BIM Q&A | How Mysterious Is Revit?
As a recent university graduate starting an internship, I was influenced by the popular mindset of “the world is so big, I want to explore it.” Instead of following most students into companies or factories, I chose to join a construction firm to work on projects—essentially moving bricks on construction sites. This choice took me traveling all across the country, chasing the opportunity to see new places while doing manual work.
When I joined the company in early July, I was assigned to Xiamen, where a new project was just beginning: building a factory for Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd., specifically a TFT factory. Arriving in Xiamen felt like a breath of fresh air—like someone just released from prison finally stepping outside. The city wasn’t too different from others I had seen, except it was closer to the sea and had taller buildings.
Visiting the historic sites of Gulangyu and Tianluokeng, I realized how vast the world truly is, and I simply wanted to explore more. However, my biggest surprise came unexpectedly. One day, a designer connected his computer to a projector, displaying a 3D model of the entire factory. I was stunned—completely blown away. It felt like I had hit a wall I didn’t know existed.
I wondered, what software could create such a detailed model? It was incredible—pipes running everywhere in the factory, fully visualized. Just an hour before, I had only known architectural drawings as flat, two-dimensional CAD files. Curious, I asked the designer about the software. He told me it was Revit. He added that knowing Revit and having experience with a couple of projects could open doors to major companies like China Construction and China Power.
Back at home, I turned on my computer, determined to catch up on the Revit skills I missed during the first two decades of my life. I searched extensively, but most resources were poorly organized or confusing, and finding a reliable tutorial was tough. The software installation itself was riddled with pitfalls. Still, I persisted and explored Revit further.
I quickly realized that online forums were filled with noise rather than helpful information. I even found some shady sellers claiming to offer Revit resources, which I naively trusted at first. In the end, I was disappointed. On platforms like Zhihu, the number of people discussing Revit rarely exceeded five.
How truly mysterious is Revit? Where are the experts? I couldn’t find any traps or shortcuts in the software, and the instructional videos were often unhelpful. Is it really the case that only a few “insiders” understand it? Does the world of construction software remain shrouded in mystery? Is Revit really that difficult to master? And is BIM technology truly reserved only for high-level professionals?
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