Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
As early concept designs progress, Autodesk Insight integrates seamlessly with Revit to elevate energy analysis to the next level.
With Insight, you can adjust critical building elements based on their thermal performance—such as glazing, insulation, and building systems—and instantly see how these changes impact energy performance. This empowers teams to refine their designs in real time.
Whether it’s reducing energy consumption during building use, enhancing daylight performance, or minimizing carbon emissions, outcome-based tools like Autodesk Forma, Revit, and Insight provide the actionable data design teams need to make smarter, more sustainable decisions.
Video demonstration of Autodesk Insight.
Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.
Transcript
00:04
After completion of this video,
00:05
you'll be able to create a reva Energy
00:08
analytical model and send it to Autodesk Insight,
00:12
assess the sustainability of designs using carbon analysis tools,
00:16
and describe how variables such as material choice or life
00:20
span of a building impacts operational and embodied carbon.
00:25
To begin an analysis of a detailed design model
00:28
within RVI,
00:30
open the dataset model provided.
00:35
Inspect the materials of the modeled elements such as walls within the 3D view.
00:41
Click on the edge of the external wall to select it.
00:44
In the Properties panel,
00:45
click Edit type to open the dialogue.
00:48
And in the construction section under Structure,
00:52
click Edit to open the Edit Assembly dialogue
00:54
detailing the building materials used in the wall.
00:57
In materials,
00:58
click to select Brick Common and click the
01:04
Click the thermal tab
01:06
and notice how the brick materials have thermal and performance values.
01:10
Click OK,
01:12
OK,
01:13
and OK again to close the dialogues.
01:16
To begin the analysis
01:17
on the ribbon on the analyze tab
01:20
in the Carbon Insights panel,
01:23
click Analyze.
01:24
When prompted,
01:26
click Create the Energy Analytical model and continue to run the analysis.
01:32
Insight integrates with Revvit,
01:34
so there's no need to manually create a separate analysis model.
01:38
RevIt automatically uses the modeled elements you and your team have designed,
01:43
taking information from the surfaces,
01:45
the volumes,
01:46
and materials used to automatically create the energy analytical model.
01:51
And when prompted that the process is complete.
01:54
The energy analytical model has been successfully created.
01:58
Click OK to close the prompt.
02:01
RevI displays some information on what happens next and informs you that you may
02:05
have some time to wait for the upload and the analysis to complete.
02:09
Click Continue to accept this,
02:11
and once complete,
02:13
Revvet displays a prompt informing you that a
02:15
base run analysis is generating in the cloud.
02:18
And to see this,
02:19
click View analysis.
02:22
You will see a default dashboard displaying real-time
02:25
feedback for the carbon impacts of design decisions.
02:28
Insight uses RVIt's energy analytical model as a
02:32
starting point for operational and embodied carbon analysis.
02:36
The default overview dashboard consists of cards displaying the
02:43
as well as project information such as building location,
02:47
building type,
02:48
building area,
02:50
and building lifespan.
02:52
As well as metric cards displaying key project outcomes such as total carbon,
02:57
embodied carbon,
02:59
operational carbon,
03:00
and annual energy use intensity.
03:03
Insights help you measure,
03:04
visualize,
03:05
and compare the interrelated effects of integrated building systems,
03:10
including building form,
03:11
orientation,
03:12
envelope design,
03:14
internal loads such as heating and cooling systems.
03:17
Material types and quantities,
03:20
renewable energy offsets and energy costs,
03:22
and so on.
03:24
You can change the units from metric to imperial
03:27
by clicking Settings at the top of the screen
03:30
and selecting the units you prefer.
03:32
You can also create new dashboards that focus
03:34
more towards your project specific goals and outcomes,
03:37
such as adding calculations for offset carbon.
03:40
For now,
03:41
hovering your mouse over total carbon reveals a breakdown of
03:44
what makes up the total carbon for this project.
03:48
Hovering over the metrics and the embodied carbon,
03:51
operational carbon,
03:52
and the annual energy use intensity cards,
03:55
you can see a breakdown of the different parts of the building,
03:58
such as electricity and gas use,
04:00
as well as how that's divided between lighting.
04:03
Heating,
04:04
cooling,
04:04
and other equipment informing you where the largest
04:07
reductions could be made in changing the design.
04:10
Note how the building lifespan card is currently set to 1 year lifespan and
04:15
how at one year the total carbon is predominantly made up from embodied carbon.
04:20
To change this,
04:20
click short 1 year and click to change it to a medium lifespan of 10 years.
04:26
Notice how the building operation for 10 years
04:29
generates more carbon equivalent,
04:31
and it now far outweighs embodied carbon.
04:34
And clicking again to change the lifespan to 20 years,
04:37
the total carbon jumps up now with the vast
04:40
majority of that being from the building operation.
04:42
This metric communicates just how large of an impact running
04:46
the building over 20 years will have on total carbon.
04:49
Cooling,
04:49
for example,
04:50
uses a lot of energy.
04:52
Something to experiment with.
04:53
For example,
04:54
what impact does adding external shading have
04:57
on the glazing receiving direct solar gain?
04:60
Is the cooling load and therefore the carbon reduced?
05:03
While editing the materials can have an impact of embodied carbon,
05:06
possibly less glazing and better design may reduce energy use over the 20
05:11
years through better performing and better resistance to heat gain or loss.
05:16
To better understand where the embodied carbon is going.
05:19
At the top of the screen,
05:21
click to select embodied carbon details
05:24
and notice the view is set to construction.
05:27
You can click on the various elements
05:29
such as external and internal walls,
05:32
and the total embodied carbon is displayed on the right.
05:36
Elements such as ground floor slab account for over
05:44
Changing this construction type may have a benefit and reduce
05:47
this to meet your carbon goals for the project.
05:50
Roofs account for 11%.
05:52
Exterior walls account for almost 13%.
05:55
Windows,
05:56
doors,
05:57
and glazed curtain walls account for almost 16% of embodied carbon.
06:03
These totals are extracted from the modeled elements in the Revit model,
06:07
including the quantities and the materials.
06:10
At the top of the screen,
06:11
click to change the graph to total embodied carbon by
06:15
construction to see this presented as a bar chart.
06:18
Slide the scroll bar to the right
06:20
to see that the floor is as expected the largest contributor to this.
06:24
However,
06:25
it is broken up into more detail here to show
06:28
that concrete is the largest contributing factor to this floor.
06:32
If the slab is still selected in the construction summary,
06:35
click slab Edge uninsulated to deselect it,
06:39
changing the metric again this time to show materials,
06:42
you will see that concrete in all of the different
06:45
modeled elements accounts for 25% of the total embodied carbon.
06:50
And changing the metric again to display intensity by area,
06:54
you can see that the slab edge is the element that could have the biggest impact.
06:58
To see what is happening in the background,
07:00
automatically driving the analysis at the top of the screen,
07:04
click Manage Metrics.
07:06
Here you will see the calculations and formulas behind the analysis,
07:09
such as annual operation carbon fossil fuel.
07:13
You will see the formula for total carbon,
07:15
which is a relatively simple formula.
07:18
However,
07:18
opening the calculation for embodied carbon
07:21
reveals the complex calculation that is done
07:23
behind the interface to achieve that before the total carbon can be calculated,
07:28
such as the embodied carbon of the walls,
07:31
the embodied carbon of the roof,
07:33
the embodied carbon of the floors,
07:34
and other elements.
07:36
And give you the insights you need to
07:38
help shape better outcomes and more sustainable designs.
Video transcript
00:04
After completion of this video,
00:05
you'll be able to create a reva Energy
00:08
analytical model and send it to Autodesk Insight,
00:12
assess the sustainability of designs using carbon analysis tools,
00:16
and describe how variables such as material choice or life
00:20
span of a building impacts operational and embodied carbon.
00:25
To begin an analysis of a detailed design model
00:28
within RVI,
00:30
open the dataset model provided.
00:35
Inspect the materials of the modeled elements such as walls within the 3D view.
00:41
Click on the edge of the external wall to select it.
00:44
In the Properties panel,
00:45
click Edit type to open the dialogue.
00:48
And in the construction section under Structure,
00:52
click Edit to open the Edit Assembly dialogue
00:54
detailing the building materials used in the wall.
00:57
In materials,
00:58
click to select Brick Common and click the
01:04
Click the thermal tab
01:06
and notice how the brick materials have thermal and performance values.
01:10
Click OK,
01:12
OK,
01:13
and OK again to close the dialogues.
01:16
To begin the analysis
01:17
on the ribbon on the analyze tab
01:20
in the Carbon Insights panel,
01:23
click Analyze.
01:24
When prompted,
01:26
click Create the Energy Analytical model and continue to run the analysis.
01:32
Insight integrates with Revvit,
01:34
so there's no need to manually create a separate analysis model.
01:38
RevIt automatically uses the modeled elements you and your team have designed,
01:43
taking information from the surfaces,
01:45
the volumes,
01:46
and materials used to automatically create the energy analytical model.
01:51
And when prompted that the process is complete.
01:54
The energy analytical model has been successfully created.
01:58
Click OK to close the prompt.
02:01
RevI displays some information on what happens next and informs you that you may
02:05
have some time to wait for the upload and the analysis to complete.
02:09
Click Continue to accept this,
02:11
and once complete,
02:13
Revvet displays a prompt informing you that a
02:15
base run analysis is generating in the cloud.
02:18
And to see this,
02:19
click View analysis.
02:22
You will see a default dashboard displaying real-time
02:25
feedback for the carbon impacts of design decisions.
02:28
Insight uses RVIt's energy analytical model as a
02:32
starting point for operational and embodied carbon analysis.
02:36
The default overview dashboard consists of cards displaying the
02:43
as well as project information such as building location,
02:47
building type,
02:48
building area,
02:50
and building lifespan.
02:52
As well as metric cards displaying key project outcomes such as total carbon,
02:57
embodied carbon,
02:59
operational carbon,
03:00
and annual energy use intensity.
03:03
Insights help you measure,
03:04
visualize,
03:05
and compare the interrelated effects of integrated building systems,
03:10
including building form,
03:11
orientation,
03:12
envelope design,
03:14
internal loads such as heating and cooling systems.
03:17
Material types and quantities,
03:20
renewable energy offsets and energy costs,
03:22
and so on.
03:24
You can change the units from metric to imperial
03:27
by clicking Settings at the top of the screen
03:30
and selecting the units you prefer.
03:32
You can also create new dashboards that focus
03:34
more towards your project specific goals and outcomes,
03:37
such as adding calculations for offset carbon.
03:40
For now,
03:41
hovering your mouse over total carbon reveals a breakdown of
03:44
what makes up the total carbon for this project.
03:48
Hovering over the metrics and the embodied carbon,
03:51
operational carbon,
03:52
and the annual energy use intensity cards,
03:55
you can see a breakdown of the different parts of the building,
03:58
such as electricity and gas use,
04:00
as well as how that's divided between lighting.
04:03
Heating,
04:04
cooling,
04:04
and other equipment informing you where the largest
04:07
reductions could be made in changing the design.
04:10
Note how the building lifespan card is currently set to 1 year lifespan and
04:15
how at one year the total carbon is predominantly made up from embodied carbon.
04:20
To change this,
04:20
click short 1 year and click to change it to a medium lifespan of 10 years.
04:26
Notice how the building operation for 10 years
04:29
generates more carbon equivalent,
04:31
and it now far outweighs embodied carbon.
04:34
And clicking again to change the lifespan to 20 years,
04:37
the total carbon jumps up now with the vast
04:40
majority of that being from the building operation.
04:42
This metric communicates just how large of an impact running
04:46
the building over 20 years will have on total carbon.
04:49
Cooling,
04:49
for example,
04:50
uses a lot of energy.
04:52
Something to experiment with.
04:53
For example,
04:54
what impact does adding external shading have
04:57
on the glazing receiving direct solar gain?
04:60
Is the cooling load and therefore the carbon reduced?
05:03
While editing the materials can have an impact of embodied carbon,
05:06
possibly less glazing and better design may reduce energy use over the 20
05:11
years through better performing and better resistance to heat gain or loss.
05:16
To better understand where the embodied carbon is going.
05:19
At the top of the screen,
05:21
click to select embodied carbon details
05:24
and notice the view is set to construction.
05:27
You can click on the various elements
05:29
such as external and internal walls,
05:32
and the total embodied carbon is displayed on the right.
05:36
Elements such as ground floor slab account for over
05:44
Changing this construction type may have a benefit and reduce
05:47
this to meet your carbon goals for the project.
05:50
Roofs account for 11%.
05:52
Exterior walls account for almost 13%.
05:55
Windows,
05:56
doors,
05:57
and glazed curtain walls account for almost 16% of embodied carbon.
06:03
These totals are extracted from the modeled elements in the Revit model,
06:07
including the quantities and the materials.
06:10
At the top of the screen,
06:11
click to change the graph to total embodied carbon by
06:15
construction to see this presented as a bar chart.
06:18
Slide the scroll bar to the right
06:20
to see that the floor is as expected the largest contributor to this.
06:24
However,
06:25
it is broken up into more detail here to show
06:28
that concrete is the largest contributing factor to this floor.
06:32
If the slab is still selected in the construction summary,
06:35
click slab Edge uninsulated to deselect it,
06:39
changing the metric again this time to show materials,
06:42
you will see that concrete in all of the different
06:45
modeled elements accounts for 25% of the total embodied carbon.
06:50
And changing the metric again to display intensity by area,
06:54
you can see that the slab edge is the element that could have the biggest impact.
06:58
To see what is happening in the background,
07:00
automatically driving the analysis at the top of the screen,
07:04
click Manage Metrics.
07:06
Here you will see the calculations and formulas behind the analysis,
07:09
such as annual operation carbon fossil fuel.
07:13
You will see the formula for total carbon,
07:15
which is a relatively simple formula.
07:18
However,
07:18
opening the calculation for embodied carbon
07:21
reveals the complex calculation that is done
07:23
behind the interface to achieve that before the total carbon can be calculated,
07:28
such as the embodied carbon of the walls,
07:31
the embodied carbon of the roof,
07:33
the embodied carbon of the floors,
07:34
and other elements.
07:36
And give you the insights you need to
07:38
help shape better outcomes and more sustainable designs.
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