How to Create Animations in Revit

Looking for a way to showcase your expertise with 3D models and scenes? One effective way is to share 3D GIFs on social media, messaging apps, and other platforms.

It is easy and time-saving to capture GIFs through the interface instead of using third-party engines and applications to render models.

3D GIFs are not only a fun and engaging way to share information, but they also allow you to present maximum visual detail in a short amount of time. Read on, or watch the video below.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create an animation of a rotating 3D model in Autodesk software (Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, etc.) without the need for special equipment such as a SpaceMouse.

Create 3D GIF

Step 1 – ScreenToGif

Install and run a screen-to-gif recorder.

1. Download ScreenToGif (Portable Freeware) and launch it.
2. Align the recorder window with the viewport by dragging its borders.
3. Press on View Object Wheel in the navigation panel.

Step 2 – ViewCube

Use the navigation tools to orbit the model in place.

4. Right-click the object wheel > Select Full Navigational Wheel.
5. Select the window borders and drag them to the desired object in the 3D viewport.
6. Right-click the object wheel > Options > ViewCube > Uncheck “fit-to-view on view change”.
7. Click OK.

Deactivating this feature prevents the pivot point from being reset to its central default position when you use the ViewCube for navigation.

Learn how to use the navigation tools in Revit

8. In the ScreenToGif overlay window, click Record.
9. Place the cursor on an upper edge of the ViewCube and click 4 times (Isometric transition).
10. Stop the recorder of ScreenToGif.
11. Go to the Edit tab > Remove Duplicates > Similarity %: 90 > click Apply.

✨ Tip: Try reducing the similarity percentage to %85.

Step 3 – 3D GIF Transparency

Change the background color to your preference.

12. Go to the File tab > Check Enable Transparency > select the color to be displayed as transparent.
13. Drag the cross sign under “Drag this to sample color” to the background color.
14. Click Ok.
15. Scroll down to select the location under the File panel.
16. Click Save.

How to apply a green screen:

1. Go to File tab > Options > Colors > Background.
2. Set the color to green to apply a green screen behind your model.

Use the color picker in ScreenToGif to select the background color. (Replace green with a color that does not appear in your model).

Learn more about transparency in Revit

Fusion Style Orbit in Autodesk Viewer

1. Go to the Collaborate tab > click Publish Settings.
2. Leave only the 3D view selected in the menu.
3. Click Save & Close.
4. Go to the Collaborate tab > click Shared Views.

5. Click New Shared View > Assign a name for the shared view > Click Share.
6. Wait until the link is generated, and then click View in Browser.
7. In the top bar, open the Settings tab > Navigation pan > toggle the Fusion-style orbit.
8. Reduce the size of the window so that it records inside the circular boundary.
9. Start the capture in ScreenToGif.
10. Click and drag the horizontal line on the sides of the model.
11. Follow the steps (10-17) in the 3D GIF creation tutorial.

✨ Tip: More than 60 formats of 2D/3D files are viewable in Autodesk Viewer.

The only drawback with this method is the visible cross that follows the pivot point when you activate the fusion-style orbit.

Zoom as much as possible before recording to have the highest resolution out of the captured footage.

The view cube provides consistent transitions. We use these transitions to capture individual images and then edit them as video frames using ScreenToGif.

GetKap works for iOS devices. You can even record a video and convert it to a GIF via EzGIF.

Upload the file to Giphy or EzGIF. Right-click the online animation on the screen and save it. Now you have a 3D GIF that you can share with everyone!