Introduction to Revit for Theater Integrators
12 Week Course

Live Virtual Course for 1-10 students

This course introduces those familiar with AutoCAD and/or Inventor to a Revit workflow, where we will focus on basic modeling of existing theater equipment components.  We will also review an Import / Export workflow that allows us to bring in models from multiple trades, export them for engineering, then bring the engineered information back into a Revit model for design coordination.  

Course Summary

This course is intended to introduce specialty equipment contractors and engineers to the BIM processes most widely used in the design and construction industry. The information focuses on workflows to set up a Revit model, and to import and export model information to and from AutoCAD for use in submittal drawings. Participants will also learn basic modeling techniques using freely available Revit families, and how to produce sheets out of the Revit environment.

The goals of the course are as follows:
  1. Gain a basic understanding of BIM.
  2. Learn to create a dedicated model, and link design and other trade models to the proper coordinate system.
  3. Learn how to transfer model data between Revit AutoCAD.
  4. Gain an in-depth understanding of how to create and modify views in Revit for import, export, and plotting purposes.
  5. Learn to place theatrical equipment elements within a Revit model.
  6. Understand how to create sheets and annotate model information within Revit.

Each training session will take place online via Zoom and will last 1 to 1.5 hours each. We anticipate 1 training sessions per week, with additional 2-4 hours of exercises outside of the online training. Training session dates and times will be coordinated with students’ and instructors’ schedules.

Course Structure

The course will use Performance BIM’s online training classroom modules for course work, Zoom meetings, and project downloads.  Students should create an account at classroom.performancebim.com.  You will then be invited to the private course page.

While Performance BIM will be presenting, this is not intended as a “lecture course.”  Training sessions should be a dialog, and discussions / questions / alternate viewpoints are encouraged. 

Zoom sessions will be interactive, where Performance BIM instructors will monitor progress via screen sharing as we work through exercises.

The session organization serves as a template and may be adjusted based on students’ learning speeds.

Prerequisites

Each participant must have the following software packages available during the sessions to participate in real time:

  • Autodesk Revit v2024 (full version) 
  • Autodesk AutoCAD (v23 or newer)
  • A Zoom account and Zoom application installed on the computer (not web browser based.)
  • Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro license (optional) 
    This license will be required to work “live” on an ACC site.  We will provide an overview of this product and how it pertains as part of the course.
Participants should have access to a minimum of 2 screens – 1 to watch the presentation, and 1 to run the software in real time.

Students must be prepared to put in the time and effort to complete all exercises in the course, as it is time intensive and fast moving.  It is critical that exercises are completed outside of the sessions.  We understand the nature of work within our industry, so we are willing to be flexible with dates and times to coordinate work schedules.

Optional Preparation

Like most design software, Revit is a complex program that can take time to simply learn to navigate. We find that participants who spend some time in the software prior to our course are much more likely to walk away with a more thorough understanding and practical application than if we start from scratch on our first session. For this reason, we have curated a series of LinkedIn Learning sessions that we strongly recommend students complete prior to our training. While these sessions are directed towards architecture, the concepts are directly related to our work. Paul Aubin, the course author, is the preeminent Revit training consultants in the architectural industry.

For those without access, LinkedIn offers a free 30 day trial of their learning platform.

Course Sessions

Instructors

Jason Prichard

Chief Operating Officer, Performance BIM
Jason brings extensive experience in the design and construction industry coupled with a strong modeling and technical background. Jason has spearheaded implementation of a BIM workflow, focusing on Revit family development and Revit API automation. As a former professor at UNC - Chapel Hill, and over 30 years in the entertainment industry, Jason brings a unique perspective to online training.

Butch Garris

Chief Technology Officer, Performance BIM
Butch has been in the live performance and entertainment industry for 25 years, training students while at UNC-Chapel Hill to work in an active performing arts center, training architects and engineers while at Theatre Consultants Collaborative to design the best facility possible, and now training Performance BIM clients how to integrate BIM and Revit into their documentation workflows.