I'd like to check this out. As an intermediate Revit user, I am aware of the high level of complexity and very steep learning curve. I pity the one and two-person shops what are trying to implement Revit; it is not very usable right out of the box. You need to create or customize almost everything...all your walls types, tags, drafting notations, doors, windows, furniture, plumbing fixtures, etc, etc, etc. AND...for all that complexity, the Reivt model really get's you to about 75% of drawing completion/accuracy. In other words, the model has gaps and inaccuracies and lack of detail. This is normal. The last 25% of accuracy is done in detailing, manually, similar to AutoCAD but with cruder tools. It takes a long time to figure out how to put a good set together. I'm not talking about residential sets, I'm talking about large commercial and institutional projects $5 to 100 million, up to 500,000 SF.
If PlusSpec can generate tight drawings for something like that, well-documented, with tight detailing, section, detail and elevation references, etc, and complete scheduling of doors, windows, rooms, finishes, etc...I'd like to see it.
One of the things that drives me nuts in Revit is the fact that you are flipping back and froth between two section views, three elevation views, two plan views and a 3D view to figure anything out. Even the 3D view is not true perspective; it's axonometric, which is an odd/distorted way of viewing 3D. And there are a great deal of view templates and other visual filters that sometimes make it difficult to "see" what's going on. Revit has it's place for sure, but it's not easy. ADN- you add the difficulty of consultants to the mix, oh boy. Even if your office has good practices and standards, your consultants will often have no clue. We get models with electrical items, plumbing items and structural items all out of whack. sometimes we have to just completely turn off the linked structural model because it's so out-of-whack that structural elements appear wrong, missing or out-of-place in most of the views. Very, very challenging.
But having said that, you're going to have to emulate most of the intelligent features of Revit to be successful. You've got to have walls, for instance, that are highly controllable as a TYPE (or dynamic component if we are thinking in SU terms). Need to control overall wall thickness, structure (all the elements of the wll, outer skin, substrate, vapor retarder air infiltration barrier, insulation, studs/structure, inner substrate, inner finish...with thickness and specific attributes for each. You need to be able to cut a section or plan detail in any wall, or junction of walls, and see all the materials that make up that wall type. AND- you need to be able to adjust the visibility level of detail, so that in 1/8" scal eplans, you don't have all that detail trying to print and showing up as solid black, and conversely, that when you are seeing 1 1/2" details, all that detail embedded in the wall type now shows up. AND- you've got to able to effectively tweak and draft over these details as they appear on "sheets"...because the model will NEVER be detailed enough for 1 1/2" or 3" details.
Just some thoughts. I'll try and check this out soon. Good work! Nice to keep Autodesk on their toes!