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PAMPHLETS
LINE WEIGHTS
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© Copyright 2019 - BIM Pure productions
by: Nicolas Catellier, Architect
THE PAMPHLETS COLLECTION
That is why changing the scale of a view from 1:100 to 1:200 will make
all elements appear much thicker on your screen, while in reality, the
elements are twice as small on a sheet of paper.
Once you set all the line weight thickness values you want to use, go to the
Object Style menu located in the manage tab.
You will have to set both a Projection and a Cut thickness value. Projection
lines are seen from a distance. Cut lines are usually thicker and are used
when an element intersect the cut plane of the view.
Let’s start with the Wall category. As you see, there are subcategories
such as Cornice where you can assign a different thickness value. You can
also use this menu to specify a line color and pattern.
In the image below, you can see a wall using the settings we’ve just applied
in the Object Style menu. The 1 and 3 thickness numbers refer to the
thickness values assigned in the Line Weights menu. In the test #3, we’ve
reduced the thickness value of line weight 3 in the 1:200 scale to 0.30mm
instead of 0.35mm.
Using the combo of Object Style and Line Weights will affect all elements
in all views. If want to modify the thickness of a category of elements
in a specific view, you will have to use the Visibility Graphics menu. Use
shortcut VG. Scroll down to the walls category. Click on the Override
button for Cut Lines. This will make all walls thicker in the view where this
override is applied.
Last page, you learned how to adjust the line weight of all annotation
elements. You must also set a numerical value to each annotation element
category in the Object Styles menu. Click on the Annotation Objects
category. In the example below, we adjust the line weight of the generic
annotation category, which affects our note bubble family.
What if the effect of the Object Style menu is too broad for you? Below,
we modify a note bubble generic annotation family. We create a custom
“Bubble Thick Lines” in the object styles of the family and assign it to the
masking region of the note bubble.
We also add a small tail to the bubble that uses the “Bubble Thin Line”
subcategory. Then, we save and insert the family into the project.
Go back to the Object Style menu of the project. As you can see in
the image below, the new custom “bubble” subcategories are added
to the project. This way, you can adjust the line weight of the bubble
generic annotation without affecting the line weight of the other generic
annotation families.
Another quick tip: the leader line weight is controlled by the Generic
Annotation category. Sadly, this cannot be reassigned.
You’ve just learned how to modify a loadable family and use the object
style menu to properly control line weight. However, Revit also contains
System Families which cannot be edited in the family editor. Such families
include levels, grids, dimensions and many others. In the example below,
we modify the type properties of a dimension. Both the Line Weight and
the Tick Mark can be assigned to a specific line weight numerical value.
When setting the pattern in a material properties, you don’t have the
option to pick a line weight. That’s because all the weights are set to 1 and
cannot be changed.
The line weight of almost all elements can be customized. The ceiling
pattern lines are an exception. The weight of ceilings is always 2. That’s
why ceiling patterns tends to be quite thick. There is no way to modify that
thickness except by using the Line Weights menu.
Most CAD files use a color system to assign a thickness. In the image
below, you can see the typical color hierarchy. The problem is that by
default, Revit will ignore the AutoCAD color system and set everything to
the basic line weight 1.
Below, you can see that the Line Weight in the default settings are all
set to 1. Adjust the values to fit the DWG color number. When you re-
import the DWG file, the lines thickness will match the Revit Line Weight
settings.
In some cases, you will work with a CAD file where a thickness is directly
assigned to a layer instead of using the color code. When Revit import
such a file, it will match the thickness of the CAD line to the closest value
inside your Revit Line Weight setting. For example, a CAD line with a
0.30mm thickness will be assigned to Line Weight 3, which is 0.35mm.
Now that we’ve covered how line weight is used in Revit, time for some
strategic advice. In tip 1, we covered how it is possible to use different
weight for different scales. While it can be helpful in specific cases, you
should use the same scale everywhere to simplify your template. This way,
you know that the numerical value always refer to the same thickness. We
also slightly beef up the thickness to get better lines hierarchy.
By default, Revit has lines called Thin Lines, Medium Lines and Thick Lines.
That’s vague. Instead, create line names that are using the numerical value
set in the Line Weights menu (see image below).
To make sure all users understand the lines contained in your template
and the line weight used by elements, you should create a legend view
that contain all lines. Indicate both the numerical value and the actual
thickness.
Implementing this strategy can be long and complicated. You will have to
modify all your families and family templates so they never use lineweight
1 and 2. In the image below, you have an overview of how to properly use
this system.
For most people, I would advise to not use this system. If you are
experienced and want more control over your line weights, go for it.
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