Overall, Revit 2017 is the fastest and best performing Revit yet.
With the improved performance, Revit now:
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Video & Screen Shot - Improved Software Performance
Dynamo visual programming platform is now fully integrated with Revit and no longer requires an additional download. It provides you with powerful scripting capability without any additional installation. It’s also accessible to non-programmers and programmers.
With Revit 2017, you can now have your complex geometric and data problems solved faster with a fully integrated visual programming interface.
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Video & Screen Shot - Built-in Dynamo
In Revit 2017, Schedules have been enhanced in a few areas. In order to simplify the reuse of schedules, you can create a schedule view template. Schedule view templates include parameters for Fields, Filter, Sorting/Grouping, Formatting, Appearance, and Phase Filter.
The Schedule Properties dialog has been improved to facilitate schedule creation and modification. You can also now display minimum values, maximum values, or both minimum and maximum values for calculations in columns.
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Annotation tags now allow calculated values and obey pin restrictions. You can also create a tag with a calculation in it and use it with any tag type. When you reposition an element, a pinned tag remains in place while its leader adjusts to accommodate the new position of the element.
A pinned tag does not relocate when the leader is turned on and off and when set to Free end. Additionally, the leader of a pinned tag does not change its shape when you switch from Free end to Attached end.
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Tangency Locks allows you to place tangency locks to sketch lines, and works when in the sketch editor and family editor. It works anytime you are sketching a shape (like a floor, ceiling, etc.) It works when creating geometry in the family editor. However, it does not work for model lines or reference lines.
You can lock the various lines when sketching to avoid accidentally moving them.
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Global parameters have been enhanced in Revit 2017. Now you can associate global parameters with a type property for an element and with instance or type project parameters.
You can also assign a global parameter to a group for better organization as well as move and sort global parameters within their assigned groups. Select the "Show Label in View" option to display the global parameter name with the dimension value and better understand how and where global parameters are used in a model.
You can also filter a schedule by global parameter association to help find elements that have a global parameter association or are missing an association. And last but not least, you can transfer global parameters between projects.
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Autodesk Raytracer is now the only visualization engine in Revit. It is based on physically more accurate lights, materials, and reflected light and enables great visualization with better performance.
Raytracer greatly improves performance, as there is a notable increase in speed when using Raytracer. You get more physically based rendering results that are more accurate.
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Video & Screen Shot - Enhanced Autodesk Raytracer
FormIt 360 Converter is now provided with the Revit installation, which gives you the ability to continue to work easily with your FormIt designs in Revit.
You convert FormIt 360 files into an open Revit file from within Revit. You can also convert SketchUp SKP files for use within FormIt, Revit RFA files for use within FormIt, and RFAs used in FormIt, back into the original RFA in Revit for a fully integrated BIM workflow.
You can launch FormIt 360 from within the application.
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Now you can host railings on shaped edited floors, roofs, and on the top of walls with a single sketch line.
This provides architects with the ability to do a single sketch and host the rail as it is intended to be built on site.
This continues on improving the railing functionality so you can model the way you want.
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The new Text Editor and layout engine gives you “What You See Is What You Get” editing and new features to help communicate your design.
You can edit in canvas and have text set to uppercase, subscript, superscript. You can add spaces between bulleted points, multi-level lists, indenting, undenting, and incrementing numbers.
The way text in AutoCAD is measured is now the same for Revit text, enabling better import and export to AutoCAD. When upgrading, Text notes will change for certain fonts due to text sizing, line spacing, or wrapping.
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Depth Cueing lets you add depth to elevations and sections to create stunning visuals to better communicate your design.
This functionality works with shadows on, realistic, hidden lines, sketchy lines, ambient shadows, anti-aliasing and more. It works in any view effect. When you turn it on, you can control where the depth starts, stops, and the limits.
You have control over the effect in order to meet your needs. Designed for Architects, depth cueing adds pop to your elevations and sections in either architecture or coordination views.
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Autodesk Revit 2017 includes access to Autodesk Insight 360 as part of your Revit subscription. Insight 360 provides Revit users with a fast, intuitive, outcomes-driven guide to better building energy and environmental performance throughout the building lifecycle.
By simply applying a geographical location and utilizing Revit’s automatic Energy Analytical Model, Insight 360 empowers architects and integrated teams with clear guidance and recommendations powered by widely used simulation engines that lead to better building performance outcomes. Instantly reveal a range of potential design outcomes through the Energy Cost Range factors to help you quickly identify key energy performance drivers and compare design scenarios.
Insight 360 integrates many exiting workflows such as Revit Energy Analysis and Lighting Analysis, as well as expanding on these tools to provide a holistic approach to building performance. Access to EnergyPlus heating and cooling load data and in-context solar analysis results are also included in Insight 360.
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AutoCAD 2017 offers a new tool for sending your model to a 3D printer. The new Print Studio tool is available on the Output ribbon tab when the 3D Modeling workspace is active.
After viewing and editing various settings in the 3D Print Options dialog box, it takes you to Print Studio which is a separate application that ships with AutoCAD 2017 but is not installed by default.
If Print Studio was not previously installed, you’re offered the opportunity to install it.
Using Print Studio, you can connect to the 3D printer to which you want to send your 3D model, or you can create a print file for printing later.
Print Studio gives you the tools you need to prepare your models for specific printers and materials.
AutoCAD 2017 offers improved stability and performance with a new 3D graphics subsystem.
You can view and orbit large 3D models, with visual styles, without experiencing adaptive degradation, which automatically turned off visual features during interactive display operations in order to maintain an acceptable frame rate.
The performance for 3D drawings has been improved, in general, and especially for models with a large number of small blocks containing edges and facets. Use any of the 3D Navigation tools to experience the improved performance.
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The appearance, selection and performance of 2D geometry continues to improve in AutoCAD 2017. A control in the Graphics Performance dialog box enables you to take advantage of improved graphics for capable devices. You can experience the performance increase if you have a DirectX 11-capable graphics card and hardware acceleration turned on.
In previous releases of AutoCAD, the preview of objects as they’re being created, moved, or copied, could appear jagged. In AutoCAD 2017, line smoothing is supported during the preview of objects as they’re being edited. They’re displayed just as they will appear after the operation is completed.
In previous releases of AutoCAD, lines with DOT linetypes could be difficult to see even with lineweights applied. AutoCAD 2017 supports the lineweight display of DOT linetypes. In addition, linetypes with dash and dot combinations display round dots unlike previous releases that represented dots with very short dashes. This also results in a more accurate display of selection highlighting.
Another subtle but useful improvement to linetypes with dashes and dots is the ability to select or snap to the gaps on those objects. You can enable this behavior with the new LTGAPSELECTION system variable.
Similarly, the gaps are recognized by object snaps enabling you to snap to the objects even when picking on a blank space.
Managing your software licenses is easier than ever with the new License Manager in AutoCAD 2017.
You no longer choose your license type or enter a serial number during the install process. Instead, you select which type of license you want to use when you first launch AutoCAD. You can enter a serial number or use a network license.
An option in the Infocenter menu provides access to the License Manager where you can view information about the software license as well as installed Plug-ins, Add-ons, and Extensions.
You can easily update your current serial number with a new one and you can even change the type of license you’re using.
Doing so, prompts you to exit AutoCAD.
AutoCAD 2017 offers powerful new tools for creating and editing centerlines and center marks. You can access the Center Mark and Centerline tools from the Annotate ribbon tab.
The Centerline tool creates centerline geometry of a specified linetype in association with selected lines and polylines. The Center Mark tool creates an associative center mark at the center of a selected circle, arc, or polygonal arc. If you edit the associated objects, the centerlines and center marks update accordingly.
You can modify centerlines and center marks with their grips. A multi-functional grip menu offers additional controls.
You can also use the Properties or Quick Properties palettes to view and edit centerline and center mark properties.
Additional CENTER commands and system variables let you further control the behavior and appearance of centerlines and center marks.
One of the first changes you may notice after installing AutoCAD 2017 is the new Autodesk desktop app which is automatically displayed after the install is complete. A shortcut is added to the Window’s desktop and taskbar for easy access later.
Autodesk desktop app does not require you to sign in to Autodesk. However, it provides the most value when you are signed in. If you do not yet have an Autodesk account, you can create one.
The Autodesk desktop app is a companion application that delivers security patches and updates for all 2015, 2016, and 2017 versions of Microsoft Windows-based Autodesk products.
In the left panel you’ll an icon for each of the products you have installed as well as an Updates icon. Pass the cursor over the item to display the full name, or simply expand the panel.
Selecting the Updates icon displays available updates for any of those installed products.
AutoCAD 2017 offers a new tool that enables you to easily publish views of drawings to the cloud to facilitate collaboration with stakeholders while protecting your DWG files.
You must be logged into Autodesk to publish design views. If you are not logged in, you are prompted to do so before the publishing begin.
You can choose to publish and display in your browser right away or receive a notification on the status bar when all view processing is complete.
Your current drawing is uploaded to a secure location in the cloud where 2D and 3D views are extracted along with the property database.
If you choose the option to display in your browser now, AutoCAD uploads the drawing file (and its references) to a location on the cloud for processing and launches your browser. You can see the status in the A360 viewer as the file is being prepared for viewing. The processing time will vary depending on the size and complexity of the drawing, internet speed, and backlogged queues for processing.
In AutoCAD 2017 Coordination Model functionality has been enhanced with support for object snaps. Attach a Navisworks or BIM 360 Glue model to your AutoCAD drawing so you can view it as an underlay.
Then simply use the standard AutoCAD endpoint and center object snaps to snap to precise locations as you create and edit your design based on the attached models.
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