Autodesk Revit 5.

1 Tutorials
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Table Of Contents

AUTODESK REVIT 5.1 TUTORIALS ............................................ 7

USING THESE TUTORIALS ........................................................ 8

CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES .................................................. 12

EXPLORING AUTODESK REVIT - EXERCISE ............................. 18

SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS........................................................ 73

SETTINGS EXERCISE .............................................................. 76

TOOLTIPS AND SNAPPING ..................................................... 85

CREATING YOUR 1ST MODEL .................................................. 90

WALLS, DOORS AND WINDOWS ............................................. 96

DIMENSIONS ........................................................................ 117

ALIGNMENTS ........................................................................ 125

COMPOUND WALLS............................................................... 131

VERTICALLY COMPOUND WALLS .......................................... 145

SLOPED GLAZING AND NON-RECTANGULAR CURTAIN WALLS

............................................................................................. 155

CURTAIN WALL ENHANCEMENTS .......................................... 161

WALL, FLOOR AND ROOF JOINS ........................................... 167

WALL FUNCTIONS AND WRAPPING ...................................... 169

WALL TOP/BOTTOM ATTACHMENTS ..................................... 174

CREATING ROOFS ................................................................. 176

MODIFYING ROOF CONSTRAINTS......................................... 191

CREATING FACIA, GUTTERS AND SOFFITS ........................... 194

CREATING CEILINGS ............................................................ 202

CREATING COMPOUND CEILINGS ......................................... 205

CREATING STAIRS................................................................ 208

STAIR CALCULATOR ............................................................. 225

CUTTING OPENINGS IN ROOFS, FLOORS, AND CEILINGS ..... 231

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CREATING DRAWINGS.......................................................... 243

DETAILING ........................................................................... 257

DETAIL VIEWS AND VISIBILITY SETTINGS .......................... 274

DRAFTING VIEWS................................................................. 279

TYPE AND INSTANCE SCHEDULES......................................... 291

DEFINING SCHEDULES & COLOR DIAGRAMS ........................ 296

SCHEDULES & UNIFORMAT ................................................... 307

SHARED PARAMETERS & SCHEDULES ................................... 313

PROJECT PARAMETERS ......................................................... 323

EXPORTING PROJECT INFORMATION VIA ODBC................... 327

SETTING A PROJECT'S BASE ELEVATION .............................. 331

ANNOTATION AND DIMENSION ENHANCEMENTS ................. 335

KEYNOTING AND NOTEBLOCKS ............................................ 341

VIEWING THE DESIGN.......................................................... 346

CONTROLLING FILL PATTERN COLORS ................................. 350

RAYTRACE & RADIOSITY ...................................................... 354

ADDING ACCURENDER DECALS............................................. 369

WALKTHROUGHS .................................................................. 372

THE REVIT FAMILY EDITOR .................................................. 379

CREATING NESTED FAMILIES ............................................... 381

CONTROLLING PARAMETERS IN NESTED FAMILIES.............. 384

ADDING FORMULAS TO FAMILIES ........................................ 388

ADDING MATERIAL PARAMETERS TO A FAMILY.................... 392

APPLYING MATERIAL PARAMETERS ..................................... 394

WINDOW FAMILY EXERCISE................................................. 398

DOOR EXERCISE ................................................................... 418

CREATING A LIGHTING FIXTURE .......................................... 427

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CREATING A FURNITURE FAMILY ......................................... 434

CREATING TITLE BLOCKS ..................................................... 445

CREATING A DETAIL COMPONENT ........................................ 457

CREATING AN ANNOTATION SYMBOL................................... 462

CREATING A ROOM TAG........................................................ 465

CREATING IN-PLACE FAMILIES ............................................ 469

CREATING A BALUSTER FAMILY ........................................... 482

CREATING PROFILE FAMILIES.............................................. 486

PROJECT SHARING ............................................................... 496

MODEL LINKING ................................................................... 513

SHARED COORDINATES ........................................................ 524

PHASING .............................................................................. 534

MASSING .............................................................................. 540

USING SITE TOOLS............................................................... 555

ADDITIONAL SITE TOOLS: BUILDING PADS, PROPERTY LINES,

AND SITE COMPONENTS ....................................................... 566

USING STRUCTURAL TOOLS ................................................. 573

AREA ANALYSIS TOOLS ........................................................ 585

GROUPING ........................................................................... 594

SAVING & LOADING GROUPS ............................................... 603

CREATING 3D SWEEPS ......................................................... 605

CREATING A RADIAL ARRAY................................................. 607

EDITING A CUT PROFILE ...................................................... 610

UPDATE TUTORIALS ............................................................. 613

WALL JOINS AND ATTACHMENTS ......................................... 613

DETAILING AND VISIBILITY SETTINGS................................ 619

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Autodesk Revit 5.1 Tutorials
These self-paced tutorials are designed as an introduction to Autodesk Revit
functionality and techniques.

In most instances, the tutorials and project files utilize Metric units of measurement.
There are some cases however, especially when units of measurement are not
relevant to the learning objectives of the tutorial, the exercise may use an imperial
template and/or components. Whenever units of measurement are necessary, both
the imperial and metric units are supplied with the imperial unit followed by the
metric in brackets. Units may or may not be the result of a direct conversion.

For example, 30' 0" [10meters].

If necessary, you can set the projects units of measurement by selecting Units from
the Settings menu.

If you would like to provide feedback regarding these tutorials, please email us at:
revit.documentation@autodesk.com

Publication Date: 26 March, 2003

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Using These Tutorials
These tutorials have been designed to run concurrently with your Autodesk Revit software.
Tutorials open on the upper-right section of your screen and allow you to run both the tutorial
and the software simultaneously.

In the instructions that follow, you will learn how to navigate through the tutorials, print the
tutorials, and view the table of contents.

Training File Location

Many tutorials require you to open an Autodesk Revit training file. These files were installed
with your software in the directory chosen at the time of installation. Because some exercise
files can be used with both Metric and Imperial exercises, there is a Common directory where
some of the files are located. The tutorial will point you to the Common directory when
necessary.

Tip: Unless you changed the directory location during installation, the

default location of the training files is:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application

Data\Autodesk\Revit\Training

When opening a file, you can utilize the icons located on the left side of the Open dialog. If
you scroll to the bottom of that section of the dialog, you will find an icon named, Training
Files; this link will open the Training directory. Once you select it, you can then navigate to
the folders underneath it, Common, Imperial, and Metric.

Navigating within the Tutorials

The tutorial home page provides all the navigational tools you need.

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 Tip: If you place the cursor over a heading, a screen tip will appear with a

synopsis of the tutorials you will find on that page.

At the bottom of each tutorial, there are additional navigation tools. Click on the Home icon to
return to the tutorial home page. If there are related tutorials, forward and back buttons
may appear.

Tip: Once again, if you place the cursor over one of the arrows, a screen tip

will appear indicating where the link leads to.

In addition, you can use the <Backspace> key on your keyboard to return to the previous
page.

Printing the Tutorials

Many users find it helpful to print the tutorial rather than work with tiled windows.

To print a tutorial, select Print from the toolbar at the top of the screen.

Printing a Tutorial
When printing, you may want to use the print option, Print all linked documents.

This can save significant time when printing tutorials, such as Exploring Autodesk Revit,
where the tutorial consists of more than one html page.

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 Printing All Linked Documents

Printing a Tutorial Manual

If you would like to view and print the tutorials as a complete or partial manual, select
Documents on the Web from the Help menu.

Note: You must have a .pdf reader in order to view the file.

Viewing the Table of Contents

By default, the table of contents is not visible in order to conserve screen space.

If you would like to see the tabs in order to navigate through the tutorials using the table of
contents, search, or index tools, select Show from the Toolbar. You can also select Options
and choose Show Tabs.

Showing the Table of Contents

Once open, you can navigate through the tutorials by opening each book. You will find that
navigating through the table of contents is identical to using the navigation pages.

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 Tutorial Table of Contents

Tip: At any time within the tutorials, you can select Locate from the tutorial

Toolbar and the table of contents will open to the page you are in.

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Getting Started

Concepts and Principles

Introduction
Autodesk Revit is the most revolutionary architectural product on the market today, offering
considerable advantages over traditional CAD software packages. A true parametric building
modeler that allows architects to create designs in ways never before possible, Autodesk Revit
contains intelligent building components, views, and annotations, all both parametric and bi-
directionally associated.

Within Autodesk Revit, each component is linked through a high performance change
propagation engine, allowing a single change in any model view to be propagated throughout
all views, both parametrically and bi-directionally. Autodesk Revit gives you the tool that
makes more projects happen than ever before!.

Concepts and Principles of the use of Autodesk Revit software can be broken down into the
following three areas:
Administrative Structure & Build up

Reference Planes (Datum Lines)

Categories and Sub-Categories

Components Attributes (display controls)

Family Editor

Flexibly

Imported data

Navigation and Display

Views – Plan, Sections, Elevation, 3D

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 Scale attribute of views

Level of detail

Output

Drawings

Callouts

Perspective Views

Schedules

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Concepts and Principles
Administrative Structure and Build-up
Within Autodesk Revit, building levels are defined as planes. Objects are associated to these
levels, so that changes to a level's height automatically propagate changes to the linked
objects.

Within Revit, objects are not layered as in traditional CAD packages, but are controlled using
subcategories. Not only do you use these for switching components on and off in a view, but
also for scheduling quantities and areas from your model.

Revit objects can be displayed at coarse, medium or fine levels of detail. As with traditional
CAD, objects can simply be toggled on or off for visibility purposes, or as with Revit family
objects be toggled on or off depending upon their viewing direction in Plan, Reflected or 3D
with the option of a coarse, medium and fine level of detail, provided greater flexibility.

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Within Revit, objects can be defined as mutually dependant (eg doors and windows are
dependant on walls), or stand-alone (eg: furniture).
Revit provides the user with the basic building components enabling the creation of a
functional Single Building Model. The user has the ability to create their own parametric
objects, allowing changes of basic parametric characteristics to be propagated throughout. For
example you, the user, have the ability to specify a component such as trussed rafters,
allowing the building’s width to be adjusted while Revit automatically adjusts the positions of
intermediate members. As such, a building can be taken from schematic concept, to detailed
design, including construction documentation, maintaining flexibility throughout the process.
These components are called families and there are several different types. There are System
Families, Standard Families, and Families In Place.

A System Family, such as levels, walls and floors, are predefined within Revit. You can
modify and define new types by modifying the parameters.

A Standard Family can be created by defining the geometry and parameter in the
family editor. Objects such as doors and windows are examples of these. Many
different types can be made for this family and used throughout the project.

A Family in Place is created within the project is dependant upon the model geometry.
Revit is able to read and import data from a wide variety of foreign CAD packages. Such data
can be used to provide underlays of existing conditions, site information or to link to standard
details. As well as importing foreign data, Revit can export to a variety of industry standard
CAD file formats. such as DXF, DWG and DGN.

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Navigation and Display
The Revit project browser displays the model files in a logical tree structure. The browser
provides views of your Single Building Model, in plan, sections, elevations, and 3D views.

Drawing view scales and levels of detail are specified individually for each view of the model,
enabling, for example a general arrangement drawing of the ground floor plan at a coarse level
of detail at 1:500 scale, while a copy of that view could display at 1:50 scale with a fine level
of detail. Within the coarse level of detail (at 1:500), walls would be displayed with a user
specified fill style (eg. solid fill), while the fine level of detail (at 1:50) would enable display of
the external cavity walls with all components detailed and appropriately filled / hatched.

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Output
The Autodesk Revit “Single Building Model” philosophy enables rapid and efficient progress
from the 3D model to begin detailing in 2D to commence creation of the detailed construction
documents. 2D detailing may either be standalone or locked to the 3D model. Hence, should a
floor level increase in the 3D model, for example, the detail element of a slab junction in the
2D specification would automatically update.

Within Autodesk Revit, we create drawing sheets containing titleblocks, upon which we
assemble our various views and call-outs (enlarged details). Schedules are specified as views
and can either be displayed on drawing sheets or export as text files to external programs.
Three-dimensional shaded, perspective and clipped model views may also be assembled. Once
complete, sheets can be output to plotting using standard printer/plotter drivers.

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Project Based Training

Exploring Autodesk Revit - Exercise

The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate some the benefits of Autodesk Revit's
Parametric Building modeller.
In this exercise, we will demonstrate:

• The ease of use of Autodesk Revit

• Ease of making major design changes
• Design Associativity
• Single Model, Single Data Source
• Custom Building Components

The final design is shown in the figure below.

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Autodesk Revit User Interface
The following image outlines the basic user interface for Revit.

Begin the Design

In this exercise, you will create a new, two storey building. The shape of the floor plate will
begin as an L shape, which you will then modify. A DWG file containing site information will be
imported before you begin the design.

Creating a New Project

1. From the File menu, select Open.

2. On the left side of the dialog, scroll down the icons and select Training Files.

Opening the Training Files Folder

3. From the Metric folder, open Getting Started.rvt.

This file is essentially new with only slight modifications made to it in order to
facilitate training.

Use an Existing Site Plan

A DWG file containing a simple site plan will be used to locate the building. We will use the
Link command to import the site plan.
1. From the File menu, choose Import/Link, DWG/DXF/DGN....

In the lower left corner of the dialog, select Training Files.

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 Open the Metric Folder.

Select the file, Getting_Started_Site.dwg.

2. In the lower left corner of the dialog, choose Link and Current View Only. Also
select Preserve Colors and then click Open to link to the DWG file.

Import/Link Options

3. To view the entire site plan, choose from the toolbar and select Zoom to Fit
from the pulldown menu . The site plan should appear as shown. The new building
will be designed in the lower left site boundary.

4. To keep the imported geometry stationary, select from the design bar
and select the imported geometry. Select Lock Objects from the Edit menu to
lock the imported geometry in place. This will prevent the imported geometry from
moving.

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5. To clear the display of unnecessary clutter, we will display only the entities created
on the layer called SITE_BOUNDARIES.

To do this, choose Visibility/Graphics from the View menu.

Select the DWG/DXF/DGN Categories tab.

Expand the 'Getting_Started_Site.dwg' directory tree so that you see all of the
layers from the original file that are available for selection. Uncheck all of the
layers, indented under Getting_Started_Site.dwg, except the layer called
'SITE_BOUNDARIES', (do not uncheck the 'Getting_Started_Site.dwg').

Choose OK to set the visibility. The imported geometry should appear as shown
below.

6. The exterior walls will be added to the site-plot in the lower left corner. To make it
easier to sketch in this area, select from the toolbar and choose the option
Zoom In Region. Move the cursor to the lower left corner of the site-plot and
click with the left mouse button to begin creating a window to define the region to
zoom around. Move the cursor to the upper right corner of the lot and click the left
mouse button again. This will zoom you into this square.

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Sketch the Outer Walls
1. To begin laying out the walls, choose the from the Design Bar on the left
hand side of the Autodesk Revit window.

2. Select the wall to be created from the drop-down list below the standard toolbar,
select the type of wall to be created as Basic Wall : Generic - 200mm.

3. From the Options Bar, select Chain and to create straight walls that are
chained together as they are being sketched.

Set the Height to Explicit and set the value to 7000.

4. Sketch the walls as shown below. Pick a start point of the wall using the left mouse
button to begin creating the walls. The first pick is the start point, the second pick
is the end point. Do not worry about the initial size. Notice the system will assist
you in sketching by snapping and adding temporary dashed lines to indicate when
sketching horizontally, vertically, end points aligned to other segments,
perpendicular to other segments, etc.

Tip: When sketching walls, if you sketch clockwise, the exterior face of the

wall will most often be in the correct position.

5. Choose the button and select lower horizontal wall, at the bottom of the
view, as shown. This will display the temporary dimensions which locate the wall.
Your dimensions values may differ from the figure.

6. Modify the wall so the distance of the wall is 30000mm as shown below. To

22
 modify the dimension value, select the dimension text and edit the value. Enter
the dimension value in millimetres. You can also pick the wall and holding the left
mouse button down, drag the wall to the desired location.

7. Select the upper, left, vertical wall segment and set the dimension to 30000mm.
Note the position of your walls with respect to the site boundaries may be slightly
different. This will be changed in the next section.

8. Next, choose the middle, horizontal wall shown below and modify the dimension to
15000mm.

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 9. Next, select the middle, vertical wall and modify the dimension to 15000mm as
shown below.

Capturing Design Intent

1. To capture our design intent, we will create dimensions to control the wall size and
placement. Choose from the Basics tab of the design bar to create
dimensions.

2. Select the two vertical wall segments shown below using the left mouse button to
dimension the length of the top horizontal wall. To place the dimension, move the
cursor above the top horizontal wall and pick with the left mouse button.

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Notice the dimension text appears small. Permanent dimensions are displayed at their
specified height (4mm is the default). The size displayed on screen is dependent on
the scale of the view, which we will modify later. The text of the dimension will
become large, (like the text of the temporary dimensions), when it is modifiable.
There are also lock symbols which appear. These will be discussed later.
3. Create a dimension for the right side vertical wall and place the dimension as
shown.

4. Because the overall dimension, (wall centreline to centreline), must remain at

30000mm we will use the lock function to maintain the dimension. Select the
symbol on the dimension just created to lock it. If the lock symbol is not displayed,
select and then select the dimension to display the lock.

25
5. To lock the dimension length of the top horizontal wall, choose and select
the dimension to display the lock symbol, then select the unlocked icon to lock it.

6. Now the dimensions to control the rest of the model will be created. Choose
and select the three horizontal walls. Move the mouse to a location where
the dimensions should be placed and pick with the left mouse button to place the
dimension as shown below.

26
7. Choose and select the middle horizontal wall. Notice the dimension text
becomes larger and turns from black to blue. When it is blue, it means it can be
modified. If necessary, modify the dimension value as shown.

8. Once the dimension values are correct we will lock the lower 15000mm value.
Choose and select the dimension leader line. The unlocked symbols, (one
for each dimension), should appear. Select the symbol to lock the dimension as
shown.

27
9. Create a dimension string for the three vertical walls as shown below.

10. Check the dimension values and modify if necessary.

11. Lock the 15000mm dimension value as shown.

28
12. Next the walls will be located with respect to the site boundary. With
selected, select the upper horizontal site boundary, with the left mouse button,
then select the upper horizontal wall. Move the mouse to the location to place the
dimension.

13. Create another dimension to locate the right vertical wall to the right vertical site
boundary as shown.

29
14. The value of the two new dimensions locating the walls to the site boundaries will
be modified. Choose and select the upper horizontal wall. Notice the
dimension text becomes larger and is now blue, meaning it is modifiable. Modify
the value to 3000mm by selecting the dimension text with the left mouse button,
then entering the new value followed by a carriage return.

15. Select the rightmost vertical wall and modify the distance from the this wall to the
right site boundary to 3000mm.

30
Controlling the Display
To simplify the display we will turn off the site boundaries. This will be done using the
Visibility/Graphics command.
1. Choose View and then select Visibility/Graphics.

2. When the View Visibility/Graphics dialogue box appears, click the

DWG/DXF/DGN Categories tab and scroll to the DWG file
"Getting_Started_Site.dwg".

3. Uncheck the entry for Getting_Started_Site.dwg and choose OK.

Determine the Room Area

We will now add a Room Tag to the design. The Room Tag will give us the properties of the
room, including the room area.

1. From the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, select or choose Room
Tag from the Drafting menu.

2. Select a location within the walls to place the room tag.

31
3. Select and then select the room tag.

4. Press the right mouse button (right-click) to display the popup menu. Choose
Properties from the popup.

5. The Element Properties dialogue box will appear. The current room area will
display in the dialogue box. If your value is different, do not worry, we will make
changes to the design and modify dimensions shortly.

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 6. Choose to close the dialogue box.

Create a Room Area Schedule

A Room Area schedule will be created. Schedules are live parametric views of our project and
update when the model geometry is updated.
1. From the menubar, choose View, New, Schedule/Quantities.

2. The New Schedule dialogue box will appear. Choose Rooms and click OK.

3. The Schedule Properties dialogue box will appear. The default tab to appear is
the "Fields" tab. From here we must define what fields our schedule will display.

Select 'Department', then holding the <Ctrl> key, select 'Level', 'Area', 'Number',
and 'Name'. Choose to add these fields to be displayed.

33
4. A new custom field called "Construction Phase" will be created. Choose to
create a new field.

5. Enter the name as 'Construction Phase' and the set type as Text.

Choose to add the new field.

6. The order in which the fields will appear on the schedule (from left to right) is the
same as the order they appear in the right column (top to bottom). To change the
position of a field, select the field and choose either or .Rearrange
the fields as shown below.

34
7. The schedule will be set up to display the grand totals for all rooms and will be
grouped by Floor. To do this, choose the Sorting/Grouping tab and select 'Level'
from the Sort by: pulldown list. Make sure the Header and Grand Totals boxes
are checked.

8. Next, choose the Formatting tab. Select the field, Area and select Calculate
totals.

35
9. Next, choose the Level field, and check Hidden Field. (since we are grouping by
levels, we will not need to see this as a scheduled column)

10. Choose to create the schedule view.

11. Activate the view Floor Plan: Level 1 by selecting it from the project browser or
by selecting it by name from the Window menu.

36
12. Choose and select the dimensions between the three horizontal walls.
Unlock the dimension between the middle horizontal wall the lower horizontal wall.

13. Select the middle horizontal wall and modify the dimension shown to 20000mm.

14. Look at the room schedule and notice how the room area has updated. View the
schedule by choosing it in the Project Browser.

15. Modify the 20000mm dimension back to 15000mm. The final values are shown
in the figure below. The room area should be approximately 663 square meters.

37
38
Change the Design
An entrance will now be added to the design.
1. Within the Floor Plan: Level 1, select and use the Basic Wall : Generic -
200mm to add the walls for the entrance as shown. Both walls are 9000mm long.
Wall lengths may be modified after they are completed.

2. To split the walls, choose Split Walls and Lines from the Tools menu or
from the Toolbar.

3. The cursor will change to indicate the split tool. Select the horizontal wall at the
intersection with the newly added wall as shown in the next figure. The cursor will
snap to the intersection.

4. With the split tool active, split the vertical wall as shown below.

39
5. Select the button and choose the two wall segments to be deleted. Use
the <Ctrl> key to select multiple segments.

6. Choose the to remove the two segments of wall as shown. When you delete the
small wall segments, your dimensions may lose some of the dimension segments.
We will re-edit the dimensions later.

7. Look at the room schedule, you will notice the area is now updated.

Return to the Floor Plan: Level 1.

8. Choose the button and select the dimension shown below (highlighted in
red). Your dimensions may look different because of the segments deleted.

40
9. Click the right mouse button to activate the popup menu. Select Re-edit Witness
Lines to add more witness lines to this dimension string.

Deleting the wall segments in the previous steps may cause some of the
dimension segments to also delete. If this is the case, simply add the witness lines
to create the dimension shown. A left mouse click in "space", (somewhere off the
geometry), will complete the editing of the dimensions.

10. Repeat this process for the dimension shown below.

11. Choose and modify the dimensions as shown if necessary.

41
12. To fillet the walls, select the button and then select the Fillet arc from
the sketching options. Select the two walls as shown, then slowly move the mouse
to form the desired radius.

13. Modify the radius to 8000mm as shown.

14. Look at the Room Area Schedule view. Notice the area has now updated.

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Create New Floor Levels
The building will be two storeys high. The exterior walls will rise 1200mm above the roof. A
level will be added to control this height.
1. Levels must be created in an elevation view. To open the South elevation view,
double pick the view by it's name in the Project Browser. You can also select the
view name from the project browser and press the right mouse button to display a
popup menu of options (open, rename, delete, etc.) for the view.

2. The south elevation view will appear. The extents of the levels will be modified.

3. There are currently two levels in the design called Level 1 and Level 2. To change

the extents of the levels, choose and place the cursor over the
level. When the level pre-highlights, press the left mouse button to select it. A blue
dot will appear at each end of the level. Select one of the dots and drag the
endpoint (horizontally) to the desired location. Notice the Level 2 endpoints also
move because the two levels are locked together. Repeat for both ends.

4. Select the height tag of the Level 2 or the dimension between the two levels to
modify the level's height to 3500mm as shown below.

5. To create another level, choose from the Basics toolbar and sketch the
level. Click once for the start point and then again for the end point (text end).

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 6. Modify the height of the level to 3500mm above the Level 2, (7000mm above
Level 1), by selecting the height dimension. Also change the name to Roof by
selecting the level id tag.

Note: After renaming the Level, Revit will prompt you to rename all
corresponding views; click Yes.

7. Create the final level 1200mm above the Roof level and name it Parapet. When
prompted, choose Yes to rename all corresponding views.

Modify the Wall Properties

To control the height of the exterior walls so they extend to the level Parapet, the height
constraint (Top Constraint) for these walls will be modified.
1. Activate the Floor Plan: Level 1 view by selecting the view from the Project
Browser. You can also go to this view by double picking on the level target or
choose Window from the menu and select the view to be active by name.

2. Choose and create a window around the entire model by pressing and
holding the left mouse button, drag the mouse from one corner of the model to the
other and release the mouse button. All entities should highlight.

3. Choose from below the standard toolbar. The filter dialogue box will appear
as shown below.

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4. Uncheck all categories except Walls and choose to filter out all objects
except walls.

5. Choose the button to display the wall properties.

Note: If you included other items in the selection, such as the dimensions or the
room tag, the properties button will not be available.

6. Select in the Value cell for Top Constraint. A pull down list will appear.

45
7. Select the option, Up to level: Parapet. Choose to update the properties.

8. Activate the South Elevation view. Notice the walls now extend to the level
Parapet.

9. Choose and select the level Parapet. Modify the height of the Parapet
level to 2500mm above Roof. The walls will update to the new height.

10. Choose to restore the height to1200mm above the level Roof.

11. To quickly go to the floor plan view of Level 2, double click on the level target
symbol in the South elevation view. The Floor Plan: Level 2 view will now be open
and active.

12. From the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, choose and add a room
tag to the second floor.

13. Activate the view Room Area Schedule to see the updated room area.

14. Change to the view Floor Plan: Level 2. Choose then select the room

tag and choose .

15. In the Properties dialogue, change the Name from "Room" to "Open 2" and choose
to update.

16. Notice the name has changed in the Room Area Schedule.

17. In the Room Area Schedule, select the Name cell for Room 1 and change the name
to "Open 1" .

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18. Activate the view Floor Plan: Level 1 to see the tag update.

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Interior Layout
We will now add the interior walls to the design. The wall type will change from the Basic Wall
: Generic - 200mm wall to Basic Wall : Interior - 135mm Partition (2-hr).
1. The first set of walls will be created on the ground floor. Activate the plan view,
Floor Plan: Level 1 by choosing Window and select the view by name.

2. Select the and then choose the wall type Interior 135mm Partition (2-
hr) from the pull down list. This is a 135mm thick wall whose height property is
up to Level 2.

Sketch the wall segment shown below.

3. Add two horizontal walls to divide the new space into three rooms as shown.

4. Check the Room Area Schedule. Notice the area for "Room" has updated.

5. Choose and create dimensions as shown. To create the dimension string,

select the first wall then the second, third and last wall. Then place the dimension.

6. To make the three rooms equal widths, select the symbol. The symbol will
change to and the three distances measured by this dimension will be equal.

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 7. In the plan view of the first floor, add a room tag to each of the new rooms. The
Room Area Schedule view should now update as shown.

Adding Components to Level 2

1. Activate the view Floor Plan: Level 2 to add walls to this level. Choose the view
by double picking the name from the Project Browser (or from the Window menu).

2. Notice you can see the walls from the lower level. This geometry can be referenced
when adding new walls to this level.

3. Choose and make sure the Basic Wall : Interior - 135mm Partition
(2-hr) wall is the active wall type.

4. Sketch a wall as shown.

5. Our intent is to have this wall and the first floor wall below it, always be in the
same plan location. To do this we will use the Align command. Choose Align from
the Tools menu or by selecting from the Toolbar.

6. Move the cursor to the right (outside) face of the wall on level 1. The wall face will
pre-highlight as shown. If you are not sure you have the correct face, press the
<Tab> key to toggle through all possible selections. Select the outer face.

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7. Move the cursor to the right face (outside) face of the wall added to the second
floor and select. The second wall should now appear directly over the first wall.

8. The symbol will appear. To permanently lock the two walls, select the symbol
to lock which will now appear as .

9. Choose and select the wall just created on level 2. Move the wall, notice
how the wall on floor 1 also moves.

10. Modify the wall position back to 4000mm from the left outer wall.

11. Add two more walls on the second floor as shown.

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 Add room tags to the three new rooms. Check the updated room schedule.

1. Save the model. Select from the toolbar and save the file as, Getting
Started.rvt..

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Adding Components
In this portion of the exercise, we will add some standard components, such as doors and
windows to the design. In order to speed things, along a more complete model has been
created for you. To retrieve this model, click on the name of the model,
Getting_Started_Components.rvt and save it to your working directory.

Open the Model

1. To avoid confusion with the old model, close the current project. Choose Close
from the File menu.

2. To open the new model, choose and select the Training Folder icon from the
left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Getting_Started_Components.rvt.

Click Open.
Some of the additions to the design include:

3. Floors added to the levels Ground floor and Floor 2

4. Interior walls have been added to both levels

5. Doors have been added to most interior rooms and some exterior exits

6. Most of the windows have been added to the exterior walls

7. Stairs have been added at two locations

3. First, a door will be added to the north face of the building near the stairs.

Open the view Floor Plan: Level 1. To do this, you can select the view window
on screen or choose the view by name from the Window menu or from the Project
Browser. Expand the view to fill the view window. To maximize the view, pick the
icon in the upper right corner of the window.

4. Choose from the object tool bar and then select M_Sgl Flush : 914mm
x 2134mm from the pulldown list.

5. Move the cursor to the wall the door will be added to. As the cursor moves,

52
 temporary dimensions will appear, locating the door. Place the door as shown.

If the door is not positioned correctly, select the control arrows to flip the door hand or
facing.

Adding Components in a 3D View

In Revit, walls, doors and windows can be added in plan, elevation, section or 3D views.
1. Activate the 3D View: V1. Use View, Zoom, Zoom To Fit to enlarge the image.

2. Choose from the design bar and then select M_Sgl Flush : 914mm x
2134mm from the pulldown list.

3. Move the cursor to the wall shown below and click once to place the door in the
position shown.

4. Activate the view Floor Plan: Level 2. Zoom in around the new door, using the
Zoom In Region command under the button to see it's placement.

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 5. To change the door type, simply pick and select the new door in any
view. Choose the new door type from the pulldown list. Change the door to
M_Cased Opening: 914 x 2134 mm.

Adding Components in Section Views

A section view will be added to the design.
1. To add the section view, activate a plan view, (either Floor Plan: Level 1 or Floor
Plan: Level 2).

2. Choose from the Basics tab of the design bar. Sections are created much
like a level.

3. Sketch the section as shown. The section head will be at the first pick point. After
creating the section you must define the area you would like in the view. Select
the drag handle on the right vertical line and drag it to include the far right walls
as shown.

4. To flip the direction of the section, choose and select the section line.
Press the right mouse button to activate the popup menu. Select the option Flip
Section. The section arrow will change direction. Change the direction as shown in
the image above. (You may also use the blue directional arrows which appear
above the section head when the section is selected to flip the section.)

54
5. To view the section view, you can double pick on the section head or choose Goto
Section View from the popup menu. Go to the section view.

6. To add components in this view, simply select and choose the door type
as M_Sgl Flush : 914mm x 2134mm from the pulldown list.

7. Move the mouse in the section view window and place the door. (The actual door
position does not matter).

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Copying Components
Since some windows have already been added, we will begin by copying the existing windows
to new locations.
With the 3D View: V1 active, zoom in on the exterior wall to the left of the curved
entrance. Choose and select each of the three windows on that wall. To
select multiple items, press and hold the <Ctrl> key.

From the Edit menu, choose Copy to Clipboard to copy the windows to the clipboard.
Notice the copy command can be executed using the standard Windows Ctrl + C
accelerator key combination.

To paste the windows, choose Paste from Clipboard from the Edit menu (or Ctrl +
V). The copied windows will appear at the tip of the cursor. Move the cursor to the
second level and when the windows are at the default elevation (915mm above the
floor), a green dashed line will appear. Place the windows as shown by clicking the
left mouse button.

Components can be copied from one view to another. Select the six windows (the 3
original and the 3 copied), while holding the <Ctrl> key.

Copy the six windows to the clipboard, using Ctrl + C.

Activate the Floor Plan: Level 1 view and zoom in around the corresponding wall to
the right of the entrance.

To paste all six windows, use Ctrl + V. Move the mouse until the windows reach the
target wall. The system will display the windows in a plan view symbol. Place the
windows as shown.

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 Note: To display the window tags, click Tag All Not Tagged from the Drafting
tab of the Design bar. Select Windows and choose OK.

8. Activate the view 3D View: V1 to see the results.

Creating Arrays of Components

Components can also be arrayed. We will use arrays to add the remaining windows to the
south face of the building.
1. Activate Floor Plan: Level 1. Using the <Ctrl> key, select the two windows on
the south wall as shown.

2. Choose Array from the Edit menu or select directly from the Toolbar.
From the options bar set the Number of Copies to 3 and set the option Move to
Last. Uncheck the option Group and Associate from the options bar.

3. Click one of the selected windows and move the mouse to the position of the last
member of the pattern. Click the left mouse button again to place the windows.
The resulting array is shown below.

4. Copy the arrayed windows to the second level. Select the six windows from the
array in the plan view of the ground floor. Use the Copy to Clipboard command
from the edit menu (or Ctrl + C) to copy them to the clipboard.

57
5. Activate either the 3D view or the Floor Plan: Level 2 view. Use Paste from the
Edit menu (or Ctrl + V) to paste them on the second floor.

6. Copy the windows on the south wall, to the west wall. Hold the <Ctrl> key and
select the 12 windows from the 3D View: V1. Use the Copy command from the
edit menu (or Ctrl + C) to copy them to the clipboard. Use Paste from the Edit
menu (or Ctrl + V) to paste them on the west wall.

Note: A warning box may appear to inform you that a window conflicts with an existing
wall. This is a precaution built into Autodesk Revit to prevent the incorrect placement
of components. Under normal circumstances, the designer would have to redesign
the facade or the wall layout to resolve the conflict. For the purpose of this exercise,
this warning can be ignored.

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Colour Filled Areas
In this section, we will demonstrate how to copy views and apply colour filled areas to the
rooms.
1. First we will make a copy of the view Floor plan: Level 1. From the project
browser, right click the view, Floor Plan: Level 1 and choose Duplicate from the
popup menu. A view named Copy of Level 1 will be created.

2. From the project browser, right click on the view Floor Plan: Copy of Level 1.
Choose Rename from the popup menu and change the name to "Colour Fill
Level 1".

3. If the linked site plan is visible, choose View, Visibility and uncheck
Getting_Started_Site.dwg from the list. Choose OK to continue.

4. Now the room fill will be added. With the view, Floor Plan: Colour Fill Level 1
active, choose from the Drafting tab of the design bar. A legend will
appear at the cursor. Select a location and place the legend with the left mouse
button.

Note: The legend appears with values because the attribute of Department for the
room tags has been assigned to several rooms. If no values were assigned to the
attributes, the legend would appear without pre-selected values. The user would
then have to choose what criteria to use in the room fill (Wall finish, Floor finish,
Department, etc.).
5. When the legend is placed, the warning message appears indicating Floors,
Topography, and Site visibility has been disabled; choose OK to continue.

6. The room fill view should appear as shown.

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7. Choose and select the legend. Choose to edit the default
values for the room fill. These values were selected by default based on the
'Department' attribute.

8. Select the cell for Fill Pattern for Marketing. Change the fill pattern from Solid Fill
to Diagonal up. Choose to update.

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9. Open the view Floor Plan: Level 1.

10. Now select the room tag in the large open area (Open 1) and choose .

11. In the Properties dialogue box, create a new value for Department to "Open", then
choose .

12. Switch back to the Floor Plan: Color Fill Level 1. Notice a new color appeared for
this new department.

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Drawings
A drawing sheet will be added to the project. Since Revit projects are stored in a single data
source, creating a drawing of the design is a simple matter of adding views to drawing sheets.
When the design updates, the drawings will also update.
1. To create the drawing sheet view, choose View, New, and Sheet.

2. Choose A0 metric from the list, then choose OK to add the title block to the
sheet.

3. Choose Visibility/Graphics from the View menu and make sure the imported
DWG file (Getting_Started_Site.dwg) is unselected, so it will not display in the
drawing sheet. Use Zoom to Fit and the sheet with the title block should appear
as shown below.

4. To add a view, choose Add View from the View tab of the Design Bar. Select the
view, Floor Plan: Level 1 from the View dialogue box, then choose .

5. The red outline will appear showing the extents of view. Move the mouse to the
desired location and left click to place the view as shown.

6. Select and then select on the view. The viewport will highlight in red.
Select the Activate View command from the View menu. This view is now active
and can be modified just as if you were working on the view Floor Plan: Level 1.

7. Next, choose View Properties from the View menu.

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8. Make sure the View Scale is set to 1 : 100 and choose OK to change the scale of
the view.

9. Choose Deactivate View from the View menu or from the right-click popup
menu.

10. You will now add the Floor Plan: Level 2 view directly from the Project Browser.
To do this, click and hold down the left mouse button while the pointer is over Level 2
in the Project Browser. Release the mouse button when the pointer is in the viewing
window. The same red outline will appear. Position the view as shown below then
press the left mouse button.

As you move the view within the sheet, notice a green, dashed-line appears when
the two views are aligned.

11. Add the Room Area Schedule to the sheet. Select the view from the Project
Browser and drag it directly into the sheet.

12. Position the view as shown below.

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 13. Resize each column so the schedule appears as shown below. Column widths move
by dragging the blue control arrows.

Split the Schedule

The schedule layout will be split to better utilize the available space.
1. Select and zoom around the schedule on the drawing sheet.

Right click the schedule and select Edit Structure .

2. The column 'Construction Phase' will be removed from the schedule. To do this
choose View Properties from the View menu.

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3. Select the Edit... button for Fields to access the fields tab of the Schedule
properties.

4. Select 'Construction Phase' from the right column list and choose Remove.

5. Choose to close the dialogue box.

6. Open the View Sheets: A101-unnamed.

7. Now the schedule will be split into two parts. Select the schedule on the drawing
sheet. The schedule will highlight as shown.

65
8. To split the table select the break "Z-break" symbol, on the right side of the table
where the split should occur. The table should look something like this.

9. Position the new bottom half by selecting blue dot in the middle of the schedule
and dragging it into position.

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Curtain Walls
A design change will be made to the front entrance. The round Basic Wall : Generic -
200mm will be changed to rise only to Level 2. A curtain wall will be added from Level 2 to
the Roof level. A section of Basic Wall : Generic - 200mm will be added from the roof to the
parapet levels.
1. Activate the Floor Plan: Level 1.

The round entrance wall will be split (horizontally) into three walls. The middle wall will be
replaced by curtain wall. To do this we will first add a new elevation view to make the splitting
easier.
2. Choose from the View tab of the Design Bar.

3. Move the mouse towards the double glass door in the arc wall. Left click to place
the elevation tag as shown.

4. Zoom in and rotate the elevation symbol so that it faces the double doors.

5. Choose and select the arrow of the elevation symbol. This will
display the view extents for this elevation view.

6. Modify the view extents as shown below.

7. Double click on the arrow to open the view. You can also use the project browser
to open the view.

67
 8. The curved wall will now be split at level 2 and then at the roof level. From the
toolbar, choose or choose Split Walls and Lines from the Tools menu.

9. With the cursor on the curved wall, move the mouse until the cursor snaps to Level
2 and left click to split. Split the wall again at the Roof level.

10.
10. Open the 3D view: V1. The type of the middle curved wall, (between Level 2 and
Roof), will be changed.

11. Choose and select the middle curved wall. To select the middle
wall section, move the pointer over the curved wall until the edge of the curved
wall prehighlights. Click the left mouse button to pick the wall section.

12. From the type list, choose Curtain Wall: Curtain Wall 1 to change the type.

The curtain wall currently consists of one panel which is why the wall appears as a straight
segment. Adding the Curtain Grid will cause the wall to conform to the round wall.

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13. First you will change the curtain wall panel from an empty panel to a glass panel.
Pick the straight panel. From the type drop-down menu, change the type from
M_empty panel to M_glass panel.

14. The Curtain Grid will be created, then the Mullions will be added. Choose Curtain
Grid from the Modelling tab of the design bar (or from the Modelling menu).

15. When creating the curtain grid, the system will automatically snap at the 1/3, 1/2
and 2/3 points along the wall but the grid lines can be placed at any location. Notice
the grid lines appear on the radius of the defining curve, not on the existing panel.

16. Pick with the left mouse button to place two vertical grid lines, dividing the panel
into thirds as shown.

17. Divide the three panels in to thirds again to produce the following:

18. Add a horizontal grid line to divide the panels in half.

19. To add the mullions, choose or Mullion from the Modelling tab of the
design bar.

20. From the Options Bar, select All Empty Segments. Move the mouse pointer on a
grid line. All grid line segments should highlight. Click the left mouse button to add
the mullions.

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21. To see the model shaded, choose Shading from the View menu. The design
should look like the figure below.

70
Adding A Roof
A flat roof will be added to the design.
The view, Floor Plan: Roof, must be the active view. Select the view, Floor Plan: Roof, from
the project browser.

1. To begin the roof creation, choose Roof, Roof by Footprint from the Modeling
tab of the design bar.

A footprint roof is defined by sketching the boundaries of the roof (similar to a

floor).

2. From the Sketch options, select .

On the Option bar, uncheck the Defines Slope option.

3. Move the mouse to the north exterior wall. and select the wall to draw a line on
the wall. Use the control arrows to flip the line to the inside edge of the wall, (if
necessary).

4. Select all of the remaining exterior walls to form a closed loop. Do not forget the
two small wall segments adjacent to the round wall.

71
5. Choose to complete the roof. The new roof is shown in the 3D view
below.

72
System Fundamentals
This exercise will introduce the novice user to the User Interface (UI) of Autodesk Revit and
how to use it. For many users this will be a review of commands that are found in other
software products that use the Microsoft® Windows UI.

The User Interface

The Autodesk Revit User Interface has a layout similar to many Windows applications. The
User Interface has the following main areas:

• Menu Bar - Where commands can be accessed via pulldown menu.

• Toolbar - This contains common commands often used when working with Revit.
• Options Bar - Contains options for the currently selected object.
• Design Bar - This is the vertical toolbar on the left of the screen containing the
available building components.
• Type Selector - This is where you specify the object type.
• View Window - This is where the model is displayed. There can be several viewing
windows open at any time.
• Project Browser - This area displays project views, schedules, sheets, families, and
groups.
• Status Bar - This area displays a short summary of a menu item or button the pointer
is over.

Exercise
1. Start Autodesk Revit.

2. Take a minute to examine the application window when it appears. An empty

project file is automatically opened when the application is started. The default
name of the project, Project1, will appear in the titlebar of the main window.

73
3. The default view is Floor Plan: Level 1.

This view is currently maximized. To display the view in a smaller window, choose
the restore icon , in the upper right corner of the viewing window.
Note: There are two sets of window control icons. The three icons on the top are to
control the entire application window. The three below control the viewing windows.
These three are only visible when the current view is maximized.
4. Across the top of the screen are the menus. Select the View menu. A list of
commands on that menu will appear.

5. Move your cursor down the menu and notice that the commands highlight as the
cursor passes over them. If a command is not accessible at that point in time then
the command will appear as dimmed out. If you look at the previous figure you will
notice that Activate View is not an active choice.

6. Click on the File menu. Notice that the command New has an arrow to the right of
it. This indicates there are additional commands under the New command. If you
place your cursor over the command and pause it there for a minute, you will
notice a fly out menu appear with additional commands on it.

7. Commands can be executed by simply clicking on the menu name and then
clicking on the command in the menu. For some commands there are accelerator
keys which are shortcuts to executing the command. If you look at the figure
above, you will notice that some of the commands have accelerator keys to the
right of the command name. For example, Save has an accelerator command of
Ctrl+S. That means that to save a file you can either choose File, Save or you
can simply press and hold the <Ctrl> key on the keyboard and then hit the <S>
key on the keyboard. Try this now. When the dialog box appears for a file name
type in a name such as “exercise1”. Choose Save to save the file to the folder.

74
8. Click on the menu View. Move your cursor over the menu items. As you do this
notice in the lower left corner of the window a one line message appears for each
command on the Status Bar. This is a one line help message that tells you what
that highlighted command does. You will see how to get complete on line help later
in this exercise. After using the software for a while you may want to turn off the
status bar. You can do that by choosing Window and then clicking on Status Bar.
Along the top of the window and along the left side of the window you will notice
toolbars with buttons. The buttons represent another method of choosing a
command. For example, the save command you executed in earlier could also be
executed by choosing the button from the toolbar. The top toolbar is the
Standard toolbar and the left side toolbar is the Design Bar. You can customize the
display of these toolbars. One way to do this is to remove the command names from
the buttons. Do that now by choosing Window\Toolbar, and deactivate (check
mark off) Text Labels. Notice the icons remain on the buttons but the names go
away. This is useful when you become more experienced with the software because
it reduces the amount of space needed for the toolbars and gives you more space
for actual design work.

9. For the purpose of the exercise you should turn the text labels back on by
choosing Window, Toolbars and select (check mark on) Text Labels.

10. You can remove any of the toolbars by choosing Window, place your cursor on
Toolbar, and then click on any of the toolbar names to add/remove them. Try
removing one of the toolbars now. Again, for the purpose of this exercise bring the
toolbar back by choosing Window, Toolbar and then clicking on the removed
toolbar name.

11. If you look at the application window you will notice there is a window for the
current design project. It can be identified by the title in the Title bar on top of the
window.

The window can be resized to fit in the application window by clicking on the
maximize icon in the upper right corner of the view window. Try that now.

12. Now we will change views of the project. There are 2 ways to open or set active
existing views of the project. One, is to use the Window menu, and select an
open view of the project to activate it. The other way is to use the Project Browser.

13. Expand the area of the project browser tree called Views by clicking on the plus
sign. Click your right mouse button on the view Level 2 and click on Open from
the popup menu. Level 2 is now open and the active view window.

14. That concludes this exercise. To exit the session, choose File and Exit.

75
Settings Exercise
You can control your project environment using the Settings menu. You can set the display of
the components and sub-components through the use of Colors, Fill Patterns, Line Styles and
Render Styles, and their effects through the Object Styles area. You can also change the
project Units, Snap settings and Dimensioning Styles. Project Settings are saved in a default
project template that you can use to set up the environment of your projects in the future.

In this exercise, you will learn how to:

• Create and Apply Line Styles

• Create and Apply Material
• Modify Unit, Snap and Dimension Settings
• Modify Accurender Materials
Creating a Line Style
1. From the File menu, select Open.

2. On the left side of the dialog, scroll down the icons and select Training Files.

Opening the Training Files Folder

3. From the Metric folder, open the project, Settings.rvt. Click Open.

4. Change the view display to Hidden Line (View, Hidden Line).

Components and sub-components can have different line colors and materials assigned
to them. You can create and assign your own line styles, line colors, and materials to
any of the components and sub-components. In the next few steps you will see how
to do perform those tasks
5. First you will create your own line style. To do this choose Line Patterns from the
Settings menu.

6. Click New and enter the name "Roof line". Fill in the Line Style Properties dialog

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 box as shown in the next figure.

7. Choose OK to define the line style. Notice the new line style in the list of defined
lines.

Applying Styles
Now that you have defined your line styles you will apply them to the model. This will
be done with the Object Styles command.
1. Choose Settings and Object Styles. When the Object Styles dialog appears,
locate the Roof category. Change the settings for the Roof category by selecting
"Roof line" for the line pattern.

2. You will now modify the line color by selecting in the Line Color column. This will
bring up the color dialog box. Select then select the color numbered
7530. Choose OK to close the Pantone dialog box. Select OK to return to the
Object Styles Dialog.

3. Choose Ok to exit the dialog and change the image to a Wireframe image. Notice
the change to the roof's display. You now have the oak color for the lines and the
new line style for the lines.

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 4. Change the View back to Hidden Line.

Zoom in on the windows and notice that the line colors for the trim and sash are black.
5. Choose Settings and Object Styles. Locate the Window category. Change the
line color for the subcategory Trim to the Pantone Color 7530 as done in the
previous steps.

6. Choose Ok to see the difference.

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7. Notice the outside trim of the window is brown but the inside window is still black.
This is because the inside trim is the subcategory called Frame/Mullion. Go back
and change the line color for that subcategory to the Pantone Color 7530.

8. Set the image display to Shading (View, Shading).

The color of the shading does not depend on the line color but rather the material that
is assigned to the family type or instance parameter. If no material is set then the
system uses the default color of grey (for example the floor). Next, you will define
and set some materials.

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9. From the Settings menu, choose Materials.

In the Materials dialog choose Duplicate, name the material Roof, and click OK.

10. Click Select in the AccuRender Texture section of the dialog box.

11. Expand the ACCURENDER tree and select Roofing\Composition

Shingle\Brown, Dark and click OK.

12. Within the Materials dialog, click Duplicate once again and create the material,
Exterior Window Trim. Set the AccuRender texture to:
ACCURENDER\Wood,Solid\Oak,White\Stained,Dark,No Gloss.

Click OK until you return to the view window.

13. Assign the material for the exterior trim of the window by selecting
Settings/Object Styles.

Expand the Window branch and for the subcategories of Frame/Mullion and
Trim, set the Material to Exterior Window Trim. Click OK.

14. Next, assign the roof material. This will be done in a different manner. Choose
Modify and select the roof within the 3D view. Then select Properties.

15. In the Element Properties dialog box, click Edit/New.

16. In the value field for the Structure parameter, click Edit.

To define the roof's structural material, select Roof from the Material drop-down
list.

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 Click OK and return to the viewing window.

The roof now displays with the new roof material.

Note: For some objects, the material can be set in the Object Style area or in

the Element Properties. If the material is defined in the properties dialog, it

overrides the material in the Object Style.

17. Modify the material roof so that you can see through the roof inside. You can do
this by setting the transparency for the material. Choose Settings and Materials.

Choose 'roof' from the Name drop-down menu. Change the transparency to 50.
Choose Ok. Notice in the image you can see through the roof although you can
also see it is still there.

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 18. Change the transparency back to 0.
Another way to see through an object is to remove it from display. You can do this
through category visibility. In this case you will turn off the display of the roof so you
can see in the building.
19. Choose Visibility/Graphics from the View menu.

20. From the Model Categories tab, uncheck the category, Roofs. Choose Ok. Notice
the roof disappears from view.

Note: Visibility is on a per view basis. You need to set the visibility of a category

for each view separately.

Now, you will save these settings in a template so you can retrieve them whenever
you start a new project.
21. Save the project (saves all your work that you have done so far).

22. You will now delete all of the geometry in the project.

First turn the visibility of the roof back on so that it will also be deleted. To do
this, return to the Visibility/Graphics dialog and select Roofs. Click OK.

Next, select all components by choosing Modify and clicking in the upper left
corner and dragging the cursor and clicking in the lower right corner. Select or
choose Edit, Delete. This is why you saved everything in the previous step.

23. Now we will set the Units and Dimension settings to be saved into our template for
use in future projects.

24. Choose Settings, Units to bring up the Units dialog box.

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25. Choose for Length. This will bring up the Format dialog box.

26. Set the Units to Meters and change the Rounding to 3 decimal places.

27. Select OK in both dialogs to save the settings.

Dimensioning and component placement will now be accurate to the nearest

1/1000 of a meter.

28. Choose Settings, Temporary Dimensions... to bring up the Temporary

Dimension Placement dialog box. Toggle the options in the following figure:

29. Select the OK button to save the settings. Temporary Dimensions will now
reference wall faces by default when drawing walls.

30. Choose File and Save As.

31. When the Save As dialog box appears, set the save as type to Templates Files.
Set the name to Office Template. Navigate to the Metric Templates directory.

32. Choose Save.

33. Start a new project by choosing File and New, Project (do not use the
button). When the Open template dialog appears, select the name of your
template as the basis for your new project.

Tip: From the Settings menu, select Options. From the File Locations

tab, you can set the default template. This template would be the default

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whenever you create a new project.

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ToolTips and Snapping
ToolTips provide information about the components within your model. In addition, ToolTips
cooperate with Snapping and provide precise snapping coordinates such as "Endpoint" and
"Midpoint". You can adjust the amount of ToolTip assistance that you receive. In addition, you
can utilize "Jump Snaps" when sketching. Jump Snaps act as a "snap filter" to increase your
sketching accuracy and capture your design intent.

In this exercise, you will learn about:

ToolTips

Controlling ToolTips

Snapping

Jump Snaps

Note: This exercise was created with an imperial template and components.

Whenever units of measurement are necessary, both the imperial and metric units

are supplied with the imperial unit followed by the metric in brackets. Units may not

be the result of a direct conversion.

For example, 30' 0" [10meters]. You can set your units preference by selecting

Units from the Settings menu.

Retrieve the Training File

1. From the File menu, select Open.

2. On the left side of the dialog, scroll down the icons and select Training Files.

Opening the Training Files Folder

3. From the folder, Common, open the file, Office Building.rvt.

Note: This file is used with several tutorials. If you wish to save your work, click

File, Save As, and save the file with a unique file name.

4. From the Project Browser, open Floor Plan: Level 1.

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ToolTips
1. Place your cursor over the double doors; do not select them. Notice that a ToolTip
appears.

Floor Plan: Level 1 with ToolTip Appearing

The ToolTip provides information regarding the preselected component. The ToolTip
information is identical to the information supplied in the status bar.
2. Place your cursor over the west wall until the Tooltip appears.

Press <Tab> several times and notice the ToolTip changes as Revit cycles
through the selection options.

3. You can control ToolTips as a system option.

From the Settings menu, choose Options.

Autodesk Revit Options

Notice that you can control the amount of ToolTip Assistance that Revit provides
you.

The ToolTip Assistance options are as follows:

None No Tooltips are displayed

Minim Repetitive ToolTips are not
al shown.
Norm This is the default setting. The
al most repetitive ToolTips do not
reappear if they have been
shown often and recently.
High Repetitive ToolTips continue to
display
4. From the ToolTip Assistance drop-down list, select Normal.

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 Click OK.

Note: If you change the ToolTip Assistance setting, the setting is used while

working in all projects.

Snapping
1. In the Floor Plan: Level 1, zoom into the region that includes the room in the
upper, right corner.

2. From the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Wall. From the Type Selector drop-
down list, select Basic Wall: Interior - 5 1/2" Partition (1-hr).

3. Using the image below for guidance, place your cursor approximately at the
midpoint of the wall shown.

Midpoint ToolTip
Notice that the image at the point of the cursor changes from an "X" to a triangle
when cursor is at the midpoint of the wall. A ToolTip also appears informing you that
the cursor is located at the midpoint of the highlighted object.
4. Move the cursor to the left until you reach the endpoint of the same wall. Use the
image below for guidance.

Endpoint ToolTip
Notice that the image at the point of the cursor changes to a square and the ToolTip
informs you that you are at the Endpoint of the highlighted object.
5. While sketching, you can also utilize keyboard shortcuts to override snap settings;
these are called Jump Snaps.

From the Settings menu, select Snaps.

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 Jump Snap Shortcuts
Next to each of the object snap checkboxes is a two-letter acronym. This is the
keyboard shortcut, or "jump snap", for that object snap type.

For example, while sketching, type SC and the cursor snaps to the center points of
objects; type SM and the cursor snaps to midpoints.

Tip: The jump snaps are defined and modified within the file,

keyboardshortcuts.txt.
Click Cancel.
6. Click Wall and after placing your cursor near the upper, right room, type SM. The
cursor will now snap only to the midpoints of lines. Select the midpoint of the wall
shown in the image below.

Using the "SM" Jump Snap

7. While sketching the wall upwards, type SP. This will allow the cursor to snap only
to perpendicular points. Finish the wall using the image below for guidance.

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 Using the "SP" Jump Snap

8. If you have saved the file with a unique name or wish to do so, do it now.
Otherwise, select File, Close, and do not save the changes made to this file.

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Creating Your 1st Model

Sketching Walls and Lines

Knowing the sketching tools and rules in Revit will make your designs easier to create. In this
exercise you will create several sketches to learn the tools that you have to use. Whenever
you need to sketch linear geometry, for lines, for walls, or for family creation, the rules are the
same. In this exercise you will create sketches using several different methods.
1. Start a new design. Click the button.

2. From the Basics tab of the Design Bar, select Wall.

A toolbar of sketching tools and options will appear once the Wall (or line) has been selected.

Options are:

• Ortho: Used to create sketched entities which are orthogonal. All lines are created
horizontally or vertically. Access the ortho option by holding the Shift key while
sketching.
• Chain: Create lines connected end to end.
• Offset: Used to create an automatic offset when drawing lines and walls. Drop-down
menu allows user to choose if the offset is to the centre, to the far side, or to the near
side of the wall.
• (Line) - Create lines (default).
• (Rectangle) - Sketch rectangular elements. Requires two left mouse picks, one for
start point, second for endpoint.
• (Circle) - Sketch circles by first selecting the centre point then a point on the
radius.
• (3 Point Arc) - Sketch an arc by defining the both endpoints then a point on the
arc.
• ( Centre-Endpoint Arc) - Create an arc by selecting the centre point then the two
endpoints.
• (Tangent Arc)- Create an arc tangent to an existing wall by clicking on the wall to
start the tangent arc and clicking on the end point of the arc.
• (Fillet Arc) - Create a convex fillet wall between two existing walls. The fillet will be
tangent to the existing walls at both ends. The fillet is created by clicking the two
existing walls and dragging the fillet to the desired location. When the fillet is placed
the system will trim the existing walls to the fillet.
1. First you will sketch the outside walls.

With selected, move your cursor to the right. Notice as you move your
cursor to the right a temporary dimension appears on the wall so you can see how
long it is. As you move your cursor the wall changes in fixed increments. Also
notice as you move the cursor to the right and move it up and down a dashed
alignment line appears signifying a horizontal line. When this line appears click to
drop the end point approximately as shown.

2. Move the cursor away from the end. Notice the dimension remains. Modify the
dimension by clicking on it and type in 3m (or 3000). Hit <Enter> to have the wall
length update.

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3. Place the cursor over the right end of the wall and click to start the next wall.

4. Move the cursor down so that the alignment line appears signifying a perpendicular
wall.

5. Type 2500 and press<Enter>. The line is finished with a length of 2500mm as
shown in the next figure. Notice two dimensions appear; a horizontal dimension
and a vertical dimension. Also, notice how the wall joins at the corner.

6. Turn on the Ortho sketch mode by holding the Shift key down while sketching the
two walls as shown in the next figure. As you sketch, notice the walls only move
orthographically (horizontal or vertical). Also, notice as you bring the cursor up to
end the second line, an alignment line extends from the first horizontal line when
the end point lines up. Click there to end the fourth wall.

7. Notice the lock that appears on the first wall. This lock is currently unlocked. That
means you can move the end point of the last wall independent of the first wall,
even though you used the alignment snap to line them up. Try this. Choose

and select the right vertical line. Click and hold the left mouse
button on the circle representing the end point while moving the cursor. Notice the
end point moves and the original line remains. Move the point back so it lines up
with the original wall and the alignment line appears. Notice the lock reappears
when you click on the endpoint.

8. Click on the lock to lock it. Now try moving the point as you did in the previous
step. Notice the horizontal wall and the end point move together. Place the walls
as shown in the next figure.

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9. Choose and choose from the Options Bar. Select the Chain option.

Sketch the walls as shown in the next figure. Notice with the poly option as you
sketch you do not click a start and an end for each wall segment. Rather, the walls
chain together so that the last point of the first line becomes the start point of the
next line. Use the <Esc> command to stop the wall creation. Lock the lines as
shown.

10. Choose the 3 Point Arc tool and click on the two open ends of the wall to create
a curved wall. After clicking on the second end notice as you move your cursor the
wall arc changes gradually. Click approximately as shown to complete the wall.

11. Hit <Esc> twice to place you in modify mode. Click on the wall shown and move it
to the left by placing the cursor over the wall and clicking and holding the left
button while dragging the cursor. Notice as you pass a point where the
configuration of the walls becomes impossible, the symbol changes to the universal
prohibited sign. This will happen in Autodesk Revit when you try to move or place
something that is physically impossible. Move the wall back to where it was
originally. (If you are not sure where it was originally, drop the wall anywhere
possible and use the Undo command to go back to the original placement).

12. Select the wall from the previous step and modify the dimension by clicking on the
value and enter 6000 (if your model is not the same size as this, enter an
appropriate value). Notice the wall moves to the left by the incremental value and
the other dimension updates accordingly. Also notice the wall below that was
locked to the first wall moves accordingly.

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 13. If you wish the two adjacent walls in the previous step to move at the same time
you need to select each of them. To show this first choose Undo to go back to the
original shape. Now select both walls and modify the dimension as you did in the
previous step. Notice that both walls move.

Note: Another way to move both of the walls simultaneously is to create a

permanent dimension between the two of them and then lock the dimension.

14. You are now going to modify the model to cut off a corner. First, sketch the
diagonal wall as shown below.

15. You are now going to remove the corner. To do this choose Trim/Extend from the
Edit menu. Make sure the option is selected in the Option Bar.

16. Select the two walls as shown below.

17. Now select the slanted wall and the horizontal wall to trim.

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 18. Delete the arc wall.

19. Add a fillet wall. To do this first open the Modelling tab on the Design bar. Choose
and . Click on the top wall and move vertically and pick on the bottom
wall. Drag the wall approximately as shown and click to place it.

Now you will add a floor to the walls. A floor is a component for which you have to sketch a
profile. You can use the sketch tools and trace over the walls. The lines of the floor profile
would snap to existing lines and endpoints. Another way to easily create the profile collinear
with the wall faces is to use the Pick option. With this option instead of sketching each line you
pick the wall face and the system creates the line automatically.
20. Choose from the Basics tab of the Design Bar.

21. Choose the option and select all of the inside edges of the wall.
An easy way to select all the walls at once is to press the <TAB> key while the
cursor is over any wall. This will chain select all walls. If the sketch lines are on
the outside of the walls, click on the blue controls arrows to flip it inside.

22. Create a rectangular opening for the stairs approximately where shown. Choose
from the sketch toolbar. Select and click on the screen for the start of
the box. Move the corner to the location of the diagonal corner and click again.
Notice as you move the cursor when creating the box all of the different alignment
possibilities. See if you can identify them.

23. Choose to see the floor. Change to a 3D shaded view to better

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visualize the floor.

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Walls, Doors and Windows
Exercise

Creating a New Project

To begin this exercise, you must create a new Autodesk Revit project.
From the Menu Bar, choose File, New, Project. You could also create a new document
by selecting on the icon from the toolbar or using the accelerator key Ctrl + N.

Creating Walls
To begin the building we will start with the four outer walls, then add all of the inner walls. The
outer and inner walls will be different wall types.
1. To begin the wall creation, the Wall component must be selected. You can select
from the Basics or Modelling tab of the Design Bar. You may choose Wall
from the Modelling menu.

2. Once Wall is active, you should notice the pull down list in the upper left corner of
the screen is now active and "Basic Wall: 200mm is the default wall type.

3. To view the properties for this wall type, select the button to the
right of the drop down list. The 'Element Properties' dialogue box should appear as
shown below.

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4. The parameter value, Unconnected Height will be modified from 8000mm to
5000mm. Left click the value field for the Unconnected Height and modify the
value to 5000. Press OK to close the dialogue box.

5. With 'Wall' as the active component, the sketching toolbar appears as shown
below. To begin creating the outer walls, select the 'Rectangle' button from the
toolbar.

6. Using the left mouse button, pick a point on the screen to be a corner of the
rectangle, then move the mouse to see the walls being created. Pick a second
point to complete the rectangle. The size does not matter.

7. To change the overall size of the building, we will modify the dimensions. Choose

from the side toolbar. You will notice any dimensions should
disappear.

8. Select one of the two horizontal walls. The dimension between these two walls will
appear. Select the dimension (on the text) and change the value to 10650 mm.
Use the <Enter> key complete the change.

9. To resize the display, pick the Zoom button from the toolbar and choose Zoom To
Fit.

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10. This can also be done by right mouse clicking in the window and selecting Zoom
To Fit from the pop-up menu.

11. Next select on one of the vertical walls and modify the dimension to 12500mm (or
12.5m). Use 'Zoom To Fit' to view and centre the building.

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Sketch Interior Walls
To create the interior walls, we will use a different wall type, Interior - 126mm Partition
(2hr), which has different properties from Generic- 200mm.
1. Choose the button from the build toolbar.
2. From the drop down list select Basic Wall: Interior - 135mm Partition (2-hr) as
the new wall type. Pick the Properties button to view the wall properties.

Notice the Unconnected Height, Width and Top Constraint are different than the
200mm wall type.

3. Choose "Cancel" to close the dialogue box.

4. To begin sketching the interior walls, select the 'Line' button from the Option
toolbar.

5. Using the mouse, move the cursor along the left vertical wall. Notice when the cursor
is close to an existing wall, dimensions appear, which indicate the wall's location
relative to the existing walls. Sketch the new wall horizontally as shown. Start and end
the new wall on top of an existing vertical walls. The dimensions do not matter.

6. Once the wall has been placed, select the dimension which locates the wall from the
top exterior wall and modify it to 3000mm.

Note: You can modify the dimensions of the last created object without

selecting the Modify command if the dimensions for that object are visible.

Otherwise, you must use the Modify command and select the object to display the

dimensions

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7. Using the same settings, sketch two vertical walls from the top exterior wall to the wall
created in the previous step as shown. Do not worry about the dimensions.

8. Wall positions can be modified by dragging the wall as well as modifying the
dimensions. Choose from the design bar and select the left vertical wall
created in the previous step. Notice two dimension values locating the wall appear.
Drag the wall horizontally until the wall is 4m from the short vertical interior wall to
the right.

9. Next select the short vertical wall on the right to modify. Modify the dimension locating
the wall from the right exterior wall. Change the value to 4m.

Notice the distance between the two small vertical walls has changed and is no longer
4m. When modifying dimensions, the highlighted item, (small vertical wall on the
right), updated when the dimension was modified.
10. To cancel the last change, choose the button from the toolbar. This will undo the
last step and return the project to the previous values.
11. Select the small, left vertical wall and the hold the <Ctrl> key down and select the
right vertical small wall. Notice when both walls are highlighted, the temporary
dimensions no longer display. When multiple items are highlighted, any change will
affect all highlighted items, so the dimensions are disabled. Click Activate
Dimensions in the Options Bar to activate temporary dimensions for all selected
objects.

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12. Select the dimension locating the walls from the right exterior wall. Modify the value to
4m. Notice both highlighted walls moved.

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Create Walls as shown. Click on image or right arrow to proceed.

Create Walls as shown. Click on image or right arrow to proceed.

Create Walls as shown. Click on image or right arrow to proceed.

Create Walls as shown. Click on image or right arrow to proceed.

Create Walls as shown. Click on image or right arrow to proceed.

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Create Walls as shown. Click on image or right arrow to proceed.

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Sketching Chained Lines
For the next two walls we will use the Chain option. When selected, this option allows line
entities to be chained together when sketching. Once a line has been sketched a new line will
start from the endpoint of the previous line. The default behavior, with Chain not active,
means once a line has been sketched, the start point for the next entity must be selected
manually. The Chain option is available when sketching all line types.

Enable the Chain Option

1. Click and from the Options Bar, select Chain and .

2. Sketch the wall shown below. Notice that a new wall is extending from the end of
the previously drawn wall.

Note: It is possible to directly enter length dimensions as you draw a

line or chained line. After selecting the first point, type 5500 and press

<Enter>. The length of 5500mm will automatically be created for the wall.

3. Sketch a second wall as shown. To end the chained line creation, select the middle
mouse button or right click to bring up the pop-up menu and choose "Cancel" or
press the 'Esc' key.

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Splitting Walls
1. The next step in our design is to split an existing wall into two. This is done using
the 'Split Walls and Lines' command from the Tools menu.

2. The split tool can also be accessed by selecting from the toolbar.
Walls (and Lines) can be split at any point along the wall. When walls intersect other entities,
(walls, construction lines, etc.), they can be split at this intersection. When splitting, if entities
intersect, the cursor will change orientation to indicate which items are being split.

Horizonal wall will be split Vertical wall will be split

Spilt Walls
In the steps that follow, you will split the walls and delete the wall segments as shown below.

1. Choose Split Walls and Lines from the Edit menu. Notice the cursor symbol has
changed to indicate the new command.

2. Select the intersecting walls as shown. Once the walls are split, dimensions to the
new wall segments appear.

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3. Select the two segments shown (in red). Use the 'Ctrl' key to select multiple
segments. When both segments are selected, choose the Delete command from
the Edit menu or the 'Delete' key from the keyboard.

4. Save the project. Choose File, Save and when prompted give the project the
name 'Office'. Choose "OK' to save.

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Doors
In this portion of the exercise we will see how to insert doors into our design. For purposes of
this exercise we will only use the standard system doors. To learn how to create your own
custom families, see 'Creating a Door Family'. In the next section of this exercise, you will
actually place doors into the model.

Inserting a Door (Plan View)

Doors must be inserted into walls, so there must be at least one wall in your design to place a
door.
1. Select the button from the design bar or choose Door from the Modelling
menu, then select the door type UK_Single Flush:SO 810x2110 from the
pulldown list.

2. The cursor will change appearance and when the pointer is moved onto a wall,
the door outline will appear with dimensions.

3. Once the pointer is in the desired location, click the left mouse button to place. The
door opening is controlled by the location of the mouse relative to the wall.
Whichever side of the wall the mouse is on, that is the side the door will open.

4. Once the door is placed, two sets of control arrows appear. One set controls if the
door opens from the left or right, the other controls the door opening in or out.

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Placing Doors in non-Plan Views
Doors can be placed in any type of view, not just a plan view. When placing a door in a non-
plan view the bottom of the door will snap to the level closest to the pointer.

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Exercise: Placing Doors
In this portion of the exercise, doors will be added to the "Office" design created earlier. If you
did not do or save the Walls exercise, you can use the project, Office_1.rvt located in the
Training Files\Metric folder.
1. If necessary, open the "Office" model. It should look similar to the figure below.

2. Select from the Basics tab of the Design Bar.

Make sure the door type is set to UK_Single Flush: SO 810x2110 from the
pulldown list.

3. Choose the button to view the door properties.

4. To have more doors available in this project, choose from the Element
Properties dialogue box.

From the Doors folder, select the door M_Double-Glass 1.rfa and choose Open
to load the door.

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5. The Properties will now update to the default double glass door 1730 x 2032mm.
Choose OK.

6. Move the cursor along the bottom wall and place the door as shown below. Use the
control arrows to control the door opening as shown.

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7. Now we will place the remaining doors, however these new doors will not be 1730
x 2032mm of the M_Double-Glass 1 door type.

8. Choose the M_Single-Flush: 0813 x 2032mm door from the pulldown list as
shown.

9. Place and arrange the nine other doors as shown below. If the door faces or swing
in the wrong direction, use the control arrows to rearrange the doors.

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Windows
In this portion of the exercise, we will see how to insert windows into our design. For purposes
of this exercise, we will only use the standard system windows. To learn how to create your
own custom families, see 'Creating Families'.

Inserting a Window (Plan View)

Windows must be inserted into walls, so there must be at least one wall segment in your
design to place a window.

1. Select the "Window" button or choose Window from the

Modelling menu, then select the window type from the pulldown list.

2. The cursor will change appearance and when the pointer is moved onto a wall,
the window outline will appear with dimensions.

3. Once the pointer is in the desired location, click the left mouse button to place. The
window will be placed at the default elevation as defined in the properties.

Placing Windows in non-Plan Views

Windows can be placed in any type of view, not just a plan view. When placing a window in a
non-plan view the window can be moved freely over a wall surface. A window can be placed at
any elevation, however, when the window is moved close to the default elevation a
construction line will appear which the window will snap to.

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Exercise: Placing Windows
Using the "Office" project created earlier, we will place three types of windows on our design.
If you did not do or save the Walls exercise, you can use the project, Office_2.rvt located in
the Training Files\Metric directory.
1. If necessary, open the "Office" model. It should look similar to the figure below.

2. Select the "Window" button from the build toolbar. Make sure the
window type is set to M_Fixed: 900 x 1200mm from the pulldown list.

3. Move the cursor along the top wall and place the window as shown below. If
necessary, use the control arrows to control the window opening.

4. Place the seven other windows as shown below.

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5. The remaining windows will be the same style window as before, however the size

of the window will be changed. Choose and then to

display the properties dialogue box.

6. To create a new window type of the fixed windows, choose . The type
properties dialogue box will display.

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7. Choose and when prompted for the name of the window, enter 1220 x
1500 mm. Choose to continue.

8. Change the Width field in the Type Properties dialogue box from 900 to 1220 and
change the Height from 1200 to 1550.

Choose to create the new window. Choose to close the Element

Properties dialogue box.

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9. Notice the 1220 x 1500mm window is now the active window. Insert the windows
as shown below.

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Dimensions
In Autodesk Revit, there are two types of dimensions, temporary and permanent. Temporary
dimensions are the dimensions created by the system when creating and inserting
components. Permanent dimensions are created explicitly by the user to capture design intent.
Automatic permanent dimensions are also created when you create sketches to define profiles
for family creation. These automatic dimensions are not displayed by default, however, you
can display them by turning on there display using Visibility.
In this exercise you will learn how to create permanent dimensions to control and document
your design.
Retrieve the Model

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

2. From the Metric folder, select dimensions.rvt.

Click Open.

Creating Permanent Dimensions

1. To create dimensions, choose the dimension button from the Basics tab
of the Design Bar.

2. Note that the dimension options appear on the Options Bar.

The default dimension type is Linear. The preferred behaviour is to dimension to wall
centrelines.
3. Using the defaults, pick the top straight wall with the left mouse button. Move the
mouse to the wall at the very bottom of the view and pick with the left mouse
button. Move the mouse to the desired location for dimension placement and click
the left mouse button. The new dimension should appear as shown.

4. Notice the unlock symbol appears next to the dimension text. This means the
dimension value is unlocked, or modifiable. Select on the unlock symbol with the
left mouse button. The symbol will change to a locked symbol , meaning is
locked to the current value. This is a feature only available with permanent
dimensions.

5. Now we will create dimensions which reference multiple entities. Select the

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 button. Select the four vertical wall segments, one at a time. Move the
mouse to the location to place the dimension and click the left mouse button to
place.

6. Notice unlock symbols appear next to each dimension and the symbol is
present. To set all segment lengths equal, select on the symbol. The symbol will
change to , and the segments will now be equal. This is a feature only available
with permanent dimensions.

Radial Dimensions
1. Next, we will create a Radial dimension for the arc. Choose Radial from the
Options Bar. Select the curved wall. The radial dimension will appear. Move the
mouse to a desired location and place the dimension.

2. Zoom in around the curved wall. Use View, Zoom, Zoom In Region. Click the
left mouse at one corner of the region to zoom in on then click the opposite corner.

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 3. Notice the dimension is to the wall centre, which is controlled by the options. We
will delete the dimension and create it again using the option 'Default to wall
faces'. Choose Modify and select the dimension (not the wall). Choose Edit,
Delete or use the <Del> key on your keyboard to remove the dimension.

4. Choose button and select Radial as the dimension type.

5. Now choose "Prefer wall faces" from the options pulldown list.

6. Move the mouse to the curved wall, notice you can select either face of the wall.
Select the inside face and place the dimension.

7. Zoom out to view the entire model. Choose View, Zoom, Zoom All.

Angular Dimensions

1. We will create an angular dimension to the slanted wall. Choose the

button and select Angular as the dimension type. Notice the "Default to wall faces"
is still the current option.

2. Select the slanted wall with the left mouse button, then select the vertical wall
adjacent to it. Move the mouse. Notice as the mouse is moved, different angular
dimensions will appear based on where the dimension would be placed. Place the
dimension as shown.

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Overriding Dimension Defaults
While dimensions are being placed, the default placement (to wall faces or wall centrelines),
can be overridden.
1. Choose button and select Linear as the dimension type. The option
"Prefer wall faces" should still be selected.

2. Move the mouse to the bottom horizontal wall but do not select anything. Notice
that as the mouse is close to the wall the face nearest the point will highlight. This
is the face which would be selected.

3. To toggle through all selectable entities near the pointer, press the <Tab> key.
This will toggle through all possible choices.

4. Toggle through until the outside face of the wall highlights and click the left mouse
button to select.

5. Move the pointer to the next horizontal wall and <Tab> until the wall centreline
highlights and select.

6. Move the pointer to the top horizontal wall and select the (top) outer face, then
place the dimension as shown.

Editing Witness Lines

The witness lines of dimensions can be modified once they have been placed.
1. Choose the button from the objects toolbar.

2. Select on the dimension witness line shown below.

3. The dimension will highlight and display control boxes on each witness line.

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4. Click once on the control box. Notice the witness line now moves to the inside face.

5. Click the control box again. The dimension should now be to the wall centreline.

6. Move the mouse to the control box on the witness line at the top wall, but do not
select it. Right click to activate the popup menu.

7. Choose Delete Witness Line from the popup menu. The dimension should be
deleted.

8. Move the mouse to the top witness line to highlight it. Right click to activate the
popup menu.

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9. Select Re-edit Witness Line from the popup menu. You can now add more
segments of the dimension. Select on the outside face of the top wall. To end
editing, just click anywhere off the model.

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Dimension Properties
Like most items, dimensions have properties which can be modified.
1. Select and click on the dimension modified in the previous steps.

2. The button should now be available. Choose to open the

Properties dialogue box.

3. Choose the button to access the Type Properties dialogue box.

4. Change the value of Text Size to 5 mm, Text Alignment to Right of Vertical,
and Arrowhead to Diagonal 2mm.

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5. Choose the from the Type Properties dialogue and the from the
Element Properties. The dimensions should update as shown.

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Alignments
Items can be aligned together to capture your design intent. Aligning is similar to dimensioning
something with a value of zero. Objects which are aligned can also be locked to maintain the
alignment if these objects are moved.

Alignments can be made as components are being sketched. For example when sketching
walls, if two or more walls are co-linear, Revit will display a lock symbol allowing you to lock
the alignment of these walls.

Exercise

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Alignment.rvt.

Click Open.

2. To begin, the two uppermost short horizontal walls, will be aligned. Select Align
from the Tools menu or choose from the toolbar. Notice the cursor changes
to indicate the align command is active.

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The uppermost horizontal wall will stay fixed. Move the cursor to the uppermost
horizontal wall. Select the upper wall.

3. Next select the short horizontal wall to the left. Notice the second wall will now
move to the height of the first. The symbol will appear. Select the symbol and
the symbol will change to , indicating the two walls are locked.

4. Now the three short horizontal walls below the two walls aligned in the last step
will be aligned together. The align command should still be active, (if not select the
Align command from the Edit menu), select the centre wall as the wall to stay
fixed.

5. Select the short wall to the left as shown below.

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6. Select the symbol to lock the walls.

7. Press and hold the <Ctrl> key and select the short horizontal wall to the right as
shown. Do not lock the walls.

8. Choose and select the middle wall and drag it down. Notice the wall on
the left moves with it but the wall on the right does not. Choose or <Ctrl> +
Z to undo the move.

9. Re-align the right wall with the middle wall and lock the walls. Move the walls to
verify the alignment constraint.

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Aligning Doors
1. Other components can be aligned as well. Choose Align from the Tools menu and
select the door on the right, (door #4).

2. Select the door to the left, door number 3 to align. Then select the lock to
constrain the doors.

3. Hold the <Ctrl> key and select the next door. Lock the constraint. Repeat for the
last door. Move any of the doors to test the alignment.

Align the Windows

The windows on the north and south walls are to be aligned. The two outside windows
on the North wall (top) are dimensioned and locked and another window on the
north wall is constrained by a dimension. We will see what happens when an
alignment violates a constraint.
1. Select the Align command from the Tools menu. Select the window on the north

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 wall on the left.

2. Now select the window on the far left on the south wall. The two windows should
align without any problems.

3. Now select the far right window on the south wall. Do not use the <Ctrl> key.
Next select the far right window on the north wall. A message should appear,
alerting you that 'Constraints are not satisfied'. This is because the first item
selected in the alignment will remain fixed. The second window selected was
locked, violating the constraint. From the alert window, choose Remove
Constraints. The north window becomes unlocked.

4. Align and position the remaining windows as shown below.

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130
Compound Walls
In this exercise we will demonstrate Autodesk Revit's object structure functionality. This
capability allows users to define wall, floor and roof structures which comprise parallel layers;
the layers consist of either a single continuous plane of material, or they consist of discrete,
repeated materials placed alone or with other interstitial material. In this exercise you will
learn how to define, wall structures, how to define new dimensioning references and apply
materials to the layers. The same principals of defining the structural wall layers apply to floors
and roofs as well.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select gallery.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open the Floor Plan view Level 1 from the Project Browser.

3. Select and select the Generic - 200mm wall shown below.

4. Choose to display the Element Properties dialogue box.

5. Wall structures are Type properties. To define the structure of the wall, choose
to open the type properties dialogue.

6. A new wall type will be defined and applied to this wall. Choose and enter
a name for the new wall type as 200mm Stud Wall and choose .

7. To edit the wall structure, choose the button for Structure. The
Edit Wall Structure dialogue box will appear.

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8. The wall currently has a single layer 200mm thick with a material of Default. We
will add two additional layers to the wall. Choose twice to add the two
layers.

9. After adding the second layer, move it to the top of the list by selecting the UP
button until it is on top as shown in the next figure.

10. We will change the definition of the first layer to be 40mm EIFS. Select from the
pulldown list for Material: Finishes - Exterior - EIFS - Exterior Insulation and
Finish System.

Next change the Thickness value to 40.

Set the Function to Finish 2 [5].

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 11. Next, move the second new layer to the bottom of the list. It should be outside of
the core boundary.

Within the Core Boundary, set the Layer material to be Wood - Stud Layer and
modify the thickness to be 140mm. Set the Function to Structure [1].

12. Modify the interior layer's Material to Finishes - Interior - Plasterboard and a
thickness of 20mm. Set the Function to Finish 2 [5].

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 13. To preview the new wall structure, choose .

14. Choose to close the Edit Wall Structure dialogue box and then choose
from the Type Properties dialogue box. Finally close the Element Properties
dialogue by selecting .

Setting View Detail Level

1. Notice that the selected wall appears unchanged. To view the layers of the
compound wall, choose View and View Properties.

2. From the View Properties dialogue box, change the value for Detail level from
Coarse to Medium.

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 3. Choose to update the view. You may need to zoom in to view the cut
pattern.

4. We will now apply the new wall type to all remaining Generic 200mm walls. From
the Project Browser, expand the Families.

5. Next expand Walls, then expand Basic Walls as shown below.

6. Select Generic - 200mm and press the right mouse button to display the popup
menu. Choose Select All Instances.

7. Next, from the Type Selector drop-down list, select Basic Wall: 200mm Stud
Wall to change all instances to the new the 200mm Stud Wall type.

Changing Reference Position

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In this portion of the exercise you will change the dimensional reference The reference will be
changed from the wall centre to the (inside) face of the stud.
1. Zoom in on the model as shown below.

2. Choose and add a dimension as shown. The dimension will be from wall
centerline to wall centerline.

3. To dimension from face of stud, change the dimensioning default on the options
bar to "Prefers faces of core."

4. Change the View Properties Detail Level to Course.

5. Choose Modify and select the dimension you just added. With the handles (blue
squares) of the dimension visible, select the handle as shown below and keep the
left mouse button pressed.

6. Move the selected handle to the line near the face of stud on the outside of the
wall. Notice the dimension snaps to the outside face of Core. Click to drop the
dimension at this point.

7. Repeat the process for the other witness line.

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 8. With the Prefer faces of core value set in the options bar create the following
dimension. Do the same for the other wall.

Editing Fill Patterns

1. Next the Fill pattern for the Plasterboard layer will be changed. Open the view,
Callout of Section 3 from the Sections branch of the Project Browser.

2. Choose Settings and Fill Patterns. The Fill Patterns dialogue box will appear.

3. Choose from the dialogue box to define a new cut pattern.

4. Select the Custom option to define the new pattern.

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5. Next, select and from the Data directory, choose revit.pat as the pattern
file, then choose Open.

6. Next, select the Sand pattern The pattern Import Scale should be set to 0.5. Enter
Plasterboard as the name for the pattern.

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 7. Choose to complete the new pattern. Select from the Fill Patterns
dialogue to continue.

8. To apply the new pattern, choose Settings and Materials.

9. From the pulldown list for Material and select Finishes - Interior - Plasterboard.

10. Choose Cut Pattern and change the value to Plasterboard.

11. Choose to close the Materials dialogue box. The new fill pattern should now
display.

Apply Surface Patterns

1. Open the 3D view V1.

2. Change the display to Hidden Line. Choose View and select Hidden Line.

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3. Next we will define a surface pattern for the material Masonry - Concrete Blocks.
Choose Settings and Materials. Select the material Masonry - Concrete
Blocks.

4. Select the pulldown list for Surface pattern and select the pattern Block 8 x 16.
Choose to update to material.

5. Select the 300mm Masonry round wall shown below.

6. Choose to access the wall properties and choose .

7. View the Wall Structure by selecting .

8. Change the value for wall material to Masonry - Concrete Blocks. Choose
to exit the dialogue.

9. Choose twice to close both dialogues.

10. The wall should now appear with the surface pattern as shown below.

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11. Compound materials can also be applied to roofs and floors as well. To do this
select the roof as shown below.

12. From the option bar change to roof type to Roof: Reinforced Concrete Slab -
LW Screed - Asphalt Roofing.

13. Now select to bring up the Element Properties box

14. Pick to bring up the Type Properties box. If the preview box is not visible
select the button.

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 15. Pick the button to view the structure of the roof

Notice the roof that we have selected is comprised of four materials. This is an example of a
compound roof.
16. Select to close the Edit Structure dialog box. Finally select button
twice to close the remaining dialog boxes.

Aligning Surface Patterns

1. We will now align the masonry pattern with the wall. To do this open the East
Elevation view from the browser.

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2. Select and zoom in around the retaining wall to the right.

3. We are now going to align the masonry pattern to the left wall. Select Align from
the Tools menu. Now select the wall to the left. (you may want to zoom in closer
when selecting the wall).

4. Now select the start of the brick pattern. You will need to use <Tab> to select the
surface pattern line.

5. Click on and select Zoom Out (2x) to see the results.

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144
Vertically Compound Walls
This exercise will cover the creation and modification of vertically compound walls. In the
following example, you will create an exterior wall with a change in brick coursing and a brick
ledge. The tools covered are Modify, Split Region, Merge Regions, and Assign Layers,
Wall Sweeps, and Reveals. The first part of the exercise focuses on modifying the structure
of the wall. The second part of the exercise will focus on adding to and subtracting from the
wall layers using the integral Wall Sweep and Reveal tools. The sample model contains
additional examples of vertically compound walls, which are reviewed towards the end of the
exercise.

Modifying the Vertical Structure of a Wall

Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Townhouse.rvt.

Click Open.

Townhouse.rvt

1. Select one of the Exterior- Brick on Mtl. Stud walls and choose Properties to
bring up the Element Properties of the wall.

2. Choose Edit/New to edit the type properties of the wall and then choose Edit
next to Structure to edit the Structure of the wall.

3. Notice that the Modify Vertical Structure tools at the bottom of the dialog box
are grayed out. As indicated, these tools will only work if the Section Preview is
active. Also note that they are modifying the wall type only, not a specific wall
instance.

4. If not already expanded, choose Preview to view the preview of the wall
structure.

5. Change the view type to, Section: Modify Type Attributes from the drop-down
view selection below the Preview window. The Modify Vertical Structure tools
should now be active.

Sample Height
The sample height is a default height set for the wall in the preview pane. You can set the
sample height to any value you want. You should set it to a value high enough to allow you to
create the desired wall structure. Note that this sample height does not set the height of any
walls of that type in the project. In this exercise, you will accept the default sample height of
20ft.

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 Sample Height

Split Region Command

The Split Region command divides a layer, or regions, either horizontally or vertically into new
regions. When you split a region, the new regions assume the same material.

To split a layer or region horizontally, prehighlight one of the borders. A preview split line
appears when you prehighlight a border. To split a layer or region vertically, prehighlight a
horizontal boundary. That boundary can be the outside boundary, or an inside boundary
created if you previously split horizontally.

Tip: It is helpful to zoom in on the outer horizontal boundary to split it

vertically.

1. Use the Dynamic View Controls to Zoom in on the bottom part of the wall. You
can also right click to select the Zoom commands.

2. Choose the Split Region tool. Place your cursor along the outside face of the wall
along the Layer 1: Masonry - Brick layer. Click to split the region into two parts.

3. Click once more to split the region into three distinct parts stacked one on top of
the next. As you split the region, dimensions will appear showing where the split
occurs.

Notice that all regions acquired the same Layer 1: Masonry - Brick Finish as the

original and that in the table the Thickness for Layer 1 is now Variable. After a layer

is split, the thickness is no longer recorded as a fixed value.

Merge Regions Command

The Merge Regions Tool is used to merge adjacent regions so that they are composed of the
same layer material. Prehighlight a border between regions and click to merge them. When
you merge regions, the position of the pointer when you prehighlight a border determines
which material prevails after the merge.
1. Choose the Merge Regions tool. Place your cursor on the uppermost split that
was created in the Brick layer.

2. If you leave your cursor for a few seconds, a tool tip will appear which will explain
what will happen upon selection. In this case, since both regions are composed of
the same layer, the message will be: “Border between Layer 1 and Layer 1. After
merge assign Layer 1”

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 3. Click to merge the two layers.

Modify Tool
The Modify Tool can be used to modify the position of vertical and horizontal lines in the wall
structure using temporary dimensions to allow you to change the composition of the wall. In
this section, you will be modifying the position of the remaining split.
1. Choose the Modify tool.

2. Notice that there is a temporary dimension from the split line to the base of the
wall. You may need to zoom out to see the temporary dimension. Pick the line of
the split. The dimension text will turn blue indicating that it is modifiable.

3. Click on the temporary dimension text and change the value to 12 ft.

4. Zoom out so that you can see the entire temporary dimension as well as the split
line. Notice that there is a flip arrow at the split line. Selecting this arrow will flip
the temporary dimension so that it dimensions from the split up to the next
parallel line instead of down. Click on the arrow to observe the behavior.

Modifying the Sample Height

The Modify tool can also be used to control the Sample Height of the wall. Although this
value can be changed by editing this value directly, it can also be changed by using the Modify
tool.
1. To change the Sample Height using the Modify tool, choose Modify and place your
cursor over the top edge of the wall.

2. Use the <TAB> key to toggle though until one of the top horizontal edges of one of
the layers prehighlights.

3. Select the line and notice that a temporary dimension will appear from the base of
the wall to the top of the wall.

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 4. Change the value of the dimension to 18' 0".

Notice that the entire wall height updates and not just the one segment. This

ensures that the wall does not vary in thickness. To achieve variations in thickness,

see the sections on Integral Wall Sweeps and Reveals.

Assigning Layers
After a region is split you will need to be able to assign a different layer to one of the regions
to change its Material. In this section, you will be creating a new layer and assigning it to a
region.
1. First, use the Split Region tool to add another split just above the split that was
made at 10 ft.

2. Use Modify to adjust the to position of the second split so that it is 8 inches above
the previous split. Remember to use the flip arrows if necessary to flip the
temporary dimensions up or down.

You will now assign Masonry Brick – Soldier Course to this new 8” tall region to create
a band of soldier course brick on the exterior.
3. Create a new wall layer by first clicking on Layer 1 and then choosing Insert. This
will add a new layer at the top of the list.

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4. Change the Function of this layer to Finish 1[4] and change the Material to
Masonry Brick – Soldier Course.

5. To assign this new layer to the 8” region in the preview pane, first click on the
layer number for the Masonry Brick – Soldier Course layer. This should highlight
the entire layer in black in the table.

6. Next, click the Assign Layers button from the Vertical Structure tools at the
bottom of the dialog box.

7. Click on the 8” tall region to assign the layer to this region. It will immediately
highlight in red because it is the selected layer. When a layer is selected in the
table, it will highlight in red in the preview window.

8. Choose OK in all three dialogs to complete the changes to the wall type.

9. In the 3D view, Zoom in on the area with the soldier course brick to observe the
change.

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 Brick Band Added

Tips for Assigning Layers:

Rows of the sample wall in the preview pane must remain in a sequential order from
left to right. To test your sample wall, select row numbers sequentially and observe
which region is selected in the preview pane. If they do not highlight in an order from
left to right, Revit cannot produce this wall.

A row cannot be assigned more than one layer.

You cannot have the same row assigned to regions on both sides of the core.

Assigning layers to regions works best going vertically, rather than horizontally. For
example, you might split finish layer 1 into several regions. Then you could assign
another finish row to some of those regions and create an alternating pattern, such as
brick over concrete.

You should familiarize yourself with the layer functions of compound walls.

Allowing Layer Extension

Layer Extension makes it possible to extend specified layers beyond the top or bottom of the
wall. To extend a layer, you select the horizontal outer boundary at the top or bottom of the
layer using the Modify Tool in the Preview Pane of the Wall Properties Dialog. By toggling the
lock to the unlocked state, you can make that region free to later extend.
1. Access the properties of the Exterior – Brick on Mtl Stud wall by clicking on the
wall and choosing Properties. Chose Edit/New and then Edit the Structure.

2. Choose Modify. Zoom in and click on the horizontal boundary below the Masonry
– Brick layer at the base of the wall. A padlock will appear.

3. A locked padlock indicates the layer cannot be extended. Click the padlock to
unlock it so that the layer can be extended.

4. Choose OK in all three dialogs to finalize the changes

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 Although multiple layers can be unlocked, unlocked layers must be adjacent.

You cannot have one layer locked between two layers that are unlocked.

Modifying Extended Layers

When you unlock layers for extension, two instance properties of the wall become enabled:
Top extension distance (for layers at the top of the wall) or Bottom extension distance (for
layers at the bottom of the wall). You can type values for these properties, or you can drag the
unlocked wall layers in a section, callout, 3D, or elevation view.
Dragging the Extended layers:
1. From the Project Browser, open the Wall Detail view from under the Sections
branch.

2. Place your pointer at the bottom of the brick layer in the section view and press
TAB to prehighlight the shape handle for the extendable brick layer. Watch the
Status Bar to be sure you are prehighlighting the shape handle.

3. Click to select the shape handle.

4. Drag the shape handle down so that it extends beyond the top of the foundation
wall.

5. Choose Tools/Join Geometry and click on the Brick wall and then the Foundation
wall to clean up the join.

6. To modify the Extension properties from the Element Properties dialog, click on the
Brick wall and choose Properties.

7. Change the Bottom Extension Distance to – 0’ – 6”.

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Integral Wall Sweeps and Reveals
Integral Wall Sweeps and Reveals are ones which are added to the definition of the wall type
so that they become part of the wall section. For those already familiar with wall sweeps and
reveals from previous versions of Revit, the basic concept is still the same. A profile from a
Profile Family is swept along the path of the wall. The following exercise will demonstrate how
to add an integral wall sweep. The steps to add an integral reveal are identical except that
there is no material selected for a reveal. In the case of the reveal, the material is determined
by the element that is being cut.
Adding a Wall Sweep to a Vertically Compound Wall
In the following section you will be adding trim detailing to the exterior of the building using an
integral Wall Sweep.
1. Access the properties of the Exterior – Brick on Mtl Stud wall by clicking on the
wall and choosing Properties. Chose Edit/New and Edit the Structure.

2. From the bottom left hand corner of the dialog, choose Wall Sweeps.

The wall sweeps dialog will appear offering choices to add wall sweeps to your wall
definition.

3. Choose Add to add a wall sweep. A default profile is selected for you.

4. Change the Profile to Sill from the drop down list and change the Material to
Concrete – Cast in Place Concrete.

Note: This is a Profile family created and loaded into this project. The

template used to create this profile family is Profile-Hosted.rft This

template replaces the previous Profile-Wall Sweep.rft but is almost

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 identical. Only the explanatory text differs slightly from the original.

5. The position of the sweep is determined by a distance from either the top or the
bottom and a horizontal offset from the interior or exterior side. Set the wall
sweep to be 12’ – 8” from the Bottom and -3 5/8” offset from the exterior.
Leave the flip option un-checked.

6. Choose apply and notice that the profile is selected in the Preview Pane. This
allows you to make corrections without exiting the dialog box. When multiple wall
sweeps have been added, highlight the row number to prehighlight a selected wall
sweep.

7. Choose OK in all dialogs to finalize the changes.

8. In a 3D view, zoom in to look at the wall sweep that has been added to the wall.

Additional Examples:
There are various applications for vertically compound walls. In this sample model has been
included a few additional examples of ways in which the vertically compound walls can be
used. To view these examples, edit the properties of the wall types and look at the preview
pane.
Basic Wall – Interior Trim is an interior wall with cove molding, a wainscot, and a cornice.

Basic Wall: Foundation – 12” Concrete is a foundation wall, which has, a footing already
attached to the base. The footing is created using an integral Wall Sweep.

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Basic Wall: Interior Tile Wainscot is an interior bathroom wall whose exterior layer is split
so that different tile patterns can be applied. Open the Interior Bathroom Elevation to better
view the wall appearance.

Basic Wall: Retaining – Stone was created using an integral wall sweep. Open a 3D view to
look at the retaining wall.

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Sloped Glazing and Non-Rectangular Curtain Walls
In the following exercise, you will be adding a sun-room addition to a house. This will involve
creating both a Sloped Glazing and Non-Rectangular Curtain Walls.
In this exercise, you will learn how to:
• Create Curtain Walls
• Create a Sloped Glazing Roof
• Add Curtain Grid Lines
• Add Mullions

Retrieve the Model

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

2. From the Metric folder, select sun_room_addition.rvt.

Click Open.

The 3D View : V1 view should appear as shown below.

Adding Curtain Walls

The sun room addition will be added near the sliding doors. Notice that the outline of the floor
of the new room has been created in advance.
1. First you will create the walls. Activate the Floor Plan : Level 1 view from the
Project Browser.

2. Zoom in on the area where the addition will be added.

3. From the Basics Design Bar, choose . Select Curtain Wall : Curtain Wall
1 from the drop-down type menu. From the Options Bar, select Chain and .
Draw the three walls of the addition. The start point of the first wall is shown
below.

4. Follow the lines of the floor to sketch the walls. The completed walls should appear
as below. Press <Esc> when finished.

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Adding Roofs
You will now create a sloped roof which will then be transformed into a curtain roof.
1. Activate the Floor Plan : Level 2 view.

2. Choose Roof, Roof by Footprint from the Basics Design Bar.

3. Choose .

Make sure that the Defines Slope option is unchecked and the Overhang is set to
0mm.

5. Click on the three curtain walls as shown.

6. Click on the back wall of the house.

5. You will now clean up the corners where the lines intersect. Choose and trim
the corners as shown.

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 5. Choose and click on the roof line on the right. Select the Defines Slope
option.

6. Choose and pick the slope defining line.

7. Choose . The Element Properties dialogue box will appear. Change

the value of the Rise/1000 parameter to 200mm.

8. Choose to complete the change.

9. Choose to complete the roof.

Activate the 3D View : V1 to view the model.

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You will now adjust the walls so that they go up to the roof.
1. Place the cursor over one of the walls and use the <TAB> key to prehighlight the
chain of curtain walls. Click to select the walls.

2. From the Options Bar, choose Attach Top/Bottom.

3. Select the roof that you created in the previous step to attach the walls to.

You will now change the normal roof into a sloped glazing roof.

1. Choose and pick the sloped roof. From the type selector list,
change the roof type from Roof : Generic 400mm to Sloped Glazing : Curtain
Roof.

Adding Curtain Grid Lines and Mullions

1. From under the Modeling tab in the Design Bar, choose .

2. Draw the grid lines as shown below. Note: When creating the curtain grid, the
system will automatically snap at the 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3 points along the wall but
the grid lines can be placed at any location.

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3. You will now rotate the view to add the grid lines to the other wall. Choose

to create a new 3D view. You may need to use View, Zoom, Zoom to
Fit. Choose from the Toolbar to rotate the view. To rotate, hold down the
<Shift> key and the left mouse button and move the pointer slowly in the view
window.

4. Choose and add the remaining grid lines.

5. You will now add the mullions to the model. To do so, choose from the
Design Bar or choose Mullion from under Modelling in the Menu Bar.

From the Option Bar, select All Empty Segments.

When you place your cursor over a grid line, all grid line segments should
highlight. Click the left mouse button to add the mullions. Repeat for each wall and
the roof.

6. Rotate the view and complete adding the mullions.

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7. The following is a rendering of the sun room addition.

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Curtain Wall Enhancements
This exercise will cover enhancements to the curtain grid and mullion. When placing curtain
grid, it now has 2 new options: 1) “One Segment” and 2) “All Except Picked” that allow to
create grid without attempting to split particular panel. When placing mullions, if there are two
curtain walls joined at an end and there is no vertical corner mullion at the join, you can now
create horizontal mullions to miter to each other automatically across the join.

Exercise:

First, you will learn how to remove segments from existing grid and to use “One
Segment” option to create panels.

Second, you will learn how to create grid and select segments to exclude.

Finally, you will learn how to make horizontal mullions miter to each other
automatically across the join.

Subdividing curtain wall panels

You are now using the Add or remove Segments and One Segment options to subdivide
curtain panels of which one will be replaced by a Curtain Wall Sgl Glass door.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Condominium.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Go to the South Elevation view.

3. From the Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Curtain Grid.

4. At the curtain wall, place a horizontal curtain grid line at 7’-0” above the First Floor
level line.

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5. At the curtain wall, place two vertical curtain grid lines in order to create a 3’-0”
wide panel located at the center.

6. Choose Modify and click one of the vertical curtain grid lines. On the option bar,
press on the Add or Remove Segments button.

Use the <Tab> key to cycle through items for selection.

7. With the mouse cursor, click on the short portion of the subdivided vertical grid
line that you want to remove.

8. Once it’s done, it should look like the following:

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 9. On the Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Curtain Grid. On the option bar,
select One Segment.

10. Place one segment grid in order to divide the top panel in half as shown.

11. Select the middle panel. On the option bar change it to Curtain Wall Sgl Glass
door. Then add mullions at your desired locations.

Subdividing curtain wall panels using All Except Picked

We will now use the All Except Picked option to subdivide curtain panels.
1. Go to the East Elevation view.

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2. On the Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Curtain Grid.

3. At the curtain wall, place two horizontal curtain grid lines in order to subdivide
three curtain panels at equal distance. Create a multi-segment dimension between
the new curtain grids and the top and bottom of the curtain wall. Click EQ to
constrain the segments to be equal.

4. Place two vertical curtain grid lines, as shown, to subdivide the wall into nine
curtain panels.

5. With the Curtain Grid command still active, select All Except Picked, from the
options bar.

6. Place a horizontal grid line, then with the cursor click on the middle portion of the
subdivided horizontal grid line that you want to remove.

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 7. Once it’s done, it should look like the following:

8. On the Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Mullion. Then add mullions at your
desired locations.

Making horizontal mullions to miter each other automatically

across the join.
If there are two curtain walls joined at an end and there is no vertical corner mullion at the
join, you can now create horizontal mullions to miter to each other automatically across the
join.
1. Zoom into curved roof. Go to North and South, East and West elevations in order
to place a horizontal curtain grid at 2’-3 21/32” above the Parapet level line.

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2. Go to the 3D view. On the Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Mullion. On the
option bar, select “Entire Grid Line”.

3. With the mouse cursor, click on those horizontal curtain grid lines in order to insert
mullions.

4. Once it’s done, you will see that the horizontal mullions are mitering to each other
automatically across the join.

Mitered Mullions

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Wall, Floor and Roof Joins
When defining floors, roofs and ceilings using the pick walls command, you can choose to
define the sketch to the face of the wall or to the structural layer. If objects such as floors and
walls intersect, an option for controlling the behavior of this intersection is available. This
portion of the exercise will demonstrate this functionality.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Floor_Wall_Joins.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open the floor plan view of Level 2. Choose Floor from the Basic (or Modelling)
design bar.

3. With the Pick Walls tool selected, check the option Extend into wall (to core).

Pick Wall Option

4. Select the exterior walls to define the boundary of the floor. Notice the lines are
not at the wall face. They are defined at the structural layer of the wall.

Picking the Walls

5. Before completing the floor, choose Floor Properties from the design bar.

Set the floor type to Wood Joist 10".

Choose OK to close the properties.

6. Choose Finish Sketch to complete the floor definition.

Note: A message stating:

Choose Yes to remove a volume from the wall.

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7. Open the section view, Section 1, to see the floor wall connection.

Notice the floor sits within the wall's structural layer.

Section 1

8. Next, the floor will be added at level 1.

Open Floor Plan: Level 1 from the Project Browser.

9. Select Floor from the Design Bar and use the Pick Walls command.

From the Options Bar, choose Extend into wall (to core).

Select the four walls on the outside edge of the wall to define the floor. This will
ensure that the floor extends to the outside of the structural core.

10. Before completing the wall, choose Floor Properties and make sure the floor type
is Wood Joist 10" and the Height Offset from Level is set to 0' 0".

Click OK.

Choose Finish Sketch to complete the floor.

11. Answer "Yes" when prompted, "Would you like the walls that go up to this
floor's level to attach to its bottom?".

This will adjust the top of the foundation to the bottom of the floor slab.

Note: If an error message appears, click OK.

12. Open the section view, Section 1, to see the results.

Section 1

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Wall Functions and Wrapping
In this exercise, you will add foundation walls to an existing structure and modify the end cap
wrapping conditions.

You will learn:

• How to create a foundation wall

• How to assign a wall function

• How to modify wall wrapping conditions

Retrieve the Training File

Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Wall Functions.rvt.

Click Open.

Foundation Walls
Foundation walls are drawn from the wall's top constraint and extend downward to a specified
depth.

3D View

1. From the Project Browser, open Floor Plan: Level 1.

2. Prior to sketching the foundation walls, you need to modify the view's properties
so that the walls fall within the views visibility range.

Right-click in the view and select View Properties from the pop-up menu.

From the Underlay drop-down list, select T.O. Footing.

This will enable the new wall to be within this view's range.

Choose OK to close the dialog.

3. From the Design Bar, select Wall and from the Type Selector drop-down list,
select, Foundation 12" Concrete.

From the Options Bar:

• Set the Depth to T.O. Footing

• Set the Loc Line to Finish Face: Exterior

• Select the sketching tool, Chain

4. Sketch a chain of walls by tracing the exterior face of the building's perimeter
walls.

Note: While sketching the wall chain, make sure you snap to the corners of the

exterior face of the existing walls.

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5. Open Floor Plan: T.O. Footing.

Floor Plan: T.O. Footing

6. From the Design Bar, select Wall.

From the Type Selector, make sure Foundation 12" Concrete is selected.

From the Options Bar, select Properties.

Choose Edit/New and then Duplicate to create a new wall type.

Type Foundation - 24" Concrete as the name of the new wall type.

Click OK.

7. Within the Type Properties dialog box, find the parameter, Structure and select
its Edit button.

Set the concrete Thickness to 2'-0".

Editing the Wall Structure

Choose OK to close the Edit Structure dialog box.
8. Make sure the Wall Function parameter is set to Foundation.

Choose OK twice and return to the plan view.

9. From the Options Bar:

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 10. Set depth to Explicit and 1' - 0"

11. Set the Loc Line to Finish Face: Exterior

12. Select the sketching tool, Chain

13. Set the Offset to 0' 6"

10. Sketch a chain of walls around the perimeter of the building to add a footing.

Note: While sketching the wall chain, make sure you snap to the corners of the

exterior face of the existing walls.

11. From the Toolbar, choose .

In 3D, you will see that the building has a proper foundation and footing.

3D View

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Wall End Caps and Cavity Closures
While inserting a window, door, or other wall hosted components, you can set the wrapping
layer to more accurately simulate true construction.
1. Open Floor Plan: Level 1.

2. Zoom in on any of the windows in the model.

Floor Plan: Level 1— Window

3. From the Design Bar, choose Modify and select the wall that hosts the window.

From the Options Bar, choose Properties.

Select Edit/New.

Within the Type Properties dialog box, find the parameter, Structure and select
its Edit button.

4. Change the Default Wrapping — At Inserts to Interior.

Choose OK to close the dialog box.

Editing Structure

The wall wrapping at the window should resemble the image below.

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 Window with Interior Wall Wrapped

The wrapping can be controlled at the insert as well.

5. Zoom in around the double door at the entrance.

Notice the interior material is wrapping at the door.

Entrance Door

6. Click on the door shown in the next figure and select Properties.

Select Edit/New.

From the Wall Closure drop-down list, select Exterior.

Select OK twice and return to the floor plan.

Door with Wall Wrapping on Exterior

Notice that only the exterior layer of the wall wraps around the door.

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Wall Top/Bottom Attachments
In this exercise, you will learn how to use the Attach Top/Bottom tool. This tool attaches the
top or bottom of walls to other objects, such as roofs, floors and ceilings. In addition, you can
also attach walls to 'in place' objects and reference planes.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select AttachTopBottom.rvt.

Click Open.

The file should open to the 3D view. If not, open it by clicking from the
Toolbar.

2. Place the cursor over one of the upper walls, it should prehighlight.

Press <Tab> until the entire chain of walls prehighlights and click to select the
chain.

Selecting the Wall Chain

3. With the Chain of Walls selected, choose Attach Top/Bottom the Options Bar.

From the Options Bar, select Bottom.

Attach Top/Bottom Options

4. Select the curved, in-place floor family, Floors 1.

Notice the walls have extended down to attach to the family in-place.

Attached Walls

5. Open the view, Elevation: South.

Select the south wall.

From the Options Bar, select the Attach Top/Bottom.

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 From the Options Bar, choose Top.

Select one of the reference planes above the wall.

Attaching Wall Top to Reference Plane

6. Open the view, Elevation: North.

7. Select the north wall.

From the Options Bar, select Attach Top/Bottom.

From the Options Bar, choose Top.

Select the other reference plane.

Attaching North Wall to Reference Plane

As you can see, it is quite easy to attach walls to in-place families and reference
planes. Take the time to edit the reference planes (move, rotate, etc.) and family in-
place and see how the attachments are maintained.

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Creating Roofs
In this exercise, we will create several different roofs using both the Roof by Footprint and
Extruded roof techniques.

In this exercise you will learn the following concepts:

How to create an extruded roof.

How to use Reference planes to aid in sketched geometry construction.

How to use the Join/Unjoin Roof command to attach a roof to a wall.

How to use the Attach Top/Bottom command to attach walls to a roof.

How to create a footprint roof.

How to define a roof slope with the Defines Slope command.

How to offset an existing wall for the roof overhang.

How to change a roof slope.

How to make an opening in a roof.

How to use the Trim command for trimming 2D geometry.

How to use Slope Arrows to define a roof slope.

How to use the Align Eaves command.

The Roof Model

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Roofs.rvt.

Click Open.

The model is shown below.

Extruded Roofs
The first roof we will create is an extruded roof over the breezeway between the house and
garage. An extruded roof is one where the top of the roof profile is sketched, then extruded
some distance.
1. Open Level 1 to begin the first roof.

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2. From the design bar, choose Roof, Roof by Extrusion.

3. To sketch this roof, a sketching plane is required. A Reference Plane, named

Breezeway, has already been created for this purpose. Choose the plane using the
Name option from the Work Plane dialog box and select Breezeway from the list
as shown. Choose to continue.

4. Next the system will prompt for a view to use while sketching the roof. A section
view parallel to the work plane has been defined. Select the view Section:
Section1 and choose . The section view should appear as shown below.

The section view is automatically cropped around the area of interest.

5. To begin the sketch, we will define three reference planes to help determine key

points on the sketch. Choose from the design bar. Sketch the

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 first reference plane as shown.

6. Sketch the next two reference planes as shown.

7. Sketch a final reference plane horizontally as shown. The planes location is 450mm
below Level 2.

8. Now the roof profile will be sketched. From the design bar, choose

then check the Chain command from the options bar. Sketch
the lines as shown

9. Choose to complete the roof. The roof should appear as shown

below.

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10. The roof has already been extruded from the work plane (Breezeway), in one

direction. To view this, open the 3D View by choosing from the toolbar.

11. To change the roof extrusion distance, we will use the Join/Unjoin Roof command.
From the Tool menu, choose Join/Unjoin Roof.

Next select the edge of the roof to modify, the pick the face of the garage wall to
join this end of the roof to the wall.

12. The roof should now appear as shown, joined to the garage wall.

13. Next we will join the opposite end of the roof to the house. Choose Join/Unjoin
Roof from the Tools menu. Select the edge of the roof then the outside face of
the wall as shown. To select the face of the wall, you can use the <TAB> key.

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 14. The roof should update as shown.

15. The next step is to have the walls extend up to the roof. For a better view of this,
open the view, Section: Section 1 from the project browser.

16. Choose and select both breezeway walls, (select one wall, hold the
Control key and select the other).

17. From the Options Bar, choose Attach Top/Bottom.

Make sure the Attach Wall option is set to Top in the Options Bar, then select the
roof. This will join the tops of these two walls to the roof.

18. Open the 3D view for a better look.

Footprint Roofs
We will now create four more roofs using the footprint method. A roof defined by footprint
means it is created by defining the perimeter of the roof from a plan view. Slope of the roof is
defined as a property of the lines used to create the roof sketch.
Gable Roof
1. The first roof will be a gable roof over the garage. Select Roof, Roof by
Footprint from the design bar.

2. Since the height of a roof defined by footprint is based on a level, you can choose
the level to define the roof on. From the dialog box, select Floor Plan: Garage
Roof from the list and choose Open View.

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3. From the design bar, choose . From the option bar make sure
the Defines Slope option is checked and set the value for Overhang to 600mm.

4. Select the right vertical wall to define the first Defines Slope line of the roof as
shown.

5. Next select the parallel wall on the left.

6. Uncheck the Defines Slope option from the Options Bar. Select the other two wall
of the garage to complete the roof footprint sketch.

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7. To change the roof pitch the properties of the Defines Slope lines must be edited.

To do this, choose and select both Defines Slope lines. Use the
<Ctrl> key to select multiple items. With both lines selected, choose .

8. The slope is currently 750mm rise over a 1000mm run. Change this value to
500mm and choose .

9. To complete the roof choose . When prompted choose Yes to attach the
exterior garage walls to the roof.

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 10. Open the 3D view to see the new roof and attached walls.

Adding a Gable Roof

The next roof to add is the main roof of the house. This roof will also be a gable roof, but this
roof must have an opening to accommodate the chimney.
1. Open the view Floor Plan: Level 3.

2. Choose Roof, Roof by Footprint from the Design Bar.

3. The options for Defines Slope and Overhang should be the same as when last
used. If not, set the overhang to 600mm and uncheck Defines Slope. The slope
defining lines will be added later.

4. With selected select all of the exterior walls as shown. You

may need to zoom in closer to select some of the smaller walls.

5. Next the opening will be made for the chimney. Choose the command
and Pick from the options bar. Select the four Masonry walls of the chimney as
shown below.

6. Use the Zoom To Fit command to view the entire floor plan. The slope lines will

now be added. Choose and select the long horizontal line at the
top and check the Slope Define Line option. Repeat this for one of the shorter line
segments as shown below.

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 7. Choose and when prompted answer Yes to attach the walls to the roof.

8. Open the 3D view to view the new roof.

Hip Roof
The next roof will be a hip, defined as a footprint roof over the rear of the house.
1. Open the view Floor Plan: Level 2.

2. Choose Roof, Roof by Footprint from the design bar.

3. Specify a 600mm Overhang and check the Defines Slope option from the
options bar.

4. With the command selected, select the three walls shown

below. If the line is created to the wrong side of the wall click on the Blue control
arrows to flip the line to the other side of the wall.

5. To close the roof sketch, choose from the Design Bar. Then from the
Options Bar, uncheck the Defines Slope option, set the offset to 0mm and select
the Pick option. Select the exterior edge of the wall as shown below.

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6. The lines must be closed to be a valid sketch. To do this, the Trim/Extend
command will be used. Select Trim/Extend from the Tools menu. From the
Options Bar make sure the corner option is selected. Select the line just added
and the left vertical slope line. When using the Trim/Extend tool, make sure to
select the segment on the side that you want to keep.

7. Repeat the trim on the other corner.

8. Next, the roof will be raised 600mm above the level. Choose
from the design bar to access the roof properties dialog. Edit the parameter Base
Offset From Level to 0mm and choose .

Choose to complete the roof.

9. Open the 3D view and rotate the view to see the back of the house as shown.

10. To properly join the new roof to the main building, choose Tools and
Join/Unjoin Roof. Select edge of the hip roof and face of the exterior wall as
shown. The hip roof will join with the wall and continue into the main roof.

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 11. The resulting join is shown below.

Porch Roof
The last roof we will design will begin as a porch roof over the entrance.
1. Open the view, Floor Plan: Level 2.

2. Choose Roof, Roof by Footprint from the design bar.

3. Choose from the design bar and then set the Overhang to
300mm. The Defines Slope should be unchecked.

4. Select the three walls as shown below. You may have to use the control arrows to
offset the lines to the correct side of the wall.

5. To close the sketch, change the Overhang to 0mm and select the outside edge of
the main wall as shown.

6. Use the Trim/Extend tool from the Tools menu to close the sketch as shown.

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7. Select from the Design Bar and select the line at the front of the
roof. Check the option for Defines Slope from the Options Bar (or you can also
press the right mouse button and select Toggle Slope Defining).

8. With the line still selected, choose . The pitch will be set to 500mm.
Choose to close the Properties dialog.

Roof pitches can be defined as a rise over a run, or as an angle. If you want to
toggle between them at any point, it is gone by entering the Units dialogue from
the Settings pulldown of the Menu Bar.

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 9. Select from the Design Bar and edit the Base Offset From
Level parameter to be - 600mm, then choose .

10. Choose to complete the roof. Answer Yes when prompted to attach the
walls to the roof.

11. Open the 3D view and rotate the view as shown.

Slope Arrows
The next step is to use slope arrows to define additional slope for the porch roof.

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1. Select and select the porch roof. From the Option Bar select
. This will make the roof sketch active.

2. Open the Floor Plan: Level 2 view and zoom in around the porch roof sketch.

3. Before adding the Slope Arrows we will divide the Defines Slope line into three
segments. To help locate the position to split the sketch line, two reference planes

will be added. Choose and sketch the two planes vertically

and locate them as shown.

4. Choose Edit and Split Walls and Lines and split the Defines Slope where the
reference planes intersect as shown.

5. Next we will change the longest slope line segment to not be slope defining.

Choose and select the middle segment of the Defines Slope line
and uncheck the slope defining property.

6. To add slope arrows, choose from the Design Bar. Make sure
the Draw option is selected from the Options Bar.

7. Slope arrows are sketched like a line, tail to head. Sketch a slope arrow from the
reference plane to the middle of the line. The slope arrow will snap to the
midpoint.

8. Add the second slope arrow as shown.

9. Choose to complete the roof. Open the 3D view to see the new roof

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design.

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Modifying Roof Constraints
In this exercise, we will demonstrate how to cut off a roof at a specific level and create a
Mansard roof.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select restaurant_roof.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open the North elevation view. Notice there are 4 levels defined in the model.

3. We will cut off the current roof at Level 3. Choose and select the roof.

Choose Properties.

4. Change the value of Cutoff Level to Level 3.

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5. Choose OK to update the properties.

6. Open the view, Floor Plan: Level 3.

7. We will create another roof starting at level 3.

From the Design Bar, choose and select the option, Roof by
Footprint.

8. Choose from the design bar and then select Pick from the options bar.
Make sure the Defines Slope is selected.

9. Select the four edges of the roof at the cutoff as shown.

10. Choose and select all four lines. Use the Control key to make multiple
selections. Choose Properties.
11. Modify the Slope angle to 45.00°, then choose OK to close the Properties dialogue
box.

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12. Choose to complete the new roof.

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Creating Facia, Gutters and Soffits
This exercise will cover additional features for roofs. After creating a roof, users can easily
create its fascia, gutters and soffits.

First, you will learn how to create the roof fascia and gutter.
Second, you will learn how to add the roof soffit.

Creating roof fascia

The Host Sweep command can be used in order to create the roof fascia.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Condominium.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Go to File menu, click on Load From Library and select Load Family.

3. In the Open dialog box, double click on Profiles folder. By holding the Ctrl key on
the keyboard, select M_Fascia-Built-Up.rfa and M_Gutter - Cove.rfa and click
Open. These files are in the Metric library.

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4. On the Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Host Sweep command and select
Roof Fascia.

5. On the option bar, click on Properties button. Within the Element Properties
dialog box, click on Edit/New in order to access to the Type Properties of fascia.

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6. Within the Type Properties dialog box, click on Duplicate and type “Built-up
Fascia” as the name of new fascia type. Press OK.

7. Within the Type Properties dialog box, from the Profile drop-down list, select
M_Fascia-Built-Up: 38 x 184mm x 38 x 286, and press OK. Press OK again to
exit the Element Properties dialog box.

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 8. Move the mouse cursor to the top edge of the roof.

9. Click on all the roof top edges to place the fascia.

10. Repeat as necessary to place the facial around the roof

Creating Gutters
The Host Sweep command is also used in order to create the “Roof Gutter”, placing at the
bottom edge of the roof.
1. On the Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Host Sweep command and select

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 Roof Gutter.

2. On the option bar, click on Properties button. Within the Element Properties
dialog box, click on Edit/New in order to access to the Type Properties of gutter.

3. Within the Type Properties dialog box, click on Duplicate and type “Cove Shape
Gutter” as the name of new gutter type. Press OK.

4. Within the Type Properties dialog box, under Profile parameter, click on the Value
pull-down, select M_Gutter – Cove: 125 x125mm. Under Material parameter,
select Metal – Aluminum and press OK. Press OK again to exit the Element
Properties dialog box.

5. Move the mouse cursor to the bottom edge of the roof.

6. Click on all the roof bottom edges to place the gutter.

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 7. After selecting all the edges, it should look like the following:

Fascia and Gutters

Creating roof soffit

You are now using the Roof command in order to create the “Roof Soffit”, placed underneath
the roof.
1. From the Project Browser, go to Floor Plans – Roof plan view.

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2. On the Basics or Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Roof command and select
Roof Soffit.

3. From the design bar, click on Pick Roofs command. Prehighlight the roof and click
on it to select.

4. Click Finish Sketch and go to the 3D view.

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5. In order to clean up the overlapping geometries, on the Tools menu bar, click on
Join Geometry.First, pick the roof and then click on the soffit in order to join
them together.

Roof Soffit after Join Geometry

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Creating Ceilings
In this exercise, you will learn how to create ceilings using the AutoCeiling tool.

You will also learn how to:

• Create a new ceiling type

• Apply a material as a ceiling surface pattern.

Creating Automatic Ceilings

In the first part of this exercise, you will learn how to create several ceilings with the
AutoCeiling command.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Ceiling.rvt.

Click Open.

Floor Plan: Level 1

2. In order to see the ceilings as you create them, open the view, Ceiling Plan:
Level 1.

Note: You can create ceilings in Floor Plan views, however, you can not see

them unless you modify the view range.

3. From the Modelling tab of the design bar, click Ceiling.

Tip: The default behavior is to automatically define a ceiling for each

enclosed area that you select. However, you may choose Sketch Ceiling from

the Options Bar and define the ceiling manually.

4. From the Type Selector, choose the 2' x 4' grid.

Place the cursor inside the upper, center room; the boundary of the room will pre-
highlight.

Click once to select it and the ceiling immediately appears.

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 Adding a Ceiling

5. From the Type Selector drop-down list, select the 2' x 2' grid.

6. Select the room on the left and the room on the right as shown in the image
below.

Creating 2' x 2' Ceilings

7. From the Type Selector drop-down list, select Plain.

Click in the lower, center room to add the ceiling.

Ceiling Surface Patterns

In this part of the exercise, you will change the existing ceiling grids to other surface patterns.
Before doing this, you will create new ceiling types.
1. From the Design Bar, choose Modify and select the ceiling, 2' x 2' grid, located in
the room on the left.

Tip: You may need to use the <Tab> key to toggle between the ceiling grid

lines and the actual ceiling.

2. Select Properties.

3. Select Edit/New in order to access to the Type Properties box.

4. Click Duplicate in order to create a new type of ceiling.

Name the ceiling, Wood Diagonal Strips 6"and click OK.

Naming the New Ceiling Type

5. In the Type Properties box, go to the Material drop-down list and select Finishes
- Interior - Wood Diagonal Strips 6".

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 Choose OK twice to close the properties dialog boxes.

Selecting the New Ceiling Material

Notice the change to the selected ceiling.

Ceiling Plan: Level 1

Note: If the new ceiling appears as a solid fill pattern, zoom in until the

diagonal strip pattern becomes visible.

6. Select the plain ceiling in the lower, center room.

From the Type Selector, choose Wood Vertical Strips 6".

The ceiling will update as shown below.

Ceiling Plan: Level 1

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Creating Compound Ceilings
This exercise will cover expanded functionality for ceiling. 3 dimensional, compound ceilings
are now supported in Autodesk Revit.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Condominium.rvt.

Click Open.

Condominium.rvt

2. Go to the project browser and open Ceiling Plans – First Floor plan view.

3. On the Modeling tab of the design bar, click Ceiling.

4. On the option bar, click on Properties button. Within the Element Properties
dialog box, click on Edit/New in order to access to the Type Properties of Ceiling.

5. Within the Type Properties dialog box, click on Duplicate and type Gypsum board
on metal furring channels as the name of new ceiling type. Press OK.

6. Within the Structure parameter, click Edit button in order to access to the Edit
Assembly dialog box of the compound ceiling.

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 Edit Assembly

7. Click the Preview button to display the current layers.

8. In the Edit Assembly dialog box, insert the following layers and assign function,
material and thickness:

1 1/2” Metal - Cold Rolled Channel;

7/8” Metal - Furring;
5/8” Finishes - Interior - Gypsum Wall Board.

9. Press OK to exit the Type Properties. Within the Element Properties, press OK
again to exit the dialog box.

10. In Ceiling Plans – First Floor plan view, with the mouse cursor, pick the

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 common area in order to insert Gypsum board on metal furring channels
ceiling.

Reflected Ceiling Plan - Level 1

11. Go to the project browser and open Sections – Section 1 view in order to see the
compound ceiling.

12. From the View menu, choose View Properties.

Set the Detail Level to Medium and choose OK.

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Creating Stairs
In this exercise you will learn:

• How to create and modify stairs using Run, Boundary and Riser commands

• How to create different stair types

• How to create and modify railings

• How to modify railing types

• How to create multi-story stairs

Creating the Lobby Stairs

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Stair_exercise_metric.rvt.

Click Open.

The project should open with the Level 1 view open and zoomed into the front entryway
as shown below. If it does not, please open Floor Plan: Level 1 and zoom in now.

2. First, you will create a set of stairs from the lobby to the second level landing.
Before you create the stairs, you will turn on the display of Level 2 in the Level 1
Floor Plan. This will allow you to properly place the stairs. To do this, choose View
and View Properties. Change the value of the Underlay parameter in the View
Properties dialog to Level Above. Choose OK to close the dialog. You should now
see the outline of the floors and walls from Level 2 as an underlay.

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 .
3. To start the stair creation, choose Stairs from the Modelling tab of the Design
Bar. The default stair creation method is to sketch the centerline run of the stairs
(Run is selected in the Sketch design bar). This allows you to create the stairs by
selecting the start and end of the run.

On the options bar, notice you can use either a straight run or a circular run
. In this case you will use a straight run.

4. Place the pointer approximately as shown in the next figure and click with the right
mouse button to start the stairs.

5. Move the pointer approximately as shown in the next figure so the run is vertical
and click to end the run of stairs.

6. The result of the stair run should appear as shown in the next figure.

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7. Choose Finish Sketch. Your stairs should be completed as shown. There is a 3D
view already created called Lobby Stair View to help you view the stairs in 3D.
Open this view by clicking on the name of the view in the browser.

8. Reopen the view, Floor plan: Level 1. You will now properly place the stair up to
the landing on Level 2. To do this choose Align from the options bar and select the
front of the level 2 landing floor.

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9. Next, select the front of the top stair.

10. Align the center of the wall under the landing with the center of the stairs. Click
the center of the wall first and then the center of the stairs. Open the 3D view to
see the result.

DO NOT lock the alignment.

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11. Open the section view called Stair Section by double-clicking on the name of the

section in the Project Browser.

12. Choose Modify and move the pointer over the stairs and railings. Notice in the
status bar as you pre-highlight the stairs and railings they are considered separate
families even though the railings were created with the stairs. The stairs were
created using the properties of the default stair type called Stair:190mm Max Riser
250mm Going. To view these properties, select the stairs and choose Properties.

13. Next, change the Type properties of the stairs while defining a new stair type. To
do this, choose Edit/New from the Properties dialog box and Duplicate. Give
the stairs a new name called Lobby Stairs. Choose OK.

14. Change the following Type Parameters:

• Minimum Depth (Tread)- 260mm
• Tread Front Profile- Stair Nosing- Pan: Stair
• Tread Material- Finishes- Interior- Carpet 1
• Riser Material- Finishes- Interior- Carpet 1
• Stringer Material- Wood- Cherry

Click OK to return to the Element Properties dialog.

15. Change the Tread Thickness to be 25mm, the Width to be 1200mm, and the Actual
Depth (Tread) to be 260mm.

Choose OK and OK to complete the change of the stairs to the new type with the
new parameters. You will use this stair type in your next run of stairs.

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16. Notice the stair properties change. Because of the change, the stairs do not line up
with the level 2 floor. Open Level 1 and align the floor and the stair again. To align
the stair it will be easier to select the end of the run if you move the stairs away
from the landing. To do this, select the stair and then click and drag the stair away
from the landing. Now you will be able to select the edge of the stair easier to align
it. Do not lock the alignment.

17. Now you will change the railing type. Open the view, Lobby Stair View. Choose
Modify and select both railings (press and hold the <Ctrl> key when selecting
multiple items). In the Type Selector, click the drop-down arrow to list the
predefined railing types in the project. Select Railing: Guardrail Pipe. Notice the
railings change.

17. Next, you will change the shape of the stairs. The owner wishes to have a stair
that is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. You will alter the boundary of
the staircase by defining two arcs that form the outside boundary. To accomplish
this, open the Level 1 Floor Plan view. Zoom in on the stairs. Choose Modify
and select the stairs. In the options bar choose Edit Sketch.

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18. Place your pointer over the left, green boundary line and click on it to select it.
Delete this line.

19. From the Design Bar, choose Boundary. From the Options Bar, choose the Three
Point Arc icon. Start the sketch at the intersection of the bottom riser and the left
wall. There will be a green location line to the wall and the riser as shown in the
next figure. To place the second arc endpoint, click at the left end of the top riser.
Move the pointer approximately as shown in the next figure and click to place the
arc.

.
20. To create the boundary for the other side, choose Modify, select the right side
boundary and delete it. Select the arc boundary you just created, choose Mirror
from the tool bar, and select the center run blue line as the mirror axis.

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21. Choose Finish Sketch to complete the stairs. Open the Lobby Stair View to see
the results.

Note: If your stairs appear to be backwards or upside down, return to Floor

Plan: Level 1 and select the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, you will notice a
discreet blue arrow that controls the stair direction. Click the arrow to reverse the
stairs.

22. Next, you will modify the first step profile. To do this open the Level 1 floor plan.
Choose Modify and select the stairs. Choose Edit Sketch from the Options bar.

23. Delete the first riser line as shown.

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 24. Choose Riser and sketch a three point arc as shown in the next figure. This will
define a rounded first step.

25. Choose Finish Sketch and open the Lobby Stair View to see the results. Save
the file to a new name if you wish.

Note: Stairs can actually be created by sketching the boundary and riser lines.

This alternative method of sketching stairs could be useful for irregularly shaped

stairs. Typically, stairs are created as described in the previous steps and modified

as needed.

Creating the Second Floor Lobby Stairs

1. Now you will create stairs from the second floor landing to the third floor. Open the
Level 2 floor plan. From the View menu, select View Properties and set the
Underlay to Level Above. Zoom in on the area shown.

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 2. Choose Stairs from the Modelling tab of the Design Bar. To set the stair type to
the same type as used in the previous stair, choose Stairs Properties, click on
the drop down arrow of the type field and select the type from the list. This will
allow you to create the stairs of the same type as before. Change the instance
parameters for:

• Tread Thickness- 25 mm

• Width- 1200 mm

2. Sketch the stairs as shown below.

4. Choose Finish Sketch to complete the stairs.

5. Align the top step of the stair to the floor above. When aligning, make sure to
select the edge of the floor first and then the top edge of the stair. Lock the
alignment.

6. Change the railing type to Railing: Guardrail-Pipe.

Adding the Level 2 Landing Railing

1. Open the Level 2 floor plan view and zoom into the area shown in the next figure.

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2. To create the railing, you need to define the path of the railing. This is typically
done in plan view. For simple railings, you could just sketch the plan view path.
However, in this case, the railing is one continuous path from the stair railing
around the perimeter of the landing. Therefore, you will edit the profile of the
railing and sketch in the required additional path segments. Choose Modify and
select the right side railing. To make sure you are selecting the railing, place your
cursor over the railing to pre-highlight it and look at the status bar in the lower left
corner of the window. It should read Railings: Railing: Guardrail-Pipe. If it does
not pre-highlight the railing, try using the <Tab> key to toggle to the railing.

3. Once the railing is selected, choose Edit Sketch.

4. Choose Lines from the Sketch Design Bar. Check the Chain option and sketch the
following line for the extension of the railing.

5. Continue sketching the rail outline as shown below. Exact dimensions are not
critical.

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6. Choose Finish Sketch and switch to a 3D view to see the results.

7. Add the railing to the other side of the stair using the same method. Simply butt
the railing up against the other stairs to terminate the railing.

8. Add the remaining rail between the stair and the wall. To do this, open the Level 2
floor plan and choose Railing from the Modelling tab of the Design Bar.

9. Zoom into the area shown below. The "UP" tag may be obscuring where you want
to sketch the railing. You can turn it off by choosing Visibility/Graphics from the
View menu. Scroll down to Stairs and expand the Stair subcategories by clicking
on the X. Uncheck UP text.

10. In the Sketch Design Bar, choose Railing Properties and change the type to
Railing: Guardrail- Pipe. Choose OK.

11. Choose Lines and sketch the following line.

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 12. Choose Finish Sketch and change to a 3D view to see the results.

Adding the Emergency Exit Stairs

1. Now you will add the emergency exit stairs. First, open the Level 1 floor plan and
zoom in on the area shown in the next figure.

2. To help in placing the stairs, you will create a reference plane. To do this, choose
Ref Plane from the Basics tab of the Design Bar. Click at each end where shown
in the next figure to place the reference plane. Modify the distance from the center
of the right wall to be 850 mm. Create the second reference plane offset from the
left wall 810 mm.

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 3. Choose Stairs from the Modelling tab of the Design Bar.

4. Choose Stairs Properties and change the Width parameter to 915 mm.

5. Choose Edit/New and then Duplicate to create a new stair type. When
prompted, name the new stair type, Exit Stairs.

6. Change the following parameters:

7. Tread Material- Finishes- Exterior: Precast Concrete Panels

8. Riser Material- Metal-Paint Finish, Dark Grey Matte

9. Stringer Material- Metal-Paint Finish, Dark Grey Matte

Choose OK and OK.

6. To sketch the run of the stairs, you will need to create a U shaped run. There also
needs to be a one step offset in the U shape. To start sketching the run, click on
the midpoint of the edge of the platform.

7. Move the pointer vertically to a distance of 2080 mm and click to place the first
run.

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8. Move the pointer to the right and line it up with the next to last riser line (to form
the offset) and the reference plane.

9. Move the pointer vertically to the edge of the platform and click to finish the stair
run.

13. Choose Finish Sketch to complete the stairs.

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14. To view the stairs in a 3D view, choose 3D from the Toolbar. Orient the view as
shown in the next figure and zoom in on the stair area.

15. You will temporarily hide two of the walls so you can see the stairs in this
orientation. Choose View and Hide/Isolate. Select the two walls of the stair
tower. Choose Hide Selected from the Temporary Hide/Isolate dialog. The
walls will now be hidden. Close the Temporary Hide/Isolate dialog box by
clicking the X in the upper right corner.

16. This stair repeats itself on the next floor. This is a multi-story stair. To create this,
select the stairs, choose Properties, and change the parameter for Multi-Story
Top Level to Level 3.

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17. The railing on the stair that is against the wall will simply be a pipe that follows the
wall. To create this, you will create a new railing type and modify the structure to
define it. First, select the railing and choose Properties.

18. From the Properties dialog, choose Edit/New and then Duplicate. Enter a new
railing name.

19. For the Baluster Family parameter, choose None.

20. Choose Edit from the Rail Structure parameter.

Make sure there is only one row with a Height of 914.4 mm and an Offset of
50.8 mm.

To delete a row, click on the row number and choose Delete.

Choose OK to close the dialog and then close the other dialog boxes to see the
result.

21. To un-hide the walls you selected earlier, choose View, Hide/Isolate and those
walls.

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Stair Calculator
This exercise will cover a new stair type parameter called “Stair Calculation Rules”.

Exercise:
You will learn how to use the stair calculator in order to compute automatically the actual tread
depth of a stair based on the riser height and an equation that links the two.
Creating an exterior stair using stair calculator

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Condominium.rvt.

Click Open.

You are now observing the exterior main entrance stair which was originally
created without using “Stair Calculation Rules” parameter.

2. Go to the project browser, open the Floor Plan – Street Level view and zoom into
the exterior main entrance stair.

3. With the mouse cursor, click on this stair and go to its Properties.

Originally, this stair was created using the standard method, i.e. within the
Element Properties dialog box, the Actual Depth (Tread) of this stair is equal to the
Minimum Depth (Tread) which is 11” as set in the Type Properties box. Also, the
Actual Rise (Riser) is computed automatically to 6 55/64” which is the result of the

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 Distance between Base and Top Level divided by Desired Number of Risers.

In the standard method, the tread depth has no dependency or relationship with
the actual riser height. Since this stair contains 6 treads, the total run length is 6 x
11” = 66” or 5’-6”.

You will now use the Stair Calculation Rules method to create the exterior main
entrance stair.
4. In order to access to the Type Properties dialog box of this stair, click on
Edit/New button.

5. Within the Type Properties box, in “Stair Calculation Rules” parameter, click the
Edit button. It will then lead you to the Stair Calculator dialog box.

6. Put a check in the box of “Use Stair Calculator for slope calculation” in order

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 to activate the Stair Calculator.

By default, when using the Stair Calculator method, Autodesk Revit can compute the
actual tread depth derived from the Calculation Rule equation: X*Riser+ Y*Tread
= Z.

Where X is a value to multiply the actual riser height as indicated in the Element
Properties; Y is a value to multiply the actual tread depth; Z is the result and should
be a value within the Threshold Values range. Generally, the maximum and
minimum Threshold Values range is provided by some design standards or building
codes). Deriving from the Calculation Rule equation, the Tread = (Z–X*Riser) / Y.
7. For this exercise, since the main entrance stair is an outdoor stair, for comfort and
safety purposes some building codes may suggest this equation to be 2 * Riser + 1 *
Tread = 26” to 27”. For this example, we will use 26 1/2" or 2' 2 1/2".

In the Calculation Rule equation set the values, 2 * Risers + 1 * Tread = 2' 2
1/2".

8. Next the Threshold Values range will be set. Change the “Maximum Result for
Stair Calculator” to 27” (or 2’ 3”) and “Minimum Result for Stair Calculator” to
26” (or 2' 2”). Press OK button.

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9. A warning about the actual tread depth and riser height do not match the new
parameters. This is because the parameters only take effect when new stairs are
created. Choose OK to ignore this message and choose OK to close the two
properties dialog boxes.

10. Since these parameters apply to new stairs, select the existing stairs and Delete
them.

11. On the Modeling tab of the design bar, click on Stair command. Select Stair
Properties from the design bar and change the stair type to Outdoor stairs.

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 12. Redraw the exterior main entrance stair and click Finish Sketch once it’s done.

13. Place dimensions in order to see the new total run length and actual tread depth
generated automatically by Revit after enabling the Stair Calculator.

The actual tread depth is determined automatically by Autodesk Revit using this equation:

Tread = (Z–X*Riser) / Y = (2’-2 ½” – 2*6 55/64”) / 1 = 1’-0 25/32”

which is now indicated in “Actual Depth (Tread)” parameter within the Element Properties
dialog box.

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Since this stair contains 6 treads, the total run length is 6 x 1’-0 25/32” = 6’-4 23/32. Also, it
is important to know that you can always readjust manually this indicated “Actual Depth
(Tread)” value. However, for any value that you type in, Revit will verify if it meets the
requirements of “Minimum Depth (Tread)” as set in the Type Properties and of “Threshold
Values” as set in the Stair Calculator. If the manual value doesn’t meet one of these
requirements, Revit will give you a warning and the stair will be shown in magenta until the
error is resolved.

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Cutting Openings in Roofs, Floors, and Ceilings
You can cut openings on the faces of roofs, floors, or ceilings using the Opening command.
When creating a hosted opening, you have the option to cut perpendicular to a selected plane,
or vertically through a selected floor, roof, or ceiling.

In the exercise that follows, you will cut openings in a floor and ceiling that will expose the
stairs beneath them. In addition, you will cut two openings in the roof in order to visualize the
difference between a perpendicular and vertical cut.

In this exercise, you will learn how to:

Cut and modify openings in a roof

• Perpendicular to a selected plane

• Vertically

• Cut an opening into a floor

• Cut an opening into a ceiling

Note: This tutorial was designed for both imperial and metric units of

measurement. When required, both units will be supplied with the Imperial

unit given first and the subsequent Metric unit surrounded by brackets.
Units may or may not be the result of a direct conversion.

For example, 30' 0" [10meters].

Retrieve the Training File

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

2. From the Metric folder, select Simple House.rvt.

Click Open.

Simple House.rvt— 3D View

3. Take a moment to spin the model around and familiarize yourself with the project.

Open each Floor Plan.

Open the view, Section: Section 1.

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 Section: Section 1
Notice that a set of stairs exist, however, there is no opening in the floor or ceiling.
This condition is more apparent in one of the preexisting 3D views.
4. Open the 3D View: Level 1 Interior View.

3D View: Level 1 Interior View

Later in the exercise, you will add openings to both the ceiling and the floor.

Cutting Roof Openings

When creating a hosted opening, you have the option to make the opening perpendicular to
the selected plane or you can cut the opening vertically through the selected roof, floor, or
ceiling. In the image shown below, notice the differences in the two cuts. The cut on the left is
perpendicular to the roof face; the cut on the right is vertical through the roof. For training
purposes, the roof shown below is exceptionally thick.

Roof with Perpendicular (Left) and Vertical (Right) Openings

In the image shown below, the differences are more apparent because extrusions have been
added to the openings.

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 Roof with Extrusions Penetrating Roof Openings

Creating a Perpendicular Roof Opening

1. From the Toolbar, select to open a 3D view.

2. Orient the view so it resembles the image below.

3D View

3. From the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, choose .

A dialog will appear asking to to select an option:

4. Choose Pick a planar face of a roof, floor, or ceiling and cut perpendicular
to face. Click OK.

5. Place the cursor over the front face of the roof. Once it prehighlights, select it.

Selecting the Roof Face

Once you select the plane, you will immediately enter sketch mode. At this point,
you need to sketch the shape of the opening. To do this with a greater degree of
precision, you will alter your 3D view.
6. From the Toolbar, select .

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 7. Select the arrow at the right edge of the dialog.

After doing so, select South Elevation from the Orient to a Direction drop-
down list.

Reorienting the 3D View

You may want to spin the model vertically in order to be perpendicular to the roof
face that you selected.
Use the image below Step 8 as a guide.

Close the Dynamic View dialog when finished.

8. From the Design Bar, click Lines and choose the Rectangle sketching tool from
the Design Bar.

Sketch a 5' 0" x 5' 0" [1500mm x 1500mm] square on the right side of the
roof. Use the image below as a guide.

Sketching the Opening

9. From the Design Bar, select Finish Sketch.

The new roof opening will appear. Use the Dynamic View tool, , to spin the
model around.

New Roof Opening

Creating a Vertical Roof Opening

1. With the 3D View open, select from the Toolbar.

Select the arrow at the right edge of the dialog.

Choose Southeast Isometric from the Orient to a Direction drop-down list.

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 Setting the 3D View Direction
Close the Dynamic View dialog.
2. From the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, choose .

3. Choose the placement option, Pick a roof, floor, or ceiling and cut vertically.
Click OK.

Setting the Placement Options

4. Place the cursor over the roof. When it prehighlights, select it.

Selecting the Roof

5. By default, the Lines tool should be selected. If it is not, choose if from the Design
Bar.

Using the rectangle sketching tool located in the Options Bar, sketch a 5' 0" x 5'
0" [1500mm x 1500mm] square on the left side of the roof. Use the image
below as a guide.

Sketching the Vertical Roof Opening

Despite the appearance that the square shown in the image above is roughly
aligned with the opening you added previously, this is not the case. In the steps
that follow, you will adjust to view in order to precisely place the opening.
6. Select from the Toolbar.

Select the arrow at the right edge of the dialog.

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 Choose Top from the Orient to a Direction drop-down list.

Reorienting the 3D View

Notice that the location of the sketched opening is not where it appeared when
sketching it in the southeast isometric view. (The exact location of your sketch may
vary from the image below.)

3D View— Oriented to Direction: Top

6. Select all four sketched lines and move them so that they are aligned with the
previously created opening.

Moving the Location of the Opening

6. Click Finish Sketch from the Design Bar.

7. Spin the model or reorient the 3D View to a southeast isometric viewpoint.

Notice the new opening and the difference between the perpendicular cut and the
vertically cut opening.

3D View with 2 Roof Openings

Modifying an Existing Opening

After adding an opening to a roof, floor, or ceiling, you can modify the opening itself or move it
to a new location.
1. Within the 3D View, select the vertically cut opening.

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 To do this, place the cursor over the opening until it prehighlights. You may need
to use the <Tab> key to toggle to the opening rather than the entire roof. Once
the opening prehighlights, select it.

2. Drag the opening to a new position on the roof.

You can use the Align and Rotate tools on an existing opening.
In the image below, notice that the vertically placed opening has been rotated and
relocated.

Use the Rotate tool and attempt to replicate the rotation in the image below.
(Hint: After selecting the opening and choosing the Rotate tool, you may need to go
to the Roof floor plan to complete the rotation.)

3D View: Shaded with Edges

3. Within a 3D View, select the vertically placed opening that you rotated in the
previous step.

4. From the Options Bar, select Edit Sketch.

Notice that this view direction does not offer a good working plane.

5. Use the Dynamic View tool to reorient the direction of the view to Top.

6. Delete the previously sketched lines and sketch a circle on the left side of the roof.

3D View Oriented to Top

7. Select Finish Sketch.

8. Use the Dynamic View tool to once again reorient the view to a southeast
isometric direction.

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 3D View— southeast isometric

Cutting an Opening in a Floor

Next, you will cut an opening in a floor above an existing set of stairs.
1. Open the Section view, Section 1.

Before adding the opening, you will add a reference plane within the section view.
This reference plane will be located at the point where you want to set the head
height clearance.

2. From the Toolbar, select the Tape Measure tool, .

Use the tool to find the tread that allows you the proper head height.

Finding the Proper Head Height

3. Select Reference Plane from the Basics tab of the Design Bar.

4. Using the image below for guidance, add a vertical reference plane that is aligned
to the edge of the stair tread. This plane will become a sketching reference when
you draw the opening.

Adding a Reference Plane to the Section View.

Note: Do not add the dimension, Head Height, which appears in the image

above. This dimension was added only as a training aid.

5. From the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, choose .

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6. Choose the placement option, Pick a roof, floor, or ceiling and cut vertically.
Click OK.

Setting the Placement Options

7. Place the cursor over the floor. When it prehighlights, select it.

Selecting the Floor

8. Once you select the floor, you will be prompted to select a view. Since the opening
will be hosted by the floor on Level 2, select Floor Plan: Level 2. Click Open
View.

Selecting a Sketching View

9. From the View menu, choose Wireframe.

This will allow you to snap the opening to the corner of the stairs.

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 Floor Plan: Level 2

10. By default, the Lines tool should be active. If it is not, select it from the Design
Bar.

Choose the Rectangle sketching tool from the Options Bar.

Sketch the rectangular opening from the lower, right corner of the stairs to the
upper edge of the stairs where it intersects the reference plane you added
previously. Use the image below for guidance.

Sketching the Rectangular Opening

11. Select Finish Sketch.

12. Open the view, Section: Section 1.

Notice the new floor opening.

Section: Section 1

Cutting an Opening in a Ceiling

In the final section of this exercise, you add an opening to the ceiling.
1. Open the view, Section: Section 1 if it is not already the active view.

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2. From the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, choose .

3. Choose the placement option, Pick a roof, floor, or ceiling and cut vertically.
Click OK.

Setting the Placement Options

4. Place the cursor over the ceiling. When it prehighlights, select it.

Selecting the Ceiling

5. Immediately after selecting the ceiling, you will be prompted to select a sketching
view.

Choose Reflected Ceiling Plan: Level 1 and click Open View.

6. Using the Rectangle sketching tool available in the Options Bar, sketch a
rectangle from the lower, right corner of the stairs to the intersection of the upper
stair edge and the reference plane you added previously.

Sketching the Ceiling Opening

7. Select Finish Sketch.

8. Open the view, Section: Section 1.

Section 1

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 Notice the new opening in the ceiling. The stairs now rise to the second floor
unimpeded.
9. Open the view, 3D View: Level 1 Interior View.

Level 1 Interior View

10. If you want to save this file, select Save as from the File menu and give the
project a unique name.

Note: This project file is used with several tutorials. Do not overwrite the

original project file.

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Creating Drawings
In the following exercise, you will create drawings of an existing project. The exercise will
show you how to add multiple views to a sheet, copy views to be used on multiple sheets, and
update drawing sheet parameters.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Drawing_Exercise.rvt.

Click Open.

2. In this exercise, we will create a drawing sheet for both a Floor Plan and a
Furniture Plan of Level 1. To do this we must copy the view Floor Plan: Level 1.
From the Project Browser, select the view Floor Plan: Level 1 and press the right
mouse button to display the popup menu. Choose Duplicate and a copy of the
plan view will be created called "Copy of Level 1".

3. To rename the copied view, select the view in the Project Browser and press the
right mouse button and choose Rename from the popup menu. Rename the view
to "Level 1 Furniture ".

4. Activate the Floor Plan: Level 1 view. The visibility of all of the furniture, fixtures,
and electrical equipment will be turned off for this view. Choose View and select
Visibility/Graphics.

5. From the View Visibility/Graphics dialogue, select the Model Categories tab and
deselect (uncheck) all of the following categories:

• Casework

• Furniture

• Lighting Fixtures

• Speciality Equipment

6. Choose to update the display of this view.

Setting Project Information

Editing the Project Information parameters allows the project information to be automatically
passed to the titleblock.
1. Choose Project Information from the Settings menu. The following dialogue
box will appear.

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 2. Select to edit the Project Address. Edit the address information
as shown and choose .

3. Edit the other parameters as shown. Press to accept the changes.

Adding a Titleblock
1. Now the views will be added to the drawing sheets. To create a drawing sheet
choose View, New and Sheet.

2. Select the titleblock A0 metric from the dialogue and choose OK.

3. Edit the properties of the sheet to add the values to the tags. Choose

and select the border of the sheet. Choose to display

the Properties dialogue box.

Name the Sheet, Ground Floor Plan as shown in the next figure. Choose
and notice the change to the titleblock.

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Adding Views to Sheets
1. Add the Floor Plan: Level 1 view to the drawing. To do this, choose Add View
from the View tab of the Design Bar.

Note: If the View tab is not available on the Design Bar, right-click the Design

Bar and select View from the pop-up menu.

Select the name of the view from the list and choose and place
the view by clicking in the center of the sheet.

2. The current scale of the view is too small for the sheet. The view scale is a
property of the view in the model. To change the scale, select the view and choose
View, Activate View.

Now choose View and View Properties. Click in the View Scale value box and
select 1:20 from the drop down menu. Choose to see the scale change on
the sheet.

3. To adjust the position the view on the sheet, the view must first be deactivated.
From the menu bar, choose View, Deactivate View.

Select and select the view and move it to the centre of the sheet

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 as shown below.

Annotating the View

1. Dimensions will now be added to this view. Select the view on the drawing sheet
and choose View, Activate View to activate this viewport for modification. You
can also access this command from the popup menu by pressing the right mouse
button when the cursor is in the view on a drawing sheet.

2. The overall length and width dimensions of the building will be added. Choose
from the Drafting tab of the design bar (or select Dimension from the
Drafting menu.

3. Select the options of Linear and Prefer wall faces from the toolbar.

4. Select the outer faces of the two outside vertical walls with the left mouse button,
then place the dimension by selecting the location where the dimension should be
placed.

5. Repeat this for the two horizontal walls as shown below.

6. Next the door in the right corner of the upper, exterior wall will be reoriented.

Choose and select the door. Click the control arrows until the door
is oriented as shown below.

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 7. Deactivate the viewport by selecting View, Deactivate View.

8. Open the view Floor Plan: Level 1 from the Project Browser. Notice the two
dimensions have been added to this view and the door has updated. Next open the
view Floor Plan: Level 1 Furniture. Notice the dimensions do not appear, but
the door is in the correct orientation. Annotation objects, such as dimension,
notes, etc., only appear on the view where they were created. Model geometry, if
modified, will update in every view.

Adding Additional Sheets

1. A new sheet will now be added to the project for the Furniture plan of Level 1. To
do this, choose from the View tab of the Design Bar. Select the A0
metric titleblock to be added.

2. Modify the Sheet Properties and change the sheet name to "Furniture Plan
Ground Floor" and the sheet number to be "A102".

3. Before adding the view to the sheet, we will modify the scale of the view. Activate
the view Level 1 Furniture by double picking the view by name from the Project
Browser.

4. Choose View and View Properties. Modify the scale from 1:100 to 1:20 and
choose OK to update the view. You may have to do a Zoom To Fit to see the
newly scaled view.

5. Now the view will be added to a sheet. From the Project Browser, select the [+]
next to Sheets to expand the listing of drawing sheets. Select "A102 - Furniture
Ground Floor", press the right mouse button to display the popup menu and
choose Open, to activate the view.

6. Choose Add View from the View tab of the Design Bar. Notice the Floor Plan:
Level 1 view is not listed, because it is already on a drawing sheet. Select Floor
Plan: Level 1 Furniture from the list and choose .

7. Choose Zoom to Fit to see the newly added view. Centre the view on the drawing
sheet as shown below.

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Modifying The Model
Objects in the model can be modified directly from the drawing sheets.
1. With the A102 Furniture Ground Floor sheet active, we will make changes to
the furniture. To do this the viewport must be active. Select the view on the sheet
and choose View, Activate View to make this view active. This can also be done
by selecting the view, right clicking,and choosing "Activate Viewport" from the
popup menu.

2. Once the view is active, select and zoom in around the lower left corner of the
building.

3. Choose and select lamp (next to the lounge chair). The Type
Selector should display .

4. From the Type Selector change the type to M_Floor Lamp1.

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 5. The horizontal interior wall of this room will now be moved. Choose

and select the horizontal, interior wall shown below.

If the temporary dimension does not appear after selecting the wall, choose
Activate Dimensions from the Options Bar.

6. Modify the 4500mm dimension to be 5200mm. Notice the furniture components

adjacent to the wall, chair, desk and file cabinet, have also moved. This is because
of the "Moves with Nearby Elements" option.

7. Choose Window from the menubar and select the view "Drawing_exercise.rvt -
Floor Plan: Level 1 Furniture" to activate this view. Notice the changes made to
the furniture and wall position have updated here as well.

Creating New Views

New view types (elevations, callouts and sections) will be created and added to our drawing
sheets. We will demonstrate how to add multiple views to the drawing sheet and how to
modify view properties.
1. A new Callout view of the room in the lower left corner will be created and be
placed on a drawing sheet. To create the new view, choose View, New and
Callout. Next, draw a rectangle around the room as shown to create the callout
view.

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2. Change the position of the view tag. Select and pick on the dashed
border of the callout view.

3. Select the blue dot adjacent to the view tag and drag the dot to the new position
shown below.

4. To see the new callout view, choose and double pick the view
symbol. You can also use the "Go to Callout View" option from the popup menu.

5. We will now add the callout to a new sheet. From the design bar, select the View
tab, and select . Select the A0 metric titleblock.

6. To add the view of "Floor Plan: Callout of Level 1 Furniture", choose from
the design bar and select the view from the list. Choose and position
the view as shown below.

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7. Open the view, "Floor Plan: Level 1 Furniture" and zoom in around the view tag of
the callout. Notice the tag has updated with the drawing sheet number and has
assigned detail id number.

8. Another view type will be created and then placed on the sheet "A103".

Open the Floor Plan: Level 1 Furniture and Zoom to Fit.

9. Choose button from the View tab of the design bar to create a new
elevation view.

10. Notice the Elevation symbol at the end of the cursor. Move the cursor to the room
in the lower left corner of the building. As the mouse is moved, notice the
elevation symbol will point the to closest wall. Place the new elevation as shown
below by clicking with the left mouse button.

11. Choose and select the arrow portion of the elevation symbol. This
will display the view extents for this elevation view.

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12. Next click on the square portion of the symbol. The symbol should display as
shown below.

13. Check the bottom box to create a new view 180 degrees from the first view
created.

14. Next the symbol will be changed from a square to a circle. Choose Properties to
display the Properties dialogue box.

15. Choose Edit/New to access the type properties. From the Shape drop-down list,
select Circle and then choose OK.

16. Choose OK to update the properties of the view. Notice the project browser now
displays two new elevation views, Elevation 1:a and Elevation 1:c.
The names of the views may differ from this example.

17. Choose and select the arrow portion of the new lower elevation .
This will display the view extents for this elevation view.

18. Notice the green dashed line towards the bottom of the room. This represents the
far clip plane of the elevation. Elements beyond this line will not be drawn in the
elevation. If necessary, use the drag handle to reposition the far clip plane to
include the back wall of the room.

19. These views will now be placed on the drawing sheet "A103". Activate the sheet
view, "A103", from the Project Browser.

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20. Choose Add View from the View tab of the Design Bar. Select the first of newly
created elevation views (Elevation 1:a) to add to the sheet. Position the view as
shown.

21. Add the other elevation view (Elevation 1:c) to the sheet and position as shown.

22. Activate the sheet view "A102 - Furniture Plan: Level 1" and zoom in around the
elevation tag created in the lower left room. Notice the symbol has updated to
reflect the sheet number and detail id's of the views.

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 23. The last view to be created and placed on the sheet will be a section view. Open
the view Floor Plan: Level 1 Furniture.

24. Zoom in around the kitchen in the upper right corner of the building as shown.

25. From the View tab of the Design Bar, choose . Click with the left mouse
button once to start the section creation, then drag the mouse to the end and click
with the left mouse button again.
The first pick is the 'head' of the section.

24. Flip the section to point west (left) as shown. To do this, select ,
then select the section and click the control arrows to reverse the direction.

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25. Next this view will be added to the sheet "A103". Activate the sheet "A103" from
the Project Browser.

26. Choose Add View from the View Design Bar and select the newly created section
view from the list. Position the view as shown.

27. The scale of this view will be changed. Select the view, click the right mouse
button to display the popup menu and choose Activate View.

28. Choose View, View Properties to display the properties dialogue box. Change
the 1:20 scale to be 1:50. Choose OK to update the view properties.

29. Choose Deactivate View and reposition the view as shown.

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30. Choose to save the project.

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Detailing
In this exercise we will demonstrate the detailing functionality in Autodesk Revit. The areas
this exercise will cover are:

Creating Section and Callout views

Creating Detail Lines

Using Detail Components

Manipulating View Properties

The exercise will use a small house to demonstrate the detailing functionality.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select cape house.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open the Floor Plan view, First Floor from the Project Browser.

Notice a section has been created through the model. We will modify the properties of

the section line. Choose and select the section then choose
to open the Element Properties dialogue box.

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3. We will add a tail and set the display of the section line to include a gap in the
segment. Select the value for End2 mark and change the value to Tail. Also
check off the box for Gaps in segments as shown.

4. Choose to close the Element Properties dialogue box. The section line
should now appear as shown below.

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 5. The extents of the section line can now be modified by selecting on the blue dots
(drag handles) for each segment of the section line. Drag the end point for the
head and tail sections as shown below.

Adding a Callout View

1. To open the section view, double pick on the section head.

2. A callout view will be added to the section view at the foundation cill. From the
View tab of the Design Bar, select .

3. To create the callout view, pick two points diagonally around the area to be
included in the callout. The view should appear as shown below.

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 4. To reposition the callout head, choose and select the border of the
callout. The callout view will highlight and display drag handles. Select the drag
handle at the callout head and move the head to the opposite side of the view as
shown below. Note the head will snap to the drag handles as it is moved.

5. Open the callout view by selecting and double pick on the callout
head (or you may also open the view from the Project Browser).

6. Once the callout view is open, the name and scale of this view will be changed.
From the View menu, choose View Properties.

7. Change the View Name to be Section Detail - Foundation Cill and then change
the View Scale to 1 : 5. Choose to update the view properties.

8. In the viewing window, press the right mouse button to activate the popup menu
and choose Zoom to Fit.

9. Next, the level visible in this view, First Floor will be moved. Select the level and
move the ends of the level as shown below.

Detailing the View

Detail objects in Autodesk Revit are view specific. Detail Lines, Detail Components, Filled
Region, Insulation and Revision Clouds are objects that can be added to a view and will
only be visible in that view.
Adding Filled Regions
1. A filled region will now be added to this view. Filled regions are closed areas which
can display fill patterns. Select the Drafting tab from the design bar and choose
Filled Region. The region will be created around the foundation wall.

2. Select Lines from the design bar. Change the line type to be drawn as Wide
Lines.

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3. Choose the from the options bar. Sketch the rectangle as shown below.

4. Select Region Properties from the design bar. Choose then set the Fill
Pattern value is set to Concrete [Drafting]. Choose twice to update the
values.

5. Choose and pick the bottom line of the region.

6. From the Type Selector, change the line style from Wide lines to <Invisible
lines>.

7. Choose to complete the region.

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 8. Another region showing the ground outside the foundation will be created. Choose
Filled Region and sketch the region as shown. The exact dimensions are not
important.

9. Select Region Properties and choose . Select Duplicate to define a new

region type.

10. Accept the default name of the region. Change the Fill Pattern value to EARTH
[drafting]. Choose twice to complete the new type.

11. Choose and pick the lines shown below.

12. From the drop-down type menu, change the line style from Wide lines to
Invisible lines.

13. Choose to complete the region.

Adding Detail Components

Detail components are 2D family objects which are visible only in the view they are placed.
1. Choose from the Drafting tab of the Design Bar and select
from the Options Bar.

2. Open the folder Detail Components\Structural\Wood and choose the file

M_Dimension Lumber-Section.rfa.

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3. A table of structural types appears at the bottom of the Open dialog box. This table
allows you to select the specific types that you wish to load. Scroll down the list
and select the 38x140, 38x235 and 38x286 types by selecting the first, holding
down the <CTRL> key, and selecting the others. Choose Open.

4. From the Type Selector choose M_Dimension Lumber-Section: 38 x 235.

5. Place the component as shown below. Place the component, then rotate 90
degrees. Move the component as shown. The Align command can be used to help
align the component to the model geometry.

6. Change the Detail Component type to Dimensional Lumber: 38 x 286.

7. Place a new instance and move the component into position as shown below.

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8. Add a final Dimension Lumber component. Select the size of 38 x 140 from the
option list and place the component as shown.

9. Next a detail component for the plywood flooring will be added. This component
has been defined using the new 'instance parameter' function. Each instance of
components with instance parameters can be modified to any value once placed in
the model. Choose and select from the options
list. This plywood component is 21mm thick.

10. Place the Plywood component above the last 38 x 286 component added to the
model as show.

11. Zoom In around the plywood component. Choose and select the
right side of the component.

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12. Drag the end of the component to the right, up to the crop boundary as shown.

13. Select the left side of the plywood and drag it to the edge of the wall as shown.

14. Add another plywood component. Rotate the plywood and stretch the ends as
shown.

15. An anchor bolt will be added as a detail component. Choose and select
m_anchorbolt from the options list. Place the component as shown.

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 16. The final detail component will be added and then arrayed. Choose
and select m_lap siding from the options list. Place the siding as shown.

17. To create the rest of the siding, choose and select the siding
component. Choose Edit and Array then edit the Number of Copies to 5 in the
options bar. Select the Constrain option.

18. To array the siding component, select the component by pressing and holding the
left mouse button and drag the new copy to the upper end of the first component.
When complete the siding should appear as shown below.

Adding Detail Lines

1. Choose and select Medium Lines from the options list. Sketch the
lines shown to complete the siding.

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2. Only the detail objects will be displayed when the detail view is complete. Since
this is the case we will use detail lines to trace over the existing model geometry.
Before sketching the new line the model will be displayed as an underlay. Choose
View Properties from the View menu. Change the Display model value to As
underlay. Choose OK.

3. Choose Detail Lines from the design bar. Select Medium Lines from the options
bar.

4. Select and Chain from the options bar and trace over the inside wall, floor as
shown. A base board (20 x 100 mm) has also been added.

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5. Add additional detail line, using the Medium lines as shown below.

6. Add a filled region using Medium Lines on the inside of the wall to represent the
15 mm plasterboard.

7. Use a fill pattern of Sand to create the region as shown below.

8. Next detail lines will be used to represent a 5 mil vapour barrier. We will first
create a new line style to represent this. Choose Settings and Line Styles .

9. From the Line Style dialogue box, select .

Enter a name for the new line style as Vapour Barrier.

Choose to add the new line.

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 10. Modify the Line Weight to 3, Line Colour to Black and Line Pattern to Dash as
shown below.

Choose to complete the new line style.

11. Choose Detail Lines and select the new line style Vapour barrier from the
options list. Sketch the line, 5mm from inside of wall as shown below.

Insulation
1. The last detail object representing insulation will now be created. Choose
Insulation from the design bar.

2. Enter a Width of 120mm and an Offset of 60mm in the option bar.

3. Sketch the insulation along the inside edge of the plywood detail component as
shown below.

Adding Break Lines

Break lines will now be added to the drawing. The break line is a detail component which
includes the break line itself with an adjustable masking region on one side.
1. Choose and select M_Break line from the type menu. Place the break
line on the wall section as shown.

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2. You will now adjust the extent of the masking element. To do so, slowly move the
pointer over the masking element until the top border prehighlights.

3. Drag the border up by pressing and holding down the left mouse button and
moving the pointer upwards. None of the lap siding should now be visible.

4. You will now add the break line for the floor. Choose and make sure
Break line is still selected in the type menu.

5. Choose Rotate after placement in the options bar to allow you to immediate
rotate the component after it is placed. Place the component approximately as
shown.

6. Rotate the component 90 degrees. Make sure to keep the masking element to the
right of the break line.

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 7. You will now adjust the extents of the masking element. Place the pointer over the
bottom edge of the masking element until it prehighlights. Press and hold down
the left mouse button and drag the border until the floor lines are properly cut.

8. To view the detailed view without the model geometry, choose View and View
Properties. Change the Display model value to Do not display. The resulting
view should appear as shown below.

Adding Text Notes

1. You will now add text notes to the detail drawing. Choose from the

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 Design Bar.

2. Select . The Element Properties dialogue box will appear.

Select Edit/New.

3. Change the Type to 4mm text. Choose to update the changes.

4. From the Options Toolbar, select the straight leader option .

5. Click first to place the head of the leader. Click a second time to place the starting
point of the text.

6. Enter RED CEDAR LAP SIDING - 100mm WEATHERING as the text and left
click in the working window to complete the text.

7. Choose and pick the text. Use the drag handles at the end of the
text box to resize the text as shown.

8. Add the rest of the detail notes shown below. You have now completed a detail
drawing.

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273
Detail Views and Visibility Settings
Within a detail view, you can arrange detail component order. For example, you can send an
item to the back or bring an item forward. Your control over Visibility Settings has been
enhanced; within each view, you can now override line styles and detail level settings for each
model element category. For example, in a view with a Coarse detail setting, you can set only
the Doors to appear using Fine detail.

In this exercise, you will learn how to:

Arrange Detail Component order within a Detail View.

Utilize the new Visibility Settings including:

Overriding Line Styles

Using Halftone

Overriding Detail Level settings

Note: This exercise was created with an imperial template and components.

Whenever units of measurement are necessary, both the imperial and metric units

are supplied with the imperial unit followed by the metric in brackets. Units may not

be the result of a direct conversion.

For example, 30' 0" [10meters]. You can set your units preference by selecting

Units from the Settings menu.

Detail Views

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Office Building.rvt.

Click Open.

Note: This file is used with several tutorials. If you wish to save your work, click

File, Save As, and save the file with a unique file name.

Open the Floor Plan: Basement.

2. In the upper right corner, notice that there is a section view cutting through a
kitchen sink and cabinet. Open the detail view by double-clicking the section head.

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 In this detail view, notice that the filled regions do not overlap properly.

3. Place your cursor over the kitchen sink detail component and after it prehighlights,
select it.

3. With the sink detail component selected, click from the Option Bar.

4. Notice that the sink detail component is now above the cabinet detail component.

5. Select the sink detail component and in the Option Bar, click .

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 Notice the sink detail component has been sent to the back of the drawing.

6. There are 3 detail components stacked in this drawing, a sink, a cabinet, and a
simple fill pattern. Select the base cabinet and cycle through the various depth
options on the Option Bar.

Visibility Settings
1. Open Floor Plan: Basement and draw a zoom box around the furniture.

2. From the View menu, select Visibility/Graphics.

3. Scroll to the Furniture line and select Halftone; furniture within this view will
appear in halftone.

4. Click OK.

5. From the Project Browser, open Floor Plan: Level 1 and from the View menu,
select Zoom, Zoom to Fit.

6. From the View menu, select Visibility/Graphics. Select the Annotation

Categories tab.

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7. Scroll to the Door Tags line and remove the checkmark for Door Tags.

Door Tags will no longer appear in this view.

8. Click Apply. If you drag the View Visibility/Graphics dialog box so that you can see
the model behind it, you will notice that the door tags are no longer visible.

9. Select the Model Categories tab and scroll down to the Walls line.

10. Choose Coarse from the Detail Level drop-down list.

Walls within this view will display using the Coarse detail level regardless of the
settings within view properties dialog box.

11. Click Apply. Notice that the walls within the view now display as course while the
rest of the components within the view continue to use the "Fine" setting.

12. Select the Wall's Cut Line Style and set the values using the image
below for guidance and click OK.

13. Click OK to close the View Visibility/Graphics dialog box.

Notice that the Cut Line Style of the walls is significantly heavier as a result of
the visibility setting override.

14. If you have saved the file with a unique name or wish to do so, do it now.

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Otherwise, select File, Close, and do not save the changes made to this file.

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Drafting Views
In this exercise, we will use the functionality called Drafting Views. Drafting Views address
the cases in which standard details are used in a project rather than parametric details. These
standard details are static and do not need to update with changes to the model. Drafting
Views allow the user to create new views for standard details that do not need to be actually
generated as callouts from the model. These details can then be created using drafting tools
within Revit or by importing completed details from an existing standard detail library. Once
these drafting views are ready, they can then be referenced within the model and placed on
sheets.
In this exercise, you will learn to:

• Create a Drafting View

• Create a Detail within a Project
• Import Existing Detail into a Project
• Create a Reference Callout
• Place a Drafting View on a Sheet

Retrieving the Model:

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Drafting_Views.rvt.

2. Click Open.

The model is shown below.

Creating a Drafting View:

1. To create a new drafting view, choose View, New, Drafting View from the menu
bar.

A dialog box will appear which will allow you to enter the View name and the View
scale.

2. Enter Door Detail as the View name and use the drop down list to select 1 : 5 as
the View Scale. Choose to finalize the changes.

3. You are now in the new Drafting View. The new drafting view named Door Detail

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 now appears in the Project Browser by clicking the plus sign next to Drafting
Views.

Creating a Detail within a Project:

With the Drafting View created, you are now ready to create a detail using the Revit drafting
tools.
1. Choose the Drafting tab of the Design Bar to bring up the tools that will be needed
to create the detail.

2. Choose Detail Lines to begin drawing the door detail.

When you have completed this exercise, the finished door detail will look like the
image below:

3. From the Type Selector, choose Wide Lines.

4. Using the sketching tools available in the Options Bar, draw the lines representing
the door jamb.

Do not worry about precise dimensions; you will adjust the dimensions in the next
step.

5. Next, use permanent dimensions to add accuracy to the detail. Add the dimension
strings and modify the lines to match the dimensions shown below.

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6. Next, choose Filled Region from the Drafting tab of the Design Bar.

While in sketch mode,Select Lines and use the sketching tools in the Options Bar
to sketch areas representing the plasterboard.

7. Sketch the two 17mm thick rectangles as shown.

8. Choose Region Properties to select the fill pattern to represent the gypsum wall
board. The Element Properties Dialog box will appear.

9. Choose to create a new region type.

Choose Duplicate and name the new region type Sand.

Use the drop-down menu to change the Fill pattern to Sand [Drafting]. Then
choose OK twice to close both dialog boxes and finalize the changes.

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10. Choose to finish the regions. Notice the plasterboard pattern that
now fills the regions.

11. Next choose Detail Lines and add the door architraves and then add the
dimensions and modify the moulding to match the image below.

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12. You will now adjust the dimensions to pull them away from the detail. First, pick
the dimension and drag it away from the model. Next, use the drag handle at the
head of each the witness line to pull the end away from the model as shown.

Your detail should look like this:

13. Next, choose Detail Lines again and use the Type Selector to change the line
style to Medium Lines. Draw the lines to represent the door itself.

14. You will now add the planned timber for the header. Choose from the
Design Bar. Choose Dimension Lumber 38x140 from the Type selector drop
down list. Place it in the detail and rotate it until it appears as shown.

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15. Stack another one directly above it to complete the header.

16. You will now place the break lines. Choose and select Break Line
from the Type selector drop down list. Place the break lines as shown. The lower
break line will need to be rotated. Note: The detail components used in this
exercise were previously loaded into the project using File, Load Family from
Library....

17. To complete the detail, you will now annotate the detail. Choose
from the Design Bar to start adding text. Choose the type of leader you wish the
text to have: straight, straight with an elbow, or arced.

18. Place the text and modify the leaders to complete the detail as shown below.

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Importing an Existing Detail into a Drafting View:
The Drafting Views can also be used to place standard details that are already complete. In
this exercise, we will import an existing detail into a drafting view.
1. Create a new Drafting View by selecting View, New, Drafting View from the
menu bar.

2. Enter Rail Detail as the View name and use the drop Down menu to select 1 : 5
as the View Scale. Choose .

3. We will now import a completed detail in DWG format. From the Menu Bar, choose
File, Import/Link, DWG, DXF, DGN...

4. Navigate to the Training\Metric folder and choose Rail Detail.dwg.

Choose the option, Preserve Colors, and select Open. You may need to Zoom
to Fit after import.

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 The detail will initially come in as an Import Symbol. To make modifications the
Import Symbol will have to be exploded. The explosion process converts the DWG
elements into Revit elements.

5. We will now explode the imported instance. Select the imported detail so that it
highlights in red, then right-click it and choose Explode Imported Instance.

The lines have all been converted into detail lines and the text has been converted
into Revit text. Note that the text has retained the dwg layer color. For easier
visibility, the text type will be changed to a standard Revit black text type. Also
notice that the original leaders had been previously deleted. New Revit leaders will
now be added.

6. Pick all the text blocks by holding down the <CTRL> key.

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7. From the Type Selector, choose Text Note 1 as the text type.

8. We will now add the new leaders to the detail.

Pick the text block Met Stud Framing.

From the Options Bar, choose to the option to add a 2 segmented leader.

Use the drag handles the place the leader as shown below.

9. Add the rest of the leaders to complete the detail drawing.

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Creating a Reference Callout:
It is typical to have multiple callout bubbles point to one callout or drafting view in a project.
Now you can use reference callout bubbles that point to one callout or drafting view. The
reference callouts appear with a label in their headers that indicates they are reference
callouts. Adding the new callout bubble does not create a view; instead, it points to the
selected callout or drafting view.

In the following exercise, we will create Reference Callouts that will point to the Drafting
View: Door Detail that was created previously.
1. From the Project Browser, open Section View : Section 1.

2. To create a new callout, choose from the View tab of the Design
Bar, or choose View, New, Callout from the Menu Bar.

3. From the Options Toolbar, select Ref this view and choose Drafting View: Door
Detail from the drop-down menu next to it as the view to reference.

4. Place the pointer in the top left corner of the area at the top of the door and drag
toward the lower right corner to create a callout bubble as shown below.

5. Pick the callout and use the drag handles to move the callout head to a more
appropriate position. Notice that the callout head does not yet have sheet
information entered.

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 6. Choose and double pick on the callout head to go to the view that
is being referenced. It opens the Drafting View: Door detail to which it is
referenced.

More than one callout bubble can reference the same view if similar conditions exist
throughout a project.

Placing a Drafting View on a Sheet:

1. Choose View, New, Sheet or select from the View tab of the
Design Bar and select the A0 metric sheet.

2. Now place the Drafting View : Door Detail on the sheet.

To do so, either drag the view directly from the Project Browser or choose
from the View tab of the Design Bar.

Place the detail as shown.

3. Zoom on the detail. Notice that the View Name and Scale appear in exactly the
same way as in ordinary callouts.

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4. Open the Section 1 view. See how the callout head has now updated to include
the sheet information.

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Type and Instance Schedules
While scheduling most categories of building components in Autodesk Revit, the user has the
option of either listing each unique element as a separate line item, or grouping objects of the
same type into a single line item.

In this exercise, you will learn how to:

Create a window schedule

Group and sort elements in a schedule

Change from an instance schedule to a type schedule

Creating a window schedule

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Schedules.rvt.

Click Open.

2. From the View tab of the Design Bar, select . You can also access
the command by going to the View menu and choosing New,
Schedule/Quantities. The New Schedule dialog box will appear.

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3. Select the category, Windows. Accept all other options and choose OK to begin
defining the schedule properties.

Defining the Window Schedule

Next, you will select the fields to be displayed in the schedule.
1. Within the list of available fields, select Comments and choose Add. The field will
move to the Scheduled fields column on the right.

Adding the "Comments" Field

2. Continue to add fields to the schedule. Add Count, Height, Level, Type Mark,
and Width.

Adding Additional Fields

3. By selecting the fields and using or we can arrange them in the

order we want the to appear in the schedule, from left to right. Move the fields so
they appear in the order illustrated in the following figure.

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 Arranging Schedule Order

4. Select OK to finish the schedule.

Window Schedule - Instance

Grouping and Sorting Schedules

1. Right-click in the schedule window, and in the context menu that appears, select
View Properties

2. In the Element Properties dialog that appears, select the Edit button adjacent to
Sorting/Grouping.

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 Sorting/Grouping Tab

3. At the top of this dialog is a pulldown list labelled, Sort by:. From this list, choose
Type Mark

Sorting by Type Mark

4. Pick OK to exit the Schedule Properties, and OK again to exit the Element
Properties.

Sorted Schedule

Changing from Instance to Type Schedule

1. Right-click in the schedule window, and in the context menu that appears, select
View Properties.

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2. In the Element Properties dialog that appears, select the Edit button adjacent to
Sorting/Grouping.

3. At the bottom of this dialog is a checkbox labelled, Itemize every instance,. un-
check it.

Creating Type Schedule

4. Pick OK to exit the Schedule Properties, and OK again to exit the Element
Properties.

Type Schedule

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Defining Schedules & Color Diagrams
This exercise will demonstrate creating schedules and schedule keys in Autodesk Revit.
Schedule keys are allow users to define common items which can be used by multiple objects
in a schedule.
In this exercise, you will learn how to:

• Create a Room Schedule

• Add Room Tags
• Define Room Styles
• Add a Schedule Key
• Apply Room Styles to Rooms.
• Create a Color Room Fill Diagram

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Schedules.rvt.

Click Open.

The floor Plan view flr 3 should be the active view.

2. You will notice there are already several rooms and room tags added to the model.
We will begin by adding a room schedule to the project to display the existing
room information. Choose View, New, and Schedule/Quantities. The New
Schedule dialog box will appear.

3. Select Rooms as the Category to be scheduled. Accept all other options and
choose OK to begin defining the schedule properties.

4. We will first select the fields to be displayed in the schedule. From the Schedule
Properties dialog, select the field Name and choose . The field will move to
the Scheduled fields column on the right.

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 5. Next, add Number, Level, and Area fields as shown.

Note: Fields listing from Top to Bottom will be displayed in the Schedule from

Left to Right.

6. Select the Sorting/Grouping tab and from the Sort by: drop-down list, select
Number.

Select the option for Grand Totals.

7. Next, we will define the text size and font for the schedule. To do this, pick on the
Appearance tab of the Schedule Properties dialog.

8. Modify the Headers to be Bold by checking the Bold option from the dialog.

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 9. Choose OK to view the schedule.

Note: The changes to appearance will only be seen when the schedule is placed

on a drawing sheet.

Adding New Rooms

New rooms can be added directly to the schedule. When new rooms are added from a
schedule, these room will not yet be linked to the rooms of the model. Parameters which
obtain their value from the model, such as room area and floor will display as "Ambiguous".
1. With the schedule as the active view, choose from the options bar to add a
new row. A new row will be added at the top of the schedule. Notice that it is
Room Number 1 and the Level and Area values are ambiguous.

2. Add a second room using the same technique. Notice that this room (and all
subsequent rooms) are added to the bottom of the list and are numbered
sequentially.

3. Next, the names of these two new rooms will be changed from "Room" to
Conference. Select Room 29 and modify the name to Conference by typing within
the field.

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 4. Repeat this for the room number 1. Change the room number to 30 and it will fall
into sequential order.

Adding Room Tags

When adding room tags, you can either allow Autodesk Revit to automatically define new
rooms or you can select a predefined room created in the schedule.
1. Activate the view Floor Plan: flr 3 and zoom in around the right hand side of the
building. None of these rooms have room tags placed in them.

2. We will add a room tag to the room in the upper right corner of the building.
Choose from the Drafting tab of the Design Bar. Before placing the room
tag, select 29 Conference from the Room drop down list in the Options Toolbar.

3. Place the room tag in the large room in the upper right as shown. Notice the name
of the room has updated to Conference.

4. Add another room tag, this time selecting room 30 from the list as shown.

5. Open the schedule to see the updated information. From the Menu Bar choose
Window and select Schedule: Room Schedule from the list of presently opened

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 views.

6. Open the flr 3 floor plan view. We will now add 11 addition room tags. Choose
from the Design Bar .This time the Room option will be left on Auto. Add
room tags to the following rooms. The order is not important for this exercise.

7. Open the schedule view to see the 11 new rooms.

8. Parameters which are not model driven, such as the room name and room
number can be changed directly from the schedule. In the schedule find the room
with the area of 91.85 square metres and change the name to circulation. This is
room 33 on this schedule, however your room numbers may differ based on the
order you place the room tags.

9. Open the flr 3 floor plan and zoom in around the room shown. Notice the name
should now read as circulation.

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 10. Select and select the seven room tags show. Use the <Ctrl> key to make
multiple selections.

11. With the seven rooms selected, choose Properties from the Options Bar. From the
Room drop-down list, select Office. Choose to continue.

12. Finally choose the three rooms shown below. Select Properties and change the
room Name parameter to read as services.

Adding a Schedule Key

A schedule key will be added to define three room styles.
1. Chose View, New and Schedule/Quantities... from the Menubar.

2. Select Rooms as the Category then select the Schedule keys option. Choose
to begin defining the schedule properties.

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 3. From the Schedule Properties dialog, select the fields Base finish, Floor finish
and Wall finish to be added to the schedule. Choose to create the new
Room Style schedule.

Note: Base in Base Finish, refers to Skirting finishes.

4. The new schedule will appear as shown.

5. Next the three room styles will be defined. Choose from the options bar to
add a new row.

6. Select the Key Name field and enter an name of Std Office. Now enter as Base
finish as Vinyl; Floor finish as Carpet 1 and Wall finish as Paint.

7. Create the additional room styles by choosing twice more from the Options
Bar to add two new rows. Add the following information for the new room styles.

Using the Room Styles

The new room styles will now be applied to the Room schedule.

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1. Open the flr 3 plan view.

2. Choose and select the room tag for the large Conference room in the
upper right corner. Choose from the options bar to open the room
properties dialog.

3. From the properties dialog, select Exec Office from the Room Style drop-down list
and choose .

4. Select the room tags in the three offices in the lower right corner and choose
Properties.

5. Set the Room Style to Exec Office and choose .

6. Open the Schedule: Room Schedule. You can do this either from the Window menu
or by selecting it from the project browser.

7. You will notice the Room Style information does not appear. We must tell the
system to display this information. To do this choose View Properties from the
View menu.

8. Choose for the Fields parameter to access the fields which are
displayed.

9. Select the field Room Style and add it to the list of displayed fields. Change the
order as shown below, then choose OK.

10. Choose from the Properties dialog to update the schedule.

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 11. From the schedule, select Room Style for all of the rooms, named Services, and
set the parameter to Services. The schedule should update as shown.

Room Colour Diagrams

The next task is to create a room colour diagram based on the room names.
1. Activate the flr 3 plan view. Zoom out so the entire model is visible.

2. From the Design Bar, select the Drafting tab, then choose . Move
the cursor into the screen, a small legend should appear. Place the legend as
shown. The rooms should automatically change colours.

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 Note: A message may appear informing you that visibility must be turned off for
certain components, select OK.

3. The colours selected for some of the rooms will be changed. To do this select
from the design bar and select the colour legend.

4. Choose from the options bar to open the Edit Colour Scheme dialog.
Change the Color by assignment to Name.

5. Select the colour button for Conference. This will open the Colour dialog. The
current colour is defined as standard colour, we will change this to be a
PANTONE® colour. Choose from the Colour dialog to open the PANTONE
Colour Picker.

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6. From the Colour Picker, choose the colour Green. You can enter the name in the
Find Colour field if it is not visible. Choose OK to select the new colour.

7. Choose from the Revit Colour dialog box to accept the change.

8. Choose from the Edit Colour Scheme to see the updated colour fill diagram.

9. Finally a change to the single room named "Room" will be made. Open the
Schedule: Room Schedule. Select the room number 10 and change the name from
Room to services.

10. Open the view Floor Plan: flr 3 and notice the colour diagram has updated to
reflect the change. Notice that Room is removed from the Key.

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Schedules & Uniformat
In this exercise you will learn about the enhancement to schedules. Also, you will see how the
Uniformat Assembly codes are applied to the Autodesk Revit objects.

Scheduling Walls, Roofs, Floors, and Ceilings

You can schedule Walls, Roofs, Floors, & Ceilings. They behave similar to other Revit
schedules.

You will first create a new Wall schedule for the project.

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Sched1.rvt.

Click Open.

2. From the View tab of the Design Bar, choose Schedule/Quantities or from the
View menu, click New and then Schedule/Quantities.

3. After selecting Schedule/Quantities, select the Category Walls and then press OK.

4. You will now select the fields you would like to schedule. Select Area from the
Available fields list and click the Add--> button. Do the same for Volume, Width
and Length.

5. Choose OK to complete the schedule.

Note: Area & Volume fields are schedulable for Walls, Roofs, and Floors. The

Area field is also schedulable for Ceilings.

Scheduling Uniformat Assembly Codes

All model elements have two type properties: Assembly Code & Assembly Description. These
two parameters are both schedulable fields. So you could, for example, create a schedule that
groups all components in your project by Uniformat Code.

You will now add the Assembly Code and Assembly Description fields to your Wall
schedule.
1. Expand the Schedules branch of the Project Browser and right click on 'Wall
Schedule'.

Select Properties. (This will take you into the Element Properties of this Wall
Schedule.)

2. Click Edit under the Fields parameter.

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 3. Add Assembly Code & Assembly Description just as you added Volume, Width,
& Length.

Click OK.

Now you are ready to schedule an Assembly Code & Description to any model
geometry within your project.
4. First, let's open up our wall schedule with the two new added fields.

Now you will assign an Assembly Code to a wall type in our project. This can be done one of
two ways. Selecting from a schedule or by editing the objects properties.
5. In the Wall Schedule, left click under the Assembly Code column. You will notice a
downward arrow in the selected cell. Left click on the arrow and a dialog will
appear containing a hierarchical list of Uniformat codes. By default the list is
filtered by category, so in this case you will only see Uniformat codes related to
walls.

6. Toggle down through the Uniformat codes and choose the highlighted classification
as shown.

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7. Since the Assembly Code and Assembly Description are type parameters, all of the
walls of this type will be updated once you press OK.

8. To assign the assembly code for the next wall, open the Level 1 floor plan view.

9. Select one of the Interior - 5 1/2" Partition (1hr) walls as shown below.

10. Choose Properties from the options bar. This will open the walls Element Properties
dialog box. Select the Edit/New button to open the Type properties.

11. Click in the Assembly Code value area of the dialog box. A down arrow button will
appear. Click this button to open the assembly code list.

12. Navigate to the partition type shown below. Choose OK to assign this assembly code.
Choose OK from both properties dialog boxes to close.

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 13. Open the schedule. All of the Interior 5 1/2" Partition (1hr) walls will now have the
assembly code and description defined.

Scheduling Components by Level and Room.

When creating schedules, you can include the: Room name , Room number, and Level.
These fields are available in schedules of the following categories: Furniture, lighting fixtures,
electrical equipment, mechanical equipment, and plumbing fixtures.
1. Within the model, open the Furniture schedule by double-clicking the Furniture
Schedule from the Project Browser.

2. Now you will add Room name, Room number, and Level to the schedule.

Right click on the Furniture Schedule from the Project Browser and select
Properties. Choose Edit next to the Fields parameter to add new fields using the
techniques learned in the previous steps.

3. Choose OK to update the schedule.

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Functionality of Schedules on Drawing Sheets.
Schedules placed on sheets live directly on the sheet as elements of the sheet. This means:

Schedules do not have view titles or extension lines

You don't need to activate a viewport in order to access the schedule controls

The same schedule can appear on more than one sheet

Schedules are not listed in the Add Views dialog, nor do they appear as children of
sheets in the project browser.
You will now place the Furniture Schedule onto a new sheet.
1. First, create a new sheet. From the View tab of the design bar, choose Sheet or
from the View menu above, click New and then Sheet.

2. Click OK for 30 x 42" Horizontal Sheet.

3. You will now place the Furniture Schedule onto this new sheet. Drag and drop this
schedule from the Project Browser right onto the sheet. Zoom into it as shown.

4. You can edit the appearance of this schedule right on this sheet without having to
Activate the viewport. By simply dragging the blue arrows, the row height is
changed to accommodate as many lines of text as are needed.

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5. You will now split the schedule into two segments right on the sheet. Simply click
on the small blue "break line" on the right side of the schedule once and notice
how it instantly divides this into two segments as shown below.

Note: You can break the schedule as many times as needed by

repeating the same process.

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Shared Parameters & Schedules
Shared Parameters allow users to define additional parameters that are not included in either
the pre-defined instance and type parameters within family components or within the project
template. These shared parameters can be added to any family regardless of category, and
are defined and stored in an external file ensuring consistency across families and projects.
Their values may also be aggregated and reported within Autodesk Revit's new Multi-Category
Schedules.

An example use of Shared Parameters would be the need to add specific parameters to an
existing family component for scheduling and tagging when those parameters are not present
initially by default. The following exercise will demonstrate the solution for this and cover the
following processes:

• Setting up Shared Parameters

• Adding Shared Parameters to Families

• Implementing a Multi-Category Tag

• Creating a Multi-Category Schedule

Setting up Shared Parameters

Shared Parameters are saved to an external file. If you are working on a network, make sure
you save this file where all users will have access to it. Note: This procedure is for creating a
new external parameter file. If a file already exists, you can browse to that file and modify it
as needed.
1. From the File menu, choose Shared Parameters.
The Edit Shared Parameters dialog box appears.

2. Click Create to begin creating an external parameter file. Type a file name and
save it to the desired location.
After creating the file, you create parameter groups in which to store the individual
parameters.
3. In the Groups box, click New. In this case we will create a new parameter Group
called "Hardware" in which to store all of our hardware-related parameters for
future use in our project.

4. Type the name of the new parameter group and click OK.

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Now you can create parameters that will be assigned to the Hardware group.
5. From the Parameter group drop-down menu, select the Hardware group. In the
Parameters box, click New. Type a name for the parameter, specify its value
type (text, integer, number, length, yes/no).
In this exercise, we wish to create 4 new parameters. Closure, Hinge, ID & Lock Set will
be added for keeping track of the various hardware parameters which might be found in
Door and Window components.

6. Using the values above, create the 4 new Shared Parameters by entering the data
into the Field Properties dialog box.

7. When finished creating all 4 parameters select OK to close the Edit Shared
Parameters dialog box.

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Adding Shared Parameters to Families
You add Shared Parameters to families while in the Family Editor. In this exercise, we will
add the Shared Parameters we just created while in the Family Editor. We will later use these
new parameters to create a schedule using a Multi-Category Schedule.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Door.rfa.

Click Open.

2. Select Family Types from the Design Bar menu to call up the Family Types
dialog box which shows the currently available parameters for this family category.

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3. Select Add from the Family Types dialog box to call up the Parameter
Properties Dialog

4. Change the selection to Shared parameter and click Select.

Click on the ID Parameter and Choose OK.

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 Toggle the Value stored by to Instance. Choose OK to add the parameter.

5. Repeat the above steps for each of the other parameters making them as TYPE
parameters. Close the properties dialog by selecting OK

6. The Family Types dialog box now shows we have added these Shared Parameters
for use in our project.

7. Assign the new parameters the following values: Lock Set = "Yale", ID = "1",
Hinge = "Chrome", and Closure = "N/A" for this particular door type and then
select OK to close the dialog box.

Save this file as 'NewDoor' so that we may use it later in this assignment.

Multi-category Tags
You typically apply tags by Category within a project: You create a tag, assign it to a category
(such as furniture), load it into the project, and then tag all instances of that category.
Multi-Category Tags employ Shared Parameters to permit tagging of any family
component regardless of their category. This is accomplished by applying a filter parameter
during the creation of a Multi-Category Tag.
Creating a Multi-Category Tag
1. From the File menu, choose New, Annotation Symbol and select the Multi-
Category Tag.rft template.
The Family Editor opens.
2. From the Drafting menu choose Label or click Label from the Design Bar.

3. Click in the document window. The Select Parameter dialog box appears.

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4. Click ADD to display the Parameter Properties dialog box.

5. Click Select to call up the Shared Parameters.

6. Select Hardware from the parameter group list and then select the ID parameter.
Choose OK to close the Shared Parameter dialog box and OK to close the
Parameter Properties box.

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 7. Check the Filter Parameter option box at the bottom of the Select parameter dialog
box. With this option set, this tag attaches only to a component with that same
filter parameter (i.e., ID).

Note: If you do not specify a filter parameter for the tag, the tag cannot attach

to any component. A multi-category tag must have at least one label with an

external parameter set as a filter parameter.

8. Click OK.

9. Finish creating the tag as you would other annotation symbols and save the file as
"HardwareTag" in an appropriate location.

Using the Multi-Category Tag in a Project

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Hardware Plan.rvt.

Click Open.

2. From the File menu, select Load from Library to load the multi-category tag
"HardwareTag" and "NewDoor" you just created into the project.

3. Replace the existing doors by selecting them all and changing their type to the
"NewDoor" type that you just loaded.

4. From the Drafting menu choose Tag or click Tag from the Drafting tab of the
Design Bar.

5. In the Type Selector, notice that the default value is <By Category>, which is the
value for single-category tags. Select the multi-category tag, "Hardware Tag"
you just loaded from the Type Selector.

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 6. As you move your pointer in the document window, you can prehighlight only
those components that have the filter parameter which you set earlier to "ID".

7. Click to place the tag.

Note: As you can see the Hardware Tag is reading the Shared Parameter

we created earlier and had attached to the Door family.

8. You can also use the Tag All Not Tagged command to quickly tag components with
the filter parameter. In the Tag All Not Tagged dialog box, select the Multi-
Category Tags which shows the Hardware Tag we loaded into the project
earlier.

9. Click OK to tag all Non-Tagged categories.

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Creating a Multi-Category Schedule
Typically, a schedule lists components of a single category: rooms, doors, windows, and so on.
Now you can create a multi-category schedule that lists components regardless of their
category by using an external parameter as a filter.
In this exercise, you will create a Door Hardware Schedule by using the Shared Parameter
you created above (Hardware) and have placed in the Hardware Plan file.

1. From the Menu Bar, select View, New, Schedule/Quantities to call up the New
Schedule dialog box.

2. In the New Schedule dialog box, select Multi-Category from the list.

3. Click OK, to call up the Schedule Properties box for the schedule

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4. Add the following additional fields to be scheduled: ID, Mark, Type, Family,Closure
& Lock Set before selecting OK.

5. The Multi-Category Schedule should now be created.

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Project Parameters
Occasionally you may need to schedule parameters of objects that Revit did not anticipate. In
the examples provided in the proceeding tutorial we solved this need with the use of Shared
Parameters. In this lesson we will provide for project specific parameters only using Project
Parameters.

Project Parameters are those parameters (either instance or type) which are used within a
single project for the purposes of scheduling information specific to that project. They cannot
be shared with other projects and they cannot be used to tag objects with (as Shared
Parameters).

In this exercise, you will learn how to:

Creating Project Parameters

Assign Shared Parameters to a Project

Add Project Parameters to a Schedule

Creating Project Parameters

Project Parameters are defined within a project In this example, we will create an "Occupant"
property for rooms to allow us to schedule rooms with their occupant listing.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Office_2.rvt.

Click Open.

2. From the Settings menu, choose Project Parameters. The Project Parameters
dialog box appears.

3. Click Add to create a project parameter.

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 Select the Project Parameter button and choose the Category, Rooms.

4. Then type "Occupant" for the name of the project parameter. Select the
categories you wish to associate with this new parameter in the categories list, and
in this case, check that it will be an instance parameter. Then click OK to close
the Parameter properties dialog box.

5. The project Parameters box now shows that you have created a new Parameter
called "Occupant". If you need to modify or remove this parameter, select the
appropriate buttons from this dialog box. Select OK to close the Project parameter
dialog box.

Assigning Project Parameters to Projects

Once a Project Parameter has been created and associated to one or more categories within
your project, you are ready to use them.

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1. Select Room Tag from the Drafting menu, and tag several rooms in the project
as shown.

2. From the View tab of the Design Bar, choose Schedule/Quantities or from the
View menu, click New and then Schedule/Quantities.

3. Select Rooms for the type of schedule and select OK to continue with the
Schedule Properties dialog.

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4. As you can see, we now have the Project Parameter "Occupant" available in the
Available Fields box for adding to our schedule.

5. Add Occupant now to the Schedule fields, and Select OK to close the Schedule
Properties dialog box, and create the new schedule.

6. As you can see from the new schedule, we now have Occupant as an available
parameter on which to Schedule.

7. You may add names to the Occupant parameter either directly in the Room
Schedule or by editing the properties of the rooms.

Remember, Project Parameters are project specific parameters used only

for scheduling. If you want to tag, or share these parameters in other projects,

you would need use Shared Parameters as outlined in the tutorial "Shared

Parameters and Multi-Category Schedules".

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Exporting Project Information via ODBC
In this exercise, you will learn how to export project information to an ODBC compatible
database. The instructions for this exercise will use Microsoft® Access 2000 as the database.
However, the process for exporting the data would be similar for any ODBC compliant
database.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Sched1.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Select Export then ODBC Database from the File menu.

3. A File Data Source Name (or DSN) will be created. From the Select Data Source
dialog, choose New.

4. Select the driver to be associated with the DSN. Choose the Microsoft Access
Driver (*.mdb) from the list and choose Next.

5. Assign a name for the DSN.

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 Choose Next then Finish from the confirmation window to complete the DSN
setup.
6. Now an Access database will be created. Choose Create to define the database
file.

7. Enter a name and select a folder location for the database file. Then choose OK to
create the database.

8. Choose OK to close the window confirming the database was successfully created.

9. Select OK from the ODBC Microsoft Access Setup to continue with the export.

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 10. Once the export is complete, choose OK from the confirmation window.

Review the Database

For the following categories of elements, Autodesk Revit creates two tables, one listing all
instances and another listing all types in the project: Casework, Ceilings, Columns, Curtain
Panels, Curtain Wall Mullions, Doors, Electrical Equipment, Electrical Fixtures, Floors, Furniture,
Furniture Systems, Generic Models, Lighting Fixtures, Mechanical Equipment, Parking,
Plumbing Fixtures, Railings, Ramps, Roofs, Specialty Equipment, Stairs, Structural Columns,
Structural Foundations, Structural Framing, Topography, Walls, Windows.
Additionally, tables are created for Levels and Rooms, listing instances only. (These categories
don't have types.)

A unique element id is used to identify exported elements, so each table of elements includes
an "Id" column. Element ids are also used to establish relationships between elements in
different tables. For example, instance tables include a "Type Id" column containing the id of
the instance's type, and some instance table include a "Room Id" column containing the id of
the room that the instance is in.
In addition to the tables for instances and types in a category, a table is also created for each
key schedule in the project (as long as its category is one of the categories that we export).
The columns exported are the same as the columns in the key schedule, in addition to the Id
column. Each key schedule gives elements in its category a new parameter, used for choosing
one of the keys from the key schedule. These parameters are exported as well, containing the
id of the key element.
There is one final table exported: Assembly Codes. This table does not contain elements. It
contains one row for each Uniformat assembly code. The columns of the table are Assembly
Code and Assembly Description. The tables of types include an Assembly Code column which

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references the Assembly Codes table.

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Setting a Project's Base Elevation
In most projects, the base elevation is rarely at sea level. Therefore, it is important for you to
be able to relocate a project's elevation without changing the value of every level within the
project. Levels can be set to "Project" or "Shared". Project levels report elevation as it relates
other levels in the project. Shared levels report an elevation value relative to the origin that
you establish during relocation. For example, if the project is being built on a plateau at 1500
meters, Level 1 may read 1500m while Level 2 can read 4m.

In this exercise, you will learn how to:

• Create and modify a new level type

• Set a level to "Project" or "Shared"

• Relocate the project origin

Retrieve the Training File

1. Choose and select the Training Folder icon from the left side of the dialog.

2. From the Metric folder, select Simple House.rvt.

Click Open.

3D View

Creating and Modify the Level Types

Before relocating the project, you must first set the level's Base parameter to "Shared" in
order for the project's base elevation to display.
1. Open the view, Elevation: South.

Elevation: South

2. Select Level 1. (Hint: Select the line, not the symbol.)

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 3. From the Options Bar, choose Properties.

4. Within the Element Properties dialog, choose Edit/New.

In order for Level 1 to report the global elevation after the project is relocated,
you must set the Base parameter to "Shared". However, if you were to do that
now, you would change the parameter for all the level lines in the project.

For training purposes, only Level 1's Base parameter will be set to Shared at this
time. Therefore, you must create a new Level type.

5. In the Type Properties dialog, choose Duplicate.

You will immediately be prompted for a name; type Level - Shared and click OK.

Naming the New Level Type

6. From the Base drop-down list, choose Shared.

Setting the "Base" Parameter

7. Choose OK to close the Type Properties dialog. Choose OK once again to close the
Element Properties dialog.

8. From the Tools menu, choose Locations and Coordinates, and then Relocate
this Project.

Note: Relocate the Project is only available when you are in an Elevation

view.

9. A message will appear providing information regarding the relocation process.

Read the message and click OK.

Relocation Message
Relocating a project is a process that requires the setting of two points. The first
click sets the "relocate from" point; the second click sets the new location of the
origin. Although you can set the second point manually, it is more practical and
precise to type the value and press <Enter>.

In this specific case, you will reset the base elevation of the project to 10000mm.
9. Click first anywhere on the Level 1 line. You may want to click away from the
model so that you do not select a point on the model by accident. Notice that in

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 the image below, the left corner of Level 1 is being selected.

Setting the Relocation Start Point

10. Immediately after setting the first point, move the cursor vertically downward and
then type 100000 on the keyboard; press <Enter>.

Setting the Location of the Second Relocation Point

11. Notice that the Level 1 elevation adjusted to the change while the values of the
other levels remained consistent with the project.

Project Relocated to New Elevation

12. Select Level 2.

13. From the Type Selector drop-down list, choose Level - Shared.

Notice that the reported value of Level 2 changes to take the global elevation into
consideration.

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 14. Open the view, Elevation: North.

Notice that the changes propagated to all views.

15. If desired, save the file with a unique file name or you can close the project at this
time.

Note: This project file is used with several tutorials. Do not overwrite the

original project file.

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Annotation and Dimension Enhancements
This exercise will cover placing angular dimensions, the use of equality constraints, and radial
dimensioning. In addition, this exercise will cover sequential room numbering, door and
window tags, length and area formatting in tags, and schedules.

Autodesk Revit remembers the most recently entered value when placing room, door and
window tags. When placing a door or window tag, you have the option to tag or not to tag the
newly placed door or window and add leaders. You can also control some aspects of how
parameter values are formatted in tags and schedules.

Angular Dimensions
You will now place some angular dimensions.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Area.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open the view, Floor Plan: Level 1.

3. From the Drafting menu, choose Dimension or click Dimension from the
Drafting tab on the Design Bar.

4. Select the angular radio button in the option bar.

5. The three windows near the east entrance will be dimensioned. Select the
centerline of each window, then place the dimension as shown.

6. You will now set the windows placement to be equally spaced by setting the
angular dimension to be equal. Click the not equal symbol to make the dimensions
equally spaced.

Sequential Tagging

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 1. Zoom to fit the entire model.

2. From the Drafting menu, choose Room Tag or click Room Tag from the
Drafting Tab on the Design Bar.

3. Drag the pointer to an enclosed area of the plan view and place the Room Tag by
clicking with the left mouse button. Revit will pre highlight the enclosed area to
indicate it is valid for placing the tag.

4. Choose Modify and select the room tag. Notice that the room number turns blue.
This means that it can be directly edited. Click on the number and change the
value to 101..

5. Place another room tag. Revit starts numbering at that value when new elements
are created. (I.e 102, 103, 104...) Sequential letters are also supported. Also, note
that room tags can be alined to one another. Move a room tag to see the green
dashed alignment line appear.

Tagging Doors and Windows

You can add doors and windows with or without tags. In this portion of the exercise, you will

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place a door with a tag, leader, and without a tag.
1. From the Modelling menu, choose Door or click Door from the Modelling tab on
the Design Bar.

2. Choose the type of door you want from the type selector on the options toolbar.

3. Before placing the door, in the options toolbar there are the options: Tag on
placement, Leader, and Leader Length. When Tag on placement is checked a door
tag will be placed upon insertion. Place a door as shown.

4. You can specify a leader for door and window tags. Also the leader length can be
set. Select the Leader option and accept the default leader length of 1/2". Place a
door as shown.

5. Add the last door by unchecking the option, Tag on placement and place the
door as shown.

5. If a door or windows is placed without a tag, the tags can be added later. From the
Drafting menu, choose Tag or click Tag from the Drafting tab on the Design Bar.

6. Before placing the tag there is the option to turn the leader on or off. Check the
leader option on and select the door that needs a tag and a door tag will be placed.

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 7. Several windows have been added without tags. From the Drafting tab of the
Design bar, select Tag All Not Tagged.

8. Select the window tag family, uncheck the leader option and press OK. This will
tag objects of the corresponding category that are not tagged yet in the current
view.

9. This will tag visible objects of the corresponding category that are not tagged yet
in the current view.

Rotating Tags with Components

1. From the Training\Common folder, open the file, Door Tag_Exercise.rfa

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2. From the Settings menu select Family Category and Parameters.

3. Select the option, Rotate with component and then choose OK.

4. If the parameter, Rotate with Component, is checked for the tag family, then
the tag is always horizontal after placement. If it is unchecked, the tag will orient
with the tagged object in plan views.

5. If the parameter, Rotate with Component, is not selected, the tag will resemble
the image below:

If the parameter, Rotate with Component, is selected:

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340
Keynoting and Noteblocks
You can create a schedule that schedules any type of "Instance" or "Type" in a particular
Generic Annotation family; these schedules are called Note Blocks .

In this exercise, you will create and schedule a revision note and a keynote for this project.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Sched1.rvt.

Click Open.

2. First, you will load the two annotations into the project.

From the File menu, choose Load from Library; then select Load Family.

3. From the Annotations folder, select Keynote.rfa and Revision Tag.rfa while
holding the <Ctrl> key on your keyboard. Click Open to load these two
annotation families.

4. With the two annotation symbols loaded, open the Drafting tab of the Design Bar
and select Symbol.

5. Choose Revision Tag from the type selector list. Place a revision tag in your 1st
Floor plan as shown below.

6. Select the Revision Cloud tool from the Design bar. Select points to draw a cloud
to indicate a revision.

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7. Choose Modify, then select the Revision Tag. Choose Add a Leader from the
options bar. Move the leader as desired.

8. Next, you will create a Revision Schedule to place on your sheets.

Choose View, New and Note Block.

9. Change the Family to Revision Tag and change the Note block name to
Revisions. Click OK.

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 10. Now add Revision Number, Date, and Description to the schedule and click
OK.

11. The new schedule will be created. Fill out the information in the schedule to assign it a
Revision Number, Date, and Description. You may also do this by clicking on the Tag itself
and going to its Properties.

Note: These annotations were created with parameters that are specific to only

one type, as opposed to "Instance parameters" that are specific to only that

instance. In other words, in order to have three different revisions, numbered 1,

2, and 3....you will need to make three types. This is why you get this alert

message below. Revit is informing you that it will assign #1 to all tags created

unless you make a new type.

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12. As you add more Revision Tags into your project as shown below notice how they are all
filled out the same. Also note that the Revisions name has been added to the Project
Browser as a schedule. This schedule can now be placed on any number of sheets.

13. To make a new Revision simply click on one of the Tags in your project and go to the
Properties.

14. Click Edit/New, then Duplicate, and name the Tag "Revision Tag 2".

Click OK.

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15. Now you will have two Revision Tag "types" to choose from a pull-down list.

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Viewing the Design
This exercise is intended to show the new user how to create and customize user-defined
views of the model. The user will perform a series of steps to show how to set up the different
views.

Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Viewing_Exercise.rvt.

Click Open.

Select the East view under Elevations and double-click it. A new viewing window with
the east elevation view should now be displayed.

This view is displayed in 'Wireframe'. To change the display to remove hidden lines,
choose View from the menu then select Hidden Line. This will affect the active
view only.

You should notice the window tags are visible. The display of tags (for windows, doors,
etc) are controlled by the Visibility/Graphics command in the View menu. To
turn off the tags, choose View/ Visibility/Graphics to display the Visibility
dialogue box.

Open the Annotation Categories tab.

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Scroll through the list of options and uncheck the 'Window Tag' option. This will
cause the system to not display the window tags in this view. Click OK.

You will now create a 3D view. Choose from the toolbar

The new view will appear in a new viewing window. Notice the title bar of this window
'3D View: {3D}'. This is the default name of the 3D view.

To re-orient the view, choose the button or F8 (Dynamic viewing) from the toolbar.
Notice the cursor will change to a cross when in a viewing window. This is pan
mode. To pan the view, click with the left mouse and move the cursor. The view
should follow the mouse movements.
Note: For users with pointing devices including a middle wheel button, pan mode can
be enabled by pressing and holding the middle wheel button down and moving the
mouse to pan the view.

To rotate the view, press and hold the <Shift> key. The cursor will change to ,
indicating rotation mode. To rotate the display, hold down the left mouse button.
Note: For users with pointing devices including a middle wheel button, rotation mode
can be enabled by pressing and holding the middle wheel button down while holding
the <Shift> key down and moving the mouse to rotate the view.

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To zoom while in dynamic view, press and hold the <Ctrl> key. The cursor will change
to , indicating zoom mode. Hold down the left mouse button and move the
cursor up to zoom out and move the cursor down to zoom in.
Note: For users with pointing devices including a middle wheel button, zoom mode can
be enabled by rolling the middle wheel button.
Also notice in the lower left corner of the Revit window is the Dynamic View dialog box.
This appears when the Dyn View command is selected. You can also pan, zoom
and spin by selecting in the appropriate box on this menu. Try each command if
you wish at this time.

To save this view, choose Views / 3DViews in the Project Browser and select the 3D
View: {3D} in the tree. Right click {3D}and select Rename. Enter the name "My
3D View" in the text box and press the Enter key.
Notice the name of the view updates in the title bar of the viewing window.
Close this viewing window by selecting on the close button, , in the upper right
corner of the viewing window.

To retrieve this view, choose Views / 3DViews in the Project Browser and double-
click the named view from the tree. Notice the window tags are not displayed, and
the view is in Hidden Line. The display settings are saved with the views.

Next we will define our own views using cameras. Cameras are used to define views.
They define the eye point, eye height and distance from target.

Activate the view "Floor Plan: Level 1". From under the tab in the Design
Bar, choose the button.

Note: Depending on your screen resolution, you may have to close some of the
Design Bar tabs in order to access the camera command. Right-click the Design
Bar and select visible tabs to eliminate their visibility from the Design Bar.

In the "Floor Plan: Level 1" window select the eye position or camera position by
clicking with the left mouse button.

Next, select the view target by clicking with the left mouse button.

Once the view target has been selected the new view named Perspective 1 will open.
The default behaviour is to display the view in perspective. To see the entire view,
click the crop boundary and pull the handles (blue dots) to stretch the view

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boundary.

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Controlling Fill Pattern Colors
You can control fill pattern colors. Objects that obtain their fill pattern definition via materials
can control the fill pattern color for that material's cut and surface pattern. (This would include
walls, floors, roofs, and other families; this also applies to phasing override materials).

For example, in a compound wall, such as Brick on CMU, where each layer is assigned a
different material, you can set the fill pattern color for the brick to be red and set the
insulation to pink.

In addition, you can now set the color of the Coarse Scale Fill Pattern for each wall type.
In this exercise, you will learn how to:

• Control a material's fill pattern color

• Set a wall type's Coarse Scale Fill Pattern Color

Note: This exercise was created with an imperial template and components.

Whenever units of measurement are necessary, both the imperial and metric units

are supplied with the imperial unit followed by the metric in parenthesis. Units may

not be the result of a direct conversion.

For example, 30' 0" (10meters). You can set your units preference by selecting

Units from the Settings menu.

Controlling a Material's Fill Pattern Color

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Showroom.rvt.

Click Open.

Note: This file is used with several tutorials. If you wish to save your work, click

File, Save As, and save the file with a unique file name.

2. Within the Project Browser, expand Sections and open the Section: Wall/Floor
Join - Level 3.

Notice the different fill patterns assigned to each layer within the floor and wall
structure. Each of these is designated by the layer's material settings.

3. From the Settings menu, select Materials.

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4. From the Name drop-down list, select Masonry - Brick.

Notice that a color is assigned to both the Surface Pattern and Cut Pattern.

5. Click for the Cut Pattern.

6. Choose Red as a new color and click OK until you return to the section view.

Notice that the cut pattern for the Brick is now red.

7. Open a 3D view and use Zoom in Region to zoom in on the brick pattern.

Notice the brick's surface pattern is black.

8. From the Settings menu, select Materials.

9. If it is not already selected, select Masonry - Brick from the Name drop-down
list.

10. Click for the Surface Pattern.

11. Select the color, White, and click OK until you return to the 3D view.

Notice the brick pattern has changed to white.

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Setting a Wall Type's Coarse Scale Fill Pattern Color
1. Open the Floor Plan: Level 1. The Detail Level for this view is set to Coarse. (You
can confirm this by going to View, View Properties.)

2. Select the South, arc wall and click Properties.

3. The Coarse Scale Fill Pattern Color is a Type Property, so click Edit/New.

By default, the Coarse Scale Fill Color is Black and the Pattern is set to None.

4. Click the button for Coarse Scale Fill Color and select any shade of gray. Click
OK.

From the Coarse Scale Fill Pattern drop-down list, select Solid fill. Click OK.

5. Click OK and return to the plan view.

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 The wall type now appears as solid gray within any view where the Detail Level
is set to Coarse.

6. Open the Floor Plan: Level 2.

7. From the View menu, select View Properties.

8. Set the Detail Level to Fine and click OK.

9. Zoom in on one of the exterior brick walls and you'll notice that the surface pattern
and color is not applied.

10. If you have saved the file with a unique name or wish to do so, do it now.
Otherwise, select File, Close, and do not save the changes made to this file.

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Raytrace & Radiosity
This exercise is intended to demonstrate how to assign material, add realistic 3D objects from
the Modern Medium Library® and render the Revit project. Accurender® is incorporated into
Revit and is used to produce Raytraced and Radiosity renderings.
Before beginning this exercise, you have to have installed the Accurender plug-in for Revit and
the Material for Revit Web Library. The installation for both of these is available on the Revit
CD or can be downloaded from the Revit web site.

Applying Textures to the Model

We will use the Accurender Materials library to apply textures to reflect the true materials
defined in the model.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select Cohouse.rvt.

Click Open.

The model should appear as shown below.

2. The exterior walls of the building are defined as Co-house - Cavity Wall -
heavyweight block. To view the wall definition, choose , then select
.

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3. Select the wall type Co-house - Cavity Wall - Heavyweight blocks from the
type list and choose .

4. Select the button for Structure from the Types Property dialog to
view the wall structure. Notice the material for the exterior layer is Masonry -
Brick.

5. Choose to close the three dialog boxes.

6. Choose Settings, Materials from the menu bar to open the Materials dialog box.

7. Select the material Masonry - Brick from the Name list.

8. The AccuRender Texture will be changed from its current value. Choose to
open the Material Library.

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 9. Select the texture Carib,_200mm, Running from the list and choose OK to
update the texture.

10. Next a material will be applied to the floor shown below. Choose
and select the floor.

11. Choose and then to edit the type properties for this floor
type.

12. Choose to edit Structure of this floor. Change the material from
Default to Site - Asphalt, and choose OK.

13. Close the two open properties dialog boxes by pressing OK.

Defining New Materials

Many of the materials have already been set for you in this model. We will now create a new
material and apply it to the model.
1. To create a new material, choose Materials from the Settings menu.

2. Select Duplicate from the Material dialog and enter the name as Aluminum,
Polished.

3. Next choose for the AccuRender Texture.

4. Navigate to Metals/Aluminum and select Polished, Plain as the texture for this
material.

5. Choose OK to close the Material Library. The new texture should appear as shown.

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Defining Material for Curtain Wall Mullions
The new material will be applied to the mullions.
1. Choose Modify and select one of the curtain wall mullions. Use the Tab key to
cycle through the different objects.

2. Once the mullion is selected, choose Properties and then Edit/New to access the
type properties.

3. Change the Material parameter to Aluminum, Polished created earlier.

4. Choose OK to close both dialog boxes.

Region Raytrace
A new function at Release 4.0 of Revit allows for the raytracing of a selected portion of the
view. We will use this to check the materials defined for the walls and mullions.
1. From the 3D view, Isometric, select Region Raytrace from the Rendering design
bar.

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2. The system is now waiting for a window (or region) to be selected for raytracing.
Draw a region as shown below.

3. Next a scene must be selected or defined. A scene allows you to define

Environment and Time, Date and Place settings and apply them to multiple
renderings. From the Scene Selection dialog, choose Exterior Scene and OK.

4. A warning will appear advising you that some lights are on that may not be
necessary. Choose Yes to turn off those lights.

1. The region raytrace will begin. The finished image should look something like the
figure shown below.

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Placing Trees
New in Release 3.0 is the ability to place AccuRender trees and plants.
1. Open the view Floor Plan: 1st Flr Cnst from the project browser.

2. To place a tree into the model, you must first load the family. Choose Load From
Library, Load Family... from the File menu. Navigate to the Planting folder and
select the M_Tree - Deciduous.rfa family to load.

3. Once the file is loaded, choose from the Basics design bar and then select
the Deciduous Tree: Acer Rubrum 9 Metrers from the type selection list. The
Latin name is now being used for the tree type names.

4. Place several trees around the site as shown.

5. To prevent all the trees from looking uniform, we will create a new type of tree.
Choose and select any of the Deciduous trees from the list and choose
Properties.

6. Choose to open the Type Properties and then choose . Enter Black
Oak as the name for this new tree type.

7. From the Type Properties dialog, click on the value for Plant Name then click on
the drop down arrow which appears. This will open the Plant Library dialog box.
The Plant Library will display a preview of the tree.

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8. Select the tree Oak, Black from the list and choose OK to save the setting.

9. To make the new oak tree a different size than the maples, change the Height to
7000mm as shown.

10. Choose to finish the tree's definition.

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 11. Place some of the new Black Oak trees around the site. You can also select from
the other tree types already defined in the Deciduous Tree family.

Defining Perspective Views

In this portion of the exercise you will define an exterior perspective view of the building.
1. With the floor plan view active, open the View of the design bar. Select
.

2. When placing the camera the first point defines the camera position and the
second point defines the target point. Place the camera as shown below.

3. The new perspective view should look similar to the one shown below.

4. In order to adjust the view, the crop boundary (the black border around the view)

will be adjusted. Choose and select the crop boundary. The view's
shape handles will appear.

5. Drag the shape handles of the view until the view appears similar to the one
shown below.

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 1. The camera position can also be modified. To do this, open the

Floor Plan view where the camera position was defined. In the Project

Browser, right click on the 3D View: 3D View 1. Choose Show Camera to

display the camera position. You can now change the camera position and

target point from the plan view.

6. This view will now be renamed. From the project browser, right click on 3D View
1 again and select Rename. Change the name to Exterior.

Scene Settings
The model can be rendered using specific time, date and place, lighting and environment
settings.
1. With the 3D perspective view, Exterior open, choose from the
Rendering tab of the design bar. Since this is the first time settings are applied to
this view, the Scene must be defined. Accept the existing scene, Scene 1 by
choosing OK.

2. Select Sun Settings... from the Render Scene dialog to define the time, data and
location of the scene.

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3. In the Date and Time tab of the dialog, set the date to October 5 by selecting 10
for the Month and 5 for the Day.

4. Set the Time to 2:30 pm by moving the slide bar to an approximate value, and
then use your <left> and <right> arrow keys on the keyboard to adjust the
minutes more accurately.

5. Select the Place tab. Click in the Cities list and press the B key. The list will scroll
to the cities beginning with the letter B. Page down by clicking the scroll bar area
until you see Boston, MA, USA and then select it.

6. Go to the Settings tab. Cloudiness ranges from 0 (no clouds) to 1.00 (most
clouds). Set the cloudiness to 0.20.

7. Choose to save these settings.

8. The Environment setting will now be defined. Choose Environment to set the
environment conditions. Automatic Sky is the default background which we will

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 keep.

9. Select the Ground Plane option and select Material to define the AccuRender
texture to add for the ground plane.

10. Navigate to Site and select Grass, Rye, Dark. Choose OK to close the Material
Library. Then choose to return to the Render Scene Setting dialog.

11. Select the Plant Season as Autumn. This will control the display of the AccuRender
plants by season. Choose to continue.

12. The model will now be rendered using the new settings. Choose

from the Rendering tab of the design bar.

13. To save this rendered image, choose . Notice there is now an entry in
the project browser for Renderings called Exterior.

Radiosity
This portion of the exercise will demonstrate the use of Radiosity in rendering our interior.
1. To begin an interior perspective view will be defined. Open the view Floor Plan:
2nd Flr. Cnst.

2. Zoom in around the living room on the left as shown below.

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Adding RPC People
1. Before the camera is placed, additional components will be placed into the model.
Choose from the design bar then select to load the new
objects.

2. From the Library select the Entourage folder. Choose the two components, M_RPC
Female.rfa and M_RPC Male.rfa to be loaded. You can select both objects by
using the <Ctrl> key.

3. From the type selection list, choose M_RPC Female - Tina and click Rotate after
placement from the option bar. Place the new component and rotate as shown. In
plan the RPC people will have a simple circle as the plan representation. When
view in a 3D view and rendered, the RCP people will resemble real people

4. Next place the M_RPC Male -Alex and rotate as shown. If the component is not
rotated in the correct position, select the conponent and choose Rotate from the
toolbar to rotate the objetc.

5. Next the camera will added. Choose from the View tab of the design
bar. Place the camera approximately as shown.

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 6. The new view should look something like this.

7. Change the name of this view from 3D View 1 to Interior from the project
browser.

8. To change the camera position, select the to open the Dynamic View dialog.

9. Select the Walkthrough tab to adjust the camera. The Dolly command will move
the camera position, Forward/Back will move the camera backwards and forwards
and Turn will turn the camera on the dolly. You can adjust the view if desired.

1. Note: If you adjust the view, you could place the camera on the other side

of the living room wall and the view may appear blank.

Section Box
Before we Radiate the view, a section box will be added. This will be used to limit the extents
of the model being rendered.

1. Open a default 3D view by selecting .

2. Shade the model. Choose Shading from the View menu. This is necessary in order
to view the effects of the section box.

3. To add the section box, choose View Properties from the View menu. Change the
Section Box parameter to "yes" by checking the box. The section box will appear

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 as shown.

4. Choose and select the section box to display the shape handles. Drag the
shape handles until only the room we are going to radiate is visible.

5. Now open the view Interior.

6. Select from the Rendering tab of the design bar.

7. A new scene will be created. Click the New option. Select Interior Scene and
accept the default name of Scene 2 by choosing OK.

8. Sun setting and environment are defined by scene, so these setting will be
defined. Click on Sun Settings and define a Date of June 6 and time of 8:30 PM.
Set the Place as Boston MA, USA.

9. To save these setting for future use, click the Settings tab of the Sun and Sky
settings dialog. Choose Save and give the file a name.

10. Choose OK to close the Sun and Sky setting dialog.

11. Select Environment and define an Automatic Sky and Ground plane as was done
earlier.

12. To use the defined section box, set the Use Section Box From View to {3D}.

13. Finally, set the Season to Summer.

14. Now the model will be rendered using Radiosity. Choose from the
Rendering tab of the design bar. (An informational dialog will appear describing the
radiosity process the first time radiate is used). This will begin the rendering
process. This process can take several minutes to complete, please be patient.

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 Note: The RPC people will not display until the scene is raytraced.

15. Next the image will be raytraced. This will combine the radiosity and raytracing to
produce a more realistic image. Choose .

By adding or removing lights, you can develop the interior scene further. Also, you can
use the Adjust Image controls to vary the overall Brightness, Contrast and Indirect
Lighting.

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Adding AccuRender Decals
You can place and render decals on any interior or exterior flat face of your model. You can
use the decals for signs, paintings, posters, and billboards. The decal is an external file that
Autodesk Revit links to, thus reducing the size of the project file. The decal only appears when
rendered.

Tip: Supported decal types are jpeg, bmp, tiff, and targa files.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Showroom.rvt.

Click Open.

Note: This file is used with several tutorials. If you wish to save your work, click

File, Save As, and save the file with a unique file name.

3D View

2. Take a moment to spin the view around and familiarize yourself with the model.

Note: For training purposes, some components, such as roofs, may

appear incomplete or missing. You will resolve many of these problems

within this and other tutorials.

3. Open the view, Elevation: North and zoom into the region surrounding the door.

You will be placing the decal above the door.

Elevation: North

4. From the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click .

The Edit Decal dialog box appears.

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5. Within the Map tab of the Edit Decal dialog box, click Browse.

Navigate to the Common folder and select Company Logo.jpg and click Open.

6. Open the Finish tab and set the Reflective Finish halfway between Matte and
Mirror.

Click OK.

7. Before placing the decal, set the Width in the Options Bar to 6' 0". Make sure
Lock Proportions is selected before changing the Width. The Height will change
automatically after you modify the Width value and press Enter on the keyboard.

Decal Options

8. Place the cursor directly over the door.

The decal will prehighlight.

When the decal is centered approximately over the door, click to place it.

Placing the Decal

Notice that even after placing the decal, only the outline appears. The decal only
displays when rendered.

9. From the Toolbar, select .

Select from the Toolbar and use the Spin and Zoom controls to view the area
around the decal.

3D View

10. Click Modify and open the Rendering tab of the Design Bar.

11. Using the image below for guidance, select Region Raytrace from the Design Bar
and draw a box around the decal and surrounding area.

You do not have to worry about being exact.

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 Selecting the Region to Raytrace

12. Immediately after drawing the region to Raytrace, Autodesk Revit will prompt you
for scene information. Select Exterior Scene and click OK.

The scene renders with the Decal.

Rendered Logo

13. From the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Display Model to escape the
rendering mode.
You can place similar decals on any flat, interior or exterior surface. For instance, you could
add posters and paintings to interior walls.

Remember that even though a decal has been added to the project, the decal itself has not
been pulled into the project. Therefore, if you rename or move the decal file, the link will be
broken and it will not render. The major benefit to using decals is that you can use many of
them with minimal impact to file size or performance.

14. If you have saved the file with a unique name or wish to do so, do it now.
Otherwise, select File, Close, and do not save the changes made to this file.

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Walkthroughs
Autodesk Revit now supports the creation and recording of animated walkthroughs. A
walkthrough is a camera that follows a path that you define. The path comprises frames and
key frames. A key frame is a user-modifiable frame where you can change the direction and
position of the camera.

Defining a Walkthrough View

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Townhouse.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open the Floor Plan view - FIRST FLOOR.

3. From the View tab on the design bar and click on the Walkthrough button. If the
View tab is not visible on the design bar, place your cursor over the design bar
area and right clight the mouse button. This will bring up the pop up menu. Check
the View option. The default option of Perspective will be used for the walkthrough.

4. The walkthrough is defined as a path along a spline. The points making the spline
are called Key Frames. Starting in the "Breakfast" room, click to define the start of
the path, then continue clicking for each key frame position shown below.

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 .
5. Next click on the Finish button in the Options bar to end the path.

6. In the Project Browser under Walkthroughs you now have a first view called
Walkthrough 1 available. Right click on this to open the Walkthrough. The image
below show the last frame of the walkthrough view. Your view may be a bit
different then the image shown based on your path creation.

Editing the Walkthrough

Once a walkthrough is created the camera path can be modified.
1. Select the crop boundary of the view. Two options, Edit Walkthrough and Modify,
to modify the size of the crop region appear on the options bar. Select Modify.

2. Change the size of the crop region as shown below. Set the size to a Width of 16"
and Height of 9". Use the Field of View option, then choose OK.

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3. Zoom out 2X and select the crop region again.

4. From the options bar, select Edit Walkthrough. The walkthrough controls will be
available from the options bar.

5. The current frame being displayed is frame 300 of 300. To edit the total number of
frames produced from this walkthrough, pick the button from the options
bar. The Walkthrough Frames dialog will appear.

6. This dialog allows you to change the number of frames and vary speed between
key frames For this example we will change the number of frames to 60 and
choose OK to close the dialog.

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 7. Now the walkthrough will be set to the beginning. Change the frame number from
60 to 1 in the options bar and press <Enter> on the keyboard. The view should
now display the first frame of the walkthrough.

8. Next choose from the options bar to play the walkthrough. The current display
will be hidden line. We will modify this shortly.

The playing of the walkthrough can be stopped by pressing the <Esc> button or

pressing from the status bar.

Editing Path and Camera

1. Once the walkthrough is finished playing, open the floor plan view 1st Floor, from
the project browser.

2. From the project browser, right click on the view Walkthrough 1 and select Show
Camera to display the walkthrough path..

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3. From the options bar, choose Properties. The properties dialog will appear.

4. Un-check the Far Clip Active option to disable the camera's far clipping plane.
Choose OK to close the dialog.

5. From the options bar, choose Edit Walkthrough. The display will now show a
camera symbol at the last key frame position.

6. Choose until the camera is displayed at the first position as shown below.

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7. Select the target point handle, (magenta grip), and adjust the target position
similar to what is shown (to view the kitchen). Remember, your path may be a bit
different so do not be concerned if the camera appears differently.

8. On the options bar, change the Controls from Active Camera to Path. Blue dots
(control grips) will appear at each key frame.

9. Select the third key frame position and move it to the location as indicated below.

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 Adjust any camera target or key frame positions as desired.

Recording A Walkthrough
A Walkthrough can be exported as an AVI file. When exporting the AVI, you can select the
display mode for the scene. Options are Wireframe, Hidden Line, Shaded, Shaded with Edges
and AccuRender (Raytrace).
1. With the walkthrough still selected, choose Open from the Options Bar.

2. From the File menu, choose Export, AVI.

3. For the AVI Export option, select a path and file name for the AVI file. The default
will be in the current folder and be named <projectname>.avi.

4. Change the Frames per Second to 10. Set the Display Mode to Shading.
Accept all other options and press Record.

5. Next the video compression must be selected. You may choose any codec
(compression/decompression) available on your system. Choose OK once a
compression has been chosen.

The choices of codecs and options will depend on your specific computer

setup. You can always use Full Frames (uncompressed) as the output.

These files will be larger than compressed files, but will not suffer from

loss due to compression quality.

6. Revit will process the AVI. After recording the AVI, you can open the AVI and view
it using the video player of your choice.

Recording a Raytraced Walkthrough

If you are to record an AVI using the AccuRender Display Option, you will be asked to select
or define a Scene. A scene is a group of render setting, such as, time, date, place information,
sky and cloud settings, as well as raytrace quality. If you are unfamiliar with the rendering
options or rendering process, please see the rendering exercise Raytrace & Radiosity.

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The Revit Family Editor
There are three types of families in Revit, as described in brief below:

System families – pre-defined within the program, modifiable by the user using
preset parameters.

Standard Component families – User defined and drawn components created

independently of project files from a wide variety of family templates. These files act
as library components that can be loaded into any number of projects.

In place families – Project specific families that are sketched within a project, that
cannot be converted into Standard component Families. Generally they are either
hosted by (tied to) system or standard component families within a project.
Families form the basis of both real life building components (model objects) and Graphical /
Annotation components, that are either controlled by pre-defined parametric properties or user
definable properties. Families can contain all the necessary geometry to allow that object to
display in its 2D and 3D forms, with the degree of control over how the object represents, that
the user requires. Elements within families are controlled by a combination of visibility and
viewing direction (plan, elevation, 3D, etc.) and level of detail associated with that view.

System families are predefined within Autodesk Revit, forming the principle building structure.
System families such as Basic Wall, have “types” that define walls styles such as Cavity wall,
Generic or Partition walls. The user cannot create these families but is provided with
parameters to make adjustments, also the user is able to create additional types of that
family.

Along with System families, some Standard component families are also pre-loaded into
default project templates. Standard component families are simply library components that the
user has full control over. The family editor provides a flexible and intuitive interface for the
creation of annotation and model components, that can be as simple or complex as the user
wishes. Standard Component Families can be created in one of two ways, either by opening an
existing one, modifying it and saving as another filename or creating it from one of the
extensive family template files.

Family templates can be either host-based or standalone. Host based families are families that
look for a host so that they may be inserted; an example is a door family that searches for its
host wall. Examples of standalone families are columns, furniture, etc. Templates contain basic
information to speed the process along; they also contain the family category where the user
can extend with additional sub-categories for more flexible control of the objects.

In place families can be either model or annotation items within the current project. They act
and are formed in a similar way to standard component families. Unlike Standard Component
families where the family category is present within the choice of various template files, the In
Place Family provides the user with a choice of Categories at startup. The chosen Category will
determine the Families appearance and display control. In Place Families can only be used in
the project they were built in, therefore they are used for objects that are unique to the
project – for instance: bespoke guttering, one-off reception furniture, ornate elevational
treatments etc..

General Procedures
The basic procedure for creating standard component families are as follows:
1. Select the appropriate family template to begin the design. For example to build a
light fixture which is ceiling based, choose "Lighting Fixture ceiling based.rft".

2. Define sub-categories for the family – for enabling visibility within the object.

3. Lay out reference planes to critical locations of the parametric geometry.

4. Dimension planes to control the parametric geometry.

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 5. Label dimensions to become type or instance parameters.

6. Flex the family frame to ensure correct behavior prior to building up geometry.

7. Add 2d and 3d geometry and determine its display characteristics through sub-
categories and entity visibility.

8. Flex the model once again to see if the family works as expected.

9. Define new family types to create other family members with different parameters
Example of four types of the family 'Fixed Window':
Fixed Window: 600mm x 600mm
Fixed Window: 600mm x 1200mm
Fixed Window: 900mm x 600mm
Fixed Window: 900mm x 1200mm

10. Save family and load into a project to see how it performs within the project
environment.

Tips:
Place reference planes to form a constructional frame, within the family. Having external
reference planes outside an in-place family, could lead to a removal of that family should
someone delete those reference planes.

Place your Standard component families in a library in a separate location to the Autodesk
Revit libraries, preferably on a network and change the current library path within Options.
This will ensure that your library remains intact during a reinstall or upgrade of the software
and also allow others to share and build one collective library.

When sketching profiles at inclined angles, name a reference plane that is perpendicular to the
inclined angle, so you may select the named work plane and ‘orientate by plane’ in a 3D view
to align the view with the true sketching direction.

When creating complex families, be aware that the addition of formulas, arrays and groups
require additional computing resources when used within a project. This can be compounded
when you use them together, for example, a arrayed group controlled by a complex formula.
Often there are ways to accomplish the same task with less impact on performance. For
example, you could use subfamilies or nested components rather than groups.

Within Autodesk Revit, there are normally several ways to accomplish a certain task. When
creating families, this is also the case. You should plan your family carefully to ensure it
accomplishes what you need it to do with little or no impact on the performance of your
project.

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Creating Nested Families
Nested Families allow the user to nest a family in another family. This means that you can
now load families and insert instances of them into your new family. This allows you to build
upon previous work while creating families suited to your needs.

In the following exercise, you will be using Nested families to help in the creation of a door.
An existing lintel family will be placed in a new door family. This reduces the amount of time it
takes to create the new door family.
The topics that will be covered are:

Nesting a Family in another Family

Locking the Position of the Nested Family

Modifying the Visibility of a Nested Component

Accessing the Parameters of the Family in Family Editor.

Nesting a Family in another Family

1. Start a new door family by selecting File, New, Family.

2. Choose the Door Family template, Metric Door.rft and select Open.

3. Open the Exterior Elevation view.

The process in which a family is Nested in another is identical to loading and placing a family
into project. The family must first be loaded in and then it is placed as you would place a
family in the project environment.
4. To load the previously created Lintel Family, choose File, Load From Library,
Load Family...

Select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Lintel.rfa.

Click Open.

(The lintel was created as a generic wall based family. It is a wall hosted
component which associates itself to the face of the wall.)

5. To place the Lintel, choose Component from the Design Bar.

6. Place the Lintel roughly over the door as shown.

Locking the Position of the Nested Family

The position of the lintel will have to be placed more precisely and locked alignments will need

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to be created so that as the door size modifies, the lintel will behave accordingly.

Note: The Width parameter of the lintel was created as an instance parameter

to make this kind of alignment possible.

1. Zoom in on the area above the door and use the align tool to align the bottom
edge of the lintel to the top of the door and lock that position. Use the Align
command from the toolbar. Select the top of the door then select the bottom of
the lintel. Click on the unlocked symbol to lock the lintel into position.

2. Finally, align and lock the two sides of the lintel to the outside edge of the door
trim. The correctly positioned lintel is shown below.

3. Change the door parameters to verify that the lintel is behaving correctly. To do
so, choose Family Types from the design bar. In the Family Types dialog box, set
the Width parameter to 1500 and the Height parameter to 3000 and choose
Apply Values.

4. The lintel should move up with the door and expand in width with the new door
width.

5. Reset the Width to 1000 and the Height to 2000. Click OK.

Modifying the Visibility of the Nested Component

After nesting a component within a family, you can control the nested component's visibility

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just as you can with other elements within the family.
1. Select the Lintel.

2. From the Options Bar, select Visibility.

3. Set the visibility so that the Lintel is only visible in elevation and 3D views. (Turn
off visibility in Plan/RCP and When cut in Plan/RCP.)

Setting the Visibility of a Nested Component

4. Click OK.

Accessing the Parameters of the Family in Family Editor

In Family Editor, it is possible to access the properties of an imbedded family. These
parameters can be accessed the way they usually are in a project: through the component
properties.
1. Activate a 3D View to better observe the modifications. You will need to modify the
view to see the side with the Lintel. Use View, Shaded with Edges to change the
display mode.

2. Pick the lintel and choose Properties from the

Options Bar. Select Edit/New to edit the type
properties of the Lintel.

3. Change the Lintel Height to 500mm and change the

Lintel Thickness to 75mm. Choose OK. See how
the Lintel Parameters update.

4. The remaining door geometry can now be created. Once the door family is saved, the
nested door and lintel family can be loaded and placed in a project.

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Controlling Parameters in Nested Families
Parameters in a host family can be used to manipulate type and instance parameters in a
nested family provided that the necessary parameters already exist in the family that is being
nested. This means that instead of having fixed values, nested families can accept values from
any family parameter that is the same type. Simply create the same parameter type in the
host family and associate it with the parameter of the nested family.

In other words: parameters for parameters or "parameterization".

Any parameters available when creating a family can be paramitized when the family is loaded
into another family. These include:

• Text

• Integer

• Number

• Length

• Area

• Volume

• Angle

• URL

• Material

Keep in mind that nested families will not schedule as separate elements within

their host family.

Suppose that you wanted to create a single transom to be shared amongst a number of door
families. Rather than re-create the transom for each door family, you could create a single
transom, which would then be available to be used in multiple host families.

Finally, you would and associate its parameters to correspond with its host’s parameters.

1. Choose and select the Metric Library icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Doors folder, select _Single Flush Vision.rfa.

Click Open.

Note: Depending on your geographic location and subsequent install options, the
file name may vary slightly.
For example: UK_Single Flush Vision.rfa.

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2. Once the file is open select the Interior elevation view.

3. Next, select File, Load from Library and Load Family.

Select the Metric Library icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Windows folder, select M_Transom.rvt.

Click Open.

4. From the Design Bar, select Component. From the Type Selector, choose the
smallest available transom.

Place the transom in the wall above the door as shown below.

5. Align the center of the transom with the center of the door. It is not necessary to
lock the relationship. The nested family will move with respect to the host family
when loaded into a project.

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6. Select the transom and choose Properties from the options bar.

7. Select Edit/New to see the Type Parameters that are available.

8. The width parameter of the transom will be associated to the width parameter of
the door. To do this, select the Width parameter by depressing corresponding
button under the “=” sign column.

9. Associate the Width parameter of the transom to the Width parameter of the door.

10. Close all dialogues by depressing OK. Notice the transom is now the same width as

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 the door.

11. Flexing the Family Type Properties of the door for Width will adjust the width
parameter for the transom. Select Family Types from the design bar. Modify the
Width parameter to 1500mm and choose Apply Values. Both the door and
transom widths update.

12. Click Cancel to close the dialog and close the file without saving.

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Adding Formulas to Families
You can use formulas to define a parameter's values. Formulas may contain numerical
constants and other parameter names of the same family as values.

Formulas support the following arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication,

division, exponentiation, logarithms, and square roots. Formulas also support the following
trigonometric functions: sine, cosine, tangent, arccosine, arcsine and arctangent. For
numerical values in formulas, you can enter integers, decimal, or fractional values.
Valid Formula Syntax:
Height + Width + sqrt(Height*Width)
Length * Width + cos(Angle)
(tan(Angle)/3) * (length)3

Exercise:
In the following exercise, you will use a simple formula to determine the proportions of a
window.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Palladian Window.rfa.

Click Open.

2. Formulas are added in the Family Types dialog box. Choose Family Types from
the design bar or choose Settings, Family Types from the Menubar.

Notice the column named Formula. It is in this column that a user would enter formulas for

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their parameters. In this exercise, you will be creating formulas which will control the
relationship between the width of the center pane (Width) and the widths of the side panes
(Width-side pane).
3. To quickly observe updates to the window family, arrange your working window so
that you can see the Palladian window and the dialog box at the same time. You
may need to close the dialog box first to manipulate the 3D view. Open the dialog
box again by choosing Family Types from the design bar.

4. In the formula for Width-side pane enter Width. Notice that the value for the
Width-side pane immediately updates to match the value for the central pane
width.

5. Choose Apply Values to observe the changes to the model.

6. Now change the formula for the side pane to Width - 6".

Note: It is necessary to be explicit and consistent with units when

making formulas. If inches had not been specified in this case, feet would

have been the assumed units.

7. Select Apply Values to see the model update.

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8. Change the formula once again to read Width/2. The side panels will now be half
the width of the center panel.

Note: When a formula contains only one parameter name in it, it

creates a relationship between the two parameters involved. If the side

pane width is equal to half of the center pane width, then it is also true

that the center pane width must always be two times the side pane width.

9. You will now see how this proportional relationship can be maintained as the width
values are modified. Change the Width value to 4' - 0" and hit <Enter>. Notice
that a value of 2' - 0" is immediately returned for the Width-side pane.

10. Now enter a value of 1' - 6" for the Width-side pane. The Width will

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automatically update to read 3' - 0". Select Apply Values to see the model
update.

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Adding Material Parameters to a Family
In this exercise, you will learn the technique for applying Materials to a component in the
family environment. Through the use of Material parameters, you can easily create new types
within a family; each type can have different rendering attributes. The areas this exercise will
cover are:

Creating New Material Parameters

Creating Predefined Types

Applying Material Parameters

Modifying Material Parameters from a within a project

The exercise will use a simple table to demonstrate the new functionality.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Oval Dining Table.rfa.

Click Open.

2. Place your cursor over the model of the table and notice how the different
elements prehilight. This family is composed of three main parts: the table top,
the bracing, and the legs. In this exercise, you will learn how to assign materials
parameters to these different parts to create different types of tables.

Creating New Material Parameters

1. Material Parameters are created in the Family Types dialog box. Choose Family
Types from the design bar or choose Settings, Family Types from the Design
bar.

2. You will now create a new material parameter named Table Top. Choose Add.
This will open up the Field Properties dialog box..

3. Enter Table Top as the parameter name. Using the drop down list select Material
as the kind of parameter this will be. Make sure that the Type button is selected

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 as shown below. Choose OK to complete the process.

4. Following the same steps, create another Material Parameter named Table Base.

5. The Predefined Types dialog will now include Table Top and Table Base in the list of
parameters. Notice that the Value assigned to these two parameters is <By
Category>.

Creating Predefined Types

To create a Family Type is to give a name to a particular configuration of parameter settings.
For example, a window type named 36"w x 42"h has a Width parameter set to 36" and a
height parameter set to 42". With material parameters, you can make additional types based
on material parameter value assignments. In the following exercise, you will create two new
types of table: one with a glass top and one with an ivory laminate top.
1. If not already open, choose Family Types from the design bar to open the
Predefined Types dialog box.

2. Select New Type from the Family Types section.

3. Enter 36" x 96" Glass Top as the name and choose OK.

4. Use the drop down list to change the value of the Table Top from <By Category>
to Glass - Clear, Gray. Change the Value for Table Base to Metal, Bronze,
Lightbrush. Also verify that the dimensional parameters match the name.

5. You will now create a second Family Type. Select New Type from the Family
Types section. If you are prompted to save the type you just created. Choose
Yes.

6. Enter 36" X 96" Ivory Top as the name of the parameter and choose OK.

7. Change the value for Table Top to Laminate - Ivory,Matte. Choose OK to complete
the creation of predefined types..

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Applying Material Parameters
A Material Parameter is applied to a solid through the properties of the solid.
1. Select Modify and pick the solid table top and choose Properties. Use the drop
down list to change the value for Material to Table Top (param). Choose OK to
complete the change.

2. Next, pick the table legs and the table bracing. (Note: to pick more than one item,
pick the first item, hold down the <Ctrl> key and pick the next item). Choose
Properties and change the Material to Table Base (param). Choose OK to
complete the changes.

3. You have now assigned the material parameters to the solid elements. Choose
File, Save to save the family.

Modifying Material Parameters From a Within a Project

When Material Parameters have been assigned within a family, the materials can be adjusted
once the family is loaded into a project. New types with different material assignments
entirely can also be made.
1. Open a new project by using File, New, Project and accepting the defaults in the
New Project dialog.

2. Load the Oval Dining Table.rfa by using File, Load from Library, Load Family.
Navigate to where the family was saved, pick it and choose Open.

3. From the Basics Design Bar, choose Component. From the Type Selector, choose
the 36" x 96" Glass Top Oval Dining Table.

4. Place 3 tables next to each other and open a 3D view.

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 5. To better observe the material properties, use View, Shaded with Edges to
change the display mode.

6. Change the middle table to the Ivory Top type by picking the middle table and
using the type selector drop down list to change the type to Oval Dining Table :
36" X 96" Ivory Top. Notice that Ivory Top table is not transparent. This is
because the material which we had assigned to the table top was not transparent.

You will now the edit the glass Material to give it a blue tint.
1. From the menubar, choose Settings, Materials.

2. Use the Drop down list to find the Material named Glass - Clear, Gray.

3. Choose Select to the right of the Texture field.

4. Double click on the Accurender book to open up the list. Choose Glass and then
Tinted. Select Blue, Dark,Smooth from the list. Choose OK to exit the Material
Library.

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 5. You will now adjust the transparency of the glass for the Shaded display mode.
Change the value for transparency from 90 to 60. Choose OK to exit the Material
dialog box.

Creating New Table Types

In the following exercise, you will create a new Pine Top Table Type.
First, you will create a wood material.
1. Choose Settings and Materials to open the Materials dialog box.

2. Choose Duplicate to create a new material. Enter the name Wood - Pine for the
name of the Material.

3. Choose Select to the right of the Texture field.

4. Choose Wood and then Pine, Yellow. Select Natural,Low Gloss from the list.
Choose OK to exit the Material Library and OK to exit the Material dialog box.

5. Pick the last table and choose Properties.

6. Choose Edit/New... to enter Edit mode, then select Duplicate to create a new
type.

7. Enter 36" x 96" Wood Top as the type name. Change the both the Table Top
and the Table Base material parameters to Wood - Pine. Choose OK twice to exit
the Type Properties dialog box and the Element Properties dialog box.

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You have now created a new type of table called 36" x 96" Wood Top.

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Window Family Exercise
In this exercise, you will create your own custom window family. The purpose of completing
this exercise is to give you an understanding of the process of creating and using your own
components.
This exercise will emphasize certain techniques that will allow you to proceed through the
design process. These techniques are recommended so you will understand how to
successfully build a window family.
In this exercise you will learn the following concepts:

Creating a window family.

Flexing the model to check for Design Intent.

Creating different types or sizes from the window family.

Setting the workplane to aid in geometry construction.

Creating reference planes to aid in geometry construction.

Creating Labeled dimensions to aid in creating different types or sizes of the window.

Creating sweep and extrude geometry.

Naming a reference plane to aid geometry creation.

Creating material and assigning it to geometry.

Setting visibility of the geometry in different views.

Using the join command to join geometry.

Adding the window to your project.

Creating the Window Family

The fixed window to be designed is shown below.

One of the most important products of family creation are variations in the size of the window
so different window types can be made. This window family will vary in the following ways:

• The width and height of the window are variable.

• The vertical mullions are equally spaced

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 • The height of the top and bottom row of lights are adjustable.
Creating the Window Family
1. Close all open projects. Use File, Close to close the active project.

2. Choose File, New, Family. This will bring up the New dialog box with a listing of
the family templates in the Templates folder.

3. Open the window template by double clicking on the name Metric Window.rft.

Exterior Elevation View

1. Open and maximize the Exterior Elevation view.

The window template provides an opening for a simple casement window.

2. Notice that two dimensions are shown with their Labels. Labeled dimensions are
placed in the Type parameter list within the Properties dialog box in the Project. As
you create the window, you will be adding labels to dimensions so that they can be
modified. In this case, you will see the 'Sill Height' and 'Height' in the list of the
Type Parameters.
These dimensions can be seen and modified when you select button
in the Design Bar. See below.

3. Modify the Height to 1300mm and the Width to 1800mm and pick .
Notice the change in the size of the window and its location. Change the values
back to the original values, Height 1500mm and Width to 1000. and . This
process of 'flexing the model' should be done frequently so conflicts do not occur
once the family is done.

4. In order to facilitate future sketching, change the Width of the window to

2400mm and click .

5. Now add two horizontal and two vertical reference planes through the opening
which will represent the position of the mullions in the window.

Choose from the Design Bar and using the image below for guidance,
add the new reference planes shown below.

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6. To maintain equal spacing of the vertical reference planes, which will be the
location of the mullions, place a multi-segmented dimension as shown below. After
the dimensions are placed, pick the symbol to make them equally spaced.

In addition, add the two horizontal reference planes shown in the image below.

7. Part of your design intent is to have the top and bottom rows to maintain equal
heights for the panes. To accomplish this, create two dimensions referencing the
reference planes as show below.

8. After you add the dimensions in step 7, choose and select one of
the dimensions.

After selecting the dimension, go to the Options Bar and from the Label drop-
down list, select Add parameter.

Name the new label, Mullion Offset and select the option, Type. Click OK.

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 Select the unlabeled dimension that was created in Step 7. From the Options Bar,
select Mullion Offset from the Label drop-down list.

10. Next, you will modify the newly labelled dimensions.

Choose to open Predefined Types dialog. Modify the value of Mullion

offset to 350mm and choose to update. Choose to close the
dialog box.

Now that the reference planes update as required. It is time to create the solid geometry
of the window. The geometry will reference the reference planes which already update to
the desired dimensions you labeled. It is always a good idea to place as many reference
planes and labeled dimensions as possible before you start creating the solid geometry.
Make sure that you flex the dimensional parameters to make sure your design intent
works.

Create Solid Geometry for the Window

1. The first solid geometry you will now create is the frame of the window. With the
Elevation: Exterior view active, choose from the design bar.

2. Next the Form dialog box will appear. Select Sweep as the form to use and choose
A sweep is a two part sketch. The first sketch is a path and the second is a
profile. The profile is swept normal to the path to create the geometry.

3. The path will be sketched around the opening. Choose Sketch 2D Path from the
Design Bar. Then choose from the design bar and then select from
the options.

4. Sketch a rectangle on top of the opening as shown making sure you start the

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 sketch by clicking in the upper left and finishing the sketch by clicking on the
bottom right. The sketch will produce a reference plane which will be used as the
plane for our profile sketch.

The profile plane may be in a different location, depending on how the lines were
sketched. If the profile plane is along the bottom horizontal line you should select undo
and recreate the sketch. Do this by drawing the profile from the upper left corner to the
bottom right corner. The default behavior is to place the reference plane on the first
entity sketched.
5. Choose Finish Path to complete the sweeps profile.

6. Choose Sketch Profile to begin the sketch for the sweep's profile. You will be
asked to open a view for sketching. Select the elevation view named Right and
choose .

7. You will now be in the Right elevation view, ready to start the sketch. Before
sketching, the view scale will be change to allow for more precise sketching.
Choose View Properties from the View menu and set the scale to 1 : 10.

8. Zoom in around the red dot. This dot represents the intersection of the path and
the profile plane.

9. A reference plane will first be created to define the window's inset. Choose

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 and create a plane as shown making sure the plane is drawn from
top to bottom. Select and add a dimension from the new reference plane
to the exterior face of the wall. You will have to use the TAB key to select the wall
face. Modify the dimension to 50.

10. The reference plane will be named to make it easier to select the plane later.

Choose and select the new reference plane and choose

from the options bar. Set the Name parameter to Sash as shown then choose
.

11. From the design bar, choose and then check the Chain option. Sketch
the frame section as shown. The exact dimensions are not important in this
example, but the vertical ends of the sketch should extend beyond the faces of the
wall. This is done to facilitate the next step.

12. In order to keep the frame the proper size when the window is inserted into walls
of different thicknesses, the vertical ends of the frame will be locked to the face of

the wall. To do this, choose and select each vertical outside edge
of the profile. Drag the lines to the face of the wall until it snaps to the wall and
lock the line by clicking on the symbol.

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13. Choose and add the following dimensions to control the size of the frame.
Modify the values as shown.

14. To sweep the profile along the path, choose Finish Profile and Finish Sweep.
Open the Exterior elevation view to see the sweep.

15. The sweep will now be given a subcategory. Choose and select the
sweep. Choose from the option bar to open the Properties dialog. Modify
the parameter Subcategory to Frame/Mullion.

16. From the Properties dialog, select button for Element visibility.
Set the visibility for this frame as shown and press . This will cause the
frame to only be displayed in Elevation and 3D views once it is place in a project.

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 17. Choose to close the Properties dialog.

Creating a Material
You will also want to assign materials for your geometry. You will now define a material to use
for your frame and mullions.
1. Choose Settings and Materials.

2. Choose Duplicate to define a new material and name the new material pine
frame.

3. Choose from the AccuRender field.

4. Navigate in the Materials dialog box to

AccuRender/Wood/Pine,Yellow/Stained,Dark,No Gloss. Choose .

5. Choose .

6. Select the Frame geometry and choose . Add the Pine Frame material to
the Material parameter. Choose .

Add The Sash

The sash for the window will be added as an extrusion.
1. Before you begin, make sure the active view is the Exterior elevation view.
Choose from the design bar, then select the Extrude option and .

2. Select from the design bar. The work plane defines the plane

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 where the extrusion will begin. Select Sash from the Name pull-down list and
choose

3. From the design bar, choose . Rather than manually sketching the outline
of the sash on top of frame, the edges of the frame will be copied. To do this
choose Pick from the options bar. Also, change the extrusion Depth to -45mm
from the options bar. The value is negative so the extrusion direction will go from
the work plane toward the screen (exterior wall face)

4. Place your cursor over one of the edges to be copied and select TAB to select the
(middle) edge of the swept frame. Lock each line clicking the symbol. Make
sure to select the middle (notch) edge of the sweep. You may want to zoom in to
do this. Repeat for all four edges.

5. To add the inside portion of the sketch, choose Draw from the options bar. Select
the and enter an Offset of negative 50mm. The negative offset value will
cause the rectangle to be offset 50mm to the inside.

6. Sketch the rectangle by picking on two diagonal vertices of the first sketched
rectangle as shown.

7. Choose to complete the sketch. Open the Right elevation view to

view the frame and sash.

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8. Choose and select the sash. You may want to use the TAB key to
select it. Once selected, choose and edit the Subcategory parameter to be
Frame/Mullion. Also, set the Element visibility to not be visible in Plan

9. The family should be 'flexed' to make sure the geometry updates correctly. Open
the 3D view called View 1 from the project browser. Rotate the view so both the
frame and sash can be easily seem.

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 10. Choose and edit the Height, Width and Sill Height to different
values and then use to ensure the geometry is updating as expected.
When satisfied everything is correct, reset the values as shown.

Creating The Glass

The glass will also be added as an extrusion and then the subcategory will be changed to
Glass.
1. Before the extrusion for the glass is created, a reference plane will be added as the
work plane for the new sketch. Open the Right elevation view to add the
reference.

2. Choose and sketch a reference plane vertically as shown. The plane

should be 30mm from the left edge of the sash.

3. The plane will be named to make its selection easier. Choose and
select the new reference plane, then choose .

4. Edit the Name parameter to be Glazing as shown.

5. Open the Exterior elevation view to sketch the new extrusion.

6. From the design bar, choose and select Extrude as the form.

7. The work plane will now be changed to Glazing. Choose from the
design bar and set the plane to Glazing as shown. Choose OK to accept this
change. By changing the work plane to Glazing, the sketch will be created from
this reference plane.

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8. To sketch the extrusion, choose and select the Pick option. The
Depth of the extrusion will be 12mm. This value will be positive so the extrusion
grows into the screen (toward the interior)

9. Select the inside edges of the sash and lock the edges as shown.

10. Select from the design bar. Set the Subcategory to Glass,
set the Element visibility to not be displayed in Plan and the material is Pine
Frame .

11. Choose to complete the extrusion.

12. Open the Right elevation view to see the new extrusion.

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 13. Open the 3D view View 1 to see the window.

14. Choose and flex the Height, Width and Sill Height values to ensure
the geometry updates correctly. When satisfied, reset the values as shown.

Adding Mullions
The mullions will now be added to the window.
1. Open the Exterior elevation view.

2. From the design bar choose and select Extrude as the form.

3. Choose to select a new work plane for this extrusion. Select the
Pick a Plane option and choose .

4. Select the face of the glass as the new work plane. Use the TAB key and look at
the status bar for Glass: Extrusion and click to select the glass face.

5. Choose and from the options bar. Set the Depth value to 15mm.
Since the extrusion's work plane is the face of a solid, it will grow from the exterior

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 face of the glass toward the exterior wall face.

6. Sketch a rectangle about the left vertical reference planes as shown. Lock the top
and bottom horizontal lines of the sketch to the edges of the sash.

7. Choose and create a multi-segmented dimension between the vertical

lines and the reference plane. Set the dimension segment to be equal by selecting
on the symbol.

8. Add another dimension for the width of the mullion as shown.

9. Choose and select the dimension. Label the dimension as Mullion

Width.

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10. Verify that the extrusion depth is set to 15mm and then choose .

11. From the design bar, choose and modify the Mullion Width
parameter to 40mm and then press . Modify the Height, Width and Sill
Height values to ensure the geometry updates as expected. When you are
finished, set the values as shown.

12. Add a second vertical mullion. Choose and Extrude as the form for the
new mullion.

13. Since we are creating the extrusion in the same view as the last mullion, the work
plane will not have to be changed. Sketch the rectangle and lock the horizontal
lines of the rectangle to the sash as before. The extrusion Depth should be 15mm.

14. Create two dimension as was done previously. One for the overall width and the
other to keep the mullion centered about the vertical reference plane.

15. Label the width dimension to be Mullion Width. This may cause the first mullion

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 to change width, (which will be changed later).

16. Complete the extrusion by selecting .The new mullion should appear
as shown.

The horizontal mullions will be created similar to the vertical mullions. These
mullions will stretch from each end of the frame, then the geometry of the
horizontal mullions will be joined with the vertical mullions.

17. From the Exterior elevation, choose and Extrude. The work plane will
not be changed, so sketch a rectangle and lock the vertical ends as shown.

18. Add a dimension for the overall width of the mullion and a dimension to keep it
centered about the horizontal reference plane as shown.

19. Label the dimension controlling the mullion width as Mullion Width.

20. Choose to complete the mullion.

21. Add the last mullion by selecting and Extrude. Sketch a rectangle and
lock the vertical ends as shown.

22. Add and label the dimension as in the previous steps.

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23. Choose to complete the mullions.

24. Open the 3D view unnamed to view the window.

25. From the menu, choose Tools and Join Geometry. Select each overlapping pairs
of mullions to join them. The mullion geometry should now appear as shown.

26. The subcategory of the joined mullions will now be set. Choose
and select all of the mullions. Choose and set the Subcategory to
Frame/Mullion. Set the Element visibility to not be visible in Plan. Set the
material to Pine Frame.

27. To simplify the plan representations of the window, select the joined mullions.
Choose from the Options bar and set the visibility as shown.

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Defining New Types
New types of this window family will be made. A type is a version family whose parameters
differ.

1. From the design bar, select to open the predefined types dialog.

2. To define a new type, choose . The Name dialog will open. Enter the
name for the new type as 2000mm w x 1200mm h and press .

3. Modify the Width to 2000mm and the Height to 1200mm. Also modify the
Mullion Width parameter to 25mm. Choose . This is our new type.

4. To add a second type, choose . The system will display a message "The
type has changed, would you like to save it?". Choose Yes.

5. Enter the name for the new type as 2600mm w x 1300mm h and press .

6. Modify the Height, Width, Sill Height and Mullion offset as shown, then press

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 7. Choose to add a third type. Again the message about the type
changing will appear. Choose Yes to save the changes. Add the third type called
1800mm w x 1500mm h. Modify the parameters as shown below.

8. Choose to complete the new types.

9. To complete the window, choose from the toolbar and save the file as 'Training
Window'. This will create a file called Training Window.rfa.

Placing The Window

To test the window completely, we will create a new project, load this window and place the
three types created in the exercise.

1. Choose from the toolbar to create a new project.

2. From the design bar choose and sketch a wall as shown. The wall type is
not important.

3. Choose and then select the type list.

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4. Notice the new windows are not available. To make them available in this project,
the family must be loaded. Choose from the options bar. (This can also
be done be selecting File, Load From Library, Load Family).

5. Navigate to where the window family was saved and select the file. Choose
to load the file.

6. With as the active command, open the type selection list. Notice the
three new windows are available.

7. Select the 2600mm w x 1300mm h window and place it in the wall.

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Door Exercise
In this exercise you will create your own door family. The purpose of completing the exercise is
to give you an understanding of the process of creating and using your own families.
In this exercise you will learn the following concepts:

Creating a door family.

Adding Symbolic Lines to a family.

Creating labeled dimensions to control design intent and give the flexibility to create
different sized doors from the generic door you are creating.

Applying different subcategories to the geometry to aid in visibility.

Setting visibility of geometry.

Setting different workplanes to sketch on.

Creating extruded geometry.

Adding material to the 3D geometry.

Creating different types (sizes) of doors within the family.

Adding the door family to a project.

Creating the Door

1. Choose File, New, Family. This will bring up the Open Dialogue box with a listing
of the family templates in the Templates folder.

2. Open the door template by double clicking on the name Metric Door.rft.

3. Choose Tile from the Window menu to tile all of the door template views. Select

and choose Zoom All To Fit to resize all of the open windows.
This will bring up the four views of the door family; the Interior Elevation, Exterior
Elevation, a 3D view and the Floor Plan; Floor Line. Construction lines have been
created in the wall representing the profile of the door opening. An opening is
created in the wall lined up with the construction lines. Dimensions have been
created between the construction lines. The dimensions will appear in the
properties of the door. This will be discussed later in the exercise. A frame has
also been created (as an extrusion). This frame can be modified or deleted if
desired.

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Plan View Symbol
Now you will define the door symbol as it will appear in a plan view.
1. First change to the Floor Plan: Ref. Level window by clicking on it.

Maximize the view.

2. Choose and sketch the rectangle shown in the next figure.

3. Choose from the Design Bar and add the dimensions shown to control the
sketch. Modify the dimension values as indicated in the next figure.

4. A property label will be added to control the width and thickness of the door.
Adding these labels makes these dimension available for modification when placing

the door. To add the label to the dimensions, choose and select
the 1000mm dimension. The label option will become available in the options bar.

5. From the label pulldown list, choose the parameter name Width.

Note: You can select from the predefined list of labels or you can type your own
label name.

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 6. Select the other dimension an add a label called Thickness. This label will be
entered by typing the name Thickness then select .

7. The plan swing arc will be created. Choose and choose the
option. Sketch the arc as shown below.

Next, modify the properties of the lines sketched for the door symbol. This will change the
display of the door symbol in the plan view later when it is added to a project.

8. Choose and select the sketched arc of the door plan swing symbol.

9. Choose and change the properties of the Subcategory to Plan Swing

[cut]. Choose OK to update the properties. This defines the font, colour and line
weight for this arc.

10. Next select the four lines representing the door panel. Select one line, the hold
down the Control key and select the other three lines. When all four lines are

selected, choose . Change the property of the Subcategory to Panel

[Cut]. Choose to update the properties.

3D Door Geometry
Now you will create the 3D geometry of the door. For this example, a simple solid door panel
will be created.
1. Open the view Exterior Elevation from the project browser. Choose Zoom to Fit.

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2. Select from the design bar and choose Extrude as your form. Choose

3. Select and choose the Pick a Plane option. Choose .

4. Select the exterior face of the wall as the sketch plane. Use the Tab key to select
the desired face.

5. The depth option for the extrusion will be set. Enter a depth value of -50mm in the
options bar. The value will be negative because the extrusion will start on the
selected plane and grow towards you.

6. Select and sketch a rectangle as shown below making sure the sketched lines
snap to the reference planes (green dashed lines) around the opening.

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7. Choose . The system will extrude the sketch.

8. Open the Left elevation view.

9. Select and create a dimension as shown for the thickness of the

extrusion. Label the dimension Thickness.

10. Open the Floor Plan: Ref. Level view. Select and select the
extrusion. Use the <Tab> key and ensure the entire extrusion, not just one face, is
highlighted.

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11. Set the visibility of the door to be not visible in the plan view. Choose from
the options bar. Set the visibility as shown and choose OK.

12. The subcategory of the extrusion will be defined as a Panel. Make sure the
extrusion is selected and choose . Change the properties as shown.

13. Create a new material for the door. To do this choose Settings and Material.

14. Choose and enter Oak Door for the name of the material.

15. Choose and navigate in the AccuRender materials to Wood, Oak, Red.
Select Stained, Dark, No Gloss.

16. Choose and .

17. Now that you have created a material for your door you will apply it. Choose
and select the door (if it is not already selected).

18. Choose . In the dialog box click in the parameter value field for material
and select the new material, oak door. Choose .

19. Look at the door in the 3D view. Shade it if necessary.

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Creating Different Sized Door Instances
Now you will create a family of different-sized doors. This will give you the ability to have one
family of flush doors with several different door types (sizes).

1. From the options bar, choose to open the Family Types dialogue.

2. From the Predefined Types dialogue box choose Rename to rename the original
instance of the door to 1000 x 2000mm. All of the values for this door will remain
unchanged.

3. To create a new door type, choose New and enter a name of 925 x 2000mm.

4. From the dialogue box, modify the Width to 925mm.

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 5. To update the door, choose . The door will update to the new values. You
may have to move the Family Types dialogue box to see the updated door.

6. Choose New to create one more type. The system will ask you to save this type
since it has been changed, choose Yes.

7. Enter the name 975 x 2100mm and modify the Width to 975mm and the Height
to 2100mm as shown below.

8. Use the to see the new type.

9. Choose OK to close the Family Types dialogue.

10. Choose File and Save to save the file to disk. Enter the name as 'door exercise',
this will save the file 'door exercise.rfa' to disk.

Adding Your Family to a Document.

You have just created a simple door family. Now you will add it to a project and use it to

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create a door.
1. Create a new document. Choose File, New and Project.

2. Select and sketch a straight wall of any type and size.

3. Load the family into the document by choosing File, Load from Library, Load
Family and select 'door exercise.rfa' from the list by double clicking it.

4. Choose from the toolbar.

5. From the family list choose the name door exercise: 975 x 2100mm from the
menu.

6. Place the door in the wall. Look at it in different views. As you view the door in
different views notice how the visibility of certain items change based on how you
created the family.

7. In the plan view click on the control symbols to see the door flip. Notice how all
the geometry including the door swing in the elevation view change accordingly.

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Creating a Lighting Fixture
In this exercise you will be creating a rectangular ceiling light. The light will be defined as a
fixed size of 600 x 1200mm. Also, a new color, material and object style will be defined and
applied to the light.
In this exercise you will learn the following concepts:

How to create a light fixture.

Setting up reference planes to aid in the construction of geometry.

Creating an opening.

Using Symbolic lines in the family to aid in visibility of the 2D geometry.

Creating an extruded piece of geometry.

Setting workplanes for aiding geometry construction.

Defining and assigning materials to geometry.

Creating subcategories to aid in setting visibility of geometry.

Creating the Light Fixture Family

1. Close all open projects. Use File, Close to close the active project.

2. Create a new family by choosing File, New and Family from the menu.

3. Select the template Metric Lighting Fixture ceiling based.rft and choose
to open the template.

4. Activate the Reflected Ceiling Plan view Ref. Level.

5. To aid in creating the light fixture, Reference planes will be added. Choose

and sketch two reference planes 300mm offset from the default
horizontal reference plane.

6. Add two vertical reference planes, each 600mm offset from the vertical reference
plane.

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 7. Next dimensions will be added to control the new reference planes. Select
and select the three vertical reference planes and place the dimension as
shown.

8. Select the symbol to apply an equality constraint to the dimensions.

9. Repeat the previous steps to add a dimension and apply an equality constraint to
the horizontal reference planes.

Adding an Opening
1. The first part of the light fixture will be an opening made in the ceiling. Choose

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 and select the .

2. Sketch a rectangle using the newly added reference planes as a guide. The finished
sketch should appear as shown below.

3. Choose to complete the opening. Open a 3D view to see the opening.

4. Activate the view Ceiling Plan: Ref. Level. Lines will be sketched to represent the
light fixture in the reflected ceiling plan view. Select from the design
bar.

5. Select the Pick option from the options bar. Select the edges of the opening to
copy these edges to create the lines. You may use the Tab key to help select the
edge of the opening.

Creating the diffuser

1. A diffuser will be created for the light. Choose from the design bar.

2. Select the Extrude option from the Form Dialog Box and choose .

3. Select the button from the Design Bar. Choose the option Pick a
Plane and choose .

4. Select the ceiling plane as the sketching plane. This plane can be selected by
picking near the edge of the ceiling.

5. To begin the extrusion, select . Select the Draw option in the options bar.
Select the and enter an offset of -25mm in the options bar. The value will be
negative so the rectangle will offset to the inside of the opening.

6. Enter a depth for the extrusion of 5mm in the options bar.

7. Sketch the rectangle as shown.

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 8. Choose to complete the extrusion. The finished extrusion is shown
below.

Defining The Light Box

1. To complete the light fixture, we will define the rest of the light box. With the
Ceiling Plan: Ref. Plan as the active view, choose . Choose .

2. Select and then the Pick a Plane option. Select the ceiling plane
as the sketch plane.

3. Enter a Depth of 100mm and select the Pick option from the options bar.

4. Select the 4 edges of the opening, then select the 4 edges of the diffuser panel as
shown.

5. Choose to complete the extrusion.

6. A final extrusion will be added to the model. Choose and select the
Extrude option. Choose .

7. Choose and Pick a Plane option. Select the top of the extrusion
created in the previous steps as the sketching plane.

8. Set the Depth to 5mm. Then using the Pick option, select the four outer edges of
the extrusion created.

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 9. Choose to complete the extrusion.

Defining Materials and Object Styles

1. Next, the material will be defined. Choose Settings and Materials from the menu.
The Material dialog box will appear.

2. Choose Duplicate and type Acrylic as the name of the new material.
Choose .

3. Uncheck the option Update when AccuRender Selection occurs.

4. Select the button and change the color to White.

5. Define the attributes for the new material as shown. Set the Transparency to 0,
Glow of 1, Smoothness of 50 and Shininess of 32. Choose to complete
the material.

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6. Finally, a new object style subcategory will be defined. Choose Settings and
Object Styles from the menu. The Object Styles dialog box will display.

7. Select and enter a name of Diffuser. Choose to add the new

subcategory.

8. Define the settings for Diffuser to have a Projection Line Weight of 1, Line
Color of Black, Line Pattern of Solid, and set the Material to Acrylic.

Choose to complete the new subcategory.

9. To apply the new subcategory and the material to the diffuser, open a 3D view.

10. To more clearly see the diffuser, rotate the view as shown. Use the Dynamic Spin
command from the tool bar.

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11. Choose and select the diffuser panel.

12. Choose to open the Element Properties dialog box. Modify the
Subcategory to Diffuser and choose .

13. Change the view display to shading by selecting Shading from the View menu.
The view should appear as shown.

14. Choose File, Save and save the new family as 1200 x 600 Light. You can now load
and place the light in your project.

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Creating a Furniture Family
In this exercise you will be creating a new furniture family type: a roll-top desk. You will learn
some of the different modelling techniques that are used to help maintain standards when
creating families.
In this exercise you will:

Create a furniture family

Set up reference planes

Create Symbolic Lines

Create Labeled Dimensions

Create solid geometry using the Extrude command

Use Equal Dimensions

Use the Lock command

Set object Visibility

Set View Detail levels

Create different Instances of the same family

Add the family to a project

Creating the Family

1. Close all open projects. Use File, Close to close the active project.

2. Start a new family. To do this choose File, New and Family. Choose Metric
Furniture.rft from the dialogue.

3. Choose Window and Tile to arrange the windows of the family on the screen. The
choose View, Zoom, Fit All to resize the display of each open view. The order the
views are in is not important.

First, you will sketch the symbol for the desk that you would like to appear in a plan view. This
will be done using 2D lines.
1. Maximise ( ) the plan view, Floor Plan: Ref. Level, window.

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2. The two reference planes represent the origin of the furniture in the plan view.
(We will talk later about how you can change this). Choose and sketch
four reference planes lines around the origin as shown in the next figure. The four
reference planes will include a horizontal plane above and one below the horizontal
origin and a vertical reference plane to the right and one to the left or the vertical
origin. Do not be concerned with size at this point.

3. Create a permanent dimension between the left reference plane, the centre origin
and the right reference plane. To create the dimension choose , select the
left vertical reference, the centre reference and the right vertical reference, and
place the dimension. Set the dimensions to be equal by clicking the to toggle it
to . Also, create the dimension from the bottom to the centre to the top
reference planes. Set these two dimensions to be equal.

4. Add the overall width and height dimensions.

5. Modify the sizes as shown below.

6. Choose and sketch a rectangle that snaps to the intersections of the

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 reference planes you just created.

Now you will label the overall dimensions so that you can later create a whole family of
different sized roll-top desks.
1. To label the dimensions, choose , select the 2000mm dimension to be
labelled. The label field will become available in the Options Bar.

From the Label drop-down list, select Add Parameter.

2. Enter the label name Length in the Name field.

Select Type.

Click OK.

3. Select the 1000mm dimension that represents the depth.

From the Label drop-down list, select Add Parameter.

4. Enter the label name Depth in the Name field.

Select Type.

Click OK.

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 Your sketch should resemble the image below.

You have just completed the 2D plan view symbol of the desk now you are ready to create the
3D geometry for the desk.
Creating the 3D Geometry

1. Choose from the Design bar. Click on the Extrude option from the Form
dialogue box. Choose .

2. Select and accept Ref. Plane as the work plane by choosing

from the dialogue box.

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3. First you will define the desktop. Sketch a rectangle on top of the rectangle you
sketched earlier in this exercise. An easy way to do this is to use the option
from the toolbar and pick the four segments from the previous rectangle. When
picking the lines you will have to use the <Tab> button to toggle to the sketched
lines (if you select the <Tab> key twice you should be able to select the four
chained lines in one command). Choose .

4. Open the Front Elevation view. Notice the extrusion extends from the Reference
Level up, (the default is 250mm).

5. Choose and select the top edge of the extrusion (place the cursor
over the top edge and use the <Tab> key to toggle through the selections until
just the top edge highlights and the message in the status window is "Extrusion-
Shape Handle". Drag the top edge so the height is 1000 mm from the reference
level. You can also change the height by selecting the top of the extrusion then
selecting the dimension and change the value.

6. Select the bottom edge of the extrusion and drag this edge so the desktop's
thickness is 200mm.To grab the bottom edge, place the cursor over the edge and
use the <Tab> key to toggle through the selections until the message in the status
window reads "Extrusion-Shape Handle".

7. We will create dimensions to control the thickness and height of the desktop (from
top of desk to floor). Create a dimension from the top of the desk to the floor and
create another from the top of the desk to the bottom of the desk.

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8. Lock the thickness dimension by clicking on the unlock symbol. To get the lock to

appear choose and select the witness line of the dimension. Click
on the unlock to turn it to a locked dimension.

9. Set the label to Height as shown below. To do this, select the dimension that
represents the height of the desk.

From the Label drop-down list in the Options Bar, select Add parameter.

Name the parameter, Height, and make it a Type parameter. Click OK.

10. Repeat this process for the Thickness dimension.

11. Open the plan view Floor Plan: Ref Level.

12. Now, create the drawer sections of the desk. Choose from the design
bar. Click on the Extrude option from the Form dialogue box. Choose .

13. Select and accept Ref. Level as the Work Plane by choosing
from the dialogue box.

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14. Sketch the two rectangles as shown in the next figure. Add the dimensions as
shown. Lock all of the 150mm offset dimensions. This will ensure that when the
overall desk dimensions change the drawer sections will maintain the 150mm
offsets. To lock the dimension, select Modify, then pick each dimension to display
the lock symbol. Select the lock symbol to lock it.

15. Choose .

16. The extrusion depth must be correctly set. Open the elevation view Front.

17. To set and lock the extrusion depth, choose Align from the Edit menu. Select the
bottom edge of the desk (first extrusion) first, then select the top of the drawer
fronts (second extrusion). The model should update as shown below.

Select the lock to lock to extrusion height to the desk top.

18. Create the roll-top. First change to an Right Elevation. Choose from the
design bar. Click on the Extrude option from the Form dialogue box.

19. Accept the Pick a Plane option to select the work plane.

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 20. Select the face of the extruded desk base as the sketch plane.

21. Sketch the approximate shape show below. Again, the actual dimensions are not
critical.

22. Choose .

23. Open the Front elevation view to define the extrusion length.

To specify the depth, use the Align command or drag the ends of the roll-top
extrusion to the outside of the drawers as shown in the next figure. The intent is to
have the ends of the roll-top aligned and locked to the drawers as shown below.

Change to a 3D view to see the desk family.

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Setting Visibility
Notice you can see the original 2D sketch on the bottom of the desk. You can also see the 3D
geometry. When the desk is added to a project you will want to see the 2D sketch in the plan
view and the 3D geometry in the other views. You set this display using the Visibility button.
That is what you will do next.
Note: This is setting the visibility for your family when it is being placed into a project,
not what you should see in the family editor.
Select the three extrusions you created and choose . Uncheck the Plan/RCP box
because you do not want the geometry displayed in the plan view. Choose .

Adding More Geometry

You will now add more geometry to the desk. You will add the drawer fronts to the desk. The
drawer fronts will only be displayed at certain times in your project. You can control this by
setting the visibility of the geometry to display at certain detail levels.
1. First, create the geometry. Choose , Extrude and .

2. Open the Front Elevation view.

3. Choose and Pick a Plane. Select the front of the drawer base as
the work plane.

4. Sketch the drawer fronts approximately as shown in the next figure.

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 5. Choose .

6. Change to the Right elevation. Choose and select the drawer front
extrusion.

7. Choose from the Options bar. Change the Extrusion End parameter to
25mm. Choose .

8. Choose and uncheck the options for Coarse and Plan/RCP. This will set
the display of the drawer fronts to only be on when the detail level of the view is
Medium or Fine.

Creating Family Types

We will now make several instances of this desk of differing sizes.

1. Choose from the options bar. This will display the properties for the
current instance.

2. To create a new type, choose from the dialogue box. For the name,
enter Roll-top 2000mm x 1000mm. Choose after typing the name. This
will create a Family type at the same size of the desk you created.

3. Now you will create other family sizes. Choose from the Family types
dialogue box. Type Roll-top 2100mm x 1000mm and then choose .
Change the Length value to 2100.

4. Choose again. You will be prompted to save the type, choose "Yes".
Enter Roll-top 2250mm x 1250mm and then OK. Change the Length value to
2250mm and change Depth to 1250mm.

5. To see the three family types you have just created click the pulldown arrow next
to the Family Type box and select one of the names. Choose Apply Values to see
the family update. Note: You may need to move the dialogue box to see the
changes. Choose to close the dialogue box.

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 6. Choose File, Save to save the family file to disk. Save the file as "desk_roll-top".
For the purpose of this exercise save the file in the Projects folder.

Adding the Desk to a Project

1. Open a new project.

2. Open the Modelling Design bar and choose .

3. Choose and navigate to the folder you saved your desk family. Select
the desk family to load into the project.

4. Click to place a desk. Notice all that appears is the rectangular outline of the desk.
This is because you set the Visibility of the 3D geometry to not appear in a plan
view.

5. Add a 2100mm x 1000mm and a 2250mm x 1250mm desk to the view by clicking
on the drop down menu of the Type selector and choosing the type. Then click to
place each type.

6. Change to a 3D view to see the desks. Notice now all the 3D geometry is
displayed.

7. Change the Detail Level of the view to be coarse to see the drawer fronts go away.
To do this choose View and View Properties. In the View Properties dialog
change the Detail Level parameter to coarse. Choose OK. Notice in the 3D view
the fronts disappear due to the setting of the detail level.

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Creating Title Blocks
On this lesson you will learn how to create a titleblock in Autodesk Revit. We will create a A0
Metric titleblock for this example. In this exercise you will learn the following:

How to create a titleblock

Creating the margin and titleblock outline

Adding a company logo to the titleblock

Adding text to the titleblock

Creating new text types

Adding labels to automatically capture project information.

Creating the Titleblock

1. Choose File, New, and Title block.

2. Select the template named "A0 metric.rft" and choose . This will open a
copy of the A0 title block template. The template contains only a set of rectangular
lines representing the paper border (minus printer margins).

3. Sketch a 25mm border around the sheet. Choose and select the . Enter
an offset value of -25.

4. Sketch the rectangle by selecting two points diagonally on the existing border.

5. Create the vertical line 140mm from the right border (165mm from the right sheet
edge ). Make sure to reset the Offset value to 0 before sketching the vertical line.

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6. Sketch a horizontal line 150mm from the upper border (175mm from the top
paper edge).

7. Sketch another horizontal line 125mm below the last line, as shown.

8. Sketch a third horizontal line 395mm from the last line, as shown.

9. The line weight of the last two horizontal lines will be changed. Select

and pick the two lines, use the Control key to select multiple
objects.

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 10. From the options pulldown list, choose Wide Lines to change the line weight for the
selected lines.

Adding A Company Logo

1. We will add the company logo in the upper right corner. The logo we will use will
be imported from a dwg file. From the File menu, select Import\Image.

2. Select the file Company Logo.jpg. This file can be found in the Training\Common
folder.

Choose to add the logo.

3. Choose and select the logo. Move the logo to the upper right
corner as shown.

Adding Text
1. We will now add text to the title block. Before adding the text a new text style will
be defined. Choose from the design bar.

2. To define a new style, choose from the options bar. There are currently
two text note styles defined called Text: 8mm and Text: 12mm.

3. Choose from the properties dialogue box to access the Type properties.

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4. Choose to define the new text style. Enter the name for the new text style
as 15mm Bold.

5. Modify the Text Size parameter to 15mm and check the Bold parameter. Choose
to close Type Properties dialogue.

6. Choose to close the Element Properties dialogue box.

7. The first text note will be added using the new text style. With
selected from the design bar, choose the start point for the text as indicated

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 below.

8. Drag the cursor to create the text box below the Revit logo.

9. Type in the note Revit Technology Corporation.

10. If necessary, reposition the text and logo as desired.

11. Next text notes will be added using the default text style. Choose
and select the text style Text: 8mm, then pick the location for the note as shown.

12. Enter the note as shown. Choose to complete the note.

300 Fifth Ave.

Waltham, MA 02451
Tel.- +1-781-839-5300
Fax- +1-781-839-5333

13. You may have to edit the size and position of the text box. Choose
and select the text. Pick on either of the two shape handles, (blue dots), and
stretch the text box until the text lines do not wrap.

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14. Position the text note as shown.

15. Add some additional text for the consultants. Choose and click the
first location approximately as shown. Enter the string as shown in the dialogue.

16. A new, smaller text style will be added. Choose and select the new

text note. Choose to open the properties dialogue box for text.

17. Choose and then to create a new style. Name the new style 5mm.

18. Modify the text size to 5mm and choose .

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19. Copy the Note. Choose and select the text note. Choose Copy from the
Edit menu. Press <ESC> on the keyboard to deselect the note. Choose Paste from
the Edit menu and click below the first note to place the second. Do this twice, and
then click Finish Paste in the Options Toolbar.

20. Sketch three new lines below the lower horizontal (Wide Line), as shown in the
next figure. Each line is separated by 20mm vertically.

21. Text notes will be added. Choose and using the 5mm text, add the

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 following four text notes.

22. Sketch 3 new lines above the Date as shown. Each line is separated by 20mm
vertically.

Adding Labels
1. Now you will add a Label. A label is a property that can be added to the drawing
automatically by adding the property value to the drawing sheet. To add the label,
choose from the design bar. Select the alignment options of Right and
Bottom from the options bar.

2. Pick the point shown below for the start point of the label.

3. Select Project Issue Date as the parameter to be added and choose .

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4. The new label will be added using a placeholder value as shown.

5. Add the labels for "Drawn By" and "Checked By".

6. A label will be added for sheet number. This will use a different text style. With
selected, choose .

7. Using the same technique as for text notes, create a new text style called 15mm
and modify the Text Size parameter to 15mm as shown.

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8. Create a new label using the new 15mm label style for Sheet Number as shown
below.

9. More Labels will now be added using the 12mm label text style. Select
and change the Text Alignment to Center and Middle.

10.
10. Place the cursor approximately as shown below.

11. Select Client Name as the Substitution Text.

12. Using the same process place the Project Name and Project Number as shown

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 below.

13. Save the title block. Choose Save from the File menu. Navigate to the
Library/Title blocks folder and save the title block as A0Horizontal.

Using the New Title block

In this portion of the exercise we will add the title block to a project and modify the
parameters which were defined (using the labels) in the exercise.
1. After saving the title block, close the file by choosing Close from the file menu.

2. Next create a new, blank project by selecting .

3. Now add a sheet to the project. Choose View, New and Sheet to display the
current list of title blocks. Notice the title block we created is not in this list. To add
it to the list, choose Add from the dialogue box.

4. Navigate to the location where the "A0 - Horizontal" title block was stored and
select the file.

5. Select the newly added title block from the dialogue box and choose .

6. To modify the parameters added to the title block, choose and

select the title block. The choose to display the title block properties.

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7. To modify the parameters, simply select in the value field of the table for the
parameter you want to modify. Select the field for 'Drawn By' and change the
name from 'Author' to 'John Doe'. Choose to complete. The parameter on
the title block will update as shown below

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Creating a Detail Component
In this exercise you will be creating a Detail Component. A Detail Component family is a model
family which contains only two-dimensional geometry. They are added to detail views, and
they are visible only in those views. They scale with the model, rather than the sheet. Detail
components could include dimensional lumber, a metal stud, or a structural tubing.
In this exercise we will also demonstrate the instance parameters capability. An Instance
parameter is a parameter within the object which can be modified and only affects that
individual object, within the project.
The component we will define is a sheet of 21mm plywood. This component will have a fixed
thickness (21mm) but will have a variable length (instance parameter).

In this exercise you will learn the following concepts:

Creating a detail symbol.

Changing the view scale to aid in sketching.

Using reference planes to aid in geometry construction.

Changing 2D line types.

Creating regions in a family.

Adding a filled region to a family.

Creating instance parameters.

Adding a detail component to a project and applying it.

Creating the Detail Component

1. Choose File, New and Family.

2. Select the template Metric Detail Component.rft and choose .

3. We will begin by changing the default settings for view scale and model snaps.
Choose View and View Properties and modify the scale to 1:5. Choose
to update the view scale.

4. Next sketch a reference plane parallel to the existing vertical reference plane.
Choose and sketch a vertical reference plane 250mm away from the
existing vertical reference plane as shown.

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 5. Next the outer boundary of the detail component will be sketched as lines. Choose

and select the option. Choose Medium Lines from the options
list and then sketch the rectangle as shown. The rectangle should be 21mm in
height.

Creating Region Types

1. The first ply will be defined as a region. A region is a 2D area which can have a fill
pattern assigned to it. Choose from the design bar.

2. To begin select the and then select . Select , and change the Type to
"Filled region 1", then pick .

3. Select and enter the name 'Ply 1." Change the Fill Pattern parameter by
picking in the 'Value' column, then the down arrow, select Diagonal up
[drafting]. Pick and again.

4. From the type pulldown list change the line style for the region to Light Lines.

5. Sketch the region as shown below. Set the height to 7mm.

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 6. Choose to complete the region.

7. Sketch another region using the same region type as shown below.

8. Create the final region type, named 'Middle'. This time the new region type will
use a Fill Pattern value of Diagonal down [drafting]. Sketch the last region
using the new type as shown below.

Applying Instance Parameters

1. To create an instance parameter for the length of the component, choose
and create a dimension between the two vertical reference planes.

2. Choose and select the dimension. The label options will become
available in the options bar. From the drop-down list, select Add parameter.

Type the name, Width and select the option for Instance Parameter as shown
below. Click OK when done.

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 3. To test the component, choose and select one of the two vertical
reference planes. Modify the distance from 250mm to 500mm. The component
should update as shown.

4. Choose File and Save to save the new component. Enter a name of Plywood. This
will create a file called Plywood.rfa.

Load and Test The Component

1. From the File menu, select Open.

Navigate to the Training\Metric folder and open the project

detail_comp_test.rvt.

2. The view which should be active is a callout view of a section, called Section:
Section Detail @Foundation Cill.

3. To use the new detail component, choose File and Load From Library, and Load
Family. Navigate to the folder you saved the Plywood.rfa component in and select
the component. Choose to load the component.

4. To place the component, choose from the Drafting tab of the design
bar.

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5. Select Plywood from the type selector list.

6. Move the cursor into the detail view and place the component as shown below.

7. Choose and select the left end of the plywood detail component.
This is known as the shape handle

8. The end of the component can now be dragged to any desired location by moving
the shape handle.

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Creating an Annotation Symbol
In this exercise you will be creating a North Arrow as an annotation symbol. You will learn the
following in this exercise:

How to create an annotation symbol.

Creating the 2d lines for the symbol.

Creating subcategories for the symbol.

Setting different line weights for the 2D lines.

Loading the symbol into your project.

Creating the Annotation Symbol

1. Choose File, New and Annotation Symbol.

2. Select the template file called "Generic Annotation.rft" and choose . This will
open a copy of the template.

3. To begin the north arrow, choose and select as the sketching

option. Sketch a circle with the centre starting at the intersection of the two
construction lines. Modify the radius to 8mm.

4. Select the sketch option and draw a line horizontally, through the centre of the
circle, as shown.

5. Draw another line up from the circle’s centre vertically as shown.

6. Sketch the final line down from the centre vertically as shown. This line is drawn
separately as we will be changing the line width of the top (north) line.

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 7. We will now define subcategories for the annotation symbol to control the line
weight of the north line. Choose Settings, Object Styles from the menu.

8. Choose Create New.

9. Enter a name for the subcategory as North line as shown. Choose OK to add the
subcategory.

10. Add a Line weight of 5 for the and Line colour of Black. Choose OK to close the
dialogue box.

11. To apply the new line weight to the north line, choose and select
the line representing north. You may have to use the <Tab> key to select the line.

12. From the options list, select North Line.

13. The resulting symbol should look like the figure below.

14. Save the file. Choose File, Save and give the symbol a name. Then close the file
by choosing File and Close.

Using the Symbol

The following optional steps outline how to load the symbol into a project and place it on a
drawing sheet.
1. To use the symbol in a project, start a new project by choosing from the

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 toolbar.

2. This symbol will be used on a drawing sheet. To create a drawing sheet, choose
View, New and Sheet.

3. Select the A0 metric title block as the title block to be added and choose OK.

4. To add the symbol to the project, choose File and Load Family From Library.
Navigate to the location where the north symbol file was stored and select the file.
Choose Open to load the file.

5. To add the symbol to the drawing sheet, choose from the Drafting
tab of the Design Bar. Check the type pulldown list to ensure the north arrow is
the default symbol.

6. Left click to place the symbol as shown.

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Creating a Room Tag
In this exercise, you will create a custom room tag which will display the room's name and
area.

You will learn:

How to create an annotation symbol

Add Labels to extract data from the project

Loading the tag into your project

Creating the Room Tag

1. To create the new tag, choose File, New and Annotation Symbol from the
menu.

2. Next select the template to start from. Choose the template "Door Tag.rte" and
choose Open to begin.

Parametric Labels
The tag you will define will display the room parameters Name, Floor Finish, Ceiling Finish and
Area. This is done by adding parametric labels to the tag. The labels will extract the value of a
specific parameter, such as area, from the model, when the tag is placed.

To begin the tag a label defining the room name will be placed. Before placing any labels, a
new label type will be defined and the existing type will be edited.
1. From the design bar, select Label.

2. Next choose from the option bar. The current label has one type called
Label: 3mm.

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3. This label type will be edited to make the text underlined. To edit the type, choose
the Edit /New button on the properties dialog box.

4. Click the check box next to parameter Underline. Choose OK to close the Type
Properties dialog.

5. To define a new type, choose .

6. Now choose Duplicate from the Type Properties dialog and enter the name of the
new type as 2mm, and choose OK to continue.

7. The size of the text will be changed to 9mm Select the Text Size parameter and
modify the value to 2mm.

8. Next, un-click the check box next to parameter Underline. Choose OK to close

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 the Type Properties dialog.

9. Choose OK to close the Element Properties dialog.

10. The label for the room name will use the 3mm label type. From the Type Selector,
make sure the Label: 3mm" type is selected.

11. Next select text alignment option Center and Middle from the options bar.

12. Place the label as shown below. The exact location is not critical and can be moved
at a later time.

13. The Select Parameter dialog box will appear. This defines which parameter will be
display for this label. Select Name from the list of parameters and choose OK.

14. The next label will be placed below the first. Select Label and choose Label: 2mm
from the Type Selector drop-down list.

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15. Place the next label as shown below.

16. Select the parameter Floor Finish as the parameter to display.

17. The next label to be placed will be Ceiling finish. Use the 2mm label type and place
the new label below the floor finish as shown.

18. Select Ceiling Finish as the parameter for this label. The three labels should
appear as shown below.

19. Finally, the room area label will be added. Add a 2mm label below the Ceiling
Finish label as shown. Select the parameter as Area.

20. If necessary, select Modify and reposition any of the labels.

21. Choose Save and give the tag the name Finish Area Tag.rfa.

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Creating In-Place Families
In this exercise, you will create a domed roof and concave floor as an In-Place Families. In-
Place Families are created within the project file rather than separately in the Family Editor.
Once created, these family components interact with the model according to their assigned
family category.

For example, after creating an in-place roof, you could attach wall tops to it and join other
roofs to it. Within that project, it would be treated like any other roof.

There are many techniques that can be used to create In-Place Families. In this exercise, you
will create a dome using the Revolve tool. Afterwards, you will create a concave floor using a
similar process. After creating the components, you will insert host-based components into
them to see how they react.

In this exercise you will learn the following concepts:

• How to create a family in-place

• Assigning the family category

• Creating revolve geometry for the family

• Selecting the proper work plane for geometry creation

• Creating a dome roof

• Creating a concave floor

• Assigning materials for 3D geometry

• Inserting host based components into In-Place Families

Retrieving the Training File

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Pantheon.rvt.

Click Open.

3D View

2. Take a moment to open various views and get familiar with the project.

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 Tiled Views

Note: This project was created using an imperial template and components. To

change the units of measurement to Metric, choose Units from the Settings menu.

Format the Length units to report Meters, set the decimal places to 2, and set the

unit suffix to m. Click OK.

Creating a Dome Roof as an In-Place Family

In this part of the exercise, you will create a dome roof as an in-place family. This roof will
include a 8.23 meter oculus at the top of the dome.
1. Open and maximize the view, Elevation: South.

2. From the Toolbar, select and choose Zoom to Fit.

Tip: In the future, you can use the keyboard shortcut, ZF.

3. From the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, select .

4. Choose Roofs and click OK.

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 Assigning a Family Category

By assigning the family category, Roofs, to the in-place family, you ensure that the
geometry created within the family is treated as a roof.

Type Dome as the name of the in-place roof and click OK.

Naming the In-Place Family

Notice that the Design Bar changes and that there is only a Family tab available. In
this mode, you must finish or quit the family before returning to the project.

Creating the Dome Roof Geometry

In this section of the exercise, you will create the roof's geometry.
1. From the Design Bar, select .

When prompted, select Revolve and click OK.

Selecting the Revolve Tool

2. From the Design Bar, choose Set Work Plane.

Choose Pick a Plane and click OK.

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 Choosing a Work Plane Option
Within the view, Elevation: South, place your cursor over the reference plane that
bisects the exterior walls; it is called Center East/West.

Once it prehighlights, select it.

Picking the Work Plane

3. Immediately after picking the work plane, a prompt will appear asking you to
choose a view that is parallel to the selected work plane.

A section view was created specifically for this purpose.

Choose the view, Section: Wall Section - Center and click Open View.

Choosing a View
The view will open immediately.

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 Section: Wall Section - Center

4. Next, you must define the axis that the revolve will spin around.

From the Design Bar, select .

Choose Draw from the Options Bar.

Using the image below for guidance, sketch a line over the reference plane,
Center North/South.

Note: Make sure the axis snaps to the Center North/South reference plane.

Sketching the Axis of Rotation

Tip: By choosing the Center East/West reference plane as the work plane

and the Center North/South reference plane as the axis, you have set the

center of rotation at the exact center of the circular walls.

5. From the Design Bar, select .

From the Options Bar, select the sketching tool, Circle.

Using the image below for guidance, sketch a circle centered on the intersection of
the Center North/South reference plane and the Level: Upper Cornice. The
radius of the circle should intersect with the Level 1 reference plane.

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 Sketching a Circle

6. Right-click within the View Window and select Zoom in Region. You can also use
the keyboard shortcut, ZR.

Zoom in on the top of the circle you just sketched. This area has reference planes
to assist sketching.

Zooming on the Top of the Dome

7. From the Design Bar, select .

From the Options Bar, select Chain and the Line tool.

Using the image below for guidance, sketch the rim of the oculus. Use the
reference planes to trace over. and snap to.

Sketching the Roof Profile

8. From the Toolbar, select .

Place the cursor to the right of the rim lines and click on the circle.

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 Splitting the Circle to the Right of the Rim

9. From the Toolbar, select the Trim/Extend tool, .

Select the lower, left, vertical rim line first.

Next, select the circle to the left of the rim.

Using the Trim/Extend Tool

After trimming, the sketch should resemble the image below.

Trimmed Sketch

10. From the Design Bar, select Lines.

From the Options Bar, select the sketching tool, Arc passing through three
points.

Using the image below for guidance, begin the line at the lower endpoint of the
upper, left, vertical rim line. End the line at the top of the left wall. Adjust the arc
so it resembles the image below.

Sketching the Upper Arc

11. From the Design Bar, select Lines.

From the Options Bar, select Chain and the sketching tool, Lines.

Sketch two lines along the wall to connect the two arc lines.

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 Adding the Final Lines

12. From the Toolbar, select the Trim/Extend tool, .

Select the vertical line attached to the interior wall face first.

Select the lower arc above its intersection with the line you selected previously.

Your sketch should resemble the image below.

Completed Revolve Sketch

Note: Revolve profiles must be a closed loop. If your profile is not closed, use

the Trim/Extend tool to close the gaps.

13. From the Design Bar, select .

From the Material drop-down list, select Ext. Wall Brick.

This is the same material used by the exterior face of the circular walls.

Click OK.

14. From the Design Bar, select .

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 Completed Revolve

Choose to complete the in-place roof.

16. From the toolbar, select .

3D View of New Dome Roof with Oculus

Creating a Concave Floor as an In-Place Family

In this section, you will create a concave, cobblestone floor as an In-Place Family.
1. Open and maximize the view, Elevation: South.

Elevation: South

Note: A building pad has already been added to the project.

2. From the Toolbar, select and choose Zoom to Fit.

3. From the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, select .

Select Floors and click OK.

When prompted, name the floor, Concave, and click OK.

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Creating the Concave Floor Geometry
In this section of the exercise, you will create the floor's geometry.
1. From the Design Bar, select .

When prompted, select Revolve and click OK.

Selecting the Revolve Tool

2. From the Design Bar, choose Set Work Plane.

Choose Pick a Plane and click OK.

Choosing a Work Plane Option

Within the view, Elevation: South, place your cursor over the reference plane that
bisects the exterior walls; it is called Center East/West.

Once it prehighlights, select it.

Selecting the Work Plane

3. Immediately after picking the work plane, a prompt will appear asking you to
choose a view that is parallel to the selected work plane.

A section view was created specifically for this purpose.

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 Choose the view, Section: Wall Section - Center and click Open View.

Choosing a View
The view will open immediately.
4. Next, you must define the axis that the revolve will spin around.

From the Design Bar, select .

Choose Draw from the Options Bar.

Using the image below for guidance, sketch a line over the reference plane,
Center North/South.

Note: Make sure the axis snaps to the Center North/South reference plane.

Sketching the Axis of Rotation

5. From the Design Bar, select .

From the Options Bar, select Chain and the sketching tool, Lines.

Using the image below for guidance, sketch the revolve profile so that there is a
slight slope towards the center of the building.

6. The right edge must be aligned with the reference plane, Center North/South

7. The left edge must be aligned to the interior face of the wall

8. The bottom edge must be aligned to the building pad

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 Note: Do not be overly concerned with dimensions. The concave floor is

required to drain the water that enters through the oculus.

Sketching the Revolve Profile

Note: Revolve profiles must be a closed loop. If your profile is not closed, use

the Trim/Extend tool to close the gaps.

6. From the Design Bar, select .

From the Material drop-down list, select Cobblestone.

This is the same material applied to the site surface.

Click OK.

7. From the Design Bar, select .

8. Zoom the view to fit and from the View menu, select Wireframe.

Notice the concave nature of the floor.

Completed Revolve

9. Choose to complete the in-place floor.

10. From the Project Browser, select the view, 3D Section View.

From the toolbar, select and use the spin and zoom controls to look at the view
from different angles.

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 3D Section View

Inserting Host-Based Components into In-Place Families

In the final part of this exercise, you will insert a host based component into the in-place roof
that you created previously.
1. From the toolbar, select .

2. From the Design Bar, select Window.

From the Type Selector drop-down list, select Skylight: 44" x 46".

Note: The skylight component is a roof-hosted component.

3. Place the cursor over the dome roof and notice that it prehighlights.

You may need to zoom in a bit to see this clearly.

Click to place a skylight. Add two additional skylights nearby.

4. From the View menu, select Shaded with Edges.

Notice that the in-place roof hosts the skylight just as any other roof would.

5. You may Save or Close the training file.

6. You can render the image by selecting Raytrace from the Rendering tab of the
Design Bar.

3D Image—Raytraced

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Creating a Baluster Family
In this exercise, you will create a custom baluster family and apply it to a set of stair railings.

Creating a Custom Baluster Family

1. Start a new Baluster family by selecting File, New, and Family.

2. Choose the Baluster Family template, Metric Baluster.rft and select Open.
You have now opened a session of Family Editor and you are ready to create a baluster
family. A custom baluster is simply an extrusion of a profile which is associated to a
particular baluster height parameter.

Notice that the working window displays two intersecting reference planes. The point
of intersection of the two reference planes represents the center point for the
placement of the balusters in the project.
3. Open up the Left Elevation view. The Baluster Height has already been set up in
the template. A top angle reference has also been set up.

4. To create the baluster, return to the Floor plan view, Ref. Level.

5. Choose Solid from the design bar and then select Extrude from the Form
selection box. Choose OK to complete the selection.

6. To draw the profile of the baluster, simply choose the Lines tool from the Design
Bar and select the chain option from the Options Bar. Using a combination of
straight lines and arcs, draw the profile below.

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 Note: You do not need to be concerned about reproducing it precisely.

However, try to keep the overall width appropriate for the dimensions of a

baluster. In the sample shown, the width is approximately 30mm. Also

remember to keep the profile centered on the intersection of the reference

planes.

7. Choose Finish Sketch to complete the extrusion.

Next you will need to associate the height of the extrusion with the Baluster Height
parameter.
8. Open the Front elevation view. Notice that by default the baluster extrusion has a
depth of 250mm.

9. To associate the top of the baluster extrusion to the reference plane representing
the baluster height, you will use the Align tool. Choose Align from the Toolbar or
use Tools, Align from the Menubar.

10. First pick the reference plane you wish to align to, then pick the top face of the
extrusion. A lock will appear after making these two picks. Click on the lock to lock
this association.

11. Save the new baluster family by selecting File, Save and naming the family
Baluster_Custom.rfa

Using a Baluster in a Project

A new project will be created and the new baluster will be loaded and used.
1. Create a new project. Choose File, New and Project from the menubar.

2. From the floor plan of Level 1, a staircase will be added. Choose Stairs from the
Modeling design bar.

3. Select Run and sketch a single straight run curve as shown below.

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4. Choose Finish Sketch to complete the new stairs.

5. In order to use the new balusters for the stair railing, the baluster must be loaded
into the project. Choose File, Load From Library, Load Family and select the
Baluster_Custom.rfa.

6. Open the default 3D view and set the view to Shaded with Edges. Rotate the
view to a position similar to the one shown below.

7. Pick one of the railings so that you can modify the railing properties. Since both
railings are of the same type, modification of one railing will affect the other railing
as well.

8. Choose Properties followed by Edit/New to change the Stair Railing Properties.

This will open up the Type Properties dialog box for the Stair Railing.

9. Change the Baluster Family from the current baluster to Baluster Custom.

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 Choose OK to close both dialog boxes. Zoom in to observe that the new custom
balusters are now in use.

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Creating Profile Families
A Profile Family is simply a 2D family made up of lines which define a closed profile. This
profile is not "placed" in a project the way other families are. Instead, the profile can be used
to define the cross sections of other objects. In this exercise, you will learn how Profile
Families can be used to create cornices, sweeps, railings and other profile dependent objects.
You will also learn how Profile Families allow you to reuse profiles that are frequently repeated
both within the same project and in other projects. The areas this exercise will cover are:

Creating a New Profile Family

Profile Family Templates: Rail Profile, Stair Nosing Profile, Reveal, and Wall Sweep

Using Profiles Families for:

Sweep Profiles

Cornices and Reveals

Creating a New Profile Family

1. Start a new Profile Family by selecting File, New, Family.

2. Choose Metric Profile.rft as the template and select OK to open the template.

3. You have now opened a session of Family Editor and you are ready to create the
profile family. Notice that the Design Bar is now a simplified palette of choices and
that the working window displays two intersecting reference planes.

Note: The point of intersection of the two reference planes represents the origin

point for the profile family. When using the profile in a project, this origin point will

match up with the position of the path of the object to be generated,

4. You will now create a simple profile. Choose the Lines tool from the Design Bar.
Draw the following shape using a combination of straight lines and a curved line.
Do not be concerned about precise dimensions. Make sure, however, that the
profile is a closed shape. All Profiles must be closed shapes.

5. Save this Profile Family as Sweep Profile.rfa. To do so, choose File, Save and
save in an appropriate directory.

Profile Family Templates:

To facilitate the creation of profile families a number of different templates have been created.
Each of these templates works similarly to the standard template Profile Family.rft except that
additional information is provided to clarify the position of the profile with respect to other
elements in the project environment.
Rail Profile
Rail Profile families are used to define the cross section shape of a rail in a Revit project. To
create a new Rail Profile family, choose File, New, Family and choose Profile-Rail.rft as the
template. The template will appear as shown below.

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The template includes text to show the location of the Centerline of the rail and the Rail Top.
When creating a rail in a Revit project, one of the parameters that can be set for the rail is the
rail height. The rail height is the distance from the ground surface to the horizontal reference
plane labeled Rail Top. Illustrated below is a Rail Profile that is drawn so that the distance to
the top surface of the rail will be calculated as the rail height.

Stair Nosing Profile

To create a new Stair Nosing Profile, choose File, New, Family... and choose Profile-Stair
Nosing.rft as the template. The template will appear as shown below.

The template includes text to show the location of the Tread Surface and the Riser Face. It
also indicates where to draw the nosing profile. Illustrated below is an example of a nosing
profile. The black lines represent the actual nosing profile that should be drawn. The blue tread
and riser lines are just for explanation purposes.

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Reveal Profile
Reveal Profiles are used in with the Reveal tool in the project environment. They allow the
user to define a profile which will be cut out from a wall surface.

To create a new Reveal Profile, choose File, New, Family and choose Profile-Reveal .rft as
the template. The template will appear as shown below.

The template includes text to show the location of the Wall and Wall Face in the project
environment. Illustrated below is an example of a Reveal Profile. The black lines represent the
actual Reveal profile that should be drawn. The blue lines representing the wall are just for
explanation purposes.
Note that the reveal is drawn against the wall face and starting from the horizontal reference
plane. (In the project environment, the offset above the level will be the distance from the
level to the horizontal reference plane.)

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Host Sweep Profile
Host Sweeps are very similar to Reveals except that instead of cutting away from the host's
surface, the sweep adds a profile shape to the host's surface. A cornice, for instance, could be
created as a wall sweep using a Host Sweep Profile.

To create a new Host Sweep Profile, choose File, New, Family... and choose Profile-
Hosted.rft as the template. The template will appear as shown below.

Once again, the template includes text to show the location of the Host and Host Face in the
project environment. Illustrated below is an example of a Host Sweep Profile.

Tip: In the image shown below, the profile is intended to be used as a wall

sweep profile. The black lines represent the actual Host Sweep profile that

should be drawn. The blue lines representing the wall are just for explanation

purposes. The text, "Host", was replaced with "Wall".

Note that the sweep is drawn against the host (wall) face and starting from the horizontal
reference plane.

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Using a Profile Family for a Sweep
The sweep tool allows the user to create a solid by "sweeping" a closed profile along a path.
The introduction of Profile families gives users the added opportunity to predefine the profiles.
In the following exercise, you will create a sweep using the Sweep Profile family that you
created previously.
1. Open a new project by using File, New, Project and accepting the defaults in the
New Project dialog.

2. You will now create an in-place family sweep. To do so, first choose Create...
from the Modeling tab of the Design Bar.

3. When prompted, choose the Family category of Generic Models and select OK.

Enter the name Sweep and choose OK.

4. Choose Solid from the Design Bar and choose the Sweep option in the Form
dialog box which appears and choose OK.

5. You will first need to sketch a path for the sweep.

Choose Sketch 2D Path from the Design Bar.

Choose the Lines tool from the Sketch Design bar and sketch a path
approximately as shown below:

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 6. Choose Finish Path when you have completed sketching the path. Remember
that a sweep path must be a continuous, non-interrupted path.
You are now ready to define the profile. (Notice that there is a Sketch Profile button in the
Design Bar. This would allow a user to simply sketch the profile on the spot.) To use the
previously created profile family, it will need to be loaded into the project.
7. To load a profile, simply choose Load Profiles from the Options Bar, navigate to
the saved location of your Profile Family, and choose Open.

Select the Sweep Profile from the Options Bar drop-down list.

8. Choose Finish Sweep and Finish Family to complete the sweep creation. Choose
3D from the Toolbar to better view the sweep.

The solid created is the Profile Family "swept" along the path drawn.
Modifying the Profile Position
When using a profile family for a sweep, it is possible to make adjustments to the position,
orientation and angle of the profile. These can be accessed through the properties of the
sweep.
1. Before modifying the profile, open up the South Elevation view to observe the
changes which occur.

2. Zoom in on the right end of the sweep.

3. Draw a vertical reference plane along the back edge of the profile to help show
how the profile position will later be changed.

4. Select the sweep.

In the Options Bar, select Edit Sweep.

Select the Sweep Properties from the Design Bar.

The element Properties dialog box will appear. Notice the parameters relating to
the sweep profile: Profile, Horizontal profile offset, Vertical profile offset, Angle,
Profile is flipped.

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5. Change the Horizontal Profile Offset to 25mm and the Vertical Profile offset
to 600mm'. Choose OK. See how the profile has moved with respect to it's
original position.

6. You will now flip the profile. To do so, pick the sweep again and choose
Properties to re-enter the element properties dialog box.

Check the Profile is flipped box and choose OK.

Observe the result. You may need to open the 3D view to better understand the
change.

7. The last change you will make to the profile is to change the profile angle. Follow
the previous steps to access the sweep properties and change the Angle
parameter to 20.

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 Note: The Angle parameter can be a positive or negative angle

depending on the desired result.

8. Choose Finish Family to complete the in-place sweep family.

Using a Profile Family for a Wall Sweep or Reveal

The principle behind using a Profile Family for a Wall Sweep or Reveal is similar to using it for
an in-place family sweep. There is still a path and a profile that is swept along the path. In
this case the path is a straight line vertically or horizontally along the face of the wall. The
position is determined by the offset from the wall face and the horizontal offset from the level
directly below it.

Note: In the following exercise, the steps to create a wall sweep will be

covered. To create a Reveal, follow the same steps substituting the Reveal tool for

the Wall Sweep tool.

To use the Wall Sweep and Reveal tools, it is first necessary to create some walls.
1. Open a new project by using File, New, Project and accepting the defaults in the
New Project dialog. Open the Level 1 Floor plan and draw four walls as shown.

2. Wall Sweeps and Reveals can only be placed 3D views or non-parallel elevation
views. Activate a 3D view using the 3D icon in the Toolbar. Use the pan and zoom
controls to adjust the view to approximately match the view below.

3. From the Modeling Design Bar, choose Host Sweep, Wall Sweep. Notice that an
option for vertical or horizontal appears in the option bar. Choose Horizontal.

4. The default profile is a rectangular profile called Cornice. Place the wall sweep on
one wall as shown below.

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 5. Select the wall adjacent to place a wall sweep as shown. Continue to add a wall
sweep on all four walls.

Note: Until Start Next is selected from the Options Bar, all subsequent picks

will be adding to the same sweep. This means that the same height offset and

offset from wall parameters will effect the cornices that are on different walls.
The default sweep profile shape will be replaced with the sweep profile created earlier in the
exercise.
1. Choose File, Load From Library, and Load Family. Select the Sweep
Profile.rfa file created earlier.

2. Next you will edit the properties of the wall sweep to use the loaded Profile family.
Select Properties from the Options Bar. The Current type of wall sweep is called
a cornice and is using the default profile.

3. You will now edit the Cornice type and change the Profile used to the Sweep
Profile. To do this, choose Edit/New and use the drop-down list to change the
profile value to Sweep Profile.

4. Choose OK to complete the changes in both dialog boxes.

You will now edit the properties of the Wall Sweep to adjust the height above the level
and to see how the sweep can be positioned some distance away from the building.
5. Select the Wall Sweep and choose Properties from the Options Bar.

The Offset from wall is the distance from the wall face, the Level is the Base level
that the reveal is associated to, and the Offset From Level is the height above the
base level.

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6. Change the Offset from wall to 300mm and change the Offset From Level to
1200mm. Choose OK to complete the changes.
The Wall Sweep will have moved accordingly. You may need to rotate the model to
better observe the offset from wall modification.

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Project Sharing
This section is dedicated to familiarizing you with team collaboration using Autodesk Revit. On
many building projects, architects work in teams with each person assigned a specific
functional area. This involves simultaneously working on and saving different portions of the
project at the same time. This chapter will show you how to divide up a project so that
different users can access the same project and have all of their changes coordinated by Revit.

To share a project file, Worksets must first be enabled. A workset is a collection of elements in
a building. Worksets are Revit’s way of dividing up the project to allow different users to work
on different parts of the design. When Worksets are activated in a project, the project gets
divided up into different default worksets. The user can then further subdivide the project to
suit the project team.
Basic Stages of Project Sharing
Step 1: Start Project with One User
• One user starts to work on the project. This file should incorporate as many
office/project standards as possible and it should include many of the families of
that will be used for the project. The building should also reach a reasonable
point of development before the project is shared.
Step 2: Activate Worksets
• When a Revit project is to be worked on by multiple users, it needs to be
divided up into sections called Worksets. Once the project is ready to be shared,
the project coordinator will activate worksets. This will automatically create the
default worksets.
Step 3: Create Additional Worksets
• The project coordinator will need to create additional worksets so that the
project can be properly shared amongst the team members. When creating new
worksets, some important things to consider are team member tasks and
default visibility settings.
Step 4: Subdivide the Project into Worksets
• Once the worksets have been created, the building elements need to be placed
into their respective worksets. For example, if a workset named Interior was
created, then you would want to place interior walls and elements into that
workset.
Step 5: Create the Central File
• The first time the project is saved after worksets have been activated you will
automatically be saving the Central File. The Central File coordinates and
propagates the changes of each user and keeps track of which worksets are
available. It is therefore essential that the Central File be saved in a location
which is accessible to all team members. Generally, the Central File is not a file
to be opened and worked in directly.
Step 6: Create Local Files
• A Local File is created for each team member that allows them to check out
worksets to work on their part of the project and to save their work back to the
Central File. A Local File is created by opening the Central File and using Save as
to create a copy of the Central File. Each Local Files is user specific and can only
be accessed by the user that created it.
Step 7: Open Worksets
• Whenever you open a Local or Central File you have the option to choose which
worksets to open. By choosing to open only those worksets you actually need to
complete a task, you will you will shorten your saving and opening times.

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 Step 8: Check Out Worksets
• To “check out” a workset is to make that workset editable by you. This gives
you the rights to make changes to the elements in the workset and to add to
the workset. There is no limit to number of worksets you can have editable at
one time. However, until you relinquish the worksets, no other users can effect
any changes to those parts of the project.
Step 9: Work on the Project
• Work on the project proceeds as usual. As you work, building elements will be
automatically placed into the workset that is active at that moment. The user
can use a drop-down menu to select which workset is active. You can only make
a workset the active workset if it is editable by you. Note: When adding view
specific components, the active workset automatically becomes the view’s
workset.
Step 10: Saving your Changes
• Throughout the day you should regularly save both locally and centrally. To
save locally is to save the changes only to your local file. To Save to Central is
to save your changes back to the Central file so that they can be viewed by
other users. When Saving to Central it is recommended that you relinquish any
worksets that you no longer need. This frees them up so that other users can
check them out. Changes to other users models only become visible to you
when you have either Saved to Central or used Reload Latest Worksets.
Step 11: Closing a Local File
• At the end of a work session, you should Save to Central and relinquish all
worksets that you had editable. Before closing your session of Revit, you should
then also save your local file. This ensures that your local file is synchronized
with the Central file.

Exercise
The following exercise is will demonstrate how to:

Enable worksets

Divide project data into workset

Establish a Central File

Create Local Files

Publish changes to Central File

Portions of this exercise require multiple users with network access. If you are

doing this exercise alone, you can simulate multiple users by starting a second

session of Autodesk Revit and changing the Workset Username. To change the

workset username, choose Settings and Options from the menu.

Enabling Worksets
1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Worksets.rvt.

Click Open.

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 2. To enable worksets, choose File and Worksets.

A message will appear recommending all users complete this workset tutorial.
Click OK.

The Project Sharing - Worksets dialog box will appear. A dialog box will appear
informing you that you have activated project sharing. It informs you of the
worksets that are created automatically: the Project Standards worksets; Shared
Levels and Grids; and Workset1. You are given the option to rename the worksets
at this time.

To activate the Worksets toolbar, choose

Window/Toolbar/Worksets from the Menu bar.

3. Choose OK to accept the naming defaults. The Worksets dialog box will appear.

Creating New Worksets

Since this is a small, simple project, there will be a limited number of team members working
on it. Imagining a team of four users, the project must be broken up in such a way as to
reflect each user’s individual tasks. In this case, one user will work on the development of the
exterior, one will work on the layout of the interior, one will work on furniture placement and
the last will work on wall section details.

Worksets should be subsets of a project that can be worked on independently, typically

discrete functional areas.

In this exercise, three worksets will be created:

Exterior Shell

Interior Layout

Furniture Layout.

1. In the Worksets dialog box, click New.

2. Enter the name Interior Layout. Click OK to close the dialog.

Notice that the visible by default in all views has been checked. Since

the interior walls appear in many views, it is better to have them visible

by default

3. The next workset you will create is Furniture Layout. Click New and enter
Furniture Layout as the workset name. Un-check the option, Visible by default in

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 all views.

Because furniture should be visible on very few views, it improves the

performance of the model to have the visibility turned off by default.

4. Rather than create a new workset named Exterior Shell, you will rename the
default Workset1 as Exterior Shell. To do so, click on the name Workset1, choose
Rename and enter the new name. Choose OK.

You have now created the worksets that are needed. Notice that by default all the
worksets created are open and editable by you. Revit assumes that the user who
enables worksets and creates new ones will also want to modify elements in the
project to place them in the correct worksets.
5. Choose OK to close the Workset dialog box and finalize the changes.

Subdividing a Project into Worksets

When worksets are activated, all building elements are placed by default into Workset1. Since
Workset1 has been renamed Exterior Shell, all elements are now in the workset named
Exterior Shell. Elements need to be moved into the appropriate worksets. In this example file,
the furniture has not yet been placed, therefore the only the Interior Layout elements need to
be modified.
1. Open the Level 1 floor plan view.

2. Pick one of the exterior walls and choose Properties from the options bar. Notice
that the Workset Property for this wall is Exterior Shell.

3. Choose OK to close this dialog box.

4. Select one of the interior walls and choose Properties.

5. Click on the value for Workset and use the drop down list to change the value to
Interior Layout. Choose OK to close the Element Properties box.

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6. It is possible to select multiple elements across different categories and to change
their workset property simultaneously. Choose Modify and select all the interior
building elements as shown.

7. Choose Properties. Change the workset property to Interior Layout. Click OK.

8. To verify that all interior elements have been transferred to the interior workset,
you will turn off the visibility for the Interior Layout workset in this view. To do so,
choose View, Visibility/Graphics and choose the Workset tab to view the list of
worksets.

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 Notice that the Furniture Layout workset is turned off in this view. This

is because the Visible by default in all views option had been toggled off

when creating the workset.

9. Turn off the Interior Workset by un-checking the box next to it. Choose OK to
make the change.

The floor plan should appear with only the exterior shell visible. If any interior
elements still remain, change them to the interior workset and they will disappear.

10. Turn the visibility back on for the Interior Layout workset.

11. Open the Level 2 floor plan view.

12. Using the techniques learned in previous steps, transfer the interior elements to
the Interior Layout workset.

Creating a Central File

The central file is created automatically the first time you save the project after enabling
Worksets.
1. Choose File/Save as to save the project as a Central File. In the Save as dialog,
choose the Options button.

2. In the Save as dialog, give the file a name and directory location. For the file name
enter 01234_Central.rvt, where 01234 is the project number and Central indicates
that it is the Central File. For the location, make sure that the Central file is saved
to a network drive and that all team members have access to that drive. (If you
are learning worksets outside of a network environment, save the Central file to
your hard drive) Click Save. The Project now has a Central file.

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 Important: The exercise Multi-Users requires that the Central File be

saved to a network location that is accessible to two different users. If two

users plan to do the Multi-User exercise, make sure that one user saves

this Central File on the network.

3. Next, you will relinquish the workset editability so that other users can have access
to the worksets they need. To do this, first choose File/Worksets to activate the
workset dialog box.

4. Select the first workset and drag to select all the worksets. You can also use <Ctrl
A> to select all worksets. Click Non Editable from the choices on the right. Notice
that your name is removed from the Edited by column and all of the values for
Editable are No. Choose OK.

5. Close the Central File by choosing File/Close from the Menu bar.

Creating a Local File

1. From the File menu, select Open.

2. From the Open Worksets drop-down list in the bottom right hand corner of the
Open dialog box, select Specify.

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 3. Open the Central File named 01234_Central.rvt that you created earlier.

A dialog will appear allowing you to choose which worksets you want to open.
When using the Specify option, Revit will close all worksets that can be closed and
allow you to specify which ones to open. Any worksets that are already editable by
you are automatically opened and any worksets that are referenced are opened
but hidden. In this case, no worksets are being opened because of editability since
you did not leave any worksets editable in the last session.

4. Select all the worksets and choose Open and click OK.

5. Choose Save As from the File menu.

6. In the Save As dialog box, choose the Options button and make sure that the
Make this the Central Location after save is not checked. Choose OK to close the
options dialog.

7. Browse to your local hard drive and name the file 01234_User1.rvt, then click
Save.

8. You have now created a Local File which is for your use only. You have the option
at this point to start using the file immediately.

Checking out Worksets

The project sharing environment has been designed to give the user the option to choose
which worksets will be opened during a working session. Only the worksets that are opened
will be visible during that session.
1. For this session you will be working on the Interior Layout. Choose File and
Worksets. Select Interior Layout, and choose Editable.

2. Choose OK to close the Worksets dialog.

You are now ready to modify the Interior Layout workset. If not already active,
activate the Worksets toolbar by selecting Window/Toolbar/Worksets. The
Interior Layout workset is automatically the active workset because it is the only one
you have editable. Any new building elements will belong to the active workset,
Interior Layout.

Workset Toolbar showing Interior Layout as the active workset

3. Open Floor Plan Level 1.

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4. Choose the Modify tool.

Notice that by default Editable only is selected in the options bar. This means
that you can only select elements in your editable worksets. Try to select one of
the exterior walls. The wall will not prehighlight or allow you to select it.

5. Clear the Editable only option. You may now pick the exterior wall. A symbol will
appear to indicate that it belongs to a non-editable workset. With an exterior wall
selected, click Properties.

6. It is possible to look at the element properties, but not possible to modify them in
any way. The properties will appear greyed out as shown.

You will now make some changes to the existing walls in the Interior Layout workset.
7. Using the image below as a guide, add, modify or delete walls and doors to
accomplish the encircled changes

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 8. All of the newly created elements will belong to the Active Workset: Interior
Layout. To verify this, pick one of the new doors and choose Properties from the
options bar. The Workset Property will be Interior Layout. You can also query the
workset that an element belongs to by placing your cursor over the element and
looking at the status bar in the lower left hand corner.

Saving Your Work

As you work in your Local File, you want to perform regular saves. It is recommended that you
save your work locally approximately every 30 minutes and save centrally approximately every
1-2 hours.
1. To Save to Central, choose File/Save to Central from the Menu Bar or choose
the Save to Central icon ( )on the Toolbar next to the standard Save icon.

2. The Save to Central dialog will appear with the path to the Central File already
correct. Notice also that the Relinquish View Worksets is by default checked. This
is so that they are released as soon as possible for other users. Also, if this is the
last save to Central at the end of the day or when you are about to close the file,
you should Relinquish all user-created editable worksets as well. This ensures that
worksets are available for other users.

3. Simulating the end of a work session, relinquish all worksets and choose Save, to
publish the changes to the Central file.

4. At the end of the work session, after saving to central, you must also perform a
local save. Choose File/ Save from the Menu bar, to save your local copy.

Multiple Users Working Simultaneously

This portion of the exercise is intended to be completed by two people with the Central File
accessible through a network connection. If you are working alone, you may start a second
session of Autodesk Revit and run this session as a different user. The next few steps are
designed to help a single user accomplish this.

Move to the next section if you are working with a partner.

Starting a New Session

1. Minimize the current Autodesk Revit session.

2. From the desktop double click the Autodesk Revit icon to start a new session.

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 3. Once the session is started, choose Settings and Options from the menu.

4. Change the Workset username to a new name (like User 2) as shown.

5. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

After completing the exercise and closing all session of Revit, the Workset

Username will remain as the last name entered (User 2). This should be changed to

you Windows Login name.

Creating a Local Copy

In this exercise there will be two users accessing the same project. If both users have
completed the Worksets exercise and created a Central File on a network location, choose one
of the Central Files to be used for this exercise. The Local file which was previously created for
the chosen Central file can also continue to be used. A second local file will be created for the
additional user.
From now on, the user who already had a local file will be referred to as User 1 and the second
user who will be creating a new local file will be referred to as User 2. The instructions will be
given in sequence indicating which user should be performing which operations. Both users
should observe each step of the exercise to observe the different changes.
User 2:
1. Open the Central File named 01234_Central.rvt

2. Choose Save As from the File menu. In the Save As dialog box, choose the
Options button and make sure that the Make this the Central Location after save is
not checked.

3. Browse to your local hard drive and name the file 01234_User2.rvt, and click
Save.

You have now created a Local File which is for your use only. You are working
within your own local copy and any changes that you make can be saved back to
the Central File.

4. Check out the workset named Exterior Shell. To do this, choose File/Worksets or
click on the Worksets icon to bring up the workset dialog box. Notice that all the
worksets have been opened by you, but that none are currently editable. Check
out the Exterior Shell by clicking in the Editable column next to Exterior Shell and
changing the value from No to Yes. Your username will automatically be entered
into the Edited by column. Choose OK to complete the check out of the workset.

Since User 1 had relinquished all worksets when saving to central, only User 2

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 has any worksets editable.

User 1:
User 1 should still have their local copy open.
1. Open the Workset dialog box. Notice that the Exterior Shell workset is currently
checked out to User2.

2. Try to change the Editable status for Exterior Shell to Yes. A warning will appear
informing you that you cannot check out this workset since it is already checked
out by another user. Choose OK to return to the workset dialog box.

3. Check out the Interior Layout workset. Notice that your username is filled in the
Editable by column. Also notice that by default the Active workset has been
changed to Interior Layout. If only one workset is checked out, it becomes the
active workset by default. Choose OK to close the dialog box.

4. Activate Floor Plan Level 1.

5. You will now make some modifications to the interior layout. Move the wall as
shown. A warning stating:"Insert conflicts with wall join." Choose OK to ignore
this message.

Saving Work
You will now save these changes. You can save changes locally or centrally. To save locally
means that the changes will not be published back to the Central File. It is recommended to
save the file locally approximately every 30 minutes. To save centrally publishes the changes
back to the Central file so that they are accessible to other team members.
User 1:
1. You will now Save to Central. Choose File/Save to Central from the Menu Bar or
choose the Save to Central icon with the arrow that is to the right of the standard
Save icon.

2. The Save to Central dialog box will appear. Choose Save to complete the save to
central.

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 3. Save the local copy by choosing File/Save.

User 2:
Notice that the changes made by User 1 do not immediately appear in the User 2 local file.
Changes to the Central file only appear in local files when the worksets are explicitly updated.
1. You will now make a change to the Exterior Shell of the building. Move the south
wall up approximately 2 meters as shown below. A number of windows will need to
be deleted to make this possible. Revit will give you the option to delete them.
Choose Delete Instance(s) to continue.

2. Publish the changes back to the Central File by choosing Save to Central. By
saving to central you are both updating the central file with your changes as well
as updating your local file with the changes that have been made by other users. A
dialog box will appear briefly to inform the user of which worksets will be updated.
User 2 will now also be able to see the wall which conflicts with the door opening.

3. Delete the window next to the door on the South wall and move the door over so
that it no longer conflicts.

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 4. Choose File/Save to Central to publish the changes to the Central File.

Reload latest Worksets

To see the modifications that have been saved to central by other users without publishing
your own changes, you can use the Reload Latest Worksets command.
User 1:
1. Choose File/Reload Latest Worksets from the menu bar.

2. You will now see the changes to the door position made by User2.

Checking out Additional Worksets

User 1:
1. You will now check out the Furniture Layout workset. From the workset dialog,
make Furniture Layout Editable. Choose OK to close the dialog box. Since you
have only made one additional workset editable, Revit prompts you to make that
the active workset. Choose Yes.

Notice that you continue to have access to the Interior Layout Workset.

For a workset to be active means that any newly created modelling

elements will belong to that workset.

2. Before laying out furniture, you will first create a new furniture plan view. Click on
the Floor Plan Level 1 in the project browser and right click and select Duplicate.

3. Click on the Copy of Level 1, right click and select Rename. Rename the view to
Level 1 Furniture Plan.

4. From the Basics Design bar, choose Component and try to place a desk in one of
the rooms. A warning will appear to indicate that the desk that you are trying to
place is not visible in that view. Choose Cancel.

The reason why the desk is invisible is because the active workset is the

Furniture Layout and any new modelling elements will belong to that

workset. When the Furniture Layout workset was created it was chosen to

not be visible by default in all views. This means that the visibility for that

workset is turned off in all views unless explicitly turned on. You will need

turn the workset visibility on for this view.

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 5. To turn on the visibility of the Furniture layout workset, open the Visibility dialog
by choosing View, Visibility/Graphics. Expand the Worksets tab and check off
the Furniture Layout workset. Choose OK to make the change.

6. Try to place the desk again. It should now place without any complication.

Editable on the Fly

If you do not have editability of a workset you wish to modify, it is often possible to make the
workset editable on the fly. Revit will inform you of the workset that you require and give you
the option to make it editable.
User 1:
In the next few steps, you will be attempting to modify the properties of a wall. Since wall
properties are part of the Project Standards, you cannot change them unless you have the
Wall Types project standards workset editable. Revit will let you make that workset editable.
1. Pick one of the interior walls and choose Properties from the options bar.

2. Choose Edit/New to access the type properties of the wall.

3. Choose Rename to rename the wall type. Rename the wall to Partition Wall -
126mm. Choose OK. A warning will appear informing you that the action cannot
be completed because you do not have the Wall Types workset editable.

4. Choose the option Make Editable. and then Choose OK to make the Wall Type
workset editable.

Revit has now checked out that workset in your name and made the desired
change.

5. Complete the changes to the wall name by choosing OK in both dialogs.

6. To verify that you have the Project Standard workset named Wall Types editable,
open the Workset dialog box.

7. In the bottom of the dialog, there is the option to show only specific types of
worksets; User-Created worksets, Family worksets, Project Standards worksets, or
View Worksets. Choose to view the Project Standards worksets only.

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 8. Scroll down to see that the Wall Types Workset has in fact been checked out and
opened by you. Choose Ok to exit the dialog.

Warning: If you try to change the editable status of a workset to No before

Saving to Central, a warning will appear informing you that trying to change the

editable status at this point will result in the loss of all changes made to the file

since the last Save to Central. A user should only relinquish editablity of a workset

after they have Saved to Central.

Tip: When working in a workset enabled project, you can also right click on

any view or family within the Project Browser and select Make Editable.

Relinquishing Worksets
To maximize efficiency, it is highly recommended that users only check out worksets that they
are currently working on. Once work is completed in a given workset, the changes should be
saved to central and the workset editability should be relinquished. It is particularly important
to relinquish editability of all worksets before closing the local file. This ensures that the
worksets are available to other users and prevent cases where a workset is checked out to an
absent user.
User 2:
1. You will now Save to Central and relinquish all of your worksets. To do this, choose
the Save to Central icon from the Toolbar. You will relinquishes all Worksets
when you save. Check the User-created Worksets and choose Save.

2. After Saving to Central but before closing the Local File, it is essential that a local
save is also performed. This ensures that Local File is updated with all the latest
data from the Central. Choose File/Save to save the file locally.

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 3. Choose File/Exit to end the Revit session.

User 1:
1. Save to Central while relinquishing all worksets.

2. Save locally and exit Revit.

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Model Linking

Scope:
Many projects consist of disparate buildings in an overall campus, or of a group of related but
semi-independent sub-projects. The new Autodesk Revit 5.0 functionality of Model Linking
makes it possible for users to maintain the efficiency of working with a smaller project yet gain
the ability to place that project into a larger context.
Model Linking is designed to satisfy specific types of cases such as:

A campus plan that contains links to several structures

A residential development in which a few different prototypes are configured differently

in an area

Comparison of alternatives on a site (ie. On a common site plan, test options by

swapping amongst a group of design alternatives.)
In this exercise, you will learn:

Linking Models

Controlling Visibility and Graphics

Managing Links

Linking Models
In the following exercise, a site model will be opened and two different building models will be
linked in. One of the models is a residential townhouse while the other model is a
condominium complex with four units.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Site.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open Floor Plan: Level 1 and notice that the site shows the footprint outline of
three buildings in blue. You will be linking those buildings into the site

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Placement Options
When Linking in Revit files you will have a number of different placement options:

Automatically Place: (Autodesk Revit automatically places the imported geometry)

Center-to-Center: Autodesk Revit places the center of the imported geometry

at the center of the model.

Origin-to-Origin: The origin of the imported geometry is placed at the

invisible origin of the Autodesk Revit model.

At Shared Location: When using Model Linking in conjunction with Shared

Coordinates, this option will place the link at a predefined location (see the Shared
Coordinates Exercise)

Manually Place: (User specifies placement of the linked document using the mouse)

Cursor at origin: The linked document's origin is centered on the cursor.

Cursor at base point: Not applicable for linked Revit Files. This option is grayed
out.

Cursor at center: The linked document’s center is at the cursor location

Note: Although Revit Projects are not based on a coordinate system and do not

have an exposed origin location, for the purposes of importing and linking an

invisible origin does exist. This origin of a Revit model makes it possible to

consistently import or link in models to the same location when using the

automatically place by origin option.

Also note that the center of a Revit model is the center of the model geometry.

This center will change as the footprint of your model changes.

In this exercise, you will be using the Automatically Place: Origin to Origin option
1. Choose File, Link/Import, RVT…

2. From the Add Link dialog, navigate to the Training\Common folder and select
Condo Complex.rvt.

NOTE: Save the file, Condo Complex.rvt to a new directory. To do this, select

Save As from the File menu.

(This exercise requires you to have write permission to the exercise files. Since all

exercise files are read-only, you must save the file to a new directory.)

3. From the positioning options, choose Automatically Place and Origin to Origin.

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 4. Choose Open to link the model. The Condo Complex.rvt model will be placed
approximately at the middle of the site.

Moving a Link
The standard move commands work with linked models. The linked model will move as one
whole object – similar to the behavior of imported DWG objects.
1. Select the linked building and choose Move from the Toolbar.

2. Move the link as shown. You may need to zoom in to place the link more
precisely.

Copying and Rotating a Link Instance

Within Autodesk Revit, a model is linked into a project only once. Once linked, you can place
as many copies as would like and rotate the model as desired. In the following steps, you will
link in a second building model and place it in two different locations on the site.
1. Choose File, Link/Import, RVT…

2. From the Add Link dialog, navigate to the Training\Common folder and select
Townhouse.rvt.

NOTE: Save the file, Townhouse.rvt to a new directory. To do this, select Save

As from the File menu.

(This exercise requires you to have write permission to the exercise files. Since all

exercise files are read-only, you must save the file to a new directory.)

3. From the positioning options, choose Automatically Place and Origin to Origin.

4. Choose Open to link the model. The Townhouse.rvt model will be automatically
placed just above the site.

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5. Use the Rotate command to rotate the link 90 degrees as shown. To do so, click
on the link and choose Rotate from the Toolbar. In the Options Toolbar enter
an angle of –90 degrees and press <ENTER>.

6. Use the Move command to move the link as shown. Do not be concerned that the
foot print will differ somewhat from the outline in blue.

7. Use the Copy command to copy the Townhouse link to the right side of the lot.

8. Use the Rotate command and the Move command to position the link as shown.

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Positioning a Link in Elevation
The building levels within a linked model may be different from those in the active file. A
building can therefore be placed to high or too low on a site when linked in. The townhouse
model, for instance, is too low on the site. In the next steps, you will modify the position of
the link so that it sits correctly on the site.
1. Open the South Elevation view

2. Zoom in on the Townhouse link on the right.

3. Use the Align tool to align the Ground Floor Level of the Townhouse model to the
Level 1 of the Site model. To do so, choose Align from the Options Bar. Click on
the line for Level 1 and then click on the level line for Ground Floor.

The Townhouse link will be shifted up to properly sit in the site.

4. Repeat the alignment to align the other Townhouse link.

Note: Although linked models can be used as a reference for alignments and

dimensions it is not possible to create constraints to the link. What this means is

that although a lock symbol appeared in the last step, selecting on that lock to try

to create a constraint would result in an error message appearing that “Constraints

may not be created to linked Autodesk Revit models.”

5. Open the default 3D view to observe the placement of the models on the site

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Controlling Visibility and Graphics
When a Revit Model is linked, you can still control some of the visibility and graphics of the
imported instance on a per view basis. These controls appear under a new tab called Linked
RVT Categories in the Visibility/Graphics dialog when an Autodesk Revit file is imported.
From this dialog you can control Visibility, Halftone, Detail Level, and Display Settings.
Visibility
Visibility controls for the entire link or for the existing categories of the linked model are
available to toggle on or off the way you would normally.

Note: Notice that none of the annotation categories appear in the branch. This

is due to the fact only the model categories and the datums (Levels, Grids, and

Reference Planes) are being brought across when a RVT model is linked in.
You will now turn off the visibility of the levels from the Townhouse link.
1. With the South Elevation view active, choose the keyboard shortcut VV or
choose View, Visibility/Graphics

2. Activate the tab for Linked RVT Categories

3. Click on the Townhouse.rvt branch to activate it. The entire row should
highlight.

4. Expand the branch to show the original categories of the linked project.

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 5. Scroll down to the Levels category and deselect it. Choose OK to finalize the
changes. Notice that the Townhouse levels are now turned off.

Halftone
The Halftone option displays the objects at half of their normal darkness. The controls for
Halftone are grayed out for the specific categories. For this control, the setting that is applied
to the link is automatically applied to all the categories of that link.
1. Open the Floor Plan: Level 1 view.

2. Choose VV to activate the Visibility/Graphics dialog again and choose the

Linked RVT Categories tab.

3. Toggle on the Halftone toggle for the Townhouse.rvt link. Choose OK to

complete the change.

Notice in the floor plan that the entire link appears as halftone. Also note that

since you are changing the properties of all instances of the linked model both

copies of the link appear as halftone.

Detail Level
By default the Detail Level for the Townhouse.rvt link is set to By View. This means that
the detail level of the link is being matched to the detail level of the current active project
view. The drop down list can be used to change the level of detail to Coarse, Medium or Fine
so that the link will display a specified detail level regardless of the detail level of the view.
The categories of the link are by default set to match the link setting. Therefore, by changing
the setting for the entire link, you are also changing the setting of the individual categories.
You can override the detail level of individual categories by expanding the categories and
changing the detail level of the specific category. For this exercise, leave the setting at By
View.
Display Settings

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Display Settings allow you to set the View Range and the Phase and Phase Filter
information for the link. By default the link is set to Automatic. This means that the View
Range is set to <By current view> , the Phase is set to Last and no Phase Filters are
applied.
The View Range <By current view> means that the linked model will be displayed
according to the view range settings of the current view. View Range is designed to allow
the user to specify from existing floor plans in the originating document which view range is to
be used in this view. This is particularly useful when a number of buildings are being linked
into a sloped site and instead of displaying a cut through all the buildings at the same height,
you would like to display the first floor plan of each building.
The Automatic setting for Phase is <Last>. This means that it will automatically display the
newest phase of the linked document. By default the Phase Filter is set to <None>. For
both of these options you can change the display settings by choosing from the options
available in the linked file.
1. Under the Linked RVT Categories tab in the Visibility/Graphics dialog, click on
the linkTownhouse.rvt to activate the row. Notice that a button appears under
Display Settings that indicates that the current setting is Automatic.

2. Click on Automatic to activate the Display Settings dialog.

3. Click on the drop down list for View Range. This list includes all of the floor plan
views from the original document, Townhouse.rvt. Change this option to Floor
Plan: Ground Floor in order to view the ground floor plan of the linked document.

4. Do not change the Phase Settings.

5. Choose OK in both dialogs to finalize the changes.

Managing Links
When a Revit model is linked into a project, there is still a connection to the original linked
document. Each time a project is opened, the linked file is reloaded. In addition, the user can
manage the links from the Manage Links dialog.
Unloading and Reloading Links
In the Manage Links dialog, the fields Loaded, Locations not saved, and Saved Path are
all read only fields. They inform the user of the status of the linked file.
1. From Files in the Menu Bar, choose Manage Links to open up the Manage
Links dialog.

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2. Activate the tab for RVT.

3. Click on the name of the Condo Complex link to highlight the row.

4. From the lower section of the dialog, choose Unload to unload the Condo Complex
link. Notice that the checkmark for Loaded is automatically deselected

5. Choose OK to complete the change.

6. Choose Zoom to fit to view the entire Floor Plan: Level 1 view. Notice that the
Condo Complex link no longer appears.

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 7. Choose File, Manage Links and activate the RVT tab.

8. Select the Condo Complex row and choose Reload to reload the Condo Complex

Note: If the linked file location has changed, you can use Reload From… to

navigate to the new location. Also, if you want to remove a link entirely, you can

select a link and choose Remove.

9. Save the file as Site_Project.rvt making sure to save the file in the same folder as
the the Condo Complex and the Townhouse links. This model will be needed for
the Shared Coordinates exercise.

Saving Locations
The Locations Not Saved field is only relevant for links whose coordinates are shared with
the active project. In a Shared Coordinate environment, the changes made to the locations
of a linked file are saved within the linked file rather than within the project that it is linked
into. As links are moved to new locations in the project, you can use the Save Locations
button to save the new locations so that they are remembered by the linked file.
Since the links in this exercise are not using Shared Coordinates, the Save Locations is not
applicable. See the Shared Coordinates exercise for more details.
Linked File Paths
Files that linked into a project can be linked through a Relative Path or an Absolute Path.
Under the Path Type column, you can choose between a relative or absolute path. The default
is Relative.
An example of an absolute path is C:\Program Files\Autodesk Revit\Links\linkedfile.rvt
An example of a relative path is ../../Links/linkedfile.rvt
In general, it is preferable to use a relative path over an absolute path. If you are using a
relative path and you move the project and the linked model together to a new directory, the
link is maintained. The new working directory becomes the relative path for the linked model.
If you use an absolute path and you move the project and the linked model to a new directory,
the link is broken. Autodesk Revit tries to find the linked model in that exact directory before
you moved it. Absolute paths are useful for cases in which the linked file is made available on
a network location to multiple different users.

Model Linking with Worksets

In some cases it may happen that the buildings that are being linked are multi-user projects
with worksets activated. It is also possible that the project that is hosting the link is also a
workset activated file. In these cases there are a number of different issues to keep in mind.
Selective Open of Worksets
When linking in a workset activated file, you can use Specify from the Open dialog to select
which worksets you would like to link in. This will open the same dialog as the usual Open
Worksets dialog. The worksets you choose to open will be the worksets that are linked into
the Host file.
Changing the Linked Worksets
While working in a host file, you may decide that you need to see additional worksets that
were not originally specified or you may want certain worksets to no longer be linked. To do
this, use the Manage Links dialog to Reload From… In the Open dialog, you can choose
specify and specify different worksets to link.
Linking to Multiple Files

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Although the same model can be linked into different host models, the selection of worksets
that are opened must be identical in each host. The user who establishes the first link
determine the status for all other files.
Workset Activated Host Files
When the Host file has worksets activated, the user must keep in mind which workset the link
is placed in. Links consist of two “parts” - the Link Symbol and the Link Instance. At the time
of placement, both the Link Symbol and the Link instance are placed in the active workset.
However, Link instances can be assigned to different worksets if desired. In general, however,
it is advised to keep all instances of a link on the same workset.

Tip: When opening a Host file, all linked files are loaded automatically.

However, in a workset activated Host it is possible to choose which links will be

loaded upon opening. A link is only loaded if the workset that the Link Instance

is in is opened. Therefore, by not opening the Link Instance workset, you can

choose to not load the link.

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Shared Coordinates

Scope:
This exercise will cover how to Share Coordinates between files so that buildings can be
correctly located with respect to each other. Also, Shared Coordinates works in conjunction
with Model Linking allowing the user to create multiple locations for the same building on a
site.

Note: In order to complete this exercise, you must first complete the Model

Linking exercise.

To proceed to the Model Linking exercise, click here: Model Linking Exercise.
In this exercise you will learn:

Sharing Coordinates

Locations

Relocating a Project

Rotating a Project and Assigning True North

Working in a Linked File

Sharing Coordinates
Every Autodesk Revit project has invisible internal coordinates. This is what makes it possible
to import objects using the “origin to origin” option. During normal project work, since
designing in Revit does not require a coordinate system, these internal coordinates are not
significant to the user.
When a model is initially linked into another project, the linked model still retains its original
coordinate system. This means that there are two different coordinate systems within the
same project. In other words, the linked file has a location it defines as its origin and the Host
file has a different location it defines as the origin. When linking a model using the “origin to
origin” placement option, the two origins are temporarily aligned. However, by subsequently
moving the link, the origins are no longer aligned.
By Sharing Coordinates, you are deciding which coordinate system will be the one that is
used by both files. In other words, you are establishing a shared origin point.
Note: For clarity, from now on the file that is linked into another file will be referred to as the
Linked File and the file into which another file (or files ) is linked will be referred to as the
Host File.
Acquiring and Publishing Coordinates
When a file is linked into a Host the user has the choice to either use the Linked File’s
coordinates or use the Host file’s coordinates. It is generally recommended that if the project
involves a site and a linked building (or buildings) that the coordinates of the Site are chosen
to be shared. In this way, all the linked buildings would be getting their positions with respect
to the site.
When a Host file is open, Publish Coordinates means to send the Host’s coordinates to the
Linked file. This action actually changes the original linked file so that it’s internal coordinate
system matches the Host file.
To Acquire Coordinates means that the Host File acquires the coordinates of the specified
linked file. One particular case in which you may want to acquire coordinates from a linked file
is when the link is a dwg with an established coordinate system that you would like to use for
your project.
In the following steps, you will publish the coordinates from a site model Host File to two
different buildings that are linked to that site.
1. Open the file, Site_Project.rvt which was saved at the end of the Model Linking
exercise. (Note: If you have not completed the Model Linking exercise, do so
now and then return to this point.)

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 This site file is the Host file for the Linked files Townhouse.rvt and Condo

Complex.rvt

2. Choose Tools, Locations and Coordinates, Publish Coordinates from the

Menubar.

3. Revit is now waiting for you to select the model that you would like to Publish
Coordinates to.

4. Click on the Condo Complex.rvt link. (This is the building in the middle)

5. A dialog will appear prompting you to select a location.

6. Choose Location 1 and choose OK.

7. Choose Modify to exit out of the Publish Coordinates tool. Until you choose
Modify, Autodesk Revit will be waiting for additional links to be selected to
Publish Coordinates to.

8. Location 1 of the Condo Complex now shares coordinates with the Host file.

Note: To Acquire Coordinates from a linked file, choose Tools, Locations

and Coordinates, Acquire Coordinates and the select the linked model that you

would like to acquire from. Keep in mind that each copy of a link is a distinct

option. For this example we will not use this option.

Locations
When a Revit Model is linked into a Host, it is placed at a location. Until Coordinates are
shared between the link and the host, this location is not saved outside of the host model.
However, if coordinates are published from the host to the linked file, then the location
becomes saved in the linked file. This location is defined as being some specified location with
respect to the origin of the Host.
Linked files using Shared Coordinates must have at least one defined location but can have
multiple locations. An example of a Linked file with many Locations is a prototype model of a

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house that is placed on 3 different lots. These three Locations can be named Lot A, Lot B,
and Lot C. Each of these lots is simply a different position for the same house design. Each of
the locations can then be saved within the Linked file for reference. This makes it possible to
use the same building file to represent identical building on a site.
Note: When dealing with linked files, it is important to understand that the Active Location is
the location whose sub-elements can be manipulated. In other words, it is the location that is
live and modifiable.
Specifying a Location
1. In the Floor plan: Level 1 view, click on the Townhouse.rvt link on the left.

2. Choose Properties to open the Element Properties for the Link.

3. Notice that the default setting Shared Location for a link whose coordinates are
not yet shared is <Not Shared>

4. Click the <Not Shared> button.

Since this is the first time you are setting up the shared coordinates between

the Host and the linked models, a dialog box appears that tells you need to

reconcile the coordinates. This means that you need to choose which coordinate

system will be shared by both files. You need to reconcile the coordinates only once.

5. Choose Record current position as...

The linked model's position in the host model will be saved to a location name in

the linked model file. By default this location is named Location 1. You will now

change the name of the location.

6. Change the name of the location by clicking Change.

7. Rename Location 1 to Lot A.

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 Click OK to close the Location dialog.

8. Click OK to close the element properties dialog.

Constraining a Link to a Location

When a link instance is constrained to a specified location this means that there is a
connection between the position of the linked instance and the definition of the location. Once
a link instance is assigned a shared location, then changing the position of the instance can
effect the definition of the location that is saved with the linked file.
When constraining a Link to a location, you have two choices:

Move the instance to an existing location that is not already in use

Record the current position as a location

Note: When recording the current position as a location you can either redefine

an existing location or create a new location

1. Click on the linked Townhouse model on the right.

2. Choose Properties and click on the <Not Shared> button. This will bring up the
Choose Location dialog.

Notice that the options to Acquire or Publish Coordinates no longer appears.

This is due to the fact that the coordinates for the linked file have already been

shared. It is only necessary to reconcile with a Linked File once.

3. Choose Move instance to: Townhouse.rvt: Lot A (inuse)

Notice that the OK button is grayed out. This indicates that it is prohibited to

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 move a new instance to a location where there is already a link placed.

4. Select the second option to Record the current position as “Townhouse.rvt:

Lot A (in use)”.

Notice that OK is still grayed out. Because Lot A is actually in use, it is not

possible to redefine its location.

5. Choose Change to change to a new location name

6. Choose New and create a new location named Lot B and choose OK

7. Choose OK to close the Choose Location dialog.

Note that the Shared Location now reads Lot B. You now have two different

locations for the Townhouse.rvt link – Lot A and Lot B.

8. Choose OK to finalize the changes and close the Element Properties dialog box.

Saving a Location
When a location is created it is not automatically saved within the Linked File. To explicitly
Save a Location you must use the Manage Links dialog. (Note: If you attempt to close a
Host file without saving Location changes to Linked Files, you will be prompted to save your
changes.)
1. Choose File, Manage Links and expand the RVT tab

2. The read only field for the Townhouse link shows that Locations have not been
saved. This indicates that changes have been made to locations that have not
been saved to the linked file.

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 3. Click to activate the Townhouse.rvt row

4. Choose Save Locations.

5. You will asked whether or not you want to save the linked file. Choose Save. The
Locations not Saved box will now be cleared.

6. Choose OK to close the dialog.

7. Click on the Link at Lot B on the right hand side.

8. Move the link over approx. 20 feet.

A warning will appear explaining that you are making changes to a Location that

has been saved. You are given the opportunity to save the new location definition

to make the change in the position permanent.

9. Choose Cancel. This will cancel the Move of the link.

Relocating a Project
This tool allows you to easily move an entire project with respect to all of the linked files that
are shared with it. Although it is the Active Location position that is relocating, it will appear
as though all of the linked files are moving. By relocating a project what you are effectively
doing is moving the origin of the shared coordinates
1. Choose Tools, Locations and Coordinates, Relocate this Project. A dialog
appears explaining what is about to happen and how the command behaves.

2. Choose OK.

3. Click once on the floor plan to indicate a “from” position and click a second time to
indicate the “to” position. Everything except the active project will move along the
path you just defined.

4. Choose Undo to undo the relocation of the project.

Rotating a Project and Assigning True North

This tool works similarly to the Relocate this Project tool. Once again, the Active Location
will remain stationary while everything else appears to rotate. In addition to rotating the
project, you are also assigning a True North to the project. While the Project North for any
Revit Project is up, by rotating a project, you can place True north at an angle to Project
North.
1. Choose Tools, Locations and Coordinates, Rotate this Project/True North

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 2. A dialog appears explaining what is about to happen and how the command
behaves. Choose OK.

3. Click once on the floor plan to indicate a “from” angle and click a second time to
indicate the “to” angle. Everything except the active project will rotate along the
path you just defined.

4. Choose Undo to undo the rotation of the project.

5. Choose File, Save to save the changes to the model. You will be asked if you want
to save the location changes to the Condo Complex link since you have not done
so yet. Choose Save.

6. Close the Site_Project.rvt file.

Note: In the following section you will be working in one of the linked files.

Since it is not permitted to have both the Host and the Linked file open in the same

session of Revit, you have just closed the Site_Project.rvt file If you need to work

simultaneously, on a Host and its link, you can open two separate session of Revit.

Working in a Linked File

Once a file has been linked into a host and their coordinates are shared, the Linked File will
contain information about its location with respect to the host. When opening the Linked File,
the user can select which of the defined locations is the Active Location that they would like
to be working on. Also, if other models were linked into the same host, the user could link
them in and have them retain their correct position.
Opening a Linked File
In this section, you will be opening the Townhouse.rvt file that was previously linked into the
Site_Project.rvt project. Next, you will link in the Condo Complex to observe the positioning
behavior.
1. Open the file, Townhouse.rvt from the directory in which you saved it earlier.

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 Note: When this model was built, the front of the building was facing the top.

Although the model was linked into the Site_Project.rvt file and rotated, this linked

model continues to be oriented in this view to its own Project North.

2. You will now link in the Condo Complex building. Choose File, Import/Link, RVT
and navigate to the Condo Complex.rvt file that you saved previously.

3. From the positioning options, choose At Shared Location.

A dialog will appear allowing you to chose which location you would like to

place.

4. Since this building had only one location on the site, there is only one to sect.
Select Location 1 and choose OK. This will place the building in the same position
as it was in the Site file.

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Notice that the Condo building is positioned relative to the Active Location of the Townhouse
model. The current active location is Lot A.
Selecting the Active Location
1. To change the active location of the Townhouse choose Tools, Locations and
Coordinates, Select Locations

2. Notice that the Current position is Lot A.

3. To change the current position, click on Lot B and choose OK

4. Notice that although the active location appears to have not moved, the Condo
Link has repositioned itself as though the Townhouse were in the Lot B location

Managing Locations
The Manage Locations tool allows you to quickly create new location names, or to rename
existing ones. These new locations can later be assigned in the Host file. The location names
will appear in the list when constraining a link to a location.
1. Choose Tools, Locations and Coordinates, Manage Locations

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 2. Create a new location by selecting Duplicate and entering the name Lot C.

True North
While working, you can choose to orient a view either by the Project North or by the True
North. When the coordinates were published from the Host file to the Linked file earlier in the
exercise, the linked file inherited the True North of the Host file.
1. Choose View, View Properties and scroll down to the Orientation parameter.

2. Use the drop down to change the selection from Project North to True North.

Notice how the orientation of the model is modified to match the Site.rvt model

orientation. You may need to Zoom to fit to view the model.

Report Shared Coordinates

This feature allows you to determine the location of elements and points in the model with
respect to the shared coordinate origin.
1. Choose Tools, Locations and Coordinates, Report Shared Coordinates. The
cursor will change to a tape measure pointer.

2. Click on any point off of the model. The coordinates will appear in the Options
bar. These coordinates are with respect to the shared coordinate origin. In this
case, the origin that was shared to all the projects was the origin of the
Site_Project file.

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 Phasing
Autodesk Revit offers phase representation on views and elements. Phases represent distinct
time periods over the duration of a project. This allows users to document existing,
demolished, temporary and new conditions.

In this exercise, you will learn how to use the phasing tools to demolish a portion of the
existing design and display new construction.

Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Phasing.rvt.

Click Open.

The floor plan view of Level 1 is shown below.

1. When a new project is created there two phases created called Existing and New
Construction. All of the objects created to this point have a parameter called
Phase Created set to New Construction and a parameter called Phase
Demolished set to None. To view this, select any of the existing objects and

choose . Press Cancel to close the property dialog.

2. Each view also has a property relating to the phases of the project. Choose View
and View Properties from the menu to see the view phasing properties. Choose
Cancel to close the dialog.

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Setting the Existing Conditions
1. The phase for all of the existing building object will be set to Existing. Choose
Modify and select all of the building objects by using a pick box.

2. Next choose Filter from the options bar. Annotation objects do not have phase
parameter and will be excluded from the selection set. From the filter dialog,
unselect Door Tags and choose OK.

3. Choose the Properties button from the options bar and set the Phase created to
Existing and choose OK. The display of the walls and doors will now appear gray
due to the phase and phase filter of the current view. We will address this next.

Defining the Views

We will define anew view for this floor plan by copying the existing floor plan view. The new
view will represent our new construction and demo plans.
1. The current view will be renamed. Right click on the Floor Plan Level 1 from the
project browser and choose Rename. Change the name to Level 1 - Existing.
When prompted to rename the level associated with this view, choose No.

2. Copy the Floor Plan view Level 1 - Existing. From the project browser, right click
on the Level 1 - Existing view and choose Duplicate.

3. Rename the new view Level 1 - Demo.

4. In the Project Browser, right-click Level 1 - Existing and Properties from the
menu.

Set the parameter Phase to Existing and choose OK. The display of the walls
and doors will no longer be grayed out. The view Floor Plan Level 1 - Demo will
show all of the existing geometry as gray since the Phase of the view is set to New
Construction and geometry was created in the earlier phase called Existing. This is
called a graphic override.

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Define Filters
Phase filters set the display for new, existing, demolished, and temporary components. A new
phase filter will be created for this project.
1. Choose Settings\Phases from the menu.

2. From the Phasing dialog box select the Phase Filters tab to display the current
filters.

3. A new phase will be added. Choose from the Phasing dialog box. A new
filter is created named Filter 1.

4. Rename this filter from Filter 1 to Composite Plan.

5. The filter values for the new phase will be changed. Change the display for New
object from By Category to Overridden. This means when this filter is applied to a
view, all New, Demolished, Existing and Temporary objects will be drawn using a
graphic override. Do not close this dialog box.

Graphic Overrides
You define overrides to change the appearance of elements in views with phase filters.
1. From the Phasing dialog, select the Graphic Overrides tab to display the current
graphic overrides.

2. When using an override the line weight, color, line patter and even material of the
object is overridden. We will use all of the default settings.

3. Choose from the Phasing dialog to complete the changes to phase settings.

Demolishing Objects
One way to set the Phase Demolished parameter for an object is through the use of the
Demolish tool.
1. Open Floor Plan: Level 1 - Demo.

Choose Demolish from the Tools menu. The cursor will change to a hammer .

2. Using the hammer, select the three walls in the upper left corner of the building
and then select the two walls on the right. The display of the walls should change

536
 to a dashed line as shown. Since the door is hosted by a demolished wall, the door
is also demolished.

3. Open the original floor plan, Level 1 - Existing. Notice that the display is
unchanged. This is because this view's Phase is set to show objects in the phase
Existing.

New Construction
1. New walls and doors will be added to the model. Before this is done we will set the
Phase Filter so only the existing and new objects are shown. Open the Floor Plan
view Level 1 - Demo and right click in the view and select View Properties.

2. Next set the view's Phase Filter from Show All to Show Previous + New.
Choose OK to close the dialog box. Notice the demolished objects are not visible in
the view.

3. Next the new walls will be added. Choose Walls and sketch walls as shown below.
The exact position is not important.

4. Add some doors to the rooms. Choose and select any door from
the type selection list and place approximately as shown.

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 5. Open the floor plan view, Level 1 - Existing. Notice this view is still showing the
objects we had demolished and does not display the new walls or doors.

6. Open the floor plan view Level 1 - Demo and change the Phase Filter to
Composite Plan. Choose View and View Properties or right click in the view
and select View Properties to access dialog box. The new filter should change the
view as shown.

7. Since the new construction and demolished objects overlap, we will define a new
view just to display the new construction. Change the Phase Filter for the floor plan
Level 1 - Demo to Show Previous + Demo.

8. Next copy the view Level 1 - Demo by right clicking in the project browser and
select Duplicate. Next, rename it to Level 1 - New.

9. Set the Phase Filter for the new view to Show Previous + New. The three view
should appear as shown below.

Note: When demolishing inserts in walls, roofs, floors, or ceilings, the host

element will automatically infill in the opening left behind by the demolished

element. For example, if you demolish a window, the wall will automatically fill in

the opening.

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This condition requires that view phase be set appropriately.

539
Massing
Massing allows users in the initial design process to convey a potential design without the level
of detail normally found in a project. Users can quickly manipulate and modify the overall
masses of a project to experiment with different ideas.
Massing geometry is easily created using extrude, blend, rotate and sweep commands.
Material can also be removed using the "cut" versions of these same four commands. The
massing can then be automatically converted into usable shell elements: walls, floors and
roofs. Users can switch back and forth between the Show Mass view and the Show Shell view
at any time to make required modifications.
In the following exercise, you will learn the following concepts:

Creating a massing project.

Creating Levels.

Creating solid extruded geometry.

Setting up the mass/shell settings.

Creating an extruded cut.

Creating a sweep cut.

Using equal dimensions.

Creating the shell geometry.

Modifying the shell geometry.

Creating Massing Geometry

In this exercise you will learn how to create and modify different types of massing
geometry.
1. Create a new project. Choose File, New, and Project to open the New Project
dialogue box.

2. Accept the defaults and choose to create a new empty project.

Setting up Levels
1. Before extruding, set up additional levels. With the Project browser, activate the
East elevation view.

540
 2. Choose the button from the Basics Design Bar. Indicate the start point
for the addition of Level 3 by pressing the left mouse button above Level 2 as
shown.

3. Complete the insertion of the new level by pressing the left mouse button again as
shown.

4. Add Level 4 and Level 5 in the same way. Each level should be placed 4000mm
above the previous level. It may be necessary to edit the distance between levels

after they have been inserted. To do so, choose the button from
the Design Bar. Then pick the level that needs to be modified. You may now select
and edit the temporary dimension for that level.

Creating a Simple Extruded Mass

1. Choose the Massing tab on the Design Bar. If the Massing tab is not active,
activate it by right clicking over the design bar area and choosing Massing from
the pop up menu. Your Design Bar should look like this:

541
2. If not already active, choose the Show Mass button to turn on the visibility of
massing geometry.
Note: You can also choose the Show Mass command from the View menu.
3. Open Floor Plan: Level 1.

Select from the Design Bar. The Form dialog box will appear.

4. Click on the Extrude option and select OK.

5. If you are not prompted, select Set Work Plane... from the Design Bar.

Choose Name and select Level 1 from the drop-down list.

Click OK.

6. Before creating the massing, the massing options will be set. From the Menu Bar,
use Settings, Mass/Shell. The Mass/Shell dialogue box will appear.

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 This dialogue box allows the user to decide the wall type, the floor type and the roof
type that will be generated when the massing is later converted into a shell. The
settings must be changed to the required types before a mass is extruded.
7. Using the drop-down menu, change the wall type from Basic Wall : Generic -
200mm to Basic Wall : Generic - 300mm. Select to make the change.

8. Choose the Lines tool to draw the following sketch. Select the button from the
Options Bar to roughly sketch the extrusion profile. Temporary dimensions may
need to be edited to match those below.

11. Select the button to complete the extrusion.

12. Select the button from the toolbar to generate a 3D view, then choose
the button from the toolbar to allow you to rotate the view. (To rotate the view,
hold down the left mouse button while pressing the shift key and slowly move the
cursor around the screen. To pan around the view, let go of the shift key and
depress the left mouse button. Adjust your view until it approximately matches the
one below.

13. In the Project Browser, double click on 3D Views to reveal the name of the new
view you have just created. By default it is called {3D}. Use the right mouse
button to activate the pop-up menu which gives you the choice to rename the
view. Rename it south/east.

Modifying an Extrusion
We will now modify the height of the extrusion we have just created.
1. Activate the East elevation view.

543
 If necessary, move the level lines so the symbols are to the right of the extrusion.

Notice that the top of the extruded shape is only 5000mm high. This is the default
height for the extrusion. You will change this height to 16000mm.

2. Select the button from the Design Bar.

3. To pre-select the entire extrusion, place the cursor over one of the edges of the
box and press the <Tab> key until the entire box prehighlights and the status bar
on the bottom left of the window indicates Extrusion. The <Tab> key allows you to
toggle through all the possible choices.

4. With the extrusion prehighlighted, use the left mouse button to actually select the
extrusion.

5. Select the button from the Options Bar to edit the properties of the
extrusion. The Element Properties dialogue box will appear.

6. Change the value for Extrusion End from 5000 mm to 16000 mm. and press
.
Note: You can also directly modify the Depth value in the Options Bar.

7. The Extrusion is now 16m high.

544
Adding Extrusions
We will now add other extruded masses to the first one. First, we will add one starting from
Level 5 that is 3500mm high.
1. Activate the Level 5 Floor Plan.

2. Select the button from the Design Bar and accept Extrude as the form.

3. Select from the Design Bar and choose Level 5 as the active Work
Plane. Choose .

4. Use the Lines tool with the Chain command checked from the Options Bar to
roughly draw the following profile. Do not worry about the precise dimensions.

5. The Depth edit box appears in the Options Bar as soon as you finish drawing the
lines for the profile. Change the value to read 3500mm.

6. Choose to finish drawing the extrusion.

7. Activate the 3D south/east view to look at the massing model.

Next we will extrude a shape from the south face of the building.
1. While still in the 3D southeast view, select the button and choose
Extrude. Choose .

2. Select the button and choose the Pick a Plane option then click
.

3. You will now pick the plane from which you wish to extrude a mass. Pre-select the
south face by moving the mouse until the cursor is over the edge of the wall and
the south face prehighlights. Pick with the left mouse button.

545
4. Activate the South elevation view to draw the extrusion profile.

5. Draw the following profile.

5. Select the Extrusion Properties button from the Design Bar. This will open the
Element Properties Dialog Box.

6. Change the Extrusion End to 4000 mm and then choose .

7. Choose to complete the extrusion.

8. Activate the 3D south/east view to view the extruded massing.

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Cutting Using Massing Geometry
Massing shapes can be defined as either adding or removing. We have just seen how to create
adding geometry. Next we will see how to create shapes which remove material from the solid
geometry.
Creating an Extrusion Cut
1. Activate the Floor Plan Level 3 view from the Project Browser.

2. Select from the Design Bar and accept the extrude option and choose
..

3. Select and choose Level 3 as the New Work Plane.

4. Use Lines to draw a 3000 x 3000mm square at the bottom right hand corner of
the greyed extruded mass as shown below. Make sure that the corner lines snap to
those previously drawn in the extrusion.

5. Choose to complete the extrusion.

6. Activate the south/east Elevation view.

• Notice that a block has been removed from the south-east corner of the extruded
mass. The cut extrusion starts at Level 3 and ends at Level 4.
Modifying the Extrusion Cut
Although not immediately visible on the screen, the cut extrusion can still be edited after its
creation. We will now edit the cut extrusion we have just generated so that it is 8000mm high
instead of 4000mm high.
1. With the 3D south /east view activated, place the mouse pointer over one of the
exterior edges where the solid has been cut. Use the <Tab> key to toggle through
the possibilities until the orange cut extrusion shape appears. Pick with the left
mouse button.

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 2. Change the Depth value in the Options Bar from 4000mm to 8000mm.

3. The cut extrusion now extends to Level 4.

Creating a Sweep Cut

A sweep is a tool that allows you to sketch a profile (shape) and extrude that profile along a
defined path. The Sweep Cut command works in the same way except that instead of adding
material to a model, it removes a sweep out of any solid geometry.
You will now cut a simple sweep out of the previously generated mass.
1. Activate the Floor Plan Level 4 view.

2. Use View, Zoom, Zoom in Region to zoom in around the bottom right corner of
the extrusion.

3. Select from the Design Bar and choose Sweep. Choose .

4. From the Tools menu, select Work Plane..., Set Work Plane. Select Level 4 as
your Work Plane.

5. Choose and with Lines selected, choose Pick instead of Draw in the
Options bar.

6. Pick the two lines shown below. Notice that the profile plane is automatically
sketched in.

Note: Depending on which line is picked first, the views offered in the Go To View
dialogue box will be different. This will change the plane on which the profile will be
sketched.
7. Choose

8. Choose to sketch the sweep profile. The Go To View dialogue box

opens immediately.

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 9. Select the Elevation:East view and choose to switch to the East elevation
view. Your screen should appear like this:

10. Use Lines and change the option in the Option Bar back to Draw. Sketch a
4000mm x 4000mm profile whose bottom left corner coincides with the target
marking the location of the path as shown:

11. Choose and to complete the Sweep Cut.

12. Open the 3D south/east view to view the Sweep Cut.

Changing From Massing Elements to Shell Elements

Once the massing elements are complete, Revit can convert all the faces of the massing shape
into individual elements:
• Vertical faces - into walls. (Such that wall centrelines are coincident with massing
faces).
• Downward-oriented horizontal planes- into floors

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 • Everything else - into roofs.
By default, these shell elements are initially locked to the massing elements that generated
them.
Viewing and Adding Components to the Shell
In this exercise, we will view the shell elements and add windows to the south wall.
1. In the Design Bar select to see the shell elements in the model

2. Activate the Floor Plan Level 1 View. You may need to use View, Zoom, Zoom to
Fit.

3. Notice that the Level 1 view still shows the mass instead of the shell. This is
because the view status of each view is independent of the others. Select
again to show the shell in this view.

4. Zoom in on the bottom wall. You will be adding window components to this wall.

5. Under the Basics tab in the Design Bar, select . Add 10 M_Fixed: 900 x
1200mm windows roughly evenly spaced along the bottom wall.

6. Select and dimension from the centreline of the west wall to the
centreline of each window then to the centreline of the east wall as shown:

7. Pick the dimension lines. Use the left mouse button to change the symbol to
so that the windows are evenly spaced

8. Activate the 3D south/east view to see the windows added to the south wall of the
building.

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Modifying the Shell Elements
Before generating the original rectangular extrusion, you used Settings, Mass/Shell to select
the shell element types that the mass would be converted to. You selected the walls to be
Basic Wall : Generic 300mm. In the following exercise, you will change one of the walls into
a curtain wall.
1. Activate the Floor plan Level 3 View

2. Under the Massing Tab, Select to view the shell elements.

3. Select the wall of the overhang extrusion.

4. Notice in the Options Bar that the wall type is Basic Wall : Generic - 300mm.

•
5. Use the drop-down menu to change the wall type to Curtain Wall : Curtain Wall
1.

6. Use View, Zoom, Zoom in region to zoom in on the corner of the wall.

7. With the left mouse button, pick the panel of the curtain wall. Use the <Tab> key
until the status bar in the lower left corner displays Curtain Panel:System Panel.

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 8. From the Options Bar use the pull-down menu to change the type from System
Panel to M_Glazed Panel.

9. Activate the 3D View south/east in the Project Browser. Select .

10. From the Menu Bar, use View, Shading to see a shaded view which shows the
glass panel wall.

Unlocking Individual Shell Elements

By default the shell elements are locked to the massing elements which generated them.
In the following exercise you will see how the properties of a shell element can be modified to
make it independent from the massing elements.
1. Activate the Floor Plan Level 1 View.

2. If not already selected, select .

3. Pick the south wall. Notice that a locked symbol appears.

4. Under the Edit menu select Unlock Objects.

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 5. The following warning appears:

• This warning suggests two unlocking possibilities. You will now try the first. You will
change the "Constrain to Massing" property.
7. Select to close the warning box.

8. Choose from the Options bar.

9. The Element Properties dialogue box will appear:

10. Change the Constrain to Massing property to Independent using the pull-down
menu and select .

11. Activate the south/east 3D view.

12. Select the button.

Place the cursor over the south wall until the wall and windows prehighlight.
Notice that the south wall with the windows is now available despite being in the
Massing View mode. This wall is now completely independent from the massing
elements.

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Unlocking All The Shell Elements
Once you are completely satisfied with the massing that you have created, it is possible to
delete all the massing elements. (Once the massing is deleted however, it will no longer be
possible to return to the massing forms at a later point to edit them.) Deleting the massing
elements unlocks the shell elements and enables the user to move and modify them in the
same way as normal walls, floors and roofs.
In this exercise you will delete the massing from the massing view and unlock the shell
elements so that they are free for modification.
1. Within the south/east 3D view , make sure is selected.

2. Select .

Prehighlight the massing by placing the mouse over the one of the exterior edges
and toggling through the options with the <Tab> key until the entire massing
outline prehighlights and the Status Bar reads "Massing".

3. Pick the massing using the left mouse button.

4. Use Edit, Delete to delete the entire massing.

Notice that once the massing is deleted, the drawing automatically shows only the
shell elements.

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Using Site Tools
In this exercise, you will learn how to create and edit site geometry, as well as place, tag, and
schedule components for your building model using the new Site tools, controls, and features.

You will learn how to use the following tools, components, controls, and features:

Toposurface

• Pick Points

• Import Data

Property Line

Contour Visibility

Split Surface

Building Pad

Graded Region

Parking Component

Placing Objects on a Site Surface

Tagging Site and Parking components

Parking Space Schedules

Creating TopoSurface (Pick Points)

In the first part of this exercise, you will create a TopoSurface using the pick points method.
This allows you to define a series of points which are used to define a surface.
1. Start by creating a new Autodesk Revit project. The following steps assume the
use of the Default U.S. imperial template.
The Site tools can be found in either the Menu Bar labeled Site or the Site Design
Bar. The Site Design bar can be activated by picking: Window, Design Bar, Site
from the Menu bar.
2. Open the floor plan view Site.

3. To create topography geometry from scratch, use the TopoSurface tool. When
you pick this tool, Autodesk Revit places you in sketch mode with a new
Toposurface Design bar. On the Toposurface Design bar is a tool called Point.
The Point tool is used to create a series of points at various elevations to create
the site surface.

From the Site tab of the Design Bar, choose Toposurface.

4. Select the Point tool from the Design bar..

5. Set the Elevation parameter on the Option bar to 10'-0" and press <Enter>.
Then set the other parameter field to Absolute Elevation.

6. Within the View Window, click to place points on the Site view. After the third point
is picked a 'boundary' is created between the points and back to the first point.

7. Continue to pick points around the screen in a circular fashion. Pick about 30 or so
points to make a large oval site about 100' wide.

8. Change the Elevation parameter to 20'-0" and create another series of points
inside the first boundary.

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 9. Repeat this step for 30'-0", 40'-0", 50'-0", and 60'-0" elevations. The sketch
should look similar to the sketch below.

As the points are placed Revit automatically generates contour lines. For the
contour lines to be automatically drawn the toposurface must pass through the
contour elevation. For example, 30'-0" elevation points are being drawn, but the
30'-0" contour is not yet visible. This is because there are no elevation points
higher than 30'-0" and the highest point on the toposurface only goes up to 30'-
0" and not passed it. For the 30'-0" contour to be automatically generated the
toposurface must have a elevation point higher than 30'-0". Even one point a
fraction of an inch higher than 30'-0" will generate the 30'-0" contour.

10. Pick the Finish Surface button on the Design bar.

11. To change the contour line interval go to Settings, Site Settings on the Menu
bar. Change the additional contour line increment to 5'-0" and press OK.

12. The site surface should look similar to the image below.

13. Open a 3D view and shade the model.

14. Select the toposurface and from the Options Bar, select Properties.

Notice that both the Surface Area and the Projected Area are reported.

The Surface Area accounts for changes in topography. The Projected Area is the
area of the topography's footprint. Both can be scheduled.

Click OK.

15. The file can now be closed or saved for later review.

Creating TopoSurface (Import Data)

You can generate a Toposurface automatically by using site data created in another application
by importing 3D contour data in .dwg, dxf, or .dgn formats. In this part of the exercise, you
will import a site plan from a dwg file
1. Open a new Revit project file. The following steps assume the use of the Default
U.S. imperial template.

2. The levels will be renamed and set to the correct elevation. Open the South
Elevation view.

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 3. Choose Modify and select Level 2. Modify the elevation of Level 2 to be 3' - 0".
Also, change the name of Level 2 to Basement.

Note: When prompted to rename corresponding views, choose yes.

4. Modify the name of Level 1 to be Base Site Elevation.

Importing Site Data

1. Open the Site floor plan.

2. To import the site data, choose File, Import\Link, DWG, DXF, DGN.

Select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select import_site.dwg.

Chose Preserve Colors and Current View Only from the Import dialog box.
Choose Open to place the site.

3. To make sure the imported data is not accidentally moved, pick the imported data
and choose Lock Objects from the Edit menu.

4. The elevation symbols will be turned off to simplify the display. Choose
Visibility/Graphics from the View menu. Open the Annotations tab and uncheck
Elevations. Choose OK to continue.

5. From the Site Design bar pick the TopoSurface tool and then pick the Use
Imported tool from the Toposurface Design bar. Pick the imported .dwg data in
the Site view to generate the Toposurface.

6. Revit will display a dialog box asking for what layers to analyze for 3D data.
Uncheck layer 0 and layer C_bench_mark and pick OK.

7. Revit will analyze the imported 3D contour data and place a series of points at the
same elevations of these imported lines and then generate a toposurface based on

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 these points. Pick Finish Surface from the Design bar.

Property Lines
Property lines can be defined by sketching the lines or entering survey distance and bearing
data.
1. Pick the Property Line tool from the Site Design bar.

2. Choose "Create property lines by table of distances & bearings" and pick OK.

3. Pick the Insert botton 4 times to create 4 rows in the Property Lines dialog box.

4. Starting at the top row (row #1), enter the following values:

1. 350'-0"S 0°0'0" E

2. 275'-0" N 90°0'0" W

3. 350'-0" N 0°0'0" E

4. 275'-0" N 90°0'0" E
If all the data was correctly entered, the line at the bottom of the dialog box should
read "From last point to first point: Closed"

5. Pick OK to finish the property line. Next place the property line by picking the
point at the benchmark. If needed, place the property line close to the benchmark
and use the Move tool to snap the property line exactly to the benchmark. This
will create a rectangular property line boundary that is 350'-0" by 275'-0".

6. To better see the Toposurface turn off the visibility of the imported data by going
to View, Visibility/Graphics (or typing V V) and unchecking import_site.dwg
under the Imported objects tab.

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Site Settings (contour visibility)
1. A new subcategory for the toposurface will be defined and used to mark a specific
elevation. Choose Object Styles from the Settings menu. Scroll down to the
category of Topography.

2. Select Topography and choose Create New. Enter the name Working Contour
and press OK to create the new subcategory of Topography.

3. Set the Line Weights to 1, Line Pattern to Dash dot and Line Color to Brown for the
Working Contour. Choose OK to finish.

4. From the Settings menu choose Site Settings. This dialog allows the control of
contour line interval, true north, section cut material, and poche depth.

5. Change the interval to 2'-0" and Passing Through Elevation 0'-0".

6. To add a special contour (or group of contours) to mark a specific elevation use
the Additional Contours part of the Site Settings dialog box. At row 1 of Additional
Contours enter 3'-3" under the Start column, single value under the Range Type
column, and choose "Working contour" from the Subcategory drop down list.

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 Note: if a range of multiple special contours are desired enter "multiple

values" under the Range Type column and enter values the Stop &

Interval columns.

7. Section cut material and poche depth are utilized when the site is displayed in a
section view. Set these settings as desired.

8. Pick the OK button to apply these settings. Notice the orange dashed contour line
at elevation 3'-3".

Split Surface
The Split Surface tool allows a toposurface to be broken up into separate pieces that can then
be edited independently from the main toposurface. These surfaces can be assigned different
materials to depict such things as roads, lakes, plazas, etc, or to delete entire portions of the
toposurface.
1. Using the Split Surface tool from the Site Design bar select the Toposurface
created in the above steps. Revit will enter Sketch mode.

2. From within sketch mode select the Lines tool from the Sketch Design bar.

3. Sketch a closed boundary similar to the outline of the red surface in the image
below and then pick Finish Sketch.

4. To view the display shaded go to View, Shading with Edges.

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 5. Using the Modify tool select the new "road" surface and then pick the Properties
button from the Option bar.

6. Change the Material parameter from '<By Category>' to 'Site - Asphalt'.

Building Pad
1. Using the Pad tool from the Site Design bar, sketch a building foot print similar to
the image below.

2. Pick Finish Sketch to generate the building pad. The site should look similar to
the shaded 3D and section images below.

Graded Region
The purpose of Graded Region is to allow the modification of existing topography. This is done
by selecting a toposurface to modify. The original is marked as demolished. A copy is made
with a matching boundary and is marked as new in the current phase. In this example the
road surface will be modified to make the slope even & perpendicular to the direction of the
road.
1. Open the Revit file named Site_training.rvt from the training folder and activate
the Site view.

2. Pick the Graded Region tool from the Site Design bar.

3. The Graded Surface dialog box will appear. The "Copy internal points" box should
not be checked. Pick the Select and Edit button.

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4. Pick the "road" surface created previously. Revit enters Toposurface edit mode
which will allow the editing of the elevation points that are used to generate the
toposurface.

5. Zoom into the region indicated in the image below.

4. Start by deleting all of the elevation points within the property line along the
perimeter except for the points at the corners and the contour lines. To do this use
the Modify tool to pick each point individually or with a selection box and press
Delete. The surface should look similar to the one below.

6. Choose Modify and select one of the two points shown. From the options bar, set
the Elevation to 12'. Repeat for the other point.

7. Next set the elevation to 11' for the points shown below.

8. Next, use the Modify tool to select and drag the elevation points at the 8'-0"
elevation contour line. To identify the elevation of any contour line use the Modify
tool to select an elevation point along the contour line. The elevation value of the
point will be displayed in the Option bar.

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 7. Next, add a new point at elevation 10'-0" on the boundary of the road opposite the
existing 10'-0" elevation point and contour. To do this pick the Point tool from the
Site Design bar, change the Elevation field value on the Option bar to 10'-0",
press enter, and then pick a point on the opposite boundary as illustrated in the
image below.

7. Set the Elevation field on the Option bar to 11'-0" and press return.

8. If there are any remaining elevation points at the perimeter also set those to 11'-
0".

9. Pick Finish Surface from the Site Design bar.

10. Select the Toposurface that you just graded and from the Options Bar, select
Properties.

Notice that the Cut and Fill data is reported. This data can be reported in a
Topography Schedule.

Click OK.

Parking Component
1. Activate the Site plan view and change the view display to Wireframe.

2. Pick the Parking Component from the Site Design bar and change the type to
"Parking Space: 9' x 18' - 90 deg." from the drop down list on the Option bar.

3. Place the first parking stall in the northwest corner of the parking area. Parking
Components can be flipped vertically & horizontally using their flip arrows and
rotated using the rotate tool just like any other Revit component.

4. Pick the Modify tool and then pick the parking space component that was placed
on the site in the previous step.

5. Pick the Pick Host button from the Option bar and then pick the road surface.
Make sure to pick the road surface and not the surrounding site surface. Zoom out

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 so the whole road surface can be viewed if needed.
This tells Revit that the parking component is to be placed on top of the toposurface
and not simply on one of the floor plan sketch planes which may be above or below
this area of the toposurface.

6. Finish the parking layout by either placing additional parking space components or
arraying or copying the first space.

Placing Objects on a Site Surface

In this part of the exercise you will place a tree on the site to demonstrate Revit's ability to
place the family component on top of the toposurface.
1. Pick the Site Components tool on the Site Design bar.

2. Change the drop down list on the Option bar to "Pinus Thunbergiana 15'".

3. Activate the Site plan view if not already active and place trees at high and low
elevations by picking points on the site.

4. Open the Site section and 3D views and notice how the bases of the trees are on
top of the surface.

5.
Tagging Parking and Site components
1. While in the Site view pick the Tag All Not Tagged tool from the Drafting Design
bar.

2. To tag all parking spaces and trees first pick the Parking Tag row and press the
Apply button then pick the Planting Tag row and press the Apply button. Revit
automatically tags all untagged parking spaces and plantings.

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Parking Space Schedules
Schedules for parking spaces can be created in exactly the same manner all other schedules.

1. Pick View, New, Schedule.

2. Pick "Parking" from the New Schedule dialog box. Then check on "Schedule
building components" and "List every component individually" and pick OK.

3. From the "Fields" tab on the Schedule Properties dialog box add "Mark" and
"Type" to the Scheduled Fields column.

4. Pick OK to generate the schedule.

5. As with all schedules the column titles can be modified and the "Mark" fields can
be entered to number the spaces.

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Additional Site Tools:
Building Pads, Property Lines, and Site Components
You can create a building pad using the pick walls command. You can create property lines
with arcs; property lines are no longer required to be a closed loop. In addition, there is a Site
Component tool that allows you to add site components without scrolling through a lengthy list
of non-site related items.
In this exercise, you will learn:

• how to create a building pad using the Pick Walls tool.

• how to create property line arcs within a data table.

• how to close a loop when creating property lines from a table.

• about the new Site Component tool.

Note: This exercise was created with an imperial template and components.

Whenever units of measurement are necessary, both the imperial and metric units

are supplied with the imperial unit followed by the metric in parenthesis. Units may

not be the result of a direct conversion.

For example, 30' 0" (10meters). You can set your units preference by selecting

Units from the Settings menu.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Office Building.rvt.

Click Open.

2. This file is used with several tutorials. If you wish to save your work, click File,
Save As, and save the file with a unique file name.

Adding a Building Pad

When adding a building pad, you now have the option to Pick Walls; the command is no
different then adding a floor, ceiling or roof and using the Pick Walls option.
1. From the Toolbar, click to open a 3D View. Click and spin the 3D View so
you can see into the basement.

Notice that the building pad has yet to be added to the model.

2. Open the Floor Plan: T.O. Footing and select the north wall. Notice that it is a
foundation wall.

3. From the Site tab of the Design Bar, click .

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 4. By default, the Pick Walls option is selected. Select the north wall and use the
toggle arrows to select the outer face.

5. Select the remaining exterior walls to define the perimeter of the building pad.

6. From the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch.

7. Open a 3D view and notice the building pad is attached to the bottom of the
foundation walls.

Adding Property Lines

You can add arcs within property line tables. In addition, property lines are not required to
form a closed loop; you have the option to let Revit close the loop for you.
1. Open the Floor Plan: Site.

2. From the Site tab of the Design Bar, click .

Revit will prompt you to sketch the property line or create it using a table. Select
Create property lines by table of distances and bearings and click OK.

3. Within the Property Lines dialog box, click Insert three times to add an
additional three lines to the table. There should be a total of four lines within the
table.

4. Using the survey data below, type the distance and bearing information into the
Property Lines table.

Deed Data - Imperial

Distance N/S Bearing E/W Type Radiu L/R
s
1 76' 0" S 0° 00' 00" E Line
2 167' 0" S 90° 00' 00" W Line
3 80' 0" N 17° 00' 00" W Line
4 190' 0" N 90° 00' 00" E Arc 95' 0" L

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Deed Data - Metric (meters)
Distance N/S Bearing E/W Type Radiu L/R
s
1 23 S 0° 00' 00" E Line
2 51 S 90° 00' 00" W Line
3 24.3 N 17° 00' 00" W Line
4 58 N 90° 00' 00" E Arc 29 L

5. Once the survey data has been entered into the Deed Data table, click OK.

6. The property lines will appear at the cursor. Using the image below for guidance,
move the property lines to their approximate position.

Tip: You can use the Align tool to align property lines to landmarks or
markers within the model.

7. Select Modify from the Design Bar and select the property line.

Next, you will edit the arc's radius to significantly flatten the arc.

Note: The radius of an arc can not be less than 1/2 the length of its chord
(distance). In addition, in order to flatten an arc, you must increase the radius.
Study the image below to understand how the arc flattens out when the radius is
increased.

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8. In the Option Bar, select Edit Table.

9. Change the Radius of the arc property line to 140' 0" (44 meters ) and click OK.

Notice that the arc has flattened.

10. With the property line selected, click Edit Table from the Option Bar.

11. Change the Distance in line 2 to 160' 0" (48 meters).

Before clicking OK, notice that Autodesk Revit informs you that the property lines
do not form a closed loop. You are also provided the exact distance required to
close the loop.

Note: Despite inputting data directly from a deed or survey, property lines
often do not form a perfectly closed loop.

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12. Click OK despite the fact the property lines do not form a closed loop. The
following warning appears:

Autodesk Revit allows you to create the property lines and warns you that the
area will not be computed until the loop is closed.

13. Click OK.

Notice the gap in the upper right intersection of the property lines.

14. With the property lines selected, click Edit Table from the Option Bar.

15. Click . Notice a new line is inserted within the table. The loop is closed.

16. Click OK.

Notice Autodesk Revit closed the loop for you.

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 17. Select the property lines and from the Options Bar, select Properties.

Notice that you can name the property lines and that the property area is
reported. This information can be scheduled and exported via ODBC.

Click OK.

Adding Site Components

1. With the Floor Plan: Site still open, click .

2. Open the Type Selector drop-down list.

Notice that only Site components appear in the list. All non-site components are
filtered from the list.

3. Select Parking Island from the Type Selector and using the image below for
guidance, place a parking island within the parking lot. Do not be concerned with
exact placement.

Tip: After placing the parking island, click from the toolbar and rotate
the island 90°.

4. With the island selected, click from the Option Bar.

5. Place the cursor over the parking lot and when the topography pre-highlights,
select it.

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The parking lot topography is now the host for the parking island.

Open a 3D View to see the result.

572
Using Structural Tools
In this lesson you will learn:

How to enable the Structural Design Bar

How to load Structural families by type

How to create Structural Views

How to place Structural Columns

How to place Beams

How to create Bracing Elevations

How to place Braces

How to place Structural Walls

Enabling the Structural Design Bar:

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Structural.rvt.

Click Open.

2. This project was created using an imperial template and components.

From the Settings menu, choose Units.

Format the Length Units to use Millimeters. Set the unit suffix to mm.

Set the Area and Volume to use metric units.

Click OK.

3. If the Structural tab of the Design Bar is not visible, right-click on the Design Bar,
and select Structural.
The tab, Structural, will appear.

Loading Structural Families:

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Structural Families are often collections of hundreds of different sizes of the same profile.
These can be sorted, and selectively loaded by type.
1. From the File menu, select Load From Library, Load Family....

2. Open the Structural folder, then open the Framing folder, and finally open the
Steel folder.

3. Select (single-click) M_W-Wide Flange.rfa. (Note: Do not double-click).

At this point, you should note the Type Catalog at the bottom of the dialog box.

4. Under the column for Section Modulus (Sx), select the arrow, and scroll down the
list to select a value of 10226.

This will filter the list to only display framing members with a Section Modulus of
10226.

5. Choose the two beam types, W690x323 and W460x464, by selecting both rows.

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 6. Select Open This will only load these two types of W-Wide Flange Beams.

Creating Structural Views:

The View Property, Discipline, determines which walls are visible in a view, based on their
Structural Usage. All walls appear in Architectural and Coordination views; non-bearing walls
do not appear in Structural views.
1. In the Project Browser, open Floor Plan: Level 1 (if it is not already open).

2. From the View menu, select Visibility/Graphics, and open the Annotation
Categories tab.

3. Uncheck all subcategories that should not appear in Structural views, such as
door tags, window tags and color fill legends.

4. Open the Model Categories tab.

5. Uncheck all subcategories that should not appear in Structural views, such as
light fixtures, windows, doors, and furniture. Choose OK.

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6. From the View menu, choose View Properties.

7. Change the value of Discipline to Structural.

8. Next select the Edit button next to View Range. Set the Offset for the View Depth
to be -300mm as shown.

This will ensure the structural elements within 300mm below the finished floor
level will be seen.

9. Click OK.

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 10. Choose OK to close the View properties dialog. The view should update as shown
below.

11. From the View menu, select Save as View Template, and name it "Structural".
Click OK to close the dialog box.

This can be used to apply the same Visibility settings and View Properties to other
Structural views.

Placing Structural Columns:

1. From the File menu, choose Load From Library, Load Family.

Navigate to the Structural, Column, Steel directory.

Select M_W-Wide Flange-Column.rfa and using the Type Catalog at the bottom
of the dialog, choose all the columns that have a M value of 39.

2. Click Open.

3. Select the button from the Structural tab of the design bar.

From the Type Selector, select W-Wide Flange-Column: W410x38.8

4. Move your cursor from the type selector to the intersection of grid 1.5 and A.
When the centroid of the structural column is coincident with the intersection of
two Grids, both Grids will prehighlite.

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 5. When the column is properly positioned, click the mouse once to place.

6. Place additional columns at all grid intersections, except the junction of Grids A
and 1, and Grids D and 1.

7. Select all the columns that you have placed. With Modify selected, use a pick box
to select everything in this view. Next, choose Filter from the options bar and un-
select everything but the columns.

8. Select Properties, and change the value of Top Level to Level 3.

Open a 3D View to see the changes.

Placing Beams:
1. Open Floor Plan:Level 2.

2. To set the display of this view using the view template defined earlier, select
Apply View Template from the View menu.

3. Select the Structural template and choose OK.

Note: Structural Tags are automatically placed in the view when a

Structural Framing member is placed.

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 In the steps that follow, you will load a structural tag into the project in

order to tag the beams.

4. From the File menu, select Load From Library, Load Family....

5. Open the Annotation folder.

6. Select M_Structural Framing Tag.rfa, and pick Open.

7. Select the button from the Structural tab of the Design Bar.

8. From the Type Selector, select M_W-Wide Flange : W690x323.

9. Adding a beam is a two-click process.

Move your cursor from the type selector to the intersection of Grid A and 1.5.
Once it prehighlights, click it.

Move your cursor to the intersection of Grid A and 2. Once it prehighlights, click
to select it.

Note: A warning may appear informing you that the attached wall is non-bearing.
Click OK.

Beams will snap and join to the theoretical bearing point of the supporting element;
i.e. the centroid of a Structural Column or the centerline of a Structural Wall.

10. Place additional Beams of type M_W-Wide Flange : W690x323 connecting the
entire perimeter of Structural Columns.

11. Place additional Beams of type W460x464 connecting along all the interior
Grids.

12. In the Project Browser, double click on the Floor Plan View Level 3, to make
that the active view.

13. Open Floor Plan: Level 3.

14. Apply the Structural View Template.

Add the perimeter and interior beams using the same process that you used in
Level 2.

15. In the Toolbar, click on the 3D View Icon.

16. From the View menu, select Apply View Template, select "Structural", and select
OK.

17. Using the right mouse button, click inside the active view.

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 18. Select View Properties, and change the value of Detail Level to Medium.

Change the Model Graphics Style to Shaded w/ Edges.

Click OK.

Creating Framing Elevations:

1. Open Floor Plan: Level 1.

2. Select from the Structural tab of the design bar.

3. Place the cursor directly over Grid A between Grid 3 and 4. When the grid line
prehighlights, the elevation symbol will appear. Click to place the symbol similar to
the image below.

4. Choose Modify.

Double-click the triangular portion of the elevation tag to open this new view.

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 6. Select the Crop Region of the view. Drag the handles to expose the entire
structural bay.

7. Right click in Bracing Elevation view, and select View Properties.

8. Change value of Crop Region Visible parameter to No by removing the

checkmark.

Placing Braces:
1. From the File menu, choose Load From Library, Load Family.

Navigate to the Structural, Framing, Steel directory.

Select M_C-Channel.rfa and from the Type Catalog at the bottom of the dialog
box, choose C380x74.

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 Choose Open.

2. Select the button from the Structural tab of the design bar.

3. From the Type Selector, select M_C-Channel : C380x7.

4. Placing a brace is a two-click process.

Click first at the intersection of Grid 4 and endpoint of the structural column
located near Level 1.

Move the cursor to the midpoint of the structural beam below Level 2. When the
midpoint symbol appears, click to select it.

The diagonal brace appears.

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 7. Add additional Braces as illustrated.

Placing Structural Walls:

Structural Walls are walls whose Structural Usage is set to Bearing by default. The Structural
Usage of a wall can be Non-Bearing, Bearing, Shear, or Structural Combined.
1. Open Floor Plan: Level 1.

2. Select from the Structural tab of the Design Bar.

3. From the Type Selector select Basic Wall : Generic - 8" Masonry.

4. In the Options Bar change the Height parameter to Level 3.

5. Click first over the structural column at the junction of Grid B and Grid 3.

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6. Click a second time over the stuctural column located at the junction of Grid B and
Grid 4. , and when properly selected, make a second pick to finish the Structural
Wall.

7. Open a 3D view to view the design.

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Area Analysis Tools
In this exercise, you will learn how to use the Area Analysis tools. Area analysis tools allow
users to define rule based area boundaries and area tags to define area schemes for rentable
area and gross area.

Defining Gross Area Scheme

You will now create a gross area scheme for the project.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Area.rvt.

Click Open.

The floor plan view Level 1 should be the active view.

2. To enable the Area Analysis tab on the Design bar, right click on the design bar
and check Area Analysis.

3. Click Area Settings from the Area Analysis tab of the Design Bar.

4. Two schemes are currently defined, Gross Area and Rentable. New user defined schemes
can be defined. Choose Cancel to close the Area Schemes dialog

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5. Select Area Plan from the Area Analysis tab of the Design Bar. Select the Gross
Building scheme from the pull down menu. Select Level 1 as the level to use for this
area plan and choose OK.

1. NOTE: If "Do not duplicate existing views" is unchecked,

you can create a copy of the same area scheme. Any changes made to

the original scheme will show up within the copied area scheme.

6. You will be prompted to automatically create area boundary lines associated with the
external walls. If "yes" is selected Revit will automatically place Area Boundary line to the
exterior walls of your building, forming a closed loop. If "no" is selected you will have to
manually sketch the Area Boundary lines. Select Yes to define the exterior boundary
lines.

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7. Notice within the Project Browser that there is a Area Plan (Gross Building) on Level 1.

8. Now place an Area Tag. Select Area Tag from Area Analysis tab of the Design Bar. Drag
the pointer to an enclosed area of the plan view to place the tag. Autodesk Revit will pre
highlight the enclosed area to indicate it is valid for placing the tag.

9. NOTE: An Area Tag measures the area defined by the area plans

boundary lines. A Room Tag measures the area enclosed by walls of a room. A

room's area is now calculated to the face of wall, rather than centerline of

wall.

Rentable Area Scheme

You will now add a new area plan for rentable space. Area boundary lines will be used to
define the inner spaces of the building, then area tags will be added. The area type of the tags
can be defined to reflect things such as "Building Common Area", "Office Area" and "Store
Area". When the area type is changed area boundary lines can update position (exterior face
of wall, centerline of wall or interior face of wall).
1. Choose Area Plan from the Design bar to define a new area plan.

2. Select Rentable as the type. Select Level 1 and choose OK. A new area plan will
be defined.

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 3. When prompted, choose Yes to automatically define area boundary lines.

4. Zoom in around the exterior of the building. Notice the automatically placed area
lines are on the inner face of the exterior walls.

5. Zoom to fit, so the entire model is visible.

Note: The area boundary lines are set to the inside face of wall for the Rentable

scheme. Notice the area lines follow some of the windows placed in the exterior

wall. The rule is for these lines to follow the inside face of the wall. If the glass of

the window is more than 50% of the wall height, area boundary lines go to face of

glass.

Area Boundary Lines

Area boundary lines will now be added to divide the rentable spaces. Three tenant areas, two
building core areas and a circulation area will be defined.
When area boundaries are created, they can be defined by picking existing walls or by
sketching the lines. When the Pick option is used, an option called "Apply Area Rules" can
be selected to have the update based on the area type of the tag placed in these spaces. If
"Apply Area Rules" is not selected the boundary lines do not automatically updated to the area
type of the tag.
1. From the design bar, choose Area Boundary. The options for area boundary lines
should be set to Pick and Apply Area Rules.

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2. Select all interior walls shown below. An area boundary will be drawn at the
centerline of the walls. Since Apply Area Rules is selected, these lines will update
their position according to the area type defined in the area tags to be placed.

3. Now the area tags will be added. Zoom to fit the plan view in the window. Select
Area Tag from the design bar. Place the first tag in the enclosed area shown
below.

4. From the design bar, choose Modify and select the tag. Click the Properties
button to display the properties of this area tag. Change the Name parameter to
Tenant 1 and the Area Type parameter to be Office Area.

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5. Add a second Area Tag to the area shown below. Modify the tag Properties and
set the parameter Name to Tenant 2 and Area Type to Office Area.

6. Add a new Area Tag in the common area as shown. Set the tag's Name to
Circulation and Area Type to Building Common Area.

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7. Add an Area Tag in the core area and set the tag's Properties to have a Name
of Core and an Area Type of Major Vertical Penetration.

8. Add the last Area Tags to the two areas on the right side of the building The

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 Name for these tags should be set to Tenant 3 and Tenant 4. The Area Type
will be set to Store Area for both tags. Notice the area boundary lines have
updated for the new area types.

Color Fills & Schedules

The Area Plans can be color filled by area type or name and can also be scheduled. You will
add a color fill by area type, then create a rentable schedule.
1. Choose Color Fill from the Area Analysis design bar. Drag the cursor to a location
to set the color fill legend and click to place the legend. Choose OK to set the
visibility of the floors, topography and Site: Pads to not be visible.

2. Next, choose View, New and Schedule/Quantities from the menubar.

3. Select Areas (Rentable) as the category to be scheduled and choose OK.

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4. Choose the fields to be included on the schedule. Choose Area Type, Area,
Perimeter, and Name.

5. Choose OK to create the new schedule.

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Grouping
Objects can be grouped and then easily selected as a set and moved, copied, or otherwise
changed. Additionally, copies of a group are associative – a change made to one instance of
the group automatically updates all instances.
In this exercise, you will learn how to:

• Create a Group
• Edit and Update a Group
• Ungroup Objects
• Mirror and Array a Group
• Insert a Group

Retrieve the Model

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Metric folder, select grouping exercise.rvt.

2. Click Open.

The "Floor Plan : Level 1" view should appear as shown below.

Creating a Group
1. Zoom in on the upper left hand room. Use View, Zoom, Zoom in Region. Click
the left mouse button at one corner of the region to zoom in on, then click the
opposite corner.

2. In the Project Browser, double click on "Families" to open up the options of family
types available.

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3. Double click on "Furniture" to see the furniture selection.

Note: All the furniture families required for this exercise have been preloaded in
'grouping_exercise.rvt'.

4. Double click on "M_Desk" and select 1524 x 762mm with the left mouse so that it
highlights in blue. Drag the desk directly from the Project Browser by holding down

the left mouse button. (Your pointer should appear as in insertion pointer ).
Place the desk in the room by releasing the mouse button then pressing the left
mouse button when the desk is in the correct location.

5. Notice that after placing the first desk you may continue to place additional desks
by using the left mouse button. Press <Esc> twice to exit from the component
insertion mode.

6. In the Project Browser, select the"M_Desk Chair" and drag and drop the chair in
front of the desk as shown below. You will have to rotate the chair as shown. Press
<Esc> twice to exit the component insertion mode.

7. Select from the Basics Design Bar. Use the drop-down menu in the
Options Bar to choose Standard Bed : Twin 965 x 1880mm.

8. Place the bed against the wall as shown. Press <Esc> twice to exit the component

595
 insertion mode.

9. You will now group the twin bed, the desk and the chair

Choose . Use a pick window to make your selection. Pick with the
left mouse button for the top left corner of the window then hold down the
mouse button and position the other corner. Let go of the mouse button to finish
the window.

10. Currently, there are items selected that you do not want in your group. Choose
to filter out the object types you do not want to include. Deselect everything
except Furniture. Choose

11. Only the bed, desk, and chair are now picked.

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 12. To create a group, choose from the Toolbar or select Group from the Edit
menu.

Notice in the Project Browser that there is a new "Group 1" in the group area. Rename
this "Layout - twin".
Arraying a Group
1. Use View, Zoom, Zoom Out (2x) to zoom out of the view.

2. If not already picked, use the left mouse button to pick the "Layout - twin" group.

3. Select from the Toolbar.

4. From the Options Bar, change the Number of Items from 2 to 4.

5. Drag and drop the "Layout - twin" group into the same position in the adjacent
room and press <Enter> to accept 4 as the number of copies.

6. Press F5 to refresh your screen. Your model should look like this:

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Mirroring Several Groups
You will now mirror the arrayed groups to the other side of the corridor.
1. Select all the groups called "Layout - twin". To do this, place the cursor over the
group name " Layout - twin" in the Project Browser and click the right mouse
button. Choose "Select All Instances". All the instances by that name will be picked
and highlighted in red in the model as shown below.

2. Select from the Toolbar. Notice that the pointer has now changed to the
axis selection pointer.

3. Make sure the Copy box in the options toolbar is checked.

4. Pick the green reference plane in the middle of the corridor as the mirror axis.

Your model will look like this:

598
Editing a Group
In this exercise you will remove the bed from one of the rooms, insert a new bed, and create a
new group out of the new layout.

1. Select from the Design Bar.

2. Zoom in on the top left group. Pick it using the left mouse button.

3. Select from the Options Bar.

4. Pick the bed and delete it using Edit, Delete.

5. Select from the Basics Design Bar.

6. Choose M_Standard Bed : Double 1346 x 1880mm from the drop-down menu
in the Type Selector. In the Options Toolbar, select Rotate after Placement.

7. Place the bed in the room and rotate it 45 degrees. Click when the bed is in
position.

8. Choose from the Toolbar and select the inside face of the wall and then the
head of the bed. The bed will line up with the wall as shown below.

9. Select from the Design Bar.

10. Pick the desk, chair and the bed by holding down the <Ctrl> key and picking with
the left mouse button.

11. Group these together by selecting the button from the Toolbar or selecting
Group from the Edit menu.

12. With the Group still selected in red, choose from the Options bar. The

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 Edit Properties Dialogue box appears.

Choose and a Type Properties dialogue box will appear.

Select and rename the new group as "Layout - double".

Choose in each of the dialogue boxes to complete the renaming of the

group.

13. Use View, Zoom, Zoom to fit to view the entire model.

Replacing Groups
It is often useful to be able to replace an entire group with another group. In the following
exercise you will replace one of the "Layout - twin" groups with a "Layout - double" group.

1. Select from the Design Bar.

2. Use View, Zoom, Zoom in Region to zoom in on the second room from the left
of the model.

3. Pick the "Layout - twin" group in that room.

4. In the Options Bar, use the drop-down menu to change the group from "Layout -
twin" to " Layout - double"

5. Notice that the group is correctly placed in the room.

Replacing Components and Groups in Different Orientations

1. Pick the "Layout - double" group in the top left-hand corner of the model.

2. From the Options Bar, select .

3. Pick the double bed using the left mouse button. Using the drop-down menu in the
Options Bar, change the component type from Standard Bed : Double 1346 x
1880mm to Standard Bed : Queen 1512 x 2006mm.

Notice that the bed is replaced in the correct orientation.

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 4. Pick the desk, chair , and queen-sized bed by holding down the <Ctrl> key and
picking with the left mouse button.

5. Select from the Toolbar or select Group from the Edit menu.

6. In the Project Browser, use the right mouse button and rename the group from the
default "Group 1" to "Layout - queen".

7. Pick the "Layout - queen" group and move the insertion point to the corner of the
desk to match the other groups.

8. Select .

9. Pick the bottom left-hand "Layout - twin" group and change the group type in the
drop-down menu in the Options Bar to "Layout - queen".

Notice that despite the previous mirroring, the replacement still takes place correctly.
This is because the insertion point includes two orientation arrows which indicate in
which orientation a new group should be inserted.
Updating Groups
When one group is modified, all the other groups of the same name are automatically updated
to match.
In this exercise, you will add a bedside table to the "Layout - queen" group and observe the
changes.
1. Use View, Zoom, Zoom in Region to zoom in on the top left-hand room in the
model.

2. Select from the Basics Design Bar.

3. From the drop-down menu in the Options Bar, choose M_Night Stand : 457 x 457
x 610mm.

4. Insert the bedside table as shown below. Press <Esc> twice to exit the component
insertion mode.

5. Pick the "Layout - queen" group with the left mouse button.

6. Select from the Options Bar.

7. Choose from the design bar. Pick the bedside table with the left
mouse button.

8. Choose to complete the changes.

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 9. Use View, Zoom, Zoom to fit to view the entire model.
Notice that the bedside table is automatically added to the other "Layout - queen"
group in the bottom left-hand corner.

Inserting Group Instances

In this exercise you will learn how to use the Modelling Design bar to add Group instances to a
model.

1. Select from the Design Bar.

2. Pick the "Layout - twin" group in the top right-hand corner of the model.

3. Use the button from the Toolbar to delete the group.

4. In the Project Browser, select the Group, "Layout - double".

5. Drag the group into the empty room and click to place it. Press <Esc> twice to exit
the group instance insertion mode.
Your model should look like this.

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Saving & Loading Groups
Groups can exist even if all of the instances are deleted from the project, giving the user more
flexibility in design alternatives. Also, a group can now be defined in a project, saved to an
external file (*.rvg), and be loaded into other projects.

Groups Exist After Deleting All Instances

In this part of the exercise, you will learn to delete all instances of a group and then re-insert
them into the model from the Project Browser.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select GroupUpdate.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Select one of the desk/chair combinations and using the <Ctrl> key on the
keyboard, pick on all the instances of Group 1 with the cursor.

3. On the Toolbar, click on the Delete icon to delete all group instances.

4. From the Project Browser, expand Groups. Even though all the instances of Group
1 were deleted, Group 1 is still listed in the Project Browser.

If you want to completely remove the Group from the model, you must click on

the name of the Group in the Project Browser, right click on the mouse and press

Delete. Do not delete the group.

5. To re-use Group 1 in your model later, click on the name of the Group in the
Project Browser (ex. Group 1). With the mouse cursor hold and drag the
highlighted name into the model.

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 6. Place the Group to the desired location and see the result.

Saving Groups
The groups data can now be saved to disk and then loaded into other Autodesk Revit projects.
1. To save the group, choose Save Group from the File menu.

2. Select the desired folder and name for the saved group and choose Save. The
saved group will have the extension, .rvg. If there are multiple groups in the
project, the group to be saved can be selected from the Group to Save pulldown
list.

Loading Saved Groups

1. Once the group is saved, start a new project.

2. To load the saved group, choose File and Load From Library. Select the Load
Group option.

3. Navigate to the folder where the group was saved and select the file to be loaded.
Choose Open to load the saved group.

4. Once the group has been loaded, expand Groups from the Project Browser. Notice
Group 1 is listed. The group can now be placed in this project.

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Creating 3D Sweeps
Enhanced sweeps can be used to create 3D sweeps from existing path objects. For instance
sweeping the edge of a gable roof with one pass, or putting a parapet cap on a multi-level
wall.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select 3D Sweep.rvt.

Click Open.

2. A sweep needs to be created within an in-place family. To create an in-place

family click the Modeling tab, then click Create.

3. Select Walls as the category, then give the family any name

4. Click the Solid icon then pick Sweep as the form of the solid.

5. Instead of sketching a 2D path as with a traditional sweep, we will pick an existing

3D path from objects in the project. From the Design bar, select Pick Path.

6. With Pick selected from the Design bar, select the tops of the wall to create a
continuous path (there are many small segments so you may have to rotate and
zoom into the model). The first segment that you click is where the profile will be
drawn so try to pick a horizontal face first. The profile placement is indicated by
crossing green lines and a red dot on the path.

7. Once you have picked the entire path, click Finish Path. The system will warn if
you have any errors such as an incorrect path or a path that is not continuous.

8. Next, you will sketch the profile. Click Sketch Profile from the Design bar.

9. Select an elevation view that you will be able to see the profile marker and sketch
a profile similar to the one below drawn on the West elevation.

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10. Click Finish Profile then click Finish Sweep to complete the sweep.

11. To end the family creation, choose Finish Family.

Open a 3D view and from the View menu, choose Shaded with Edges.

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Creating a Radial Array
In this exercise, you will learn how to create a radial array.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Radial Array.rvt.

Click Open.

Open Floor Plan: Level 1.

2. Add a column as shown in the next figure. Choose Column from the Modelling
tab and select a Metal Clad Column from the drop down list in the Type Selector.
Place the column approximately as shown in the image below.

3. From the Basics tab of the Design Bar, select Reference Plane and add a
diagonal reference plane that intersects the center of the column and the
intersection of the two, existing reference planes. Use the image below for
guidance.

4. Select the reference plane you added in the previous step.

From the Edit menu, select Mirror.

From the Options Bar, choose Pick and Copy.

Click on the horizontal reference plane that is aligned to the centerline of the front
door.

A mirrored copy of the reference plane will appear.

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5. Choose Modify and select the column.

6. From the Edit menu, choose Array.

7. From the Options Bar, choose Radial and set the number of items to 7. Also
check the Move to Last button.

8. Creating an Array is a 3 step process. First, you set the rotation point; second,
you set the starting ray, and finally you set the end ray.

Using the image below for guidance, place your cursor over the center of the
column to grab the rotation control. Drag the rotation control to the reference
plane intersection.

Next, set the start ray by clicking the center of the column. Snap the end ray to
the mirrored reference plane.

When the number 7 appears, press <Enter>.

7. From the Toolbar, click to see the 3D image.

608
609
Editing a Cut Profile
You can edit the boundary between two faces. In this example, you will add a footing
underneath the foundation wall and then edit the boundary between the two faces.

Note: This exercise was created with an imperial template and components.

Whenever units of measurement are necessary, both the imperial and metric units

are supplied with the imperial unit followed by the metric in parenthesis. Units may

not be the result of a direct conversion.

For example, 30' 0" (10meters). You can set your units preference by selecting

Units from the Settings menu.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Office Building.rvt.

Click Open.

Note: This file is used with several tutorials. If you wish to save your work, click

File, Save As, and save the file with a unique file name.

2. Open the Floor Plan: T.O. Footing.

3. From the Basics tab of the Design Bar, select Wall.

From the Type Selector, choose Basic Wall: Foundation - 24" Concrete.

From the Options Bar:

4. Set the Height to Explicit and 1' 0"

5. Select Chain.

4. Starting at the upper left corner, sketch the chain of walls along the entire
perimeter of the building.

Tip: Make sure you snap to the Endpoint and the wall centerline. As you

circle the model adding the chain of walls, make sure each click is to the wall

Endpoint.

Sketching the Footing

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 Completed Footing

5. From the Basics tab of the Design Bar, select Section and add a section to the
West wall.

Use the image below for guidance; do not be overly concerned with exact
placement.

Adding a Section View

6. Click Modify after adding the section.

7. Open the section view you added in the previous step by double-clicking the blue
section head.

8. From the Toolbar, select and use Zoom in Region to zoom in on the footing
that you added in previous steps.

Section View of Footing

9. From the Toolbar, click or from the Tools menu, select Edit Cut Profile.

From the Option Bar, select Boundary between faces.

10. Next, select the boundary between the footing and the foundation wall. It should
prehighlight before you select it.

611
 Selecting a Boundary to Edit

11. Using the sketching tools, draw the 3 lines in the image below. When drawing,
make sure the lines snap to each other and the boundary line.

Sketching the New Boundary

12. From the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch.

Note: The Level Line may still cross the old boundary line. If that is the case, use
the Hide/Isolate tool to hide the Level line.

Modified Cut Profile

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Update Tutorials

Wall Joins and Attachments

This exercise will cover many enhancements on wall joins.
Exercise:
First, you will learn how to use the wall top/bottom attachment to other walls. You will also see
the improvement of 2D clean up of compound wall when attaching to sloped compound roof.

Second, you will learn how to use the “Disallow Join” option when editing wall joins.

Attach Top/Bottom (Wall to Wall)

We will demonstrate how to use the Attach Top/Bottom command in order to attach the
bottom of a curtain wall to the top of a compound wall.

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Condominium.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open the East Elevation view.

3. Zoom in on the foundation compound wall – Limestone on CMU and with the
mouse cursor, click on it.

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4. In the option bar, click on the Edit Elevation Profile button in order to access to
this wall profile sketch mode.

5. Modify the sketch lines as shown in the image below. Once it’s done, click on the
Finish Sketch button on the design bar.

6. Go to the 3D view and you will see an opening within the foundation Limestone on
CMU wall.

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 7. Choose Modify and click on the Curtain Wall. On the option bar, click on Attach
Top/Bottom button.

8. On the option bar again, for Attach Wall option, select Bottom.

9. With the mouse cursor, pick the foundation – Limestone on CMU wall. Then, the
curtain wall will join automatically the wall below in order to fill in the opening.

Using Attach Top/Bottom with Roofs

You are now using the “Attach Top/Bottom” command in order to attach the top of garage
walls to the bottom of sloped roof.
1. Go to the project browser and open Sections – Garage Section view.

2. Zoom into the region where the new Garage CMU with Furring & Gypsum south
wall intersects the sloped Garage Roof – 9”. You will see that there is no 2D layer
clean-up when the compound wall intersects the sloped compound roof. This was
how previous versions of Revit behaved.

615
 3. With the mouse cursor, click on the Garage CMU with Furring & Gypsum south
wall. On the option bar, click on Attach Top/Bottom button.

4. On the option bar again, for Attach Wall option, select Top.

5. With the mouse cursor, pick the Garage Roof – 9”. Then, you will see the top of
the south wall will join to the underneath of roof above and their 2D compound
layers will clean-up automatically as well.

Using the Disallow Join

In this portion of the exercise, we will show a new option for Edit Wall Joins to disallow 'lonely
end' joins.
1. Go to the project browser and open Floor Plans – Garage Level view.

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2. Zoom into the extended garage portion. You will see that the Garage CMU with
Furring & Gypsum north and south walls are intersecting and joining to the existing
Limestone on CMU walls.

3. Assuming that you don’t want the new garage walls to join to the existing building
walls. To do so, click on the Garage CMU with Furring & Gypsum north or south
wall and Drag the blue dot at the end of each wall so that it won’t intersect the
Limestone on CMU walls.

4. Go to the Tool menu and click on Edit Wall Joins command.

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 5. With the mouse cursor, place the Edit Wall Joins square box at the lonely end of
the Garage CMU with Furring & Gypsum wall. Then on the option bar, select
Disallow Join.

On the design bar, click on Modify. With the mouse cursor, pick the Garage CMU with Furring
& Gypsum wall and pull the wall end back to intersect the Limestone on CMU wall. You will see
that those intersecting walls will no longer join together.

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Detailing and Visibility Settings
In this exercise you will learn the following concepts:

Adding spot elevations.

Duplicate a view with the detailing information.

Adding a grid to a view.

Specifically modify the dimensions of a crop boundary.

Add a dimension style for inches.

Temporarily hiding objects.

Adding additional referenced callouts.

Modifying the visibility of linked files.

Temporarily modifying the thickness of lines for detailing.

Spot Elevations

1. Choose and select the Training Files icon from the left side of the dialog.

From the Common folder, select Urban House.rvt.

Click Open.

2. Open the First Floor Plan view.

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3. Since our plan shows multiple level, we will add a couple of elevation markers.
From the Drafting tab of the design bar, select Spot Elevation.

4. Place spot elevation by clicking the room labeled “Den” once. Click a second time
to locate elevation value.

5. Place a second spot elevation by clicking the room labeled “Lower Courtyard” once.
Click a second time to locate elevation value. (Note different values).

6. We now want to make a copy of this floor plan, and transfer the annotations.
Right-click on First Floor in the Project Browser, then select Duplicate with

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 Detailing. This will make a new copy of the view and replicate the annotation
that existed in our previous view.

7. This will make a new copy of the view and replicate the annotation that existed in
our previous view. Rename the view to First Floor Plan, by right-clicking on it
inside the Project Browser.

Work Plane Grid

1. To help us with drafting some built-in benches, we will add a sketch grid. From
the Tool Bar, select Work Plane Visibility .

2. Choose Modify and select the grid. Notice the grid spacing value in the options
bar.

3. With the grid selected choose the Move command on the Toolbar. Select a grid
junction and adjust it to the inside corner of the exterior Lower Courtyard wall.

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4. From the Drafting design bar, select Detail Lines. Select Thin lines from the type
selector list and draw two lines on the grid to represent bench seating.

5. Turn off the grid, by depressing the Work Plane Visibility button once more.

6. We now want to add a crop boundary with a specific size.

From the View menu, select View Properties and toggle on the Crop Region.
Click OK.

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 7. Select the crop region and press Modify on the Options Bar.

8. Change the Width to 16” and the Height to 24”. Choose OK to update the crop
region size.

Dimension Formatting
1. We now want to define a new style of dimensions to give us the number of inches
in the built-in seating. From the design bar, select Dimension, and click
Properties.

2. Select Edit/New, and Duplicate. Choose OK to accept the new style name of
Dimension Style 2.

3. Select the Linear/Radial Units, Format button.

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 4. Un-check Use Project Standards. Set the Units to Fractional inches, and
Round to the Nearest ½”. Choose OK to close the Format dialog.

5. Select OK to close each of the properties dialog boxes.

6. Dimension the bench from the wall to the front of the seating. The dimension
should be approximately 30”. This dimension is dependant on the exact placement
of the work plane grid and the detail lines; the value may differ slightly.

Hide/Isolate
1. We have decided that this particular view is for seating only. Since tables and the
chairs are both furniture, and have the same visibility, we will use the Hide/Isolate
tool to hide the tables. Select the Hide/Isolate tool .

2. Once the Temporary Hide/Isolate tool appears, select the Noguchi table and the
Table – Round, and click Hide Selected. The tables will disappear and the
Hide/Isolate tool will change colors to notify you of hidden objects .

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 3. Close the Hide/Isolate dialog.

Importing DWG Files

We now want to import a detail to represent how the railing meets the wall. First a new
drafting view will be made.
1. Select the Section tool in the View Menu. Draw a section at the edge of the rail.
Select in the Options Bar, Ref this View choosing the <New Drafting View>.
This will create a drafting view called Section of First Floor Plan.

2. Rename this BALCONY DETAIL.

3. Once the section is drawn, test to make sure they are linked by double clicking the
section head to take you to the view.

4. Now we will import a rail detail. Select from the File menu, Import/Link , and
then DWG, DXF, DGN.

Navigate to the Training\Metric folder and select Rail Detail.dwg.

5. Inside the Import/Link dialog box, select Link, under Import or Link. Under
Layer/Level Colors, select Black and White. Under positioning, select
Automatically Place, Center-to-center. Select Open.

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6. Right-click on the screen and choose zoom-to-fit.

7. Select the imported detail, and chose Delete Selected Layers/Levels from the
Options Bar .

8. Select Layer “0” and click OK. This will delete the border.

9. Now we want to temporarily show the lines without lineweight so that we can draft
over it. Go to the View Menu and select Thin Lines. The view should now show
as this:

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627
Index
3
3D Sweeps ............................................................................................... 605

A
AccuRender Decals ...................................................................................... 369
Adding.................................................................................................... 369
Adding ........................................................................................... 52, 71, 369
AccuRender Decals ................................................................................... 369
Components .............................................................................................. 52
Roof ......................................................................................................... 71
Alignment .................................................................................................. 125
Annotation ................................................................................................. 335
Annotation Symbol ...................................................................................... 462
Creating.................................................................................................. 462
Area Analysis Tools .................................................................................. 585
Attachments............................................................................................... 613

B
Balusters ................................................................................................... 482

C
Ceilings ..................................................................................................... 202
Color Fill ...................................................................................................... 59
Components........................................................................................... 52, 56
Adding...................................................................................................... 52
Copying .................................................................................................... 56
Compound Ceilings...................................................................................... 205
Compound Walls ......................................................................................... 131
Copying ....................................................................................................... 56
Components .............................................................................................. 56
Creating ..................................... 96, 194, 208, 231, 243, 434, 445, 462, 465, 469
Annotation Symbol ................................................................................... 462
Drawings ................................................................................................ 243
Facia ...................................................................................................... 194
Furniture Family....................................................................................... 434
Host Openings ....................................................................................... 231
In-Place Families ...................................................................................... 469
Room Tag ............................................................................................... 465
Stairs ..................................................................................................... 208
Title block ............................................................................................... 445
Walls ........................................................................................................ 96
Curtain Roofs ............................................................................................. 155
Curtain Wall Enhancements .......................................................................... 161
Curtain Walls................................................................................................ 67
Cut Profile................................................................................................ 610
Editing .................................................................................................. 610

D
Detail Views ............................................................................................... 274
Detail_Component ...................................................................................... 457
Detailing .................................................................................................... 257
Dimension Properties................................................................................... 123
Dimensions ..................................................................................117, 120, 335
Modifying ................................................................................................ 120

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Display ........................................................................................................ 16
Door Family ............................................................................................... 418
Doors ................................................................................................. 107, 109
Placing.................................................................................................... 109
Draft Views ................................................................................................ 279
Drawings ..............................................................................................62, 243
Creating.................................................................................................. 243

E
Editing ..................................................................................................... 610
Cut Profile ............................................................................................. 610

F
Facia ......................................................................................................... 194
Creating.................................................................................................. 194
Family Editor .............................................................................................. 379
Fill Pattern Colors........................................................................................ 350
Changing ................................................................................................ 350
Formulas ................................................................................................... 388
Furniture Family ......................................................................................... 434
Creating.................................................................................................. 434

G
Grouping ................................................................................................... 594
Exercise .................................................................................................. 594
Gutters...................................................................................................... 194

H
Host Openings.......................................................................................... 231
Creating ................................................................................................ 231

I
In-Place Families......................................................................................... 469
Creating.................................................................................................. 469
Instance Schedules ..................................................................................... 291
Interior Walls ............................................................................................... 99
Sketching.................................................................................................. 99

L
Light Fixture Family..................................................................................... 427
Loading Groups .......................................................................................... 603

M
Material Parameters .................................................................................... 392
Model Linking........................................................................................... 513
Modifying................................................................................................... 120
Dimensions ............................................................................................. 120

N
Nested Families .......................................................................................... 381
Nested Family Parameters ............................................................................ 384
Note Blocks ................................................................................................ 341

O
ODBC Export .............................................................................................. 327
Opening ................................................................................................... 231

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 P
Parameters ................................................................................................ 388
Profile Families ........................................................................................... 486
Project Parameters...................................................................................... 323
Project Sharing ........................................................................................ 496
Project's Base Elevation ............................................................................... 331
Setting ................................................................................................... 331

R
Radial array ............................................................................................. 607
Radiosity ................................................................................................... 354
Raytrace .................................................................................................... 354
Rendering .................................................................................................. 354
Roof Height Constraints ............................................................................... 191
Roofs ...................................................................................................71, 176
Adding...................................................................................................... 71
Room Tag .................................................................................................. 465
Creating.................................................................................................. 465
Room_Schedules ........................................................................................ 296

S
Schedules .................................................................................................. 307
Setting ...................................................................................................... 331
Project's Base Elevation ............................................................................ 331
Settings....................................................................................................... 76
Shared Coordinates .................................................................................. 524
Shared Parameters...................................................................................... 313
Sketching .................................................................................................... 99
Snapping ..................................................................................................... 85
Soffits ....................................................................................................... 194
Splitting..................................................................................................... 105
Walls ...................................................................................................... 105
Stair Calculator........................................................................................... 225
Stairs ........................................................................................................ 208
Creating.................................................................................................. 208
Structural Tools ....................................................................................... 573
System_Fundamentals................................................................................... 73

T
Title block .................................................................................................. 445
Creating.................................................................................................. 445
ToolTips....................................................................................................... 85
Type ......................................................................................................... 291

U
Uniformat .................................................................................................. 307

V
Vertically Compound Walls ........................................................................... 145
View_fundamentals ..................................................................................... 346
Visibility Settings ................................................................................. 274, 619

W
Walkthroughs ............................................................................................. 372
Wall Floor Joins........................................................................................... 167
Wall Function ............................................................................................. 169
Wall Joins .................................................................................................. 613

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Wall Top/Bottom Attachments....................................................................... 174
Walls....................................................................................................96, 105
Creating.................................................................................................... 96
Splitting .................................................................................................. 105
Windows.................................................................................................... 112
Wrapping ................................................................................................... 169

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