2025-11-24 - 3DM - Creating BIM Apartment and Detailing in Sketchup

Quick recap

The instructor began by checking in with the team and discussing preparations for an upcoming crit, including presentation requirements and project timelines. The class then focused on a kitchen design project using multiple software tools, with demonstrations covering Revit modeling, SketchUp detailing, and Twinmotion rendering. The conversation ended with announcements about next week's focus on Twinmotion rendering and lighting, along with reminders about critiques, design work, and grade verification.

Next steps

• Students: Message classmates who missed today's class to inform them about the Revit tutorial content covered

• Students: Work on studio projects during the remaining class time today

• Students: Complete their apartment models in Revit and add furniture before next week

• Students: Export their Revit models to SketchUp and add detailed elements using 3D Warehouse by next week

• Students: Have their detailed SketchUp models ready for Twinmotion tutorial next week

• Students: Attend next week's class with completed models

• Students: Check their grades next week to verify accuracy and report any errors

• Brian: Cover Twinmotion rendering, lighting, 3D floor plans, and animation in next week's class

• Brian: Handle final grade verification and corrections next week before submitting to portal

Summary

Team Check-in and Status Update

Brian checked in with the team, asking if everyone could hear him and if everything was going well.

Preparation for Final Crit Session

The class discussed preparations for an upcoming crit, with Ansel confirming they would present plan sections, elevations, and a model. Brian noted that classes would end on December 3rd, and the final crit would be on the 12th. The class reviewed the studio base project and planned to focus on creating floor plans in Revit, with a tutorial on interior renderings in Twinmotion. Brian encouraged students to message classmates about the day's focus and suggested working on their studio projects during class.

Kitchen Design Workflow in Revit

The meeting focused on a kitchen design project using Revit, SketchUp, and Twinmotion. Brian explained the workflow, starting with creating a basic BIM model in Revit, moving to detailed modeling in SketchUp for specific elements like lighting and appliances, and finally using Twinmotion to add color, texture, and create 3D renderings. The team discussed switching Revit to dark mode for better visibility and covered the initial steps of importing cabinetry and setting up the kitchen layout in the model. Brian mentioned the need for participants to complete their studio project for marking purposes.

AutoCAD Kitchen Design Tutorial

Brian demonstrated how to design a kitchen layout using AutoCAD, focusing on base cabinets, corner units, and appliances. He explained the differences between metric and imperial templates and showed how to adjust cabinet sizes and align them using various tools. Brian also covered how to add a pantry, refrigerator, and upper cabinets to complete the kitchen design.

Revit Kitchen Design Demonstration

Brian Williams demonstrated how to design a kitchen in Revit, focusing on creating wall cabinets, a refrigerator, and countertops. He showed how to adjust the dimensions and parameters of these elements to fit the space and meet design recommendations. The team also discussed setting up sheets for floor plans and interior elevations, including customizing the title block template.

Revit Kitchen Template Customization

Brian demonstrated how to create and customize a sheet template in Revit for a kitchen design project. He showed how to adjust the scale, crop views, and insert interior elevations onto a letter-sized sheet. Brian explained that while Revit is useful for generating construction documentation, adding detailed decorative elements like specific cabinet handles or appliance types would be challenging in the program. He noted that this level of detailing would typically be done in a different software or stage of the design process.

Revit to SketchUp Design Workflow

Brian demonstrated how to use Revit for creating floor plans and interior elevations, emphasizing its utility for documentation and layout. He explained that while Revit is effective for large-scale design, it is less suitable for detailed design work, recommending SketchUp for such tasks. Brian also outlined a workflow involving exporting the Revit model as an IFC file to import into SketchUp, where specific design details can be added, before using Twinmotion for renderings. Ansel requested a slower pace to better understand the process, and Brian acknowledged this while noting that the video would be available for review.

Revit Model Enhancement in SketchUp

Brian demonstrated how to enhance a Revit model in SketchUp by adding detailed cabinet doors, door handles, and appliances. He showed how to use SketchUp's 3D Warehouse to download and customize these elements, explaining the process of adjusting their size and placement to match the design board. Brian also demonstrated how to create a tray ceiling in SketchUp, which would not have been possible in Revit. He emphasized that the added details in SketchUp would improve the quality of the renderings in Twinmotion.

Twinmotion and 3D Design Focus

The instructor announced that next week will focus on Twinmotion rendering and lighting, as well as 3D floor plans and animations, with students needing to bring their detailed studio apartment models created in Revit and further developed in SketchUp. Students were informed that there will be no lecture session this week, and they should use the time for critiques and design work. The instructor praised the class for pushing architectural boundaries in their Revit models and reminded students to verify their grades next week, as it will be the final submission period before grades are uploaded to the portal.

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