Top 5 Most Popular Posts and Videos of 2023
Dec 09, 2023
Another wild year is over! In this post, I will explore the most popular posts & live videos of the year.
2023 was the year of AI. It’s everywhere, it’s growing, it’s overshadowing other topics for the better or the worse. In this post, we recap the most popular blog post released in 2024, along with the most popular live episodes.
Special Year-End Live Episode:
We are having a special event with Gavin Crump (Aussie BIM Guru) and Jeffrey A. Pinheiro (The Revit Kid) to celebrate the end of the year. Join us on Wednesday, December 13th at 8 PM EST. We will share our highlights of the year in terms of BIM and AEC tech.
1- Top 20 Best New Features in Revit 2024
As always, the best new features post of the new Revit release sits at the top. This year, I’ve enjoyed the new site tools. I’ve also been impressed with the new sample model, which was developed partly by my friend Paul Aubin.
2- 10 Tips to Understand the New Toposolid Tool in Revit 2024
This is the first-ever guest post by an external author. Nehama is the COO at Arch-Intelligence, creator of the great Environment plugin for Revit. In this post, Nehama explains the impact of the Toposolid tool on your site workflows.
3- 10 Steps to Automate Wall Openings Percentage in Revit with Dynamo
This post explains a Revit and Dynamo workflow to automate the calculation of openings for each façade. This returns a percentage value and lets you know if you are code-compliant or not.
4- Fixing Nested Plan Swing Visibility in Revit Door Families
This post explains how to fix a common visual glitch with nested door plan swings. It involves adding an invisible vertical model line.
5- 12 Features of a Unique Revit Engineered Floor System Family
This is a wild family that I’ve developed for my friends over at Offsite Wood.
This wood floor system includes nested joists, beams, columns, and a subfloor. It has intuitive controls and can easily be stretched. It also provides accurate scheduling and takeoffs.
Most Popular BIM Pure Live Episodes:
1- #052 - Exploring Toposolids in Revit 2024, with Nicolas Catellier
In this live stream, I geek out about the new toposolid tool in Revit 2024… including showcasing how to model tunnels. I won’t lie; a technical glitch during the episode made my voice sound like an alien and drove me nuts. Anyway, most people don’t seem to mind.
2- #063 - Automating Revit with ChatGPT with Alex Ritivoi
This proved to be somewhat of a controversial episode but also the most unique and fascinating of the year. Alex of 3XN architects showcased wild, gonzo-style use of ChatGPT to quickly create Revit toolbars. You might need to rewatch a couple of parts to fully grasp what’s going on, but it’s an eye-opening glimpse into the future.
3- #057 - Developing a Pro Revit Template with Nicolas Catellier
In this episode, I go deep into the BIM Pure PRO Template. This is the template I have been successfully using with all my clients as a starting point. It is also being used by thousands of happy BIM Pure users.
4- #053 - Text-to-BIM, Generative Buildings with Andrew Heumann
“There is a podium 100’ x 75’ that is 5 stories tall. The second part of the podium is 60…”
What if you could type in a prompt, and a building would be automatically generated? This is the workflow showcased by Andrew Heumann with the fascinating Hypar tool.
In addition to “text-to-bim”, Andrew explains the cloud automation made possible with Hypar. We also talk about casual topics such as “Will AI take your job?”.
5- #059 - The Revit Killer, Defining BIM 2.0 with Martyn Day
Are you curious about where the AEC industry is going in terms of app and tech? Is Revit still going to be dominant? Will we get rid of files to work exclusively in the cloud? Who is going to own the data? Are we going to be locked in a company ecosystem?
Martyn is the editor of the AEC magazine and a crystal ball savant on these topics. A must-watch if you want to know where our industry is going.
Personal “gems” episodes of the year
As I looked at all the episodes of the year, I was stunned at how much I’ve enjoyed every single one of them and how proud I am of the BIM community. I addition to the most popular episodes, I wanted to highlight a few personal favorite episodes I think you should watch:
#049 - Building a Wild, Tech-Savvy Culture with Mercedes Carriquirry
Mercedes is one of the most unique minds I know in the industry. She is the co-founder of /Slantis, a BIM/Arch firm based in Uruguay. The team has grown from 2 co-founders in 2015 to more than 50 employees in 2023.
She describes how /Slantis managed to grow this way and shares her approach to building a “thriving ecosystem” for the company culture.
You’ll also hear about the Marie Kondo of BIM.
I’ve enjoyed this episode so much that we are preparing something special for next year :)
#054 - Cleaning & Mastering your BIM Data with Håvard Vasshaug
Talking about unique minds of the AEC industry… Havard is another of them! Always honest and vulnerable, Havard speaks candidly about things that frustrate him in the industry. His anger about the poor tools and processes led him to start two companies, Reope and Anker.
In this episode, Havard talks about how Revit is preventing digital construction, the question of “drawings vs models” as deliverables, and shares sanity advice for founders.
#050 - Revit Add-Ins: When is too much? With Monica Greco
This is an old-school episode where a guest goes deep about a technical Revit topic. Monica Greco of Jasmax talks about the problems with too many Revit add-ins and what to do about it.
Did you know that too many plugins can substantially slow down Revit? Did you know that some plugins conflict with one another? Monica doesn't mess around and provides high-quality information to help you decide what to do with your plugins.
#056 - Revit Concrete Modeling Masterclass with Kevin Cardoso
Kevin is probably the biggest Revit concrete modeling expert in the world. His job is to model concrete all day long for subcontractors, and he is amazingly good at it.
In this episode, he showcases tricks and strategies with concrete, including surprising techniques.
#064 - AI for Architectural Design, Mastering Midjourney with Tim Fu
AI was the topic of the year, and boy, did this episode blow my mind about it.
Tim Fu used to work at Zaha Hadid Architects. He quit his job to start his own business specializing in AI-generated architecture. In his episode, he showcases the use of LookX and Midjourney to help stimulate the mind and produce gorgeous designs.
Tim has unorthodox views about copyrights in the AI era. Is it ethical to prompt for “a Zaha-style building”? Is AI going to kill us all? We talk about that, too.
#066 - Designing a Digital AEC Practice, AEC/Tech podcasting with Evan Troxel
Evan Troxel is known for the great TRXL podcast. In this episode, he shares his previous job as a Digital AEC practice specialist and how that differs from being a BIM Manager.
It turns out that in addition to designing objects and buildings, you can also design how a firm operates.
Additional episodes: I wish I could include all episodes as my favorites! But here are some more episodes I’ve enjoyed:
The Collab Loop with Agustina Aboy: Another episode with a Slanter. Agustina shares her process for collaboration. Watch here
Decoding BIM Standards with Clive Jordan: Clive is the CEO and co-founder of Plannerly, a BIM standards management tool. He shares tips on how to master BEPs and other BIM “bureaucracy” the easy way. Watch here
Snaptrude - Sketch to BIM with Altaf Ganihar: The word around the block is that Autodesk is interested in acquiring Snaptrude and promoting it as the next-gen BIM modeling app. Learn about it straight from the founder’s mouth. Watch here
Veras - Generative AI Renderings with Ben & Bill from EvolveLabs: Veras is a generative AI tool that works directly from Revit models. The team explains the idea behind this fascinating tool. Watch here
Planning & developing Revit families with Kristina Youngblut: I love Kristina's energy and enthusiasm! In this episode, she shared her strategies to create great Revit families. Watch here
Mastering the Art of Revit data / Ideate tools with Nivin Nabeel: Nivin is a high-level Revit data nerd, and she did an amazing job showcasing the use of Ideate software great tools for Revit management. Watch here
Geo-Locate Site Models with Nehama Shechter-Baraban: Nehama returns for the third time on the show to share how to geo-locate site models using the excellent Environment plugin. Watch here
Mastering Enscape new Features with Josh Radle: Josh is a visualization mega-master, and he showcases tricks to make the most out of Enscape. Watch here
Being a Guest on the TRXL Podcast
In addition to hosting Evan Troxel on BIM Pure live, I also had the chance to join the TRXL podcast as a guest.
I talk about the importance of sharing knowledge in our industry and how creating content can leverage your time a thousandfold.
I also talk about what it was like to start Revit Pure and how I’ve gathered the courage to quit my job and start my own consulting business.
Podcast Recommendation: ArchiTech Network
I’ve been enjoying the ArchiTech Network podcast, hosted by Oliver Thomas of BIG Architects. Oliver talks to experts in the realm of AI and parametric architecture. There aren’t a lot of episodes, but I always end up fascinated and inspired. Recent topics:
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Space Architecture & 3D Printing
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Architecture in the Metaverse
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The intersection of Computational Design and AI
Go to Archi-Tech Network channel
30k Trees Planted
Our special Green Friday 2023 sale allowed us to donate $4,198 to Eden Reforestation Projects, enough to plant about 30k trees. Thanks everyone!
2024 Plans: BIM Pure Launch
I spent all year working on a new website and learning service. I thought it would be launched this year, but… oh well. It is all going to be revealed in early 2024. I am incredibly pumped about it.
Stay tuned!
No Conference this year
I’ve missed all the great conferences this year and feel bad about it. Also, the great BILT conference North America event has been canceled for 2024. I promise to be back at Autodesk University in 2024! Perhaps with a booth?
Object of the year: Hag Capisco chair
This year, I replaced my computer chair. While shopping, I stumbled across this odd one called the Hag Capisco. It is made to keep an active form and allows for various postures. It took a couple of weeks to adjust, but I love it! It is definitely on the more expensive side, but considering the amount of time spent sitting on it, it feels worth it.
THANK YOU!
I can’t say thank you enough. You are the reason Revit Pure / BIM Pure can exist. Your support means the world to me. Have a happy 2024, and see you soon!
