Revit and BIM Explained: How the Model Drives the Drawings

Revit is the building information modelling (BIM) tool most people mean when they talk about BIM. Instead of drawing plans, sections and elevations as separate pictures, a Revit user builds a single model of walls, floors, columns, doors and services, and the drawings are generated as views of that model. Change the model and every view changes with it.

This article explains what Revit is, how its model is structured, where it sits in a project from design to construction, how it shares information with other tools, and the limits that are worth understanding. It is a neutral overview for people who work alongside Revit users, or who are deciding whether model-based design suits their projects.

What Revit is and where it came from

Revit began at Charles River Software, founded in 1997 in Massachusetts by developers who had worked on parametric mechanical design software. The company was renamed Revit Technology Corporation and released the first version of Revit in 2000. Autodesk acquired the company in 2002, and Revit has been developed by Autodesk since.

The name is usually explained as “revise instantly”, which describes the central idea: a parametric model in which relationships between elements are maintained automatically. Today Revit combines architectural, structural and building-services (MEP) modelling in one product, and it runs on Windows. Its native project file is .rvt, and its reusable component files, called families, are .rfa.

How a Revit model works

Elements, families and types

Everything in Revit is an element belonging to a category: walls, floors, structural columns, doors, ducts, pipes. Elements are defined by families, which hold parameters such as dimensions, materials and fire rating. A family can have many types, for example a 200 mm and a 300 mm blockwork wall, and changing a type updates every instance in the project.

Views and sheets

Plans, sections, elevations, 3D views and schedules are all live views of the same database. Annotations such as dimensions and tags are attached to elements, so a door tag in a plan reads its value from the door itself. Sheets assemble those views for issue.

Schedules

Because elements carry data, Revit can produce door schedules, room areas, material quantities and structural member lists directly from the model. When the design changes, the schedules change too. This is one of the most practical benefits of BIM over 2D drafting.

Worksharing

On larger projects several people work on one model at once through a central model and local copies, with elements divided into worksets. Separate disciplines usually keep separate models, linked together for coordination.

Where Revit fits in the project workflow

Revit can be used from early design, but its real strength lies in design development, documentation and coordination.

Concept. Massing tools exist, but many architects still begin in lighter tools such as SketchUp or Rhino 3D and move to Revit once the scheme stabilises.
Design development. Walls, floors, cores and grids are set up with real build-ups. The structural engineer’s model of columns, beams and slabs is linked in and checked against the architecture.
Documentation. Drawings, schedules and specifications are produced from the model, which greatly reduces inconsistencies between sheets.
Coordination. Architectural, structural and MEP models are combined, often in a separate review tool such as Navisworks, to detect clashes before construction.
Visualisation. Revit’s own rendering is modest, so models are frequently sent to dedicated real-time renderers.

The wider construction-side picture of how models are used for planning, quantities and facility management is covered in our guide to BIM in construction.

Interoperability: IFC, DWG and the rest

No project uses one program. Revit exchanges information in several ways.

IFC (Industry Foundation Classes), the open, vendor-neutral BIM format maintained by buildingSMART International and published as an ISO standard. Revit imports and exports IFC, which lets it exchange models with ArchiCAD, Tekla Structures, model checkers and authority systems. Export settings and property mapping need care, or information is lost.
DWG, for exporting sheets and views to consultants who draft in CAD, and for importing survey plans and details.
Linked Revit models, the usual method between disciplines that all use Revit.
Analytical models, which structural engineers use to pass member geometry to analysis software, with results brought back to the physical model.

In Singapore this matters directly. The CORENET X regulatory submission platform, introduced by BCA, URA and other agencies, uses IFC+SG, an extension of IFC adapted to local requirements. Submission through CORENET X became mandatory for new projects of 30,000 m² gross floor area and above from October 2025, and from 1 October 2026 the threshold was lowered to new projects of 5,000 m² and above. Revit users preparing such submissions need to map their models to the IFC+SG requirements.

Strengths of Revit

One source of truth. Coordinated drawings and schedules flow from one model.
Multi-discipline in one platform. Architecture, structure and services share the same environment, which simplifies coordination.
Market adoption. It is widely used by consultants and contractors, which eases collaboration.
Extensibility. An application programming interface and visual programming (Dynamo) allow automation of repetitive tasks.

Limits to understand

A Revit model is only as reliable as the decisions behind it. Modelling a beam does not prove that the beam is adequate; that requires an engineer’s analysis and design. Equally, the level of detail in a model should match its purpose. Over-modelling early slows a project down, while under-modelling before documentation leaves gaps that appear as site queries.

Revit also has a steeper learning curve than 2D drafting, demands disciplined template and family management, and can struggle with very complex free-form geometry. Large models need capable hardware and good housekeeping. Finally, small details such as reinforcement at congested joints are often clearer as 2D details than as model views, which is why many engineers still finish details in CAD, as described in our guide to structural drawings.

Frequently asked questions

What is Revit used for?

Revit is used to build a coordinated digital model of a building, covering architecture, structure and building services, and to generate drawings, schedules and quantities from that model. It is widely used for design development, construction documentation and multi-disciplinary coordination.

Is Revit the same as BIM?

No. BIM is a process of creating and managing information about a building through a shared model. Revit is one software tool used for that process; others include ArchiCAD, Vectorworks, Allplan and Tekla Structures. Open formats such as IFC allow these tools to exchange information.

Who makes Revit?

Revit was created by Revit Technology Corporation, originally Charles River Software, and first released in 2000. Autodesk acquired the company in 2002 and has developed Revit since then.

Can Revit models be submitted to Singapore authorities?

Under CORENET X, building plans for larger new projects are submitted as models in the IFC+SG format, which Revit can export once the model is set up to the required mapping. Projects below the mandatory threshold may still use other submission routes, so the current BCA and URA circulars should be checked for each project.

Does a Revit model replace structural calculations?

No. A Revit model records the geometry and properties of structural members, but their adequacy is established by analysis and design to the relevant codes, carried out and endorsed by a qualified engineer. The model documents the design; it does not prove it.

Working on a BIM project and need accountable structural input? Talk to our consultancy or get in touch.