MG Blog

What’s New in Revit 2021 – Platform Updates

Written by Melissa Cash | Apr 16, 2020 8:48:15 PM

Last week Autodesk released Revit 2021, and with it came a plethora of updates. We already addressed our overall favorites – now let’s look at the enhancements and features added to the Revit platform.

PDF + IMAGE LINKING

Utilize and manage PDFs and images much more easily

  • Link PDFs and images from local or cloud file locations.
  • Select multiple rows to reload or remove links.
  • Convert links to imports as needed.
  • Use the Show button to find a PDF or image in a project.

Watch overview video >

CLOUD MODEL HOSTING IN EUROPE

Enjoy more choice in where your cloud-hosted projects are stored

  • Store Revit cloud models on Europe data center.
  • Location determined by location of BIM 360 account.

Watch overview video >

IMPROVED BIM 360 PROJECT NAVIGATION IN REVIT HOME

Locate and access cloud-hosted models more easily

  • Better experience of BIM 360 account and project navigation.
  • Differentiate between recent files and cloud-hosted models.
  • Search from a long list of projects.
  • Direct access to the files saved in BIM 360 with the Go to BIM 360 button.
  • Easily access the help links.

Watch overview video >

CUSTOMIZED REVIT WORKSPACE

Tailor your Revit interface to better meet your needs

  • Provides a personalized experience for the way you work, based on your discipline and primary job role.
  • Proposes a customized UI that hides unnecessary Ribbon tabs.
  • You can accept or decline the result, and your customized UI is saved.

Watch overview video >

ROW STRIPING FOR SCHEDULES

Improve the readability of large schedules

  • Makes it easier to follow rows across large schedules.
  • Select custom colors for alternating rows.
  • Easily scan information on both schedule views and sheets.

Watch overview video >

INFRASTRUCTURE DISCIPLINE + BRIDGE CATEGORIES

Leverage new features supporting bridge design workflows

  • New Infrastructure discipline.
  • New categories for bridges:
    •  – 26 for model elements
    •  – 20 for annotation elements
  • These categories support:
    •  – Visibility/graphics overrides
    •  – Object styles
    •  – Tags and schedules
  • US Survey Foot unit added.

Watch overview video >

DYNAMO 2.5 INSTALLED

The latest Dynamo capabilities are now installed with Revit

  • Latest version of Dynamo now ships with Revit; no need to maintain multiple versions.
  • Automatically finds required packages.
  • Filters for external application dependencies.
  • Offers significant improvements to performance and memory management.

Watch overview video >

NEW DYNAMO REVIT NODES

Take advantage of improved capabilities for task automation

  • 10 commonly-requested nodes have been added.
  • Revit geometry joining functions.
  • Set element pin/unpin and get status if element is pinned.
  • Get hosted elements.

ENABLE VIEW FILTERS IN VIEW

Easily toggle view filter graphic overrides

  • New column “Enable in View” added to the Filters tab of the Visibility Graphics dialog.
  • Quickly disable a view filter without having to remove the filter from the view.
  • Continue to view the elements that fit the criteria of the filter.
  • Enabled by default when a new view filter is applied to the view.

Watch overview video >

ROTATE TAGS WITH COMPONENTS IMPROVEMENTS

Create more accurate and readable annotations

  • Ability to control tag rotation behavior.
  • Edit the tag in the Family editor.
    •  – Enable the Rotate with component parameter in the Properties Palette
  • Tag rotation matches the new component orientation.

Watch overview video >

VOID CUTS FAMILY GEOMETRY INSTANCE + TYPE PARAMETERS

Use parameters to drive smarter void behaviors in families

  • Voids can now be associated to family type and instance parameters.
  • Customers no longer need to create two families to achieve what can be done in one.
  • Voids can be controlled to cut some family types, but not others.

Watch overview video >

OTHER ADDITIONS + IMPROVEMENTS

CONSISTENT LINESTYLE NAMING

  • “Hard-coded” Revit linestyles are now consistently bracketed and appear at the bottom of the list.

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SUN + SHADOW REFINEMENTS

  • Improved the accuracy of shadows in polar locations.
  • Sunrise and sunset times now updated with project location.

Stay tuned as we take you through the enhancements aligned with architecture, structure and MEP functionality in follow-up posts.