The construction industry today is fuelled by technology, on and off the job site. Accessing and using this technology is crucial to success and a good device is a necessary tool. Your PC device is your connection to the modern construction project, from design and site plans, to layout and design drawings, to project management and scheduling information.
In order to access and use the software and applications taught in the Donald J. Smith School of Building Technology programs, every student needs a reliable and compatible device. You do not have to buy from a specific vendor or manufacturer and Fanshawe College does not endorse or recommend any specific machine or supplier. Students are free to find the best device that meets the published specifications for your program and any individual needs you may have.
Students need to have their device ready for the first day of classes and be familiar with the operation and function of their machine. Software and applications will be available in the first few days of the semester and be in use during classes almost immediately. Students will also take their devices on their Co-op semesters and use them as permitted or required by their employer.
Review our BYOD program table to determine the specifications for your individual program.
For students entering BIM and Integrated Practice, Construction Engineering Technician, Construction Engineering Technology, and for students entering Construction Project Management intending to move onto BIM and Integrated Practice:
Revit 2024 specifications - "Value: Balanced price and performance"
| Feature | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Operating system | 64-bit Microsoft® Windows® 10 or Windows 11. See Autodesk's Product Support Lifecycle for support information. |
| CPU type |
Autodesk® Revit® software products will use multiple cores for many tasks. |
| Memory | 32-GB RAM Usually sufficient for a typical editing session for a single model up to approximately 600 MB on disk. This estimate is based on internal testing and customer reports. Individual models will vary in their use of computer resources and performance characteristics. Models created in previous versions of Revit software products may require more available memory for the one-time upgrade process. |
| Video display resolutions | Minimum: 1680 x 1050 with true color Maximum: Ultra-High (4k) Definition Monitor |
| Video adapter | DirectX 11 capable graphics card with Shader Model 5 and a minimum of 4GB of video memory. |
| Disk space | 30 GB free disk space |
| Pointing device | MS-Mouse or 3Dconnexion® compliant device |
| .NET Framework | .NET Framework Version 4.8 or later. |
| Browser | Chrome, Edge, or Firefox |
| Connectivity | Internet connection for license registration and prerequisite component download |
For students entering Construction Project Management NOT intending to move onto BIM and Integrated Practice:
Minimum system requirements for Office 365
| Feature | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Windows 10 Server, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2008 R2 |
| Browser | Safari, Chrome, and Firefox - current version Microsoft Edge - latest version Internet Explorer - current or immediately previous version |
| Email client software | Office/Outlook 2016 Office/Outlook 2013 with SP1 Office/Outlook 2010 with SP2 |
| Computer and processor | 1 GHZ or faster x86 or 64-bit processor with SSE2 instruction set 1 GB RAM (32-bit) |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM (64-bit) recommended for graphics features, Outlook Instant Search and certain advanced functionality |
| Disk space | 3 gigabytes (GB) |
| Monitor resolution | 1024 x 768 Exchange ActiveSync must be supported for Office 365 |
| Mobile devices | BT Business Email Lite (powered by Microsoft Office 365) requires POP to be supported |
| Using Outlook Web App on smartphones and tablets | For the best experience use the integrated web browser of these devices, Windows 8 tablet, iOS 6 or later versions for iPhone4s or later versions or iOS 6 or later versions for iPad2 or later versions |
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