HELP ! How do I open a REVIT file in SKETCHUP!?!?! (export/import format)

@TheOnlyAaron Thank you for the shoutout!!

@simoncbevans We did take Helix off the market for a while, and it was unfortunately not available for use. However, we are now working on version 2, which is re-architected. This version allows bi-directional synchronization between Revit and SketchUp in a real-time fashion. See gif below.

@RTCool Yes! Our CEO Bill Allen presented Helix V1 in the “Model Drop Chasm” session.

@Anssi Version 2 is mainly made up of three components that seamlessly install in SketchUp and Revit: SketchUp plugin, Revit plugin and a Windows Service that is the mediator.

Helix 2 is now in open beta, and available for a free trial download: https://www.evolvelab.io/software/helix

Here’s an example of the workflow that showcases bi-directional workflows with SketchUp and Revit: Align SketchUp 3D Warehouse Component To Existing Revit Model - Helix - EvolveLAB Forum

2022-03-12 - 22-34-37

From the landing page it looks as if this only translates from SU to Revit. Is that right?

@simoncbevans We support both SketchUp to Revit and Revit to SketchUp.

I think the tag line under the logo might seem like it’s only for SketchUp to Revit:

The Best SketchUp® to Revit® tool for you and your firm

We went with that line to emphasize the most challenging part that the app solves. Revit to SketchUp is more analogous to rasterizing a vector image (down-sampling data), while SketchUp to Revit is like vectorizing a raster image (enriching data).

OK, so maybe I should give it a go. Does it work on Mac?

I don’ think Revit works on Mac.

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Like @Anssi mentioned Revit doesn’t work on Mac. However, we do have it on our roadmap to support Mac.

Currently the app works on the same machine with both Revit and SketchUp installed. We want to extend this so that a machine without Revit and with SketchUp can sync across the network or via internet. This enables many workflows, one being able to sync SketchUp from a Mac to Revit on a widows machine.

I guess what I was hoping for was a translator that would take a Revit file and convert it to a SU file. Once you have a SKP file, the platform no longer matters. But it looks as if we may be a bit distant from that nirvana as yet.

AFAIK that is not possible without Revit. I think Simlab has a Revit plugin SketchUp translator too, but the Revit file formats are proprietary to Autodesk. It is the same with 3D Studio Max.

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The problem here is that some manufacturers and suppliers have now started to produce CAD drawings of their products only in Revit format. Which is fine for those who can afford and know how to use Revit but t leaves the rest of us out in the cold.

The Autodesk approved way to access the Revit API and include the ability to convert Revit files (via custom code in our case) without having Revit installed is using their cloud API offerings. If this is a common need for users to one shot convert Revit files to SketchUp, it could be done via that route. With this method, Autodesk charges the cloud compute time, so the more conversions, the more it would cost…

I’d be curious to know how pervasive this problem is for SketchUp users.

Regarding manufacturers offering content in Revit only: I’d take a look at BimSmith, by Anguleris. They work with manufacturers so that the content is made available in multiple formats, including both Revit and SketchUp.

This is definitely something that I would use, if it was easy enough and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Had a friend that could help me with exporting some items from Revit in IFC which I could then import into Sketchup but that is hardly a permanent solution, and I find it hard to justify getting a Revit license for this reason only…

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