Revit Floor Plan Callouts Referenced on All Drawings

Autodesk Revit is an indispensable tool for architects, engineers, designers, and contractors. Its employ as a Edifice Information Modeling (BIM) software is critical for those involved in Virtual Design and Construction (VDC). But, a tool is only every bit good as its user, and the full power of Revit can merely be unleashed with a better understanding of its various functions.

Here are some of import tips and shortcuts to aid you make the about of Revit that are brought to you past the team at VIATechnik.

Need help in using Revit to your advantage? Our team of Revit modeling experts tin can do the piece of work for you. See our BIM services and how our Revit modeling services tin can benefit you.

i. PINNING

If you are referencing or overlaying an external dwg, rvt, or other types of drawings files, make sure they are pinned down to ensure that these reference files practise not shift and crusade inaccuracies in modeling. You tin pin objects past selecting the pin object icon under the Modify Tab, or by typing PN while the object is selected. Pinned objects tin also be set to not select or highlight when the cursor highlights over the pinned object. This is helpful when an extremely large external Revit model is linked to the working Revit model. Revit tries to visually highlight any elements that your cursor hovers over, and may have up some processing time when highlighting an extremely detailed element. Simply toggle the "Select Pinned Element" button at the bottom right corner of your Revit model to disable, and your pinned element will no longer exist selectable. Toggle it back on when you need to make adjustments to the pinned element.

Pinned objects volition show a thumbtack when selected. Clicking the thumbtack will unpin the object.

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two. Utilise SPLASH SCREEN

Sometimes when experiencing a hard fourth dimension opening a project, make it easier by utilizing a splash screen. Become to Manage tab >> Manage Project console >> Starting View Tool. The default view to be opened is the Last Viewed. You tin alter this to a set view. To improve the boot up of Revit, create a new view or choose an existing view that does non display a lot of detail. This reduces the processing time of the Revit file and lets y'all start working on the project much more apace.

iii USING FILTERS TO Discover OBJECTS

Often times, you may demand to find a specific object in the model, or select multiple of a like object in the model. Use the Filter part to your advantage. Drag Select a region that will select all the elements you wish to select. Click the Filter push button nether the Modify Tab and uncheck all irrelevant objects. Click OK and the objects that were left checked will be selected.

This fox is especially useful in locating imported CAD Drawings that did not import to a correct scale. Simply type ZE to Frame all objects in the model space inside the window and select all objects in the view. Filter and only check the box for the externally referenced CAD File. Click OK and your imported CAD File will be highlighted. Usually a line with a Pin will indicate the location of the CAD file. Zoom in closer and you lot'll find an underscaled CAD plan that you tin can rescale.

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iv UNDERSTANDING SHEETS & VIEWS

Sheets are used for printing, while views are actual workspaces that can exist placed onto sheets for printing. A view can only be placed on i sheet, and cannot be used in multiple sheets at ane fourth dimension. In order to have a like view placed in multiple sheets, you must duplicate the Views equally Dependents and place the new view onto the sheet:

Here is a break down of the differences within duplicating a view:

• Duplicate View
  Duplicates a view, and all objects that are considered part of the "model". Things that are detail items, such every bit detail lines, hatches, text annotations, and particular groups will now show up in the new Duplicated View. Any new changes to the views won't touch the other.
• Duplicate View with Detailing
  Duplicates a view with all model items and particular items. Whatever new changes to either the sometime or new view won't bear upon the other.
• Indistinguishable as Dependent
  Duplicates a view exactly equally seen. Any changes in one view volition affect the other.

v SNAPPING

Control where your line ends with greater precision by using the snap function. Oftentimes, there will exist lines that practise not meet at corners or over-extend due to the default auto-snap that Revit uses. When clicking certain points, input snap shortcuts such as SE (Snap to Endpoint), SI (Snap to Intersection), SP (Snap to Perpendicular), SN (Snap to Nearest), SM (Snap to Midpoint), before clicking the bespeak to accept it snap precisely to the point yous demand it to be in. If you are working in an area where a lot of linework is occurring, it is best to apply the snapping feature and the TAB key to cycle through the available snap points in the area that your cursor is hovering over. Revit will betoken which lines are existence used as references to the snap past highlighting the lines.

6 CONSTRAINING MODELS

When edifice models, there are oft times that changes to a model require one to shift multiple objects at one time. Constraining certain elements of a model can aid in adjustments speedily. But dimension two elements you want to be constrained and input the dimension you desire to lock in. In the example below, I want the center of the door to ever be 2 feet away from the wall to the right. Lock in the dimension cord and the object is now constrained. If you want the object to remain constrained but non show any dimension strings, simply delete the dimension string and click "OK" on the alert bulletin. Clicking "Unconstrain" volition remove the constraint forth with the dimension string. Now, every time the right wall shifts, the door will shift forth with information technology to maintain the 2 anxiety distance.

*Notation: Over-constraining elements will cause the model to create fault messages, which will crave you to remove sure constraints.

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7 OVERRIDE GRAPHICS IN VIEW

If you want a temporary override of lineweights or surface texture in a view, simply click the element, click "Override Graphics in View", then as well click "Past Element". This is useful when overlaying CAD drawings to a floor plan view to draft as a reference. When linking CAD files with different colored layers, it may be visually difficult to draft over these drawings. Override project lines to a tiresome gray or even a single hands recognizable color to differentiate what a CAD drawing is and what a Revit model is.

*Note: Override Graphics merely works on the view in which it was turned on in. If y'all want to change an chemical element throughout the Revit model, modify the Visibility Settings instead. Additionally, be aware of what elements are being overridden. All overrides have precedence over visibility settings, so you volition need to plough off the override to have it have on the Visibility Setting'southward characteristics again.

8 ROOM AREAS VS Area

It is important to differentiate between Room Area tags and Surface area tags. Employ Surface area tags to calculate overall footage of a building, or areas that are not distinguished every bit a "space". Utilize Room Area tags when defining rooms, such equally any space enclosed by walls. Use the walls to frame the area, and utilize Room Separation lines to dissever spaces with openings. Do Non utilize Surface area to summate areas of rooms, equally it will not populate in-room schedules correctly.

9 UNDERSTANDING FAMILIES & TYPES

Knowing when to create new Families and when to create new Types can make a world of a difference to how long Revit modeling will take. You tin view Families and Types similar to that of animal kingdoms. Families are similar to a species of Beast (Dog, Cat, Parrot, etc.) and there are specific Family Types (Mammals, Amphibians, etc.). Types are like to the breed of an animate being (Gold Retriever, Chihuahua, Bulldog). If you are going to model an object that volition change in dimensions, or have sure elements that are visible and not visible in sure instances, and so this should be differentiated past Type. If the Family unit is going to exist two completely different models (i.e. a model of a table & a model of a chair), they should be two dissimilar Furniture Families.

01.

Families are cleaved downwards into certain sub-categories of Families.

02.

Within these sub-categories rests individual Families. I.E. Bones Wall Family.

03.

Within an private Family rests Types, which are different configurations of a Family unit. I.East. Brick on CMU is a Family unit Blazon within a basic wall Family.

Instance: If I need a box in Revit with the dimensions (two'x2', iv'x4', and 8'x8'), simply make a Family with a rectangular extrusion. Set the Length, Width, and Top as dimension parameters in the Family. Load the Family into the model and create 3 different Types. Within the Blazon settings, input the necessary dimensions and click "OK". Create some other Family Type by clicking "Indistinguishable" and renaming the Type to something else.

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10 PICK LINES

If you are converting line work from a CAD file, instead of drawing the lines individually, you can use "Option Lines" to automatically copy the CAD lines onto Revit. If the line is drawn as a Polyline in CAD, you can press "Tab" while hovering over the line to potentially select an entire Polyline versus a single segment. There is the possibility that you can convert an unabridged CAD cartoon into Revit linework by exploding the imported CAD file, but this is non recommended for drawings containing large amounts of linework, 3D elements, hatches, etc.

By choosing Pick Line and hovering over a specific line and tabbing through the selections, you tin draw single Polylines from existing CAD drawings apace.

eleven CUSTOMIZE DOUBLE CLICKING Family unit SHORTCUT

If you lot are modeling infinite with a lot of families in the model infinite, oft you may accidentally double click families and enter the edit family unit window. This can accept upwardly some of your fourth dimension, peculiarly when this mistake happens often during modeling. To avoid this issue, customize your double-click shortcut key past clicking on the Revit icon on the acme left and clicking on Options. Under the User Interface tab, Click Customize nether the Double Click Options department. You tin can modify the selection from Edit Family to "Practice Nothing". Hit OK and Apply these settings. Now whenever you double click a Family, information technology won't automatically open up upwardly the Edit Family window. Instead, yous'll have to click the Edit Family push button at the top toolbar ribbon.

12 VIEW RANGES

If your views are now displaying parts of a model, or models created are disappearing from the modeling view, it is most likely because it is outside of your specified "View Range". To fix this, only go to the Projection Properties and adjust the View Range to a wider range.

When viewing floor plans, yous can alter the view range under the Properties window and arrange it appropriately. Anything outside of this range will be clipped from the plan.

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13 Item LEVELS TO OPTIMIZE WORKABILITY

When building Revit Families, creating unlike models for different Levels of Details can assistance in how fast the Revit Model can role afterward on. When building a family, build a generic geometry such as a Box, Circle, or Linework to represent the Object and have information technology sit down on superlative of the Detailed Model. Select the Detailed Model and Group it every bit one object. Under the Backdrop window, click "Edit…" for Visibility and Graphics Overrides. Uncheck Coarse and Medium and click OK. Now the Family volition only show the detailed model when the Revit View is gear up to Fine Particular. Similarly, select the Basic Geometric model mentioned earlier and edit its Visibility and so that only Fibroid and Medium are checked. Now a simplified geometric model volition be used in identify of the detailed model when Revit Views are set to Fibroid or Medium. This tin allow users to piece of work on the Model Space chop-chop without the need for the computer to procedure the detailed family model constantly.

fourteen Aligning PLANS ON REVIT SHEETS

01.

Adding two reference lines that intersect can act as a signal of reference when placing views on sheets.

02.

Depict detail lines on the sheets for the views to snap to when placed on the sheet. In this instance, we are snapping the flooring plan's reference line intersection point onto the detail line's intersection. Detail lines can exist copied and pasted between sheets "aligned to current view".

fifteen VISIBILITY SETTINGS

You tin can specify representational colors for your models categorically through your visibility settings. Under View>Visibility Graphics, you can specify certain Revit families to be a certain colour. Only select the necessary category and change the Lines/Patterns to your desired color. You tin be more specific by opening the tree down further and only specifying certain parts of the Family be a sure color.

In the screenshot above, all ducts are set to show as scarlet. This will just bear on the view currently opened. If you change views, this visibility needs to be gear up again.*Note: There is a difference between Project & Cut Lines & Patterns. Any views that cutting through an object such as a wall would prove the Cut Lines and Cut Patterns. Any models that are visible without beingness cut (such as in 3D views) will bear witness the Projection/Surface Lines and Patterns.

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16 LINKED REVIT FILES

Linking Revit Files is essential in using external models as references in order to detect clashes between models. Make sure these Linked Revit Files are placed in the correct locations and are pinned down to ensure correct referencing.

The difference between Linking and Importing is the power to update. Linking a CAD or Revit file will allow the Revit file to bank check the file and update if the reference file is changed at all. Imported files will not update and volition stay the same as when it was imported.

17 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Make an attempt to learn the keyboard shortcuts for common commands in Revit. Y'all may customize the shortcuts to your preference, but it is suggested y'all larn the existing shortcut layouts so you can work interchangeably with others hands.

18 WORKING Betwixt VIEWS

Oftentimes, you may not be able to fully encompass a model in just a unmarried view. Yous tin can view the model sectionally past creating a section cut on the floor plan, or in 3D by going to View> 3D View. Use View>Switch Windows to bandy betwixt views and utilise View>Shut Hidden to close all the views when you lot're done. Note: Any department cuts made volition create a "view" nether the Project Browser. Go on the Project Browser clean by deleting these views afterward if you lot do not intend to use them in the future.

01.

When you create a department view, yous tin can right-click the section line and click Get To View to directly open upward the respective section view.

02.

Adjusting the depth of view for the section using the elevate-bar tin can command what is beingness cropped out of the section.03.

Adjusting the drag bar on the left and right will suit what is being cropped in the department view.

Creating sections (and 3D Views) will create these views under the Projection Browser. If you're just doing this to view parts of the model and navigate effectually, please delete these sections or 3D views after to avoid clutter. If y'all are going to utilize this view in the hereafter, do not delete it.

Take advantage of the ViewCube
The ViewCube is a great mode of viewing your models in any plan, elevation, department, or 3D view in the project without switching to different views on Revit'southward project browser. The advantage to these views over the typical floor plan, superlative, and department views is that it enables the users to quickly see the model in different views without creating new sections, floor plans, or elevations that may clutter your project browser. To view particular sections of the model, enable the section box inside the properties window and arrange the box to section the model in the desired location. Employ the ViewCube in combination with this section box to run into sections of the model rapidly.

You can besides orient the view to a direction that corresponds to the project coordinates, e.g., where "North" corresponds to true northward. The selected objects in 1 view will remain selected in other views, helping you locate these objects in the unlike views.

To orient a 3D view in some other view, right-click the ViewCube and select Orient to View, and then select the view type and name.

To orient a 3D view in a specific direction, right-click the ViewCube and select Orient to a Direction, and so select a management.

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19 INPUT NUMBERS; Exercise NOT Drag & Estimate!

When working with families such every bit ducts, information technology is important to make sure these dimensions are as precise every bit possible. If they are estimations, they should still be set to a whole integer.

In the case seen above, the initial duct was ready with dimensions that are not rounded. Modify these numbers to whole integers by selecting the duct, so clicking on the dimension number. This will let you to change the dimension to a set number. Press enter and this dimension volition exist adjusted.

20 UTILIZING FORMULAS IN YOUR FIELDS

When inputting certain fields of measures into dissimilar Revit fields, such as the length of a wall, you tin put away the calculator. Revit tin can read formulas in these fields and will calculate this formula for yous. For example, if you have a wall set at twenty'-0, but need to lower this wall height by lx%, you can just write "=20'-0*.6" into the Revit field, and Revit will do the remainder. Notation that in social club for Revit to recognize your input every bit a formula, you must put the "=" sign in forepart of the formula.

21 CREATE A WALL

Creating a wall or axle you tin use the pick line if in that location'due south a given 2D CAD dwg's instead of drawing/dragging it up to the length required. Prior to selecting the line for the wall, ready the location line to either exterior or interior to ensure the walls created line up to the edge of the linework. Create the wall and trim, marshal, or extend accordingly.

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22 Cheque YOUR ROOM HEIGHTS

Rooms are essential for scheduling, especially in a multi-discipline squad. Unfortunately, rooms created in Revit often don't become full superlative. Make sure they are the correct height by turning on a cut section and looking for the room fill. Otherwise, you tin click on the room and set its height in the backdrop. This ensures all fixtures are correctly assigned to the room and that the room is the right size for MEP calculations.

23 NUDGING OBJECTS

If yous need objects to motion in a sure direction always and then slightly, but sacrifice precision, you can nudge them by using the arrow keys with the object selected. The closer you zoom into the object, the finer the nudge volition go. Vice versa, every bit y'all zoom out, the nudge is greater. Property Shift while nudging volition increase the amount of nudge as well.

24 IMPORTING CAD & REVIT FILES TO THE RIGHT LOCATION

There are a multifariousness of ways to import or link a Revit or CAD Drawing to a Revit model. One purpose for this is to overlay unlike models on top of one another equally a reference. You lot have to, still, import to the correct location, or else models won't overlay correctly. When importing a Revit or CAD file, information technology is best to use the "Link Revit/CAD" or "Import CAD" commands institute under the Insert Category of the height ribbon. Avoid Dragging and dropping, as this will prompt you to manually specify the location where the referenced file volition sit down.

Once you have clicked 1 of these commands, you volition be asked to select a reference file. Earlier actually importing the file into the space, yous will notice that there is a choice as to where to identify this referenced file.

The selections do the following:

• Machine-Middle to Heart
  Based off the average centerpoint of everything in the referenced file, this bespeak volition be placed on the average center point of the Revit model space. The center point changes as models are changed, so it is not a reliable positioning to use for overlaying files.
• Auto-Origin to Origin
  The referenced file will place its own origin point at the origin indicate of the revit file. This is useful in overlaying referenced files if all of the models are located at the same location in relations to the origin point.
• Auto-By Shared Coordinates
  If you lot assign a coordinate to each model, the model will be placed exactly inside its specified coordinates. This is useful if the project has been fix up initially to employ a shared coordinate system.
• Manual
  All manual choice involved y'all manually specifying a point to identify the referenced file. Manual-Origin will ask you to manually place the referenced file's origin signal, while transmission base point will ask you to manually identify the referenced file based off a selected based point. Manual-Center volition inquire you to manually place the referenced file based off it'due south center point.

In the terminate, it is all-time to use either Origin to Origin or Past Shared Coordinates to overlay referenced files for collaboration.

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25 COPY MULTIPLE ITEMS TO MULTIPLE LEVELS

When you lot demand to copy multiple items to multiple levels, just but highlight the items, click the Copy to Clipboard push, and so under the Paste Driblet-Down select the option.

Past using "Aligned to Selected Levels", yous can paste them into one or more levels. In the dialog that displays, choose the levels by name. To select more than one, printing Ctrl while selecting the names.

Past using "Aligned to Selected Views", yous can copy view-specific elements (such equally dimensions) or model and view-specific elements, you lot can paste them into like types of views.

By using "Aligned to Current View", you can paste the elements to the electric current view. For example, you tin can paste elements from a program view to a callout view. The view must be unlike from the view where the elements were cut or copied.

By using "Aligned to Same Place", you can paste the elements into the aforementioned place from where you lot cut or copied them. This option is useful for pasting elements between worksets or design options. Besides, you can use information technology to paste between 2 files that accept shared coordinates. Keep in listen that this option is just available if the agile view you are pasting your object on is the same type of view equally the view from which you copied the original element. For instance, y'all tin paste objects aligned to the same place between two-floor programme views, but non from a floor programme to a section view.

By using "Aligned to Picked Level", yous can paste the elements in an pinnacle view. Y'all must exist in an elevation view to use this tool because it requires that y'all select a level line on which to paste the elements.

26 Use VIEW LIST SCHEDULE TO Cheque VIEW SETTING

In a project, under the View tab and Schedules driblet-down list, you can create a View Listing schedule to check all the view settings.

On the Fields tab of the View Listing Properties dialog, select the fields to be included in the view listing. If you lot want to create user-defined fields, click Add Parameter. By using the Filter, Sorting/Grouping, Formatting, and Advent tabs, you tin simplify the schedule.

Most of the fields tin modify direct in the schedule. Remember most that project where you take hundreds of views, and maybe dozens of floor plans, straight editing fields in the schedule can salvage
you lot a lot of time of going through each and every field.

27 Copy SCHEDULE Betwixt DIFFERENT PROJECTS

Sometimes we desire to employ the same schedule in another project that can aid to evaluate certain pattern decisions, just nosotros don't desire to create a like schedule from scratch especially afterward you lot created some custom schedules and included conditional formatting & formulas.

Option 1:
The easiest affair to practise is to actually just right-click on the schedule and copy it to the clipboard. Then concur down the Control key and press Tab and it will bicycle dorsum to the other open up window. Now each time Command + Tab information technology volition wheel to the next open window. If y'all go Control + Shift + Tab it will get in reverse and yous can cycle between whatever windows you lot have open.

Later you get the project window you want to paste the schedule to, you tin use the Paste Button or Control + V to paste the schedule. Notation, the schedule cannot be pasted in the perspective view window.

Pick ii:
Yous can also select all the schedules you want to use in another project and right-click save to a new file. This volition prompt you for the name and location. And then, yous need to go to the Insert tab to bring the schedule dorsum to the project and information technology will listing out all of the views that are eligible to be imported from the file.

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28 DIMENSIONING USING Culling UNITS

Sometimes when y'all are working on a project, you may need the dimensions in different formats, such every bit both metric and royal units.

To ascertain alternating dimension units, on the Dimension console of the Comment tab, click the blazon of dimension for which you wish to define alternate units.

On the Properties palette, click Edit Type. In the Type Properties dialog, for Alternate Units, select one of the following options:

Right – alternate units display in-line to the correct of the main units.

Below – alternating units display below the master units.

For Alternate Units Format, click the push to open the Format dialog, change the settings as desired, and click OK, then clear Use project settings (if selected) and from the Units menu, select an advisable unit.

29 IMPORT CAD FILE LINEWEIGHT

The line weight of lines and layers that are gear up to Default in AutoCAD will be assigned according to the import settings accessed past clicking File card > Import/Export Settings > Import Line Weights DWG/DXF.
If y'all modify the line weights in the DWG/DXF file in AutoCAD from Default to set up line weight, then the lines and layers will be imported according to the line weight that you set.

xxx Convert REVIT GROUPS INTO LINKS

A linked Revit file is an externally referenced Revit projection loaded into your current model. This link maintains a connection to the linked file, so though you may non directly modify this linked model direct in the hosting Revit model, any changes that you lot make directly in the linked model can be reloaded into the host Revit model.

If somebody modifies the original file and saves it, y'all tin reload that link hither and run into those changes within your file. It allows you a style of segregating work into unlike project teams, and it'due south often used for managing diverse disciplines, such as splitting up between architectural beat, interior, and structure. If your Revit model contains all of these elements within one model, but yous demand these different disciplines to exist dissever upwards into linked models, you tin can just do this by converting grouped elements into links.

In the drawing area, select the group and and so click Modify | Model Groups tab Grouping panel (Link). Then in the Convert to Link dialog, select either supersede with a new project file or, replace with an existing project file.

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31 REVEAL THE CONSTRAINTS

Constraints offer a actually powerful way for the states to build our design intent into our models and keep information technology from accidentally existence modified, but there can exist times when you try and brand a modification to your model and it generates a warning or an error, indicating that the constraints aren't satisfied, or mayhap you aren't allowed to make a particular modification.

The Reveal Constraints display mode makes it easy to temporarily highlight (in red) all constraints in the agile view. This makes it easy to distinguish a locked dimension (constraint) from a regular dimension. After creating constraints, yous tin can highlight them by enabling this brandish way from the View Control Bar's dimension lock icon.

Revit Shortcuts

A

AA Align

AL Align

AP Group Objects

Every bit Marshal

C

CC Re-create

CS Create Similar

D

DD Marshal Dimension

DE Delete

DI Dimension

DL Detail Line

DM Mirror From Fatigued Line

DR Door

L

LC Link CAD

LI Marshal

LR Line Model

M

MA Friction match Type Properties

MI Mirror

MM Mirror From Axis

MN Manage Link

MV Movement

P

PB Projection Browser

PI Align

PN Pin

R

RE Scale

RG Remove Object from Group

RM Room

RO Rotate

RP Reference Plane

S

SA Select All Instances

SC Snap Heart

SE Snap Terminate

SI Snap Intersection

SL Splits an Element

SM Snap Middle

SN Snap Nearest

SP Snap Perpendicular

SS Splice

V

VG Conform Visibility Graphics

VP View Properties

VV View Manager

Z

ZE Zoom Extents

ZO Zoom Out

ZX Zoom to Fit

ZZ Zoom in Region

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Source: https://www.viatechnik.com/resources/76-autodesk-revit-tips-and-shortcuts/

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