Update

Had a long and much needed discussion with Matt Jezyk today (Saturday). Matt is the Product Design Manager in charge of the Massing in functionality in Revit 2010. And in spite of the earlier post, he's someone that I have a great deal of respect for since we toiled together at pre-acquisition Revit Technology.

Hopefully we can sit down next week via teleconference and discuss process and direction (not to mention any errors and omissions on my part). Even though I repeatedly tried to call him, he freely admits he refused to answer any of my calls. In part because as it turns out I was calling his office phone. And in part because he was in San Fransisco. My bad.

Without breaking confidences, I think he had some fine points:

1) Building Masses. There's some good reason to approach massing at the building scale different than geometry creation at the component scale. And because until hardware and priorities catch up with each other it's better that users not have the ability to carefully craft sink taps as multi-profile blends in Revit. I somewhat disagree. I'd rather users have the ability use a tool appropriately at the risk of them doing something stupid. But I understand his point. And it reminds me of the time a project refused to print or export due to the modeled vegetable sprayers (complete with holes where the water sprays out).

2) Present Geometry Toolset. There's likely some fundamental limitations, which required a significantly different approach in 2010 - and not just as a compliment to present processes. It was necessary to start over. His contention is that explicit Extrusions, Sweeps, Revolutions, etc. aren't necessary for creating, iterating and resolving form. And he reasoned that in the majority of use cases the new Massing approach can do the kind of iteration that I'm ranting about. And I'm hopeful that he's right.

3) Present Limitations in 2010 Massing. Yes - there are some. But this is a first pass in a succession of passes. Which brought up my rant about why more should and could have been done had time and resources not been focused on the UI "enhancements". To which he opined the UI changes are necessary. To which I emphatically offered that even if the new UI was "perfect" - there should have been a transition strategy in place that didn't disrupt the customers business.

My point was that users need an opportunity to get their heads around a new UI (or the New New UI which will certainly follow in 2011, just before the Newest Newer UI which will come out a year or so after that). Existing users need to be able to absorb a new UI in non-stressful, day to day activities. And they should have the option to switch back to the existing and familiar UI environment on a project if the deadline is today (or yesterday).

Perhaps I'm having a change of heart. Perhaps the new UI could actually be a great environment for the new Revit user that's starting to use a BIM tool for the first time. You see - the big, fat, brightly oversized icons kind of remind me of those thick starter crayons that are flat on one side. I suppose it is entirely possible that some kids just can't be trusted with the additional burden of learning to color with completely round and smallish crayons. So by extension, the new UI could help new users get up to speed before they're ready to move on to a persistent, minimal and adult UI that doesn't jump around with each button push or insist on entertaining (if not insulting) you.

Think of it as a kind of Microsoft Bob, you know? Back in the old'n days before the internet, most people weren't ready for prime time computing. And everybody loved it. So what we need is a BIM GUI for designers that aren't ready to make a building in a scary 'ol computer. Buttons the size of your thumb will surely help those less decisive:

"Oh sh!t...which button do I push?! I'm still not quite sure...."

Therefore, by the powers vested in me by this scotch and soda to the right of my keyboard, I hereby christen the new Revit 2010 ribbon GUI Autodesk Bob(TM). I can hardly wait to see "Hammy the BIM Hammer(TM)". Hammy will "swing into action(TM)" every time you do a search, or hover too long or push the F1 button (right next to the Ecsape key...perfect).

As for the discussion with Matt? Overall - we both had some valid points. So I'm looking forward to the Show And Tell later next week. And if I have to eat some crow? Well, at least Matt's the kind of guy who'd buy the beer to wash it down.