Revit Materials
Living in a Material World

Elise Moss
Adjunct Faculty
Laney College
 

For Rendering
For Scheduling

To control hatch patterns

To control appearance of objects

How are Materials used in Revit?

 

Revit divides aterials into TW! locations

Materials in the "roject

Autodes# Asset Library

$ou can also create one or ore custo libraries

for aterials you %ant to use in ore than one
project

$ou can only edit aterials in the project or in

the custo library & Autodes# Materials are
read'only

Revit manages Materials

 

Materials have F()E asset definitions & (dentity* +raphics*

Appearance* "hysical and Theral

Materials do not have to be fully defined to be used' $!,

-!./T 0A)E T! -EF(.E ALL F()E ASSETS

Each asset contributes to the definition of a single aterial

A""EARA.CE
Assets are
the
(-E.T(T$ +RA"0(CS ingredients
MATER(AL
that a#e
up the
Material
T0ERMAL "0$S(CAL

Materials have FIVE ASSET definition

tabs
 

$ou can define Appearance* "hysical* and Theral Assets

independently %ithout assigning1associating it to a aterial
$ou can assign the sae assets to different aterials

An asset can e2ist %ithout being assigned to a aterial 3,T

a aterial ust have at least T0REE assets 4(dentity*

+raphics* Appearance5
Assets can be deleted fro a aterial in a project or in a

user library* but you can not reove or delete assets fro
aterials in loc#ed aterial libraries* such as the Autodes#
Materials library* the AEC Materials library* or any loc#ed
user library6
$ou can delete assets fro a user library & 3,T be careful

because that asset ight be used soe%here7

Assets act searatel! from

materials
 

$ou can only

duplicate* replace or
delete an asset if it is
in the project or in a
user library

"ou can dulicate an asset and re#

define it
 

This aterial only has three

assets assigned & (dentity*
+raphics and Appearance6
$ou can add additional
asset definitions by clic#ing
the 8 button6

This Appearance definition

is being used by eight
aterials6
A 9ero ne2t to
the hand eans
that only the
active1selected
aterial uses
the appearance

Reading the Material Editor

 

Clic#ing on the 8 sho%s a drop'do%n of

the reaining assets you can add to a
aterial

3y default* any aterial has T0REE assets

defined:

• (dentity
• +raphics
• Appearance

Adding an Asset $efinition

 

The value in the

-escription field can be
used in Material tags6

,sing coents and

#ey%ords can be helpful
for searches

"roduct (nforation is
useful for aterial ta#e'off
scheduling

The ost useful for e is

filling out the #eynote
inforation

The Identit! Tab

 

Material Tags use the values from

the Identit! tab $escrition field
 

;ust start typing in the Class

te2t field to add a custo
class definition6

The custo class %ill appear in the drop'

do%n list6

Keep in mind that any changes you make

are only valid to the active project unless
you copy the material to a custom library 

To Add a %lass
 

(t is helpful for
students and users to
becoe failiar %ith
the %ay #eynotes are
assigned

!nce the #eynote is

located* it is auto'filled in
the dialog bo26

The #eynote value is

autoatically copied fro
the #eynote database6

The user has to enter in

the desired Mar#1Callout6

&e!notes
 

+raphics control ho% the aterial loo#s

non#rendered* such as:
The color that displays in a shaded vie%6
The color and pattern that display on the
surface of an eleent6
The color and fill pattern that display %hen
the eleent is cut 4section vie%56

The 'rahics Tab

 

Shading &
-eterines the color and
appearance of a aterial
%hen vie% ode is
S0A-E-6

(f you have ,se Render

Appearance ,nchec#ed &
then the aterial %ill
sho% a color of the
aterial %hen the display
is set to Shaded

(f ,se Render Appearance

is chec#ed & then the
aterial uses the Render
Appearance Color %hen
the display is set to
The 'rahics Tab Shaded
 

S0A-E-

REAL(ST(C

,.C0EC<E- C0EC<E-

%omaring %hec(ed to )nchec(ed

 

Surface "attern %ill be displayed in all the follo%ing -isplay

settings:
Wirefrae10idden1Shaded1Realistic1Consistent Colors

Cut "atterns appear in section vie%s

'rahics tab * Surface+%ut ,attern

 

The Coarse Scale Fill "attern

is used in floor plans to
designate different %all
-isplay setting ust be
types* flooring* slabs* or
set to coarse to see
aterials & these should
hatch1fill pattern
correspond to any legends
used6
The Coarse Scale
(t is defined in the Type Fill pattern is used
"roperties for the object & to designate
not in the Materials6 aterials in
legends

Another ,lace for Fill ,attern

 

Appearance controls ho%

aterial is displayed in a
rendered vie%* Realistic vie%* or
Ray Trace vie%6

The Aearance Tab

 

$ifferent Material T!es can have

different Aearance ,arameters
 

The assigned class controls what arameters

can be assigned to the material * if !ou create
a custom class- it will use 'eneric arameters
 

This inforation ay be

used for structural and
theral analysis of the
odel

You can only modify physical

 properties of materials in the
 project or in a user library 

,h!sical Tab
 

The Theral tab is only

available in Revit

This inforation is used for

theral analysis and
energy consuption

Thermal Tab
 

$ou can only add or reove

categories fro custo
libraries

Material .ibraries organi/e

materials b! %ategor!+%lass
 

Material structural classes are organi9ed into the follo%ing types:

3asic
+eneric

Metal

Concrete

Wood

Li=uid

+as

"lastic

This faily paraeter controls the hidden vie% display of structural eleents6
(f the Structural Material Class of an eleent is set to Concrete or "recast*
then it %ill display as hidden6 (f it is set to Steel or Wood* it %ill be visible
%hen another eleent is in front of it6 (f it is set to ,nassigned* the eleent
%ill not display if hidden by another eleent6

Material Structural %lasses

 

0hen assigning a material

Material
already $ES Assign the Material
in
"roject>

Copy
Material to .!
"roject

Create a ne%
Material aterial fro a
$ES in Asset .! siilar aterial or
3ro%ser> use +E.ER(C
 

%reating a new material

Material %ill
be used in
A-- MATER(AL T!
ore than $ES C,ST!M L(3RAR$
one
project>

.!

CREATE .EW
MATER(AL (.
"R!;ECT
 

Will Material Tags be used>

(f yes* then add desired description for
aterial tag
Will #eynotes be used>

(f yes* then assign #eynote

Will aterial be used for cost estiating>

Add cost and anufacturer inforation

Add coents and #ey%ords to help %ith

aterial searches

Identit! Tab %hec( list when

adding a new Material
 

• What color do you %ant to see in shaded vie%s>

• What hatch pattern do you %ant to use to identify the
eleent1object type>

'rahics tab %hec(list

 

-o you %ant to render the aterial using

 Color
 (age
 Metal

Aearance Tab
 

For paints
For ceraic surfaces

For plastics

0hen do !ou use %olor onl!?

 

3y adding finish bups*

a relief pattern and tint*
you can add interest to
any color

-on/t be afraid to
e2perient & the ore you
play* the ore you learn

1ust 2ecause it is a %olor doesn3t

mean 2oring
 

To convey a sense of ?-1depth

For plants* %allpaper* decals* urals*

%ood* tile* etc6

Revit supports iage files of the follo%ing

types: 3M"* ;"+* ;"E+* and ".+6

0hen do !ou use an Image?

 

)se Mas to enhance Images

 

 Reflectivity & controls %hat appears in reflective

surfaces & li#e etals
Transparency & controls the transparency of a

surface & li#e glass or %ater

Cutout & adds a see'through appearance & apply to

chain lin#* screens* cat%al#s* or fences

Self'illuination & a#es the object appear to glo%

& use on LE- screens* billboards* or televisions

3up' gives the appearance of bupiness or

 @noise & use on cobblestones* la%ns* fabric*

arble* or stone

The $ifferent T!es of Mas

 

Right clic# on
the iage
and select
Edit (age*
then bro%se
for the
desired
iage file

To select+assign an image to a
material
 

Added a %hec(ered %utout to this

fabric
 

Locate a aterial siilar to the one you

%ant* if you can 4other%ise* use +eneric5
-uplicate the aterial

Renae

Modify the (dentity* +raphics* and

Appearance Tabs
Apply to the object

"revie% using Realistic or Raytrace

Adjust the definition as needed

Stes to create a new material

 

.ocate a similar material4

Right clic( and select $ulicate
 

Rename
 

Fill out the Identit! $ata

 

Assign %olors and Hatch ,atterns

 

Clic# on the lin# and

bro%se for a ne%
iage to be used

Edit Image and then select a new

image
 

Edit the Information and review

the image
 

Select a new 2um image or ad5ust

the other ma images as needed
 

See how the new material loo(s in

the model
 

"roject
Materials

Asset
Material Manager
Libraries

2e Familiar with the different

anels in the Material 2rowser
 

Toggles the display of libraries

Controls %hat you

see in the dialog

!pens1Closes
the Material
Editor1Asset
3ro%ser
 

$ou can create your o%n custo

library of aterials to be shared
across projects or use soeone
else/s custo library

Material .ibraries
 

Elise Moss
sossBperalta6edu

6uestions?