016 for Revit Plug-In’s or the Instinct Residential Design System, visit www.itwinstinct.com.