I recently installed Revit 2010 on a MacBook Pro.  The MacBook had Boot Camp installed and also VMWare Fusion 3.  The install went onto the Boot Camp partition fairly easily.  The Boot Camp partition was Windows XP.  I installed Revit 2010 on my laptop with Windows 7 – so I am testing it out on that also.

Using Boot Camp is better with VMware Fusion. I no longer have to choose between Windows and Mac at startup. I can run my Windows partition side-by-side with the Mac OS. VMware Fusion automatically recognizes my Boot Camp partition and lets me run it concurrently with the Mac. I can also run it in Unity mode which makes the partition sit right alongside my Mac programs as if it were part of the Mac OS.

You can also go to Full Screen to see the entire Revit program.  Just click on the VMWare option…

Boot Camp supports the 32-bit releases of Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista. You can run either operating system on your Mac at native speed by booting into the Windows environment.

Boot Camp Assistant creates a partition just for Windows XP without erasing your existing Mac OS X information.  The drivers are automatically installed after installing Windows when you insert the disc into your Macintosh.

After running Boot Camp and installing Windows XP or Vista, you can switch between Windows and Mac OS X by holding the Option (Alt) key at start up.

When you start your Mac, holding down the Options (Alt) key, it will offer you the bootable partitions.  Select Windows to boot directly into Windows.

I have noticed that the direct boot method is best for long term work.  Quick checks of models in Revit can be done via VMWare, but it is much slower than a direct Windows boot.

Want to run Revit on a Mac?

Here is a list of Questions and Answers for those that are thinking about it – found on the Autodesk website.

While this list is not specific to Revit – It is linked from the Revit page on Autodesk’s site. It shows AutoCAD based reviews, so take that into account.

You can filter and search based on Vendor or specific cards (if you have one in mind)

Go to the list

Here are the System Requirements and Recommendations for running Revit Arch 2010 on your PC. I suggest you go with the Recommendations.

System Requirements for 32-bit Autodesk Revit Architecture

* Microsoft® Windows Vista® 32-bit (SP1), including Ultimate, Business, or Home Premium edition, or Microsoft® Windows® XP (SP1 or SP2) Professional or Home edition*
* Intel® Pentium® 4 1.4 GHz or equivalent AMD® processor
* 3 GB RAM (1 GB RAM if no rendering is required)
* 5 GB free disk space
* 1280 x 1024 monitor and display adapter capable of 24-bit color
* Windows® Internet Explorer® 6.0 (SP1 or later)
* Microsoft Mouse-compliant pointing device
* Download or installation from DVD
* Internet connection for license registration

System Recommendations for 32-bit Autodesk Revit Architecture

* Windows XP Professional (SP2 or later)*
* Intel® Core™2 Duo 2.4 GHz or equivalent AMD processor
* 4 GB RAM
* 5 GB free disk space
* Dedicated video card with hardware support for Microsoft® DirectX® 9 (or later)
* Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1 or later)
* Two-button mouse with scroll wheel

System Requirements for 64-bit Autodesk Revit Architecture

* Windows Vista 64-bit (SP1), including Ultimate, Business, or Home Premium edition, or Windows XP Professional (SP1) x64 edition*
* Pentium 4 1.4 GHz or equivalent AMD processor
* 3 GB RAM
* 5 GB free disk space
* 1280 x 1024 monitor and display adapter capable of 24-bit color
* Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1 or later)
* Microsoft Mouse-compliant pointing device
* Download or installation from DVD
* Internet connection for license registration

System Recommendations for 64-bit Autodesk Revit Architecture

* Windows XP Professional x64 edition (SP1 or later)*
* Intel Core 2 Duo 2.40GHz or equivalent AMD processor
* 8 GB RAM
* 5 GB free disk space
* Dedicated video card with hardware support for DirectX 9 (or later)
* Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 (or later)
* Two-button mouse with scroll wheel

Ever forget one of those Keyboard Shortcuts

The extensive list of shortcuts can be daunting when you first start using Revit. Some of the commands are easy to remember, but others may not stick in your mind as easily.

I put together this list to help you get the most out of that keyboard you use every day.

Revit Arch ShortCuts sorted alphabetically with location

Revit Arch ShortCuts sorted alphabetically – Quick View

Revit Arch ShortCuts sorted by where they appear on the interface

Revit Arch ShortCuts that appear on the Ribbon

Revit Arch ShortCuts sorted by Tool Name

Are you in the middle of a Revit rollout?

If so you may want to do a checkup on where you stand.  Do a recap of your Revit implementation and see if you have made the proper progress for the time you have spent so far.

The economic factors that have come into play in many firms may have slowed you down.  You may not be able to purchase as much software as you expected.  There may be a slowdown in training plans.  There may be a reduction in your staff.  Have these effected your progress?

Planning that was done even in the last few months needs to be reviewed for milestone achievements.  Once you have done that you can rethink or re-energize your efforts.

It is time for a mid year or mid plan review.  Dig out your implementation plan and read it again.