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REVIT PURE PRESENTS
BASICS LEARN THE ESSENCE OF REVIT
VERSION 3.0 - August 2020 - Revit 2021
By Nicolas Catellier © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions Prepared exclusively for [email protected] Transaction: 0071339421
THANK YOU FOR BUYING THIS PACKAGE!
Thank you so much for your support of Revit Pure! We hope you enjoy this package and that you become a Revit master. The goal of this series is to help you realize that BIM and Revit can be much more simple than you think. There is a lot of resources out there to learn Revit, but we felt that there was a lack of fun, simple minded tutorials for beginners. Whether you are student, a designer, a builder, or an associate architect, this e-book should turn you from a complete newbie to a decent user. If you bought the ultimate package, make sure to follow along with the videos and try the Super Secret Monster Lab exercise.
LEGAL STUFF This eBook is independent of Autodesk inc. and is not sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with Autodesk inc. Autodesk Revit is a product that is wholly owned by Autodesk. Any reference to Revit on this eBook is made acknowledging this ownership. Refer to Autodesk’s own website and product pages for specific trademark and copyright informations. Please visit www.autodesk.com to buy Revit or to get more information.
CORPORATE / SCHOOL PACKAGES
This package is valid for a 1 user license. Do you want to use the package as training material for your business or at your college? Please read about our multi-users package pricing options. This package doesn’t have any DRM, restrictions or online login system. We trust our users to get the group package licensing if required :) The corporate package includes a custom eBook cover page with your logo embedded. The group package has been used successfully by multiple firms and colleges, including the University of Denver, Otago Polytechnic in New Zealand, and firms such as SNC-Lavalin and Boka Powell architects. Learn more about group packages by clicking this link. You can also send an email at [email protected] to get more information or to schedule a phone conversation.
LEARN MORE Thank you and good luck!
LET’S HAVE FUN
LEARNING REVIT SHOULD BE EXCITING The first time you open Revit, you might feel a wave of confusion at all these commands, icons, buttons and stuff jumping on you. Our goal is simple: take the confused feeling and turn it into fun and curiosity.
GET THE BASICS FIRST You need to learn 20% of Revit to do 80% of the work. Our goal is to trim the fat and get to this core. If an information is used 1% of the time, you don’t need to learn it yet.
GREY ZONE = ADVANCED TIPS If you feel adventurous, expand your knowledge by checking advanced tips and strategies. You will find them in gray text box like this one. You can skip these tips and come back later if you wish.
HOW TO USE RP BASICS ? The best setup for RP Basics is to use two screen, one will be used for the PDF and video tutorials, the other will be used for Revit. If you don’t have 2 screens, don’t worry, everything will still work fine. We recommend that you set the PDF at a 75% zoom on screen for the best visual quality.
TABLE OF CONTENT
PART 1: MODEL
1. USER INTERFACE 1.1. The Home Screen
1.2. The Ribbon 1.3 Status, View And Options Bars 1.4 Project Browser And Properties 1.5 12 Tips To Understand Revit User Interface 1.6 Family, Type And Instance
13 14 17 18 19 25
2. SELECT 2.1. Selecting Elements
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3. MODIFY
3.1. Adjusting Elements 3.2. Using Snaps
4. WALLS
4.1. Create a Basic Wall 4.2. Adjust Walls 4.3. Create Sweeps and Reveals 4.4. Basic Walls FAQ 4.5 Compound Walls 4.6 Modify Wall Structure 4.7 6 Advanced Wall Tips
35 42
5. LEVELS AND GRIDS
5.1. Create Levels 5.2 Creating Grids 5.3 5 Basic Tips for Levels and Grids 5.4 Advanced Tip: Using Scope Box
44 47 48 49 50 51 54 59 60 61 63
6. FLOORS
6.1. Create a Floor 6.2. 4 Floor Tips
64 66
7. CEILINGS 7.1. Create A Ceiling
68 70
7.2. Modify Ceiling Tiles Grids
8. ROOF 8.1. Create A Roof
8.2. 10 Roof Tips 8.3. 5 Advanced Roof Tips
71 73 78
9. DOORS 9.1. Create A Door
81
10. WINDOWS 10.1. Create A Window
82
11. CURTAIN WALLS
11.1. What Are Curtain Walls? 11.2. Create A Curtain Wall 11.3. Fill An Empty Curtain Wall 11.4. Set An Automatic Curtain Wall 11.5. Create Rectangular Mullion Type 11.6. 11 Curtain Walls Tips 11.7. Case Study: Casino Casework 11.8. 2 Advanced Curtain Walls Tips
84 85 86 87 89 90 96 97
12. STAIRS
12.1. Before Modeling Your First Stair 12.2 Create A Basic Stair 12.3 9 Essential Stair Tips 12.4 3 Advanced Stair Tips
13. RAILINGS
13.1 Create A Railing 13.2 5 Railing Creation Tips 13.3 The Anatomy Of A Railing 13.4 Create A Top Rail / Handrail 13.5 Create A Baluster Pattern 13.6 5 Tips To Create the Perfect Railing Type 13.7 4 Advanced Railing Tips
112 115 118 122 126 129 132
14. COLUMNS 14.1 Structural Vs. Architectural Columns
135 136 137 139 140
14.2 Insert Structural Column Families 14.3 Creating A Structural Column 14.4 Adjusting Detail Level 14.5 Create A Dark Solid Fill For Columns
15. SITE
16. MATERIALS
15.1. Create A Topography 15.2. Create A Building Pad 16.2. Create a Material 16.2. Split Face / Paint 17. ROOMS 17.1. What Is A Room? 17.2. Adjust Room Height
98 100 102 107
141 142
143 145
146 147
PART 2: VIEWS 18. VIEWS 18.1. How To Create New Views
18.2 5 Settings To Adjust In Each View 18.3 Setting Far Clip
19. PLAN VIEWS 19.1. Create Plan Views
19.2. How View Range Works 193. Advanced Tips for Plan Views
149 150 153
154 155 156
20. SECTIONS 20.1. Create A Section
160
21. ELEVATIONS 31.1. Create An Elevation
162
22. CALLOUTS 22.1. Create A Callout
163
23. DETAILS 23.1. Create Detailing - Hybrid Technique 23.2. 8 Tips For Efficient Detailing
24. 3D VIEWS 24.1. Create 3D Views
164 165
24.2. Create a Perspective
169 170
25. LEGENDS 25.1. What Are Legends Used For?
172
26. VIEW TEMPLATES 26.1 Creating a View Template 26.1 Assign Template To All New Views
173 175
27. VISIBILITY 27.1. Hide Elements
176 177 178
27.2 Visibility Graphics 27.3 Temporary Hide/Isolate Elements
PART 3: ANNOTATE
28. LINES
28.1. Detail Lines vs Model Lines 28.2 Create A Line Style
180 181
29. TAGS 29.1. What Is A Tag? 29.2 Room Tag / Material Tag 29.3 5 Basic Tags Tips
182 183 184
30. TEXT 30.1. Place Text And Adjust Leaders
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31. REGIONS 31.1. What Is A Region?
31.2 Edit A Region Type 31.3 Hide Things With Masking Region 31.4 Create A Pattern
32. DIMENSIONS 32.1. Create A Dimension
188 189 191 192
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PART 4: PUBLISH AND COLLABORATE
33. SHEETS
34. REVISIONS
35. PRINT
36. CENTRAL FILES
33.1 Create A Sheet 33.2 View References Are Automatic 33.3 3 Tips To Navigate Sheet 33.4 Advanced Tip: Modify A Title Block
197 200 201 203
34.1 Create A New Revision 34.2 Create A Revision Cloud
204 205
35.1 Print Your View Or Sheet
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36.1 Central File vs Local File 36.2 Synchronize 36.3 Collaborate
37. LINK CAD
37.1 Preparing CAD Files 37.2 Use These Link Cad Settings 37.3 4 Linked Cad Tips 37.4 Link a PDF 37.5 Link Images
38. EXPORT CAD
38.1 How To Export To CAD
208 209 211
212 213 214 216 219
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PART 5: ADVANCED TOOLS
39. SCHEDULES
39.1 What Are Schedules Used for? 39.2 Create A Basic Schedule 39.3 19 Tips To Become A Schedule Master 39.4 New In Revit 2021
222 224 225 236
40. PHASES
40.1 Create Phases 40.2 How To Demolish 40.3 What Is A Phase Filter? 40.4 What Are Graphic Overrides? 40.5 What Phase Filter Should You Use?
238 240 241 242 244
41. WORKSETS
41.1 What Are Worksets? 41.2 5 Tips To Use Worksets Properly
42. GROUPS
43. MODEL IN-PLACE
44. FAMILIES
45. DESIGN OPTIONS
245 247
42.1 Create A Group 42.2 Quick Group Tips
251 252
43.1 What is Model in-Place 44.1 Create A Cabinet Family 44.2 Create Annotation Family
45.1 Create Design Options
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255 261
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PART 1 MODEL
After an overview of the interface, learn how to model all 3D elements for your project. Also create a site, add rooms and learn how to use materials.
1.1
USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
THE HOME SCREEN Welcome to Revit! The latest version includes a new home screen where you can visualize your most recent projects.
Notice that at the top left of your screen, there are two small icons. Click on the “Home” icon to switch between the Home screen and the active Revit project.
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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THE RIBBON
The ribbon is located at the top of your screen. It contains almost all tools used in Revit. It is divided by tabs, which are described below.
FILE TAB: CREATE, OPEN, SAVE, EXPORT, PRINT
Use this tab to create new model or families. You will also find the open, save, export and print tools.
ARCHITECTURE TAB: MODEL EVERYTHING
Every architecture element that appears in 3D in your model is created from this tab.
STRUCTURE TAB: CREATE BEAMS AND COLUMNS
This tab is designed to be used by structural engineers. If you are an architect or designer, it is used it for beams, columns and foundation.
INSERT TAB: LOAD FILES TO YOUR PROJECT
Any external files coming to your model is inserted from this tab. Images, CAD, linked Revit, families. 14
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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ANNOTATE TAB: ADD 2D ELEMENTS TO YOUR VIEWS
Every tag, dimension, detailing lines, text symbol and revision cloud come from here. They are added to a single view and are not part of the 3D model.
ANALYZE TAB: SIMULATE AND OPTIMIZE YOUR MODEL
This tab is mostly used by engineers. It contains tools to calculate the structural elements and to verify the mechanical systems. It also includes the new Path of Travel tool that is helpful to architects.
MASSING & SITE TAB: CREATE THE SURROUNDINGS
This is where you act like the almighty and create the topography, trees, parking and other fun stuff around your building. It also contains the Conceptual Mass that is used to create weird 3D volumes.
COLLABORATE TAB: WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE
If you are working with a team or with consultants, this is the tab you are looking for. You will find synchronize and reload tools, as well as Worksets. All these fancy words might confuse you: no worries, we will cover it all.
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
VIEW: PUT YOUR MODEL ON PAPER
Ceiling plan, 3D views, wall sections, door schedule, legends, name it ! It is created from here. You also control the sheets and title blocks.
MANAGE TAB: SETTINGS FOR YOUR MODEL
This tab is mostly for BIM managers and advanced users. It contains settings like lineweight, parameters, phases and design options.
ADD-INS: EXTERNAL FEATURES
This tab contains a few additional Autodesk features and most external add-ins by 3rd party developers. The Worksharing Monitor and eTransmit features included here are especially helpful.
MODIFY TAB: ADJUST ELEMENTS
Make changes to elements that are already created in your model. This is where you will find basic commands like move, copy, mirror, etc. The content of this tab is different depending on which element you select.
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
STATUS, VIEW AND OPTIONS BARS
VIEW CONTROL BAR: SETTINGS FOR THE CURRENT VIEW
This is where you make adjustments to your view. Select the level of detail, the graphic display option, the scale and the crop region. You can also see hidden elements and bring them back if needed.
SELECTION TRAY: DECIDE WHAT YOU SELECT
This lets you decide what you can or cannot select. A red X on these symbols means that the selection category is disabled. The icon on the right lets you filter elements if you were to make a selection with multiple items.
OPTIONS BAR: CUSTOMIZE NEW ELEMENTS
This bar appears when creating new elements or using certain commands. The content is different depending on the type of item you are adding.
QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR: MOST USED TOOLS
Contains basic tools (save, undo, redo) as well as commands that are most frequently used. You can add and remove any command from this bar. 17
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
PROJECT BROWSER AND PROPERTIES
PROJECT BROWSER is used to access every view, sheet, family, schedule, legend and groups in your project. If you were to close it by mistake, it can be found on the VIEW tab, by checking the box on User Interface on the right of your screen.
PROPERTIES is used to modify selected elements. If closed, bring it back by pressing PP or by going to the MODIFY tab and clicking Properties, next to modify cursor.
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
12 TIPS TO UNDERSTAND REVIT’S USER INTERFACE 1- USE KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS Shortcuts in Revit are used by pressing two letters, no need to press enter. You can add or modify shortcuts by typing KS. Type in a command name in the search tool. Assign a new shortcut to tools you frequently use. In the image below, we add the SN shortcut for the synchronize tool.
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
2- ENTER ANY UNITS YOU WANT Each model has a default unit that is used when you type a value. However, you can type any units you want. For example, in an imperial file, typing 152mm is the same as typing 6.
3- WORK WITH 2 MONITORS Working with Revit on a single screen is a claustrophobic experience. The best workflow is to put Project Browser and Properties on the 2nd screen. Since the 2019 release, it is possible to drag views to different screens. In the image below, you can see a workflow with a 3D view and a plan view opened. Each view is set to a different monitor.
4- SEARCH YOUR PROJECT BROWSER Many users spend countless time scrolling down the project browser, trying to find a hidden view or family. Instead, use SEARCH (CTRL-F) to type what you are looking for and save a lot of time. 20
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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5- USE RIGHT-CLICK MENU Right-clicking on an element makes a menu appear. The content is different depending on what is selected. Many useful commands are hidden on this menu. In the example below, you can see all the available commands when right-clicking a wall.
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
6- USE THE TABBED VIEWS Revit 2019 introduced the amazing tabbed views system. Each view has its own tab and an icon will represent the view type.
You can create multiple windows. Each window can contain multiple tabs.
You can drag a tab to create an independent window view. Then, you can drag it to another window to “dock” it. In the image below, you can see the docking preview when a tab is dragged.
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
7- PRESS ESCAPE TWICE TO EXIT CREATION MODE A lot of new users get confused when adding new elements because they are stuck in the creation mode. Revit wants you to create many elements unless you tell it to stop. Hit ESC twice to go back to normal.
8- WORK WITH MULTIPLE VIEWS Working with 3D view is fun and useful. Open both a 3D view and floor plan, then use Tile View (WT) to put your views next to each other.
9- CLICK SWITCH WINDOWS TO SEE ALL OPEN VIEWS See all your open views on a drop-down menu by clicking SWITCH WINDOWS on the quick access toolbar located on top of your screen.
10- CLOSE DOWN UNUSED VIEWS Too many opened views can slow you down. Instead of individually closing each view, click on CLOSE INACTIVE to close them all, except the ones that are visible on your screen. The tool is available on the quick access toolbar and in the view tab. 23
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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11- SHUT DOWN USELESS TABS AND MENUS Many tabs are useless if you are an architect or designer. Go to OPTIONS (by clicking on the File tab), click User Interface and uncheck the boxes below.
12- PAY ATTENTION TO CONTEXTUAL TAB When selecting an element, you notice that MODIFY tab becomes CONTEXTUAL tab. All the modify tools are still there, but new specific commands are added. These commands have a green tint below them.
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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FAMILY, TYPE AND INSTANCE It is critical that you understand the difference between a Family, a Type and an Instance. Take a close look at the image below.
FAMILIES are external files (.rfa) created by users and inserted in a project. Sometimes, families are built-in Revit and can’t be modified. An example of a family would be a Simple Wood Door. TYPES are variations of a family. For example, a 900mm Simple Wood Door and a 700mm Simple Wood Door would be two different types of the same door family. INSTANCES are single occurrences of an element in a project. For example, each 900mm x 2084mm Simple Wood door that appears in your project is an instance. 25
1.6
USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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DOOR FAMILY / TYPE / INSTANCES EXAMPLE
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USER INTERFACE © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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TYPE VS INSTANCE PROPERTIES Each element in the project has Type properties and Instance properties. Editing Type properties will affect each element sharing that type. Editing Instance Properties only affect a single element.
TYPE PROPERTIES: Select element and click Edit Type to modify the type properties. All elements using this type will be affected.
INSTANCES PROPERTIES: When selecting an element, the instance properties are located just below the type selector.
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2.1
SELECT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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SELECTING ELEMENTS There are multiple ways to select elements in Revit. When you hover your cursor on an element, it will be highlighted. Click to select. Click anywhere on the blank screen to deselect.
ADDING ELEMENTS: Hold the CTRL key and click on an element to add it to the current selection.
REMOVING ELEMENTS: Hold the SHIFT key and click on an element to remove it from the current selection.
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SELECT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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USING THE TAB KEY Are there multiple objects close to one another? Use the TAB key to cycle selection highlight among close elements.
CHAIN-SELECT: Another feature of the TAB key is the ability to chainselect walls and lines. If you press tab a few times, walls or lines that are linked together will be highlighted in blue.
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SELECT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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SELECT ALL INSTANCES What if you want to select all identical elements in a view? Select one of the instance and use the right-click menu. Go to the Select All Instances sub-menu, then select Visible In View. You can also select all instances in the entire project.
Wondering how many elements you’ve selected? Have a look at the instance properties. Just below the preview image for the family, you will find the number of instances selected.
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SELECT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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WINDOW / CROSSING BOX SELECTION Drag your cursor to create a box and quickly select multiple elements. Here are the 2 types of box selection you can use: WINDOW SELECTION: When you create a selection box from left to right, it is called a Window Selection. Elements must be entirely inside the box to be selected. CROSSING SELECTION: A selection box that goes from right to left is called a Crossing Selection. The box outlines are dashed. Any element that is touched by the box will be selected, even if not entirely inside.
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SELECT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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THE FILTER
When using selection boxes, it is likely you will select more element categories than needed. Click on the Filter icon at the bottom right of your screen and select/unselect specific categories.
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SELECT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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RESELECT PREVIOUS SELECTION I’m sure you are familiar with this scenario: you spend 5 minute carefully selecting specific elements only to misclick and lose everything. To solve the problem, simply use the Select Previous tool in the right-click menu.
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SELECT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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SELECTION OPTIONS At the bottom right of your screen, you will see a bunch of little icons. They represent selection options that can be activated and deactivated. A red X next to the icon means the selection option is disabled.
Here are the options you should pay attention to for the moment: DRAG ELEMENTS ON SELECTION: When activated, this option lets you select and move elements in a single click. You should keep it deactivated by default because you risk moving elements by mistake. SELECT ELEMENTS BY FACE: By default, most elements are selected by clicking on the edge. Selecting elements like floors can be challenging in a plan view because the edges might be underneath other elements. When activated, this lets you click the face of an element instead. Leave the option off by default and activate it when necessary. SELECT PINNED ELEMENTS: Revit allows you to PIN elements, which prevent them from being moved and deleted. If you want to make sure pinned elements can’t be selected, deactivate this option.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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ADJUST EXISTING ELEMENTS Once you created elements, time to adjust them. All these tools are found in the Modify tab, although it is highly recommended to use shortcuts. MOVE (shortcut: MV) To move an element, select it and use Move. Click on a base point and destination point. Type in a value for more precision.
COPY (shortcut: CO) Select one or multiple elements. Use copy and move to the destination. Check Multiple in the Option Bar to create as many copy as you need until you press escape.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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OFFSET (shortcut: OF) Click Offset, then set a value in the option bar. Then, hover your cursor above the element you want to offset. A dashed blue line will preview the offset. Check Copy if you want the original element to be preserved.
ROTATE (shortcut: RO) To rotate an element, click once to set rotate axis, then move cursor or type in value. If required, set Center of Rotation in the option bar.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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MIRROR (shortcut: MM) Select an element and use mirror. Then select a reference line to mirror the selected element along the reference. Check Copy in the Option Bar to keep the original elements.
ALIGN (shortcut: AL) This is the best tool to quickly adjust elements. Click a reference line from any element, then select element to be aligned. Check Multiple Alignment in the option bar to align multiple elements at once.
Align can be also be used to Rotate element. Click the lock icon to constraint elements together, meaning they’ll move simultaneously.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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SPLIT (shortcut: SL) Use this tool to divide an element in multiple segments.
TRIM (shortcut: TR) Use this tool to Trim or Extend elements to be joined together.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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SCALE (shortcut: RE) Select elements to be scaled. Set a numerical value in the option bar. Then click on the screen to apply the Scale effect.
TEMPORARY DIMENSIONS Another way to adjust elements is to use temporary dimensions. Anytime you select an element, temporary dimensions will show up. Adjust witness lines by moving blue dots. Change the value to move element.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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MATCH TYPE PROPERTIES (shortcut: MA) Use this tool to take type properties from an element and set them to another one from the same category. For example, below we use Match Properties from a thick wall to a thin one.
CREATE SIMILAR (shortcut: CS) Use this tool to quickly create a new element using the same type as the selected one.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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THIN LINES (shortcut: TL) It’s difficult to be precise when lines thickness is in the way. Use the Thin Lines tool to make everything 1 pixel width. This tool only affects your screen; printed elements will show the real thickness.
PASTE ALIGNED TO CURRENT VIEW Copy elements from one floor to another to the exact same spot using the Paste Aligned To Current View tool. Copy element from level 1, then use this tool to paste it in the same spot on level 2.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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USING SNAPS When creating or modifying elements, make sure to use Snaps as guides. Revit will automatically offer you certain snaps. Use keyboard shortcuts to select your own snap if necessary. In the example below, we create a wall and switch between multiple snap types. The most useful are Endpoint, Intersection and Midpoint.
PERPENDICULAR SNAP (shortcut: SP) When working with slanted walls, it can be annoying to create perpendicular elements. Use shortcut SP to activate the perpendicular option. The perpendicular reference will be highlighted in dash blue lines.
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MODIFY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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FORCE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL (hold shift) When creating horizontal or vertical elements, you can hold the Shift key to lock the 90° angles. This way, you avoid creating elements with a small angle by mistake.
ADJUST SNAP SETTINGS You can configure the snaps option or just consult the complete list of snap shortcuts when you click on the Snaps icon in the Manage tab.
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WALLS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE A BASIC WALL 1. CHOOSE TYPE Go to plan view a and create a wall by using shortcut WA or by going to architecture tab. When starting a project it is easier to use a generic wall, which contains a single generic layer. The type you choose determine the width of the wall. You can modify the type even after the wall is created.
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WALLS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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2. SET CONSTRAINTS Wall height is controlled by using the Base Constraint and Top Constraint Set them to the levels you require, and use the Base Offset and Top Offset to place them to a specific distance from a level. You can use negative value if required. Constraints can be modified at any time, even after the wall is created.
3. DRAW THE WALL The draw option appears top right of the screen. Most of the time you will use the LINE option to create a straight wall. PICK LINE is also very useful if you want the wall to fit an existing element like imported CAD.
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WALLS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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UNDERSTANDING HOW TO DRAW WALLS
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4.2
WALLS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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ADJUST WALLS EDIT PROFILE: Need a wall with a specific profile in elevation? Select the wall and use the Edit Profile Tool. Use the purple boundary lines to create the profile you need.
ATTACH AND DETACH TOP/BASE: Use the Attach Top/ Base tool to automatically connect a wall to a roof or a floor. Use the Detach tool to remove the effect.
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WALLS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE SWEEPS AND REVEALS
WALL SWEEP / REVEAL: Want holes and extrusions along your wall? Use the Sweep or Reveal tool in the wall sub-menu.
To adjust sweeps and reveals profiles and dimensions, you will need to create a new Profile family. See chapter 44 for more info about families. 48
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WALLS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASIC WALL FAQ WHY CAN’T I SEE THE WALL I JUST CREATED ? The wall might be above or beneath the view range from the plan you are working on. Try using a 3D view to spot your wall. Then adjust the wall height or change the plan view range. The issue can also be cause by the Visibility settings. Make sure they are set to hide the Wall category, or your wall is in a specific workset that is hidden in that view. Use VISIBILITY GRAPHICS (VG) to adjust view settings. Learn more in Chapter 27.
CAN I CREATE WALL FROM A DWG DRAWING ? You cannot “convert” a DWG line to a an actual wall, but you can use the PICK LINE shown in the previous page to create a wall based on a CAD line position. Use TAB to chain-select multiples lines and create multiple walls with one click. See Chapter 37 to learn how to link and use CAD files.
I KEEP MOVING MY WALLS BY ACCIDENT... HELP ! The easiest solution is to PIN (shortcut: PN) the wall, which will prevent further modification to it unless you UNPIN (shortcut: UP) it. Another way is to make sure Drag Elements on Selection on the selection tray is inactive. 49
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WALLS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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COMPOUND WALLS A GENERIC WALL is made from a single material. They are used at the conceptual stage of the design, when you want to quickly build your model without worrying about wall structure. As your model progress, you can convert your generic walls to COMPOUND WALLS. These walls are made from many layers of materials and are made to mimic how the wall will be built on a construction site. These walls are built by TYPE, meaning that every instance of a wall type will be affected by changes to materials and width.
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MODIFY WALL STRUCTURE Click on an instance of the wall you want to change the structure. All of the walls of this type will be affected. You can duplicate the wall type if you want the changes to only affect the specific wall you selected. Click on Edit Type. You will reach a menu with all the Type Properties of this wall type. The first parameter is named Structure. Click on Edit. 1- ADD LAYER: Click the insert button to add a new material. Use the up and down arrow to move the material. Exterior side is top, interior side is bottom.
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2- ADJUST THICKNESS: Change the value in Thickness to match the material you want to add. Remember you can use both units if needed.
3- CHANGE MATERIAL: On material column, click to change the material you are using. You will enter material editor. Choose one of the material provided in the RP template, like RP-Plywood or RP-Brick. See Chapter 16 for information on how to edit materials.
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4- ADJUST FUNCTION: Set the correct function to the material you have added. This is used to make sure that joined wall clean up nicely. The image below describe the available functions. Finish [1] is usually used for exterior, while Finish [2] is used for interior. Membrane layer is usually not used, unless required for cost estimate. Only leave Structure [1] material inside “Core Boundary” zone. This is what a finished wall composition should look like:
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5 ADVANCED WALL TIPS 1- LOCK WALL POSITION Revit can lock a wall location relative to another. In the example below, we use DIMENSION (DI) between the two walls, set the value and use the LOCK icon to make sure the distance always remains the same.
2- SWITCH INTERIOR/EXTERIOR SIDE Click the arrows symbol next to the wall to switch side. This icon is always on the exterior side of the wall. You can also press SPACEBAR.
3- ADJUST LOCATION LINE The position of the blue dot used to create and adjust a wall length can be changed by using Location Line menu. If you modify a wall width or flip the wall, it’s position will be adjusted relative to this line.
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4- UNDERSTAND WHAT IS “WALL WRAP” What if you want the brick of the wall to turn around the edge? You have to use the wall wrap feature. First, wall layers you want to wrap must be checked in the wall structure, like in the image below.
Then, you have to activate the wrap feature for Inserts (like windows) and at the end of walls. Choose between Interior and Exterior wrap.
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5- ADJUST WALL JOINS By default, walls will automatically be joined together, removing unused extremity lines. If you don’t want a specific wall to be joined, select the blue dot at the end, right-click and select Disallow Join. Then, move the blue dot accordingly.
For more complex wall structures, use the Wall Joins tool in the modify tab. Select a join style between Butt, Mitter and Square Off. Use the previous/next tool to navigate through the different join possibilities.
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6- CREATE SLANTED WALL (IN REVIT 2021) Are you using the most recent version of Revit? You have access to the new Slanted Walls feature. It is quite simple: change the Cross-Section parameter in the instance properties of the wall to Slanted. The Angle From Vertical parameter will be available. Type in a positive or negative angle value.
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Doors and windows can be set to match the angle of the wall or to remain vertical. Simply adjust the orientation parameter in the instance properties.
You can read pamphlet #17 to learn more about slanted walls.
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LEVELS AND GRID © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE LEVELS WHAT ARE LEVELS ? In Revit, Levels are use both to be visually displayed in elevation and section views, but also to constraint elements you model. The walls we created in chapter 4 are locked to Level 1 and Level 2. If we put Level 2 higher, the walls will grow taller to fit the level.
ADD A NEW LEVEL
To add a new level, go to any elevation view, then select the Level (shortcut: LL) tool in architecture tab.
Notice that every time you create a new level, a corresponding floor plan and ceiling plan will be created. That can be prevented by unchecking “Make Plan View” in the option toolbar while you are creating the level.
MODIFY LEVEL HEIGHT AND NAME Select the level you just created and enter the correct height value. Use same process to change level name.
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CREATING GRIDS ADD A NEW GRID Select the Grid (shortcut: GR) tool in the architecture tab. Most grids are straight lines, but you can also draw a curve. It is also possible to use Pick Line to use an existing reference, or to create a Multi-Segment grid. When in elevation, you will only see grids that are perpendicular to your view.
Revit automatically assign a number or letter to each new grid. This number will be next in value to the last grid you created. This value can be changed at any time.
5 BASIC TIPS FOR LEVELS AND GRIDS 1- ALWAYS PIN ALL LEVELS AND GRIDS One of the most common mistakes by new users is accidentally moving a level, messing up the entire model. The solution to this is simple: PIN (PN). Use it on every level and grid.
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2- GRIDS MUST INTERSECT LEVELS TO BE VISIBLE If a grid don’t show up in Floor Plan and you are not sure why, it is probably because it does not cut through that level. Open an Elevation View and check if the grid lines intersect with every levels you want to see. Drag the circle next to the head to move the grid limit.
3- USE 2D EXTENT TO CONTROL LEVELS AND GRIDS IN A SINGLE VIEW On certain views, you might want to change the grid line without affecting the whole model. Click on the 3D button next to the head of the element. It will become 2D, and the open circle is now a dot. That means you can make any change you want without affecting the other views. Moving the crop region of a view will also allow automatically adjust grid formatting. 61
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4- USE “PROPAGATE EXTENT” TO USE SAME 2D VISIBILITY IN MANY VIEWS If you want to copy the 2D visibility of grids or levels in other views, use PROPAGATE EXTENT function that appears on the contextual tab when you select elements. Make sure that CROP VIEW is deactivated on all target views, else it won’t work.
5- ADD ELBOWS FOR BETTER VISIBILITY When two grids or levels are too close to one another, click the Elbow icon to add an angle to the end of the segment.
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ADVANCED TIP: USE A SCOPE BOX TO CONTROL THE EXTENTS OF LEVELS AND GRIDS Managing the visibility and extends of levels and grids can be a nightmare. On projects with many levels, getting the grids to share the same extends is complicated. That’s where scope boxes come into play. Scope boxes are used to control the extents of elements like grids, levels and reference planes. Each of these elements can be assigned to a specific scope box, limiting the 3D extents to the dashed green line limit. In the example below we assign all the grids to a scope box. The 3D extents of all grids are now the exact same. Check out Pamphlet #10 to learn everything you need to know about scope boxes.
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FLOORS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE A FLOOR 1. CHOOSE TYPE Choose a floor plan view in the project browser and select the Floor tool. Then select a floor type on the properties dropdown menu.
2. SET LEVEL In the properties, choose a level for your new floor. The top of the floor will be equal to that level. Also adjust the Height Offset From Level if required. Use negative values to go below the level.
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3. DRAW THE FLOOR Draw purple lines to define the boundary of the floor. Use Pick Wall to set boundaries on walls. These boundaries will be constrained to the wall, meaning the floor will automatically adjust when the wall is moved. Use Pick Line to set the boundary to a line. Once complete, use the green check to create the floor
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4 FLOORS TIPS 1- ACTIVATE SELECT ELEMENTS BY FACE TO PICK FLOOR Selecting a floor when you are on a plan view can be difficult and annoying. Activate Select Elements by Face on the selection tray to select a floor by clicking on the face of it. Make sure to deactivate the option when you are done to avoid moving floors by mistake.
2- USE “SHAFT” TO CREATE A HOLE IN THE FLOOR
Want a hole in the stairs for stairs or for mechanical elements? Use the Shaft tool in the architecture tab.
Draw the shaft boundaries and set the bottom and top constraints. A shaft goes through not only floor, but also roofs and ceilings.
Want a X or other symbolic element to represent a shaft? Use the Symbolic Lines tool and draw the required lines, that will be visible on all views that intersect with the shaft. 66
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3- CREATE A SLOPE IN YOUR FLOOR There is 2 ways to create a slope in a floor. The first is to create a Slope Arrow, defining a high point and a low point along the arrow. The second is to add points and modify their height, automatically creating a slope. Creating slopes with floor is done almost the same way as with Roof. See chapter 8 for more information.
4- EDIT FLOOR STRUCTURE Modifying a floor layers and structure is done almost the exact same way as with Walls (see page 51). The only difference is that you can create a Structural Deck profile and pick a deck profile, like steel deck for example.
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CREATE A CEILING 1- SELECT TYPE Choose a RCP view in the Project Browser and select the Ceiling tool. Select a ceiling type on the properties dropdown menu.
2- SET LEVEL AND OFFSET By default, the ceiling is on the RCP level you are on. Height Offset From Level is the distance between the level and the bottom of the ceiling.
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3- USE AUTOMATIC CEILING OR SKETCH CEILING AUTOMATIC CEILING Click inside a room enclosed by walls to automatically create a ceiling. Ceilings will automatically adjust when walls are moved.
SKETCH CEILING This method is similar to floor creation. Draw a boundary using purple lines. Use Pick Wall or Pick Line for greater precision.
EDIT BOUNDARY Select a ceiling and use this tool to change the boundary. Automatic ceiling can also be edited this way, but will lose constraints to walls. 69
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MODIFY CEILING TILES GRIDS If you create a ceiling with suspended grids, you can move and adjust the grids by selecting one of the line and moving it The whole ceiling pattern will adjust.
CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CEILING TILES PATTERN Select a ceiling, click and then Edit Structure. Pick another finish ceiling material with your preferred pattern.
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CREATE A ROOF 1. SELECT TYPE
Select a plan view that is set to be higher than the roof. Click the Roof tool in the architecture tab. Then select the type you need.
2. SET LEVEL AND OFFSET Make sure so select the correct level. The bottom of the roof will be aligned with that level. Set an offset if required.
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3. DRAW THE ROOF Draw a boundary using purple lines. Use Pick Wall or Line for greater precision. Click the green check when done.
Pick
10 ROOF TIPS 1- REMOVE SLOPE TO CREATE FLAT ROOF Want to create a flat roof? In the option bar, make sure Define Slope is deactivated before drawing the boundary. To turn a sloped roof into a flat roof, select all roof boundaries purple lines and uncheck Define Slope in the option bar.
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2- ACTIVATE SLOPE TO CREATE A SLOPED ROOF Want to create a sloped roof? In the option bar, make sure Defines Slope is activated for boundary lines. If slope is active for appear next to them.
boundary lines, a
triangle symbol will
To create a hip roof (4-side slope), define slope for all boundaries. To create a gable roof (2-side slope), remove slope for half the boundaries.
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3- MODIFY PROPERTIES TO ADJUST ROOF SLOPE Click on a roof and change the angle in the Slope Properties. You can use any units, like % and ratios (1:10). They will be converted to the default units, angles in this case.
4- MODIFY EACH LINE TO GET IRREGULAR SLOPE Want an odd shaped roof? You have to edit the roof boundary change the slope for each individual boundary line.
and
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5- ACTIVATE OVERHANG ON PICKED WALLS ROOFS Use Pick Walls if you want the roof to automatically adjust when walls are moved. You can set an Overhang on roofs created with Pick Walls. Select each boundary line and set the value in properties or in Option Bar.
6- ADD VERTICAL OR BY FACE OPENINGS Want a hole in your roof? Try Openings. Use Vertical opening, or By Face if you want the opening to be perpendicular to roof slope.
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7- USE SHAPE EDITING TO CREATE FLAT ROOF SLOPE Shape editing tools are used to create flat roof slope. Modify the height of points to create the desired slope. Add points manually or create them automatically with split lines. In the example below we add a bunch of points and change their relative height with Modify Sub Elements tool. Add a negative value to the middle points and a slope is created. You might prefer to use the Add Split Line tool, which create points at intersections.
8- USE RESET SHAPE TO GO BACK TO FLAT ROOF
Use the Reset Shape tool to go back to a completely flat roof, removing all split lines and points.
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9- SET VARIABLE MATERIAL FOR SLOPED INSULATION Want a sloped structure or a sloped insulation in your flat roof? By default, the whole roof will be sloped. Check Variable material in the roof structure to create sloped insulation. The insulation thickness must be at least as thick as the vertical slope else you will receive a warning.
10- ADD FASCIAS AND GUTTERS When clicking the roof submenu, you have access to fascia and gutter tools. Click on the edge of a roof to add one of these elements. Use the Add/Remove Segments tool to add multiple roof edges. 77
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ADVANCED ROOF TIPS 1- SET CUTOFF LEVEL TO CUT ROOF HORIZONTALLY In the properties, set a cutoff level to cut the roof horizontally. This can be used to create a gambrel roof and other roof type where the slope is interrupted.
2- USE ROOF BY EXTRUSION FOR WEIRD ROOF SHAPE You want a fully curved sexy roof? Use the Roof by Extrusion tool. First, set an horizontal Workplane. Then draw the profile line of the desired roof. That line represents the Top of the completed roof. Adjust Extrusion Start/End to make sure the roof is the correct length.
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3- JOIN ROOFS, ADD OPENING TO CREATE DORMER To create a dormer, model required walls and additional roof. Then follow these 2 steps: Use Join/Unjoin Roof tool: This tool is located in the Modify tab. Use it to extend the dormer roof to the main roof.
Create a Dormer Opening: Located in the Architecture tab, this tool is used to create a dormer shaped hole in the main roof. Select the main roof, then click on dormer walls and roof. Click the green check to complete the opening.
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4- USE SLOPE ARROW FOR ODD-SHAPED ROOF To create a slope for an odd-shaped roof like the one below, use Slope Arrow. Draw the arrow, then click it and change the properties to select the right levels and offsets. The tail is the low point and the head is the high point. This create an unidirectional slope parallel to the arrow. Make sure Define Slope is inactive and that the arrow lies on the boundaries.
5- SELECT CUT TYPE FOR SLOPED ROOF What shape do you want the end of your sloped roof to be? Select the roof and choose between Raft Cut and Two Cut in roof Properties, under Rafter Cut parameter. If you use Two Cut, you can set a Fascia height.
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DOORS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE A DOOR
Door are quite easy. First, select a Family and a Type. Then, set Level and Sill Height.
Then, hover your cursor above a wall to preview the door. Click to create. Then, use the blue arrows to flip the door. You can also press spacebar to flip the door.
MODIFY DOOR TYPE Click and adjust Thickness, Height and Width. Want to create a door family? Make sure to check out Pamphlet #13 included in the BASICS package. 81
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CREATE A WINDOW
To create a window, go to the Architecture tab and click window or use shortcut WN. Then, select a type and set Sill Height.
Sill height is the distance between the level and the bottom of the window.
Then, over your cursor over a wall to preview the window. Click to create. The arrows symbol are located on the exterior side of the wall. Click them or press spacebar to flip the window.
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ADJUST SILL HEIGHT: Use elevation or 3D views to adjust the Sill Height more precisely.
ADJUST WINDOW TYPE Now that you know how to create window, time to adjust the type properties. Each window family may have different properties, but most basic ones will have Width, Height and Window Inset.
If you want a fancy window shape, you will have to create a custom family, or try the Curtain Wall tool, which is the best option for beginners. 83
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CURTAIN WALLS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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WHAT ARE CURTAIN WALLS? Curtain Walls can do much more than glazed walls. They can be used for walls with complex patterns, special railings and even casework. Curtain Walls contains most properties of a basic wall. They have bottom and top constraints and their profile can be modified. The difference is with these following features:
CURTAIN GRIDS
Curtain grids are division created on the walls. These division can be horizontal or vertical.
MULLIONS
Mullions are elements that can be created on each curtain grid segment, as well as on each curtain wall extremities.
CURTAIN PANELS
Curtain panels are rectangular elements located between each curtain grids. 84
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CREATE A CURTAIN WALL SELECT A TYPE Curtain Walls are created in the same way as regular walls. Select the wall tool in the architecture tab. The difference is that when selecting a type, you have to scroll down to select a wall in the Curtain Wall category. These walls have a glass icon next to them.
Like with regular walls, set base and top constraints. Then draw the wall.
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FILL AN EMPTY CURTAIN WALL In the Revit Pure Template you will find a curtain wall type named RP -Empty Curtain Wall. Use this type and create a new wall. It will look like a plain glass wall. Let’s fill it up. ADD CURTAIN GRIDS Select the curtain grid tool in architecture tab. Place your cursor on the edge of the curtain wall or with another curtain grid intersection. Then click to add the curtain grid. Adjust dimensions. ADD MULLIONS Select the mullion tool, then click on a curtain grid or on the edge of the wall to add them. By default they are created on the complete length of a curtain grid.
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SET AN AUTOMATIC CURTAIN WALL Most of the time you want to use an automatic curtain wall, with fixed dimensions, specific glass and mullions types. These walls are set to mimic specs from manufacturers. Let’s build one from scratch. SET GRIDS DIMENSIONS Select curtain wall and click . Set layouts and spacing for vertical and horizontal grids. Use Maximum Spacing layout to equally divide your curtain wall. Use Fixed Distance to set a specified distance between grids, except for the filler at beginning or end.
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ADD MULLIONS In the type properties, scroll to Vertical and Horizontal Mullions category. Add a mullion type to each category. Border 1 are left/bottom mullions, Border 2 are right/top mullions.
EMBED CURTAIN WALL By default, curtain walls will be embedded in a regular wall, like a window would. Moving the hosting wall will also move the curtain wall (pin curtain wall to avoid this). To deactivate default embedding, uncheck it in Curtain Wall type. 88
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CREATE RECTANGULAR MULLION TYPE Select a mullion, click and duplicate to create new type. Make sure Default profile is selected. Adjust both side of Width. Side 1 is left/ bottom, while Side 2 is right/top. Adjust Thickness and Offset, which is the distance from the center of the mullion to the center of the wall.
CREATE CURTAIN PANEL TYPE Default curtain panels have three critical parameters to set: Thickness, Offset and Material. Offset is the distance between the center of the curtain wall and the center of the panel. 89
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11 CURTAIN WALLS TIPS 1- PRESS TAB TO CYCLE THROUGH ELEMENTS Selecting elements in a curtain wall can be tricky, because by default a click will result in selecting the whole wall. Use tab to cycle through mullions, curtain panels and curtain grids.
2- RIGHT-CLICK MULLION FOR SELECTION OPTIONS When you select a mullion, only segment between two curtain grids will be selected. Right-click to get more selection options like in the image below.
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3- UNPIN ELEMENTS TO MODIFY THEM By default, you can’t move or modify elements (mullions, panels, grids) in automatic curtain walls since that would break the rules set in type. Unpin the elements to make them independent.
4- MAKE CURTAIN PANEL A WALL OR AN EMPTY PANEL The power of curtain walls is that you don’t have to only use glazed panels. In fact, you can use any wall type available in your project. You can also make the curtain panel empty.
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5- SET WALL PANEL OFFSET If you replace a curtain panel by a wall, make sure to set the offset in the instance properties, under Location Line Offset. A negative value for the offset will push the wall to the interior side.
6- REPLACE CURTAIN PANEL BY A DOOR Curtain panels can be replaced by a door. These doors are different from regular doors: their size is dictated by the space between curtain grids. Make sure to delete the mullion below the door.
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7- ADD/REMOVE CURTAIN GRIDS SEGMENTS By default, curtain grids fill the entire length of a curtain wall. When selecting curtain grids, click on Add/Remove Segment, then click on segments to remove or add them. Mullions will be automatically deleted.
8- SET GRID JUSTIFICATION IN INSTANCE PROPERTIES When using Fixed Distance for grids layout, set the justification in the instance properties of the curtain wall.
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9- DON’T MOVE MULLIONS: MOVE THE GRIDS This can be confusing for beginners: Mullions can’t be moved by themselves. You have to move the curtain grids to which they are attached.
10- USE CORNER MULLIONS AT INTERSECTION By default, regular mullions will be created at the intersection of two curtain walls. Delete vertical mullions from one of the wall and replace the other by Corner Mullions. Corner Mullion types include L-Shaped (used in the image), V-Shaped, Trapezoid, Quad Corner and Circular.
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11- ARRANGE MULLION CONTINUITY Select a mullion, you will see you the icon on each extremity. Click it to change continuity on intersecting mullions.
You can also use the tools in the contextual menu, which will change both extremities of a selected mullion at once.
This process can also be automated in curtain wall type properties, under the parameter Join Condition.
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CASE STUDY: CASINO CASEWORK TRIANGLE SHAPED CURTAIN PANELS Curtain Walls are awesome because their use is not limited to curtain walls. In the casino project pictured below, we used curtain walls for interior perforated panels. To get that result, create a custom curtain panel family with triangle holes inside an extrusion. Then add an offset of 3mm between the reference planes and the extrusion to mimic the joint between panels.
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2 ADVANCED CURTAIN WALLS TIPS 1- ADD ANGLE TO ROTATE CURTAIN GRIDS All curtain grids are parallel to one another. To change the angle, select curtain wall and set Vertical and Horizontal angles in Instance Properties.
2- CREATE CUSTOM MULLION PROFILES Create a new mullion profile family for specific shapes, whether it be a specific manufacturer profile or a weird star-shaped mullion.
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STAIRS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BEFORE MODELING YOUR FIRST STAIR Making a stair in Revit is easy. You set all settings for your stairs, select two levels to join and BOOM, a wild stair appears. Sounds too good to be true? For this level of simplicity to be achieved, you need to understand every parameters that are either set in Stair Type, or calculated automatically by Revit. Please read the following definitions.
BASE AND TOP LEVELS
Stairs are based on selected levels that already exist in the project. You can add an offset on these levels if required.
DESIRED STAIR HEIGHT
Total distance between the base and the top of the stairs, including offsets.
DESIRED NUMBER OF RISERS
Automatically calculated by Revit, dividing Stair Height by Maximum Riser Height. You can change this number, which will modify the stair slope.
ACTUAL NUMBER OF RISERS
The number of risers you modeled so far.
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MAXIMUM RISER HEIGHT
Riser height for your stair will never go above this value. This parameter is set on the stair type. Usually on par with code requirements.
ACTUAL RISER HEIGHT
This distance is automatically calculated by Revit, dividing the Stair Height by the Desired Number of Risers.
MINIMUM TREAD DEPTH
On the stair type, specify the minimum tread depth. When you start modeling your stair, you can go above this number, but not below.
ACTUAL TREAD DEPTH
By default, this value is equal to minimum tread depth set in the stair type. However, you can set a bigger value if you want more depth.
MINIMUM RUN WIDTH
Set on the stair type, you can specify the minimum run width. This does not include support (stringers).
ACTUAL RUN WIDTH
By default, this will be the same as the minimum run width. You can set a higher value than the minimum, but a lower value will result in a Warning. 99
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CREATE A BASIC STAIR 1. SET MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM VALUES Select the stair tool in the architecture tab. Then, click on in the properties. Adjust Maximum Riser Height, Minimum Tread Depth and Minimum Run Width. Usually, these values are set in order to satisfy code requirements. This will affect all stairs using this type.
2. SET BASE AND TOP LEVELS Select your base and top levels. Set offsets. Desired Stair Height will be automatically calculated.
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3. DRAW THE STAIR You can now begin to draw your stair. There is many stair shape options, for now let’s use the most common Straight one. Click a first time to set the start point of your stair. Move your cursor to see the projected shape of your run, based on the tread depth you have set previously. Click again to complete the run.
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9 ESSENTIAL STAIR TIPS 1- STAIR ALWAYS GO FROM BOTTOM TO TOP When drawing a stair path, you start at the low point, and end with the top of the stairs. If you did it backwards, flip the stairs, by clicking the Flip button or clicking the arrow.
2- HAVE A CLOSE LOOK AT OPTIONS BAR
When entering stair creation mode, have a look at the option bar. You can change Location Line to decide if you want to draw the stairs based on the side or on the center of the run. You can also change the Actual Run Width to go above the minimum you specified previously.
3- USE 3D VIEWS AND SECTIONS Using 3D views in addition to plan views and sections is a great way to build and understand stairs. Use Selection Box to isolate the stair in the 3D view if required. To create stairs from a 3D view, make sure the Workplane is set to a plan level, else you will receive a warning.
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4- UNDERSTAND WHERE TO FIND ALL PARAMETERS STAIR TYPE Controls the dimension rules of your stairs, like riser height, tread depth and run width. Inside Stair Type, you will also find Run Type, Landing Type and Support type. To modify these types, either go to Stair Type, or use TAB to individually select a run, landing or support. Then click . RUN TYPE Inside this type, you can modify Tread Thickness, and set a Nosing Length to your treads. You can also set Riser Thickness and decide if you want them slanted. Also use this panel to set materials for treads and risers. LANDING TYPE By default, this will be the same as Run Type. Uncheck the box to customize landing material, thickness, nosing, etc. SUPPORT TYPE Specify whether to use Carriage or Stringer style support. Also set support Material, Width and Depth. See advanced tips for more information.
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5- LANDINGS ARE AUTOMATIC BY DEFAULT. If you draw two stairs run next to each other, Revit will automatically add a landing to join the two. You can uncheck this feature when creating the stairs (see tip 2).
Landings at the top or at the bottom of the stairs are never automatic, they have to be created manually. Use the Landing Component and select Create Sketch button. Then draw the outline of the landing.
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6- ADJUST “DESIRED NUMBER OF RISERS” TO CHANGE STAIR SLOPE
By default, Desired Number of Risers will be equal to the lowest number of risers you need to not go beyond Maximum Riser Height. However, you can specify more risers to get a softer stair slope. Don’t ever put less risers than the calculated minimum, else you will receive a warning !
7- ADJUST “ACTUAL TREAD DEPTH” FOR A LONGER RUN Instead of adding risers, you can also put a bigger value to Actual Tread Depth for a softer stair slope. Changing this value will make the run longer. Again, don’t put a number below the Minimum Tread Depth, else you will receive a warning. Warnings are annoying and mean that you are not following your own rules. 105
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8- ADJUST “BEGIN WITH RISER” AND “END WITH RISER” In the image below, RUN #1 has the default settings: it begins and ends with a riser. However, we changed the settings for RUN #2, which begins and ends with a tread instead of a riser. You can change this option by clicking on a run and checking/unchecking the parameters.
9- SELECT RAILING TYPE WHILE CREATING STAIRS While creating stairs, railings will automatically be added to your stair. The default type will be the last one selected. To change it, click the railing button and select another type, or select None for a stair without railing. Chapter 13 is dedicated to the creation of railings. 106
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3 ADVANCED STAIRS TIPS 1- SELECT CARRIAGE OR STRINGER SUPPORT TYPE A Carriage Support is underneath the stair, following the shape of treads and risers. This is a type usually used for a wooden residential stair type. A Stringer Support will be separate from the stairs, usually on par with metallic stairs construction type. These settings are found in Stair Type.
2- SET SUPPORT DIMENSIONS On the Support Type properties, set all support dimension. See next page to understand what all this stuff means.
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WIDTH
The width of the support. This is always independent from Actual Run Width, meaning you have to add 2 supports width to know the total stair width.
TOTAL DEPTH
This value is the perpendicular distance between the top and bottom of the support.
STRUCTURAL DEPTH ON RUN
This is the distance between the bottom of the tread and the bottom of the support, parallel to the support diagonal.
STRUCTURAL DEPTH ON LANDING This is the distance between the bottom of the landing and the bottom of the support.
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3- CREATE MULTISTORY STAIRS Use the Multistory stairs feature to repeat a stairs among multiple levels. Select the stairs and click on Select Levels in the contextual tab.
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To create the multistory stairs, pick the levels you want to connect and click the green check. After the multi-stair is created, use the Connect/ Disconnect Levels tool to change the selected levels.
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PIN / UNPIN INDIVIDUAL STAIRS: When creating a multi-story stair, stairs behave like a group. That means modifying one of the stair will affect all other stairs of the same height. To avoid that, select one of the stair and unpin it. You can then modify that specific stair without affecting all the others.
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CREATE A RAILING Railings are located on the architecture tab. Select a railing type, then pick one of two options to create railing: Sketch on Path or Place on Host.
SKETCH ON PATH
This option allows you to draw a railing outline any way you wish to. Draw a continuous purple line, then click the green check.
PLACE ON HOST
Choose this option to automatically create the railing based on an existing stair or ramp. Choose placement on treads or stringer.
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5 RAILINGS CREATION TIPS 1- ADJUST “OFFSET FROM PATH” When adding a railing to stair Treads, the path offset will be set to 25. When adding a railing to Stringer, the path offset will be set to half the value of the stringer width. So -25mm for a 50mm stringer. You can change these values at all time by selecting the railing and checking properties.
2- ACTIVATE RAILING PREVIEW Click the preview icon to show how is your railing going to look like once it is completed. Using a 3D view with preview is the best way to test and adjust your railing.
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3- HOST RAILINGS TO SLOPED ELEMENTS OR TO A TOPOSURFACE Revit 2017 added the option to host railings to walls and floors. This means if you create a wall with a slope, the railing will follow the shape. Create a railing using the Create Railing Path option. Then select your railing, click Pick New Host and click the wall or floor. Want to reset the host? Pick New Host and click the empty model space.
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HOST RAILINGS TO TOPOSURFACE: Since Revit 2018, you can host a railing to a toposurface. This feature can be useful to model fences and other site elements. Create the railing, then click on “Pick New Host” in the contextual tab. Select the toposurface. Your railing should be following the topography like in the image below.
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4- RAILING SHAPE WILL ADAPT TO MULTIPLE HOSTS A railing can be hosted to a stair but still adapt to the shapes of landings and other elements. In the image below, a railing path is modified to include part of the floors. You can see that the railing is sloped above the stairs but becomes flat when above the landing and floors.
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5- USE THE SPLIT TOOL ON A RAILING Since the Revit 2019 update, it is possible to use the Split tool on railings. You will find this tool in the Modify tab. In the options bar, check the Delete Inner Segment tool to remove the railing section between two clicks. That produces a similar effect to the “Split With Gap” tool that can be used with walls or lines.
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THE ANATOMY OF A RAILING Before creating a railing type, you need to understand every part of it.
THE HIERARCHY OF A RAILING The Railing Type contains everything inside a railing. In each type, you get to select Top Rail, Handrail, Rails and Balusters. Read the definitions next page to make sure you understand the Railing basics. 118
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RAIL ELEMENTS TOP RAIL
Top rail is the highest horizontal element of a railing. It is created by selecting a 2D profile and a height.
HANDRAIL
Handrail is an intermediate rail used for hands. They are linked to a wall or to a railing with Supports.
INTERMEDIATE RAIL
Any horizontal rail other than the Top Rail and the Handrail. Can be used to constraints balusters.
RAIL 2D PROFILE
Every Rail in Revit is an extrusion from a 2D Profile Family. Use default profiles for simple shapes, or create a custom one for fancy shapes.
EXTENSION
Use extension to add length to Top Rail or Handrail. The extension shape can be customized.
SUPPORT
The elements that connect the Handrail to the wall or to the railing. 119
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BALUSTER ELEMENTS BALUSTERS
Vertical elements that are part of the railing. Set their shape with Baluster Family. Adjust their spacing in Baluster Placement.
POSTS
Posts are balusters that are at the Start, the End or the Corner of a railing. They can be added in Baluster Placement.
BALUSTER FAMILY
Balusters are made from a full 3D Revit family. Unless you want something fancy, you can use the default families.
RAILING EXAMPLES SIMPLE WALL MOUNT RAILING
This railing only uses a Handrail. It contains no Balusters and no Top Rail. Located on walls.
COMPLICATED RAILING
This railing use a Top Rail with extension on both sides, a Handrail, two intermediate Rails, and 3 different Baluster types. Ouch. 120
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CREATE A RAILING TYPE To create a railing type, select and duplicate an existing Railing type. Then follow the steps below, which are described in the next pages.
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CREATE TOP RAIL AND HANDRAILS 1. CREATE TOP RAIL / HANDRAIL TYPE In Railing Type properties, you can select Top Rail and Handrail types. But before doing so, we must create new types to fit our needs. Use the Project Browser, go to Families. Under Railings, you will find Top Rail Type and Handrail Type. Double-click and duplicate a type to begin.
2. SELECT PROFILE Select a 2D profile family. It will be extruded to create your Rail. Use one of Revit default profiles: Round, Elliptical, Square or Rectangular. If you want a more complex shape, you will need a custom profile.
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3. SET EXTENSIONS Use extension if you want your rail to go beyond the railing limit. Choose between Floor, Post and Wall extension. You can set an extension at the Beginning and End of the railing.
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4. SET HANDRAIL SUPPORTS Supports are used to connect Handrails to railings or to walls. Adjust Family type, Layout, Spacing and Justification in Handrail type. The default Revit family is Circular. In the Support Type properties, you can adjust Radius and Height. If you want a different shape, you will need to create another Support family.
5. SET RAILS HEIGHT The height of Top Rail is set in Railing Type. To change Handrail height, go to Handrail type. Also adjust Hand Clearance, which is the distance between baluster end and the center of the handrail.
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CREATE INTERMEDIATE RAILS We already covered how to create Top Rails and Handrails. Each Railing can also contains Intermediate Rails (also known as non-continuous rails). Creating them is pretty simple.
1. GO TO RAIL STRUCTURE In the Railing Type, click
.
2. INSERT NEW RAIL Click the
button to add a new rail. Give a name to your rail.
3. SET 2D PROFILE FAMILY, HEIGHT AND OFFSET Profile for intermediate rails work the same way as profiles for Handrail and Top Rail. Select one of Revit default profile family, or create a custom one for more complexity. Then, set the rail height and the offset distance to the center of the railing. The rail height can never be higher than the Top Rail. Add a material if you wish to. You are done! Use duplicate to create many intermediate rails.
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CREATE A BALUSTER PATTERN 1. GO TO BALUSTER PLACEMENT In the Railing Type properties, you will find Baluster Placement. In this tab, you select how to configure the balusters. You might be intimidated by the dialog box that appears. No worry, we will make it simple.
2. SELECT A BALUSTER FAMILY In the Baluster Family column, pick a Baluster to use. By default, Revit contains Round, Square, Rectangular shapes. If you want a fancier shape, you will have to make a custom family.
3. SET OFFSET TO RAILING CENTER Use offset to set a distance between balusters and the purple center line of the railing. 126
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4. SET BASE AND TOP OF THE BALUSTERS Select the base and the top of your balusters. Can be either the Host or Rails elements. Then adjust the required offset from these elements. In the image below, the red dashed line indicate the position of the balusters. You can see that the baluster Base is 100mm from the Host and baluster Top is set to the Top Rail.
5. SET DISTANCE FROM PREVIOUS Distance from Previous is the default distance between each baluster.
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6. SET BALUSTERS JUSTIFICATION Set Justify option to decide how balusters spacing will adjust to railing length. Beginning, End and Center will keep Distance from Previous, while Spread Pattern to Fit will change the value to have an equal spacing.
7. SELECT POSTS Posts are special balusters that only appear at the Start and End of a railing. Corner posts are optional. They are used for railing intersection.
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5 TIPS TO CREATE THE PERFECT RAILING TYPE 1- SHOW PREVIEW IN RAILING TYPE Not sure how your railing is going to turn out? Use preview in Railing Type properties to get a glimpse of what it will look like. You can select 3D views, plan view or elevations.
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2- USE PROJECT BROWSER TO FIND RAILING PARTS
Go to Families in your project browser, then hop to Railings. All Railing Type will be in the Railing sub-menu (in red). The Handrail and Top Rail also have their own submenu (in blue).
All the others families are directly under the Railings category, including Balusters and Supports. Don’t forget that all rails use a 2D Profile that can be found under the Profiles menu in Families. To save time, use CTRL-F in the project browser and type the name of the component you are looking for.
3-ADJUST TOP RAIL TRANSITIONS Select a transition style for Handrail and Top Rail. This is how the rail will behave when a sloped railing change direction.
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4- USE TAB TO SELECT SPECIFIC RAILING PARTS If you click on a railing, the whole thing will be selected. But by using tab, you can cycle through different parts of the railing to individually select and modify them. These are the elements that can be selected:
See the pin icon ? Clicking it will break the link between the Railing Type and the specific railing element. That means you can change the Top Rail for a specific instance without affecting other railings using this type.
5- ADJUST SUPPORTS POSITION Handrail Supports position is automatically set in Handrail Type. Often, this position is not what we want. Tab-select and unpin the support, then move it to the correct position.
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4 ADVANCED RAILINGS TIPS 1- CREATE GLAZED RAILING WITH GLAZED BALUSTERS Most of the time, this solution is not very good. The problem is that Revit won’t automatically adjust glazing size to fit the length of the railing. If you have super precise railing length and glazing dimension, this can work fine. Use Glazed Baluster instead of Standard Baluster in Baluster Placement.
2- CREATE GLAZED RAILING WITH CURTAIN WALLS This is the way to go! Curtain walls are easier to use than the labyrinthic railings. The downside is that they won’t automatically adjust for stair slope. You have to edit profile and manually draw it. Need fancy glass connectors? Create a custom mullion family. Need a Handrail? Use a railing on top of the curtain wall and group them together.
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3- CREATE FANCY EXTENSION SHAPES Remember the extensions we created earlier? They were limited to 3 shapes. Turns out you can customize the shape to whatever you want. Tab-select the Top Rail, then click the Edit Rail button. Then click Edit Path.
Changed your mind and want to go back to the original shape? Click the Reset Rail button when the Top Rail is selected. Editing railing path is limited to the extensions, you cannot modify the main part of the rail. Use this feature for Top Rail or for Handrail.
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4- CREATE RAILINGS FOR MULTISTORY STAIRS With a single click, you can add railings to all stairs in a multistory group. It is possible to draw a railing segment that doesn’t cover the complete stair like in the image below. The railing will automatically adjust to match the stairs, landing and floors. Modifying one of the railing will affect all railings hosted on stairs of the same height inside the multistory group.
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STRUCTURAL VS ARCHITECTURAL COLUMNS This chapter is going to explore the use of structural elements from an architecture point of view. We are not going to talk about structural calculations. First, you need to understand the difference between both columns tools in Revit. STRUCTURAL COLUMNS: This type is used to create the real columns that are actually going to be supporting a building. They are used by structural engineers and by architects. ARCHITECTURAL COLUMNS: They are used for 2 reasons: to create decorative columns elements (think Corinthian style Greek columns) or to create a box-out around the real structural columns. Architectural columns inherit the material of surrounding elements.
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INSERT STRUCTURAL COLUMN FAMILIES When adding structural column families to your project, make sure to use the default Autodesk families. Go to the Insert tab and click on Load Family. Go to the Structural Column folder. Pick the column you want.
The Type Catalog for the family will be opened. All the standard, pre-made column types will be listed. Use CTRL to select all the column dimensions you need in your project.
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CREATING A STRUCTURAL COLUMN The structural column tool (shortcut: CL) can be found in both the architecture tab and the structure tab. SET THE HEIGHT PLACEMENT OPTION: By default, columns are created using the Depth height option. This option is confusing and will likely result in a warning if you try to create a column. Instead, change this setting to Height.
SELECT THE TOP LEVEL: When creating a column in a plan view, the base will always be locked to the associated level of the view. That means if you are in Level 1 a view, the base will be set to Level 1. In the options bar, select the top level to be associated to the column. You can’t adjust the top/base offset for the moment.
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CLICK TO CREATE, ADJUST OFFSETS: Click anywhere on the plan view to create the column. Select the column and adjust the base and top offset in the instance properties.
CREATE COLUMNS AT GRIDS INTERSECTIONS: When creating a new column, click on the At Grids tool and select all the necessary grids. Click on the green check to complete. Columns will automatically be created at all selected grids intersections. Columns will move with their matching grids unless the Moves With Grids instance properties is unchecked.
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ADJUSTING DETAIL LEVEL At the bottom left of the opened view, you will find the Detail Level option. This tool has a major effect on the visual representation of columns. You can see in the image below what happens when you change the detail level in a plan view.
You have to be especially careful in elevation and section views. Often, columns will only display a line when set to the Coarse detail level.
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CREATE A DARK SOLID FILL FOR COLUMNS In conceptual views, it‘s helpful to have columns appear with a dark solid fill. You can create this effect in a single view by using the Visibility/ Graphics menu. You will find this tool in the view tab or by using shortcut VG. Click on the Cut pattern override of the Structural Columns category. Add a solid fill and pick a dark color. This technique works great with concrete and wood columns, but you might have issues with some steel column families since they are often hollow in the middle.
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CREATE A TOPOSURFACE
Create a site in your model by creating a Toposurface in the Massing & Site tab. Add points and set their elevation in the option bar.
Create points at different elevations to create a dynamic topography.
SUBREGION: Want to create road and sidewalks on the site? Use the Subregion tool and assign a different material.
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CREATE A BUILDING PAD
BUILDING PAD: This tool is used to create a hole in the toposurface for the building.
The creation process for a building pad is similar to a floor. Set the purple boundary lines to the exterior foundation limits. Use the lock button to make sure the building pads move with the foundations. Set the level and offset you want the pad to reach in the properties.
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CREATE A MATERIAL
Find the Material tool in the manage tab. The easiest way to create a new material is to duplicate another one by right-clicking it.
Then, set the Name and other information on the Identity tab. Then set the Color in the Graphics tab. Colors only appears in Shaded views.
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You can now assign a Surface Pattern that will be visible on the outside of a material. Cut Pattern will be shown when the material is cut. To create a new Pattern, refer to the Region chapter (page 186).
MATERIAL APPEARANCE The material Appearance is used for Realistic view type and Renderings. Set an image for texture and other rendering options. You can pick an pre-made appearance asset from Autodesk database.
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SPLIT FACE / PAINT SPLIT FACE: Need multiple materials on a surface? Use the Split Face tool. This feature can be used on walls, floors, ceilings and any other modeled element. Draw the boundaries with purple lines. PAINT: Paint tool is used to set another material to a surface. Select a material and click on the surface you want to modify.
REMOVE PAINT: If you want to remove a material you added using the Paint technique, use the Remove Paint tool.
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WHAT IS A ROOM?
Rooms are created to calculate area and to be sorted in schedules. Boundaries are automatically created, with walls used as limit.
To create a room, select the Room tool (shortcut: RM) and click in an area defined by wall boundaries. The limits are represent by blue lines.
ROOM SEPARATOR: Sometimes, boundaries defined by walls are not enough. Add additional boundaries with Room Separator tool.
ROOM BOUNDING: Want a wall that doesn’t count as a room boundary? Select it and deactivate “Room Bounding” in the properties. 146
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ADJUST ROOMS HEIGHT Rooms can also be visible in sections. Adjust a room height by going to a section view and dragging the arrows. You can also use the room properties to adjust height offsets.
ROOM TAG A Room Tag will appear by default when you create a new room. This tag can contain any information from the room, like room name, room number and area. Click on a parameter to change it. See chapter 29 for more info about tags.
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Learn how to create views and control their options. Also learn how to create great detailing and control visibility in your views.
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HOW TO CREATE NEW VIEWS
These are all available views in Revit. Go to View tab to create them. The following pages will guide you through the specifics of each view category.
DUPLICATE VIEW Use Duplicate View in view tab to create a copy of current view. Look in Project Browser to find new view with Copy 1 added in title. Use Duplicate View with Detailing to also copy all tags, lines, regions, dimensions and 2D annotation elements.
RENAME VIEW To Rename a view, go to Project Browser and rightclick on a view. Select Rename in the menu.
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5 SETTINGS TO ADJUST IN EACH VIEW Sections, Elevations, Plan Views, Ceiling Plan, 3D views: they all share the same view settings. Most of them can be adjusted in the View Control Bar.
1- SCALE Every view type except Perspective have a Scale. Notice that when changing scale, the lines thickness seem to change. Once printed, these lines actually remain the same thickness on the sheet.
2- DETAIL LEVEL Choose between Coarse, Medium and Fine. In Fine detail, all layers of elements composition are visible, like in the wall section below. Usually, small scale views use Fine and big scale views use Coarse.
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3- CROP REGION Crop Region is used to set visible boundaries of a view. First, make sure Crop View is activated. Then, move the crop region points.
Use Edit Crop tool if you want something else than a rectangle for the shape of the crop. Draw boundary lines to fit required shape.
Use View Break tool to split a view. Use
arrows to adjust.
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4- VISUAL STYLE What appearance do you want your view to have? On most views, Hidden Line visual style should be used. Wireframe style makes everything transparent. It can be useful for modeling, but very rarely used for printed documents. Shaded, Consistent Colors and Realistic visual styles are usually used for presentation documents, like 3D views and elevations.
5- SHADOWS Most of the time Shadows should be turned off, especially for construction documents. However, they can create nice effects if you are designing or producing presentation documents.
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SETTING FAR CLIP Far Clip is a setting available for Sections, Elevations and 3D Views. It lets you control how far you want to see a view. Find these settings in the instance parameters of each view.
SELECT FAR CLIPPING MODE
SET FAR CLIP OFFSET This is distance between the start of the view and the clip.
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CREATE PLAN VIEWS Plan Views are always associated with a specific Level. Reflected Ceiling Plan are the same as plan views, except the view is looking up instead of down. They are also associated to a level. When creating a new plan view, you will be asked to choose a level to associate the view. If the level you want is not available, it means a view already exist in your project. Associated level is indicated in properties:
ADJUST VIEW RANGE View Range is located in the instance properties of a view. View range controls what part of your project is visible in a Plan or RCP. Objects that are in the Cut Plane plan will display with thick lines, the objects in the Visible Range will display with light lines. The View Range dialog looks complicated, but most of the time what you need to set is actually simple. Have a look at the images next page to understand. 154
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HOW VIEW RANGE WORKS
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PLAN VIEWS
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ADVANCED VIEW RANGE TIP 1: VIEW DEPTH As you might notice in the view range dialog, there is an additional setting called View Depth. This value is always below the bottom value in a plan view and always above the top value in a RCP. It creates an additional range of visibility with unique features. Everything in the red range will display using the line style.
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By default, your line style is probably a standard black line. Maybe you want to use a dashed green line instead? Go to the Line Styles menu (see page 176) in the Manage tab to modify the style for all views. You can also modify the line style in a single view by using the Visibility/Graphics menu (see page 172). In the example below, the footing of the foundation walls are located in the View Depth range. That means the footings will be displayed using the line style. In the second image, the line style is modified so it is thick dashed green instead of thin solid black.
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ADVANCED VIEW RANGE TIP 2: PLAN REGION What happens when a single view range isn’t enough in a view? In the example below we have windows at different height in a view. A single cut plane value isn’t enough to see all windows.
That’s when you can use the Plan Region tool. You will find it in the dropdown menu of Plan Views.
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Draw the boundaries of the plan region on the area where the center window is located. Click the green check to complete.
Then, select the plan region and click, on the View Range button. Set the Cut plane value so it intersects the middle window.
Click OK to complete. The window should now be visible!
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SECTIONS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE A SECTION Sections are created by clicking a start point and a end point. They can be created in Plan views, elevations or sections.
Adjust Far Clip by moving blue arrows. Flip section by clicking arrows icon.
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GO TO SECTION Enter the section by right-clicking and selecting Go To View.
ADJUST SECTION EXTENTS Move the vertical arrows in plan views, or adjust crop to define section extents. Move blue dot to adjust section head only in plan view.
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ELEVATIONS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE AN ELEVATION Elevations are created in plan view, by clicking in front of a wall. The orientation will adjust to be perpendicular to the wall angle. Like with sections, adjust extents in plan or directly in the elevation.
ADD MULTIPLE ELEVATIONS Select Elevation Tag and check boxes to add more elevations. To go to a specific view, right-click one of the Elevation Mark and select Go To View.
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CALLOUTS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE A CALLOUT Callouts are used to create a “zoomed in” small scale view. They can be created in Plan views, Sections and Elevations.
CALLOUT TYPES: When making a callout, select Detail View type to draft detailing and Plan View Callout for close-ups like bathroom. The main difference is that by default, Detail View callouts only show up in the view they were created.
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DETAILS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE DETAILING Let’s break a persisting myth: Revit is awesome to create detailing. No, you don’t have to go back to AutoCAD. The work-flow is indeed different from a CAD interface, but trust us: you are eventually going to love it.
HYBRID TECHNIQUE - LIPSTICK YOUR MODEL The most common way to create detailing is to take your raw 3D model elements and apply lipstick to it. That means using lines, text, regions, detail components and various 2D elements on top of the model until you get the perfect look. The benefits of this technique is that you always have a link between the model and the 2D drawings. If a wall is moved, this will be reflected in the details. However, this can be a double-edged sword: someone might move a roof by accident, screwing up the detailing completely.
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8 TIPS FOR EFFICIENT DETAILING 1- ORGANIZE VIEWS First step in great detailing is to create a medium scale Wall Section. Usually, this section is left without much 2D detailing. Only a few tags and dimensions are created. You can then create small scale Callouts, where you will add the required lines, region, detail components, etc. Rename views with numbers to make everything cleanly organized in your project browser.
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2- ADJUST DISPLAY MODEL Adjust Display Model with Normal, Halftone and Do Not Display mode. Notice that Grids and Levels still remain visible even when set to Do Not Display.
3- CREATE DETAIL GROUPS If detail elements are going to be repeated on multiple views, consider creating a group. Select 2D elements and create a Detail Group with them. Be careful: never create a group within a group.
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4- USE DETAIL COMPONENT TO SIMPLIFY DETAILS When detailing, avoid overusing lines and regions: instead, opt for Detail Components in Annotate tab. Detail Components are 2D parametric families. You will find many of them in the RP template. Below, we have a 25mm (1’’) rigid insulation Detail Component that can be stretched with the blue arrows.
5- USE BATT INSULATION TOOL Revit has built-in Insulation tool located in Annotate tab. Select a width in the option bar, then draw the beginning and end point.
6- USE REPEATING DETAIL COMPONENTS Repeating Detail Components use a detail component and repeats it. In this example, we use the tool to create a brick wall. 167
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7- USE DRAFTING VIEWS TO DETAIL WITHOUT MODEL Drafting Views are your 2D safe space. There is no link between a drafting view and the model. This is AutoCAD mode. This view type is used for typical details reused from one project to another. They are also used for detail that don’t require input from your model. You can’t use Crop Region on Drafting Views.
8- USE 2D TECHNIQUE FOR REPETITIVE PROJECTS The 2D/3D hybrid technique is not appropriate for certain types of projects. The problem is: it’s impossible to copy/paste a complete detail. Let’s say you are designing 10 almost identical supermarkets in a year. You could create details made entirely in 2D elements for the first supermarket, which can then be reused for the other ones. To use this technique follow these steps: Set model to Halftone, draw the detailing, set model display to Do Not Display, then create Detail Groups. To reuse detailing in other projects, simply copy/paste the groups.
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3D VIEWS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE 3D VIEWS Clicking on the Default 3D Views icon create an orthographic view of your model. To spin your model around, hold SHIFT + Mouse Wheel. The center of the spin will be the selected element.
VIEW CUBE: Click on the corners or faces of View Cube to adjust view.
SECTION BOX: Activate in view properties, use arrows to adjust box.
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CREATE A PERSPECTIVE Perspectives (camera) are created by clicking an observer point, then clicking where the observer is looking.
Then, adjust
Crop Region to set the limits of the perspective.
To adjust the observer, click the crop region and go to plan view. The camera will be visible and you can adjust the position. If some part of the view is invisible, make sure to adjust Far Clip settings. 170
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AIRPLANE MODE IN REVIT 2021 The new version of Revit includes the Airplane mode. This can be activated inside a perspective view. Click on the small paper plane icon in the Navigation Bar. Activating this feature will create an experience similar to Enscape and Lumion. You can use WASD keys to move. Q and E keys can be used to move up and down. Use Shift + Mouse Wheel to adjust the speed while moving through the view.
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LEGENDS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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WHAT ARE LEGENDS USED FOR ? Legends are the only view type that can be placed on multiple sheets. Mostly used with 2D annotations elements like lines and text, you can also incorporate Legend Components from annotate tab. In the image below we create a Wall Legend, where we bring a 2D sample of a brick wall. Select the wall type, length and view type in the option bar.
You can then add text, dimensions, detail components, lines and regions to embellish the legend.
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VIEW TEMPLATES © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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WHAT IS A VIEW TEMPLATE? Suppose you just created the perfect elevation, with scale, shadows, visibility graphics and far clip offset set perfectly for your need. To replicate these settings to other elevations, you need to use View Templates.
CREATE A VIEW TEMPLATE Enter your perfect elevation. Go to view tab and select Create Template From Current View. A menu appears: give a name to the view template, then select which view settings to include. In the example below, we choose not to include Shadows in the view template.
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ASSIGN VIEW TEMPLATE TO A VIEW Time to assign your new template to another view. Below we have an elevation showing the other side of our building. In the view Properties, click View Template and select the template you’ve just created.
SETTINGS INCLUDED IN TEMPLATE ARE LOCKED As you see in the image, you can’t modify the visual style. This is because we used Consistent Colors style in the template. Settings that are part of a view template become gray: you can’t change them. If you want to use another visual style, remove the view template from the view. You can also modify or uncheck Model Display in the view template settings.
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ASSIGN TEMPLATE TO ALL NEW VIEWS What if you want every single new elevation to have the cool style of your Perfect Elevation? You have to assign the view template to the View Type. Click on in the view properties. Then, set the correct template in View Template applied to new views parameter.
Uncheck this feature if you want new views to be independent from the View Template:
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VISIBILITY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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HIDE ELEMENTS Hiding an element means that it becomes invisible in the current view, but still remains in the model. To hide, click an element and use shortcut EH. You can also use right-click menu and click on Hide In View - Elements.
REVEAL HIDDEN ELEMENTS TO BRING THEM BACK Want to bring hidden elements back? Click on the lamp icon at the bottom left of your screen. Everything hidden is now pink! Click pink elements, then click Unhide Element in contextual tab.
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HIDE CATEGORY What if you want to hide every single door in a view? You need to use Hide by Category.
UNHIDE CATEGORY Reveal hidden elements, then select a pink element from a hidden category. Use this tool to bring them back.
VISIBILITY GRAPHICS For more control over what is visible or not, use Visibility Graphics (shortcut: VG or VV) in View tab. Check/uncheck each category to adjust visibility for current view.
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VISIBILITY © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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EXPAND EACH CATEGORY FOR MORE OPTIONS Each Visibility Graphics category can be expanded to see more available fields. In this image, you can see all available visibility categories for Doors. That means you can hide all Door Frames from a view, but still see the other door components.
TEMPORARY HIDE/ISOLATE ELEMENTS What if you want to temporarily hide elements? Use the magic glasses located on the View Control Bar. Select elements and click the glasses. Isolate Element will hide everything else. Hide Element will only hide these elements. Click the glasses again and select Reset Temporary Hide to unhide everything.
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PART 3 ANNOTATE
Now that you have modeled a building and created views, time to learn how to add 2D elements like lines, tags, text, regions and dimensions.
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LINES © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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DETAIL LINES VS MODEL LINES
DETAIL LINES • 2D only • Visibility: Specific to a view • Workset: No • Workplane: No • Used for: Details, Symbolic Lines • Shortcut: DL • Ribbon Tab: Annotate
MODEL LINES • 2D and 3D • Visibility: Appear on all views • Workset: Yes • Workplane: Yes • Used for: Real Geometry • Shortcut: LI • Ribbon Tab: Architecture
CONVERT LINES A detail line can be converted to a model line and the other way around by clicking the Convert Lines button in the contextual tab.
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CREATE A LINE STYLE Detail and Model lines share the same line styles. The Line Styles menu is located under Additional Settings in the Manage tab. To create a new line style, click New and enter a name. Then, set the Weight, Color and Pattern parameters.
Line Patterns and Line Weights can also be accessed in the Additional Settings sub-menu. It is recommended not to modify these settings unless you know exactly what are you are doing.
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TAGS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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WHAT IS A TAG? Tags are text labels that display information from a model element. A tag will automatically update when an element is modified. Each element requires a different tag family. If you use RP template, you will find all necessary tags for architecture elements.
ADD TAGS TO YOUR VIEWS Tag by Category (shortcut: TG): Click on the element you want to tag.
Tag All: Select a category and a tag type. All elements will be tagged.
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TAGS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CHANGE TAG TYPE There can be multiple tag types for the same element. For example, we might have a wall tag that shows the wall type, while another that show the wall height. Select the tag and change it in the Type Selector.
ROOM TAG / MATERIAL TAG Some category have their own tags tool built-in Revit, like Materials and Rooms.
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5 BASIC TAGS TIPS 1- ACTIVATE LEADER Tag is unreadable at a specific position? Click the leader option in the option bar. Add a shoulder if required. By default, the leader will point to the center of the element. If you don’t like that, use Free End instead of Attached End and reposition the point.
2- SELECT A LEADER ARROWHEAD TYPE Select a tag and click on .By default, leader arrowhead is set to None. Select among the options for the arrowhead of your choice. 184
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3- SET TAG VERTICAL By default, tags are horizontal. To set them vertical, click a tag and select Vertical in the option bar.
4- ADD A SECOND LABEL TO A TAG What if you want your door tag to also show the door Width? Select the tag and click Edit Family in the contextual tab. Add another label above the existing one and click Edit Label. Remove the Mark parameter and select Width parameter. Save and load your family in your project. The tag now display Width above the door number.
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5- IN REVIT 2021, CREATE ROTATED TAGS In previous versions of Revit, tags orientation were limited to horizontal or vertical. They could not match the rotation angle of the associated element. In Revit 2021, tags can now match the rotation angle of an element. Inside a tag family, option Rotate with component can be activated. When this box is checked, the tag will rotate along with the associated element.
When loaded back in a project, the tag will match the rotation value of its host. You can see an example below with a door tag family.
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TEXT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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PLACE TEXT AND ADJUST LEADERS Go to Annotation tab and select the Text tool. Click or create a rectangular text box, then start typing. Set Leaders and Alignments. You will find these options in the contextual tab. Multiple leaders can be used on the same text. Select if you want the leader to be attached to the top, middle or bottom of the text.
ADJUST TEXT FONT, COLOR AND SIZE Select a text and click . Use duplicate if you want to create a different type. Adjust Color, Font and Size. If the Background is set to opaque, a white rectangle will surround the text field. 187
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REGIONS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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WHAT IS A REGION If you come from the wonderful world of AutoCAD, you might still have nightmares about using Hatch. Regions are like Hatch, but they actually work. Regions are made from a repeating Pattern.
DRAW A REGION Creating a region is similar to a creating a floor: draw a closed boundary and click the green check. A really useful feature is that each region has a bunch of blue arrows you can move to quickly adjust the boundaries.
ADJUST BOUNDARY LINES Each boundary line of a region can be set to a specific Line Style. Want the upper line to be super thick? Select Wide Line. You can also select Invisible Line type if you don’t want a boundary line to be visible. 188
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EDIT A REGION TYPE MODEL VS DRAFT PATTERNS A critical element when modifying a region is being mindful of Model or Draft parameters. Draft patterns adapt to the scale of a view. They will always print the same size on a sheet. Use them for symbolic patterns, like Ground and Gypsum.
Model patterns are used to represent real life dimensions. That means their size will adapt depending of the scale used. Use them for patterns like Brick and Ceramic.
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CHECK OR UNCHECK THE MASKING OPTION In the region type properties, check or uncheck the Masking option. As you see, activating the option will hide everything located underneath the region. Unchecking this feature will keep everything below transparent.
SET BACKGROUND AND FOREGROUND PATTERNS Revit 2019 introduced the possibility of using 2 different patterns for the same regions: a background pattern and a foreground pattern. The most common use of this feature is to set a grey background solid fill while using a line pattern to represent a material in the foreground.
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SET COLOR AND LINE WEIGHT The Line Weight value will affect both patterns in your region. However, you can assign a different color to each pattern. In the image below, we create two distinct regions using the same patterns but with different colors and line weight.
HIDE THINGS WITH MASKING REGION
Masking Region are like regular regions, except they always have a solid white opaque pattern. Use them to hide elements.
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CREATE A PATTERN To create a new Pattern type, go to Pattern settings in Manage tab, under Additional Settings menu. Select either Drafting or Model pattern, then click on New. Use Simple pattern type. Then, set line angle and spacing.
If you need more complex patterns, select Custom pattern type and import a .pat file. Check out the free pyRevit plugin to create custom patterns. Patterns created here are used for both Materials and Regions. 192
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DIMENSIONS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE A DIMENSION
Pick among these dimension tools in the Annotate tab. Most of the time, you will use the Aligned (shortcut: DI) dimension.
USE TAB TO CYCLE THROUGH REFERENCES Use Tab to select the correct reference when they are close to one another. For example, press tab to cycle between Centerline and Face.
CLICK ON ELEMENT AND CHANGE VALUE TO MOVE IT Select element: the dimension value becomes blue. Change the value and the element will move. 193
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SET OVERRIDES, PREFIX AND SUFFIX Select a dimension and double-click on a value. You will access a menu where you can add text around the value.
You can also replace the dimension value with text. You can’t replace with a number, because Revit don’t want you to be confused.
ADD/REMOVE MULTIPLE WITNESS LINES Dimensions can be used with multiple references. Click a point in the white void to complete dimension. Use Edit Witness Lines tool in contextual tab adjust references.
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CLICK EQ BUTTON EQUALLY DIVIDE TOTAL VALUE What if you want equal distance between multiple references? Click the EQ button above the dimensions. Total length will remain the same, but elements in the middle will be adjusted.
MOVE VALUE TO CREATE LEADER See the blue dot below a value? Move it wherever you want and a leader will be automatically added.
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PUBLISH AND COLLABORATE Once your project is modeled and annotated, time to put it on sheets, print it and share it with the world. Also learn how to collaborate with multiple users and work with CAD files.
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SHEETS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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USING SHEETS Now that all your views are created, time to place them on sheets.
CREATE A SHEET Go to view tab and click the sheet icon.
SELECT A TITLE BLOCK
When creating a new sheet, you will be asked to select a title block. If using the RP template, pick your favorite format.
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RENAME SHEET NAME AND NUMBER Have a look in the project browser: you will see your new sheet, with “Unnamed” as the sheet title. Right-click to rename sheet number and name. Then, double-click to enter the sheet.
PLACE VIEWS Click the Place View button in the view tab. You can also drag a view from the project browser to the sheet.
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CHANGE SHEET PARAMETERS In the sheet title block, you’ll find a bunch of parameters. Simply click on the label to adjust each parameter. Some of these are automatic and can’t be changed manually, like scale.
COLLAPSE SHEET TO SEE ALL VIEWS Once you placed all required views on the sheet, click the + sign in the project browser. You will see all views on the sheet and can enter them.
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VIEW REFERENCES ARE AUTOMATIC When adding a view on a sheet, Revit will automatically assign the correct view number and sheet number anytime that view is referenced. To change the detail number, go to the view instance properties and change the value for “Detail Number”.
REFERENCE OTHER VIEW Sometimes you will need to reference a view that already exist, or reference a drafting view. Create a section, elevation or callout and click on “Reference Other View” in the contextual tab. Select the view, then draw the annotation symbol.
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3 TIPS TO NAVIGATE SHEETS 1- DOUBLE-CLICK TO ACTIVATE / DEACTIVATE VIEW When inside a sheet, double-click on a view to enter it and make modifications. Double-click on the outside of the view to deactivate it.
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2- USE “TITLE ON SHEET” OPTION Sometimes, you want to use a different view name than what is written in the project browser. For each view, change the “Title on sheet” parameter.
3- REMOVE VIEW TITLE Title of a view don’t need to be visible on the sheet. Click on a view and select “No Title” in the type selector to remove it.
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SHEETS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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ADVANCED TIP: MODIFY A TITLE BLOCK Before you print a sheet, you should modify the RP title block to fit your own standards. Select title block and click the Edit Family button.
INSERT IMAGE: Remove the Revit Pure logo and add your own one using the Insert Image tool in the insert tab.
ADJUST BOUNDARIES: The print size of a Title Block is constrained by Invisible lines on the boundaries. Adjust them.
ADJUST LABELS: Use the Label tool to display parameters from the sheet to the title block.
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REVISIONS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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CREATE A NEW REVISION
Click the Revisions icon in View Tab. From here, you can control all revisions, which will automatically be updated in sheets and tags.
ADD A REVISION TO A SHEET There is two ways to add a revision to a sheet: create a Revision Cloud, or manually add it in the instance parameters, by clicking Revisions on Sheet. Check each box of revisions you want to add to a sheet.
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As you see below, revisions are now listed on the sheet.
CREATE A REVISION CLOUD
In the Annotate tab, you will find the Revision Cloud tool. Click it and associate the cloud to a revision you just created.
Then, create a Tag to show the revision number.
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PRINT © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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PRINT YOUR SHEET OR VIEW
Your view or sheet is ready? Time to print. Press CTRL-P or select Print in the big R menu on the upper left of the screen.
Click to adjust print settings: PAPER: Choose the paper size that fits the Title Block format, or another size if you don’t mind the print not being the correct scale.
ORIENTATION: Select Portrait or Landscape.
ZOOM: If you want to print the correct scale, use 100% Zoom setting.
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SAVE SETTINGS: Once you are satisfied with the settings you have adjusted, you can save them to be reused later on. Click Save As.. and select a name.
PRINT MULTIPLE SHEETS AT ONCE In the Print Range settings, select “Selected views/sheets”. Then, click select and choose all views you want to print.
COMBINE VIEWS: Printing to PDF format? If you have selected multiple sheets, you should check the “Combine multiple selected views/ sheets into a single file.” It will create a single PDF file instead of creating one for each sheet.
PRINT WINDOW: If you come from the AutoCAD world, you might notice there is no Print Window tool. To print only part of a view or a sheet, your best bet is to use Windows Snipping Tool.
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CENTRAL FILES © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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WHAT IS A CENTRAL FILE? First and foremost: if you are working alone, you can skip this chapter. This is about multiple people working on the same model, meaning some of you reading this are not concerned. For those wanting to collaborate or working with a team, you have to understand the difference between Central File and Local File.
Each user creates a Local File to work simultaneously on the same project. Then, they synchronize the changes to the Central File, which is located on a local server (or on the cloud). 208
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CREATE A CENTRAL FILE
To create a central file, you have to allow Worksharing. Go to collaborate tab and click the Collaborate icon.
Unless you have a cloud subscription, choose the network option. You notice that Worksets are activated. Don’t worry about worksets when working on a small project. Then, Save As... your model into the right folder in your network. Make sure the option is checked. Close the central file.
CREATE A LOCAL FILE Now that your central file is created, you can create a local file. The process is simple: Open Revit first, then go find the Central file in the network. Click once on the file and make sure the option is activated. By default, the local file is created in MyDocuments folder, and your username will be added to the file name:
SYNCHRONIZE
To bring your work from the local file to the central file, you have to use the Synchronize with Central tool located in Collaborate tab. 209
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NEW WORKFLOW IN REVIT 2020 / REVIT 2021 If you are using the latest version of Revit, the use of central and local file has been simplified. In the home screen recent files, a small icon will indicate if the file has a central model. If you hover your cursor above the file preview, a pop-up info box will indicate the file locations.
If you click on the file, you will receive a warning like in the image below. A local file will automatically be created. If you’ve already created a local file before, you will be asked if you want to overwrite or preserve and append timestamp. Most of the time, you should keep the backup local files.
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COLLABORATION If you try to modify an element that another user is currently working on, you will receive a warning like in the image below:
To solve this problem, you must ask the other user to Central.
Synchronize with
It is usually recommended to create a new Local copy every day, so you have multiple backups of your project. When creating a new local, select “Append timestamp” to keep a collection of old local files with date.
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PREPARING CAD FILES Any CAD files linked into Revit must follow a careful process. 1- BIND XREFS: Xrefs can cause problems. Open the Xref dialog box and Bind them all, preventing duplicate layers. 2- RUN “PURGE”: This removes unused layers, linetypes, blocks, etc. 3- RUN “SETBYLAYER”: All lines settings should be set to layers, ignoring any color, linetype or lineweight overrides. Use the Setbylayer command to quickly resolve this problem. 4- FREEZE USELESS LAYERS: Freeze all layers not required in Revit. 5- SAVE A COPY: Keep the original DWG file just in case. Save the modified file in a Revit “CAD Links” subfolder.
USE LINK CAD, NOT IMPORT CAD Now that your DWG file is ready, you can bring it to Revit. You will notice that there is two options to bring the DWG file: Import and Link. Avoid using Import CAD. It makes your model heavier, causing performance issues. Link CAD is better: it loads the latest version of the DWG each time you open Revit and is more efficient to manage the files. 212
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USE THESE LINK CAD SETTINGS You have many settings to adjust when linking a DWG file. Follow the tips below for the best results.
ACTIVATE CURRENT VIEW ONLY: If left unchecked, the DWG file will appear in all views of the model. In most cases it is better to import to a single view only. COLORS: BLACK AND WHITE: The default setting is Colors, but you should change that to Black and White. It provides better visibility. LAYERS: VISIBLE: By default, all CAD layers will be imported. Set the option to Visible, which means layers that are hidden or frozen in AutoCAD won’t be imported. POSITIONING: The best way to position DWG file is usually to use Manual - Center option. The Auto - Origin to Origin option can also be useful if the CAD file origin is synced with the Revit model.
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4 LINKED CAD TIPS 1- USE QUERY TOOL TO HIDE CAD LAYERS Select a DWG file inside your Revit Model. In the contextual tab, you will find the Query tool. Click a line inside the DWG, then use Hide or Delete to make the layer invisible.
2- SET BACKGROUND OR FOREGROUND Set the instance properties of the CAD file to Background or Foreground.
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3- RELOAD OR ADJUST DWG FILE IN “MANAGE LINKS” Go to the Insert tab and click Manage Links. Go to the Cad Formats tab in the menu. Click Reload to refresh to the latest version of the CAD file, or Reload From... to replace the DWG by a different file.
4- USE COLORED OVERRIDE ON DWG Need to use information from a DWG to create a Revit model? Set a colored override to distinguish the CAD from the model. Use the tool in the contextual tab.
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LINK A PDF Revit 2020 introduced the ability to link a PDF inside Revit. You will find the tool in the Insert tab. The PDF will be imported as a 2D object in the current view only. You have to specify which page you want to import each time you select a PDF file. You can also specify a DPI import value.
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If the PDF contains vector lines, you can use the Enable Snap feature to interact with the lines using tools such as “pick lines”.
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Once the snaps are activated, you can use the “pick walls” tool to use the PDF as a reference to create new walls and other model elements.
Go to the Manage Images menu to reload, relink or make any change to your PDF link.
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NEW IN REVIT 2021: LINK IMAGES One of the best new feature in Revit 2021 is the ability to link images. Previously, you were forced to import images, which added to the size of your model and reduced performance. Always use the Link Image tool instead of the old import tool. In the manage links menu, the Images tab is now available to modify existing links.
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HOW TO EXPORT TO DWG Want to create CAD files from your model? Click the big R on the upper left of the screen, then select CAD format and DWG.
You might want to adjust export settings. To do that, click ... in the export setup.
In these settings, you can map Revit objects to specific layers. Also select Units & Coordinates and the specific CAD version you want to export to.
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ADVANCED TOOLS Warning: you should not read this part if you haven’t completed a project in Revit, or at least spent a significant number of hours into the program. Try the Super Secret Monster Lab exercise. Get deeper and learn how to use advanced tool such as schedules, phases, worksets, groups, model in-place, families and design options.
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WHAT ARE SCHEDULES USED FOR ? Schedules are spreadsheets connected to your model. If you make a change to an element in the model, it will be updated in the schedule and the other way around. Here are they different types you will be using: BASIC SCHEDULE: LIST AND QUANTIFY ALL ELEMENTS Most common schedule type, this is used to list and quantify all elements. Below, we have a wall schedule sorted by level, listing type and area.
SHEET + VIEW LISTS: CREATE ELEMENTS LIST Sheet lists are usually placed on the front page, while view list are usually used internally to control the project.
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MATERIAL TAKEOFF: CALCULATE MATERIALS Want to know how many plywood boards area you have in the project? This is the schedule you are looking for. Quantities are calculated regardless if the material is part of the wall, roof, ceiling or column. This can be used to estimate cost.
NOTE BLOCK: ORGANIZE PLAN NOTES This schedule type is used to list 2D generic annotation families. The main use is to produce plan notes (see next chapter).
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CREATE A BASIC SCHEDULE When creating a new schedule, you will be asked to choose a model category. Also select the phase and name your new schedule.
Then, you need to organize your schedule with the following properties: FIELDS Fields are parameters that you select to be part of your schedule. Depending on the Category you chose, different parameters will be available. The top field of this menu will appear on the left of the schedule, the bottom one will appear on the right.
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19 TIPS TO BECOME A SCHEDULE MASTER 1- USE FILTERS TO EXCLUDE SPECIFIC ELEMENTS Go to Filters menu to exclude specific elements from the schedule. For example, if you want a schedule with walls that are at least 1000mm long, add a “is greater than or equal” Length filter. As you see in the resulting schedule, walls below 1000mm are hidden.
2- SORT AND CLASSIFY YOUR SCHEDULE Go to Sorting/Grouping menu to select a way to sort the schedule. For example, if we Sort the wall schedule by Type, walls will be classified by type, in alphabetical order.
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3- UNCHECK ITEMIZE EVERY INSTANCE TO GROUP ITEMS By default, every elements are visible in a schedule. That means if you create a wall schedule, every single wall will be shown individually. Most of the time, you want to group these walls. Go to Sorting/Grouping menu and uncheck Itemize every instance. Walls will be grouped together by the Sort category. In the example below, walls are grouped by Type.
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4- ADD HEADER AND FOOTER In Sorting/Grouping menu, activate Header to add a Title above each category. Footers has 3 options you can choose: Title, Counts (number of elements) and Totals (for each field).
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5- GO TO FORMATTING MENU TO ACTIVATE TOTALS To calculate total for a field, make sure Calculate Totals is activated in the Formatting properties of a specific field. In the example below, we activate totals for area but not for length. You also need to make sure totals are activated in the footer, else they won’t show up.
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6- TOTALS FOR GROUPED ITEMS DON’T NEED FOOTER If you don’t use Itemize Every Instance, elements are grouped and don’t need a footer to get totals. If totals are deactivated for a field (like the length field below), the schedule field will be blank. However, walls with a single instance in the project will still show the value of that instance, like for the RP- Funky Wall and Wood Wall type below.
7- USE GRAND TOTALS What if you want to know the total area of every single wall in the project? Go to Sorting/Grouping and activate Grand Totals.
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8- HIDE FIELDS YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE Sometimes, a field can be required to filter or calculate value, but don’t need to be visible in the actual schedule. Go to Formatting and select Hidden Field. You can also select a column and use the Hide tool in the Ribbon.
9- USE VERTICAL HEADER FOR LONG TITLES Long headers names can make your schedule very wide. Making them vertical will make your schedule thinner. Go to Formatting and set heading orientation to Vertical for each required field.
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10- GROUP HEADERS TO ORGANIZE YOUR SCHEDULE Select many field headers by using Shift or dragging your cursor. Then click the Group button in the contextual tab. Add a name to the new subcategory header.
11- HIGHLIGHT ELEMENT IN MODEL Sometimes, you see an element in a schedule, yet you have no idea where it is located in the model. Click Highlight in Model and a view will open with the element appearing in blue.
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12- USE CALCULATED PARAMETER TO GET PRICE When creating a Material Takeoff schedule type, use the Calculated Parameter to calculate values together. For example, multiply the Material Cost with the Material Area to get the total price for each material. Click Calculated in the ribbon, select Currency and set the Name. Then select the two field in the formula and put * between them. Add a /1 at the end of the formula to fix units. In this example we used price, but this tool can be used to calculate anything or create percentages.
13- PLACE SCHEDULES ON SHEET TO PRINT THEM You can’t print a schedule on the schedule view. It needs to be placed on a sheet first. Use print screen or Windows snipping tool if you need to print the schedule directly from the view.
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14- SET TITLE VISIBILITY AND SELECT FONTS Do you want Titles and Headers to be visible? Go to Appearance menu to deactivate them if required. Also select fonts to be used in schedule. The Schedule Default font is Arial, so if you want another font, select a text style from your project.
15- DESIGN SCHEDULE LOOK WITH GRIDLINES What kind of schedule look do you want? Free-spirit or accountant? Use gridlines in Appearance menu to select that. Want to remove grids for a specific column? Use the Borders tool in the ribbon.
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16- MODIFY SCHEDULE APPEARANCE ON SHEET A schedule placed on a sheet looks completely different from what you see inside the view. The “Sheet Look” is what your schedule going to look like once printed. So make sure you verify schedules inside sheets when designing appearance.
17- ADJUST COLUMNS WIDTH WITH LITTLE ARROWS When inside a sheet, click on a schedule and move the little arrows to modify the width of each column. If you want a precise value for the column width, use Resize button in the Ribbon.
18- DOUBLE-CLICK ON SCHEDULE TO MODIFY IT You can’t modify a schedule directly on a sheet. Double-click the schedule to enter the schedule view, where you have access to all options. 234
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19- USE THE RIBBON TO ADJUST COLUMNS STYLE Use the ribbon to make adjustments to the visual style of each column. For example, in the schedule below we changed the Area column by using a centered horizontal alignment, a top vertical alignment, changed the font to be bold and underlined and used a pink shading. All these awkward changes can be set back by using Reset button. You can’t change the look of rows, this is for columns only.
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NEW IN REVIT 2021 ZOOM IN SCHEDULE: The Revit 2019.1 patch introduced the ability to zoom-in inside a schedule. Hold the CTRL key and spin your mouse wheel.
FREEZE HEADERS: On long schedules, use this tool to see headers.
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STRIPPED ROWS: Reading a schedule can be rough on the eyes. The 2021 update introduced the Stripped Rows feature, which gives a tint of color to every other row. You will find the tool in the Appearance menu of the schedule. In the example below, select a color and the placement of the first colored row. Then, activate the Stripe Rows feature on sheets.
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CREATE PHASES
To access all Phases options, go to Phases menu in the Manage tab The first thing you need to do is set the phases you require.
RENOVATION PROJECT: In most Revit templates, the basic phases are Existing and New. For most project, this is all you will need. A common mistake is to create a Demolition phase. There is no need for that: demolished elements can be set for demolition in the New phase.
MULTIPLE PHASES PROJECT: If you have a big project with multiple construction phases, create as many phases as required. You can simply call them Phase1, Phase2, or use more descriptive terms.
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SET ELEMENTS TO EXISTING OR NEW Each view is set to a specific phase. When creating a new element, it will be associated to the same phase as the view.
Below, we create a bunch of walls and doors. They are all set to New phase by default. Let’s say we decide the interior wall and door are existing element, you have to select them and set them to existing phase. As you see, they become gray when their phase is changed.
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HOW TO DEMOLISH To demolish stuff in Revit, you need to use the Holy Hammer of Destruction, located in the Modify tab. Click on the element you want to demolish and it will be set to “demolished” in the current phase. You can also simply select an element and set the “New” phase in Phase Demolished properties. As you can see in the example below, we demolish a window. Revit will automatically refill the void left by the window with a wall of the same type.
Use “Show Previous + Demo” phase filter: the window is red and dashed
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WHAT IS A PHASE FILTER? Phase filter is how you decide to view elements relative to phases. Revit comes with a bunch of default phase filters that should cover most situations. You have 3 options for each element category: By Category, Overridden or Not Displayed.
WHAT ARE GRAPHIC OVERRIDES? When you select Overridden category, elements will display with the overrides selected in this menu. For example, in a demolition plan we set a graphic overrides to demolished elements so they appear with dashed lines and no cut pattern.
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UNDERSTANDING PHASE FILTER
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UNDERSTANDING GRAPHIC OVERRIDES Overrides can be customized to fit your need. Below, we modify cut patterns and lines for existing and demolished elements.
Overrides can also be used for Materials. Below we modify the material override for demolished elements.
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WHICH PHASE FILTER SHOULD YOU USE? EXISTING PLAN
DEMOLITION PLAN
NEW FLOOR PLAN
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WORKSETS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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WHAT ARE WORKSETS? A Workset is a collection of elements. Worksets name and use are decided by users. They are usually classified by function, such as interior, exterior and site. To use worksets, you need to be in a project that has allowed Worksharing and is using a Central File (see chapter 36). Worksets are used mostly for model Performance, and sometimes for Visibility. If you are working on a small project, you should not worry too much about worksets. They are mostly used for medium/big buildings.
CREATE WORKSETS When enabling worksharing, two basic worksets will be created: Shared Levels and Grids and Workset1.
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Workset1 is a very boring name and won’t help our cause, so we need to rename it as well as creating other necessary worksets. You should use prefix A for architecture elements worksets and prefix Z for linked elements. Here is a typical worksets list for big projects: A-Interior A-Exterior A-Site A-Finishes Shared Level and Grids Z-Structure Z-MEP Z-CAD On a medium project, a worksets list will usually look like this: A-Architecture Shared Level and Grids Z-Structure Z-CAD On small project without Revit Links, a single workset is enough. Too much worksets can be annoying, because you have to manually adjust workset for each element you create, potentially creating issues because elements are in the wrong workset. You will find the workset parameter in the instance properties of each element.
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5 TIPS TO USE WORKSETS PROPERLY 1- CREATE A WORKSET FOR EVERY LINKED REVIT FILE Each linked model should be put on a separate workset. If you receive a model from the structural engineer, create workset Z-Structure. Receive a model from Mechanical engineer ? Create Z-MEP. Model from a designer ? Create Z-Design. You get the idea. This technique allows simplified control on linked files. You can close worksets containing linked models or set them to not visible, making your own model much faster.
2- CLOSE WORKSETS YOU DON’T USE There is two way to shut down worksets from appearing on your views. The first is to close the workset. Closing a workset only affect your local model, meaning it will still be visible to other users. You can also set workset to not visible by default, which is a change that will be effective to the central file and to every users. You can still make a workset visible on a specific view by using Visibility Graphics. Closing a workset is the best method for model performance, while using not visible by default is the best method to control overall visibility.
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3- PLACE LEVELS AND GRIDS ON SAME WORKSET If you are working with engineers, consultants, designers that are using your model in a linked file, it is crucial that you enforce the proper use of Shared Levels and Grids workset. If you don’t do so, the consultants you work with will see your grids and worksets in each of their views, like in the image below.
While you can use Visibility Graphics or Hide Element to remove these overlapping grids, this is a tedious process that can be simplified by using worksets correctly. In the Manage tab, select Manage Links, click on the correct Revit link and then click on Manage Worksets. You can then close every worksets you don’t want to see. In this case we would close Shared Levels and Grids from the linked model, solving the problem above.
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4- UNDERSTAND WHAT “EDITABLE” WORKSET MEANS
An EDITABLE workset mean you are the sole owner of that workset. That can be confusing since you could think something being editable means it can be modified by anyone. No, it means you locked it. Other users cannot make any modifications to elements that are part of it unless you grant them the right to do so. There is two main reasons you would want to use this: 1- Permanent lock on critical part of the project. For example, you can make “Shared Grids and Levels” editable, which means other users have to ask your permission to modify elements that are part of this workset, therefore protecting your precious grids from being deleted. The workset will remain editable until you use the Relinquish All Mine command in the Collaborate tab. 2- Temporary lock for worksets undergoing major change. Let’s say there are major changes on every exterior wall and you are the user assigned to do the changes. It would make sense to set the A-Exterior workset to editable, preventing other users from interfering with your work without your approval. 249
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5- SET ELEMENTS TO “EDITABLE” TO CONTROL THEM Making a whole workset editable can be a serious annoyance to your colleagues. That means each element they want to modify on the workset you made “editable” has to be approved by a request. Often it is better to make elements editable instead. You can do this by clicking the icon with 3 cubes that appears next to a selected element. This will prevent other users from making changes to this wall without your approval.
When you quit Revit, make sure you Synchronize with Central. If you don’t do so, Revit will ask if you want to Relinquish Elements or to Keep Ownership. Unless you want to block changes to elements you own, it is almost always better to use the first choice and to Relinquish. Every Revit user had issues with colleagues that left the office while still owning walls that needed to be changed. In case of doubt, always Relinquish! Else, you might feel the wrath of colleagues the next morning. 250
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CREATE A GROUP
Need to repeat multiple elements several time in a project? Select them and create a group. Then copy/paste this group elsewhere.
Click the Edit Group button to modify a group. When a group is modified, all instances of this group will be affected.
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ADJUST GROUPS
Use the Ungroup tool to make elements independent.
Use the Add/Remove tool once inside a group to add and remove elements to the group.
QUICK GROUP TIPS - Avoid using groups within groups. This can create bugs and confusion. - There is two types of groups: Model Groups and Detail Groups. Model groups are made from 3D components, while detail groups are made from lines, text, dimensions, etc. - You can Exclude a selected element from a group: this element will be visible on other group instances, but not the one you excluded. - Groups can be buggy. Don’t overuse them. 252
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WHAT IS MODEL IN-PLACE? Model in-place is used to model custom elements in your project. It is a tool similar to Sketchup and other conventional modelers. Find the tool under Component menu in the Architecture tab.
SELECT FAMILY CATEGORY: When creating a Model in-place component, assign it to a specific category, like a wall.
CHOOSE A MODELING TOOL
Once you entered the model-in place tool, you have to pick among these options to model elements. Multiple elements can be part of the same Component. 253
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CREATE AN EXTRUSION: To create an extrusion, you need to select a Workplane and then draw the extrusion profile. The Workplane can be either a Level or the picked faced of an element.
You can then use Properties panel to set Material and visibility parameters for the modeled elements.
AVOID MODEL IN-PLACE, USE FAMILIES INSTEAD Model In-Place is a tool you should avoid as much as possible. It is almost always better to use Families instead (see next chapter). It makes your job much easier when you want to copy/paste stuff. 254
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HOW TO CREATE A FAMILY We could spend 200 pages on the topic of Families alone. But this is Basics, so the goal of this chapter is to be a super-condensed primer guide to the core foundations of families. Don’t drown in the details just yet. To create a family, click the big R on the upper left of the screen, press New, then Family. Then you have to choose among the default families template what kind of family you wish to create.
CREATE A CABINET FAMILY When creating a cabinet family, select the Casework wall-based family template. Wall-based means that once inserted in a project, this family will have to be hosted to a wall. You arrive to this plan view:
ADD REFERENCE PLANES: All 3D elements created in a family have to be locked to reference planes. Add one in front of the wall.
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You also need to add reference planes in the elevation. Go to Placement Side elevation view. Add a top, left, right and kick reference planes, just like in the image below. Don’t worry about dimensions for the moment.
CREATE DIMENSION LABELS: Now that you have all the required reference planes, you need to create dimensions labels. To do that, create a dimension add click the Create Parameter button. Then add a name (like height or width) and click OK. Create labels for Height, Width and Kick, like in the image below.
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CREATE EQ CONSTRAINTS: To make sure the center of the cabinet remains in the center, add a dimension and click the button.
CREATE GEOMETRY: We are now ready to start modeling our cabinet! Let’s start with the back panel. Go to elevation and use Extrusion tool. Then, set the boundaries to the perimeter reference planes. Now this is the important part: click the lock icon to make sure the extrusion remains constrained to the reference planes.
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Now, go to plan view and adjust the panel so it fits the exterior wall. Use the Align tool and lock the end of the panel to the reference plane on the wall. Then add another reference plane and lock it to a 16mm distance from the wall. Align the front of the panel to the new reference plane.
Using the technique described in these pages, complete the geometry by using extrusions and locking everything to reference planes. Check out the video tutorial for the complete steps. Your almost complete cabinet should look like the image to the right.
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ADD A SHAKER: Use the Sweep tool to create a shaker around your cabinet. Go to Placement Side elevation and click Sketch Path. Click on the exterior reference planes and lock. Then, click Edit Profile and draw a profile like in the image below.
ADD VISIBILITY PARAMETER: What if we don’t want the shaker to be visible in every cabinet instance? Create a visibility parameter by selecting the shaker and by clicking the visibility button next to the check box.
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ADD MATERIAL PARAMETER: Select all 3D elements and use the same technique as the visibility trick to add a Material parameter. That means that once loaded in a project, you will be able to select a specific material to the cabinet.
LOAD FAMILY INTO PROJECT: Congratulations! Your family is complete. Save it and load it into the project, then create an instance of the cabinet by using the Component tool in the architecture tab. Adjust the type properties to have different kind of shapes, height, width, shaker visibility and materials.
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CREATE ANNOTATION FAMILY Let’s now create a much easier family type: Wall Tag. Create a new family, go to Annotations folder and select Generic Tag family template.
SET TAG CATEGORY: To make sure your new Generic Tag is used only for walls, click the Family Category button. Select Wall Tags.
CREATE LABEL: A label is a text that shows a parameter value once assigned to an element. Labels type can be modified like text. Adjust Font, Size, Background and rename the type.
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FAMILIES © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
Once the type is ready, create a label and assign a parameter. Below, we use the Type Mark parameter by clicking the green arrow. Set a sample value to show up in the family editor. Once loaded, this value becomes tied to the host element.
Click on the intersection of the two reference planes to create the label. The XX sample value should show up. DRAW LINES BOUNDARIES: Draw boundaries around your tag using the Line tool. Use a Masking Region if you want an Opaque tag. LOAD FAMILY INTO PROJECT: Great job! Another complete family. Now, save and load. Use Tag by Category and click on a wall. Your tag should show up (see chapter 29 for more info on tags).
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DESIGN OPTIONS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
CREATE DESIGN OPTIONS
Go to Design Options menu in the Manage tab. Create a new Option Set, then add multiple options to it.
Then, rename the options to match what you want to create. CHANGE ACTIVE OPTION: In the manage tab, click the drop-down menu and select one of the option to make it active. New elements will be placed in this option. The elements from the main model will be displayed in halftone.
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DESIGN OPTIONS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
Select the correct option and model all required elements. Then, switch option and model the alternative. The Primary option is the one which will be visible by default in all views.
SET ELEMENTS TO ANOTHER OPTION: If you want to take existing elements and set them to an option, use the Add To Set button in the bottom of your screen. Select which option to transfer in the menu.
ACTIVATE OPTION TO SELECT ELEMENTS: You’ll notice that you can’t select elements that are part of an option if your view is set to Main Model. Switch to an option to select them. 264
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DESIGN OPTIONS © Copyright 2020 - BIM Pure Productions - revitpure.com
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BASICS
SET AN ACTIVE OPTION FOR EACH VIEW: Use the Visibility Graphics (VG) menu to set which option to use for each view. Go to Design Option tab and pick your option.
CHOOSE AN OPTION AND DISCARD OTHERS: Once you presented the options to your client and one of them has been officially selected, time to merge it with the main model and discard other choices. To do that, go to Design Options menu. Select your Option Set and click Accept Primary. Be careful: that means the discarded options are gone forever!
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CONGRATULATIONS Thanks for reading this eBook. Do you want advanced lessons? Make sure to check out the Pamphlets collection included in this package. Each pamphlet explores a specific Revit topic.
WHAT NOW? If you bought the Ultimate package, you should do the fun Super Secret Monster Lab exercise that’s included in the package. You’ll model a ridiculous project while hard-coding this package inside your brain.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR My name is Nicolas Catellier. I am an architect, designer and BIM manager based in Quebec City, Canada. I’ve been working with Revit since 2011 and I am a Autodesk Revit Architecture Certified Professional. I am also a technology enthusiast, a bass player and a father of two. Besides Revit Pure, I also work for Atelier 21 Architects. I’d love to hear from you. Write me at this address: [email protected] Intro music in video tutorials: 18 With My Family by user18081971
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