| DONALD POWERS ARCHITECTS |
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Donald Powers Architects P. D. Principal - My seven person office recently made the switch to Revit from AutoCAD. CDV Systems "beta-tested" its coursework with us and it was a huge success. Our initial training had been with a large Boston-based reseller using Revit's own courseware. While this was somewhat useful in introducing Revit's concepts to an AutoCAD brainwashed office, it didn't work in "the real world" when we got back to the office and had to roll this out on projects with deadlines and intricate details. We almost gave up. Enter CDV Systems and its "process-based" training manuals. These were set up in exactly the sequence by which we work, and focused carefully on the end result - a set of workable documents by which to design, present, and construct a project. Even now, 4 months into it, when we hit a snag or are unsure of the most effective approach to modeling or drafting a particular condition, our first move is to refer to CDV's course manual. Chances are it has built that exact scenario into the sample project around which the courses are arranged. We had the benefit of CDV System's on-site training with the courseware serving as an outline. This was great and certainly is the best way to proceed. We had an excellent instructor and one of the most competent Revit users around. So hire him if you can. If you can't, the coursework alone will get you very far. We estimate it took about a month before the office was really humming on Revit - far less than it would have taken on almost any other program. Part of this is the inherent ease of Revit. But a large part of our success is due to having the coursework as a reference for specific tasks. It is sitting on my desk bristling with yellow post-its and in the first month I referred to it all the time. I really think CDV Systems is going to fill a major void in the Revit community and I highly recommend its classes and courseware. M. F. Project Manager - The course is set up in a way that allows the user to learn the program in a real world scenario. The instructor presented the material in a very professional manner and was able to keep trainees focused on the task at hand. He clearly knows Revit and is able to pass the knowledge along via his instruction. The instructor was able to move at the pace of the group and worked well providing one-on-one assistance when needed. He also provided solutions to any question that was put forth, if not immediately, he would have answers before the following day's session. I would recommend this course. It allowed a user to develop a skill base that could be put to use on projects immediately following the training. A. P. Project Manager - The course was very good. I learned lots, the pace was good and it was well-organized. Our instructor's knowledge was excellent. He was great in helping one catch up to the task if they had fallen behind without bringing the others to a complete stop and was always receptive to any question. What I liked best about the class was the pace, ease, instruction and the instructor. He showed patience and was cordial and knowledgeable. I would recommend this class to others because the material was presented clearly, concisely and relatively quickly by a very good instructor. L. H. Intern Architect - The class helped me to understand the way Revit works. I've got a great overview of the program and I am now able to read between the lines. I liked most the use of a "real" project as the base for understanding. I can't think of something I didn't like - the course was great! The Instructor is very familiar and competent with the program and can answer most of the questions. If not, he's taking care of it. I took out a lot from this course and I think that I understand the program with the Instructor's help very well. The Instructor's presentation skills are very good, sometimes he's talking a little bit too fast, but I still could follow. The "process-based training" was great - it's always much easier to understand and to see the connection between the different issues, when working on a "real" project. |