Building MTR Tut A4 ENU

Revit Building 9.
Metric Tutorials
00
April 2006
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Contents
Part 1
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Using the Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Accessing Training Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Understanding the Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Navigating the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Performing Common Tasks as You Work in Revit Building . . . . . 24
Part 2
Developing Your Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Chapter 2 Creating a Building Information Model . . . . . . . . . . 35

Creating the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Adding Project Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Creating a Column Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Adding Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Adding Braces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Creating a Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Changing Structural Member Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adding Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Adding a Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Adding a Curtain Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Creating an Entrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Creating a Drop Ceiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Creating Multi-Level Stairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Creating a Wall with a Non-Uniform Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Adding Entourage and Site Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Linking a Service Core to the Building Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Modifying a Floor and Adding Railings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Part 3
Documenting Your Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Chapter 3 Creating Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Creating Drawing Sheets in a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Creating a Drawing Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Contents | v
Adding a Sheet to the Project . . . . . . . . .

Modifying the Building Model from a Sheet .
Creating New Views to Add to Sheets . . . .
Using Legends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Symbol Legend . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Wall Type Legend . . . . . . . . .
Using a Legend View to Match Types . . . .
Using Revision Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting Up a Revision Table . . . . . . . . . .
Sketching Revision Clouds . . . . . . . . . .
Tagging Revision Clouds . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Revisions . . . . . . . . . . .
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Chapter 4 Detailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Creating a Detail from a Building Model . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Callout View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Detailing the View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Detail Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding a Vapor Barrier and Insulation . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Break Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Text Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Component Order and Visibility Settings in Detail
Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Detail Component Order in a Detail View . .
Changing Visibility Settings in a Detail View . . . . . .
Creating a Drafted Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Drafting View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Detail in the Drafting View . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Detail Components and Keynoting . . . . . . .
Creating a Roof Edge Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Annotating the Detail with Keynotes . . . . . . . . . .
Importing a Detail into a Drafting View . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Reference Callout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Chapter 5 Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

Creating Type and Instance Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Window Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining Schedules and Color Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Room Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Room Color Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Room Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scheduling Rooms from a Program List . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Material Takeoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scheduling Uniformat Assembly Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scheduling Uniformat Assembly Codes and Descriptions .
Scheduling Shared Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Multi-Category Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi | Contents
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Using Formulas and Filters in Schedules . . . . . . . . . .

Creating a Level-Based Door Schedule with a Filter . .
Creating a Wall Schedule with Filters and a Formula .
Scheduling Project Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Room Schedule with Project Parameters . .
Exporting Project Information with ODBC . . . . . . . . .
Exporting Schedule Information to Microsoft Access .
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Chapter 6 Annotating and Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347

Setting the Base Elevation of a Project . . . . . . .
Setting the Base Elevation of a House . . . . .
Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Controlling Witness Line Location . . . . . . .
Modifying Dimension Properties . . . . . . . .
Working with Alignments and Constraints . .
Creating Automatic Linear Wall Dimensions .
Annotating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Angular Dimensions . . . . . . . . .
Sequentially Placing and Tagging Rooms . . .
Tagging Doors and Windows . . . . . . . . . .
Part 4
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Viewing and Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Chapter 7 Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387

Viewing a Building Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exploring the Building Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Perspective View with a Camera . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Section View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Elevation Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Controlling Fill Pattern Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Controlling the Fill Pattern Color of a Material . . . . . . .
Setting the Coarse Scale Fill Pattern Color for a Wall Type .
Creating a View Plan Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Plan Region in a Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Chapter 8 Rendering Views and Creating Walkthroughs . . . . . . 419

Rendering an Exterior View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applying Materials and Textures to the Building Model .
Adding Trees to the Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Perspective View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting a Scene and Rendering the View . . . . . . . .
Rendering an Interior View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding RPC People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating the Interior Perspective View . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a New Render Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining Daylights and Rendering the View . . . . . . .
Creating and Recording Walkthroughs . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Contents | vii
Creating a Walkthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452

Changing the Walkthrough Path and Camera Position . . . . . . 457
Recording the Walkthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Chapter 9 Creating Solar Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463

Creating Views for Solar Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Solar Study - Courtyard View . . . . . . . .
Creating a Solar Study Section Cutaway View . . . . .
Creating a Solar Study Plan Cutaway View . . . . . .
Saving Solar Study Settings and Previewing Animations . .
Creating Solar Studies - Summer and Winter Solstice .
Previewing Solar Study Animation . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting Solar Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting the Study as AVI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting a Study as PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an Internal Plan Solar Study . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an Internal Plan Study . . . . . . . . . . . .
Orienting to True North for Solar Studies . . . . . . . . . .
Orienting to True North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rendering Interior Shadow Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rendering an Interior View . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Chapter 10 Presentation Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495

Adding a Floor Plan View to the Analytique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Preparing a Floor Plan for the Analytique . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Using Advanced Model Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
Adding the Floor Plan to a Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Adding an Elevation View to the Analytique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Preparing the Elevation Analytique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Adding the Presentation Elevation View to the Presentation
Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
Adding Section Views to the Analytique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Preparing a Section View for the Analytique . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Adding Shadows and Silhouettes to a Section View . . . . . . . . 520
Adding the Presentation Section to the Analytique . . . . . . . . 523
Working with a Presentation View Template . . . . . . . . . . . 528
Working in a Callout Analytique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Creating 3D Cutaways with Section Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Creating Cutaway Isometric Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Creating Cutaway Perspective Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549
Annotating the Analytique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Part 5
Importing and Exporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Chapter 11 Importing SketchUp Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559

Importing a SketchUp Model as a Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
Creating a Building from Mass Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563
viii | Contents
Part 6
Creating Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
Chapter 12 About Families and the Family Editor . . . . . . . . . . 579

Using Families and the Family Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580
Introduction to Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580
Introduction to the Family Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582
Chapter 13 Creating Components in the Family Editor . . . . . . . 585

Creating a Door Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing the Door Plan View Components . . . . . .
Creating the Door Leaf Solid Geometry . . . . . . . .
Assigning Materials to the Door Components . . . . .
Defining New Door Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Window Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specifying the New Window Parameters . . . . . . . .
Creating the Window Frame Solid Geometry . . . . .
Creating the Window Sash Solid Geometry . . . . . .
Creating the Window Glass Solid Geometry . . . . . .
Creating the Window Mullion Solid Geometry . . . .
Assigning Materials to the Window Components . . .
Defining New Window Types . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Furniture Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specifying the New Rolltop Desk Parameters . . . . .
Creating the Desktop Solid Geometry . . . . . . . . .
Creating the Desk Drawer Base Solid Geometry . . . .
Creating the Rolltop Solid Geometry . . . . . . . . .
Creating the Drawers Solid Geometry . . . . . . . . .
Defining New Furniture Types . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Baluster Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing a Baluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assigning the New Baluster to a Stair Run . . . . . . .
Creating Profile Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing a Sweep Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing a Rail Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing a Stair Nosing Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing a Reveal Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing a Host Sweep Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applying a Sweep Profile to a 2D Path . . . . . . . . .
Applying a Host Sweep Profile to Walls . . . . . . . .
Creating a Room Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specifying Room Tag Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an Annotation Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Custom North Arrow Annotation Symbol .
Adding the New North Arrow to a Project . . . . . . .
Creating a Titleblock Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Linework for a Titleblock Sheet . . . . . . . .
Adding Graphics and Text to a Titleblock . . . . . . .
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. 664
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. 681
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. 707
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. 714
. 714
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. 720
. 720
. 721
. 725
Contents | ix
Adding the Titleblock to a New Project . . .

Creating In-Place Families . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating the Dome Roof In-Place Family . .
Creating the Concave Floor In-Place Family .
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. 738
. 747
Chapter 14 Parametric Component Design Techniques . . . . . . . 753

Planning a Parametric Component Family . . . . .
Determining Component Needs . . . . . . . .
Selecting the Family Template . . . . . . . . .
Creating the Component Skeleton . . . . . . . . .
Adding Reference Planes . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Dimensions and Constraints . . . . . .
Creating New Length Parameters . . . . . . .
Flexing the Component Model . . . . . . . . .
Adding Solid Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Solid Extrusions . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Constraints to the Solid Geometry . .
Creating Additional Solid Geometry . . . . . .
Testing the Family in a Project . . . . . . . . . . .
Loading a Family into a Project . . . . . . . .
Testing a Family Instance in a Project . . . . .
Working with Nested Subcomponents . . . . . . .
Adding a Nested Component . . . . . . . . .
Creating Formula-controlled Parameters . . . .
Arraying Nested Subcomponents . . . . . . . .
Reloading a Family into a Project . . . . . . .
Applying Subcategories, Materials, and Parameters .
Creating and Applying Subcategories . . . . .
Creating Material Parameters . . . . . . . . . .
Controlling Component Visibility . . . . . . . . .
Assigning Detail Level and View Controls . . .
Creating Component Types . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Multiple Component Types . . . . .
Creating Conditional Formulas . . . . . . . .
Part 7
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. 792
. 803
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. 817
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. 842
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. 851
Using Advanced Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 853
Chapter 15 Curtain Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855

Flat Curtain System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an Entrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Mullions to the Curtain System . . . .
Curved Curtain System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding a Curved Curtain System . . . . . . .
Adding a Custom Curtain Panel . . . . . . . .
Adding Mullions to the Curved Curtain Panel
Additional Curtain Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sloped Glazings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Storefront System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
x | Contents
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Curtain System by Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892
Chapter 16 Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 897

Creating Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an Extruded Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Gable Roof from a Footprint . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Roof with a Vertical Penetration from a Footprint .
Creating a Hip Roof from a Footprint . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Shed Roof from a Footprint . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Slope Arrows to a Shed Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aligning Roof Eaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Mansard Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Fascia, Gutters, and Soffits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Roof Fascia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Gutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Soffits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. 920
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. 924
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. 926
. 928
Chapter 17 Area Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931

Using Area Analysis Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 932
Creating Area Schemes and Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 932
Creating Area Schedules and Color Fill Area Plans . . . . . . . . . 940
Chapter 18 Massing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 943

Using Massing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Massing Elements to a Building Model . . . . .
Using Massing Tools to Cut Geometry from the Building
Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Mass Family Files in a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating New Mass Family Types . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loading and Placing New Mass Families . . . . . . . . .
Joining Mass Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Mass Elements with Design Options . . . . . . . . . .
Mass Elements in Design Options . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Building Components from Mass Elements . . . . .
Creating Walls by Picking Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Floors by Picking Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Roofs by Picking Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Curtain Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing Elements Created from Massings . . . . . . . .
Controlling Mass/Shell Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. 986
. 993
Chapter 19 Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 997

Creating Groups . . . . . . . .
Creating a Group . . . . .
Placing a Group . . . . . .
Modifying a Group . . . .
Creating Nested Groups . . . .
Creating a Nested Group .
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Contents | xi
Modifying a Nested Group . . . .

Working with Groups . . . . . . . . .
Duplicating a Group . . . . . . . .
Creating a Detail Group . . . . . .
Using Attached Detail Groups . .
Saving and Loading Groups . . . .
Automatically Creating a Group .
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Chapter 20 Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1021

Using Site Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Toposurface . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Property Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying Contour Visibility and Site Settings .
Creating Topographic Subregions . . . . . . . .
Grading the Toposurface . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding a Building Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Site Components . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tagging Site and Parking Components . . . . .
Creating Parking Space Schedules . . . . . . . .
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Chapter 21 Structural . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1067

Adding Structural Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing a DWG for Use as an Underlay .
Sketching Structural Walls . . . . . . . . .
Dimensioning and Modifying Walls . . . .
Adding Structural Columns and Beams . . . . .
Adding Structural Columns . . . . . . . . .
Adding Structural Beams and Girders . . . .
Adding Joists and Purlins . . . . . . . . . .
Copying Level 1 Structure to Upper Levels . . .
Defining New Levels . . . . . . . . . . . .
Duplicating the Existing Design . . . . . .
Adding Braces in a Framing Elevation . . . . . .
Creating a Framing Elevation . . . . . . . .
Adding Structural Braces . . . . . . . . . .
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. 1119
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. 1122
Chapter 22 Sharing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Worksharing in a Project . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Worksharing Fundamentals . . .
Enabling Worksharing and Setting Up Worksets .
Working Individually with Worksets . . . . . . .
Using Worksets with Multiple Users . . . . . . .
Borrowing Elements from the Worksets of Other
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Chapter 23 Creating Multiple Design Options . . . . . . . . . . . 1163

Creating Multiple Design Options in a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . 1165
Creating the Structural Design Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1165
xii | Contents
Creating the Roof System Design Options . . . . . . . . . . . . 1179

Managing Design Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1189
Chapter 24 Project Phasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1195

Using Phasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1196
Phasing Your Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1196
Using Phase-Specific Room Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205
Chapter 25 Linking Building Models and Sharing Coordinates . . 1211

Linking Building Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linking Building Models from Different Project Files .
Repositioning Linked Building Models . . . . . . . . .
Controlling Linked Building Model Visibility . . . . .
Managing Linked Building Models . . . . . . . . . . .
Sharing Coordinates Between Building Models . . . . . . .
Acquiring and Publishing Coordinates . . . . . . . . .
Relocating a Project with Shared Coordinates . . . . .
Scheduling Components of Linked Files . . . . . . . .
Working with a Linked Building Model . . . . . . . .
Managing Shared Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part 8
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. 1247
. 1249
Customizing Project Settings and Templates . . . . . 1251
Chapter 26 Modifying Project and System Settings . . . . . . . . 1253

Modifying System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1254
Modifying General System Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1254
Specifying File Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1256
Specifying Spelling Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1259
Modifying Snap Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1261
Modifying Project Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1264
Creating and Applying Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1264
Creating and Applying Fill Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1270
Controlling Object Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1273
Modifying Line Patterns and Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1276
Modifying Annotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1281
Specifying Units of Measurement, Temporary Dimensions, and
Detail Level Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1285
Modifying Project Browser Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1287
Creating an Office Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1290
Choosing the Base Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1290
Modifying Project Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1292
Loading and Modifying Families and Groups . . . . . . . . . . 1300
Modifying Views and View Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1303
Modifying Render Scene Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1307
Modifying Import/Export Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1310
Setting up Shared and Project Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . 1312
Creating Named Print Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1315
Contents | xiii
Getting Started
Introduction
This introduction helps you get started with the Revit Building
9.1 tutorials and presents the fundamental concepts of the
product, including:
how Revit Building works.
the terms used when working with the product.
how to navigate the user interface.
how to perform some common tasks in the product.
4 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Using the Tutorials

In this lesson, you learn how to get started with the Revit Building
tutorials, including where to locate the training files specified in the
tutorials and how to create a new Revit Building project from a template
file.
The Contents tab of the Revit Building Tutorials window displays the
available tutorial titles. Expand a title to display the titles of the lessons
in the tutorial, and expand a lesson title to display a list of exercises in
the lesson.
NOTE You may find it helpful to print a tutorial to make it easier to reference
the instructions as you work in Revit Building. The tutorials are also available
in PDF format by clicking Help menu Documents on the Web in Revit
Building.
Accessing Training Files

Training files are Revit Building projects, templates, and families that
were created specifically for the tutorials. The training files, like the
tutorials, are bundled with the product. Training files are provided to
help you work through the tutorials. In this exercise, you learn where
the training files are located, as well as how to open and save them.
Where are the training files located?

Training files, by default, are located in c:\documents and settings\all
users\application data\autodesk\revit building 9.1\training. Training
files are grouped into three folders within the training folder:
Common: generic files often used to teach a concept. These files

are not dependent on imperial or metric units. Common file names
have a c_ prefix.
Imperial: files specifically for users working with imperial units.

Imperial file names have an i_ prefix.
Metric: files specifically for users working with metric units. Metric
file names have an m_ prefix.
NOTE Depending on your installation, your training folder may be in a

different location. Contact your CAD manager for more information.
Using the Tutorials | 5
IMPORTANT Content used in the tutorials, such as templates and families, is

located and accessed in the training files location. Although this content may
be installed in other locations on your system, all content used in the tutorials
is included in the training files location to ensure that all audiences access the
correct files.
What is a dataset?
A dataset is a Revit Building project that defines a building information
model and views of the model that is used to complete the steps in a
tutorial. Many tutorials include a Dataset section that references the training
file to be used with the tutorial. In other tutorials, you create a project
from a template, rather than opening an existing dataset.
Open a dataset
1 Click File menu Open.
2 In the left pane of the Open dialog, scroll down, and click the
Training Files icon.
3 In the right pane, double-click Common, Imperial, or Metric,
depending on the type of dataset.
4 Click the dataset name, and click Open.
Save a dataset
5 To save a dataset with a new name, click File menu Save As.
In many cases, the work you do in a project during a tutorial

exercise becomes the starting point for the next exercise.
In many tutorials, you create a project or modify an existing
project, save the changes, and use the saved version of the
file to begin the next exercise or lesson.
6 Complete the information in the Save As dialog:
For Save in, select the folder in which to save the new
file.
You can save the file in the appropriate Training Files
folder or in another location. Note where you save the
file so you can open it for additional exercises as
required.
For File name, enter the new file name.

A good practice is to save the dataset with a unique
name after you have made changes. For example, if you
open c_settings.rvt and make changes, you should save
this file with a new name such as
c_settings_modified.rvt.
For Save as type, verify that Project Files is selected, and

then click Save.
Create a project from a template

7 To create a project from a template, rather than using an
existing dataset, click File menu New Project.
8 In the New Project dialog, under Create new, select Project.

9 Under Template file, verify the second option is selected,
and click Browse.
In the left pane of the Choose Template dialog, click the
Training Files icon, and open Metric\Templates.
Accessing Training Files | 7
10 In the Choose Template dialog, review the Revit Building

templates.
Templates are available for specific building types: commercial,
construction, and residential. Each template contains
predefined settings and views appropriate for the
corresponding building type. For most tutorial projects, you
will use the default template, and customize the project as
necessary.
11 Select DefaultMetric.rte, and click Open.
12 Click OK.
Understanding the Basics

In this lesson, you learn what Revit Building is and how its parametric
change engine benefits you and your work. You begin with the fundamental
concepts that Revit Building is built upon. You learn the terminology, the
hierarchy of elements, how to navigate the user interface, and how to
perform some common tasks in the product.
What is Revit Building 9.1?

The Revit Building platform for building information modeling is a design
and documentation system that supports the design, drawings, and
schedules required for a building project. Building information modeling
(BIM) delivers information about project design, scope, quantities, and
phases when you need it.
In the Revit Building model, every drawing sheet, 2D and 3D view, and
schedule is a presentation of information from the same underlying
building model database. As you work in drawing and schedule views,
Revit Building collects information about the building project and
coordinates this information across all other representations of the project.
The Revit Building parametric change engine automatically coordinates
changes made anywherein model views, drawing sheets, schedules,
sections, and plans.
What is meant by parametric?

The term parametric refers to the relationships among all elements of the
model that enable the coordination and change management that Revit
Building provides. These relationships are created either automatically by
the software or by you as you work. In mathematics and mechanical CAD,
the numbers or characteristics that define these kinds of relationships are
called parameters; hence, the operation of the software is parametric. This
concept is important because it is this capability that delivers the
fundamental coordination and productivity benefits of Revit Building:
Change anything at any time anywhere in the project, and Revit Building
coordinates that change through the entire project.
The following are examples of these element relationships:
The outside of a door frame is a fixed dimension on the hinge side

from a perpendicular partition. If you move the partition, the door
retains this relationship to the partition.
Windows or pilasters are spaced equally across a given elevation. If

the length of the elevation is changed, the relationship of equal
spacing is maintained. In this case, the parameter is not a number
but a proportional characteristic.
The edge of a floor or roof is related to the exterior wall such that
when the exterior wall is moved, the floor or roof remains
connected. In this case, the parameter is one of association or
connection.
How does Revit Building 9.1 keep things updated?

A fundamental characteristic of a building information modeling
application is the ability to coordinate changes and maintain consistency
at all times. You do not have to intervene to update drawings or links.
When you change something, Revit Building immediately determines
what is affected by the change and reflects that change to any affected
elements.
Revit Building uses two key concepts that make it especially powerful
and easy to use. The first is the capturing of relationships while the
designer works. The second is its approach to propagating building
changes. The result of these concepts is software that works like you do,
without requiring entry of data that is unimportant to your design.
Element behavior in a parametric modeler

Revit Building uses five software element classes: host, component,
annotation, view, and datum.
Hosts include walls, floors, roofs, and ceilings.
Components include windows, doors, and furniture.
Annotations are 2D, view-specific elements that help you produce

your documentation.
Views are dynamic representations of the model and are always

up-to-date.
Datums are reference elements that help you put your building
together.
Understanding the Basics | 9
This implementation provides flexibility for designers. Revit Building

elements are designed to be created and modified by you directly;
programming is not required. If you can draw, you can define new
parametric elements in Revit Building.
In Revit Building, the elements determine their behavior largely from their
context in the building. The context is determined by how you draw the
component and the constraint relationships that are established with other
components. Often, you do nothing to establish these relationships; they
are implied by what you do and how you draw. In other cases, you can
explicitly control them, by locking a dimension or aligning two walls, for
example.
Understanding Revit Building 9.1 terms

Most of the terms used to identify objects in Revit Building are common,
industry-standard terms familiar to most architects. However, there are
some terms that are unique to Revit Building, and understanding them is
crucial to understanding the software. This section defines the basic terms
used in Revit Building.
Project: In Revit Building, the project is the single database of information
for your designthe building information model. The project file contains
all the information for your building design, from geometry to construction
data. This information includes components used to design the model,
views of the project, and drawings of the design. By using a single project
file, Revit Building makes it easy for you to alter your design and have
changes reflected in all associated areas (plan views, elevation views, section
views, schedules, and so forth). Having only one file to track also makes
it easier to manage the project.
Level: Levels are infinite horizontal planes that act as a reference for
level-hosted elements, such as roofs, floors, and ceilings. Most often, you
use levels to define a vertical height or story within a building. You create
a level for each known story or other needed reference of the building; for
example, first floor, top of wall, or bottom of foundation. To place levels,
you must be in a section or elevation view.
Level 2 work plane cutting through the 3D view with the corresponding floor
plan tiled next to it.
Element: When creating your project, you add Revit Building parametric
building elements to the design. All elements are considered categories.
Revit Building classifies elements by model component elements and
annotation elements.
A model component element, such as a door, desk, or roof,

represents the actual 3D geometry of the building.
An annotation building element, such as a door tag, elevation

symbol, or room tag, helps document the model.
Family: Families are classes of elements in a category that group

elements with a common set of parameters (properties), identical use,
and similar graphical representation. Different elements in a family may
have different values for some or all properties, but the set of
propertiestheir names and meaningis the same. For example,
six-panel colonial doors could be considered one family, although the
doors that compose the family come in different sizes and materials.
Families are either component families or system families:
Component family files can be loaded into a project and created

from family templates. You can determine the set of properties and
the graphical representation of the family.
Understanding the Basics | 11
System families include walls, dimensions, ceilings, roofs, floors, and

levels, and are not available for loading or creating as separate files.
Revit Building predefines the set of properties and the graphical

representation of system families.
You can use the predefined types to generate new types that belong
to this family within the project. For example, the behavior of a
wall is predefined in the system; however, you can create different
types of walls with different compositions.
System families can be transferred between projects.
Type: Each family can have different types. A type can be a specific size
of a family, such as a A0 title block or a 910 x 2110 door. A type can also
be a style, such as default aligned or default angular style for dimensions.
A family can have several types. For example, a table could come in several
different sizes. Each different size would be a new type within the same
family.
Instance: Instances are the actual items that are placed in the project and
have specific locations in the building (model instances) or on a drawing
sheet (annotation instances).
Revit Building 9.1 terms
Navigating the User Interface

One of the advantages of Revit Building is its ease of use, specifically its
clear user interface. The Revit Building window is arranged to make
navigation easy. Even the toolbar buttons are labeled, making it easy to
understand what each button represents. Revit Building uses standard
Microsoft Windows conventions. If you have used any other product
that follows these conventions, learning Revit Building is much easier.
In the following illustration, the user interface is labeled. In the steps
that follow, you navigate and become familiar with the user interface.
Start a new project

1 On the Standard toolbar, click
This creates a new project based on the default template.
The Title Bar

2 Place your cursor at the top of the user interface and notice
the Title Bar contains the name of the project and the view
that is currently open.
Navigating the User Interface | 13
By default, new projects are numbered consecutively until

saved with a new name. In addition, the Level 1 floor plan
view is the default open view.
TIP The view opened and the view names are dependent on the
template on which the project is based.
The Menu Bar

3 Click View menu Zoom.
The Menu Bar across the top of the window includes standard
menu names such as File, Edit, and View. To choose
commands, place the cursor over the menu name, and click.
Then, click the command name to start the command. Many
of the commands also have shortcut keys to speed up the
design process. These shortcut keys are listed next to the
command on the menu.
TIP For example, the shortcut key for Zoom in Region is ZR.
While working in the drawing area, you simply type the
required keystrokes to run the command. Another timesaving
tool for selecting commands is to place the cursor in the
drawing area and right-click. A context menu appears with a
list of all available commands. The context menu changes
depending on the function you are performing and what is
currently selected.
The Toolbar
4 On the Window menu, click Toolbar.
There are six toolbars across the top of the window just beneath
the Menu Bar. The buttons on the toolbar represent some of
the more common commands. You can control the visibility
of the six toolbars and turn the toolbar text labels on or off
within the Window Toolbar menu. You can use the toolbar
grips to resize and move each toolbar.
The Options Bar

5 Click Modelling menu Wall.
Notice the bar beneath the toolbars contains wall design
options. The Options Bar is context-sensitive and varies
depending on the tool or selected component.
6 Click Modelling menu Door.

Notice the design options available on the Options Bar are
now applicable to doors. On the left side of the Options
Bar, notice a door type is specified.
The Type Selector

7 The drop-down list on the left side of the Options Bar is
called the Type Selector. Select the drop-down list to view
the list of doors.
The Type Selector is a context-sensitive drop-down list. If

you select the Door tool, the Type Selector displays a list of
doors available within the project. The list of components
in the Type Selector is identical to the components listed
in the Families branch of the Project Browser under the
respective category.
8 Click Modelling menu Wall.

9 In the Type Selector, notice the list of walls that are available.
You use the Type Selector in two ways. First, you can select a
component type before you add it to the building model. For
example, if you intend to add a door, the door type active in
the Type Selector is the door type that is added when you
insert it into the building model. You can also use the Type
Selector to change a component type after it has been added
to the building model. Within the drawing area, you can select
any component and then change the type from the Type
Selector.
The Design Bar

10 Click Window menu Design Bars.
The Show Design Bars dialog is displayed.
The Design Bar is located on the left side of the interface,

immediately below the Type Selector. There are 10 tabs in
the Design Bar, containing buttons grouped by function.
You can control which tabs display by selecting them in
the Show Design Bars dialog.
11 Click OK.
Each tab contains frequently used commands that are also
available from the menu.
Basics tab: includes commands for creating most basic

building model components.
View tab: commands for creating different views in the

project
Modelling tab: all the commands to create model elements
Drafting tab: commands for both adding annotation

symbols and creating the sheet details for the project
construction documents
Rendering tab: commands for creating rendered 3D images
Site tab: commands for adding site components and

producing site plans
Massing tab: commands for executing conceptual

massing commands
Room and Area tab: commands for making room and

area schemes and plans
Structural tab: commands for adding structural

components to your project
Construction tab: includes commands for creating

construction industry information
To access the commands within a tab, click the tab, and the
respective commands are displayed on the Design Bar.
TIP You can turn the visibility of each tab on and off by
right-clicking on the Design Bar and selecting the tab from the
context menu.
The Project Browser

12 To the right of the Design Bar is the Project Browser. In the
Project Browser, select Views (all).
You can use the Project Browser to quickly manage the views,
schedules, sheets, reports, families, and groups of your current
project:
Right-click in the browser to add, delete, and rename

views, families, and groups.
The browser is conveniently organized by view type (floor

plans, elevations, 3D), family category (doors, walls,
windows), and group name. Expand or compress the
browser list by clicking the + or - sign next to the name.
To open a view, double-click the name.
You can also drag and drop from the browser into the
drawing area, making it easy to add a family or group to
the project or add a view to a sheet.
The browser is dockable, so you can position it wherever

you want by dragging the Project Browser title bar to a
new location.
13 In the Type Selector, scroll through the sorting options

available for the Project Browser.
14 Click Settings menu Browser Organization.

You can create and modify Project Browser organization
schemes for both views and sheets. After you create a
browser organization scheme, you can instantly change the
sorting within the Project Browser by selecting the scheme
in the Type Selector.
15 In the Browser Organization dialog, click Cancel.
The Status Bar

16 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Wall.
The cursor is displayed as a pencil.
17 Place your cursor near the center of the drawing area. Do
not click.
In the bottom left corner of the window, notice the Status Bar
provides information regarding what you should do next. In
this case, it tells you to "Click to enter wall start point."
TIP The tooltip that displays is identical to the note in the status
bar.
18 On the Design Bar, click Modify.
You can turn the Status Bar visibility on or off from the
Window menu. The Status Bar also provides information, in
conjunction with Tooltips, regarding selected components
within a view. When you place the cursor over a component,
it highlights and the status bar displays the component name.
TIP When attempting to select a specific component in a crowded
or detailed view, use the Tab key to alternate between nearby
components.
19 Place the cursor over the elevation symbol arrow on the left
side of the drawing area.
The elevation symbol consists of two parts, the main symbol

and the elevation directional arrows. Make sure you place
the cursor over the arrow portion of the symbol. It
highlights when the cursor is over it.
In the Status Bar, notice that the name of the preselected

component is Views: Elevation: West.
20 Press TAB, and notice that the preselected component
switches to the main elevation symbol, Elevations: Elevation:
Elevation 5.
When attempting to select a specific component in a
complex or crowded view, you can use the Status Bar and
the Tab key to toggle between components and select the
desired component.
Revit Building 9.1 Help

21 Click Help menu Autodesk Revit Help.
Help is available online at all times during a Revit Building
session. You can use this tri-pane, HTML help window to
search for information and quickly display it to read or
print. There are several tools that help you find information.
You can select a topic on the Contents tab, find a keyword
on the Index tab, search for all instances of a word or phrase
on the Search tab, or save commonly used pages on the
Favorites tab. Context-sensitive help is also available to
provide instant help on any menu command.
You can access Help in the following ways:
Dialog Boxes: Dialog boxes include Help buttons. Click

the Help button, and the topic specific to the dialog
box opens. If there is no Help button displayed, press
F1 to get help on that dialog box.
Windows: From any window, press F1 to get the topic

associated with the window.
Toolbar: From the Toolbar, click

, and then click
on a specific menu command or command button for
Help. You can also press SHIFT+F1. Be sure to have the
Standard toolbar displayed.
Tool Tips: To see Tool Tips, rest the cursor over the Toolbar
button until the Tool Tip displays.
TIP You can control the level of Tool Tip assistance from the
Settings Options menu.
22 Close the Revit Building Help window.
Performing Common Tasks as You Work in Revit Building

In this exercise, you learn to perform some of the common Revit Building
tasks that are included in the tutorials. After you are familiar with how to
complete these tasks, it will be easier to work in Revit Building and focus
on the unique tasks for each tutorial.
Use zoom commands to adjust the view

1 In the tutorials, you are instructed to use a zoom command
to adjust the viewable area in the window. For example, you
may be asked to zoom to a specific region of a view or to zoom
to fit the entire building or floor plan in the view.
Understanding how to adjust the view will make it easier to
work with the building model in the window.
There are several ways to access zoom options:
View menu commands
Zoom command on the View toolbar
Shortcut keys
Wheel mouse
Dynamic View dialog
In the following steps, you open a dataset and practice

adjusting the view with the zoom commands.
3 In the left pane of the Open dialog, scroll down, and click the
4 Double-click the Metricfolder.
5 Select m_Cohouse.rvt, and click Open.
The 3D isometric view displays:
6 Click View menu Zoom to display the zoom options

menu.
The zoom menu lists the zoom options and the shortcut
keys for each option.
7 Click Zoom Out (2x).

8 On the View toolbar, click the drop-down menu next to the
Zoom command to display the zoom options.
NOTE Clicking the Zoom icon itself automatically activates the

Zoom In Region command.
9 Click Zoom To Fit, and the view of the buiding model is
sized to fit the available window.
Performing Common Tasks as You Work in Revit Building | 25
10 Click in the drawing area, and enter the shortcut keys ZR to

zoom in on a region.
The cursor becomes a magnifying glass.
11 Click the upper left corner and lower right corner of the region
you wish to zoom; this is referred to as a crossing selection.
12 If you use a mouse where the middle button is a wheel, you

can roll the wheel to zoom the view dynamically. Use the
wheel mouse to zoom out to see the entire building again.
If you do not have a wheel mouse, use a zoom menu command
or the Toolbar option to zoom out within the view.
NOTE As you zoom in and out within a view, Revit Building uses
the largest snap increment that represents less than 2mm in the
drawing area. To modify or add snap increments, click Settings
menu Snaps.
13 Zoom is also available in Dynamic View mode. To display the
Dynamic View dialog in a 2D or 3D view, on the View toolbar,
click
The Dynamic View dialog displays in the lower-left corner of

the screen.
14 Use one of the following methods to zoom:
In the Dynamic View dialog, click Zoom, and drag the

cursor in the drawing area.
Without clicking in the dialog, press and hold CTRL,

hold the middle mouse button (or left mouse button
on a wheel mouse), and drag the cursor.
On a wheel mouse, roll the wheel to zoom the view.
Resize elements using drag controls

15 In the Project Browser, expland Views (all), expand Floor
Plans, and double-click 2nd Flr. Cnst.
When drawing or modifying a building model, it is
important to understand how to adjust the size of
components in the drawing area. Small blue dots, called
drag controls, display at the ends of selected lines and walls
in a plan view. Similar controls, referred to as shape handles,
display along the ends, bottoms, and tops of selected walls
in elevation and 3D views.
16 Enter ZR, zoom in on the upper-left corner of the floor plan,
and select the wall, as shown:
Notice the small blue dots that display at both ends of the
wall. These are the drag controls.
17 Click and drag the left control, moving the cursor to the
left horizontally, to lengthen the wall.
18 Click in the drawing area to deselect the wall.
Move an element
19 Scroll the view down so you can see the couch and table in
the floor plan.
20 Select the Craftsman02 table, and on the Edit toolbar, click

(Move).
Some commands, such as Move and Copy, require two clicks
to complete the command. After selecting the element to be
moved, for example, click to specify the starting position, and
click again to specify the ending position. In this case, you
want to move the table closer to the wall.
21 Click the lower-left endpoint of the table.
22 Click next to the lower wall, as shown.

The table moves down and the lower-left corner is placed
at the move endpoint.
23 Another way to move an element is to select it and drag it

to a new location. Select the plant, and drag it on top of the
table.
Undo commands
24 On the Standard toolbar, click the drop-down menu next to
.
All changes you make to a project are tracked. The Undo
command allows you to undo several commands by clicking
the drop-down menu next to the Undo command on the
Toolbar. In this example, you decide that you like the table
better where it was placed originally.
25 On the Undo menu, select the second item in the list, Move.
Selecting the second action in the list will undo the last two
actions. All commands are canceled up to and including the
selected command. The table and plant are returned to their
original locations.
NOTE To quickly undo the previous action, on the Standard
toolbar, click the Undo command, or press and hold CTRL and
enter Z.
End a command
26 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Lines.
Some commands, such as the Lines command, stay active or
current until you choose another command or end the current
command.
27 Click in the drawing area to start the line and click again to
end it.
Notice that the Lines command is still active and you could
continue to place lines.
28 To end the command, use one of the following methods:
Choose another command.
On the Design Bar, click Modify.
Press ESC twice.
29 Close the file without saving your changes.
Developing Your
Designs
33
Creating a Building
Information Model
In this tutorial, you learn how to design a building information

model (BIM) in Autodesk Revit Building. You create a retail
building that contains 5 floors, a curtain wall, a central service
core, and a sloped roof over one corner of the building.
As you develop the building design, you learn how to use

parametric design techniques. Parametric design allows you
to incorporate design intent into your model. Dimensions and
other positional constraints define relationships between
elements in the model. For example, a wall or a column can
be constrained to grid. If the grid moves, the wall or column
will move with it.
35
When you constrain Revit Building elements to each other, it

is good practice to test the constraints, or flex the model by
changing parameters. As you complete the exercises in this
tutorial, you learn how to constrain elements and how to test
the parametric relationships between them.
Using this Tutorial

In the first 6 exercises of this tutorial, you create a Revit
Building project from a template provided with the software.
You set up the project and create the structural frame and
foundation of the building. After you complete the foundation,
datasets are provided with the following exercises. You can
continue to work in your project, or you may use the provided
datasets.
36 | Chapter 2 Creating a Building Information Model
Creating the Project

In this exercise, you create the project that will store the retail building
design and different views of the building. The project is stored as a
single file, with an RVT extension.
To create the project file, you use a template that is provided with the
software. The template file has an RTE extension and provides default
project units, views, levels, and settings, but contains no geometry.
Create the project from the default template

1 On the File menu, click New Project.
2 In the New Project dialog, under Create new, select Project.
3 Under Template file, verify the second option is selected,
and click Browse.
By default, the Metric Templates folder, located in
c:\documents and settings\all users\application
data\autodesk\revit building 9.1, opens. To ensure that all
users use the correct template for this tutorial, browse to
the training files location.
4 In the left pane of the Choose Template dialog, click
Training Files, and browse to Metric\Templates to review
the Revit Building templates.
Revit Building templates are available for specific building
types: commercial, construction, and residential. Each
template contains predefined settings and views appropriate
for the corresponding building type. For this project, you
will use the default template, and customize the project as
necessary.
5 Select DefaultMetric.rte, and click Open.
6 Click OK.
The new project opens. In the drawing space in the right
pane, notice four elevation markers.
Creating the Project | 37
In views that display elevation markers, you design inside the

elevation markers. Each marker corresponds to an elevation
view in the project: East, North, South, West. You can access
these views by clicking the elevation marker arrow, or by
opening the view in the Project Browser.
Explore the project with the Project Browser

7 On the left side of the drawing screen, locate the Project
Browser.
The Project Browser contains a hierarchical tree structure that
you use to navigate the views, sheets, schedules, and families
in your project.
8 If necessary, expand Views (all), expand Floor Plans, Ceiling
Plans, and Elevations (Building Elevation).
The views that display under each of these branches of the
tree are the default floor plan views, reflected ceiling plan
views, and elevation views created in the project by the
template. These views are customizable: you can rename them,
change their properties, duplicate, and delete them. You can
also add views to your project as you develop and document
the building information model.
NOTE If you create a project without a template, only a single
floor plan view and a single ceiling plan view are created.
9 Under Floor Plans, verify that Level 1 displays as bold.
The bold type indicates that the Level 1 Floor Plan view is
the current view, the view you see in the drawing area.
Notice that in the top left corner of your screen, the software
title bar contains the name of the software and Project 1Floor Plan: Level 1 to indicate the Level 1 Floor plan view
is current.
10 Under Elevations (Building Elevation), double-click South.
Two level lines, created by the template, display in the south
elevation. Level lines are finite horizontal planes that you
use to define the levels (stories) of your building information
model. You use levels to position Revit Building elements
in your building model. You can add, delete, and duplicate
levels, as well as change their names, heights, and other
properties.
11 In the Project Browser, notice the Legends,

Schedules\Quantities, Sheets (all), Families, and Groups
branches that display at the same level as Views (all).
As you design and document your building model, content
and building model reports, such as schedules and legends,
will be accessible from the Project Browser.
Save the project

12 Click File menu Save As.
13 In the left pane of the Save As dialog, click to scroll down
to the bottom of the list, and click Training Files.
14 In the file window, double-click Metric.
This folder contains the Autodesk Revit Building files that
you need to complete all of the Autodesk Revit Building
tutorials.
15 For File name, enter Revit Retail Building.
16 For Save as type, verify Project Files (*.rvt) is selected.
17 Click Save.
Creating the Project | 39
As you complete the exercises in this tutorial, you will want

to save your work frequently. You can control how often the
software will prompt you to save your work. Click Settings
menu Options, and on the General tab, view the Save
Reminder Interval.
18 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Project Levels on page
40.
Adding Project Levels

In this exercise, you modify the 2 default project levels and add 5 levels
to the project to define the 7 vertical levels of the building model. You
change the names of the 2 default levels, as well as the corresponding floor
and ceiling plan views to create foundation and entry levels for the
building. You also change the elevation of the two levels lines to the
appropriate heights for the first two stories of the building. After you modify
the two default levels, you add the remaining 5 levels using different
techniques.
You learn how the levels are locked, or constrained, to each other, so that
when one level moves, the other levels move and change with it. When
you begin designing, you will use the levels to position building elements
such as walls, doors, and windows within the building model.
Modify the two default project levels

1 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Elevations
(Building Elevation), and double-click South.
2 Using your wheel mouse, zoom and pan in to the level
names at the right end of each level line.
3 Double-click the Level 1 text, enter 00 Foundation, and
press ENTER.
TIP Because views list alphabetically or sequentially in the

Project Browser, it is good practice to precede the level names
with level numbers so the corresponding views will list
sequentially in the Project Browser.
4 Click Yes to rename the corresponding floor and ceiling
plan views.
5 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans and Ceiling Plans,
notice the Level 1 floor and ceiling plan views are now
named 00 Foundation.
6 Double-click the 00 Foundation elevation height, enter
-1800 mm, and press ENTER.
7 Double-click the Level 2 text, enter 01 Entry Level, and press
ENTER.
8 Click Yes to rename the corresponding views.
9 Double-click the 01 Entry Level elevation height, enter 0
mm, and press ENTER.
Next, you add a level by drawing it above the 01 Entry Level.
Adding Project Levels | 41
Use the Draw option to add a level

10 Zoom out so you can view both levels in the view.
11 On the left side of the Project Browser, view the Design Bar.
The Design Bar provides tabs that provide quick access to many
commands. By default, not all the tabs are visible. The
command that you use to add levels is on the Basics tab, which
should display by default. If it does not, place the cursor
anywhere on the Design Bar, right-click, and click Basics.
12 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Level.
Notice that the bar above the drawing area changes to display
new tools and setting. This is the Options Bar. The Options
Bar displays appropriate options and settings for every
command that you select on the Design Bar.
13 On the Options Bar, verify

selected.
and Make Plan View are
14 Click Plan View Types, verify Ceiling Plan and Floor Plan are
selected, and click OK.
When you add the new level, a corresponding ceiling plan
and floor plan view will be created.
15 Move the cursor to the left endpoint of the 01 Entry Level line,
and then move it up.
As you move the cursor, a temporary dimension displays the
height between 01 Entry Level and the cursor position.
16 Move the cursor until the height reads 3750 mm, and click to
specify the start point of the new level line, 3750 mm above
01Entry Level.
17 Move the cursor horizontally until a dashed green line displays
alignment with the two existing levels, click to specify the
endpoint of the level line, and press ESC.
18 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, right-click Level

3, click Rename, and enter 02 Level.
19 Click OK.
20 Click Yes to rename the corresponding level and view.
Notice that the name of the level line changes to 02 Level
in the current view.
21 In the Project Browser, verify that you have created an 02
Level ceiling plan view as well.
Next, you add another level, using a different option.
Use the Pick option to add a level

22 On Design Bar, click Level.
23 On the Options Bar, click
mm.
, and for Offset, enter 3750
24 Place your cursor on the 02 Level line, and move it slightly

upward.
A dashed green line indicates where the new level will be
drawn, 3750 mm above the 02 Level line.
25 Click to place the level line.
26 Rename the level 03 Level, and rename the corresponding
views.
27 Press ESC, or on the Design Bar, click Modify to end the
command.
Add the remaining 3 levels

28 Using either the Draw or Pick option, add 3 levels 3750 mm
apart above 03 Level.
Name the levels:
04 Level
05 Roof Garden
Adding Project Levels | 43
06 Roof
NOTE Do not use the Copy command to create the levels. If you
create a level by copying it, the associated floor and ceiling plan
views are not be created. Copy levels only when you want to use
them for reference.
Display a symbol at the left endpoint of the 06 level line

29 Click the 06 Roof Level line, and zoom to the left endpoint of
the line.
30 Select the empty blue box on the left to display a level symbol
at the left endpoint of the line, as shown.
31 Clear the box to redisplay the level symbol on the right side
only.
Test the level constraints
32 Select and drag the blue circle

to the right or left to
shorten or lengthen the level lines.
Notice that by moving the top level, all the levels move.
The lock icon that displays indicates that the levels are
vertically constrained. If you select a level and click its lock,
the levels are no longer constrained, and you can move
them independently. Verify that the levels are vertically
constrained with locks before you continue on to the next
exercise.
33 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Column Grid on
page 45.
Creating a Column Grid

In this exercise, you create a structural grid in the 00 Foundation floor
plan view of the building model. When the grid is complete, you place
the building columns at the grid line intersections. By using the grid to
control placement of columns, you ensure a level of accuracy early in
your design.
Creating a Column Grid | 45
In the following exercise, you constrain the column heights to the roof
level, so that if the roof elevation changes, the column height changes as
well. In a later exercise, you change the columns to round hollow steel
columns.
Create vertical column grid lines

1 On the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 00
Foundation.
2 On the Design Bar, click Grid.
3 On the Options Bar, select
Notice that the status bar prompts you to specify a start point
for the grid line.
4 Draw the first vertical grid line:
In the lower left corner of the drawing area, specify a start

point for the grid line.
Move the cursor up, until it is positioned under the top

elevation marker, and specify the grid line endpoint.
The number 1 displays inside the bubble at the endpoint of

the completed grid line.
5 Change the grid bubble number to a letter:
On the Design Bar, click Modify, and double-click 1

inside the grid bubble.
Enter A, and press ENTER.

You can change what displays in grid bubbles at any
point in your project.
Next, use the Pick option to create another vertical grid line
by offsetting it a specific distance from the existing line.
6 Offset a second vertical grid line from the first grid line:
On the Design Bar, click Grid.
On the Options Bar, click

7500 mm.
Move the cursor to the right side of the grid line, and
then place the cursor on the grid line to display the
location of the second grid line.
Click to place the grid line.
, and for Offset, enter
The first vertical grid bay is created.
7 Add 3 vertical grid lines:
On the Options Bar, for Offset, enter 4500 mm.
Move the cursor to the right side of grid line B, and click
to place the line.
Move the cursor to the right side of grid line C, and click
to place the line.
On the Options Bar, for Offset, enter 7500 mm.
Move the cursor to the right side of grid line D, and click
to place the line.

command.
Create horizontal grid lines

9 Draw the first horizontal grid line:
On the Design Bar, click Grid.

mm.
On the upper left side of the grid, specify a start point for
the grid line just below grid line A.
and specify an Offset of 0
Move the cursor horizontally past the last vertical grid

line, and specify the grid line endpoint.
The letter F displays inside the bubble at the endpoint of

the completed grid line.
10 Change the grid bubble letter to 1.
11 On the Design Bar, click Grid.
12 Using the Pick option and offsets of 7500 mm and 4500
mm, add horizontal grid lines to complete the grid, as
shown.
Dimension the grid and lock the grid bay spacing

13 On the Design Bar, click Dimension.
15 Starting with grid line A, select each vertical grid line just
under its grid bubble.
16 When you select the last vertical grid line, click the drawing
area to the right of the line to place the dimension.
17 Click all 4 lock icons on the dimension string to lock the
grid bay spacing.
The locks ensure that the grid spacing cannot be accidentally
changed.
19 Dimension the horizontal grid lines as shown.
20 Click the 4 lock icons to lock the horizontal grid dimensions.

command.
22 Press and hold CTRL, and select the central grid lines, C and
3.
23 Click Edit menu Pin Position.
Two pins display on the grid lines. By pinning these central
grid lines, you ensure that the grid remains centered and the
building will ''grow'' out from the center if its grid dimensions
are changed.
24 Press ESC.
The pins are hidden. You must select the grid lines to redisplay
the pins.
25 Adjust the grid:
On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select grid line A.
At the bottom endpoint of the grid line, click and drag

the blue circular grip up, until it is closer to grid line 5,
and press ESC.
Select grid line 1.
At the left endpoint of the grid line, click and drag the
blue circular grip to the right, until it is closer to grid
line A, and press ESC.
If necessary, adjust the position of the dimension strings

by selecting and dragging them.
Add columns to the grid

26 On the Structural tab of the Design Bar, click Structural
Column.
27 In the Type Selector, select UC-Universal Column:
305x305x97UC.
28 On the Options Bar:
Select Height and 05 Roof Garden.
For Place By, click
(Grid Intersection).
29 Press and hold CTRL, and select all of the column grid lines.
30 Verify that all the grid lines are selected (red), and on the
Options Bar, click Finish.
Columns that span from the 00 Foundation level to the 05
Roof Garden level are added at the grid line intersections
of the column grid.

command.
32 Select the dimension string between grid line A and B, and
unlock it.
33 Press and hold CTRL, select grid line A, click Activate
Dimensions, and then select the dimension value between
grid lines A and B.
34 Enter 9000 mm, and press ENTER.
The columns move to the new location at the intersection of
the grid lines.

locked grid dimension.
twice to restore the original
36 Select the dimension string and verify that it is locked. If it is

unlocked, lock it.
Next, create a 3D perspective view with a camera in which to
better view the columns. You want to view the columns as if
you were walking toward them.
Create a 3D perspective view of the building

37 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 01 Entry
Level.
38 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Camera.
39 On the Options Bar, for From, select 01 Entry Level.
40 Place the camera and select its target point:
Zoom to the lower right corner of the column grid, and

specify a point beyond the last horizontal grid line to place
the camera.
Move the cursor next to grid bubble A, and click to

place the target point of the camera.
The 3D perspective view created by the camera displays. The

view frame is highlighted in red and its grips display.
41 Resize the view by moving the frame grips until you can view
all of the columns.
42 Name the view:
In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand 3D

Views.
The current view, named 3D View 1 by default, displays

in bold under 3D Views.
Right-click 3D View 1, and click Rename.
In the Rename View dialog, enter To Building, and click

OK.
43 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Beams on page 55.
Adding Beams
In this exercise, you add beams to build the structure of the building
model. You begin by adding beams to the 01 Entry Level floor plan, and
then copy them to the subsequent levels.
When you finish adding beams, you change the height of the columns
so they extend to the 06 Roof level.
Adding Beams | 55
Add beams to the first level of the building

Level.
2 At the bottom left corner of the drawing area, view the icons
on the View Control Bar.
The View Control Bar offers graphical shortcuts to view settings
and commands.
3 Click the Detail Level icon

the scale.
, the icon on the right side of
A flyout menu displays the level of detail in which you can

display the elements in the current view. The view is currently
set to coarse, which displays the structural elements in your
view as single lines.
4 Click Medium.
5 On the Structural tab of the Design Bar, click Beam.
6 In the Type Selector, verify UB-Universal Beam: 305x165x40UB
is selected.
7 On the Options Bar, click Grid.
8 Press and hold CTRL, and select each grid line.
The selected grid lines display as red.
9 On the Options Bar, click Finish.
10 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click To

Building to view all of the beams.
Copy beams from 01 Entry Level to levels 02 through 06

11 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 01
Entry Level.
12 On the View toolbar, click
of the structure.
to view the default 3D view
The default 3D view is a southeast isometric view with

hidden lines.
Adding Beams | 57

14 Select one of the beams, right-click, and click Select All
Instances.
All of the beams attached to the columns display as red.
NOTE The default 3D view is the only 3D view in which the Select
All Instances command is available. It is not available in a
perspective or camera view.
15 Click Edit menu Copy to Clipboard.
16 Click Edit menu Paste Aligned Select Levels by Name.
17 In the Select Levels dialog, select 02 Level, press and hold SHIFT,
select 06 Roof, and click OK.
The beams that you copied from the 01 Entry Level are pasted
onto each subsequent level of the building. Notice that top
level beams are not connected to the columns, which only
extend to the 5th level. When you created the columns, you
specified their height to reach only the 05 Roof Garden level.
Change the height of the columns

18 Select one of the columns, right-click, and click Properties.
19 In the Element Properties dialog, under Instance Parameters,
view the Top Level Constraint parameter.
The parameter is set to 05 Roof Garden. You could change this
parameter to 06 Roof in this dialog to change the height of
the column, but it would only change the height of the single
selected column.
20 Click Cancel.
21 With the column selected, right-click, and click Select All
Instances.
All of the columns display as red.
23 In the Element Properties dialog, under Constraints, for Top

Level, select 06 Roof, and click OK.
24 Press ESC.
The columns now extend to the top level of the building,
06 Roof.

Building, and if necessary, resize the view to see the entire
structure.
Adding Beams | 59
View the south elevation of the structure

26 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click South.
You can view the columns and beams in the elevation, but
want to display them in less detail, as lines only.
27 At the lower left corner of the drawing, area, on the View
Control Bar:
Click Model Graphics Style, and click Hidden line.
Click Detail Level, and click Coarse.
The structural elements (columns and beams) display only as

lines.
28 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Braces on page 61.
Adding Braces
In this exercise, you add braces to the four corners of the building
structure. To better add the braces to the structure, you create 8 framing
elevation views.
Create framing elevation views

Foundation.
Adding Braces | 61
2 On the Structural tab of the Design Bar, click Framing

Elevation.
3 On the Options Bar, verify Attach to Grid is selected.
4 Select the outer grid lines to place 8 elevation markers around
the outside of the grid as shown, and press ESC to end the
command.
Each elevation marker aligns perpendicularly to the grid.
Add braces in a framing elevation view

5 On the bottom left side of the grid, double-click the elevation
marker arrow.
The associated framing elevation view displays.
6 Use the grips that display on the crop region to adjust both
sides of the view, so that you can see vertical grid lines A
and B.
7 On the Design Bar, click Brace.
8 In the Type Selector, verify UB-Universal Beam:
305x165x40UB is selected.
9 Move your cursor to the left endpoint of the beam on 01
Entry Level, and when the endpoint snap displays, click to
specify the start point of the brace.
NOTE Make sure you snap to the endpoints of the beams when
adding braces to ensure proper connectivity in the building
model.
10 Move your cursor diagonally to the right endpoint of the

beam on 02 Level, and click to specify the endpoint of the
brace.
11 Using the same technique, add 4 braces on the subsequent

levels of the building as show below. After you add the final
brace, press ESC to end the command.
NOTE Do not copy or array braces. You must place them one
by one to establish the proper connections between elements.
Adding Braces | 63
Lower the height of the roof (06 Roof) and the 04 Level to test the
connectivity
12 Double-click the 06 Roof level height, enter 18000 mm, and
press ENTER.
The height of the roof lowers.
IMPORTANT If the brace does not move with the level, delete
it and redraw it. Make sure that you use the endpoint snap to
connect the brace to the beams.
13 Double-click the 04 Level height, enter 10000 mm, and

press ENTER.
original level heights.
twice to restore the
Add braces in another framing elevation view

Foundation.
16 On the bottom right side of the grid, double-click the
framing elevation marker arrow.
17 Add diagonal braces to the structure, but this time add them
from right to left.
Adding Braces | 65
Add brace in the remaining views and test the connectivity of the
building model structure
18 Add braces to the structure in the remaining framing elevation
views, as shown in the 3D view below.

Foundation.
20 Select the dimension string between grid lines A and B, and

click the lock that displays to unlock it.
21 Select grid line A, and on the Options Bar, click Activate
Dimensions.
22 Click the dimension value of the first vertical grid bay (the
one that you unlocked), and enter 12000 mm.
23 In the Project Browser, open the 3D view and notice the
change in the size.
25 Change the height of the 06 Roof level to 24000 mm.
26 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click 3D.
Test connectivity of the columns, beams, and braces

27 Select one of the columns in the structure, and drag it away
from the structure.
The connected beams and braces resize as the columns
move.

3 times to restore the
locked dimension, grid size, and roof height.
Adding Braces | 67

Foundation.
30 Select the dimension string of the first vertical grid bay, and
if necessary, lock it.
31 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Foundation on page
68.
Creating a Foundation
In this exercise, you place isolated pile caps under the building columns
to create a foundation system that distributes the building load to the
ground.
Before you can add the pile caps, you must load the appropriate pile cap
family into the project. You learn how to access the families that are stored
in libraries included with software, and how to load specific families into
a project. After you load the pile cap family, you add the pile caps in
the 00 Foundation floor plan view, where you must adjust the view
range before you can view them.
Load a pile cap family

Foundation.
2 On the Structural tab of the Design Bar, click Foundation
Isolated.
3 In the Revit dialog that displays, click Yes to load a new
structural foundation family.
4 In the left pane of the Open dialog, click Training Files, and
open Metric\Families\Structural\Foundations.
5 Select M_Pile Cap-Rectangular.rfa, and click Open to load
the pile cap family into your project.
Verify the pile cap family is loaded in the project

6 In the Project Browser, expand Families, and expand
Structural Foundation.
The M_Pile Cap-Rectangular family displays in the tree.
7 Expand M_Pile Cap-Rectangular to display the available pile
cap types (sizes).
8 Select 2000 x 2000 x 900 mm, and drag it to the drawing
area.
Add the first pile cap

9 At the top left of the grid, click the intersection of grid line
A and grid line 1.
A warning displays.
10 Close the warning dialog, and press ESC.
The pile cap has been added in the view, but the current
depth of the view does not allow you to view it.
11 Edit the 00 Foundation view range:
Right-click in the view, and click View Properties.
In the Element Properties dialog, under Extents, for

View Range, click Edit.
In the View Range dialog, under View Depth, for Level,

select Unlimited, and click OK twice.
Creating a Foundation | 69
The foundation pile cap now displays.
Add pile caps to complete the foundation

12 Right-click the pile cap, and click Create Similar.
13 Select each grid intersection to add pile caps that form the
foundation. When the final pile cap is placed, press ESC.
14 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click {3D} to

view the complete foundation.
15 Proceed to the next exercise, Changing Structural Member

Types on page 71.
Changing Structural Member Types

In this exercise, you change the types of the columns, beams, and braces
that you used to create the building structure. You load new column,
beam, and brace families into the project, and learn how to select and
change multiple structural element types to refine the building structure.
Dataset
Continue to use the project file you used in the previous exercise, or
follow the instructions below to open a new one.
Click File menu Open.
In the left pane of the Open dialog, scroll down, and click the
Open m_RRB_update_structure.rvt.
Changing Structural Member Types | 71
Change the column type

2 Select one of the columns, right-click, and click Select All
Instances.
All of the columns in the building model display as red.
NOTE The default 3D view is the only 3D view in which the Select
All Instances command is available. It is not available in a
perspective or camera view.
3 In the Type Selector, view the available column types.
The type of column that you want is not available, so you need
to load a family that will supply you with the appropriate
column size and type.
4 Press ESC.
Column.
6 On the Options Bar, click Load.
open Metric\Families\Structural\Columns\Steel.
8 Select CHS-Circular Hollow Section-Column.rfa.
9 At the bottom of the Open dialog, in the Type listing, scroll
to view the available column sizes.
10 Under Type, select 508x12.5CHS, and click Open.

12 Select a column in the building model, right-click, and click
Select All Instances.
13 In the Type Selector, select CHS-Circular Hollow
Section-Column: 508x12.5CHS.
14 Press ESC.
View the round hollow columns in the building model.
Change the beam type

15 On the Design Bar, click Beam.
17 In the left pane of the Open dialog, click Training Files,
open Metric\Families\Structural\Framing\Steel, and select
M_HSS-Hollow Structural Section.
18 At the bottom of the Open dialog, scroll to view the
available column sizes, select HSS203.2x101.6x15.9, and
click Open.
20 Select one of the beams, right-click, and click Select All
Instances.
21 In the Type Selector, select M_HSS-Hollow Structural Section:
HSS203.2x101.6x15.9.
22 Press ESC to view the new beam type in the building model.
Because the braces that you added were actually a beam
type, the braces as well as the beams change. In the
following steps, you change the brace type.
Changing Structural Member Types | 73
Change the brace type

23 On the Design Bar, click Brace.
25 In the left pane of the Open dialog, click Training Files, open
Metric\Families\Structural\Framing\Steel, select M_Round
Bar.rfa, and click Open.
26 In the Type Selector, select M_Round Bar: 25mm.
This not the size that you want to use, but it is the only size
of its type currently available. You need to create a new bar
type by duplicating the 25mm bar type, and changing its size
parameter.
28 In the Element Properties dialog, for Type, click Edit/New.

29 In the Type Properties dialog, click Duplicate.
30 In the Name dialog, enter 75 mm, and click OK.
31 In the Type Properties dialog, under Dimensions, for d, enter
75 mm, and click OK twice.
32 In the Project Browser, under Elevations (Interior Elevation),
double-click Elevation 1-a.
34 Press and hold CTRL, and select the braces in the elevation one
by one.
35 In the Type Selector, select M_Round Bar: 75 mm.
The brace type changes, although the framing elevation
displays the braces as lines only.
36 Open the other building elevations and change the braces to
M_Round Bar: 75 mm.
View the building model with the new structural element types
38 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Floors on page 75.
Adding Floors
In this exercise, you add floors to the 01 Entry Level through the 05
Roof Garden level of the building.
To create floors, you must sketch them first in a sketch editor. Some
other Revit Building elements, such as roofs, stairs, and railings are also
created from sketches. In this exercise, you learn some different
techniques that you can use when sketching objects.
Dataset
Adding Floors | 75
In the left pane of the Open dialog, scroll down, and click the Training
Files icon.
Open m_RRB_add_floors.rvt.
Add the 01 Entry Level Floor

Level.
2 Sketch the floor:
On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Floor.

Notice the Design Bar now displays the Sketch tab, and
elements in the current view display as gray. You are now
in the sketch editor.
On the Sketch tab, click Lines.
Using a crossing window, sketch a rectangular floor in the

grid.
The exact dimensions of the sketched floor are not

important, as you resize it in the next steps.
3 Place a dimension between the first horizontal grid line and

the left floor edge:
On the Design Bar, click Dimension.
At the top left corner of the grid, select the top floor
line, and then the 1st horizontal grid line.
Move your cursor to the left, past the first vertical grid
line, and click above the 1st horizontal grid line to place
the dimension.
Leave this dimension unlocked. If the grid changes size,
the 01 Entry Level floor will resize with it.
4 Dimension the space between the left floor edge and the
first vertical grid line. Do not lock the dimension.
5 Dimension the bottom right corner of the grid. Do not lock

the dimension.
6 Resize the floor sketch by changing its dimensions:
At the top left corner of the grid, select the top floor
line.
Move the cursor to the right dimension, and click the

temporary dimension value.
Adding Floors | 77
Enter 300 mm, press ENTER, and then press ESC.
Select the left floor edge and change the top dimension
value to 300 mm.
Move the cursor to dimensions at the bottom of the grid,

and change their values to 300 mm.
Lock the dimensions.
7 On the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch to create the floor.

The dimensions are not visible on the finished floor. They
display on the floor sketch.
8 Select the floor, and on the Options Bar, click
The floor sketch and dimensions redisplay. If you needed to

modify the floor after you created it, this is how you would
do it.
9 Because you do not need to modify the floor, on the Design
Bar, click Quit Sketch.
Next, you will add a floor to the 02 Level of the building

model, using a different sketching technique. You use the
Pick option to create a floor from the 01 Entry Level floor
geometry.
Add the 02 Level floor

Level.
11 Sketch the floor:
On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Floor.
On the Sketch tab, click Lines.

1500mm.
Select the right vertical 01 Entry Level floor line, and

move the cursor until the dashed green line displays in
the inside of the 01 Entry Level floor.
Select the three remaining floor lines, and press ESC.
, and for Offset, enter
IMPORTANT Make sure you select the 01 Entry Level

floor lines and not the grid lines.
The 02 Level floor sketch displays.
Adding Floors | 79
12 At the top left corner of the grid, dimension the space between
the 02 Level floor and the grid as shown, and lock the
dimensions.
13 At the bottom right corner of the grid, dimension the space

between 02 Level floor and the grid.
14 On the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch.
The 02 Level floor displays.
Add the 03 Level floor

15 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 03 Level.
The 02 Level floor is visible in the view.
16 On the Design Bar, click Floor.

17 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Lines.
19 Sketch a floor inside the 02 Level floor.
20 On the Tools toolbar, click Align
The cursor changes to 2 arrows to indicate the Align

command is active.
21 Select the top 02 Level floor line, and then select the top
line of the 03 Level floor sketch.
The sketched floor line is aligned with the top 03 Level floor
line, and a lock icon displays.
22 Click the lock to constrain the 03 Level floor line to the 02
Level floor.
23 Continue to align the remaining 3 floor sketch lines with
the 02 Level floor. Click the locks to constrain the floors.
Adding Floors | 81

25 Repeat the previous procedure to create a floor on the 04 Level,
and constrain the 04 Level floor to the 03 Level floor.
Alternatively, you could place the rectangular sketch on the
04 Level, and lock the edges.
Copy and paste the 01 Entry Level floor to the 05 Roof Garden
level
Level.
27 Select the 01 Entry Level Floor.
30 In the Select Levels dialog, select 05 Roof Garden, and click
OK.
31 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 05 Roof
Garden.
The 01 Entry Level floor is copied at the same location onto
the 05 Roof Garden level.
32 Select the floor, and on the Options Bar, click Edit.
33 At the top corner of the grid, dimension the space between

the 05 Roof Garden level floor and the grid. Click the lock
icons that display next to the dimensions to constrain the
05 Roof Garden level floor to the grid.
34 At the bottom right corner of the grid, dimension the space
between 05 Roof Garden level floor and the grid. Lock the
dimensions to constrain the floors.
View the floors in the 3D building model and test connectivity

36 In the Project Browser, under Views, double-click {3D}.
37 On the View Control Bar, click Model Graphics Style, and
click Shading with Edges.

Foundation.
39 Select the dimension string between grid line A and B, and
unlock it.
40 Select grid line A, and click Activate Dimensions.
41 Click the dimension value of the first vertical grid bay, and
enter 4500 mm.
Adding Floors | 83
42 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click {3D} to

view the grid.

to 7500 mm.
to restore the grid bay size

Foundation, and lock the dimension that you unlocked in a
previous step.
45 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding a Roof on page 84.
Adding a Roof
In this exercise, you add a sloped roof over the corner of the building.
To create the roof, you use the Roof by Footprint option in Revit
Building. You sketch the footprint, or the perimeter, of the roof in a
plan view, and specify which roof edges will define the roof slope.
Dataset
Open m_RRB_add_roof.rvt.
Add the roof

Roof.
2 Zoom to the lower right corner of the grid.
Adding a Roof | 85
3 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Roof Roof by

Footprint.
4 On the Design Bar, click Lines.
Select Defines Slope.
Click
, and for Offset, enter 1800 mm.
6 Move the cursor over grid line E, and then move your cursor
slightly to the right of the grid line. When a green dashed line
displays, click to place the roof line.
The roof sketch line displays with a slope marker.
7 Select grid line 5, move your cursor slightly below the grid
line, and when the green dashed line displays, click to place
the roof line.
The roof sketch line displays with a slope marker.
Clear Defines Slope.
For Offset, enter 0 mm.
9 Select grid line C to place another roof line, and lock it.
10 Select grid line 3 to place the final roof line, and lock it.
11 Press ESC.
Adding a Roof | 87
12 Trim the rooflines:
On the Tools toolbar, click
Select the portion of the roof line that you created from
grid line E that you want to keep, and then select the
portion of the roof line that you created from grid line 5
that you want to keep.
Continue to trim the lines until you complete the roof as

shown.
13 Optionally, place a dimension between the roof slope edges

and the grid to constrain them.
14 On the Design Bar, click Finish Roof.
View the roof

16 Click View menu Orient Southeast.
Change the roof slope

Roof.
18 Select the roof, and on the Options Bar, click
19 In the Element Properties dialog, under Dimensions, for

Slope Angle, enter 4.00, and click OK.
View the roof

Adding a Roof | 89
21 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding a Curtain Wall on page

90.
Adding a Curtain Wall

In this exercise, you add a curtain wall. You constrain the curtain wall to
the grid, so if you resize the grid, the curtain wall resizes with it.
Dataset
Continue to use the project file you used in the previous exercise, or follow
the instructions below to open a new one.
Files icon.
Open m_RRB_add_curtainwall.rvt.
Add curtain wall segments

1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, click 01 Entry Level.
3 In the Type Selector, select Curtain Wall: Storefront, and click
.
5 Click Duplicate.
When you duplicate a type, you copy an existing family type
and change its name and parameters to create a new unique
type. The type is saved in the project.
6 In the Name dialog, enter Retail Storefront, and click OK.
7 In the Element Properties dialog:
Under Construction, for Join Condition, select Horizontal

Grid Continuous.
Under Vertical Grid Pattern, for Spacing, enter 2100 mm.
Under Horizontal Grid Pattern, for Spacing, enter 1050

mm.
Click OK twice.
Click
For Level, select 01 Entry Level.
For Height, select 05 Roof Garden.
9 Move the cursor over the grid line 1 near its endpoint, and
move it slightly toward the building interior.
10 When a green dashed line displays, click to place the 1st
curtain wall segment.
11 Select the 3 remaining grid lines to create 3 more curtain
wall segments that are offset 600 mm from the grid lines
toward the building interior.
Trim the curtain wall segments

12 On the Tools toolbar, click
segment.
, and trim each curtain wall
Adding a Curtain Wall | 91
13 On the Design Bar, click Dimension, dimension 2 corners of

the curtain wall to the grid, and lock the dimensions.
If the grid moves, the locks ensure that the curtain wall will
move with it. These dimensions are not in a sketch, so they
remain in the view. If you want to hide them, you can delete
the dimension, but opt to keep the constraint, when prompted.
View the curtain wall

Building.
15 On the View Control Bar:
Click Model Graphics Style, and click Hidden Line.
Click Model Graphics Style, and click Shading with Edges.
16 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating an Entrance on

page 93.
Creating an Entrance
In this exercise, you replace 4 curtain wall panels with doors in the front
of the building to create the main building entrance. You also modify
the panels around the doors so they are solid rather than glass.
Creating an Entrance | 93
Dataset
Files icon.
Open m_RRB_modify_curtainwall.rvt.
Modify the South elevation view

1 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand Elevations
To better work with the curtain wall panels, you want to
change the view so only curtain wall panels and columns
display.
2 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level, and click Medium.
3 Click View menu Visibility/Graphics.
4 On the Model Categories tab, under the element list, click All.
All the elements in the list are selected.
5 Under Visibility, clear one element to clear all the elements.
6 Click in the Visibility/Graphics dialog, and then under
Visibility, select Curtain Panels and Structural Columns.
Do not select Columns, as these usually represent internal

pilasters.
7 Click OK.
8 Zoom in to the entrance area, in the center of the 01 Entry

Level.
9 Load a new door family into the project:
On the Design Bar, click Door.
On the Options Bar, click Load.
In the left pane of the Open dialog, click Training Files,

open Metric\Families\Doors, and select M_Curtain
Wall Sgl Glass.rfa.
Notice the preview that displays on the right side of
the dialog when you select the curtain wall family.
Click Open.
10 Load a new curtain wall panel family into the project:
On the Options Bar, click Load.
In the left pane of the Open dialog, click Training Files,

open Metric\Families\Curtain Wall Panels, select M_Solid
Panel.rfa, and click Open.

12 Select 1 panel, press and hold CTRL, and select the other panels
around the entrance as shown.
13 When all 9 panels are selected, click the pin to remove it from
each of the panels.
14 With the panels selected, in the Type Selector, select System

Panel: Solid.
15 Click View menu Apply View Template.
16 In the Select View Template dialog, select Architectural
Elevation, and click OK.
17 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level Medium.
The view template applies a collection of visibility graphics
appropriate to the view it is named for, in this case an
architectural elevation. If you select View Visibility/Graphics,
you see that the visibility of many of the Model element
categories that you cleared in a previous step are selected.
18 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click {3D}.

19 On the View Control Bar, click Model Graphics
Style Shading with Edges.

Building.
21 In the Project Browser, under Elevations (Building Elevation),

double-click South.
22 Zoom to the front of the building.
23 Move your cursor over the curtain wall mullion shown below.
24 Press TAB until you are notified that you have selected a grid
line, and click to select it.
25 On the Options Bar, click Add or Remove Segments.

26 Select the mullion that you selected previously, select
another mullion to the right, and press ESC to remove the
grid lines as shown.
27 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Curtain Grid.

28 On the Options Bar, select One Segment.
29 Select the center of the upper horizontal mullion.
30 Select the center of the upper horizontal mullion to the

right.
32 Select the newly created curtain wall panel (press TAB to
cycle through selections), and unpin it.
33 In the Type Selector, select M_Curtain Wall Sgl Glass.
34 Repeat for the next 3 panels.
36 Zoom in to the front of the building, and view the new

entrance.
37 Zoom in to the first panel.

38 Move your cursor over the bottom mullion, press TAB until it
is selected, select it, and unpin it.
39 Press DELETE.
40 Using the same process, remove the mullions from the 2nd,
3rd, and 4th panels.
41 Optionally, open the North elevation, and add an entrance

to the north side of the building. Use the same steps that
you used to create the south entrance.
42 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Drop Ceiling on
page 101.
Creating a Drop Ceiling

In this exercise, you create a drop ceiling on the 01 Entry Level of the
building.
Creating a Drop Ceiling | 101
Dataset
Files icon.
Open m_RRB_add_drop_ceiling.rvt.
Level.
2 Zoom in to the lower right corner of the building.
3 Right-click in the view, and click View Properties.
4 In the Element Properties dialog, under Graphics, for

Underlay, select 02 Level.
5 Click OK.
6 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Callout.

The cursor changes to a pencil, which indicates you must
draw the callout.
7 Place the callout:
Specify a point above the top left column.
Move your cursor horizontally below the bottom right

column, and specify a point to complete the callout.
8 Select the callout, select the grip closest to the callout symbol,
and drag the grip down to position the callout symbol below
the grid as shown.
9 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, right-click Callout

of 01 Entry Level, and click Rename.
10 In the Rename View dialog, enter Display Area, and click OK.
11 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Section.
12 Draw a section line.
Specify the section start point just below the right framing
elevation marker.
Move the cursor horizontally to the left, and specify a

point past grid line D.
13 Select the section line, right-click, and click Flip Section.

14 Press ESC.
15 Double-click the section marker to view the section.
16 Select the section box, and drag the grips that display to
limit the section view to display only 01 Entry Level and
02 Level.
17 In the Project Browser, expand Sections (Building Section),

right-click Section 1, and click Rename.
18 In the Rename View dialog, enter Section Display Area, and
click OK.
Level.
21 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Interior-135mm
Partition (2 hr).
Click
For Loc Line, select Finish Face: Exterior.
Click
23 Select the bottom corner of the overhead floor, and then

specify a point near the intersection of grid lines D and 4 to
draw a 5000 x 5000 mm rectangular wall inside the grid lines.
24 On the Tools toolbar, click Align, and align the exterior

faces of the right vertical wall and the bottom horizontal
wall with the 02 Level underlay. Lock both alignments.
25 Press ESC.
27 On the Options Bar, for Prefer, select Wall faces.
28 Dimension the space between the left vertical wall and the
grid, and lock the dimension.
29 Dimension the space between the top horizontal wall and
the grid, and lock the dimension.
30 In the Project Browser, under Ceiling Plans, double-click 01
Entry Level.
31 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Ceiling.
32 In the Type Selector, select Compound Ceiling:600 x 600
mm Grid.
Click Sketch.
Click
Click
34 Sketch the ceiling within the walls.
35 Align and lock each ceiling line to the interior wall faces.
36 Press ESC.
The ceiling grid displays inside of the walls.
38 In the Project Browser under Sections (Building Section),
double-click Section Display Area.
Style Wireframe.
40 Press and hold CTRL, select the four walls, and click
41 In the Element Properties dialog, under Constraints, for Base

Offset, enter 2700 mm, and click OK.
43 Select the ceiling, and click
44 In the Element Properties dialog, under Constraints, for Height

Offset From Level, enter 2700 mm, and click OK.
45 Attach the walls to the 02 Level floor:
Select one of the vertical walls above the ceiling, press

TAB until you select the wall chain, and click to select
the walls.
On the Options Bar, for Top/Base, click Attach.
Select the 02 Level Floor.
The walls attach to the 02 Level floor.
46 In the Project Browser, under Ceiling Plans, double-click 01

Entry Level.
47 Modify the ceiling grid:
To start the tiles on a wall edge, select any horizontal

or vertical ceiling grid line, and drag it to the interior
face of the horizontal or vertical wall.
To position the grid, on the Tools toolbar, click Move,

select a grid line, and specify a distance.
48 Select the ceiling, and click

50 In the Type Properties dialog, under Construction, for
Structure, click Edit.
51 In the Edit Assembly dialog, view the ceiling structure.
52 Click OK.
53 In the Type Properties dialog, click Cancel.
54 In the Element Properties dialog, click Cancel.
Rotate the ceiling grid

55 Select the center ceiling grid line.
57 Move the cursor toward the top left corner of the grid.
58 Click, enter 45, and press ENTER.
59 Press ESC.

61 Select and drag the diagonal center grid line until it spans the
corners of the ceiling grid.
View the building in 3D with shadows

Building.
63 On the View Control Bar, click Shadows On.
64 On the View Control Bar, click Shadows Off.
65 Optionally, copy the drop ceiling to the other building levels.

66 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Multi-Level Stairs on
page 114.
Creating Multi-Level Stairs

In this exercise, you create multi-level stairs and a stairwell that span the
levels of the building. You begin by creating a flight of stairs and stairwell
on the 01 Entry Level of the building, and then copying it to the 05 Level.
After the stairs and stairwell have been copied to levels 01-05, you must
cut an opening through the floors on each level.
Dataset
Files icon.
Open m_RRB_add_stair_.rvt.
Create the stair

Entry Level.
2 Zoom in to the area defined by grid lines B,C,2, and 3.
You will create the stair in the area between these columns.
3 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level Coarse.

4 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Ref Plane.
5 Draw 2 reference planes that you will use to locate the flight
of stairs:
Move the cursor over the intersection of grid lines C

and 3.
Move the cursor to the left along grid line 3.
When the temporary dimensions indicate the cursor is

1500 mm from the grid line intersection, click to specify
the start point of the reference plane.
Move the cursor vertically, and specify the reference

plane endpoint on the top horizontal grid line.
Creating Multi-Level Stairs | 115
Draw another reference plane 1500 mm from the vertical

grid line on the opposite side.
6 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Stairs.

7 Sketch the stair:
Select the bottom endpoint of the right reference plane.
Move the cursor vertically along the reference plane until

the text below the stair flight displays an equal number
of risers created and risers remaining, and specify a point
to create first stair flight.
Move the cursor horizontally to the left, and select the

2nd reference plane.
Move the cursor down, beyond the end of the stair,

and specify a point.
The complete stair displays, with a message that 20 risers

have been created and that 0 remain.
8 On the Options Bar, click Finish Sketch to create the
complete stair, including its handrails.
9 On the Design Bar, click Wall.

10 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Generic-225mm
Masonry.
For Loc Line, select Finish Face: Interior.
Click
12 Draw walls around the stair.
13 On the Tools toolbar, click Align.
14 Move the cursor over the top horizontal outside edge of the
stair, press TAB until the stair edge is selected, and click to select
it.
Make sure you select the stair and not the railing.
15 Select the interior face of the top horizontal wall, and lock the
alignment.
16 Using the same technique, align the 2 vertical side edges of
the stair with the 2 vertical walls and lock the alignments.
17 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Dimension.

18 Dimension the distance from the bottom of the stair to interior
face of the bottom horizontal wall:
On the Options Bar, for Prefer, select Wall faces.
Select the bottom of the stair.
Select the interior face of the wall, and specify a point

away from the wall.
Select the wall, select the dimension value, and enter 1200
mm.
Lock the dimension.
19 Select the dimension, and press DELETE.

Because the dimension is constrained, a warning displays.
20 Click OK to delete the dimension, but leave the stair and
wall constrained to each other.
21 Select the stair, and drag it to the left to test the stair and
wall constraints.
The stair and walls move to the left.
23 Press and hold CTRL, select both reference planes, and press
DELETE.
Add a door to the stairwell

24 On the Design Bar, click Door.
25 In the Type Selector, select M_Single-Flush: 0915x2134mm.
26 On the Options Bar, clear Tag on Placement.
27 Select the right side of the lower horizontal wall to place
the door.
TIP To flip the door swing, press the SPACEBAR before you
place the door.

29 Select all 4 walls, and click
Under Constraints, for Base Constraint, select 00

Foundation.
For Top Constraint, verify Up to level: 06 Roof is selected.
Click OK.
31 Select the stair, and click
Under Constraints, for Multistory Top Level, select 05

Roof Garden.
Click OK.
The Dynamic View dialog displays in the left corner of your

screen.
35 Press SHIFT, press and hold the right mouse button, and
move the cursor to spin the building model.
You can see that the walls and stairs span the vertical height
of the building, but if you view the top level of the building,
you can see that the stair railings penetrate the floors. You
must cut an opening through the building to accommodate
the multi-level stairs.
Create a shaft opening

Entry Level.
37 Zoom in to the stairs.
38 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Opening.
39 In the Opening Placement Options dialog, select Create
shaft opening, and click OK.
Click
Click
41 Draw a rectangular shaft opening around the stairs.

42 On the Tools toolbar, click Align.
43 Align the top horizontal shaft sketch line with the top
horizontal interior wall face and lock the alignment.
44 Align the 2 vertical shaft sketch lines with the interior face
of the 2 vertical walls, and lock the alignments.
45 Align the bottom horizontal shaft sketch line with the
bottom tread of the stair, and lock the alignment.
46 Click Finish Sketch to complete the shaft.
Copy the door to multiple levels

47 Select the door.
50 In the Select Levels dialog, select 02 Level through 05 Roof
Garden, and click OK.
View the shaft and stair

can see the roof.
.
, and spin the building so you
Look at the top of building and notice that the shaft is not
cutting an opening.
53 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, click 01 Entry

Level.
54 Select the shaft, and click
Under Constraints, for Base Offset, enter 300 mm.

The shaft opening will cut through any level it touches.
By offsetting the base, you prevent it from cutting
through the 01 Entry Level floor.
For Top Constraint, select Up to Level: 06 Roof, and

click OK.
58 Spin the building so that you can see the shaft opening.
59 Click View menu Orient Southwest.

60 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Wall with a
Non-Uniform Height on page 124.
Creating a Wall with a Non-Uniform Height

In this exercise, you create a wall on the 05 Roof Garden level. You learn
how to access and modify the profile and height of the wall to create a
decorative wall that extends past the height of the 06 Roof Level.
Dataset
Open m_RRB_wall_profile.rvt.
Add a basic wall to the 05 Roof Garden level

Roof Garden.
2 Right-click in the view, and click View Properties.
3 In the Element Properties dialog, under Graphics, for
Underlay, select 06 Roof, and click OK.
Creating a Wall with a Non-Uniform Height | 125

5 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Generic 225mm
Masonry.
6 On the Options Bar, for Loc Line, select Core Face: Interior.
7 Move the cursor near the column at the intersection of grid
lines C and 3, and draw a 10650 mm wall along grid line 3.
You must draw the wall from left to right to position it on the
correct side of grid line 3.

9 Dimension the space between grid line C and the left face of
the wall on grid line 3.
10 Change the dimension value:
Select the wall.
Select the dimension value.
Enter 1050 mm, and press ENTER.
12 Select the floor on the right side of the wall, and then select
the right face of the wall.
13 Click the lock that displays to constrain the 2 elements.
Modify the profile of the wall

15 Select the wall, and on the Options Bar, click Edit Profile.
16 In the Go To View dialog, double-click Elevation: South.
The South elevation displays. The profile of the wall that
you just modified displays as a purple sketch.

18 Select the top endpoint of the left vertical profile line, move
the cursor up 6000 mm, and click to place a line.
19 Press ESC.

21 Select the top endpoint of the right vertical profile line, move
the cursor up 4500 mm, and click to place a line.
22 Move the cursor horizontally 1520 mm to the left, and click
to place a line.
23 Press ESC.

25 On the Options Bar, click the drop-down arrow that displays
next to the sketching tools, and click
26 Snap to the endpoint of the line that you just drew, move
the cursor out until a circle with a radius of 1520 mm
displays, and click to place it.
27 Press ESC.

30 Using the Quadrant snap, snap to the top of the circle, and
select it.
31 Move your cursor to the left, and select the endpoint of the
left vertical profile line.
32 Press ESC.
33 Trim the profile lines:
On the Tools toolbar, click
Select the top horizontal profile line.
Select the top right portion of the circle.
Select the short right profile line.
Select the top right portion of the circle.
Press ESC.

36 Snap to the endpoint of the short horizontal line, move the

cursor out until a circle with a radius of 1000 mm displays,
and click to place it.
37 On the Design Bar, click Modify, select the short horizontal

line on the right, and press DELETE.
39 In the Error dialog, click Continue.
You need a closed sketch to complete the profile.
41 Select the horizontal line across the middle of the profile
sketch, and press DELETE.

By adding extra height to the wall, instead of lengthening
the existing edge, you maintained the relationship to the
roof level.
43 In the Warning dialog, click the Close button.
44 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the wall.
46 In the Element Properties dialog, under Constraints, note

that for Top Constraint, Up to level: 06 Roof is selected.
47 Click Cancel.
48 Change the 06 Roof level height to 19000 mm.

height of the roof.
to restore the original
View the wall

51 Click View menu Orient Northwest.
52 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Entourage and Site

Components on page 132.
Adding Entourage and Site Components

In this exercise, you place planters on the 05 Roof level to create a roof
garden, create a sidewalk on 2 sides of the building, and place people and
a car on and next to the sidewalk. You learn how to load these components
into the project, and how to place and adjust them in project views.
Dataset
Open m_RRB_host.rvt.
Load car, people, and planting components into the project

Roof Garden.
2 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Component.
open Metric\Families\Entourage.
5 Select M_RPC Beetle.rfa.
Adding Entourage and Site Components | 133
6 Press and hold SHIFT, and select RPC Female.rfa, RPC Male.rfa,
and click Open.
8 In the Metric\Families folder, open Site\Accessories.
9 Select M_Planter.rfa, and click Open.
Create the roof garden

10 Add 3 planters on the inside of the floor and grid line 5,
between grid lines C and D, as shown.
TIP After you place the 1st planter, move the cursor over the
planter and move it to the right to display a dashed green line
that helps you to place the next planter.
11 On the Basics tab, click Component.

12 In the Type Selector, select M_Tree - Deciduous: Cornus Florida
4.5 Meters.
13 Click to place a tree in the center of each planter, and press
ESC.
15 Click View menu Orient Southwest.

16 View the roof, and notice that the trees that you placed in the
planters protrude through the roof.

Roof Garden.
18 Select 1 of the trees, and on the Options Bar, click

21 In the Name dialog, enter Cornus Florida 1.5 Meters, and
click OK.
22 In the Type Properties dialog, under Other, for Plant Height,
enter 1500 mm.
23 Click Apply, and then click OK twice.
24 Press and hold CTRL, select the 2 remaining trees, and in the
Type Selector, select Tree - Deciduous: Cornus Florida 1.5.
The height of the trees no longer extends past the roof.
Create a sidewalk outside of the building

Entry Level.
27 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Floor.
Click
30 Move the cursor over grid line 5 between grid lines A and B.
31 Press TAB until a line that is offset 2400 mm from grid line 5
displays between grid lines A and B, and click to place the line.
32 Using the same technique, sketch a line between grid lines 4

and 5.
33 On the Options Bar, for Offset, enter 0 mm.

34 Select the bottom horizontal floor line, and click to sketch a
line.
35 Select the right vertical floor line, and click to sketch a line.
37 Select the top endpoint of the right vertical line, move the
cursor to the right approximately 1200 mm, and click to
finish the line.
38 Select the left endpoint of the line between grid lines A and
B, move the cursor up 900 mm, and click to finish the line.
39 On the Options Bar, click Trim.

40 Select the line that you just drew, and then select the line
that you sketched along the bottom horizontal line of the
floor.
41 Select the line between grid lines A and B, and then select
the line that you sketched between grid lines 4 and 5.
42 Select the line that you sketched between grid lines 4 and 5,
and then select the horizontal line near grid line 1.

The completed sidewalk displays.
Next, create a new type for the sidewalk element, as it is

currently a floor element.
44 Select the sidewalk, and on the Options Bar, click

47 In the Name dialog, enter Sidewalk, and click OK twice.
48 In the Element Properties dialog, under Constraints, for
Height Offset from Level, enter -250 mm.
49 Click OK.
Place 2 people on the sidewalk

50 Zoom to the lower right corner of the sidewalk.
52 In the Type Selector, select M_RPC Male: Alex.
53 On the Options Bar, select Rotate after placement.
54 Click to place Alex on the sidewalk, near Column E5.
In plan view, RPC people are represented by a circle. The circle

is divided in half by a line, and second line inside the circle
indicates the persons line of sight.
55 Move the cursor so the rotation line displays along Alexs line
of sight and specify a point.
56 Move the cursor toward the column, and specify a point to
rotate him so he is facing the column.
57 In the Type Selector, select M_RPC Female: Cathy, and click

to place her on the sidewalk.
58 Rotate Cathy so she is facing Alex.
59 In the Type Selector, select M_RPC Beetle.

60 Press the spacebar to rotate it until it is facing away from Alex,
and place it along the sidewalk behind him.
61 Press ESC.
62 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Camera, and place it
in the corner of the scene as shown.
63 In the camera view (3D View 1), click the car, and click
.
64 In the Element Properties dialog, under Constraints, for

Offset, enter -300 mm, and click OK.
65 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click West.
66 Zoom in to the area where Alex and Cathy are standing.
Next, you select the sidewalk as a host for both the Alex
and Cathy RPC components. When you select a host for a
component, you ensure that the components remain on
the same plane as the host.
67 Select and drag both Cathy and Alex above the sidewalk.
68 Select Cathy, and on the Options Bar, click Pick Host.
69 Click the sidewalk.
70 Select Alex, and on the Options Bar, click Pick Host.

71 Click the sidewalk.
72 Select and move both Cathy and Alex until they are standing
on the sidewalk.
If the sidewalk changes height, both Cathy and Alex will move
with it.
73 Use the same technique to pick the sidewalk as the host for
the car.
View the front of the building

Building.
75 Proceed to the next exercise, Linking a Service Core to the

Building Project on page 143.
Linking a Service Core to the Building Project

In this exercise, you remove the multi-level stairs and stairwell that you
created in a previous exercise from the building, and replace them with
a service core.
The service core is contained in an external file that you link to your
current project. After the service core is linked to your project, you must
Linking a Service Core to the Building Project | 143
cut another shaft opening around it, so it will cut through the floors of
the building.
Dataset
Files icon.
Open m_RRB_add_host_style_railings.rvt.
Remove the stairwell from the building model

Roof.
2 Zoom in to the stairwell.
3 Select the entire stairwell, including the stairs, walls, and shaft
opening, and press DEL.

, press SHIFT, and spin the building.
Notice that there is no longer a stairwell in the building. By

deleting the stairwell from the 06 Roof, you delete the entire
stairwell.
Link a new service core into the building model

Entry Level.
7 Click File menu Import/Link Revit.
8 In the left pane of the Add Link dialog, click the Training
Files icon.
9 In the Metric folder, select m_RRB_link.rvt.
10 At the bottom of the dialog, under Positioning:
Select Manually place.
Select Cursor at center.
11 Click Open.
The building service core displays in your drawing.
12 Specify a point to place it between grid lines B-D.
Linking a Service Core to the Building Project | 145
14 Select the top horizontal floor line, and then select the top
horizontal core wall.
Do not click the lock to constrain the core and floor. You
cannot constrain elements in the current project to elements
in linked models.
Create a shaft opening for the service core

15 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Opening.
16 In the Opening Placement Options dialog, select Create shaft
opening, and click OK.
19 Trace the outer edges of the core elements to sketch the service
core as shown:

21 Select the shaft opening and click
Under Constraints, for Base Offset, enter 300 mm.
For Top Constraint, select Up to level: 06 Roof.
Click OK.
View the service core in the building model


, press SHIFT, and spin the building to get a better view
of the core. You can see that the service core cuts through
the floors of the building.
25 Proceed to the final exercise, Modifying a Floor and Adding
Railings on page 147.
Modifying a Floor and Adding Railings

In this exercise, you cut away a portion of the floor on the 02 Level of
the building. After you modify it, you add glass railings around the floor
edges.
Modifying a Floor and Adding Railings | 147
You copy the railing type into your project from another project, where it
is hosted within a railing family.
Dataset
Files icon.
Open m_RRB_modify_floor_add_railings_.rvt.
Open a different project and view a rendering of the building

lounge
2 In the Open dialog, browse to c:\documents and settings\all
users\application data\autodesk\revit building 9.1\training\
metric.
3 Select m_conference.rvt, and click Open.
4 In the new project, in the Project Browser, expand Renderings,
and double-click Lounge Perspective.
The rendering displays. Notice the glass railing in the
foreground. This is the railing that you want to add to your
model.
Copy the railing types into the retail building project

5 In the Project Browser, expand Families, and expand
Railings.
6 Expand Railing, press and hold CTRL, and select Glass,
Handrail only, and Parapet.
8 Click Window menu Revit Retail Building.rvt or
m_RRB_modify_floor_add_railings.rvt.
9 Click Edit menu Paste from Clipboard.
10 In the Duplicate Types dialog, click OK.
11 Close the warning dialog that displays.
Modify the 02 Level floor

Level.
13 Select the floor, and on the Options Bar, click Edit.
The floor sketch displays.
15 Select the bottom horizontal floor 700 mm to the left of

grid line C, and click to split the floor.

17 Select the left endpoint of the floor where you split it, and
drag to the left until it intersects with grid line B.
18 Select the right endpoint of the floor where you split it, and
drag it to the right until it intersects with grid line D.

20 Select the left endpoint of the floor, move the cursor vertically
until the line is 1500 mm long, and click to place it.
21 Move the cursor horizontally to the right 1500 mm and click
to draw another line.
22 Sketch the same lines in the opposite direction on the right

side of the floor sketch.
23 Select the endpoint of the right horizontal line that you just
sketched, move the cursor vertically 1500 mm, and click to
draw another line.
24 Complete the sketch as shown.
26 Select grid line B, select the left vertical sketch line along
grid line B, and click the lock to lock the alignment.
27 Select grid line D, select the right vertical sketch line along
grid line D, and click the lock to lock the alignment.
29 Align the horizontal sketch lines with each other as shown

below, and lock the alignment.
30 On the Design Bar, click Dimension, and dimension the

floor sketch lines as shown. Lock the dimensions.
32 In the Revit dialog, click Yes to attach the top of the walls on
01 Entry Level to the bottom of the 02 Level floor.
Add railings around the floor

33 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Railing.
34 On the Design Bar, click Railing Properties.
35 In the Element Properties dialog, for Type, select Glass, and
click OK.
This is the railing type that you copied from the Conference.rvt
project.
Click
37 Select the floor lines to sketch the railing around the inside of
the floor line as shown.

39 Dimension the railing sketch to the edge of the floor and lock
the dimension.
40 Click Finish Sketch.
View the floor and railings

42 Place the camera and camera target as shown.
A new 3D view of the interior of the 02 Level displays. You

can view the railing that you just added.
Click Model Graphics Hidden Line.
Click Model Graphics Shading with Edges.
Click Crop Region Hide Crop Region to hide the frame

around the view.
Documenting Your
Projects
155
Creating Drawings
In this tutorial, you learn how to create drawings from a

building information model in an Revit Building 9.1 project.
To create a printed or plotted set of drawings from the views
in your building model, begin by first creating sheets, which
are a type of view in a project. Sheets are defined by borders,
usually contain a title block, and are accessible from the Project
Browser. Depending on the type of drawing that you want to
create, you can add different views of the building model
directly to the sheet. The model views that you can add to
sheets include plan, section, elevation, three-dimensional
views, and schedules.
157
Creating Drawing Sheets in a Project

In this lesson, you learn how to create sheets within a Revit Building
project, how to add views to the sheets, how to create new views from a
building model, and how to make changes to the building model from a
view on a sheet. The project used in the following exercises is a small office
building model.
Creating a Drawing Sheet

In this exercise, you create a drawing sheet that includes a floor plan of
the first level of the building model.
You begin by duplicating an existing floor plan view that includes furniture.
You turn off the visibility of the furniture in the duplicated view to create
158 | Chapter 3 Creating Drawings
a floor plan view and rename the original view as the furniture plan.
Next, you enter the project information and create a drawing sheet with
a title block that displays the project information. You then add the
floor plan view to the sheet, adjust the view scale, and dimension the
exterior walls of the building to complete the floor plan drawing sheet.
You also reorient the swing of one of the doors in the floor plan view
on the sheet, and observe that the changes are made in the floor and
furniture plan views of the building model.
Dataset
On the File menu, click Open.
In the left pane of the Open dialog box, click the Training Files icon.
Open m_Drawing_Exercise located in the Metric folder.
Copy the Level 1 floor plan view to create a Level 1 Furniture

plan view
1 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), and expand Floor
Plans.
2 Under Floor Plans, right-click Level 1, and click Duplicate.
A copy of the Level 1 Floor plan view is displayed in the
Project Browser.
3 Right-click Copy of Level 1, and click Rename.
4 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Level 1 Furniture,
and click OK.
5 In the Project Browser, double-click Level 1 to redisplay the
floor plan.
Turn off visibility for casework, furniture, and specialty equipment

in the Level 1 Floor Plan view
6 On the View menu, click Visibility/Graphics.
Creating a Drawing Sheet | 159
7 In the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box, click the Model

Categories tab.
8 Under Visibility, clear:
Casework
Furniture
Lighting Fixtures
Specialty Equipment
9 Click OK.
Casework, furniture, and specialty equipment are no longer
displayed in the Level 1 floor plan view.
The changes in visibility are applied to this view only.

Casework, furniture, lighting fixtures, and specialty equipment
continue to display in the Level 1 Furniture plan.
Enter the project information to display in the title block of the

drawing sheet
10 On the Settings menu, click Project Information.
11 In the Element Properties dialog box, click Edit for Project
Address.
12 In the Edit Text dialog box, enter the following address:
123 Main Street
Anytown, MA 12345
13 Click OK.
14 Continue to change the remaining parameters:
Enter 31 March, 2005 for Project Issue Date.
Enter Client Approved for Project Status.
Enter J. Smith for Client Name.
Enter Residence for Project Name.
Enter 2005-01 for Project Number.
15 Click OK.
Create a sheet
16 On View tab of the Design Bar, click Sheet.
TIP If the View tab is not displayed in the Design Bar,
right-click, and click View.
17 In the Select a Titleblock dialog box, click Load.
18 In the left pane of the Open dialog, click the Training Files
icon, and open Metric\Families\Titleblocks\ A0 metric.
A title block and drawing borders are displayed on the
drawing sheet.
The title block that you selected is a family that has already
been loaded into the project. The text fields in the titleblock
family (shown below) contain labels that associate the project
information parameters with the appropriate text fields.
The text fields of the title block on the sheet automatically

display the corresponding project information that you entered
previously.
NOTE The Project Path parameter in the lower-right corner of

the sheet view automatically updates every time the project file
is saved.
19 In the Project Browser, expand Sheets (all).
The new sheet is displayed in the Project Browser with the
name A101 - Unnamed.
Change the sheet name in the title block

20 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the title block.
21 When the title block highlights, on the Options Bar, click
.
22 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Identity Data,
enter Ground Floor Plan for Sheet Name, and click OK.
23 Ground Floor Plan is displayed in the title block as the sheet
name and is appended to the sheet name in the Project
Browser.
Add the Level 1 floor plan view to the sheet

24 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Add View.
25 In the Views dialog box, select Floor Plan: Level 1, and click
Add View to Sheet.
26 Move the cursor to the center of the drawing sheet, and
click to place the view in the center of the drawing sheet.
The Level 1 floor plan view is displayed on the drawing sheet,

but the scale of the view is too small for the drawing sheet.
View scale is a property of the view, and you can modify it
within the sheet by activating the Level 1 floor plan view and
changing its scale.
27 With the view selected, on the View menu, click Activate View.
The border and title block are grayed out, indicating that the
Level 1 floor plan View is active and you can modify it. Any
changes that you make to it on the sheet while it is active
display when you open the Level 1 floor plan view.
28 Right-click the view, and click View Properties.
29 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Graphics, select
1:20 for View Scale, and click OK.
The scale of the view on the sheet changes. If you were to open
the Level 1 floor plan view, right-click, and click View
Properties, you would see that the scale of the Level 1 floor
plan view is now 1:20.
Center the view on the sheet and reposition the drawing scale
30 On the View menu, click Deactivate View.
The border and the title block are no longer grayed out,
indicating the view is deactivated.
31 Select the viewport and from the Type Selector, click Viewport
: Title w Line.
32 Select the viewport, and drag the grips that display on the
scale to lengthen it.
33 Drag the viewport to the center of the drawing sheet.
Dimension the exterior walls of the building

34 Right-click on the viewport on the drawing sheet, and click
Activate View.
35 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Dimension.
Prefer.
, and select Wall faces for
This creates aligned dimensions that originate at the wall

faces.
37 Dimension the north wall of the building:
Select the outer face of the west exterior vertical wall,

and then select the outer face of the east exterior vertical
wall.
Move the cursor above the north exterior wall, and click
to place the dimension.
38 Dimension the west exterior wall of the building by selecting

the outer faces of the north and south exterior walls and
placing the dimension to the left of the west wall, as shown
in the following illustration.
Reorient the door in the upper exterior wall

39 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the door on the
north exterior wall (in the upper right corner).
40 Click the control arrows until the door swings open to the
interior, as shown in the following illustration.
41 Select the view, right-click, and click Deactivate View.

42 In the Project Browser under Floor Plans, double-click Level
1.
The two dimensions that you added to the view in the
previous steps have been added to this view, and the door
is updated.
When you change the geometry of the building model while

the view is activated, the changes are made within the building
model and not restricted to the current view. This means that
when you reoriented the door swing in the Level 1 floor plan,
the change is also made in the Level 1 Furniture plan.
Dimensions, however, are specific to the view in which they
are created.
View the door swing in the Level 1 Furniture plan view

43 In the Project Browser under Floor Plans, double-click Level 1
Furniture.
The dimensions that you added to the Level 1 floor plan view
are not displayed, but the door reflects the change you made
to its orientation in the Level 1 floor plan.
44 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding a Sheet to the Project

on page 168.
Adding a Sheet to the Project

In this exercise, you add a new sheet to the project, add the furniture plan
view, and adjust the scale of the view to create a furniture plan drawing.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise,
m_Drawing_Exercise.rvt.
Add a new sheet to the project

1 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Sheet.
3 In the left pane of the Open dialog box, click the Training
Files icon, and open Metric\Families\Titleblocks\ A0 metric.
4 Select the title block, and on the Options Bar, click
.
enter Furniture Plan Level 1 for Sheet Name, and click
OK.
Adding a Sheet to the Project | 169
Furniture Plan Level 1 is displayed in the title block as the

sheet name.
In the Project Browser, under Sheets (all), the new sheet, A102
- Furniture Plan Level 1, is displayed. The sheet is incrementally
named A102.
Change the scale of the view before you add it to the sheet
6 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click Level
1 Furniture.
7 On the View Control Bar, click the scale value, and select 1:20.
Add the view to the sheet

8 In the Project Browser, under Sheets (all), double-click A102 Furniture Plan Level 1.
9 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, click and drag Level
1 Furniture onto the sheet.
10 Center the cursor in the drawing area of the sheet, and click
to place the view.
11 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying the Building Model

from a Sheet on page 171.
Modifying the Building Model from a Sheet

In this exercise, you learn how to modify a building model directly from
the drawing sheets that you created from its views. You change a lamp
type and the length of an interior wall in the furniture plan view on
Sheet A102, and then observe that the changes are also made in the
Level 1 Furniture plan.
Dataset
Change the lamp type in the furniture plan

1 In the drawing area, right-click on the view on sheet A102,
and click Activate View.
2 Zoom in on the lower left corner of the building.
Modifying the Building Model from a Sheet | 171
3 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the lamp next to
the lounge chair.
4 In the Type Selector, verify that M_Floor Lamp 2 : 150 watt
Incandescent is displayed.
5 Select M_Floor Lamp 1 : 100watt Halogen in the Type Selector
to change the lamp type.
Move the interior horizontal wall of the room

6 Select one of the furniture components, and notice that Moves
with Nearby Elements is selected in the Options Bar.
8 Select the wall as shown in the following illustration.
9 Click the temporary dimension value of the distance

between the wall and the centerline of the exterior
horizontal wall, enter 5200 mm, and press ENTER.
The desk, chair, and file cabinet adjacent to the wall move
when the wall is resized.
10 On the Window menu, select Floor Plan: Level 1 Furniture.

The changes made to the lamp, furniture, and the wall
position in Sheet A102 are reflected in the Level 1 Furniture
plan view.
11 Select the same wall you selected in step 8 to view the
change in dimension.
12 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating New Views to Add
to Sheets on page 173.
Creating New Views to Add to Sheets

In this exercise, you learn how to create new elevation, callout, and
section views of the building model and add them to a single drawing
sheet.
Creating New Views to Add to Sheets | 173
Dataset
Create a callout view

1 Furniture.
3 Draw a rectangle around the room in the lower left corner of
the drawing to define the boundaries of the room.
A callout tag is placed inside the walls of the building model.
4 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the dashed

callout view border.
5 Select the blue border grip adjacent to the view tag, and
move it to the position shown in the following illustration.
6 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and double-click the callout

tag to display the callout view.
Change the callout view scale, and add the callout view to a new
sheet
7 On the View Control Bar, click the scale value, and select
1:20.

10 In the left pane of the Open dialog box, click the Training Files
icon, and open Metric\Families\Titleblocks\ A0 Metric, and
click OK.
The new sheet, A103 - Unnamed, is displayed under Sheets
(all) in the Project Browser.
12 In the Views dialog box, select Floor Plan: Callout of Level 1
Furniture, and click Add View to Sheet.
13 Move the cursor to the upper left corner of the sheet, position
the view, and click to place the view.
TIP You can also drag the Floor Plan: Callout of Level 1 Furniture
view from the Project Browser to place it on the sheet.

Furniture.
15 Zoom in around the view tag of the callout.
The tag now displays the drawing sheet and detail number.
Create a new elevation view, and place it on the sheet

16 Adjust your zoom to display the lower left corner of the
view.
17 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Elevation.
An elevation symbol displays at the end of the cursor in the
drawing area.
18 Move the cursor to the lower left room, center it in the room
so that it points north, and click to place the elevation
symbol.
As you move the cursor, the elevation symbol points to the
closest wall.
19 On the Design Bar, click Modify, select the elevation symbol

arrow, and zoom out to view the elevation extents.
The elevation extents do not display when you select the body
of the elevation symbol.
20 Select the body of the elevation symbol.

The symbol is displayed as in the following illustration.
21 Select the box under the elevation symbol to create a new

elevation view 180 degrees from the first elevation view you
created when you placed the elevation symbol.
22 In the Project Browser under Views (all), expand Elevations,

and notice that two new elevation views display: Elevation
1 - a and Elevation 1 - c.
Add the new elevation views to sheet A103

23 In the Project Browser under Sheets (all), double-click A103
- Unnamed.
25 In the Views dialog box, select Elevation: Elevation 1 - a,
and click Add View to Sheet.
26 Click to place the elevation next to the callout view on the
drawing sheet.
27 Add Elevation 1 - c to the sheet either with the Add View

command or by dragging it from the Project Browser onto
the sheet.
28 In the Project Browser, under Sheets (all), double-click A102 Furniture Plan Level 1.
29 Zoom in on the elevation tag in the lower left room.
The sheet (drawing) number and detail IDs of the views are
displayed in the symbol.
Create a section view, and add it to the sheet

Furniture.
31 Zoom in on the right side of the building.
32 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Section.

33 In the Options Bar, select 1:50 for Scale.
34 Add a section line that cuts through the right side of the
building:
Click outside the north exterior wall of the building to

place the start point of the section line and the section
head (section tag).
Move the cursor down and click outside of the south

exterior wall of the building to place the section tail
and complete the section line.
35 Click the arrows at the head of the section line to flip the
section so it points to the west.
36 In the Project Browser under Sheets (all), double-click A103

- Unnamed.
38 In the Views dialog box, select Section: Section 1, and click
Add View to Sheet.
39 Right-click on the viewport, and click Activate View.
40 Right-click on the view, and click View Properties.
41 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Graphics, click
Custom for View Scale.
42 Enter 25 for Scale Value, and click OK.
43 Right-click on the view, and click Deactivate View.
44 Place the section view on the drawing sheet as shown in
the following illustration.
The drawing sheet is now complete.

45 If you want to save your changes, on the File menu, click Save
As, and save the exercise file with a unique name.
46 Close the exercise file.
By completing the exercises in this lesson, you learned how to create new
drawing sheets, add views to your sheets, modify the building model from
your sheets, and to create new views of your building model, such as
callouts, elevations, and sections.
Using Legends
Legends provide a way to display a list of the various building components
and annotations used in a project. The two most common types of legends
produced for construction documents are annotation legends and building
component legends.
Annotation legends are made up of components such as section markers
and door tags that are paired with text that identifies them. On construction
documents, annotation legends are often referred to as symbol legends.
Building component legends list and identify components such as walls,
windows, doors, and door frames. On construction documents, building
component legends are often called schedules (wall type schedule, door
frame schedule, and so on).
NOTE A component that is placed in a legend does not count as an additional
instance of the component in the Revit Building building model, and thus is
not added to the number of instances of that component listed on a schedule
or noteblock.
Creating a Symbol Legend

In this exercise, you create a legend view and add symbols and text to
it using a text type you create by duplicating an existing text type and
modifying the type properties. Finally, you add the completed symbol
legend to a cover sheet for the construction documents.
Dataset
Open m_Legends.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Create a legend view

1 On the View menu, click New Legend.
2 In the Project Browser, expand Legends.
3 Right-click Legend 1, and click Rename.
4 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Symbol Legend for
Name, and click OK.
Add symbols to the legend

5 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Symbol.
6 Add the following symbols to the legend view, selecting
each from the Type Selector and placing it in the legend as
shown.
M_Section Head - Filled
Level Head - Upgrade : 6 mm
M_Wall Tag : 12mm
Door Tag metric
Window Tag metric
Creating a Symbol Legend | 185
Create a text type

7 On the Design Bar, click Text.
Because the text size for the symbol legend is not available in
the Type Selector, you create a text type with the necessary
size. You do this by duplicating an existing text type and
modifying the type properties.
8 In the Type Selector, select Text : 6mm.
9 On the Options bar, click
10 In the Element Properties dialog box, click Edit/New.

11 In the Type Properties dialog box, click Duplicate, enter 3mm
for Name, and click OK.
12 Under Text, enter 3mm for Text Size, and click OK twice.
Add text to the legend

13 In the Type Selector, verify that Text : 3mm is selected, and
click to the right of the first symbol to specify the text start
point.
14 Enter Detail Callout (detail #/sheet #) for the text note.
15 Working from the top down, enter the following text for the
remaining symbols in the legend:
Level Marker (Level name/Elevation in mm)
Wall Tag (Wall Type #)
Door Tag (Door #)
Window Tag (Window Type #)
Place the symbol legend on a sheet

16 In the Project Browser, expand Sheets (all), and double-click
A100 - Cover Sheet to open it in the drawing area.
17 In the Project Browser, click Symbol Legend, drag it to the
lower-right corner of the cover sheet, and click to place it.
18 On the Design Bar, click Modify to end the command.
The symbol legend is added to the project cover sheet.

19 On the File menu, click Save As.
20 Navigate to your preferred directory, name the file
m_Legends_in progress.rvt, and click Save.
21 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Wall Type Legend
on page 187.
Creating a Wall Type Legend

In this exercise, you create a building component legend for the wall
types in the building model. You use the text type that you created in
a previous exercise to create annotations that identify the material used
Creating a Wall Type Legend | 187
in each wall component. You then add the completed legend to a project
cover sheet.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise, m_Legends_in
progress.rvt.
Create a legend view

1 On the View menu, click New Legend.
2 In the Project Browser, expand Legends.
3 Right-click Legend 1, and click Rename.
4 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Wall Type Legend
Add components to the legend

5 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Legend
Component.
6 On the Options Bar, for Family, select Walls: Basic Wall:
Exterior - Brick on CMU for Family.
7 Select Section for View.
8 Click near the top left of the drawing area to specify the
insertion point for the wall.
9 Repeat the procedure to place a wall of type Interior - 138mm
Partition (1-hr) directly below the first wall.
Add text to the legend

10 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Text.
11 In the Type Selector, verify that Text : 3mm is selected.

leader.
to add a single-segment
13 Click in the far left portion of the Brick on CMU wall to

specify the leader start point.
14 Click to the right of the wall to end the leader and specify
the text start point.
15 Enter (1) Layer 16mm GWB, and click Modify on the
Design Bar.
The text note with leader is added to the legend.

16 Use the following illustration as a guide for entering the
remaining text annotations on the upper wall component.
17 Use the following illustration as a guide for entering the

text annotations on the lower wall component.
Creating a Wall Type Legend | 189
Add titles to the legend components

to add text without a leader.
20 Click below the upper wall component to specify the start

point for the text, and enter Wall Type 1.
21 Click below the lower wall and enter Wall Type 2.
22 On the Design Bar, click Detail Lines.
23 In the Type Selector, select Medium Lines.
24 Below the title text of the upper component, draw a detail line
that extends as far as the longest component callout.
25 Using extension reference lines, add an identical detail line

below the lower component.
Place the legend on a sheet

26 In the Project Browser, double-click A100 - Cover Sheet to
open it in the drawing area.
27 In the Project Browser, click Wall Type Legend, drag it onto
the sheet, and click to place it above the symbol legend.
The wall type legend is added to the project cover sheet.

29 On the File menu, click Save.
30 Proceed to the next exercise, Using a Legend View to Match
Types on page 191.
Using a Legend View to Match Types

In this exercise, you use the Match Type tool to convert a wall in the
floor plan to the component type used in the Wall Type Legend. You
capture the wall type properties in the tool, and then select the wall to
which you want to apply the same properties.
Dataset
m_Legends_in_progress.rvt.
Tile views in the drawing window

1 Close all project view drawings except Floor Plan: Level 1
and Wall Type Legend.
2 On the Window menu, click Tile.
Using a Legend View to Match Types | 191
The open drawings are both visible, allowing you to select a

component type in one drawing and then apply the type in
the second drawing.
Match a component type
4 In the Wall Type Legend view, select the wall type 1

component.
Notice that the eyedropper changes to filled, indicating that

it captured the wall type properties.
5 In the floor plan view, enter ZR to zoom to a specific region.
6 Draw a rectangle around the upper-left corner of the floor
plan, so that you are zoomed in to the walls.
7 Click on the wall at the top of the view.

8 On the View Control Bar, select Medium for Detail Level.
Changing the detail level displays the hatching for each
material of the wall component.
The wall type in the floor plan matches wall type 1 from
the Wall Type Legend.
9 On the File menu, click Close. Click Yes when prompted to
save the drawing.
10 Proceed to the next lesson, Using Revision Tracking on
page 193.
Using Revision Tracking

Revit Building provides tools that enable you to track revisions to your
project. You can create a sequence of revisions, and you can draw revision
clouds around elements in your project that have changed. You can use
revision tags to notate the revision clouds, and can then display the
revisions in schedules that appear in the titleblock of each project sheet.
Setting Up a Revision Table

There are likely to be changes to your construction documents after you
have issued the original set of documents for bid or after you have
received a signed contract. These changes can be due to owner requests,
contractor inquiries, unanticipated changes in construction conditions,
or changes in building material availability. In this exercise, you use the
Revisions command to open a revision table in which you can add rows
that represent a sequence of revisions. Using the table, you can specify
the numbering method for revisions in a project, and you can add data
such as release date and description to each revision.
Dataset
Using Revision Tracking | 193
Open m_Revisions.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Specify a revision numbering method

1 On the Settings menu, click Revisions.
2 In the Revisions dialog box, verify that By Project is selected
for Numbering Method.
When you use this option, the revisions are numbered
according to the sequence of revisions in the Revisions dialog
box. For example, if the active revision is number 1, all tags
and schedules display the numeral 1. If you select By Sheet,
the revisions are numbered according to the sequence in which
they are added to a sheet.
Add a revision to the project

3 Click on the value for Release Date, and enter a date.
This is the date the revisions are sent out for review.
4 Click on the value for Description, and enter Moved window
and added second window to Living Room.
In general, revision descriptions should be comprehensive, yet
as concise as possible.
5 Verify that Issued is cleared.
When Issued is selected, the revision is locked and issued to
the field.
6 Under Visible, verify that Cloud and Tag is selected.
If Visible is not selected, any revision cloud you draw to

indicate this particular revision is not visible in the view in
which you create it. In most instances, you would turn off
visibility only after a revision was issued.
7 Click OK.
9 Navigate to your preferred directory, name the file
m_Revisions-in progress.rvt, and click Save.
10 Proceed to the next exercise, Sketching Revision Clouds
on page 195.
Sketching Revision Clouds

In this exercise, you make changes to the project floor plan, and then
indicate the changes graphically with a revision cloud. Revision clouds
have read-only properties, including revision number and revision date,
which are inherited from the revision table you created for the project.
You can sketch revision clouds in all views except 3D views, but each
cloud is visible only in the view in which it is sketched. You can draw
multiple revision clouds for each revision.
Dataset
m_Revisions-in progress.rvt.
Modify a window
1 In the Project Browser, expand Views, and expand Floor
Plans.
2 Double-click Level 1 to open it in the drawing area.
3 In the small empty room, select the window.
Sketching Revision Clouds | 195
4 Select the dimension value to the left of the window, enter

1200 mm, and press ENTER.
The selected window is moved to the left 900 mm.
Add a window
5 Verify that the modified window is still selected in the drawing
area, and click
on the Edit toolbar.
6 Select the midpoint of the casement window as the start point.

7 Move the cursor to the right until the distance from the
midpoint is 1800 mm.
8 Click to place the second window.
Add a revision cloud

10 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Revision Cloud.
Revit Building is now in sketch mode.
11 In the drawing area, click near the windows you have
changed, and move the cursor clockwise to create a segment
of the revision cloud.
12 Click to end that segment and begin a new segment.
13 Continue adding segments until the cloud encompasses the
area that you changed.
The revision cloud is displayed around the modified

windows. You can change the appearance of the cloud from
the Settings menu.
16 Proceed to the next exercise, Tagging Revision Clouds on
page 197.
Tagging Revision Clouds

In this exercise, you load a revision tag into the project, and then apply
the tag to the revision cloud in the current drawing. The tag number
that is displayed in the drawing is based on the numbering method you
specified when you set up the revision table in a previous exercise.
Dataset
Load a revision tag

1 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Tag By
Category.
2 On the Options Bar, click Tags.
3 In the Tags dialog box, scroll down to Revision Clouds.
Tagging Revision Clouds | 197
Because there are no tags loaded for revision clouds, you need
to add one.
4 Click Load.
icon, and open Metric\Families\Annotations\ M_Revision
Tag.rfa, and click Open.
In the Tags dialog box, notice that M_Revision Tag is the
loaded tag for Revision Clouds.
6 In the Tags dialog box, click OK.
Tag a revision cloud

7 On the Options Bar, clear Leader.
8 In the drawing area, position the cursor just outside the
revision cloud.
If the cursor is just inside the cloud, the tag is displayed inside
the cloud.
9 Click to place the tag.
The tag displays the revision number of the cloud. The number
is based on the numbering method you specified when you
set up the revision table. Because you chose to number by
project, and because the revision is the first in the project, the
cloud is tagged as number 1.
11 Proceed to the next exercise, Working with Revisions on
page 199.
Working with Revisions

In this exercise, you create a sheet view in your project, on which you
place a revised view. You then issue a revision, which creates a record
of the revision and locks it from further changes. Because a real-world
project can undergo several revisions before it is completed, you create
additional revisions in the revision table.
Dataset
Create a sheet view

1 On the View menu, click New Sheet.
Files icon, and open Metric\Families\Titleblocks\ A0 Metric.
A new sheet view is created in the project.
Add a revised view to a sheet

4 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, select Level 1,
and drag it onto the sheet view.
5 In the drawing area, click to place the floor plan.
6 Enter ZR to zoom to a specific region.
7 Draw a rectangle around the revision schedule in the sheet
titleblock.
The information you added to the revision table in a

previous exercise is displayed in the revision schedule.
After you make the necessary changes to the project and
add the revised views to a sheet, you prevent further changes
to the revision. You do this by issuing the revision.
Issue a revision
8 On the Settings menu, click Revisions.
9 In the Revisions dialog box, enter a name for Issued to.
10 Select Issued, and click OK.
Working with Revisions | 199
NOTE After you issue a revision, you can no longer modify it. You
cannot add revision clouds to the revision in the drawing area,
nor can you edit the sketch of the existing clouds.
Create additional revisions

11 Your project may have several revisions before it is completed.
You can continue to add revisions.
On the Settings menu, click Revisions.
12 In the Revisions dialog box, under Add, click New.
A new row is added below the existing rows in the revision

table.
13 Enter the appropriate information for this revision.
14 If you want to hide issued revisions in the drawing, for Visible,
select None for each issued revision.
15 Click OK.
save the drawing.
Detailing
In this tutorial, you learn how to create details in Revit Building

9.1. You can detail directly in a view of the building
information model, using detail components to represent
materials like lumber, plywood, and metal studs. These
components display at the required scale. For a detail that you
do not want to associate with the model, like a standard detail
that you want to add to a library, you use a separate drafting
view in which to create the detail. The "drafted" detail that
you create is not parametrically linked to the building model.
In this tutorial, you also learn how to change the detail
component display order and visibility settings in a detail to
create depth and show varying levels of detail.
201
Creating a Detail from a Building Model

In this lesson, you detail the foundation sill of a small house.
In order to detail from the building model, you must define the view in
which you want to create a detail. You define that view by creating a callout
view within a section view. In the callout view, you trace over the building
model geometry, add detail components, and then complete the detail by
adding break lines and text notes.
Creating a Callout View

In this exercise, you create a callout view that references the foundation
sill of the house. You create the callout view by adding a callout to the
section view. The callout defines the extents of the callout view. The callout
view is a larger view of the area that you define in the section view with
the callout.
Dataset
202 | Chapter 4 Detailing
Open m_Cape_House.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Modify the section view

1 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Floor
Plans, and double-click First Floor.
The section line that you see in the floor plan indicates that
a section view has been added to the project.
2 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select the section line.
Blue grips and a break symbol display on the section line.
3 Click the break symbol to create a gap in the section line.
Creating a Callout View | 203
4 Select and move the blue grips of the interior end points of
the section line so the section line is displayed as in the
following illustration.
Add a callout to the section view to specify the callout view

6 Double-click the head of the section line to display the section
view.
TIP If the tab that you need does not display in the Design
Bar, right-click in the Design Bar, and click the tab in the
context menu.
8 On the Options Bar, select 1:5 for Scale.
9 Add the callout by drawing a rectangle around the left side
of the foundation:
Click in the section view where the upper left corner

of the callout rectangle displays in the following
illustration.
Click in the section view where the lower right corner

displays.
Reposition the callout head

10 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the callout
border.
The callout border and tag highlight and display blue grips.
11 Select the grip near the callout head and move it to the
bottom left side of the view as shown in the following
illustration.
Creating a Callout View | 205
Display and modify the callout view

12 On the Design Bar, click Modify and double-click the callout
head.
The callout view is displayed.
13 On the View menu, click View Properties.

14 In the Element Properties dialog box, change the following
instance parameters:
Enter Section Detail @ Foundation Sill for View

Name.
Select Hidden Line for Model Graphics Style.
15 Click OK.
16 In the view, select the First Floor level line.
Notice that the alignment of the level is locked to the site
level.
17 Proceed to the next exercise, Detailing the View on page

207.
Detailing the View

In this exercise, you detail the view of the foundation sill. You start by
adding a filled region that represents the sloped grade outside of the
foundation wall, and then add detail components to the detail that
represent lumber, sub-flooring, siding, and an anchor bolt.
The detail components that you add to the view are two-dimensional
family objects. They are also view specific, which means that any detail
components, as well as detail lines, region objects, and insulation objects,
that you add to the view are visible only in this view.
Dataset
m_Cape_House.rvt.
Detailing the View | 207
Create a filled region that represents the sloped grade outside the
foundation wall
1 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Filled Region.
TIP If you do not see the Filled Region command, turn off the
display of some of the Design Bar tabs.
Notice that the Design Bar is now in Sketch mode and the
model geometry is grayed out.
3 In the Type Selector, select Wide Lines.
4 On the Options Bar, select Chain and click
5 Trace the region representing the sloped grade using the

following illustration for reference. Exact dimensions are not
important.
TIP Enter SO on your keyboard to turn off snapping as you sketch.
6 On the Design Bar, click Region Properties.

8 In the Type Properties dialog box, click Duplicate.
9 In the Name dialog box, enter Earth for Name, and click
OK.
10 In the Type Properties dialog box, click
Pattern type parameter Value field.
in the Fill
11 In the Fill Patterns dialog box, under Name and Pattern,

select EARTH.
12 Click OK three times.
13 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select the two lines
shown in the following illustration.
14 In the Type Selector, select <Invisible lines>.

15 On the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch to complete the filled
region.
The earth fill pattern is displayed in the filled region.
NOTE You may have to zoom out to view the earth fill pattern
in the filled region. If you are zoomed in too far, the pattern
does not display.
Add lumber detail components

16 On the Design Bar, click Detail Component.
icon, and open Metric\Families\Detail Components\Division
06-Wood and Plastic\06100-Rough Carpentry\06110-Wood
Framing.
19 Select Nominal Cut Lumber-Section.rfa.
20 At the bottom of the dialog box, select the following lumber
components:
50X150 mm Nominal
50X250mm Nominal
50X300 Nominal
21 Click Open.
22 In the Type Selector, select M_Nominal Cut Lumber-Section
50x250.
23 Press the Spacebar to rotate the Lumber Section

counter-clockwise.
24 Place the lumber component in the detail view as shown
TIP You may need to use the Move command to adjust the
position of the lumber.
25 Place a 50X300 lumber component as shown in the

26 In the Type Selector, select M_Nominal Cut Lumber- Section:

50x150, and place it in the detail view.
Add a plywood detail component to represent the sub-flooring

28 In the Type Selector, select M_Plywood : 25mm.

29 Place the plywood component above the last 50X300 that
you added as shown in the following illustration.
TIP You may need to use the Align tool to place the plywood
component.
Add a plywood detail component to the exterior wall face

30 Place another plywood component on the exterior face of
the wall as shown in the following illustration.
Add an anchor bolt detail component

32 In the Type Selector, select m_anchorbolt and place it in
the detail view as shown in the following illustration.
Add a lap siding to the exterior wall as a repeating detail

component
33 On the Design Bar, click Repeating Detail.

37 In the Name dialog box, enter Lap Siding for Name, and
click OK.
38 In the Type Properties dialog box, change the following type
parameters:
Select m_lap siding for Detail.
Verify Fill Available Space is selected for Layout. When

you place the repeating detail component, this parameter
determines the appropriate spacing between the repeated
components so that they fill the space that you select
evenly.
Select Inside.
Verify Detail Rotation is set to None.
39 Click OK twice.
40 Add the lap siding to the plywood on the exterior face:
Select the lower left corner of the plywood detail

component.
Move the cursor up along the plywood component, until

enough lap siding displays to cover it, and click to place
the lap siding.
NOTE You may need to move your cursor above the crop
region of the detail view to place the lap siding along the entire
length of the plywood. If you need to make modifications to
the lap siding after you place it, on the Design Bar, click Modify
and select the repeating lap siding detail component. Select
and move the blue grips on the repeating detail line to shorten
or lengthen the lap siding.
The lap siding is displayed along the plywood.
41 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Detail Lines on page

215.
Adding Detail Lines

In this exercise, you add lines to your detail. Like detail components,
they are view specific, meaning they display only in this view.
Dataset
m_Cape_House.rvt.
Add detail lines

2 In the Type Selector, click Wide Lines.
Adding Detail Lines | 215
3 Sketch detail lines to enclose the bottom end of the lap siding
as shown in the following illustration.

5 In the Element Properties dialog box, select As underlay for
the Display Model instance parameter, and click OK.
The model geometry that displays underneath the detail
components and lines is grayed out.
7 In the Type Selector, select Medium lines, select Chain, and
click
8 Using the underlay inside wall face and floor as references,

sketch a 20 x 100 mm baseboard.
9 Add two more detail lines as shown in the following

illustration.
Create a filled region that represents the 15 mm gypsum board

13 Trace over the interior wall face as shown in the following

illustration.

17 In the Name dialog box, enter Plasterboard for Name,
and click OK.
Adding Detail Lines | 217

type parameter value field.
in the Fill pattern
19 In the Fill Patterns dialog box, under Name and Pattern, select
Gypsum-Plaster.
21 On the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch to view the gypsum
board.
Create a filled region that represents the foundation wall

25 Trace a rectangle over the foundation wall.

29 In the Name dialog box, enter Concrete for Name, and click
OK.
type parameter value field.
in the Fill pattern
31 In the Fill Patterns dialog box, under Name and Pattern, select
Concrete.
33 On the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch to view the concrete

filled region.
Near the end of this lesson, you turn off the display of the
model geometry. If there were no filled region to represent
the foundation walls, the region would be blank.
34 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding a Vapor Barrier and

Insulation on page 219.
Adding a Vapor Barrier and Insulation

In this exercise, you add a vapor barrier and insulation to the detail.
Dataset
m_Cape_House.rvt.
Add a vapor barrier

1 On the Settings menu, click Line Styles.
2 In the Line Styles dialog box, under Modify Subcategories,
click New.
3 In the New Subcategory dialog box, enter Vapor Barrier
Adding a Vapor Barrier and Insulation | 219
4 Under Lines Styles, make the following changes to Vapor

Barrier:
Select 3 for Line Weight/Projection.
Select Black for Line Color.
Select Dash for Line Pattern.
5 Click OK to complete the new line style.

6 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Detail Lines.
7 In the Type Selector, select Vapor Barrier.
and enter 28mm for Offset.
9 Click the right face of the interior wall to create a line as shown
Add insulation
10 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Insulation.
11 On the Options Bar, enter 120 mm for Width and 65 mm
for Offset to center.
12 Sketch the insulation:
Click at the top and to the right of the exterior wall face
underlay of the wall to specify the start point.
Move your cursor down to the top of the 50x150 and

click to specify the endpoint.
13 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Break Lines on page

221.
Adding Break Lines

In this exercise, you add break lines to the detail.
Dataset
m_Cape_House.rvt.
Add a break line to the top of the wall section

2 In the Type Selector, select M_Break Line.
3 Place the break line at the top of the wall section as shown
in the following image.
Adding Break Lines | 221
4 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the crop boundary
of the detail view.
5 Select and move the crop boundary grips until the view
displays as in the following illustration.
Add a break line to the floor

7 In the Type Selector, verify that M_Break Line is selected.
8 Place the break line approximately in the center of the floor
9 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the break line.

and rotate the break line
until it displays as shown in the following illustration.
NOTE You may need to drag the shape handles of the break
line to resize it to the illustration.
Turn off the visibility of model components to view detail

components only
12 In the Element Properties dialog box, select Do not display
for Display model, and click OK.
Adding Break Lines | 223
When you turn the display model off, the model elements
such as walls and floors no longer display in this view. What
remains are the detail components and lines that you added
previously, as shown in the following illustration.
13 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Text Notes on page 224.
Adding Text Notes

In this exercise, you add text notes to complete the detail.
Dataset
m_Cape_House.rvt.
Add text notes to the detail

2 On the Type Selector, select 4 mm text for Text size.
segments.
to create a leader with two
4 Add the leaders and notes shown in the following illustration:
Click in the detail to set the location of the arrow.
Click again to set the elbow position of the leader.
Click again to set the location of the text box.
Enter the text.
5 If you want to save your changes, on the File menu, click

Save As, and save the exercise file with a unique name.
6 Close the exercise file without saving your changes.
Changing Component Order and Visibility

Settings in Detail Views
In this lesson, you learn to modify the display of detail components in
your detail views. Within a detail view, you can arrange the order in
which detail components display. A detail component can display in
front or in back of all other components, or can display in front of or
in back of specific components.
You also learn how to override line styles and detail level settings for
each model element. For example, you can set only doors in a detail
view to display in fine detail, while other model elements, such as walls
and windows, display in coarse detail.
Changing Detail Component Order in a Detail View

In this exercise, you change the order in which detail components in a
detail view of a kitchen sink and cabinet display.
Dataset
Open c_Office_Building.rvt located in the Common folder.
Open the detail view

Plans, and double-click Basement.
Changing Component Order and Visibility Settings in Detail Views | 225
The section line that you see in the top right corner of the
floor plan indicates that a section view that cuts through the
kitchen sink and cabinet has been added to the project.
2 Double-click the section line head to display the section view.

The filled regions in the detail section view do not overlap
properly.
Display the sink in front of the cabinet

3 Move your cursor over the kitchen sink detail component, and
when it highlights, select it.
4 With the sink selected, on the Options Bar, click
The sink now displays as if it was in front of the cabinet

detail component.
Display the sink behind the cabinet

5 Select the sink and, on the Options Bar, click
Changing Detail Component Order in a Detail View | 227
The sink is now sent to the back of the drawing, behind the
cabinet.
There are three stacked detail components in this detail: a sink,

a cabinet, and a simple fill pattern. Select the base cabinet and
try the various depth options on the Options Bar.
6 Proceed to the next exercise, Changing Visibility Settings in
a Detail View on page 228.
Changing Visibility Settings in a Detail View

In this exercise, you change the visibility settings of several views by
overriding line styles, using halftone, and overriding detail level settings.
Dataset
c_Office_Building.rvt.
Open four different views

1.
2 On the Window menu, select Tile.
3 On the View menu, select Zoom Zoom All To Fit.
Display the furniture in the basement view in halftone

4 On the View menu, select Zoom Zoom In Region.
5 Click in the window containing the Floor Plan: Basement
view and draw a zoom box around the furniture as shown
6 Maximize the window containing the Floor Plan: Basement

view.
7 On the View menu, select Visibility/Graphics.
8 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Model
Categories tab.
9 Under Visibility, scroll down to Furniture, and select
Halftone.
10 Click OK.
Changing Visibility Settings in a Detail View | 229
The furniture within this view is displayed in halftone.
Turn off door tags in the Level 1 Floor Plan

11 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Floor Plans,
and double-click Level 1.
12 On the View menu, select Zoom Zoom To Fit.
13 On the View menu, select Visibility/Graphics.

14 In the Visibility/Graphics Overrides dialog box, click the
Annotation Categories tab.
15 Clear the Visibility for Door tags, and click Apply.
16 Move the Visibility/Graphics Overrides dialog box so you can
view the floor plan.
The door tags are not displayed.
Display walls in coarse detail in the Level 1 Floor Plan

Model Categories tab.
18 For Walls, select Coarse for Detail Level, and click Apply.
The walls in this view display in a coarse level of detail while
the rest of the floor plan is displayed in a fine level of detail.
All the walls in this view are displayed as coarse regardless
of the settings in the View Properties dialog box.
Change the cut line style for walls in the view

19 In the Visibility/Graphics Overrides dialog box, select Walls,
and click Override under Line Style Cut for Walls.
Changing Visibility Settings in a Detail View | 231
20 In the Select Line Style dialog box, do the following:
Select Override.
Select 8 for Line Weight.
Select Black for Line Color.
Select Solid for Line Pattern.
21 Click OK twice.
The cut line style of the walls is now significantly heavier.
Creating a Drafted Detail

In this lesson, you learn how to create a drafted detail. Drafted details are
created in drafting views and are not directly based on building model
geometry. These details do not update with changes to the building model,
as there is no parametric linkage to any building model components.
You also learn how to add components and their keynotes to a drafting
view. Keynotes contain an identifying key value and description of the
component. After loading the components, you create a roof edge detail
and apply keynoting to annotate the detail.
You can create details in drafting views when you do not need to create
callout views from the building model. You can create drafted details using
the drafting tools in Revit Building or by importing details from an existing
detail library. After you create a drafting view, you can reference it within
the model and place it on a sheet.
Creating a Drafting View

In this exercise, you create a drafting view that is not associated with a
building model. In the next exercise, you create a door detail in this
new drafting view.
Dataset
Open m_Drafting_views.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Create the new drafting view

1 On View menu, click New Drafting View.
2 In the New Drafting View dialog box, enter the following:
Enter Door Detail for Name.
Select 1:5 for Scale.
3 Click OK to create the new drafting view.

The building model is no longer displayed in the drawing
window because you have created a drafting view that is
not associated with the building model.
4 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), and expand
Drafting Views.
The new drafting view, named Door Detail, is displayed in
the Project Browser.
5 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Detail in the
Drafting View on page 233.
Creating a Detail in the Drafting View

In this exercise, you create a door detail in the new drafting view.
Creating a Drafting View | 233
Dataset
m_Drafting_views.rvt.
Create a drafted door detail

1 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Detail Lines.
TIP If the tab that you need does not display in the Design Bar,
right-click in the Design Bar, and click the tab in the context menu.
3 Sketch the door jamb shown in the following illustration.
TIP You may want to use the Chain option when you sketch
the door jamb. You can also use the Rectangles sketching tool
to create the basic shapes, and then use the Split and Trim
tools to complete the sketch.

5 Permanently dimension the door jamb sketch so that the
dimension values match those in the following illustration.
After you create a dimension, you can change its value by
clicking Modify on the Design Bar and selecting one of the
lines the dimension references. When the dimension value
displays in blue, you can change it.
Create filled regions

6 You sketch filled regions to represent gypsum wall board.
On the Design Bar, click Filled Region.
9 Turn off automatic snapping to facilitate sketching in close

detail:
On the Settings menu, click Snaps.
Under Dimension Snaps, clear Length dimension snap

increments, and click OK.
10 Sketch two 15 mm thick rectangles as shown.
Creating a Detail in the Drafting View | 235

14 In the Name dialog box, enter Plasterboard, and click OK.
type parameter.
for the Fill pattern
16 In the Fill Patterns dialog box, under Name, select Sand.

17 Under Pattern Type, verify Drafting is selected, and click OK
3 times.
The detail with filled regions (the gypsum wall board with the
sand drafting pattern) is displayed.

21 Sketch the 50 mm x 15 mm door trim as shown.
22 On the Design Bar, click Dimension, and dimension the

door trim.
Adjust witness lines

23 Select each door jamb dimension.
24 Drag the door jamb dimension controls to pull the dimensions
away from the detail.
25 Add an overall dimension of the door jamb.
Sketch a door
28 Draw lines that represent the door as shown.
TIP You may find it helpful to temporarily hide the dimensions
in the view when sketching the door. Select the desired
dimensions, and on the View Control Bar, click the Hide/Isolate
command, and click Hide Object from the context menu.
Add the dimensional lumber for the header

29 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Detail
Component.
30 In the Type Selector, select M_Dimension Lumber 38X140.


34 In the Name dialog box, enter 38 x 125, and click OK.
35 In the Type Properties dialog box, enter 125 for the Width
type parameter, and click OK twice.
36 Press the Spacebar to rotate the Lumber counter-clockwise.
37 Place the lumber component in the detail.
TIP You may need to use the Move command to adjust the
position of the lumber.
38 Stack another 38 x 125 directly above the one that you placed
in the previous step to complete the header.
Add two break lines

40 In the Type Selector, select Break Line.
41 Add two break lines as shown.
TIP Rotate and move the bottom break line to adjust its
masking element.
Add text notes to complete the detail

43 In the Options Bar, click
segments.
to create a leader with two
44 Add leaders and text notes to the detail as shown.
Place the drafting view on a new sheet

45 On the View menu, click New Sheet.
46 Select a Titleblock dialog box, click Load.
47 In the left pane of the Open dialog box, click Training Files,
and open Metric\Families\Titleblocks\ A0 metric.
48 In the Select a Titleblock dialog box, click OK.
49 In the Project Browser, expand Views, and expand Drafting
Views.
50 Select Door Detail, and drag it onto the sheet.
51 Click to specify an insertion point.
53 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Detail Components

and Keynoting on page 243.
Adding Detail Components and Keynoting

In this exercise, you place detail building components in a drafting view
and keynote each component. Later you create an annotated detail with
these components.
Select the Keynoting text file

1 Click File menu New Project.
2 In the New Project dialog, click Browse.
3 In the left pane of the Choose Template dialog, click the
Training Files icon, and open Metric\Templates\
DefaultMetric.rte.
4 In the New Project dialog, click OK.
Adding Detail Components and Keynoting | 243
6 In the Save As dialog, click the Training Files icon on the left,
and double-click the Metric folder.
7 For File name, enter m_shared_details, and click Save.
8 Click Settings menu Keynoting.
9 In the Keynoting Settings dialog, click Browse.
10 In the left pane of the Select Keynote File dialog, click the
Training Files icon, and open Metric\RevitKeynotes_Metric.txt.
This text file contains the keynote values and descriptions for
the building components.
11 In the Keynoting Settings dialog, click OK.
Create a drafting view for a roof edge detail

12 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Drafting View.
13 In the New Drafting View dialog, for Name, enter Roof Edge
Detail.
14 For Scale, select 1 : 10, and click OK.
The scale is set for the view and controls the sizing of
annotation and material hatch patterns.
15 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Drafting
Views (Detail), and verify that the Roof Edge Detail view is
open.
Load ceiling components and assign keynotes

16 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Detail Component.
17 On the Options Bar, click Load to load a new detail
component.
icon, and double-click each of the following folders to open
the detail component folder for Acoustical Ceilings:
Detail Components in Metric\Families
Div 09-Finishes
09500-Ceilings
09150-Acoustical Ceilings
19 Press and hold CTRL, and select the following components:
M_Suspended Acoustic Ceiling-Tegular Edge-Section.rfa
M_Suspension Tee-Section.rfa
M_Suspension Wall Angle-Section.rfa
M_Suspension Wire-Section.rfa
20 Click Open.
21 On the View Toolbar, click
lines.
to display all lines as thin
22 Select each of the following components from the Type

Selector and click in the drawing area to place each
component, as shown:
M_Suspension Wall Angle-Section : 15mm
M_Suspension Tee-Section : 24mm
M_Suspended Acoustic Ceiling-Tegular Edge-Section :

19 x 600 x 600
M_Suspension Wire-Section
23 Click Modify to end the command.

24 Select the suspension wire component in the drawing area,
and on the Options Bar, click
25 In the Element Properties dialog, click Edit/New.

26 In the Type Properties dialog, under Identity Data, click the
Keynote value, and click
27 In the Keynotes dialog, expand 09000 Division 09 - Finishes,

expand 09500 Ceilings, expand 09510 Acoustical Ceilings,
and select Key Value 09510.D1.
28 Click OK 3 times.
29 Using the steps that you just learned, assign a keynote to each
of the other ceiling components:
Detail Component
Keynote
M_Suspended Acoustic CeilingTegular Edge-Section
09510.A11
M_Suspension Tee Section
09510.B2
M_Suspension Wall Angle-Section
09510.C1
Load metal roof components

30 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Detail Component.
icon, and open Metric\Families\Detail Components\Div
05-Metals\05200-Metal Joists\05210-Steel Joists.
33 Select M_K-Series Bar Joist-Side.rfa, and from the type catalog,
select 12K5, and click Open.
34 Click in the drawing area to place the bar joist, and on the
Design Bar, click Modify to end the command.
35 Assign keynote value 05210.B5 to the joist.

36 With the joist still selected, click
37 In the Element Properties dialog, under Dimensions, for Extend

End Top, enter 150 mm, and click OK.
05-Metals\05300-Metal Deck\05310-Steel Deck.
41 Select M_Roof Decking-Section.rfa, and click Open.
42 In the Type Selector, select M_Roof Decking-Section : 1.5
NR 22.
43 Click in the drawing area to place the metal component.
44 Assign keynote value 05310.C7 to the deck.
Create a repeating linear detail

45 Zoom in on the deck component in the drawing area, and
on the Tools Toolbar, click
metal section.
to find the length of the
46 Click the left endpoint of the section, and click the right
endpoint to measure the section.
Notice that the roof decking section is 150 mm long.
47 On the Design Bar, click Repeating Detail.


51 In the Name dialog, enter Metal Deck, and click OK.

52 In the Type Properties dialog, for Detail, select M_Roof
Decking-Section : 1.5 NR 22.
53 For Spacing, enter 150 mm.
54 Click OK twice.
55 Click in the drawing area to place the repeating detail. Click
once for the left endpoint and move the cursor to the right
580 mm and click to place the right endpoint, as shown.

58 In the Type Properties dialog, for Detail Rotation, select 90
Counterclockwise, click Apply, and click OK.
59 In the Element Properties dialog, click OK.
The repeating detail shows 4 connected metal roof decking
sections.

07-Thermal and Moisture Protection\07200-Thermal
Protection\07210-Building Insulation.
63 Select M_Rigid Insulation-Section.rfa, and click Open.
64 In the Type Selector, select M_Rigid Insulation-Section : 63mm.
65 Click the top left and right corners of the Repeating Detail
: Metal Deck to place the insulation on top of the metal
deck, as shown.
The detail component has a material hatch pattern.

66 Assign keynote value 07210.B5 to the insulation.
07-Thermal and Moisture Protection\07100-Dampproofing
and Waterproofing\07130-Sheet Metal Waterproofing.
70 Select M_Protection Board-Section.rfa, and click Open.
71 In the Type Selector, select M_Protection Board-Section : 13
mm.
72 Click the top left and right corners of the rigid insulation
to place the protection board on top of the insulation, as
shown.
73 Assign keynote value 07130.C4 to the protection board.
Load wall components and keynotes

74 Add the following detail masonry components to the drafting
view and keynote the components. Masonry components are
located in folder Div 04-Masonry:
Component Family and Type
Keynote
04220-Concrete Masonry
Units/M_CMU-2 Core-Section.rfa
(Type: M_CMU-2 Core-Section :
200x200x400mm)
04220.A16
04200-Clay Masonry
Units/M_Bricks-Section.rfa (Type:
M_Bricks-Section : Modular 10mm Joint)
04210.A1
04220-Concrete Masonry
Units/M_Bond Beams-Single
Section.rfa (Type: M_Bond BeamsSingle Section : 200x200x400mm)
04220.C3
75 Add the following detail structural components to the drafting

view and keynote the components:
Structural/Concrete/Reinf Bar
Section.rfa (Type: Reinf Bar Section
: #_3)
NOTE This component is only
available in the Imperial Detail
Library. If you do not have access
to this library, ignore this step and
additional references to this
component when creating the
detail.
Keynote
The Keynote for this component
is under Div 03 -Concrete:
03210.A1 #3 Rebar

05090-Metal fastenings/
M_Anchor Bolts Hook-Side : M12
Keynote
05090.D2
76 Add the following detail lumber components to the drafting

view and keynote the components. These lumber
components are located in folder Div 06 - Wood and
Plastic/06100 Rough Carpentry:
Keynote
06110 Wood
Framing/M_Nominal Cut
Lumber-Section.rfa (Types:
50x150mm; 50x200mm)
06115.B3 and 06115.B4
06160-Sheathing/M_PlywoodSection.rfa (Type: M_PlywoodSection : 19mm)
06160.D12
Add a repeating wall detail

77 Zoom in on the CMU-2 Core-Section component in the
drawing area.
79 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Repeating Detail.

81 In the Element Properties dialog, click Edit/New, and in the

Type Properties dialog, click Duplicate.
82 In the Name dialog, enter CMU 200x200x400, and click OK.
83 Specify the following values in the Type Properties dialog:
For Detail, select M_CMU-2 Core-Section :

200x200x400mm.
For Spacing, enter 200 mm.
For Detail Rotation, select 90 Clockwise.
84 Click OK twice.
85 Click in the drawing area to place the first endpoint, move the
cursor vertically for a height of 600 mm, and click to place the
repeating detail component.

87 Select the repeating wall detail component, and click

89 In the Type Properties dialog, change the Detail Rotation value
to None, and then click OK twice.

91 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Repeating Detail.
93 In the Element Properties dialog, click Edit/New, and in the

Type Properties dialog, click Duplicate.
94 In the Name dialog, enter Stacked Modular Brick, and click
OK.
95 Specify the following values in the Type Properties dialog:
Under Detail, select M_Bricks-Section : Modular - 10

mm Joint.
Under Spacing, enter =200/3, and click OK.

The formula in the Spacing value is calculated
automatically.

97 In the drawing area, click at the bottom right corner of the
M_Bond Beams-Single-Section component, and click again
just above the top right corner.

99 Click File menu Save.
100 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Roof Edge Detail on
page 254.
Creating a Roof Edge Detail

In this exercise, you create a roof edge detail using the components you
placed and keynoted in the previous lesson.
Dataset
m_shared_details.rvt.
Create the wall detail

1 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Drafting View.
2 In the New Drafting View dialog, for Name, enter Roof Edge
Detail with Keynotes, for Scale, select 1 : 10, and click OK.
3 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Repeating Detail,

and in the Type Selector, select Repeating Detail : CMU
200x200x400.
4 Click in the drawing area to place the bottom of the
component, move the cursor up 1100 mm and click to place
the top of the component.
5 In the Type Selector, select Repeating Detail : Stacked

Modular Brick.
6 Click the bottom right corner and just above the top right
corner of the CMU detail to place the stacked brick to the
right of the CMU detail, as shown:

8 Select the stacked brick component in the drawing area,
and on the Edit Toolbar, click
(Move).
Creating a Roof Edge Detail | 255
9 Click the upper left corner of the stacked brick component

and move the cursor to the right, enter 50 mm and press ENTER
to move the component to the right, as shown:
10 Select the CMU detail, click the blue line end control and move
the cursor down so that only three repeating components
display, as shown:
11 Place the next three detail components on top of the CMU

detail in the following order:
M_Bond Beams-Single-Section : 200x200x400
M_CMU-2 Core Section : 200x200x400
M_Bond Beams-Single-Section : 200x200x400
12 Place the next two detail lumber components side-by-side

on top of the existing detail:
M_Nominal Cut Lumber-Section : 50x150mm
M_Nominal Cut Lumber-Section : 50x200mm
NOTE Press the SPACEBAR when placing the lumber

components to change the orientation to horizontal. Use the
Move command if necessary to place the detail components
so the edges line up with the existing detail components, as
shown.
13 In the Type Selector, select M_Plywood-Section : 19mm,

and place it on an angle with the left edge at the upper left
corner of the M_Nominal Cut Lumber-Section : 50x150mm
and the right edge 25 mm above the upper right corner of
the M_Nominal Cut Lumber-Section : 50x200mm.
NOTE To place the right end of the plywood precisely, add a

reference line 25 mm above the M_Nominal Cut Lumber-Section
: 50x200mm before placing the plywood detail.
Create a detail component

14 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Detail Lines, and
in the Type Selector, select Medium Lines.
15 Use the following steps to create a custom detail component
to fill the space above the M_Nominal Cut Lumber-Section :
50x200mm and below the sloped plywood:
In the drawing area, draw the border lines for the new
wedge-shaped component.
In the Type Selector, select Thin lines.
Draw crossed lines through the new component from the

bottom left corner to the top right and from the bottom
right to the top left.
16 Press and hold CTRL, and click to select each line in the new
component.
17 In the View Control Bar, click Hide/Isolate Isolate Object.
18 Copy the component to a new family:
Click Edit menu Cut.
Click File menu New Family.
In the left pane of the New dialog, click the Training

Files icon, and open Metric Detail Component.rft in
the Metric\Templates folder.
Click Edit menu Paste from Clipboard to paste the

new component into the template.
Click in the drawing area to place the component in

the upper right quadrant of the template. If necessary,
use the Move command to position the lower left corner
of the component at the intersection of the reference
lines.
19 Click File menu Save As to save the new component in

the detail component library.
20 In the Save As dialog, navigate to Training Files\
Metric\Families\Detail Components\Div 06-Wood and
Plastic\06100-Rough Carpentry\06110-Wood Framing, for
File name, enter Wood Cant, and click Save.
21 On the Design Bar, click Load into Projects.
22 In the Load into Projects dialog, select m_shared_details.rvt,
and click OK.
23 In the Project Browser, under Drafting Views, double-click

Roof Edge detail with Keynotes.
25 Verify that Wood Cant is selected in the Type Selector, and
click to place the component in the detail.

27 To modify the line styles for the Wood Cant component:
Click Window menu Wood Cant.rfa - Floor Plan: Ref.

Level.
Select the two crossed lines in the component, and in the

Type selector, select Light Lines.
Select the border lines of the component, and in the Type

Selector, select Medium Lines.
Click File menu Save.
Click File menu Close.
28 On the Design Bar, click Detail Component, and on the

Options Bar, click Load.
29 Navigate to the 06110-Wood Framing folder in the Detail
Components folder, select Wood Cant.rfa, and click Open.
30 In the Reload Family dialog, click Yes to reload the component.
Add to the detail

32 Place an anchor bolt:
On the Design Bar, select Detail Component.
In the Type Selector, select M_Anchor Bolts Hook-Side

: M12, and place the component in the upper left
section of the existing detail, as shown:
Select the anchor bolt and click the blue shape handle
to drag the top of the component down below the
plywood detail, as shown:

34 In the Type Selector, select Reinf Bar Section : #_3, and place
one bar in each of the M_bond beams components.

36 Select the stacked brick component, click and drag the line
end down to leave a gap between the bricks and the lumber.

38 In the Type Selector, select M_Bricks-Section : Modular - 10mm
Joint, and place a single brick on top of the stacked brick
component.
NOTE A repeating detail cannot be keynoted. Placing the single

brick component on top of the stacked brick allows you to
keynote the brick component in the detail view.
Add a type to the brick section family

40 In the drawing area, select the single brick component.
For the detail, you need a brick section type that does not
exist, a soldier course for a standard brick. You can create
this component from an existing brick component.
41 On the Options Bar, click Edit Family, and in the
confirmation dialog, click Yes.
42 In the Family Editor of the Design Bar, click Family Types,
and in the Family Types dialog, click New.
43 In the New dialog, for Name, enter Modular - 10mm Joint
Soldier Course, and click OK.
44 Specify values for the new family type:
For Length, enter 57 mm.
For Height, enter 190 mm, and click OK.
45 On the Design Bar, click Load into Projects, and in the Load
into Projects dialog, select m_shared_details.rvt, and click
OK.
46 In the Reload Family dialog, click Yes to overwrite the
existing version of the project.
47 Save the Bricks Section family as
M_Bricks-Section-Modified.rfa, and close the file.
Add to the detail

49 In the Type Selector, select M_Bricks-Section : Modular 10mm
Joint Soldier Course, and place the component on top of the
M_Bricks-Section : Modular - 10mm Joint.
50 Place the Bar Joist:
In the Type Selector, select M_K-Series Bar Joist-Side : 12K5,

and place it in the center of the detail.
Click the joist, and click
Click the left edge of the joist to mirror the component.
Select and delete the joist on the right.
(Mirror).
Move the remaining joist into place in the detail, as

shown:
51 Place the metal deck and modify the element properties:
On the Design Bar, click Repeating Detail.
In the Type Selector, select Repeating Detail : Metal

Deck.
Click on top of the joist where it intersects the wall,

move the cursor to the left along the joist and click just
past the end of the joist.
Select the metal deck in the drawing area, and click

.
In the Element Properties dialog, click Edit/New.
In the Type Properties dialog, for Detail Rotation, select

90 Clockwise.
Click Apply, and click OK twice.
52 On the Design Bar, click Detail Component, and drawing from

left to right, place each of the following components on top
of the metal deck:
M_Rigid Insulation-Section : 63mm
M_Protection Board-Section : 13mm
53 Draw lines to finish the top of the detail:
On the Design Bar, click Detail Lines.
In the Type Selector, verify that Thin Lines is selected.
On the Options Bar, verify that

Offset, enter 20 mm.
Draw a line offset along the top of the protection board

and to the left of the side of the bond beam and 50x150
mm lumber component.
On the Design Bar, click Detail Lines, on the Options Bar,

click
is selected, and for
, and for Offset, verify 20 mm.
Click to place a line above the sloped plywood, to the

right of the 50x200 mm lumber, and to the left of the
50x150 mm lumber.
NOTE If necessary, select the line to the left of the 50x150
mm lumber and resize it as shown:

to meet, as shown:
, and extend the lines
On the Design Bar, click Detail Lines and add angled

lines to complete the overhang on either side.
Select the top, left and right lines around the sloped
component, and in the Type Selector, select Medium
Lines.
54 Load and add Break Lines to the detail:
On the Design Bar, click Detail Component, and on

the Options Bar, click Load.
In the left pane of the Open dialog, click the Training Files
icon.
Navigate to the Metric\Families\Detail Components\Div

01-General folder, click M_Break Line.rfa, and click Open.
In the Type Selector, verify that M_Break Line is selected.
Click to insert a Break Line on the left and bottom right

of the detail. Press the SPACEBAR before placing the Break
Line to change the rotation of component, as required.
NOTE On the Design Bar, click Modify, select the break line,
and drag the shape handles to extend the break line, if
necessary.

56 In the Type Selector, select M_Suspension Wall Angle-Section
: 15mm, and click to place the component to the left of the
CMU detail, as shown:
NOTE Click to place the component in the drawing area, and
use the Mirror command to create a left-facing component. Delete
the original right-facing angle component.
57 Add ceiling, suspension tee, and suspension wire

components to the detail as shown:
Select M_Suspended Acoustic Ceiling-Tegular Edge

Section: 19x600x600, and click to place 1 component
in the detail with the right end resting in the
Suspension Wall Angle. Click to place a second
component to the left of the first.
Select M_Suspension Tee-Section : 24mm, and click to

place it between the two Suspended Acoustic Ceiling
components.
Select M_Suspension Wire Section, and click to place

it above the Suspension Tee.
Select the wire in the drawing area, click the blue shape
handles and drag the top of the wire to the joist above
and the bottom of the wire to the suspension tee below.
58 Adjust the left break line:
Select the break line, and drag the shape handle to extend
the line to the bottom of the detail.
Drag the center of the break line to position it in the

middle of the detail.
Drag the shape handle to extend the line to the top of the
detail.

in front of the detail.
to position the break line
Clean up the detail

59 Zoom in on the center of the detail where the joist attaches
to the core.

61 In the Type Selector, select Invisible Lines.
62 In the Options Bar, verify that Chain is selected.
63 Sketch a region over the area where the joist overlaps the
CMU Core.

65 Select the region, and in the Type Selector, select Filled
Region : Sold White.
, and click
twice to
position the region directly behind the joist, but in front of
the CMU Core.

69 In the Type Selector, select Wide Lines, and draw a line along
the joist to complete the core detail, as shown:
70 Zoom in on the top of the suspension wire, and on the Design

Bar, click Filled Region.
71 Sketch a region over the area where the suspension wire
overlaps the joist on the right.

73 Select the region, and in the Type Selector, select Filled Region
: Sold White.
74 Select the joist, and on the Options Bar, click

76 Proceed to the next exercise, Annotating the Detail with
Keynotes on page 273.
Annotating the Detail with Keynotes

In this exercise, you add dimensions and keynotes to annotate the detail
you created in the previous exercises.
Dataset
m_shared_details.rvt.
Add dimensions to the detail

1 Verify that the Roof Edge Detail with Keynotes drafting view
is open.
2 On the View Control Bar, select 1 : 10 for the scale.
4 At the bottom of the detail, click the following areas to
dimension the detail:
the left outside face of the CMU core
the right outside face of the CMU core
the left outside face of the stacked brick
the right outside face of the stacked brick
5 Click below the detail to place the dimension.
Annotating the Detail with Keynotes | 273
Keynote detail elements

7 For keynoting purposes, add a single roofing detail to the left
of the roof decking repeating detail:
Click and drag the left Break Line region to the left to
expose the endpoint of the repeating roof decking.
On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Detail

Component.
In the Type Selector, select M_Roof Decking-Section : 1.5

NR 22, and click to place the element in the drawing area.
Use the SPACEBAR to rotate the element as you place it.
Move the roof decking element so it is attached to the

endpoint of the repeating roof decking on the left.
Select the Break Line and in the Options Bar, click
8 On the Design Bar, click Keynote Element.

9 In the Options Bar, verify that Leader is selected, and select
Free End.
10 Click 3 times to place the keynote:
Click the single roof decking detail element to place

the end of the leader.
Click for the first leg of the leader.
Click to position the keynote tag.
NOTE After you place the keynote on the single roof decking
element, you can click and drag the leader to more accurately
keynote the repeating detail.
11 Add keynotes to the following detail components:
M_Rigid Insulation-Section : 63mm
M_Protection Board-Section : 13mm
NOTE If you have trouble selecting a component in the

drawing area, click an adjacent element, and in the Options
Bar, click
to change the display order.
Annotating the Detail with Keynotes | 275
12 Select the 3 keynotes in the drawing area, and select each of

the view options for keynote display in the Type Selector:
Keynote Tag : Keynote Text
Keynote Tag : Keynote Number
Keynote Tag : Keynote Number - Boxed
13 Optionally, keynote the detail as shown:
14 Click Settings menu Keynoting.

15 In the Keynoting Settings dialog, click Browse, navigate to the
Imperial Library, double-click RevitKeynotes_Imperial.txt, and
click OK.
16 Select the keynotes in the drawing area, and in the Type
Selector, select Keynote Tag : Keynote Text.
Imperial text keynotes are automatically displayed for the
keynoted elements.
17 Save and close the project.
18 Proceed to the next exercise Importing a Detail into a Drafting
View on page 276.
Importing a Detail into a Drafting View

In this exercise, you place an existing detail in a new drafting view to create
a drafted detail. The detail that you import is in DWG format.
Dataset
Use the dataset you used in a previous exercise, m_Drafting_views.rvt.
Create a new drafting view

1 On the View menu, select New Drafting View.
2 In the New Drafting View dialog box, enter the following:
Enter Rail Detail for Name.
Select Custom for Scale.
Enter 5 for the Scale value.
3 Click OK.
Import a complete detail in DWG format

4 On the File menu, click Import/Link CAD Formats.
5 In the Import/Link dialog box, select m_Rail_detail.dwg from
the Metric folder in the Training Files.
6 At the bottom of the Import/Link dialog box, under
Layer/Level Colors, select Preserve colors, and then click
Open.
7 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom To Fit to view the
detail.
The detail is imported as an import symbol. In order to
modify it, you must explode it. After you explode it, the
DWG entities are converted into Revit Building elements.
Importing a Detail into a Drafting View | 277
Explode the imported detail

8 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and then select the detail.
9 Right-click, and click Full Explode.
10 If an error dialog box displays, click Delete Element(s).
The lines of the detail are converted to detail lines, and the
text within the detail is converted to Revit Building text. The
text retains the DWG layer color.
Change the text color to black and add text leaders

11 On the Design Bar, click Modify, press and hold CTRL, and
select all of the text blocks in the detail.

14 In the Type Properties dialog box, click the button in the Color
type parameter Value field.
15 In the Color dialog box, select black, and click OK 3 times.
The text is displayed as black after you click in the drawing
area.
Add leaders to the text notes

16 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the bottom text
note, MET STUD FRAMING.
A leader is added to the text note.

18 Select and move the leader grips to position the leader as
shown.
19 Add leaders to the remaining text notes to complete the

detail as shown.
Importing a Detail into a Drafting View | 279
20 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Reference Callout

on page 280.
Creating a Reference Callout

In this exercise, you create a callout in the section view of the building
model to reference the door detail that you previously created.
Dataset
m_Drafting_views.rvt.
Create the callout view

1 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Sections,
and double-click Section 1.
The section view is displayed.

3 On the Options Bar, select Reference other view, and select
Drafting View: Door Detail (1/A101).
NOTE When a view has been placed on a sheet view, it appears
in the Reference other view list with the detail number and
sheet number displayed after the view name.
4 Zoom in on the Level 1 doors.
5 Add the callout bubble by dragging a rectangular bubble
over the upper left door corner.
6 Select the callout, and use the callout grips to move the
callout head.
The callout head displays the detail and sheet information
(1/A101) because the referenced drafting view is already
placed on this sheet.
Creating a Reference Callout | 281
Display the reference view

7 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and double-click the callout.
The door detail that you drafted previously is displayed.
As, and save the exercise file with a unique name. Otherwise,
close the exercise file without saving your changes.
Scheduling
In this tutorial, you learn how to create different types of

schedules in your Revit Building 9.1 projects.
283
Creating Type and Instance Schedules

In this lesson, you learn how to create type and instance schedules. When
you schedule building components in Revit Building, you can list each
component as a separate line item, creating an instance schedule, or you
can group components of the same type into a single line item, creating
a type schedule.
Creating a Window Schedule

In this exercise, you create a window schedule for the building model
shown below.
You begin by creating an instance schedule, or a schedule that lists every

window in the building.
284 | Chapter 5 Scheduling
You then select a window in the instance schedule and use the Show
command to locate it in a view of the building model.
Next, you group and sort the windows in the instance schedule. Finally,
you change the window instance schedule to a window type schedule,
or a schedule that lists the windows by window type.
Dataset
Open m_Schedules.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Creating a Window Schedule | 285
Create a new window schedule

1 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Schedule/Quantities.
TIP If the View tab of the Design Bar is not active, right-click in
the Design Bar, and click View.
2 In the New Schedule dialog box, under Category, select
Windows, and click OK.
Define the fields to display as columns in the window schedule

3 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, click the Fields tab.
4 Under Available fields, select Comments and click Add.
The Comments field is moved under Scheduled fields.
5 Using the same process, add the following fields to the
schedule in order:
Count
Height
Level
Type Mark
Width
6 Under Scheduled fields, order the fields as shown in the

following illustration by selecting them and clicking Move Up
or Move Down.
7 Click OK.
A schedule is created that contains every window in the

building model.
Select a window in the schedule and locate it in the building

model
8 Select any cell in the first row of the window schedule and,
on the Options Bar, click Show.
9 In the warning dialog box that is displayed, click OK to
search through relevant views of the building model.
The window that corresponds to the information in the
schedule row is displayed in a relevant view of the building
model.
10 In the Show Element(s) in View dialog box, click Close.
Creating a Window Schedule | 287
NOTE By clicking Show, you can display other views of the

building model that include the selected window. However, in
large building models with many views, this can be a
time-consuming process.
11 In the Project Browser, expand Schedules/Quantities, and
double-click Window Schedule to redisplay the window
instance schedule.
Group and sort the window schedule by type mark

12 Right-click on the schedule, and click View Properties.
13 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Other, click Edit
for Sorting/Grouping.
14 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, click the
Sorting/Grouping tab.
15 Select Type Mark for Sort by.
16 Click OK twice.
The window schedule is displayed, sorted by type mark.
Change the schedule from an instance schedule to a type

schedule
18 In the Element Properties dialog box, click Edit for the
Sorting/Grouping instance parameter.
19 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, clear Itemize every
instance.
20 Click OK twice.
The window type schedule is displayed.

Defining Schedules and Color Diagrams

In this lesson, you learn to add schedules and schedule keys to a project
by creating a room schedule and room color diagram. Schedule keys
allow you to define common items that can be used by multiple objects
within a schedule.
Creating a Room Schedule

In this exercise, you create a room schedule from the floor plan of a
large building model.
Defining Schedules and Color Diagrams | 289
Dataset
Open m_Schedules.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Create a room schedule

and double-click flr 3 to make it the active view.
Several rooms and room tags exist in the floor plan.
TIP If the View tab of the Design Bar is not active, right-click
in the Design Bar, and click View.
Rooms, and click OK.
Select the fields to display as columns in the room schedule

5 Under Available fields, select Number and click Add.
The Number field is moved under Scheduled fields.
6 Using the same process, add the following fields to the
schedule in order:
Name
Level
Area
7 Under Scheduled fields, order the fields as shown in the

following illustration by selecting them and clicking Move
Up or Move Down.
Next, you define the font for the schedule headers.

8 Click the Appearance tab.
9 To the right of Header text, select Bold to display the
schedule headers in bold font.
10 Click OK.
Creating a Room Schedule | 291
NOTE The Appearance settings only take effect when the schedule
is placed on a drawing sheet. The bold header is not noticeable
until you place the schedule on a drawing sheet.
Add new rooms to the schedule

11 On the Options Bar, next to Rows:, click New.
A new row is displayed at the bottom of the schedule. The
room Number is 1, and the Level and Area values are displayed
as Not Placed because the room is not placed in the floor plan.
12 Using the same process, add a second room.

The second room is displayed at the bottom of the list and
is numbered sequentially.
13 Select Room in the Name column for Room 29, and enter
Conference to change the room name.
14 Select Room in the Name column for Room 1, and select
Conference from the list.
15 Select 1 in the Number column for Room 1, and enter 30.
Add two rooms to the floor plan

16 In the Project Browser under Floor Plans, double-click flr 3.
17 Zoom in on the right side of the building.
None of the rooms have been placed.
18 On the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar, click Room.
TIP If the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar is not active,
right-click in the Design Bar, and click Room and Area.
19 On the Options Bar, select 29 Conference for Room, verify
that Horizontal and Tag on placement are selected.
20 Move your cursor into the large room in the upper right
corner of the floor plan, and click to place the room.
The boundaries of the room highlight before you place the
room. A crosshair graphic identifies the room and the
rectangular label contains the room tag.
21 On the Options Bar, select 30 Conference for Room.

22 Place the room in the small room across from the large
conference room.

double-click Room Schedule to view the updated room rows.
Add eleven additional rooms

25 On the Design Bar, click Room.
26 On the Options Bar, select New for Room.
27 Place the rooms as shown in the following illustration.
28 In the Project Browser, under Schedules/Quantities,

double-click Room Schedule to view the 11 rooms that you
added to the schedule.
Modify rooms
29 In the schedule, locate the room with an area of 91.72 square
meters, and select Circulation for Name.
30 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click flr 3,
and zoom in on the room.
The name in the room tag is now Circulation.
select the seven rooms shown in the following illustration.
NOTE To select a room, hover over the room until the crosshair
graphic displays, and click to select the room. To modify
properties for a room, you must select the room rather than
the room tag. If you have difficulty selecting the room, zoom
in on the region.
32 With the rooms selected, click

select Office for Name, and click OK.
select the three remaining rooms named Room.
35 With the rooms selected, click
36 In the Element Properties dialog box, select Services for Name,

and click OK.
Add a schedule key

38 In the New Schedule dialog box, under Category, select Rooms.
39 Select Schedule keys, and click OK.
40 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, under Available fields,
press and hold CTRL, select Base Finish, Floor Finish, and Wall
Finish, and click Add.
41 Click OK to create the new room style schedule.
Define three new room styles

42 On the Options Bar, click New to add a row to the schedule.
43 In the new row, click the Key Name field, and enter Std
Office.
44 Using the same process, enter the following information in
the row:
Enter Vinyl for Base Finish.
Enter Carpet 1 for Floor Finish.
Enter Paint for Wall Finish.
45 On the Options Bar, click New twice to add two rows to the
schedule.
46 Add information to the rows so that the schedule displays
Apply the new room styles to the room schedule

48 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the large
conference room (29) in the upper right corner of the floor
plan.

select Exec Offices for Room Style, and click OK.
select the rooms in the three offices (37, 38, 39) in the lower
right corner of the floor plan.

select Exec Offices for Room Style, and click OK.
View the room schedule

double-click Room Schedule.
56 Under Other, click Edit for Fields.
57 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, under Available fields,
select Room Style, and click Add.
58 Change the order of the schedule as shown in the dialog box
below.
59 Click OK twice to update the schedule.
60 For the rooms in the schedule that are named Services, select
Services from the list in the Room Style column.
61 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Room Color Diagram

on page 304.
Creating a Room Color Diagram

In this exercise, you create a room color diagram based on the names of
the rooms in the floor plan.
Dataset

m_schedules.rvt.
Create a room color diagram

1 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand Floor Plans,
and double-click flr 3.
2 Zoom out so you can view the entire building model.
3 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Color Fill.
A legend displays at the tip of your cursor.
4 Click in the lower right of the drawing area to place the
legend.
5 In the alert dialog box, click OK.
The rooms in the floor plan automatically change color.
Change the fill colors that are applied to the conference rooms
6 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the color legend.
7 On the Options Bar, click Edit Color Scheme.
8 In the Edit Color Scheme dialog box, click the color button
for Conference.
9 In the Color dialog box, click PANTONE, and click OK.
10 In the PANTONE Color Picker, scroll all the way to the
left, and click the color green.
The fill color in the rooms named Conference are displayed
as green.
Creating a Room Color Diagram | 305
Change the name of the single room named Room

double-click Room Schedule.
13 In the Room Schedule, select Services for Room (10) in the
Name column.
The color diagram and legend reflect the changes that you
made. Room no longer displays in the key/legend.
Working with Room Objects

In this exercise, you define rooms in a floor plan and then work with the
rooms and the room tags to produce a color fill scheme.
Dataset
Open m_Boundary_Walls_For_Rooms.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Load room tags

1 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Room.
2 In the alert dialog, click Yes to load room tags.
icon, and open Metric \Families\Annotations, select
M_Room Tag.rfa.
Define the rooms4 Beginning in the upper-left corner of the model and working
clockwise, click in each enclosed room.
5 Click in the area bounded by the stairs.

6 In the Warning dialog, click Close.
The space is not an enclosed area, so you add a room
separation line.
Create a room separation boundary

7 On the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar, click Room
Separation.
NOTE If the Room and Area tab is not displayed, right-click in
the Design Bar, and click Room and Area.
Working with Room Objects | 307
8 Draw a line below the stair run to define the room.

The room object will expand to find the boundaries.
Tag the rooms

10 Select the tag in Room 1, right-click, and click Select All
Instances.
11 On the Options Bar, select Leader.
12 In the Type Selector, select M_Room Tag : Room Tag With
Area.
All the room tags now display the area data.
Modify the room tags

13 Select the tag in Room 1 and, using the Drag control, move
the tag above the room.
14 Click the tag text, enter WC, and press ENTER.

15 Using the same technique, modify the remaining room tags:
Room 2, move tag above and rename Men.
Room 3, move tag above and rename Women.
Room 4, move tag above and rename WC.
Room 5, move tag to the right and rename WC.
Room 6, move tag to the right and rename Shaft.
Room 7, move tag to the left.
Room 8, rename Stair.
Add a color fill legend

16 On the Design Bar, click Color Fill.
17 Click to the right of the floor plan to place the legend.
18 In the alert dialog, click OK.
19 Select the legend and, on the Options Bar, click Edit Color
Scheme.
20 In the Edit Color Scheme dialog, for Color, select Name,
and then click OK.
Modify room boundaries

21 While pressing CTRL, select the 3 partitions that define the WC
rooms.
23 In the Element Properties dialog, under Constraints, clear

Room Bounding, and then click OK.
24 In the Warning dialog, click Delete Room(s).
The definitions of the restrooms are updated; because the
partitions are no longer bounding objects, the stalls are
included as part of the overall restroom area.
Update room tags

25 Update the tag in WC 1 as follows:
Change the name to Men.
Drag the end of the leader line into the large area of
the restroom.
26 Working in a clockwise direction, renumber the remaining

tags.
Edit the color scheme

27 Select the color fill legend.
28 On the Options Bar, click Edit Color Scheme.
29 In the Edit Color Scheme dialog, for Color, select Number,
and then click OK.
The legend is organized by room number.
30 Close the exercise file without saving.
Scheduling Rooms from a Program List

In this exercise, you define a room schedule, and then tag and schedule
the rooms based on the data in the schedule.
Dataset
Define a room schedule

1 On the Construction tab of the Design Bar, click
Schedule/Quantities.
NOTE If the Construction tab is not displayed, right-click in the
Design Bar, and click Construction.
2 In the New Schedule dialog, under Category, select Rooms,
and then click OK.
3 On the Fields tab of the Schedule Properties dialog, for
Available fields, select Number, and then click Add.
Number is listed under Scheduled fields.
4 Add Name and then add Area to the Scheduled fields list.
5 Click the Sorting/Grouping tab.
6 For Sort by, select Number, and then select Grand totals.
7 Click the Formatting tab.
8 Under Fields, click Area, and under Field formatting, select
Calculate totals.
9 Click OK.
An empty room schedule displays.
Add schedule rows

10 On the Options bar, click New.
11 In the Name column of the new row, enter Men.
12 Add 4 more rows to the room schedule as shown.
Define rooms
Entry Level.
15 On the Options Bar, for Room, select 1 Men, and verify that
Tag on placement is selected.
16 Click to place the room and room tag in the left bathroom.
17 Place the remaining rooms as shown.

When you place the Stair room, a warning displays that the
room is not in a properly enclosed region.
Scheduling Rooms from a Program List | 313
18 Close the warning window.
Create a room separation boundary

Separation.
20 Click in the lower-left corner of the Stair area where the left
wall intersects the stairs.
21 Drag the cursor to the right and click where the right wall
intersects the stairs.

23 In the drawing area, hover the cursor over the Stair room until
the crosshair graphic displays, and click to select the room.
Notice that it is now properly enclosed.
Add a color fill legend

24 On the Design Bar, click Color Fill.
25 Click to the right of the floor plan to place the legend.
26 In the alert dialog, click OK.

27 Select the legend and, on the Options Bar, click Edit Color
Scheme.
28 In the Edit Color Scheme dialog, for Color, select Name,
and then click OK.
Modify room boundaries

29 While pressing CTRL, select the 3 partitions that define the
stalls in the restrooms.
31 In the Element Properties dialog, under Constraints, clear

Room Bounding, and then click OK.
The definitions of the restrooms are updated; because the
partitions are no longer bounding objects, the stalls are
included as part of the overall restroom area.
Scheduling Rooms from a Program List | 315
Modify a room tag

33 Zoom in on the Shaft area, and select the room tag.
34 In the Type Selector, select M_Room Tag : Room Tag With
Area.
35 On the Options Bar, select Leader.
36 Using the Drag control, move the tag down and to the right
to position it outside of the room.
Add columns
37 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Column.
38 In the confirmation dialog, click Yes to load a Columns family.
icon, and open Metric\Families\Columns\ M_Rectangular
Column.rfa.
40 In the drawing area, click to place a column in the
upper-right corner of the shaft.
41 Click to place another column in the lower right corner of

the shaft.
42 Press ESC twice.
Because the columns are room bounding, the room area is
recalculated.
43 Select the 2 columns and press DELETE.

The room area is updated on the tag.
44 Close the file without saving.
Creating a Material Takeoff

In this exercise, you create a wall schedule and then a material takeoff
for the wall. The wall schedule reports data for the walls in a drawing,
and the material takeoff quantifies the components within a wall.
Creating a Material Takeoff | 317
Dataset
Create a wall schedule

1 On the Construction tab of the Design Bar, click
NOTE If the Construction tab is not displayed, right-click in the
Design Bar, and click Construction.
2 In the New Schedule dialog, under Category, select Walls, and
then click OK.
3 On the Fields tab of the Schedule Properties dialog, under
Available fields, select Family and Type, and click Add.
4 Select Area, and click Add.
5 Click the Sorting/Grouping tab, and specify the following
values:
For Sort by, select Family and Type.
Select Grand totals.
Clear Itemize every instance.
6 Click OK.
The Wall Schedule displays. Notice that the wall areas are not
totaled.
7 Double-click the column separator to maximize the column
to the width of the text.
Modify the schedule

9 In the Element Properties dialog, for Formatting, click Edit.
10 On the Formatting tab of the Schedule Properties dialog, under
Fields, click Area.
11 Under Field formatting, select Calculate totals, and click

OK.
Place the schedule on a sheet

13 In the Project Browser, under Sheets (all), double-click A00
- Schedules.
14 In the Project Browser, expand Schedules/Quantities, click
and drag the Wall Schedule to the Schedules sheet, and click
in the upper-right corner of the sheet to place the schedule.
15 Zoom in on the schedule, and use the blue controls to adjust

column widths.
Although the schedule reports data for all walls in the
building, the interior partition wall has multiple
components which are not shown. You create a material
takeoff to quantify the components.
Creating a Material Takeoff | 319
Create a material takeoff

17 Click View menu New Material Takeoff.
18 In the New Material Takeoff dialog, under Category, select
Walls, and then click OK.
19 On the Fields tab of the Material Takeoff Properties dialog,
under Available fields, click Family and Type, and click Add.
20 Add Material: Description and Material: Area to the Scheduled
fields.
values:
For Sort by, select Family and Type.
For Then by, select Material: Description.
Select Grand totals.
Clear Itemize every instance.
22 Click OK.
The Wall Material Takeoff Schedule displays.
23 Expand the column widths to see all of the information.
Modify the material takeoff

24 Right-click on the schedule, and select View Properties.
25 In the Element Properties dialog, for Formatting, click Edit.
26 On the Formatting tab of the Material Takeoff Properties dialog,
under Fields, click Material: Area.
27 Under Field formatting, select Calculate totals, and click OK.
29 Use the steps you learned to place the Wall Material Takeoff
schedule on the sheet to the left of the wall schedule, and
adjust the column widths.
The takeoff schedule shows the area for all of the wall
components (metal stud and plasterboard) in the interior
partition wall.
30 Close the exercise file without saving.
Scheduling Uniformat Assembly Codes

In this lesson, you learn how to schedule Uniformat Assembly Codes as
they are applied to Revit Building components.
Scheduling Uniformat Assembly Codes and Descriptions

In this exercise, you create a wall schedule that includes columns for
the Uniformat Assembly Codes and assembly descriptions of the
scheduled walls. You also learn how to create a furniture schedule that
includes room name, number, and level.
Dataset
Open c_Schedules_2.rvt located in the Common folder.
Scheduling Uniformat Assembly Codes | 321
NOTE Because the next two lessons use common files, graphics are displayed
with imperial values. To display graphics with metric values, select Project Units
from the Settings menu and change the appropriate formats to metric.
Create a new wall schedule

2 In the New Schedules dialog box, under Categories, select
Walls, and click OK.
4 Under Available fields, select the following fields and click
Add to add them to the schedule in order:
Area
Volume
Width
Length
5 Click OK to complete the schedule.
Schedule Uniformat Assembly Codes

6 In the Project Browser, expand Schedules/Quantities.
7 Right-click Wall Schedule, and click Properties to view the
element properties of the wall schedule that you created.
8 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Other, click
Edit for Fields.
9 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, add Assembly Code
and Assembly Description to the schedule.
10 Click OK twice.
The Assembly Code and Assembly Description fields display
in the schedule.
Assign an assembly code to a wall type in the project within the

schedule
11 In the wall schedule, click in the Assembly code column in
the first row of the schedule, and click
12 In the Choose Assembly Code dialog box, expand C Interiors, expand C10 - Interior Construction, expand C1010
- Partitions, expand C1010100 - Fixed Partitions, and select
C1010115 - Partitions - Brick Veneer w/ Stud.
Scheduling Uniformat Assembly Codes and Descriptions | 323
13 Click OK, and then click in the schedule.

14 Click OK in the dialog box that explains that the change will
be applied to all elements of the chosen type.
All of the walls of this wall type are updated.
Assign an assembly code to a wall type in the project from the

building model
15 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand Floor Plans,
16 Select one of the Interior - 5 1/2" Partition (1hr) walls.

19 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Identity Data, click
in the Assembly Code field, and then click
20 In the Choose Assembly Code dialog box, expand C, expand

C10, expand C1010, expand C1010100, and select C1010145
- Partitions - Drywall w/ Metal Stud.
double-click Wall Schedule.
Schedule building model components by level and room

double-click Furniture Schedule.
24 In the Project Browser, right-click Furniture Schedule, and click

Properties.
for Fields.
26 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, select Room for Select
available fields from.
27 Add Room: Name and Room: Number to the schedule.

28 Select Furniture for Select available fields from, and then
add Level and Manufacturer to the schedule.
29 Click OK twice.
Place the Furniture Schedule on a new drawing sheet

32 In the left pane of the Open dialog box. click the Training
Files icon, and open Metric\Families\Titleblocks\ A0 Metric.
33 Drag the furniture schedule from the Project Browser onto
the sheet, and click to place it.
Change the appearance of the schedule

34 Zoom in on the schedule on the sheet.
35 Adjust the row length in the schedule by selecting and
moving the blue grips that are displayed on the top of the
schedule.
36 Split the schedule into multiple segments by clicking the blue

break line that is displayed on the right border of the schedule.
The new schedule segments are automatically placed to the
right of the original schedule and are top aligned.
37 Select the blue crosses that are displayed in the center of each
schedule segment to reposition the schedule segments as
shown.
Scheduling Shared Parameters

In this lesson, you learn how to use shared parameters to define additional
parameters that are not included in pre-defined instance and type
parameters either 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 Revit Building multi-category schedules.
An example of the use of shared parameters is the need to add specific
parameters to a family component for scheduling and tagging when
those parameters are not present by default. The following exercise
demonstrates the solution for this situation and covers the process of
setting up shared parameters, adding the shared parameters to a family,
and creating a multi-category schedule.
Creating a Multi-Category Schedule

In this exercise, you create a multi-category schedule.
You create shared parameters, add them to a door family, create a

multi-category tag that you use to tag a simple floor plan, and then
generate the multi-category schedule.
Create a shared parameter file

1 On the File menu, click Shared Parameters.
Click OK if the alert box indicates that the shared parameter
file does not exist.
2 In the Edit Shared Parameters dialog box, click Create.
The shared parameter file (TXT) is created. Shared
parameters are saved to an external file. If you are working
on a network, make sure you save your shared parameter
files in a location where other users can access it.
3 In the Save As dialog box, enter a file name, and click Save.
Create a new parameter group to store individual parameters

4 In the Edit Shared Parameters dialog box, under Groups,
click New.
Creating a Multi-Category Schedule | 329
5 In the New Parameter Group dialog box, enter Hardware,

and click OK.
You store all of your hardware-related parameters within this
group for use in the project.
Create parameters in the Hardware group

6 In the Edit Shared Parameters dialog box, verify that Hardware
is selected for Parameter group.
7 Under Parameters, click New.
8 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, enter Closure for
Name, select Text for Type, and click OK.
9 Add three additional parameters, Hinge, ID, and Lock Set, and
assign Text for Type.
10 After you add the parameters, click OK.
Add the shared parameters to a family

11 On the File menu, click Open.
icon.
13 Open c_ Door.rfa located in the Common folder.
You are now working in the Family Editor.
14 On the Design Bar, click Family Types.
The Family Types dialog box displays the parameters that

are currently available for this family category.
15 In the Family Types dialog box, under Parameters, click Add.

16 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, select Shared
parameter, and click Select.
17 In the Shared Parameters dialog box, under Parameters,
select ID, and click OK.
18 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, select Instance, and
click OK.
19 Repeat the steps for the other parameters, setting them as
Type parameters.
The parameters are displayed in the Family Types dialog
box.
20 Assign the new parameters the following values by entering
them in the corresponding Value field.
Enter Yale for Lock Set.
Enter 1 for ID.
Enter Chrome for Hinge.
Enter N/A for Closure.
21 Click OK.
22 Save the file as NewDoor in an appropriate location, so that
you can use it later in this exercise.
23 On the File menu, click Close to close the file.
Create a multi-category tag from a template

24 On the File menu, click New Annotation Symbol.
25 In the left pane of the New dialog box, click the Training Files
icon, and open Metric\Templates\Multi-Category Tag.rft.
26 On Design Bar, click Label.
27 Click at the intersection of the reference planes in the drawing
window to display the Select Parameter dialog box.
28 In the Select Parameter dialog box, click Add.
29 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, click Select.
30 In the Shared Parameters dialog box, under Parameter Group,
select Hardware.
31 Under Parameters, select ID, and click OK twice.
32 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Filter parameter.
This option ensures that 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.
33 Click OK.
34 Zoom in to the tag at the intersection of the reference
planes.
37 Draw a rectangle around the tag, as shown.
38 Save the file as HardwareTag in an appropriate location.

39 On the File menu, click Close to close the file.
Use the multi-category tag in a project

40 On the File menu, Open.
41 In the Open dialog box, select c_Hardware_Plan.rvt located
in the Common folder, and click Open.
42 On the File menu, click Load from Library Load Family,

and load into the project the multi-category tag files
HardwareTag.rfa and NewDoor.rfa that you just created.
43 Replace any existing doors by selecting them and changing
their type to the NewDoor type that you just loaded.
44 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click
Tag Multi-Category.
45 In the Type Selector, select the multi-category HardwareTag
that you just loaded.
46 Move your cursor into the drawing window.
Notice that you can highlight only those components that

have the filter parameter that you set earlier to ID.
47 Click to place the tag.
Notice that the HardwareTag is reading the shared parameter
that you created earlier and attached to the Door family.
48 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Tag All Not Tagged
to quickly tag all the components with the filter parameter.
49 In the Tag All Not Tagged dialog box, select Multi-Category
Tags for Category, and click OK.
Create a multi-category schedule

51 In the New Schedule dialog box, select Multi-Category from
the list, and click OK.
52 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, add the following fields
to the schedule:
ID
Mark
Type
Family
Closure
Lock Set
NOTE Do not be concerned with duplicate ID and Lock Set fields.

53 Click OK.
The multi-category schedule is displayed.

Using Formulas and Filters in Schedules

In this lesson, you create two schedules. The first schedule that you
create is a level-based door schedule that uses a filter to exclude all of
the doors that are not on floor three of the building model. The second
schedule that you create is a wall schedule that calculates the cost of
the walls in the project, based on wall area. You use both filters and a
formula to create the second schedule.
Creating a Level-Based Door Schedule with a Filter

In this exercise, you create a level based door schedule.
Dataset
Open m_First_Project-West_Wing.rvt located in the Metric folder.
View the third floor of the building

Plans, and double-click Level 3.
The floor plan is displayed.
Using Formulas and Filters in Schedules | 335
There are 11 doors of the following types on this level of the

building model:
5 - M_Single-Flush Vision: 864 x 2032 mm
3 - M_Single-Flush Vision: 915 x 2134 mm
3 - UK_Single-Flush: SO 1010 x 2410 mm
If you created a standard door schedule, all of the doors in the

project would be scheduled. However, you want to filter out
all doors that are not on level 3 to include only the 11 doors
listed above.
Create a new door schedule for level flr 3

3 In the New Schedule dialog box, do the following:
Under Category, select Doors.
Under Name, enter Doors - Level 3.
Verify Schedule building components is selected.
Verify New Construction is selected for Phase.
4 Click OK.
6 Under Available fields, select the following fields, and click
Count
Family and Type
Sill Height
Head Height
Width
Level
7 Click the Filter tab, and specify the following values for Filter
by:
Select Level in the first menu.
Select equals in the second menu.
Select Level 3 in the third menu.
This filter checks each door in the project to see which level
it is associated with, and it causes the schedule to include
only the doors on Level 3.
options:
Select Family and Type for Sort by.
Clear Itemize every instance to group the like door types

into one row.
Hide the Level field in the schedule so it is used only to filter the
doors that are not on level 3 and not included as a column in
the schedule
10 Under Fields, select Level.
11 Under Field formatting, select Hidden Field, and click OK.
The schedule includes the count and type for only doors
on floor 3.
12 Right-click the schedule, and click View Properties.

Edit for Filter.
14 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, click the Filter tab,
and select (none) for Filter by.
15 Click OK twice.
The counts for the door types represent the door schedule
for the entire model.

once so the schedule
represents only the doors on Flr 3.
Creating a Level-Based Door Schedule with a Filter | 337
17 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Wall Schedule with

Filters and a Formula on page 338.
Creating a Wall Schedule with Filters and a Formula

In this exercise, you create a wall schedule that provides a total cost of all
of the walls in the project based on the total square footage of each wall
type.
Dataset
m_First_Project-West_Wing.rvt.
Create a new schedule

2 In the New Schedule dialog box, do the following:
Under Category, select Walls.
Verify Schedule building components is selected.
Verify New Construction is selected under Phase.
3 Click OK.
Count
Family and Type
Cost
Area
Create a filter to remove the canted wall from the schedule

6 Click the Sorting/Grouping tab.
7 Select Family and Type for Sort by.
8 Clear Itemize every instance to group the like wall types into
one row.
10 Under Fields, select Cost.
11 Under Heading, enter Cost/Sq. m to more accurately represent
the data.
12 Under Fields, select Area, and then under Field Formatting,

select Calculate totals so that the total area of the each type
is calculated.
13 Click OK.
The schedule is displayed.
14 Since no cost has been assigned to these wall types, enter a

cost value for each type in the schedule. The wall type
information for each wall is updated when you enter this
data. Use the cost values in the following illustration.
Determine the total cost for each wall type by multiplying the
total area of the wall by the cost per square meter
15 Right-click the schedule, and click View Properties.
Edit for Fields.
17 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, click Calculated Value.
18 In the Calculated Value dialog box, do the following:
Enter Total Cost for Name.
Verify that Number is selected for Type.
Enter Area * Cost/(1 m^2) for Formula.
NOTE The /(1 m^2) in the formula is required to make the

resulting value unitless; without the value it would have a unit
of area.
19 Click OK.
21 Under Fields, select Total Cost.
Creating a Wall Schedule with Filters and a Formula | 339
22 Under Field formatting, select Calculate totals to ensure that

a total of all the walls is returned.
23 Click Field Format.
24 In the Format dialog box, specify the following:
Clear Use default settings.
Select Fixed for Units.
Select 2 decimal places for Rounding.
25 Click OK.
26 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, click the
Sorting/Grouping tab.
27 Select Grand totals to have the schedule display the sum of
any row for which you selected Calculate totals on the
Formatting tab, and click OK twice.
The schedule is displayed.
Notice that there is no grand total displayed for the Cost/Sq.

m column. This is because you did not select to calculate the
totals for that field.
Scheduling Project Parameters

In this lesson, you learn how to schedule project parameters. Project
parameters are instance or type parameters that you can use to schedule
information specific to the project that you are working with. They cannot
be shared with other projects and, unlike shared parameters, you cannot
use them to tag objects.
Creating a Room Schedule with Project Parameters

In this exercise, you create a room schedule for the following office floor
plan that includes the project parameter, Occupant.
You begin by adding the Occupant parameter to the project and creating
the room schedule to include the Occupant parameter as a column in
the schedule. After you create the schedule, you can add information
to the Occupant column in the schedule, either by entering it directly,
or by entering it in the properties of the room tag.
Dataset
Open m_Office_2.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Create a project parameter

1 On the Settings menu, click Project Parameters.
2 In the Project Parameters dialog box, click Add to create the
new parameter.
3 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, do the following:
Select Project Parameter.
Enter Occupant for Name.
Under Categories, select Rooms to associate the

Occupant parameter with the Room category.
4 Click OK.
Creating a Room Schedule with Project Parameters | 341
The new project parameter Occupant is displayed in the Project

Parameters dialog box.
5 Click OK.
Assign the new Occupant parameter to the project and create the
room schedule
TIP If the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar is not active,
right-click in the Design Bar, and click Room and Area.
7 Place the rooms as shown in the following illustration.

9 In the New Schedule dialog box, under Categories, select
Rooms to create a room schedule, and click OK.
Number
Area
Department
Occupant
12 Click OK to generate the schedule.

The Occupant field is displayed in the schedule.
13 Add names to the occupant field by entering them directly

in the schedule or by entering them in the room properties.

Exporting Project Information with ODBC

In this lesson, you learn how to export project information to an ODBC
(Open DataBase Connectivity) compatible database.
Exporting Schedule Information to Microsoft Access

In this exercise, you learn how to export project information into a
Microsoft Access 2000 database. The process that you use to export the
database is similar for any other ODBC-compliant database.
Dataset
Open c_Schedules_2.rvt located in the Common folder.

1 On the File menu, click Export ODBC Database.
2 In the Select Data Source dialog box, click the File Data
Source tab.
3 Click New.
4 In the Create New Data Source dialog box, select the
Microsoft Access driver (*mdb), and click Next.
5 Enter RevitDSN for the name of the DSN, and click Next.
Exporting Project Information with ODBC | 343
6 Click Finish.
7 In the ODBC Microsoft Access Setup dialog box, under
Database, click Create.
8 In the New Database dialog box, under Database Name, enter
Revit_Project.mdb for Database Name.
9 Under Directories, select a location for the database file, and
click OK to create the database.
10 When the confirmation displays, click OK in the dialog box.
11 In the OBDC Microsoft Access Setup dialog box, click OK.
12 Click OK in the remaining dialog boxes, and open the database
in Microsoft Access.
Revit Building creates two tables for the following categories
of elements: one that lists all of the element instances in a
project and one that lists all of the element types in a project
(see below). Additionally, tables that list instances only are
created for levels and rooms because these categories do not
have types.
A unique element ID is used to identify exported elements,

so that each table of elements includes an Id column.
Elements IDs are also used to establish relationships between
elements in different tables. For example, instance tables
include a TypeId column containing the ID of the
instances type, and some instance tables include a
RoomId 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 a
project, as long as the category is one of the categories that
Revit Building exports. The exported columns 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 and
contain the ID of the key element.
One final table is also exported: Assembly Codes. This table
contains one row for each Uniformat Assembly Code. The
columns of the table are Assembly Code and Assembly
Description. The table of types includes an Assembly Code
column that references the Assembly Codes table.
Exporting Schedule Information to Microsoft Access | 345
Annotating and
Dimensioning
In this tutorial, you learn how to change the base elevation

of a project, and how to annotate and dimension your Revit
Building 9.1 projects.
347
Setting the Base Elevation of a Project

In this lesson, you learn how to relocate the base elevation of a project, as
the base elevation of most projects is rarely at sea level. You can change
the base elevation without changing the elevation value of every other
level in the project, or you can change the base elevation and add its value
to the levels above it. You accomplish this in Revit Building by defining
levels as either project or shared levels.
Project levels report elevation as it relates to other levels in the project. For
example, if a project is built on a plateau at 1500 meters and Level 2 is 4
meters above the base elevation, Level 1 reads 1500 m, while Level 2 reads
4 m, and not 1504 m. Shared levels report an elevation value relative to
an origin that you establish when you relocate the project. For example,
if a project is built on a plateau at 1500 m and Level 2 is 4 m above the
base elevation, you can relocate the project at a base elevation of 1500 m
and define the levels as shared so that Level 1 reads 1500 m, and Level 2
reads 1504 m, and not 4 m.
Setting the Base Elevation of a House

In this exercise, you relocate the base elevation of a small house from 0 m
to 10000 m. After you define the levels as shared and relocate the project,
the elevation value of the second level of the house ( 4000 mm above Level
1) reports an elevation of 14000 mm.
Dataset
348 | Chapter 6 Annotating and Dimensioning
Open m_simple_house.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Define Level 1 as a shared level

1 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand
Elevations, and double-click South.
Level 1 displays an elevation value of 0 mm.
2 Select the Level 1 line.


In order for Level 1 to report the global elevation after the
project is relocated, you must set the Elevation Base
parameter to Shared. If you did that now, you would change
the parameter for all the levels in the Project. However, to
better demonstrate how shared levels work, only the
Elevation Base parameter of Level 1 is shared at this time,
and you must create a new level type.
6 In the Name dialog box, enter Level - Shared, and click
OK.
7 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Constraints, select
Shared for Elevation Base.
8 Click OK twice.
Setting the Base Elevation of a House | 349
Relocate the project

9 On the Tools menu, click Project
Position/Orientation Relocate this Project.
By selecting the Level 1 line, you specify the point from which
you want to relocate the project.
11 Move the cursor above the elevation line, enter 10000 mm,
and press ENTER.
By entering 10000 mm in this step, you specify the new
location of the project.
12 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom All To Fit.
The south elevation is displayed. The base elevation now reads
10000 mm. The elevation of the other levels remains the same.

14 In the Type Selector, select Level : Level - Shared.
The reported value of Level 2 changes to take the value of the
global elevation into consideration.
15 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click North.

The changes in elevation have propagated to this view, as
well as other views of the building model.
16 Using the same method, define the roof level as shared, so

it reports an elevation of 18000 mm.
Setting the Base Elevation of a House | 351
Dimensioning
In this lesson, you learn how to create permanent dimensions to control
and document your designs. In Revit Building, there are two types of
dimensions: temporary and permanent. Temporary dimensions display
automatically when you create and insert components. Permanent
dimensions must be explicitly created, except when you sketch profiles to
create families. In this case, permanent dimensions are created
automatically, although you must turn on their visibility to view them.
Creating Dimensions
In this exercise, you learn how to create and modify different types of
permanent dimensions that you can add to your drawings. The different
types of dimensions that you can add include aligned, linear,
multi-segmented, radial, and angular dimensions.
Dataset
Open m_Dimensions.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Create permanent dimensions

The default dimensioning options display on the Options Bar.
By default, dimensions are aligned and snap to wall centerlines.
2 Without making any changes on the Options Bar, move the

cursor over the top straight wall on the floor plan.
3 When the centerline of the wall highlights, select it.
4 Move the cursor over the wall at the very bottom of the
view, and when the centerline of the wall highlights, select
it.
5 Move the cursor to the left, outside of the wall, and click to
place the dimension.
The dimension displays in the drawing. A lock symbol that
is unlocked displays next to it, indicating that the dimension
can be modified.
Creating Dimensions | 353
6 Click the lock.

The lock displays as locked, indicating that you cannot change
the distance between the referenced walls without first
unlocking the dimension. Only aligned and angular permanent
dimensions can be constrained in this way.
Create multi-segmented dimensions

8 Dimension the four vertical walls:
Select the four vertical wall segments sequentially.
Move the cursor below the lowest horizontal wall, and

click to set the location of the dimension.
An unlocked lock symbol displays next to each dimension

segment. In addition, an equal symbol with a slash through
it is displayed, indicating that the dimension segments are
not equal in length.
9 Click the equal symbol to make all dimension segment

lengths equal.
The slash no longer displays through the equal symbol,
indicating that the segments are now equal, and the
dimensions are permanent and constrained to each other.
Create a radial dimension

12 Dimension the curved wall:
Select the curved corner wall to display the radial

dimension.
Move the cursor to the inside of the curved wall, and click
to place the dimension.
13 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom in Region, and zoom

in around the curved wall.
The dimension is snapped to the wall center, the default
dimension option.
14 On the Design Bar, click Modify, select the dimension line

of the radial dimension, and press DELETE.
Prefer.
and select Wall faces for
17 Dimension the curved wall again:
Move your cursor over the inside face of the wall until
it highlights.
Select the inside face of the wall, and place the

dimension as shown in the following illustration.
18 Enter ZF to zoom the view to fit the drawing window.
You can now view the radial dimension within the floor plan.
Create an angular dimension

selected for Prefer.
and verify that Wall faces is
20 Dimension the slanted wall at the top right in the floor plan:
Select the inside face of the slanted wall, and then select
the inside face of the vertical wall above it.
Move your cursor to the left to size the dimension arc, as

shown in the following illustration, and click to place the
dimension.
Create a linear dimension

Notice that the Prefer and Pick options are no longer available
on the Options Bar. The linear dimension tool has a more
restricted selection filter so that you can select only points.
The dimension is always constrained to either the horizontal
or vertical axis, and depends on the cursor tracking behavior.
You can override the cursor tracking by toggling with the
spacebar.
22 Dimension the vertical wall at the top right in the floor

plan:
Select the top point on the exterior face of the wall,

and then select the bottom point of the exterior face.
Move your cursor to the right, and click to place the

dimension.

24 Proceed to the next exercise, Controlling Witness Line
Location on page 359.
Controlling Witness Line Location

In this exercise, you learn to add, delete, and change the origin of
dimension witness lines. When you place dimensions, you specify their
origin on the Options Bar. However, in some cases, you may need to
override their settings on an instance basis. For example, for a
multi-segmented dimension, you may want to locate the two outermost
witness lines on the exterior face of each wall, where the witness lines
referring to interior walls would be located on the centerline of each
wall.
Dataset
m_Dimensions.rvt.
Override dimension defaults

2 On the Options Bar, verify that Wall faces is selected for
Prefer.
Controlling Witness Line Location | 359
3 Move the cursor over the bottom wall, but do not select
anything.
4 Alternate the cursor position over the inner and outer bottom
wall face.
Notice that only the wall faces highlight when you move the
cursor over them, because the Prefer wall face option is selected
instead of the Prefer wall centerline option.
5 Hover the cursor near the center of the bottom wall, and press
TAB repeatedly.
Each time you press TAB, a different wall selection choice
highlights, including the wall centerline.
6 When the outside face of the wall highlights, select it.
7 Move the cursor over the middle horizontal wall, press TAB
until the outside face of the wall highlights, and select it.
8 Move the cursor to the top horizontal wall and select the
exterior face.
9 Place the dimension as shown in the following illustration.
Edit dimension witness lines

11 Select the dimension line shown in the following
illustration.
The dimension highlights and control boxes display on
each witness line.
12 Click once on the control box on the lowest witness line.

The witness line moves to the inside wall face.
13 Click the control box again.

The witness line moves to the wall centerline.
14 Move the cursor to the control box on the witness line at

the top wall, but do not select it.
15 Right-click the control box, and click Delete Witness Line.
The witness line is deleted.
16 Right-click the remaining dimension line and click Edit

Witness Lines.
IMPORTANT Be careful to right-click the witness line and not

the control box on the witness line. If you right-click the control
box, a shortcut menu with different options is displayed.
17 Select the outside face of the top wall.
The full dimension string is displayed again.
18 To end the editing command, click in the drawing area away

from the floor plan.
19 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Dimension
Properties on page 364.
Modifying Dimension Properties

In this exercise, you learn to modify the type parameters of dimensions.
Dataset
m_Dimensions.rvt.
Change the type parameters of the floor plan dimensions

1 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Modify and select
the dimension that you modified in the previous exercise.

4 In the Type Properties dialog box, change the following
type parameter values:
Under Text, enter 5 mm for the Text Size.
Under Text, select Up, then Right for Read Convention.
5 Click OK twice.
The dimensions update as shown in the following
illustration.
Modifying Dimension Properties | 365
As, and save the exercise file with a unique name, or close the
exercise file without saving your changes.
8 Proceed to the next exercise, Working with Alignments and
Constraints on page 366.
Working with Alignments and Constraints

In this exercise, you learn to align components and lock their alignment
to better work with them in your drawings. Aligning components is similar
to dimensioning components with a value of zero. A locked alignment is
a constraint that is maintained if any of the components is moved or
modified. As you create components, alignments can be made and locked
with minimal effort. For example, when sketching walls, if two or more
walls are colinear, a lock symbol immediately displays, allowing you to
lock the alignment of the walls.
Dataset
Open m_Alignment.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Align the two uppermost horizontal walls in the floor plan

The cursor displays two arrows at its tip, indicating that the
Align command is active.
2 Align the walls:
Select the exterior face of the uppermost horizontal

wall.
Select the exterior face of the short horizontal wall on

the left.
The short horizontal wall on the left moves to align with

the upper horizontal wall. When you align two components,
the first component that you select remains fixed in
position, while the second component moves to complete
the alignment. The lock symbol displays as unlocked,
indicating the two walls are not constrained to each other.
3 Click the lock.
The symbol changes to a closed lock, indicating that the
alignment of the two walls is now locked.
Align the three short horizontal walls below the two walls that
you aligned
5 On the Options Bar, select Multiple Alignment, and select

Wall centerlines for Prefer.
Working with Alignments and Constraints | 367
6 Select the lower center wall to define it as the fixed wall to

which the other walls will align.
7 Select the short wall to the left.

8 Click the lock to lock the alignment of the walls.
9 Select the short horizontal wall on the right.
Do not lock this segment of the alignment.
11 Select the middle wall and drag it downward.

The wall on the left moves with the middle wall when you
drag it, but the wall on the right does not because the
alignment between the two walls is not constrained (locked).
12 On the toolbar, click
once to undo the move.
13 Click the right wall, and then click the lock to align the wall
with the middle wall.
Move the walls to verify the alignment.
Align doors in the floor plan

15 On the Options bar, select Multiple Alignment.

NOTE Because you are not aligning walls, the Prefer wall faces
or centerline option on the Options Bar does not apply to the
doors.
16 Select the centerline of Door 4 on the upper right side of the
model.
17 Select the centerline of Door 3 to the left.

Door 3 aligns with Door 4.
18 Click the lock to constrain the movement of the doors.
19 Select Door 2 and lock it to constrain it to Doors 3 and 4.

20 Select Door 1 and lock it to constrain it to the other doors.
21 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select one of the
aligned doors.
22 Slide the door up or down the wall and notice how the other
doors move with it.
Align windows in the floor plan

24 On the Options Bar, clear Multiple Alignment.

25 Select the window in the upper horizontal wall on the left
side of the floor plan.
26 Select the window on the far left in the lower wall.

The two windows align.
27 Select the far right window in the bottom wall.

28 Select the far right window in the top wall.
The second window does not align because it is already
constrained by a locked dimension.
29 To view the constraint, on the Design Bar, click Modify, and
select the dimension between the second window and the
right wall. A lock is displayed, indicating the constraint.
30 Click the lock to unlock it.

align the windows.
and repeat steps 27 - 28 to
32 Align the remaining windows, as shown in the following

illustration.
33 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Automatic Linear

Wall Dimensions on page 374.
Creating Automatic Linear Wall Dimensions

In this exercise, you learn how to automatically dimension a linear wall
with openings (windows) by selecting the wall, instead of selecting the
wall and all the openings as dimension references.
Dataset
m_Alignment.rvt.
1 View the lower horizontal wall and notice that it includes five
windows.
You want to dimension the wall so that the width of each
window displays in the dimension string.

3 On the Options Bar, specify the following:
Click
Verify Wall centerlines is selected for Prefer.
Select Entire Walls for Pick.
Click Options.
4 In the Auto Dimension Options dialog box, select Openings,

and then Widths.
These options ensure that the wall dimension includes the

openings (in this case, the windows), and that the window
widths are referenced in the overall dimension string.
5 Click OK.
6 Select the lower horizontal wall.
The two vertical walls highlight, indicating the start and
end of the dimension string.
7 Move your cursor below the lower horizontal wall and click
to add the dimension.

Annotating
In this lesson, you learn how to use some of the annotation features
included in Revit Building. You learn how to:
create angular dimensions.
sequentially tag rooms on a floor plan.
Annotating | 375
tag doors and windows.
rotate tags with building components.
Creating Angular Dimensions

In this exercise, you dimension the three windows on a floor plan. You
learn how to create angular dimensions and how to use an equality
constraint to space the windows equally.
Dataset
Open c_Area.rvt located in the Common folder.
Create angular dimensions

4 Dimension the three windows near the east entrance by

selecting the centerline of each window and placing the
dimensions as shown in the following illustration.
5 Click the equal sign associated with the angular dimension

string to equally space the windows.
6 Proceed to the next exercise, Sequentially Placing and

Tagging Rooms on page 377.
Sequentially Placing and Tagging Rooms

In this exercise, you sequentially place and tag the rooms on the floor
plan. The Room command with the Tag on placement option selected
allows you to place and tag rooms with one command.
Sequentially Placing and Tagging Rooms | 377
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise, c_Area.rvt.
Tag rooms sequentially

entire floor plan.
3 On the Options Bar, verify that Tag on placement is selected.
4 Move the cursor to the room at the upper right of the plan
view, and click to place the room and tag.
The crosshair graphic represents the room area being tagged
and the rectangle contains the room tag.
5 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the room tag.
The room tag number displays in blue, indicating that it can
be edited.
6 Zoom in on the tag number, click it, enter 101, and press
ENTER.
7 Place another room and tag:
On the Design Bar, click Room.
Move the cursor into the room below the one previously
tagged.
Align the tags by moving the cursor until a dashed

green line displays between the placed tag and the one
that displays at the tip of the cursor.
Click to place the new room and tag.
The second tag that you place displays the sequential

number 102. Sequential letters are also supported.
8 Continue to place rooms and tags.
Sequentially Placing and Tagging Rooms | 379
9 Proceed to the next exercise, Tagging Doors and Windows

on page 380.
Tagging Doors and Windows

In this exercise, you learn how to place door and window tags. You learn
how to add a door to the floor plan that includes a tag, to add a tag with
a leader, and to tag doors and windows that are not tagged.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise, c_Area.rvt.
Add a door and tag

1 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Door.
2 In the Type Selector, select a door type that you want to add
to the floor plan.
3 On the Options Bar, select Tag on Placement to add a tag when
you place the door in the floor plan, and clear Leader.
4 Place the door with the tag in the room at the bottom left, as
Place a door with a door tag and leader

6 On the Options Bar, verify that Tag on placement is selected,
and select Leader.
7 Place the door as shown in the following illustration.
Place a door without a tag

9 On the Options Bar, clear Tag on placement.
10 Place the door below Door 6.
Notice that the door is placed without a tag.
Tagging Doors and Windows | 381
Tag a door after placing it

11 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Tag All Not Tagged.
12 In the Tag All Not Tagged dialog box, verify that Door Tags is
selected for Category.
13 Under Leader, select Create, and then click OK.
The door is tagged with a tag and leader.
Tag the windows in the floor plan

15 In the Tag All Not Tagged dialog box, under Category, select
Window Tags.
16 Under Leader, clear Create, and click OK.
All of the windows that were not tagged are now tagged.

Save As, and save the exercise file with a unique name, or
close the exercise file without saving your changes.
Tagging Doors and Windows | 383
Viewing and Rendering
385
Viewing
In this tutorial, you learn to create and customize views of

building information models. You learn how to access and
create building model views and how to change the visibility
of building components and annotation within views.
More specifically, you learn how to change the visibility of
detail components, how to control fill pattern colors, and how
to use plan regions within floor plans and reflected ceiling
plans.
387
Viewing a Building Model

In this lesson, you learn to create and customize user-defined views of a
building information model.
You create elevations, sections, and three-dimensional (3D) views, and

learn how to control the visibility of building components and annotation
within them.
Exploring the Building Model

In this exercise, you learn how to access different views of the building
model, including elevation and three-dimensional views. You also learn
how to control the visibility of different building components and
annotation within building model views.
Dataset
In the left pane of the Open dialog box, scroll down and click the
Open m_Viewing_Exercise.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Open an elevation view of the building model

1 On the left side of the drawing area, locate the Project Browser.
The Project Browser is displayed by default between the Design
Bar and the drawing area. The current file name is displayed
in the Project Browser title bar.
388 | Chapter 7 Viewing
TIP If the Project Browser does not display, on the Standard

toolbar, click

Elevations, and double-click East.
A new view displays a wireframe view of the east elevation
view of the building model. Both hidden lines and window
tags display in the east elevation view.
Display the elevation view with hidden lines

click Hidden Line.
This hides the lines that show through to the exterior of
the elevation view. The east elevation view displays with
hidden lines. This change is applied only to the active view,
the east elevation. Notice that window tags continue to
display in the view.
Exploring the Building Model | 389
Turn off the display of window tags in the elevation view

5 In the Visibility/Graphic Overrides for Elevation: East dialog
box, click the Annotation Categories tab.
6 Under Visibility, scroll down and clear Window Tags.
7 Click OK.
The window tags are no longer displayed in this view. This
change is applied only in this elevation view.
Create a 3D view of the building model

The 3D view is displayed in a new viewing window. The default

name of the view is {3D}.
to reorient the view.
10 Move the cursor to the drawing window and notice that it

now displays as a hand
This means you are in pan mode.

11 Pan the view by clicking and dragging the cursor in the
drawing area.
The view follows the movement of the cursor.
NOTE If you have a pointing device with a middle wheel, you
can enable pan mode by pressing and holding the middle
wheel button down. Move the mouse to pan the view.
12 Press and hold CTRL, and notice that the cursor displays as
a magnifying glass
This indicates that you are in zoom mode.

NOTE If you have a pointing device with a middle wheel, you
can enable zoom mode by rolling the middle wheel.
13 View the Dynamic View dialog box in the lower left corner
of the screen.
You can pan, zoom, and spin the building model by clicking
the appropriate button in this dialog box.
Save the current 3D view

14 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), and expand 3D
Views.
15 In the Project Browser under 3D Views, right-click {3D}, and
click Rename.
16 In the Rename View dialog box, enter My 3D View, and
click OK.
Notice that the view name is updated in the title bar of the
viewing window and in the Project Browser.
17 In the upper right corner of the viewing window, click X
to close the view.
Exploring the Building Model | 391
18 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click My 3D

View.
Notice that the view continues to display with hidden lines
and no window tags.
19 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Perspective View with
a Camera on page 392.
Creating a Perspective View with a Camera

In this exercise, you create a perspective view of the building model with
a camera. Cameras define the eye point, eye height, and distance from the
target.
Dataset
m_Viewing_Exercise.rvt.
Create the perspective view

3 Add the camera to the view by specifying two points: one for
the camera position and the other for the camera target point:
Specify the first point in the top right corner of the

drawing, outside of the dimension lines.
Specify the second point in one of the rooms in the

building, as shown in the following illustration.
After you specify the second point (the view target), the
new view named 3D View 1 is displayed by default in a
perspective view.
Creating a Perspective View with a Camera | 393
4 To resize the view to see the entire floor model, select the blue
control grips on the sides of the crop region and move them
out.
Change the camera projection settings

6 On the View menu, click Dynamically Modify View.
7 In the Dynamic View dialog box, click the Walkthrough tab
located at the bottom of the dialog box.
You can use the walkthrough controls in this dialog box to
move the camera position and change the view.
8 To move the camera eye position higher or lower:
Click Dolly and move the cursor into the perspective view.
Press and hold the left mouse button.
Move the cursor up, down, and sideways to see how the
view changes.
9 To move the camera forward and backward in the view:
Click Forward/Back and move the cursor into the

perspective view.
Move the cursor up and down in the view to move the

cursor forward and backward.
10 To rotate the camera around the target:
Click Turn and move the cursor into the perspective

view.
Move the cursor side to side in the view to rotate the

view. You may need to reposition the view with the
other controls.
11 Adjust the view as shown in the following illustration.
Change the camera position, height, and target

Four views of the model display in the drawing area.

1.
The border of the window that contains the Level 1 view
highlights.
15 In the Project Browser under 3D Views, double-click 3D

View 1.
16 Right-click 3D View 1, and click Show Camera.
The camera and the view direction of the camera are
displayed in the appropriate views.
17 In My 3D View, select the camera target point (the magenta

grip), and move it to another location.
3D View 1 should update immediately after you move the

target point of the camera.
18 Change the target and eye elevation of the camera by

modifying its properties:
Select the camera in My 3D View, right-click, and click

Properties.
In the Element Properties dialog box, under Camera, enter

15000 for Eye Elevation and 1700 for Target Elevation.
Click OK.
3D View 1 immediately updates to show the change.

TIP The updated view depends on the location of the camera
before you change the elevation values.
Use a section box to clip the model

to create a new 3D view.

click Shading.
21 Rotate the view as shown in the following illustration.

23 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Extents, select
Section Box, and click OK.
A section box is displayed around the model.
24 Click the section box.

The section box highlights and grips are displayed on its faces.
A rotation tool is also displayed.
25 Select and move the lower right grip on the section box closer
to the model, as shown in the following illustration.
26 Click and hold the rotation tool, and rotate the section box
around the model.
27 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Section View on

page 401.
Creating a Section View

In this exercise, you create a section view by sketching a section line in
a plan view.
Dataset
Sketch a section line in a plan view

1 In the Project Browser, expand Floor Plans, double-click
Level 1, and maximize this view.
Creating a Section View | 401
2 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Section.

3 Click to the left of the left wall of the building model, and
then click to the right of the lower right wall to sketch the
horizontal section line shown in the following illustration.
Notice a dashed green box with blue grips is displayed on the

section line. The box represents the extents of the section view
as well as the viewing direction of the section.
View the section

5 To view the section, double-click the section head, or in the
Project Browser, expand Sections, and double-click Section 1.
NOTE Fill pattern is dependent on the zoom ratio. You may

need to zoom closer to the walls in order to see the fill pattern.
6 Select the section view, right-click, and click Find Referring
Views.
7 In the Go To View dialog box, select Floor Plan: Level 1,
and click Open View.
8 Select the section line, and drag the section depth grip below
the middle horizontal wall as shown in the following
illustration.

10 Double-click the section head to display the section view.
Notice the change in section depth.
Creating a Section View | 403
Change the view direction of the section

1.
12 Select the section line.
Control arrows are displayed near the section tag.
13 Click the control arrows to flip the section view, and select
and move the section depth grip under the lower wall.
15 Double-click the section head to display the section view.
Notice the change in the view direction.
16 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Elevation Views on

page 404.
Creating Elevation Views

In this exercise, you learn to create an elevation view in a project by adding
an elevation symbol to a plan view.
Dataset
Add an elevation symbol

1.
An elevation symbol displays at the end of the cursor.
3 Without clicking in the drawing area, move the cursor

around the building model.
Notice that the elevation symbol arrow points to the nearest
wall as you move through the building model. You may
need to adjust your zoom settings to see the elevation
symbol.
4 To create an elevation view of the building lobby, place the

cursor inside the building facing the lobby entrance, and
click.
Make sure the elevation symbol is pointing towards the
lobby doors.
View the elevation

6 To view the new elevation, zoom in, and double-click the
elevation symbol arrow.
The elevation is named Elevation 1 - a by default.
Creating Elevation Views | 405

1.
8 Select the center of the elevation symbol. Do not select the
arrow.
The elevation symbol is displayed with four check boxes,
indicating the possible elevation views that you can create.
The check mark in the right box indicates the current elevation
view, Elevation 1 - a.
9 Select the box shown in the following illustration to add a
new elevation view, Elevation 1 - b.
10 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click Elevation

1 - b.
Controlling Fill Pattern Colors

In this lesson, you learn to control the fill pattern color of a material
and set the coarse scale fill pattern color of a wall type.
You can control the fill pattern color of the cut and surface patterns for
objects that obtain their fill pattern definition from materials. This
includes walls, floors, roofs, and other families, and applies to phasing
override materials as well.
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 red, and the insulation color to pink.
In addition, you can set the color of the coarse scale fill pattern for wall
types. This means that in views with a coarse level of detail, such as the
one below, you can choose the wall fill color for a wall type, in this case,
a shade of gray.
Controlling the Fill Pattern Color of a Material

In this exercise, you learn to control the fill pattern colors of a material.
You change the color of the cut and surface patterns in the brick material
assigned to the exterior wall in the building model.
Dataset
Controlling Fill Pattern Colors | 407
Open c_Showroom.rvt located in the Common folder.
Change the color of the brick cut pattern for the exterior walls
1 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Sections
(Section Head - Filled), and double-click Wall/Floor Join - Level
3.
Notice the different fill patterns assigned to each layer within
the floor and wall structure. Each layer is designated by the
material settings of the layer.
2 On the Settings menu, click Materials.

3 In the Materials dialog box, select Masonry - Brick for Name.
A color is assigned to both the Surface Pattern and Cut Pattern
options in the dialog box.
4 Under Cut Pattern, click Color.
5 In the Color dialog box, select red, and click OK twice.
The brick cut pattern on the left is displayed as red.
View the surface pattern of the exterior brick walls

6 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand 3D Views,
and double-click 3D.
7 Zoom in on the brick pattern of the exterior walls.
The surface pattern of the brick is black.
Change the brick surface pattern from black to white

9 In the Materials dialog box, select Masonry - Brick for Name.
10 Under Surface Pattern, click Color.
11 In the Color dialog box, select white, and click OK twice.
The surface pattern of the brick is now white.
12 Proceed to the next exercise, Setting the Coarse Scale Fill

Pattern Color for a Wall Type on page 410.
Controlling the Fill Pattern Color of a Material | 409
Setting the Coarse Scale Fill Pattern Color for a Wall Type
In this exercise, you learn to set the coarse scale fill pattern color for a wall
type. You change the coarse scale fill pattern from the default color of black
to a shade of gray for a wall type. The walls in the floor plan that you work
with are displayed with a gray fill pattern when displayed in a view with
a coarse level of detail.
Dataset
c_Showroom.rvt.
View the detail level setting of the view

The view level of this view is set to display in Coarse detail

as indicated by the Detail Level instance parameter value
under Graphics.
3 Click Cancel to exit the view without making any changes.
Change coarse scale fill pattern color of the arced wall

4 Select the south arced wall, right-click, and click Properties.
By default, the Coarse Scale Fill Color is black and the Coarse
Scale Fill Pattern is set to none.
6 In the Type Properties dialog box, click in the Coarse Scale
Fill Color value field, and click
.
7 In the Color dialog box, select a shade of gray, and click
OK.
8 In the Type Properties dialog box, click in the Coarse Scale
Fill Pattern parameter value field and click
.
9 In the Fill Patterns dialog box, select Solid fill for Name,
and click OK three times.
The wall type is displayed as solid gray within any view
where the Detail Level is set to Coarse.
View the arced wall in fine detail

2.
12 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level, and click Fine.
13 Zoom in on the arced wall.
Setting the Coarse Scale Fill Pattern Color for a Wall Type | 411
Notice that the surface pattern and color of the brick wall that
display in a coarse detail level are not applied because the
detail level is set to Fine.
Creating a View Plan Region

In this lesson, you work with a split-level building model that requires a
different view range than the rest of the view. Plan regions are closed
sketches that you can create in floor plan and reflected ceiling plan (RCP)
views only. If you create more than one plan region in a file, the plan
regions cannot overlap each other, although they may have coincident
edges. Plan regions do not work with linked Revit Building files, and you
cannot control their visibility, line type, line color, or pattern.
If you are not familiar with view ranges in Revit Building, refer to the online
Help for more information.
Creating a Plan Region in a Floor Plan

In this exercise, you create a plan region in the Level 1 floor plan of the
following building model.
Because the stepped portion of the walls in the building model is above
the cut plane height in the Level 1 floor plan view, it does not display
in the Level 1 floor plan.
By creating a plan region in the view with a different cut plane height,
you can display the stepped portion of the walls in the Level 1 floor
plan.
Dataset
Open m_Plan_Region.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Creating a Plan Region in a Floor Plan | 413
View the Level 1 floor plan

The cut plane height of the view range for this view is 1200
mm. The stepped portion of the project walls and windows
are not displayed because the cut plane does not intersect any
of the model geometry above this height.
In the following illustration, the south elevation is also
displayed, so you can view the height of the walls and
windows.
Add a plan region to view the stepped portion of the model

2 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Plan Region.
Plan regions have a single property, view range, that is similar
to the view range for plan views. You use the view range
property to control cut plane, the top and bottom clip planes,
and the view depth plane.
3 In the Level 1 view, sketch the plan region using the blue
tick marks for guidance:
On the Design Bar, click Lines.
Specify a point at the intersection of the two dashed

blue lines on the top left.
Specify a point at the intersection of the two dashed

blue lines on the bottom right.
On the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch.
Press ESC to end the command.
The plan region is no longer visible, as it is displayed with

hidden lines in this view.
4 Move the cursor across the area where you sketched the
plan region.
As the cursor moves across it, the plan region is displayed
as a red dashed rectangle.
5 Select the red dashed line, right-click, and click Properties.

6 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Extents, click Edit
for View Range.
7 In the View Range dialog box, select Parent Views Level (Level
1) for Cut Plane, and enter 2800 for the cut plane Offset.
By selecting Parent Views Level, you specify that the level
used to define each plane (cut plane, top and bottom clip
planes, and view depth) in the view range is the same as the
level used to define the corresponding plane in the parent
view. This means that the plan region view is going to cut all
geometry at 2800 mm above Level 1.
8 Because the top clip plane value cannot be set lower than the
cut plane, enter 4000 for the Top Offset.
9 Click Apply, and then click OK twice.
The Level 1 floor plan should display as shown in the following
illustration.
The following illustration demonstrates how the level 1

floor plan view is being viewed with the plan region.

Rendering Views and

Creating Walkthroughs
In this tutorial, you learn to use the AccuRender Radiosity

and Raytrace features in Revit Building 9.1 to create rendered
interior and exterior views of your building information model;
to place and render decals to create signs, billboards, and
posters; and to create walkthroughs of your building
information model. AccuRender is the rendering engine
incorporated into Revit Building that is used to produce
rendered views.
419
Rendering an Exterior View

In this lesson, you learn how to create an exterior perspective view of a
building model and render it with the AccuRender Raytrace feature.
You learn to create and apply materials to a building model, add realistic
three-dimensional trees to the building site, and create the perspective
view that you want to render. After you create the perspective view, you
select a scene that defines the model environment, and then raytrace the
view to produce the final rendered exterior view.
Applying Materials and Textures to the Building Model

In this exercise, you learn how to view and modify the material that is
applied to a building component in a building model. You also learn to
create a new material and apply it to a building component. You work
with a building model that already has material applied to it.
420 | Chapter 8 Rendering Views and Creating Walkthroughs
In this exercise, you:
change the texture of the brick material applied to the exterior walls
of the building.
change the material of the front terrace of the building from the
default material to asphalt.
define a new polished aluminum material and apply it to the curtain

wall mullions on the front curtain wall.
When you complete these changes, you raytrace a region of the building
that includes the exterior wall, the floor, and the curtain wall to view
and verify the material and texture changes.
Dataset
Open m_Cohouse.rvt located in the Metric folder.
View the finish material of the exterior walls

1 Verify that the 3D view of the townhouse building model
is displayed.
Applying Materials and Textures to the Building Model | 421

TIP If the tab that you need does not display in the Design Bar,
right-click in the Design Bar, and click the tab in the context menu.
4 In the Element Properties dialog box, verify that Co-house Cavity Wall - Heavyweight block is displayed for Type, and
click Edit/New.
5 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Construction, click
Edit for Structure. Verify that the material defined for the
exterior finish layer (Layer 1) of the building model is Masonry
- Brick.
6 Click Cancel three times to return to the 3D view of the
building model without making any changes to the exterior
finish at this time.
Change the brick texture of the exterior wall finish material

8 In the Materials dialog box, under Name, select Masonry Brick.
9 Under AccuRender, click
Material Library.
next to Texture to display the
A preview of the brick texture that is currently assigned to the

walls is displayed in the right pane of the Material Library.
10 In the left pane of the Material Library dialog box, under
_accurender, expand Masonry and click Brick.
11 Under Name, select Carib,200mm,Running.

12 Click OK twice.
You can view the new brick texture when you raytrace a
region of the building in a later step.
Change the material of the terrace from the default material to

asphalt
13 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select the terrace in
front of the building.
14 On the Options Bar, verify that Floor : Floor 1 displays in

the Type Selector, and click

16 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Construction, click
Edit for Structure.
17 In the Edit Assembly dialog box, for Layer 2, click in the
Material field that contains Default Floor, and click
18 In the Materials dialog box, under Name, select Site Asphalt.

19 Click OK four times.
Define a new polished aluminum material and apply it to the

curtain wall mullions
21 In the Materials dialog box, under Name, click Duplicate.
22 In the New Material dialog box, enter Aluminum,
Polished and click OK.

Material Library.
next to Texture to display the
24 In the Material Library, under _accurender, expand Metals,

and click Aluminum.
25 Under Name, select Polished,Plain.
26 Click OK twice.
28 Select one of the curtain wall mullions on the exterior face of
the building.
TIP If you do not select the curtain wall mullion on the first
selection, press TAB to cycle your selection through different
building model components. When Curtain Wall Mullions:
Rectangular Mullion displays in the Status Bar at the bottom of
the screen, select the curtain wall mullion again.

31 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Materials and Finishes,
click in the Material field, and then click
32 In the Materials dialog box, under Name, select Aluminum,

Polished.
This completes the changes in materials and textures that you
make for the building model.
Raytrace a region of the building to view the material changes

that you made
34 On the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Region
Raytrace.
35 Move the cursor over the building model, and draw the
rectangular region shown in the following illustration.
Make sure the region includes the exterior walls, floor, and
curtain wall mullions to which you made material changes.
36 In the Scene Selection dialog box, verify that New is selected,

select Exterior under Type, and click OK.
37 If you are prompted to turn off the lights in the scene, click
No.
The portion of the building that you selected is raytraced and

the materials that you changed and applied to the exterior
walls, floor, and curtain wall mullions are rendered (this takes
a few moments), producing a photorealistic effect.
38 On the Design Bar, click Display Model to end the Region

Raytrace command and redisplay the building model in hidden
line wireframe.
39 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Trees to the Site on
page 426.
Adding Trees to the Site

In this exercise, you place two different types of trees on the building site.
In a later exercise, when you render an exterior view of the model, the
leaves of the trees display as indicated by the season and location specified
in the render scene settings.
Dataset

m_Cohouse.rvt.
Add red maple trees to the site

Plans, and double-click 1st Flr. Cnst.
2 Zoom out so you can easily view the area surrounding the
building model.
3 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Site Component.
TIP If the Site tab is not displayed, right-click in the Design
Bar, and click Site.
4 In the Type Selector, select M_Tree - Deciduous : Acer
Rubrum - 9 Meters.
Available tree types are listed in the Type Selector by their
Latin names. The tree that you selected in this step is a red
maple.
5 Move the cursor to a location on the building site, and click
to place a tree.
Adding Trees to the Site | 427
Continue to place trees until you have added several red maples
to the building site as shown in the following illustration.
Create a new type of tree, and add it to the site

6 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and click Site Component.
7 In the Type Selector, select any of the deciduous trees, and
click

10 In the Name dialog box, enter Black Oak, and click OK.
11 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Other, click in the
Value field for Plant Name, and then click
Plant Library.
to display the
12 In the Plant Library, under accurender, expand Trees and

Shrubs, and click Deciduous.
13 Under Name, select Oak, Black, and click OK.
14 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Identity Data, select
Black Oak for Type Comments.
15 Under Other, enter 7000mm for Plant Height, and click OK
twice.
The black oak is shorter than the red maple trees that you
added to the site.
16 Move the cursor to the building site, and place two black
oak trees, as shown in the following illustration.
17 Press ESC to end tree placement.

18 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Perspective View
on page 429.
Creating a Perspective View

In this exercise, you define the exterior perspective view of the building
model that you want to render.
Dataset
m_Cohouse.rvt.
Creating a Perspective View | 429
Place a camera in the first floor view

1 With the 1st Flr. Cnst. view open, on the View tab of the
Design Bar, click Camera.
2 Add the camera to the view by specifying points for the camera
position and the camera target point:
Specify the first point on the site facing the building to

position the camera.
Specify the second point in front of the building facade

to define the target point of the camera.
The new perspective view is displayed.
3 Select and move the crop boundary grips until the

perspective view displays as in the following illustration.
Creating a Perspective View | 431
Modify the camera position and back clipping plane in the

perspective view
4 In the Project Browser under Views (all), expand 3D Views,
right-click 3D View 1 (the default perspective view name), and
click Show Camera.
5 In the Project Browser under Floor Plans, double-click 1st Flr.
Cnst.
The camera position is displayed in the 1st Flr. Cnst. view. The
red triangle represents the FOV (field of vision) angle and the
back clipping plane of the view.
6 Select and move the FOV boundary grip to adjust the field of
vision and back clipping plane as shown in the following
illustration.
7 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click 3D View

1, and click Rename.
8 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Exterior, and click
OK.
9 Proceed to the next exercise, Selecting a Scene and
Rendering the View on page 433.
Selecting a Scene and Rendering the View

In this exercise, you select a scene and specify time, date, place, lighting,
and environment settings that you use to render the view.
Selecting a Scene and Rendering the View | 433
Dataset
m_Cohouse.rvt.
Display the perspective view

1 In the Project Browser under 3D Views, double-click Exterior.
You must define a scene because this is the first time settings
are being applied to this view.
Select the render scene settings

2 On the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Settings.
3 In the Scene Selection dialog box, click OK to accept the
existing scene (Scene 1).
4 In the Render Scene Settings dialog box, under Scene
Settings, clear Use Sun and Shadow Settings from view, and
click Sun.
5 In the Sun and Sky Settings dialog box, click the Solar Angles
tab.
6 Select By Date, Time, and Place from the Specify Solar Angles
list.
Notice that the name of the tab changes to Date and Time.
7 Under Date, enter 10 (October) for Month and 5 for Day.
8 Under Time, verify that Daylight Savings Time is selected,
and drag the slider to set the time to 2:30 PM.
TIP Use the left and right arrow keys to adjust the minutes
precisely.
9 Click the Place tab.
Selecting a Scene and Rendering the View | 435
10 Click in the Cities list, and enter bo.

11 Scroll down, and select Boston, MA, USA.
12 Click the Settings Tab.
13 Enter .20 for Cloudiness.
This setting produces a level of cloudiness in the sky that
ranges from 0 (no clouds) to 1.00 (many clouds.)
14 Click OK.
15 In the Render Scene Settings dialog box, under Scene Settings,
click Environment.
16 In the Environment dialog box, under Background Color,
verify that Automatic Sky is selected.
17 Under Advanced, select Ground Plane.
The Ground Plane tab displays.
18 Click Material.
19 In the Material Library, under _accurender, click Site.
20 In the Name list, select Grass, Rye, Dark.
21 Click OK twice.
select Autumn for Plant Season.
23 Under Raytrace Settings, select Good for Quality, and click
OK.
Render the perspective view

24 On the Design Bar, click Image Size.
25 Enter 150 for Resolution, and click OK.
26 On the Design Bar, click Raytrace.
28 If you are prompted to turn off the lights in the scene, click
No.
The rendered exterior perspective view is displayed.
Save the rendered view

29 On the Design Bar, click Capture Rendering.
The rendered view is saved in the project and can be
accessed from the Project Browser.
30 On the Design Bar, click Display Model to end rendering
and redisplay the wireframe perspective view of the building
model.
Redisplay the rendered view

31 In the Project Browser under Views (all), expand Renderings,
and double-click Exterior to display the rendered view of
the townhouse that you saved.
32 If you want to save this exercise, on the File menu, click
33 Proceed to the next lesson, Rendering an Interior View
on page 437.
Rendering an Interior View

In this lesson, you render an interior view of the building model that
you worked with in the previous lesson.
Rendering an Interior View | 437
To create the rendered scene, you add ArchVision realpeople (RPC people)
to the floor plan of the second floor, define the view and render scene
settings, and finally, use both Radiosity and Raytracing to render the view.
Adding RPC People

In this exercise, you add two RPC people to the interior view that you
render in a later exercise. RPC people are represented by a circle in plan
view and resemble real people only when rendered in a 3D view.
Dataset
m_Cohouse.rvt.
Open second floor plan to display the interior scene that you will
render
1 In the Project Browser under Views (all), expand Floor Plans,
and double-click 2nd Flr. Cnst.
2 Zoom in on the left side of the living room as shown.
3 On the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Component.

4 In the Type Selector, select M_RPC Female: Cathy.
6 Click to place Cathy to the right of the sofa and below the
table, and then move the cursor to rotate her so she is facing
up and to the right (northeast).
7 Repeat steps 4 - 6 to select and place M_RPC Male: Alex to
the right of Cathy and facing up and to the left (northwest).
Adding RPC People | 439
8 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Interior Perspective

View on page 440.
Creating the Interior Perspective View

In this exercise, you create the interior perspective view that you will render
in the final exercise in this lesson.
Dataset
m_Cohouse.rvt.
Add a camera
2 Add the camera to the view by specifying points for the
camera position and target point:
Specify the first point on the floor plan facing the table
and RPC people to place the camera.
Creating the Interior Perspective View | 441
Specify the target point of the camera in front of the

corner of the table.
The interior perspective is displayed, but you must adjust

the field of vision and far clipping plane to display more of
the view.
3 In the Project Browser under Floor Plans, double-click 2nd

Flr. Cnst.
4 Select and move the FOV boundary grip to adjust field of vision
and back clipping plane as shown in the following illustration.
5 In the Project Browser under 3D Views, double-click 3D View

1 to redisplay the interior perspective view.
Resize the perspective view

6 On the Options Bar, click the dimensions for Size.
7 In the Crop Region Size dialog box, under Size, enter 229
mm for Width, enter 178 mm for Height, and click OK.
8 In the Project Browser under 3D Views, right-click 3D View
9 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Interior, and click
OK.
Add a section box to limit the extents of the rendered view

the building model.
to display the 3D view of
11 On the View menu, click Shading to view the effects of the

section box when you add it.
A section box is displayed around the building model.
14 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the section box.
Grips are displayed on the section box.
15 Select and move the section box grips until only the room
that you added RPC people to and that you want to render
is visible.
This process allows you to limit the geometry that will be
rendered when you create a rendering of your interior view.
By limiting the geometry, you reduce the rendering time.
16 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a New Render Scene

on page 447.
Creating a New Render Scene

In this exercise, you create a render scene to specify the time, date, place,
and environment settings used to render the view.
Dataset
m_Cohouse.rvt.
Display the interior perspective view

1 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click Interior
to display the interior perspective view.
Select the render scene settings

2 On the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Settings.
3 In the Scene Selection dialog box, select New, and enter
Interior Scene for Name.
4 Under Type, select Interior, and click OK.
Settings, clear Use Sun and Shadow Settings from view, and
click Sun.
Creating a New Render Scene | 447
6 In the Sun and Sky Settings dialog box, click the Solar Angles
tab.
7 Select By Date, Time, and Place from the Specify Solar Angles
list.
Notice that the name of the tab changes to Date and Time.
8 Under Date, enter 6 (June) for Month and 6 for Day.
9 Under Time, verify that Daylight Savings Time is selected, and
drag the slider to set the time to 8:30 PM.
TIP Use the left and right arrow keys to precisely adjust the
minutes.
10 Click the Place tab.
11 Click in the Cities list, and enter bo.
12 Scroll down, and select Boston, MA, USA.
13 Click the Settings tab.
14 Click Save, specify a file location and name for the scene
settings, and click Save.
15 In the Sun and Sky Settings dialog box, click OK.
click Environment.
17 In the Environment dialog box, on the Main tab, under
Background Color, verify that Automatic Sky is selected.
18 Under Advanced, select Ground Plane.
The Ground Plane tab displays.
19 Click Material.
20 In the Material Library, under accurender, click Site.
21 In the Name list, select Grass, Rye, Dark.
22 Click OK twice.
23 In the Render Scene Settings dialog box, under Use Views
Section Box, select {3D}.
24 Under Scene Settings, select Summer for Plant Season, and
click OK.
25 Proceed to the next exercise, Defining Daylights and
Rendering the View on page 449.
Defining Daylights and Rendering the View

In this exercise, you define daylights for the glazed panels of the curtain
wall and render the view. When you define daylights for the curtain
wall panels, you allow sunlight to pass through the panels when you
render the view. You can select families with transparent materials, such
as windows and doors, as daylight sources.
Dataset
m_Cohouse.rvt.
Define daylights for the glazed panels of the curtain wall

The 3D view of the building model with the section box is
displayed.
2 On the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Daylights.

3 Select the curtain wall on the second floor (Walls: Curtain
Wall; Curtain Wall 1).
Render the perspective view

4 In the Project Browser under 3D Views, double-click Interior.
5 On the Design Bar, click Radiate.
Defining Daylights and Rendering the View | 449
6 In the Radiosity Information dialog box, click OK.

The radiosity process, which can take several minutes, begins.
Light bounce is calculated for each individual light. When
radiate completes, the following rendered view is displayed.
The RPC people do not display in the view until you raytrace
them in the next steps.
7 On the Design Bar, click Raytrace.

8 On the Options Bar, select Medium (150 dpi) for Resolution,
and click
The raytraced perspective view is displayed and now includes

the RPC people.

By completing the two rendering lessons included in this tutorial, you
rendered an exterior and an interior view. You learned to use both the
Radiosity and Raytracing features included in the AccuRender render
engine.
Creating and Recording Walkthroughs

In this lesson, you learn how to create and record animated walkthroughs
of your building models in Revit Building 9.1. A walkthrough is created
in a 3D perspective view by default, but you can also create it in a 3D
orthographic view.
Creating and Editing a Walkthrough

The first step in creating a walkthrough is to define the walkthrough
path, which is the path that a camera will follow through your building
model. Usually you define the walkthrough path in a plan view, but
you can also define it in a 3D, elevation, or section view. The
walkthrough path is a spline, and you create it by specifying points that
create the spline. Each point becomes a key frame in the walkthrough.
Creating and Recording Walkthroughs | 451
Additional frames that comprise the walkthrough are created between the
key frames. You can edit the walkthrough path by selecting and moving
the key frames. In a plan view, you can also specify the height of the camera
along the walkthrough path.
Recording a Walkthrough
After you create a walkthrough, you can record the walkthrough by
exporting it to an AVI file that you can play with any available video player
independent of your Revit Building software. When you export your
walkthrough to an AVI, you can select one of the following display options
for the building model in your walkthrough:
Wireframe
Hidden Line (wireframe view with hidden lines)
Shaded or Shaded with Edges
AccuRender (Raytrace)
IMPORTANT If you record your walkthrough AVI with the AccuRender display
option, you must select or define a scene.
Creating a Walkthrough
In this exercise, you learn how to create and edit a walkthrough of the first
floor of a townhouse.
You create a walkthrough that begins in the breakfast room of the

townhouse, proceeds through the dining room, and ends in the far corner
of the living room.
Dataset
Open c_Townhouse.rvt located in the Common folder.
NOTE Some Imperial values are used by default in this exercise. If you prefer
to use Metric values, click Settings Project Units, and change unit formats
as desired.
Create a walkthrough of the first floor of the building model

Plans, and double-click 1st Floor.
The floor plan of the first floor of the townhouse is
displayed.
2 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Walkthrough.
TIP If the tab that you need does not display in the Design
Bar, right-click in the Design Bar, and click the tab in the
context menu.
3 On the Options Bar, verify that Perspective is selected to
create the walkthrough in a 3D perspective view.
4 Move the cursor under the text label in the Breakfast room,
and click to specify the start point, or the first key frame,
of the walkthrough.
5 Specify four additional points to define key frame positions
on the walkthrough path as shown in the following
illustration.
Creating a Walkthrough | 453
6 After you specify the final point of the walkthrough path in

the Living room, on the Options Bar, click
Edit and play the walkthrough

7 In the Project Browser under Views (all), expand Walkthroughs,
and double-click Walkthrough 1.
The last frame of the walkthrough is displayed, surrounded

by a crop boundary with grips as shown in the following
illustration. Your frame may look a bit different from the
frame in the illustration because the walkthrough path is
not precisely the same.
8 Verify that the crop boundary of the walkthrough frame is

selected and is displayed as red with blue grips. If it is not,
select the crop boundary.
Two options are displayed on the Options Bar: Edit
Walkthrough and Size.
9 On the Options Bar, click the dimensions for Size to change
the size of the walkthrough frame crop region.
10 In the Crop Region Size dialog box, enter 16" for Width
and 9" for Height.
11 Under Change, verify Field of view is selected, and click OK.
12 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom Out (2x), and select
the crop boundary.
Creating a Walkthrough | 455
13 On the Options Bar, click Edit Walkthrough.

The walkthrough controls are displayed on the Options Bar.
The frame that is displayed is frame 300 of 300 frames in the
walkthrough.
14 Click
15 In the Walkthrough Frames dialog box, enter 60 to reduce the

total number of frames in the walkthrough from 300 to 60,
and click OK.
16 On the Options Bar, enter 1 for Frame, and press ENTER to set
the walkthrough to play from the beginning (the key frame).
17 Click
The walkthrough plays. The current display is wireframe

with hidden lines.
NOTE To stop playing the walkthrough at any time, press ESC.
18 When the walkthrough stops playing, proceed to the next
exercise, Changing the Walkthrough Path and Camera
Position on page 457.
Changing the Walkthrough Path and Camera Position

In this exercise, you learn how to edit the walkthrough path and change
the camera position in the walkthrough that you created in the previous
exercise.
Dataset
c_Townhouse.rvt.
Change the properties of the camera

1 In the Project Browser under Floor Plans, double-click 1st
Floor.
The walkthrough path is displayed in the floor plan of the
first floor.
3 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Extents, clear

Far Clip Active, and click OK.
Clearing this option disables the far clipping plane of the
camera.
Edit the walkthrough path

4 On the Options Bar, click Edit Walkthrough.
Changing the Walkthrough Path and Camera Position | 457
The camera is displayed at the first key frame position on the

walkthrough path in the breakfast room.
5 Select the target point of the camera (the magenta grip), and
adjust it to view the kitchen as shown in the following
illustration.
Your walkthrough path may vary from the one in the

illustration so do not be concerned if the camera displays
at a slightly different location.
6 On the Options Bar, select Path for Controls.

Blue grips are displayed at each key frame. You can move
any camera target or key frame position.
Changing the Walkthrough Path and Camera Position | 459
7 Click the third key frame position, and drag it to the location
Play the walkthrough to view the changes that you made

8 In the Project Browser, under Walkthroughs, double-click
Walkthrough 1.
9 On the Options Bar, click Edit Walkthrough, and then click
to play the walkthrough.
10 Proceed to the next exercise, Recording the Walkthrough
on page 460.
Recording the Walkthrough

In this exercise, you record the walkthrough that you created in the
previous exercise by exporting it to an AVI. When you export the
walkthrough, you can select to display the walkthrough in wireframe,
hidden line, shaded, shaded with edges, or with AccuRender raytracing.
Dataset
c_Townhouse.rvt.
1 On the File menu, click Export Walkthrough.
2 In the Save As dialog box, specify a path and a file name for
the AVI.
3 Under Output Length, specify 15 for Frames per Second.
4 Under Format, select <Shading> for Display mode, and click
Save.
5 In the Video Compression dialog box, select any codec
(compression/decompression) that is available on your
system for Compressor, and click OK.
NOTE The available Compressor options are specific to your
current computer system. If you are unsure of what option to
use, the Full Frames (Uncompressed) option is available to all
users. It produces files that are larger than compressed files,
but that do not suffer loss due to compression quality.
The AVI is recorded.
6 Double-click the AVI file to play the walk-through from the
location that you specified in step 3, without opening Revit
Building 9.1.
7 Try creating other walkthroughs, specifying the number of
frames, reducing the size of the image, perhaps to 6 wide
x 4 height, and with a frame rate of from 15-30 frames per
second. If you had 150 frames and a frame rate of 15
seconds, then you are moving from the breakfast area to
the living room window in 10 seconds. Reducing the size
of the output images and managing the frame rate lets you
create realistic and smooth movement.
8 If you want to save this exercise, on the File menu, click
Recording the Walkthrough | 461
Creating Solar Studies
The ability to create solar studies for a specific project and site
can be very valuable for creating sustainable designs. Exterior
solar studies can show the impact of shadows on a site by the
terrain and the surrounding buildings. Interior solar studies
can illustrate how effectively natural light penetrates inside a
building during specific times of the day and year.
In this tutorial, you create interior and exterior views of a
building information model to be used in solar studies that
you define. You specify settings for summer and winter solstice
solar studies and export one solar study as a video and the
other as a series of images.
More specifically, you learn how a solar study of different
perspective views of a building can support passive solar design
by showing where shadows fall during the warmest time of
the day and at different times throughout the year.
463
Creating Views for Solar Studies

In this lesson, you learn to create three 3D views of a building information
model for use with solar studies.
A courtyard perspective view illustrates how shadows impact the site

and buildings.
A cut section view enables you to see the effect of shadows and light
on the interior of a building.
A plan view provides information on how sunlight and shadows play

on the floor of a building.
Creating a Solar Study - Courtyard View

In this exercise, you customize a 3D external view of the building to
enhance Solar Study analysis.
Dataset
Open the c_Solar_Study.rvt file located in the Common folder.

and double-click 01 Entry.
464 | Chapter 9 Creating Solar Studies
3 Click in the lower right corner of the drawing area outside

of the courtyard to place the camera and click in the upper
left corner above the courtyard to place the camera target
point, as shown.
A 3D view is created. The view you create may differ slightly

from the illustrations in the exercises because of minor
variations in camera placement.
5 In the Dynamic View dialog, click Spin and move the cursor
in the drawing area to adjust the view, as shown.
Creating a Solar Study - Courtyard View | 465

7 Click the view boundary to select it, and drag the blue circular
controls to see more of the perspective view, if necessary.
8 In the Project Browser, expand 3D Views, right-click 3D View
9 In the Rename View dialog, enter Solar Study - Courtyard View,
and click OK.
10 On the File menu, click Save As, and save the exercise file with
a unique name.
11 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Solar Study Section
Cutaway View on page 466.
Creating a Solar Study Section Cutaway View

In this exercise, you create a section cutaway view.
Dataset
Continue to use the c_Solar_Study.rvt dataset you saved in the previous
exercise.
Create section
Entry.
2 Enter ZR to zoom in on the house, as shown.
3 On the Design Bar, click Section.

4 Click to the right of reference plane 9 between A and B and,
and then click to the left outside of the house to sketch the
horizontal section line shown in the following illustration.

6 To view the section, double-click the section head.
Creating a Solar Study Section Cutaway View | 467
7 In the Project Browser, expand Sections, right-click Section 1,

and click Rename.
8 In the Rename View dialog, enter Section for Solar Study
Cutaway, and click OK.
Create 3D section view

.
11 In the Dynamic View dialog, click

to expand the dialog,
and under Orient to a View, select Section: Section for Solar
Study Cutaway.
to adjust the view down and to the right, as shown.

14 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click {3D}, and
click Rename.
15 In the Rename View dialog, enter Solar Study Section Cutaway,
and click OK.
16 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level Coarse, then
select Medium, then Fine.
NOTE With the detail level set to Coarse, some structural

elements are shown as a single line rather than solid and do
not cast a shadow. In some cases, changing to Medium or Fine
provides a better view for a shadow study.
17 On the View Control Bar, click Crop Region Hide Crop
Region to hide the display of the crop boundaries and
section box in the view.
19 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Solar Study Plan
Cutaway View on page 469.
Creating a Solar Study Plan Cutaway View

In this exercise, you create a plan cutaway view.
NOTE A plan view of a shadow study should be created in a 3D view with
top orientation. Typical plan views, such as floor plans and ceiling plans, do
not display many elements in 3D, so no shadows will be cast from these
elements.
Dataset
exercise.
Create callout
Entry.
3 Click in the upper left corner and lower right corner to
sketch a selection around the site, including the house, as
shown.
Creating a Solar Study Plan Cutaway View | 469
4 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click Callout

of 01 Entry.
5 In the Project Browser, right-click Callout of 01 Entry, and
click Rename.
6 In the Rename View dialog, enter Solar Study Callout for Plan
Cutaway, and click OK.
Create 3D Plan View

9 In the Dynamic View dialog click to expand the dialog, and

under Orient to a View, select Floor Plan: Solar Study Callout
for Plan Cutaway.
to adjust the view to the right and back to view the front side,
as shown.

12 Select the crop boundaries in the drawing area.
13 Select the blue down arrow control at the bottom of the
model and drag down to expose the full first level of the
model.
14 Select the blue up arrow control in the center of the model
and drag up to expose the second floor of the building, as
shown.
15 Select the Roof.

16 On the View Control Bar, click Hide/Isolate Hide
Category, so you can see into the building from the top.
Creating a Solar Study Plan Cutaway View | 471
17 On the View Control Bar, click Hide/Isolate Reset Temporary

Hide/Isolate.
18 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click {3D}, and
click Rename.
19 In the Rename View dialog, enter Solar Study Plan Cutaway,
and click OK.
20 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level Fine.
Display study views

22 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click each of
the sun study 3D views that you created in this lesson:
Solar Study - Courtyard View
Solar Study Plan Cutaway
Solar Study Section Cutaway
These views will be used in additional lessons in this tutorial.
Saving Solar Study Settings and Previewing

Animations
In this lesson, you create a solar study for winter and summer solstice, and
preview the effects of each study as an animation. The animations of solar
activity at a particular place and time allow you to study the impact of
natural light and shadows on the buildings and site.
Creating Solar Studies - Summer and Winter Solstice

In this exercise, you create a single-day solar study for the summer
solstice.
Dataset
Continue to use the customized c_solar_study.rvt dataset you used in the
previous lesson.
Create summer solstice study

and double-click Solar Study - Courtyard View.
2 On the View Control Bar, click Shadows Advanced Model
Graphics.
3 Select Cast Shadows. You can change the intensity of the
shadows by dragging the slider in the Shadow field. For this
study, leave the slider at 50.
4 Under Sun and Shadows Settings, click
The Sun and Shadows Settings dialog displays. You can

create a still, single-day, or multi-day solar study.
5 Click the Single-Day tab.
For the Single-Day solar study, you specify the location,
date, and time range, as well as a time interval for the frames
of the solar animation.
6 Click the Multi-Day tab.
Creating Solar Studies - Summer and Winter Solstice | 473
For the Multi-Day solar study, you specify the location, date
range, and time, as well as a time interval for the frames of the
solar animation.
7 Create a Single-Day study from an existing study. Click the
Single-Day tab.
8 Confirm that One Day Solar Study - Boston, MA, USA is
selected, and click Duplicate.
9 In the Name dialog, enter Summer Solstice, Los Angeles, and
click OK.
10 Under Place, click
11 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog, under City, click

, select Los Angeles, CA, USA, and click OK.
Changing the place in this dialog, changes the setting defined
for the project.
12 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog:
For Date, select June 22, 2006.
For Time Range, verify that Sunrise to sunset is selected.

NOTE If you clear Sunrise to sunset, you can specify the start
and stop times for the solar study.
For Time Interval, verify that the value is set to 15 minutes.
13 Select Ground Plane at Level.

Notice that 01 Entry is selected as the level. You can select the
level to be used for shadow display.
14 In this case, you want to see how the shadows fall on the
terrain and not for a specific level. Clear Ground Plane at Level.
Create winter solstice study

15 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog, confirm that Summer
Solstice, Los Angeles is selected, and click Duplicate.
16 In the Name dialog, enter Winter Solstice, Los Angeles, and
click OK.
17 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog, for Date, select
December 22, 2006, and click OK.
18 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog, click OK.
20 Proceed to the next exercise, Previewing Solar Study

Animation on page 475.
Previewing Solar Study Animation

In this exercise, you preview the solar studies you created in the previous
exercise.
Dataset
exercise.
Preview winter solstice animation

1 Confirm that the 3D View Solar Study - Courtyard View is
currently displayed.
Graphics.
3 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog, under Sun and
Shadows settings, click
4 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog, on the Single-Day

tab, select Winter Solstice, Los Angeles, and click OK.
6 On the View Control Bar, click Shadows Preview Solar
Study.
7 On the Options Bar, under Frame, you can specify to go to
a specific frame in the solar study animation:
Under Frame, enter 10 and press Enter.
Under Frame, enter 20 and press Enter.
8 On the Options Bar, click the control buttons to preview

the animation:
To display the previous key frame, click
To display the next key frame, click
To display the previous sequential frame, click
To display the next sequential frame, click
.
.
.
Previewing Solar Study Animation | 475
To play the animation from start to finish, click
NOTE You can stop viewing the animation at any time by clicking
Cancel in the Status Bar.
Preview summer solstice animation

Graphics.
10 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog, under Sun and

tab, select Summer Solstice, Los Angeles, and click OK.
The solar study animation plays, showing the progression at

15-minute intervals for the location and date specified.
Exporting Solar Studies

In this lesson, you export the summer solstice solar study as an AVI file.
AVI files are standalone video files that can be easily distributed and viewed
by colleagues or clients. You also export the winter solstice solar study as
a series of PNG format images. Each PNG is a still image of a sequential
frame in the animation. PNG format images can be easily displayed on a
web site or sent via e-mail.
Exporting the Study as AVI

In this exercise, you annotate a floor plan to identify different activities
for the building and export a solar study for a cutaway view as an AVI video
file.
Dataset
lesson.
Annotate view for solar study

Entry.
2 Enter ZR and zoom in on the house.
3 Label areas in the house:
On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Text.
Click in the drawing area and enter Living Area,

approximately as shown.
Click outside of the text box to end the command.
Click and enter Dining, approximately as shown.
4 Sketch rooms:
Click in the drawing area and sketch a rectangle around

the living area, as shown.
Click in the drawing area and sketch around the Dining

area, as shown.
Exporting the Study as AVI | 477
NOTE The building is a shell and you are considering alternative

layouts for the interior space. Sketching the living and dining
room areas in the house and using a solar study to determine
where direct light is in the floor plan helps to determine the best
layout.
5 In the Project Browser, expand 3D Views, and double-click
Solar Study Section Cutaway.
Graphics.
7 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog, verify that Cast
Shadows is selected.

tab, select Summer Solstice, Los Angeles, and click OK.
11 On the View Control Bar, click Crop Region Show Crop
Region.
12 In the drawing area, click the crop boundaries to select the
crop region.
13 Click the right blue control and drag the right edge of the
building to reveal the roof overhang, as shown.
NOTE Enter ZR for Zoom To Region to make it easier to select
the control.
14 Click outside of the crop region, and enter ZF to zoom to

fit the building to the drawing area, if necessary.
15 On the View Control Bar, click Crop Region Hide Crop
Region.
Export as AVI
16 Click File menu Export Animated Solar Study.
Click the Desktop icon on the left to save the file to the
computer Desktop.
Exporting the Study as AVI | 479
For File name, enter Summer Solar Study Section Cutaway

- Los Angeles.
For Save as type, select AVI Files.
Under Output Length, select Frame range, and enter 5 to

50.
For Frames per second, verify that the value is set to 15.
Under Format, for Display mode, verify that Hidden Line

is selected.
For Dimensions, enter 450 in the first field (width), and

click in the second field (height) to see the value
dynamically changed.
To maintain the proportions of the frame, you only enter
one dimension and the other one is calculated
automatically. The equivalent zoom percentage is also set
if you specify frame dimensions.
NOTE The first and last few frames (sunrise and sunset) show
large triangular shadows from the terrain. Limiting the range from
5 to 50 omits these frames.
18 In the Save As dialog, click Save.
19 In the Video Compression dialog, for Compressor, verify that
Full Frames (Uncompressed) is selected, and click OK.
The animation plays as the AVI file is saved to the Desktop.
NOTE Uncompressed AVI files can be zipped to reduce the file
size. The AVI can then typically be played from within the zip file.
21 Proceed to the next exercise, Exporting a Study as PNG on
page 480.
Exporting a Study as PNG

In this lesson, you export the Winter Solstice Solar Study to create a solar
animation that is output as individual ping (PNG format) graphics. To
view the animation, you open each image, or frame, of the animation
separately.
Dataset
exercise.
Export as PNG
1 Confirm that the 3D View Solar Study Section Cutaway is
displayed.
Graphics.

tab, select Winter Solstice, Los Angeles, and click OK.
6 Click File menu Export Animated Solar Study.
Click the Desktop icon.
For File name, enter Winter Solar Study Section Cutaway

- Los Angeles.
For Save as type, select PNG.
Under Output Length, select Frame range, and enter 5

to 10.
For Frames per second, verify that the value is set to 15.
Under Format, for Display mode, verify that Hidden

Line is selected.
For Dimensions, enter 450 in the first field (width), and

click in the second field (height) to see the value
dynamically changed.
NOTE When you export to PNG, or any single-frame format,

such as JPEG, TIFF, BMP, or GIF, it is recommended that you
first create a folder to export to because the export process
creates several files, depending on the Frame Range. In this
example, the Frame Range was set to just 5 files to avoid
cluttering the Desktop.
8 In the Save As dialog, click Save.
The animation plays as the files are saved to the Desktop.
The resulting PNG images are date and time stamped, as
shown:
Exporting a Study as PNG | 481
Creating an Internal Plan Solar Study

In this lesson, you create a 3D view of a plan and create a solar study to
animate the effects of natural light on the inside of the building.
Creating an Internal Plan Study

In this exercise, you create an internal solar study for a plan to determine
where shadows fall inside the building during the warmest part of the day.
Dataset
lesson.
Create plan interior view

1 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click Solar
Study Plan Cutaway.
2 Select the crop boundaries in the drawing area.
NOTE Enter ZF for Zoom To Fit if necessary to see the entire

building on the screen.
3 Select the blue left arrow control and drag it to the left to
expose the roof overhang and posts, as shown.
Creating an Internal Plan Study | 483
4 Click View menu Orient Top.
5 Select the roof, and on the View Control Bar, click

Hide/Isolate Hide Category.
Hiding the roof allows you to see how shadows fall on the
interior floor of the building.
Create multi-day solar study

6 Adjust settings on the View Control Bar:
Click Shadows Shadows On.
Click Crop Region Hide Crop Region.
Click Detail Level Fine.

Graphics.
8 On the Advanced Model Graphics dialog, under Sun and
9 On the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog, click the Multi-Day

tab.
10 Select Multi Day Solar Study - Boston, MA, USA, and click
Duplicate.
11 In the Name dialog, for File name enter 2pm - Los Angeles
- Week Interval, and click OK.
12 Specify values for the multi-day study:
For Time, specify 2:00 pm.
For Time Interval, select One week.
Clear Ground Plane at Level so that the shadows fall

on the terrain, and click OK.

Notice that the dining area receives full sun during the
warmest part of the day.
14 Export the animation:
Click File menu Export Animated Solar Study.
In the Save As dialog, for name enter 2pm Los Angeles

Plan Cutaway.
Click the Desktop icon, and click Save.
15 In the Video Compression dialog, for Compressor, select

Full Frames (Uncompressed), and click OK.
Creating an Internal Plan Study | 485
The animation plays as the AVI file is saved to the desktop.

16 On the View Control Bar, click Shadows Solar Study Off.
Orienting to True North for Solar Studies

In this lesson, you compare how shadows display when the project is
oriented to Project North and when it is changed to True North.
Orienting to True North

Drafting convention is that project north is the top of the view. In this
exercise, you create still solar studies and observe that the shadows extend
straight up when the project is set to the default orientation of Project
North. Then, you change the orientation to True North to see how the
change in orientation can impact solar study accuracy.
Dataset
exercise.
View still solar studies

1 Confirm that the 3D View Solar Study Plan Cutaway is
displayed in the drawing area.

Graphics.
3 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog, select Cast Shadows.
5 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog, click the Still tab, and
select Winter Solstice, and click OK.
6 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog, click Apply.

Notice that the shadows display in an upward direction in
the cutaway view.
8 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog, on the Still tab,

select Summer Solstice.
9 Under Date and Time, specify 11:00 AM for time, and click
OK.
NOTE Solar Studies do not have a Daylight Savings setting, so
you may need to make your own adjustment for specific studies.
For example, to see the sun at its highest point on June 22,
you would set the time to 1:00 PM rather than 12:00 PM.
12 Under Date and Time, change the time back to 12:00 PM,
and click OK.
Orienting to True North | 487
14 On the View Control Bar, Shadows Advanced Model

Graphics.
select Winter Solstice, and click OK.
Rotate project to true north

Entry.
NOTE You must go to a plan view to set True North and you
must change the view graphics to True North before you can
change the angle value.
19 Orient the project to True North:
Right-click in the drawing area, and select View Properties.
In the Element Properties dialog, under Graphics, for

Orientation, select True North, and click OK.
Click Tools menu Project Position/Orientation Rotate

True North.
On the Options Bar, in the Angle from Project to True

North field, enter 45 and press Enter to set the angle of
rotation.
Notice that the project rotates in the view.
NOTE Settings for the location and orientation, including the

angle from True North, are saved with the project.
Study Plan Cutaway.
21 Click View menu Refresh.
Notice that the shadows lengthen now that the project is
oriented to True North.
Orienting to True North | 489

Graphics.
select Summer Solstice, and click OK.
27 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog, click the Single-Day

tab, click Summer Solstice, Los Angeles, and click OK.
28 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog, click Apply, and click
OK.
Export animated solar study

29 Export the animation:
Click File menu Export Animated Solar Study.
In the Save As dialog, for File name, enter True North

Summer Solstice Plan Cutaway.
For Save as type, verify that AVI Files is selected.
Under Format, for Dimensions, enter 600 in the first

field, and click in the second dimension field to see the
value calculated automatically.
Click the Desktop icon, and click Save.
30 In the Video Compression dialog, for Compressor, verify

that Full Frames (Uncompressed) is selected, and click OK.
The animation plays as the AVI file is saved to the desktop.
31 Once you are finished with the study, it is a best practice
to change the view graphics setting back to Project North
for documentation and annotation purposes:
In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click

01 Entry.
Right-click in the drawing area, and select View

Properties.
In the Element Properties dialog, under Graphics, for

Orientation, select Project North, and click OK.
NOTE Retain the 45 value for the Angle from project to True
North to maintain accuracy in shadow display for this project.
Rendering Interior Shadow Views

In this lesson, you render an interior view to observe how sunlight and
shadows play in a specific room. Since a rendered image is temporary,
you also capture the image and export it as a JPEG for future use. JPEG
format images can be easily displayed on a web site or sent via e-mail.
Rendering an Interior View

Shadow calculations are not reliable for camera views in which a shadow
would fall onto the cameras location in the view. This would include
some exterior views and most interior views. Rendered views do not
have this limitation. Rendered views will also show shade from plants
and seasonal foliage. Refer to Rendering Views and Creating
Walkthroughs on page 419 for additional information on rendering.
In this exercise, you confirm that the winter solstice has sunlight in the
living room by creating one rendering, capturing it, and exporting it as
a JPEG image.
Dataset
Rendering Interior Shadow Views | 491

exercise.
Study Plan Cutaway.
2 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click each of
the following views to review the available views for rendering:
to house from SW
to west facade of house
living area
This view most accurately shows the interior of the living
room.
3 On the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Raytrace.

4 Render the scene:
On the Options Bar, for Scene, select Winter solstice 2pm

in LA.
On the Options Bar, for Resolution, select Draft (75 dpi).
The scene is rendered in full color at draft resolution.
On the Options Bar, for Resolution, select Presentation

(300 dpi).
The scene is rendered in high resolution. Notice that you

can clearly see where light enters the windows and how
the shadows fall on the floor.
5 On the Design Bar, click Capture Rendering.

NOTE Rendered views are temporary, so use the Capture
Rendering option to save the view in the project.
6 Export the image as a JPEG:
on the Design Bar, click Export Image.
In the Save As dialog, for Save as Type, enter JPEG, and

click Save.
7 Review some captured images of the building. In the Project

Browser, under Renderings, double-click each of the
following images:
living area summer
living area winter
to house and studio summer solstice
Rendering an Interior View | 493
Presentation Views
10
In this tutorial, you learn various methods of effectively

communicating your design intent to your audience by
creating presentation views.
The architect's primary goal in documentation is to
communicate the intent of the design. Whether the audience
is the general contractor, a consultant, an outside reviewer, or
the client, tailoring the presentation is just as important as
the accuracy of the content. A majority of tools in Revit
Building 9.1 are intended to describe number, length, type,
and other quantifiable elements within the context of contract
documents. There remain many options in the software that
do not quantify specific dimensions so much as they explain
the subjective complexity of the work. To express texture
beyond material specifics, and line quality without the
measurement of its thickness is to transcend "building" and
to recognize the "architecture."
In Revit Building, there are several options for expressing the
architecture. They include the Accurender Plug-in for
Rendering, Advanced Model Graphics, the Linework Tool, and
Section Boxes. There are two directions you can choose when
organizing presentation graphics: realism and stylistics. In this
495
series of exercises, you explore the stylistic approach. For the

realistic approach, tutorials on the Accurender features of Revit
Building can be found under Rendering Views and Creating
Walkthroughs on page 419.
In this tutorial, you learn several graphic techniques using
these above mentioned tools to create an "analytique." The
analytique is a classic Beaux Arts method of representing a
work of architecture for analysis by graphically showing the
relationship among plans, sections, elevations, and details.
You can use the analytique to graphically compare the
organization and forms of a particular building or space by
superimposing and overlapping measured drawings at multiple
scales. Using the pre-built building model, Co-house, you
organize an analytique by creating and modifying several
views.
496 | Chapter 10 Presentation Views
| 497
Adding a Floor Plan View to the Analytique

In this lesson, you create a presentation floor plan. In order for the floor
plan to fit into the analytique, you create a copy of the plan, change the
visibility settings to remove unwanted documentation, and place the plan
on a dark background for contrast.
Preparing a Floor Plan for the Analytique

In this exercise, you create a copy of a floor plan in preparation for the
analytique.
Dataset
Open m_Cohouse.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Copy the floor plan

Plans, right-click 2nd Flr. Cnst, and click Duplicate.
A copy of the floor plan is created and opened.
2 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, right-click Copy

of 2nd Flr. Cnst, and click Rename.
3 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Presentation
Second Floor Plan, and click OK.
Modify visibility/graphics
Annotation Categories tab, and clear Show annotation
categories in this view.
This turns off the visibility of all tags, dimensions, sections,
elevations, and so on in this view.
6 Click the Model Categories tab.
7 Under Visibility, expand the Stairs category, and clear
DOWN Text, Down Arrow, UP Text, Up Arrow.
NOTE Stair text is considered part of a stair component rather
than an annotation.
8 Click OK.
Preparing a Floor Plan for the Analytique | 499
Notice that no annotations display in this view.
Modify view scale

9 On the View Control Bar at the bottom of the frame, click the
Scale control and select 1:100.
Notice the immediate change in the line weights; this
represents the view getting smaller.
11 In the Save As directory, navigate to the folder of your choice,
name the project m_Cohouse_Presentation_Views.rvt, and click
Save.
12 Proceed with the next exercise, Using Advanced Model
Graphics on page 500.
Using Advanced Model Graphics

In this exercise, you use advanced model graphics to cast shadows and add
a sense of texture to the new floor plan view.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you saved in the previous exercise,

m_Cohouse_Presentation_Views.rvt.
Modify advanced model graphics settings

1 If the Floor Plan: Presentation Second Floor Plan is not the
active view, double-click it in the Project Browser.
2 On the View Control Bar, click the Advanced Model
Graphics control, and click Advanced Model Graphics.
Changes made within the Advanced Model Graphics dialog

box are applied only to the active view.
3 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog box, specify the
following:
Select Hidden Line for Style.
Under Shadows Properties, select Cast Shadows.

NOTE Shadows can be cast in all view styles except
Wireframe.
Under Intensity, specify 35 for Shadow.

The Shadow intensity dictates the darkness of the
shadow display. The higher the number, the darker the
shadows.
Under Sun and Shadows Settings, click
The Sun and Shadows Settings are shared with

Accurender and can also be used when rendering.
4 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog box, under Settings,
select By Date, Time and Place.
5 Under Settings, click
for Place.
Within a Project, you can specify one place where the

project resides within the world. At that place, you can
create, modify, and delete multiple locations in order to
analyze a single prototype.
6 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog box, click the
Place tab.
7 Select Boston, MA, USA for City, and click OK.
Using Advanced Model Graphics | 501
NOTE For this step, you can enter any city you wish; however,
be aware that if you enter a different city, most of the images in
the remainder of this tutorial may differ from those on your screen
depending on the settings that you choose.
8 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog box, specify
10/27/2006 for Date and 1:00 PM for Time.
9 Select Ground Plane at Level, and select 1st Flr. Cnst.
This is the level the shadow will be cast upon.
10 Click OK twice.
11 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog box, click OK.
Notice the series of shadows based on the specified sun angles.

This gives the plan depth and creates a sensation of space
beyond what you can normally express in a plan view.
Turn off the ground plane shadows

12 On the View Control Bar, click the Advanced Model Graphics
control, and click Advanced Model Graphics.
13 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog box, under Sun and
Shadows Settings, click

clear Ground Plane at Level, and click OK.
This turns off the shadows cast on the ground.
This plan view is now ready to be added to a sheet.

17 Proceed with the next exercise, Adding the Floor Plan to
a Sheet on page 503.
Adding the Floor Plan to a Sheet

In this exercise, you add the floor plan to a sheet and modify the view
to enhance the contrast.
Create a new sheet

Adding the Floor Plan to a Sheet | 503
TIP If the View tab is not available, right-click the Design Bar, and
click View.
2 In the Select a Titleblock dialog box, select Arch Portrait, and
click OK.
Notice the blank D-sized sheet is portrait oriented.
4 In the Views dialog box, select Floor Plan: Presentation Second
Floor Plan, and click Add View to Sheet.
The viewport displays at the tip of the cursor.
5 Move the cursor to the center of the sheet as shown, and click
to place it.

7 Zoom in around the viewport, and notice a view title displays.
Because the view title needs to be removed for the

analytique, you need to create a new viewport type that
does not display the view title.
Create a new viewport type

8 Select the viewport in the center of the sheet.

12 In the Name dialog box, enter Presentation, and click
OK.
13 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Graphics, select
No for Show Title, and click OK.
14 In the Element Properties dialog box, click OK.
Notice the viewport no longer displays a view title.
For this analytique, you need to create a base of contrast for

the centered plan. To accomplish this, you will create a dark
filled region for the floor plan view.
Create a solid fill background for contrast

15 Right-click the viewport, and click Activate View.
This activates the Presentation Second Floor Plan within the
context of the sheet.
You enter sketch mode where you define the line type, fill
properties, and the boundary of the region.
17 In the Type Selector, select Invisible Lines.
19 Draw a rectangle around the view as shown. The space between

the perimeter of the building model and each line should be
equidistant.
Now that you have defined the outer perimeter of the filled
region, you must define the inner perimeter by drawing a
chain of lines around the perimeter of the building model.
, and select Chain.
21 Starting at the upper-left corner of the building model, draw

a chain of lines around the exterior face of the building
model as shown. The lines shown below are enhanced for
training purposes.
TIP Use care when sketching this chain. You may want to zoom
in while sketching some details, and you should take advantage
of endpoint snapping when available. If necessary, use the Trim
tool to clean up gaps or overlapping intersections.
TIP If you have difficulty sketching using invisible lines, create

the interior chain of lines using Medium or Wide lines. When you
are finished drawing the chain, select the entire chain (use TAB)
and change the line type back to Invisible lines by selecting it
from the Type Selector.
25 In the Name dialog box, enter Solid Black, and click OK.
26 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Graphics, click the
Fill Pattern value and the arrow that displays within it.
27 In the Fill Patterns dialog box, under Name, scroll down, select
Solid Fill, and click OK.
28 In the Type Properties dialog box, verify that the Background
is Opaque and the Color is Black, and click OK.
Notice how the filled region enhances the view contrast.
Name the sheet

31 Right-click anywhere on the sheet, and click Deactivate View.
32 Right-click the edge of the sheet, and click View Properties.
enter Presentation for Sheet Name, and click OK.

35 Proceed with the next lesson, Adding an Elevation View
to the Analytique on page 509.
Adding an Elevation View to the Analytique

In this lesson, you create an elevation and add it to the Presentation
sheet that you created in the first exercise.
Preparing the Elevation Analytique

In this exercise, you copy an elevation view and use advanced model
graphics to cast shadows on the view.
Dataset
Adding an Elevation View to the Analytique | 509

Copy and rename the elevation view

1 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand Elevations,
right-click South, and click Duplicate.
A copy of the south elevation view becomes the active view.
2 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, right-click Copy of

South, and click Rename.
3 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Presentation South
Modify visibility/graphic overrides

5 In the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box, on the Model
Categories tab, under Visibility, scroll down, expand the Walls
category, and clear Surface Pattern.
This turns off the visibility of all wall surface patterns in this
view.
6 Under Visibility, scroll up, expand the Doors category, and
clear Elevation Swing.
7 Click the Annotation Categories tab, and clear Show
annotation categories in this view.
This turns off the visibility of all annotations in this view.
8 Click OK.
Apply advanced model graphics

Changes made within the Advanced Model Graphics dialog
box are applied only to the active view.
10 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog box, verify that
Hidden Line is the selected Style.
11 Under Shadow Properties, select Cast Shadows.
12 Under Intensity, specify 35 for Shadow.
14 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog box, click Duplicate.

15 In the Name dialog box, enter Sun and Shadow Settings
specify 2:30 PM for Time, and click OK.
By changing the angle of the sun, you can create more
interesting shadows on the elevation view.
Preparing the Elevation Analytique | 511

19 Proceed with the next exercise, Adding the Presentation
Elevation View to the Presentation Sheet on page 512.
Adding the Presentation Elevation View to the Presentation

Sheet
In this exercise, you add the Presentation South Elevation view to the
Presentation sheet.
Dataset
Add a view to the sheet

1 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand Sheets (all),
and double-click A105 - Presentation.
3 In the Views dialog box, select Elevation: Presentation South

Elevation, and click Add View to Sheet.
4 Center the viewport above the presentation plan view as
shown.
TIP Use the snap feature to snap the viewport to the center
reference plane.
Notice the viewport displays a view title.
Adding the Presentation Elevation View to the Presentation Sheet | 513
5 In the Type Selector, select Viewport: Presentation.

Notice the view title no longer displays.
6 Drag the Presentation South Elevation viewport downward

until it shares an edge with the presentation floor plan.

9 Proceed with the next lesson, Adding Section Views to the
Analytique on page 515.
Adding Section Views to the Analytique

In this lesson, you create section and callout views and place them in
the analytique. You add silhouette edges and filled regions to the views.
You also create a view template for presentation views and apply it to
other views.
Preparing a Section View for the Analytique

In this exercise, you create and modify the section view that you later
add to the analytique.
Adding Section Views to the Analytique | 515
Dataset
Add a section in a plan view

1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 1st Flr.
Cnst.
2 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Section.
3 On the Options Bar, select 1: 100 for Scale.
TIP You can also change the scale of the section view after you
create it.
4 Add the section shown below.
The section should cut through the center of the building
model and extend past the front of the building (lower wall).
Adjust the controls to modify the extents, and use the flip
arrows if necessary.
Section 2 is added to the building model.
Create a callout of the section view

5 In the Project Browser, expand Sections (Callout 1), and
double-click Section 2.
To fit correctly in the analytique, this view needs to be

rotated 180 degrees. To accomplish this, you will create a
callout around the building model components within the
section view.
7 On the Options Bar, select 1 : 100 for Scale.
8 Draw a callout around all the building model components
within the section view as shown.
Use the controls to adjust the precise location of the
boundary and to move the callout head so it is readily
identifiable.
Preparing a Section View for the Analytique | 517
Rename the callout

TIP You can also open the callout in the Project Browser by
double-clicking Callout of Section 2 under Sections (Callout 1).
10 In the Project Browser, under Sections (Callout 1), right-click
Callout of Section 2, and click Rename.
11 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Presentation Section
2, and click OK.
12 In the Project Browser, under Sections (Callout 1), double-click
Presentation Section 2.
Modify Visibility/Graphic Overrides

14 In the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box, click the
Model Categories tab.
15 Under Visibility, scroll down, expand the Walls category,
and clear Surface Pattern.
16 Under Visibility, scroll up, expand the Doors category, and
clear Elevation Swing.
17 Turn off the visibility of the following model categories:
Casework
Ceilings
Furniture
Lighting Fixtures
Specialty Equipment
18 Click the Annotation Categories tab, and clear Show

annotation categories in this view.
This turns off the visibility of all annotations in this view.
19 Click OK.
Hide the crop boundary

20 Select the crop boundary.
Preparing a Section View for the Analytique | 519
22 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Extents, clear Crop

Region Visible, and click OK.
Notice the crop region no longer displays.

24 Proceed with the next exercise, Adding Shadows and
Silhouettes to a Section View on page 520.
Adding Shadows and Silhouettes to a Section View

In this exercise, you use advanced model graphics to cast shadows on the
section view. In addition, you apply silhouette edges to contrast the edges
of the view.
Dataset
Add shadows to the section view

1 If Presentation Section 2 is not the active view, open the
Project Browser and, under Sections (Callout 1), double-click
following:
Click Apply.
Notice that the shadows displayed do not offer much
contrast.
TIP You may need to move the dialog box off to the side
in order to see the view.
In the steps that follow, you create a new Sun and

Shadow setting in order to make a presentation view
with more contrast.

Section, and click OK.
Adding Shadows and Silhouettes to a Section View | 521

select Directly, specify an Azimuth of 135 degrees, specify an
Altitude of 70 degrees, select Relative to View, and click OK.
7 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog box, click Apply.
Notice the shadows on the view provide more contrast and a
sense of depth.
TIP The current view of your model may vary from the illustrations
in the tutorial based on the placement of the section line in the
previous exercise.
Apply silhouette edges

8 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog box, under Silhouette
Edges, select Override Silhouettes.
9 Under Silhouette Edges, select Silhouette Edges for Silhouette
style, and click OK.
NOTE The line style, Silhouette Edges, was added to this dataset
for training purposes. You can modify this line style by selecting
Line Styles from the Settings menu.
Notice application of heavy line weights to the edges of the
building model.
TIP You can also use the linework tool to emphasize individual
surface edges.
11 Proceed with the next exercise, Adding the Presentation
Section to the Analytique on page 523.
Adding the Presentation Section to the Analytique

In this exercise, you add the Presentation Section 2 view to the analytique
and rotate the view 180 degrees.
Dataset
Adding the Presentation Section to the Analytique | 523

Add the view to the presentation sheet

1 In the Project Browser, under Sheets (all), double-click A105 Presentation.
3 In the Views dialog box, select Section: Presentation Section
2, and click Add View to Sheet.
4 Move the cursor under the centered plan view as shown, and
click to place the selected view.

The view title no longer displays.
Notice the section needs to be rotated 180 degrees. In the

steps that follow, you accomplish this by rotating the callout
within the section view.
Rotate the callout view

7 In the Project Browser, under Sections (Callout 1),
double-click Section 2.
8 Select the callout that you added previously.
9 On the Edit toolbar, click
To rotate an object, you click to specify the start radius,

move the cursor in the direction of the rotation, and either
enter the degrees of rotation or click to specify the end
radius.
10 Specify the start radius to the right of the callout. Using a clock
as a reference, specify 3 oclock as the rotation start point.
11 Move the cursor a slight distance counter-clockwise, and enter
180 to specify the number of degrees of rotation, and press
ENTER.
After you enter the rotation value and press Enter, the callout
rotates 180 degrees. Notice the extents need to be adjusted to
fit around the edges of the building model.
12 Drag the callout extents until they extend just past the
perimeter of the edges of the building model as shown.
Reposition the viewport

Notice that the Presentation Section 2 view has rotated 180
degrees and now needs to be repositioned.
14 Select the Presentation Section 2 viewport, and drag it up

and to the left as shown.

17 Proceed with the next exercise, Working with a Presentation

View Template on page 528.
Working with a Presentation View Template

In this exercise, you create a view template for presentation views in order
to reduce repetitive work while creating subsequent views. After applying
the view template to a new section view, you add the modified view to the
presentation sheet.
Dataset
Create a presentation view template

2 On the View menu, click Create View Template from View.
3 In the New View Template dialog box, enter Presentation,
and click OK.
4 In the View Templates dialog box, click OK.
Create a new presentation view

5 In the Project Browser, under Sections (Type 1), right-click
Section 1, and click Duplicate.
6 In the Project Browser, under Sections (Type 1), right-click
Copy of Section 1, and click Rename.
7 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Presentation Section
1, and click OK.
Now, rather than repeat numerous steps to prepare this view

for the analytique, you can simply apply the presentation
view template.
Apply presentation view template

8 On the View menu, click Apply View Template.
9 In the Select View Template dialog box, select Presentation,
and click OK.
Notice the furniture, lighting fixtures, annotations, and
elevation swings no longer display.

- Presentation.
Working with a Presentation View Template | 529

12 In the Views dialog box, select Section: Presentation Section
1, and click Add View to Sheet.
13 Place it to the left of the plan view.
15 Right-click the viewport, and click Activate View.
Rather than use a callout to rotate this view after it is added
to a sheet, you can use a view property to accomplish the same
thing.
90 degrees Counterclockwise for View Rotation on Sheet, and
click OK.
18 Right-click the viewport, and click Deactivate View.
19 Move the view so the walls line up similar to the image shown.
21 Proceed with the next exercise, Working in a Callout

Analytique on page 531.
Working in a Callout Analytique

Typically, traditional analytiques contain a detail, such as a tracery
window or column capital. In this exercise, you create a wall section
and add it to the right side of the analytique.
Dataset
Create callout
1 In the Project Browser, under Sections (Type 1), double-click
Section 1.
3 Draw a callout around the front balcony as shown.
After you add the callout, click Modify, select the callout,
and modify the extents and the callout head location as
shown.
Working in a Callout Analytique | 531
4 In the Project Browser, under Sections (Callout 1), right-click

Callout of Section 1, and click Rename.
5 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Presentation Callout,
and click OK.
Presentation Callout.
7 Select the crop boundary and adjust the bottom so that there
is a small gap as shown.
This gap is used later in the exercise to place a fill region.
8 Right-click, and click View Properties.

Crop Region Visible, and click OK.
Add callout to presentation sheet

- Presentation.
12 In the Views dialog box, select Section: Presentation Callout,

and click Add View to Sheet.
13 Place it on the right side of the presentation sheet.
Modify presentation callout on sheet

16 Right-click the presentation callout viewport, and click Activate
View.
18 In the Element Properties dialog box, select Custom for View
Scale, specify a value of 22 for Scale Value 1, and click OK.
19 Right-click the callout presentation view, and click Deactivate

View.
20 Select the callout presentation viewport, and move it into the
position shown below.
NOTE If the presentation callout view does not fit properly on

the sheet, activate the viewport, turn on the crop region from
the view properties dialog box, and make adjustments as
necessary. When finished, hide the crop region and deactivate
the viewport.
The composition set for the analytique is now complete. In
the steps that follow, you add a heavy base to the floors and
a poche to the base. Although there are several methods
you could use to create these areas of contrast, the easiest
method is to apply filled regions to the presentation callout.
Apply filled regions to presentation callout

21 In the Project Browser, under Sections (Callout 1),
double-click Presentation Callout.
24 In the Element Properties dialog box, select Solid Black for
Type, and click OK.
25 Using the drawing tools on the Options Bar, sketch the filled
regions on the floors and roof shown below. Click Finish
Sketch on the Design Bar when you are finished.
You can sketch all of them at once or one filled region at a

time. You do not have to replicate the image exactly. The
intent of the analytique is not so much a measured
construction document as it is a stylized representation of the
architectural forms.
26 On the Project Browser, under Sheets (all), double-click A105

- Presentation.
Add poche region

27 Right-click the presentation callout viewport, and click
Activate View.
shown below.
, and sketch the rectangle

Notice the entire poche region does not display because the
crop region does not encompass the new filled region.

33 Select the crop region, and drag the left and bottom extent
until the entire poche region displays.

35 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Extents, clear Crop
Region Visible, and click OK.
36 Right-click the presentation callout viewport, and click
Deactivate View.

38 Proceed with the next lesson, Creating 3D Cutaways with
Section Boxes on page 539.
Creating 3D Cutaways with Section Boxes

In this lesson, you create isometric 3D views and use section boxes to
create cutaways with shadows. You then add perspective views to the
presentation and annotate the sheet.
Creating Cutaway Isometric Views

In this exercise, you create three similar isometric views with different
cutaways, and apply shadows to the views. You then add each view to
the presentation sheet.
Creating 3D Cutaways with Section Boxes | 539
Dataset
Create southwest isometric view

1 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click Isometric.
2 On the View menu, click Orient Southwest.

3 On the View Control Bar, click the Scale control, and click 1
: 200.
Apply advanced model graphics

following:

Isometric, and click OK.
specify the following:
Select Directly.
Specify an Azimuth of 135 degrees.
Specify an Altitude of 45 degrees.
Select Relative to View.
Select Ground Plane at Level.
Select 1st Flr. Cnst. for At Level.
9 Click OK.
10 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog box, under
Silhouette Edges, select Override Silhouettes.
Creating Cutaway Isometric Views | 541
Rename and duplicate isometric views

12 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click Isometric,
and click Rename.
13 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Isometric 1, and click
OK.
14 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click Isometric
1, and click Duplicate.
15 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click Copy of
Isometric 1, and click Rename.
OK.
Add a section box to Isometric 2

17 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click Isometric
2.
Notice the section box that displays around the building
model.
20 Select the section box.

Notice the grips that display on each face of the section
box. These allow you to modify the extents of the section
box.
TIP Notice there is also a rotation symbol. You can use this to
rotate the section box.
21 Select the controls for the top plane of the section box, and
drag the plane downward until it cuts halfway through the
second floor as shown.
When you are finished, click Modify on the Design Bar.
Before turning off the visibility of the section box, make a

copy of the view.
22 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click Isometric
2, and click Duplicate.
23 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click Copy of
Isometric 2, and click Rename.
OK.
25 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click Isometric
2.
Crop Region, clear Crop Region Visible, and click OK.
Notice the section box no longer displays.
Modify the section box of Isometric 3

28 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click
Isometric 3.
30 Select the controls for the top plane of the section box, and
drag the plane downward until it cuts halfway through the
first floor as shown.
When you are finished, click Modify on the Design Bar.
NOTE Depending on the precise location of the top plane of

the section box, the stairs and railings may display. In such a
case, either adjust the plane location, or turn off the visibility
of railings and stairs using the Visibility/Graphics dialog box.
Crop Region, clear Crop Region Visible, and click OK.
Next, you stack the three isometric views in a vertical column

on the presentation sheet to show the continual erosion of
the structure.
Add isometric views to the presentation sheet

34 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, drag Isometric 3
underneath the left section view as shown and, in the Type
Selector, select Viewport: Presentation.

underneath Isometric 3 as shown and, in the Type Selector,
select Viewport: Presentation.

underneath Isometric 2 as shown and, in the Type Selector,
select Viewport: Presentation.
Notice the filled region partially covers the view. You resolve
this problem in the steps that follow.
Modify filled region boundaries

37 Right-click the Presentation Callout viewport, and click
Activate View.
38 Select the poche filled region, and on the Options Bar, click
Edit.
40 In the Element Properties dialog box, select Concrete for Type,
and then click Edit/New.
41 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Graphics, select
Transparent for Background.
42 Click OK twice.
This will make it easier to draw lines. You change this back to
solid fill when you are done.
44 Using the drawing tools, redraw the portion of the filled region
so it follows the boundary of Isometric 1. You may need to
use the split tools and trim tools to modify lines along the
way. The image below shows the lines redrawn.

46 In the Element Properties dialog box, select Solid Black for
Type, and click OK.
48 Right-click the Presentation Callout view, and click Deactivate
View.

50 Proceed with the next exercise, Creating Cutaway
Perspective Views on page 549.
Creating Cutaway Perspective Views

In this exercise, you create the final view for the analytique, a cutaway
perspective view. After adding shadows and silhouette edges to the view,
you add it to the presentation sheet.
Dataset
Creating Cutaway Perspective Views | 549
Create a perspective view

1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 1st Flr.
Cnst.
Adding a camera is a two-click process: first you specify the
eye location, then you specify the eye direction and range.
3 Place the camera in the southwest corner of the view as shown,
and specify the range and direction just outside the upper right
corner of the building model.
The view opens immediately.
4 Adjust the crop boundary so the entire building model fits

within it.
Add shadows and silhouette edges

following:
7 In the Sun and Shadows Settings dialog box, select Sun and
Shadow Settings Isometric for Name, and click OK.
8 In the Advanced Model Graphics dialog box, under
Silhouette Edges, select Override Silhouettes.
Add a section box

A section box now cuts through the building model.
Notice the controls that display on each plane.
13 Use the section controls to modify the location of each

respective plane until your view resembles the following image.
You may need to adjust the location of the crop boundary as
well.
14 Select the crop boundary.

15 On the Options Bar, click Size.
Because scale does not apply to perspective views, you must
specify the actual size of the image.
16 In the Crop Region Size dialog box, under Change, select
Scale (locked proportions).
17 Under Size, enter 165 mm for Width, and click OK.

20 On the Project Browser, under Sheets (all), double-click A105
- Presentation.
21 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, drag 3D View 1 onto
the presentation sheet, and place it in the upper-left corner as
shown. After placing it, go to the Type Selector and select
Viewport : Presentation.

23 Proceed with the next exercise, Annotating the Analytique
on page 554.
Annotating the Analytique

In this exercise, you complete the analytique by adding text to the
presentation sheet.
Dataset
Create new text types


5 In the Name dialog box, enter Title, and click OK.
6 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Text, specify a text

size of 40 mm, select a font, and click OK.
9 In the Name dialog box, enter Description, and click OK.
10 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Text, specify a text
size of 6 mm, select the same font as the title, and click OK.
Add a title and description

12 In the Type Selector, select Text : Title.
13 Add a title to the analytique as shown.
14 Click in the drawing window to complete the title text.

15 In the Type Selector, select Text : Description.
16 Add a description of your choosing and add it to the
analytique as shown.
Annotating the Analytique | 555

This completes the Presentation Views tutorial.
Importing and
Exporting
557
Importing SketchUp
Files
11
The ability to import SketchUp files directly into Revit

Building, allows you to quickly integrate sketch concepts into
the Revit environment and reuse the SketchUp model without
having to manually rework it. Once the model has been
imported, you can easily add detail with Revit components.
In this tutorial, you import a SketchUp file into a Revit Building
project as an in-place mass family.
After you import the SketchUp model, you create a small

building from the front mass form. You use the mass faces of
559
the mass form to create Revit elements, such as walls, curtain

walls, and roofs, that compose the building.
560 | Chapter 11 Importing SketchUp Files
Importing a SketchUp Model as a Mass

In this exercise, you create a Revit Building project, and import a
SketchUp model into the project as an in-place mass family. The in-place
mass family is saved only in context of the project, and not in the library.
Create a Revit project

1 Click File menu New Project.
2 In the New Project dialog, under Template file, click Browse.
3 In the left pane of the Choose Template dialog, click
Training Files, and open Metric\Templates\
DefaultMetric.rte.
4 In the New Project dialog, click OK.
6 In the Save As dialog, for File name, enter Import SketchUp,
and click Save.
Import a SketchUp model

7 On the Design Bar, click the Massing tab.
TIP If the Massing tab does not display in the Design Bar,
right-click in the Design Bar, and click Massing on the context
menu that displays.
8 On the Massing tab of the Design Bar, click Create Mass.
9 In the informational dialog, click OK.
10 In the Name dialog, enter SketchUp Model, and click OK.
11 Click File menu Import/Link CAD Formats.
12 In the Import/Link dialog:
Click the Training Files icon.
Importing a SketchUp Model as a Mass | 561
Double-click the Common folder.
For Files of type, select SketchUp Files.
Click the Sketchup file, buildings.skp.
Under Import or Link, for Layers, select All.

This option allows you to select what to import: all
elements, visible elements, or select from a list.
Under Layer/Level Colors, select Preserve colors.
Under Positioning, select Manually place, and select Cursor

at center.
For Place at level, select Level 1.

In a new project, Level 1 is the only choice. An existing
project may have options for many levels to choose from,
depending on the complexity of the project.
Under Scaling, for Import units, select Auto-Detect.

You can have Revit automatically detect and convert
incoming units to project units (Auto-Detect) or you can
specify the units for the SketchUp drawing if you know
that information.
Click Open.
The model displays in the view on the Level 1 floor plan.

13 Click to place the lower right building inside of the elevation
markers.
15 Enter ZR to zoom in on the lower right building.

16 On the Design Bar, click Finish Mass.
NOTE A warning message displays because the mass contains
only mesh geometry. The mesh geometry (faces) will be used
in another exercise to create Revit elements, such as walls,
curtain walls, and roofs.
17 In the warning dialog, click the Close button.
18 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Building from

Mass Faces on page 563.
Creating a Building from Mass Faces

In this exercise, you use the faces of the front mass form to create Revit
Building elements, such as walls, curtain walls, and roofs, that compose
the building. The mass faces are not converted to Revit elements: they
remain in the project. You turn their visibility off to view only the
building.
After you create the building from the mass faces, you modify the roofs
and add doors to complete the design.
Creating a Building from Mass Faces | 563
Create roofs from mass faces

1 Zoom in to the front mass form, and on the View Control Bar,
click Model Graphics Style Shading with Edges.
2 On the Massing tab of the Design Bar, click Roof by Face.

3 In the Type Selector, verify Basic Roof: Generic - 400mm
displays.
4 On the Options Bar, for Level, verify Level 2 is selected.
5 Move your cursor over the top face of the left mass, and when
the cursor displays a plus sign, select the face so that it
highlights in red.
The cursor displays a plus or a minus sign, indicating that you
are adding or subtracting faces to and from the selection.
6 On the Options Bar, click Create Roof.
A roof is created from the mass face. It is hard to see the

roof in the current view, but if you were to select it, the roof
type will display in the Type Selector, and its grips will
display as shown.
7 With the Roof by Face command still active, on the Options

Bar, verify that Select Multiple is selected.
This option enables you to select more than 1 face when
you create a roof.
8 Select the top 3 faces of the mass on the right.

10 Adjust the view:
On the View toolbar, click
In the Dynamic View dialog, click Spin, and move the

cursor in the drawing area until you can see the middle
mass.
11 Right-click, and click Cancel to end the Spin command.

12 On the Design Bar, click Roof by Face.
13 Select the top 4 faces of the mass.

to turn off the mass visibility
in the view, and display only the roofs that you created.
17 Click
again to redisplay the masses.
Create walls from mass faces

, and adjust the view so you
can see the front of the mass form.
19 On the Design Bar, click Wall by Face.

20 In the Type Selector, verify Basic Wall: Generic - 200mm
displays.
21 On the Options Bar, for Loc Line, select Core Face: Exterior.
This option lets you create the walls on the inside of the
mass.
22 Select the 4 mass faces that have been highlighted in red
below.

roofs.
24 Click
to view only the walls and
to redisplay the masses.
Create curtain systems from mass faces

25 On the Design Bar, click Curtain System.
26 In the Type Selector, verify Curtain System: 1500 x 3000mm
displays.
27 Select the left face of the left mass.
28 On the Options Bar, click Create System.
29 Using the same technique, create the 2 curtain systems

shown below.

can see the back of the mass forms.
Create walls from mass faces

32 Select the 5 walls highlighted below.
TIP If you have difficulty selecting a wall that shares an edge with
another wall, select the other wall, press TAB until the desired wall
highlights, and select it.
Create a roof from a mass face

33 On the Design Bar, click Roof by Face.
34 Select the mass face shown below, and on the Options Bar,
click Create Roof.
Create additional curtain systems from mass faces

35 On the Design Bar, click Curtain System.
36 Select the 4 mass faces shown below, and on the Options Bar,
click Create System.
Create the final wall

37 On the Design Bar, click Wall by Face, and select the mass
face shown below.

you have created.
39 Click
to view the building that
to redisplay the masses.
Create a 3D perspective view of the building with a camera

1.
41 Zoom out beyond the drawing extents.
42 Place the camera and its target:
On the View tab of the Design Bar, click Camera.
Below the right corner of the view, specify a point to place

the camera.
In the far left corner of the building that you created,

specify a point for the camera target, as shown.
The perspective view created by the camera displays. The

view frame is highlighted in red and its grips display.
43 Resize the view by moving the frame grips until you can
see the building, and click in the drawing area to hide the
grips.

to view only the walls, roofs,
and curtain systems that make up your building in the view.
You may need to resize the view again. Click the frame to
display its grips.
Change the justification of the curtain systems

45 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the left curtain
system in the view.
Under Grid 1 Pattern, for Justification, select Center.
Under Grid 2 Pattern, for Justification, select Center.
Click OK.
48 Repeat the preceding steps to change the justifications of the

2 other curtain systems in the view.
Modify the roofs

49 On the Views toolbar, click
50 Select each roof to display its grips, and move the roof edges
as shown below.
51 Right-click, and click Cancel to end the command.

52 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click 3D
View 1.
Click Model Graphics Style Hidden Line.
Click Model Graphics Style Shading with Edges.
Add doors to the building

can see the front of the building.
57 In the Type Selector, verify M_Single-Flush: 0915 x 2134mm
displays.
58 Add doors to the building as shown below.
59 Save and close the drawing.
Creating Families
577
About Families and the

Family Editor
12
All elements in Revit Building 9.1 are family based. The term
family describes a powerful concept used throughout Revit
Building to help you manage your data and make changes
easily. Each family element can have multiple types defined
within it, each with a different size, shape, material set, or
other parameter variables as designed by the family creator.
Even though various types within a family can look completely
different, they are still related and come from a single source,
thus the term family. Changes to a family type definition ripple
through the project and are automatically reflected in every
instance of that family or type within the project. This keeps
everything coordinated and saves you the time and effort of
manually keeping components and schedules up to date.
In this tutorial, you learn about the various types of families
and the Family Editor.
579
Using Families and the Family Editor

One of the many advantages of using Revit Building is the ability to create
your own families of components without having to learn a complex
programming language. Using the Family Editor, you create a family within
predefined templates that contain the intelligent objects needed to create
the particular family type. You provide the information necessary to
uniquely describe the family geometry.
In this lesson, you learn about the three types of families and how they
are used within a project and how they are created. You also learn about
the Family Editor, and when and how to use it.
Introduction to Families
Most families are created in the Family Editor and saved as separate files
with an .rfa extension. All different types that you create are stored with
the master family file. For example, if you create a family called
"double-hung window" that includes types with several sizes, the types
would all be saved as one file which can then be loaded into any project.
This makes file management much easier, because there is only one file to
track. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. Some family types are
pre-defined within Revit Building and cannot be created or modified outside
of the project environment. Walls, floors, and roofs are examples of these
types of families. In addition, there is another type of family that allows
you to create any shape or form required for a particular project and have
Revit Building recognize it as a particular component type, such as a dome
roof.
Revit Building has three types of families:
System
Standard Component
In-place
System Families
System families are pre-defined within Revit Building and comprise
principle building components such as walls, floors, and roofs. The basic
walls system family, for example, has wall types that define interior,
exterior, foundation, generic, and partition wall styles. You can duplicate
and modify existing system families, but you cannot create new system
families.
NOTE You can use Transfer Project Standards to copy system families from
one project to another.
The following illustration shows different types within the basic walls
family.
580 | Chapter 12 About Families and the Family Editor
Standard Component Families

Standard component families are loaded by default in project templates,
while many more are stored in component libraries. You work with the
Family Editor to create and modify components. You can either duplicate
and modify an existing component family or create a new component
family based on a variety of family templates.
Family templates are either host-based or standalone. Host-based families
have components that require hosts. An example is a door family hosted
by a wall family. Standalone families include columns, trees, and
furniture. Family templates assist you in creating and manipulating
component families.
Standard component families can exist outside of the project
environment and have an .rfa extension. You can load them into
projects, transfer them from one project to another, and save them from
a project file to your library if needed.
The following illustration shows host-based window and door family
components in a wall, and also a standalone furniture family component.
Introduction to Families | 581
In-place Families
In-place families are either model or annotation components in a particular
project. You create in-place families only within the current project, so
they are useful for objects unique to that project; for example, custom wall
treatments. You have a choice of categories when you create in-place
families, and the category that you use determines the components
appearance and display control within the project.
The following illustration shows a building model of the Pantheon without
a roof and with an in-place roof family.
Adding a family to a project

1 Open or start a project.
To add a family to your project, you can drag it into the
document window, or you can load it using the Load From
Library, Load Family command on the File menu. After the
family has been loaded in the project, it is saved with the
project. Families are listed in the Project Browser under their
respective component category. You do not have to carry the
original family file along with the project. However, if you
change the original family, you need to reload the family in
the project to see the updated family.
2 On the File menu, click Load From Library Load Family.
3 Navigate to the library or location of the family.
4 Select the family file name and click Open.
In this section, you learned about the different types of Revit Building
families and when to use them. In the final exercise, you learn about the
Family Editor, how to access it, and when to use it.
Introduction to the Family Editor

You can use the Family Editor to create both real-life building components
and graphical/annotation components. Families store all of the necessary
geometry to display the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional

(3D) versions of particular objects. Family element visibility can be
dependent of your viewing direction, such as plan, elevation, or 3D, as
well as the level of detail associated with that view.
In this exercise, you learn when to use the Family Editor, how to access
it, and the general procedure for creating a standard component family.
When to use the Family Editor

During the design process, you will inevitably come to a point where
you need a specific component for your design. In this case, presume it
is a bay window that you require. There is a logical thought process that
you should follow:
1 Is there a component of this type already loaded into this project?
If so, it should be available within the Type Selector.
2 If there isnt a component family loaded in the project, you can
search the component library loaded on your local hard drive. Also
consider any internal family libraries that may exist on the network.
3 Next, consider checking the web library and other web resources,
such as newsgroups.
4 If you cant find the component you require, you should then try
to find the component that most closely resembles it. It is far easier
to modify an existing component within the Family Editor than to
create it from scratch. If you find a close match, open it in the Family
Editor, modify it as needed, and then load it into the project.
5 Finally, if you have exhausted your external resources, you should
create a new component family using one of the family templates
as a starting point.
How to use the Family Editor

You can access the Family Editor in several ways. With Revit Building
open, you can click File Open, navigate to a family file, and click
Open. When the family opens, it opens within the Family Editor. This
will be apparent because the only Design Bar tab available is Family.
Within the Windows environment, you can double-click any file with
an .rfa extension and it will open Revit Building in the Family Editor.
You can have a project open and the Family Editor open simultaneously.
To start a new family, click File New Family, select the appropriate
template, and click Open.
General procedure for creating a standard component family

1 Select the appropriate family template.
Introduction to the Family Editor | 583
2 Define sub-categories for the family to aid in controlling

visibility of the object.
3 Lay out reference planes to aid in drawing component
geometry.
4 Add dimensions to specify parametric component geometry.
5 Add label dimensions to create type or instance parameters.
6 Flex the new model to verify correct component behavior.
7 Specify 2D and 3D geometry display characteristics with
sub-category and entity visibility settings.
8 Define family type variations by specifying different
parameters.
9 Save the newly-defined family, and then load it into a new
project and see how it performs.
Creating Components
in the Family Editor
13
In this tutorial, you learn how to create specific Revit Building

9.1 families. In each lesson, you learn how to create a different
type of component. Using the installed templates, you start
with a simple door family and then move onto a window
family. You create a furniture family, a lighting fixture, and
several annotation families. In addition, you create an in-place
family. When you create an in-place family, you create it
within the project file, not within the Family Editor. This
allows you to create the family in the context of the current
project.
585
Creating a Door Family

In this lesson, you create a custom door family based on the definition of
a flush exterior door. After you create the door leaf as an extrusion, you
create new door types based on size and assign parameters respectively.
You also learn how to constrain the door design by adding labelled
dimensions to specify values for the door width, height, and thickness.
586 | Chapter 13 Creating Components in the Family Editor
Drawing the Door Plan View Components

In this exercise, you draw the plan view components for the new door
family. The door type has a variable height and width.
Create a new family based on the default door template

1 Close any open projects or families.
2 On the File menu, click New Family.
3 In the left pane of the New dialog box, click Training Files,
and open Metric\Templates\ Metric Door.rft.
4 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom All to Fit.
Notice the four tiled views.
The reference planes that display are part of the default door
template, and represent the door opening profile. The door
opening is aligned and locked to the reference planes.
Labelled dimensions, part of the door properties, are also
displayed.
Drawing the Door Plan View Components | 587
6 Maximize the window, Floor Plan: Ref. Level.

7 Enter ZF; this is the keyboard shortcut for Zoom to Fit.
Draw the door panel plan view representation

8 On the Design Bar, click Symbolic Lines.
9 In the Type Selector, select Doors [projection].
11 Starting at the door hinge point on the lower left corner of

the door opening, sketch a 1000 mm x 50 mm rectangle for
the door leaf as shown.
Dimension the door panel

13 Add a horizontal dimension from the left edge to the right
edge of the door panel as shown.
14 Add a vertical dimension from the top edge of the door panel
to the bottom edge as shown.
Add dimension labels to the door leaf

16 Select the vertical dimension that controls the door width.
17 On the Options Bar, select Width for Label.
NOTE This same label is applied to the dimension referencing

the door opening. Because labelled dimensions are parameters,
a user can change the value of the Width parameter and all
dimensions labelled with it change accordingly.
18 Select the horizontal dimension that references the door
thickness.
19 On the Options Bar, select Thickness for Label.
Draw the door opening plan view arc

20 Select the dimension with the two EQ symbols and move
it, along with the witness line controls, so it doesnt visually
interfere with the door swing location, as shown.

22 In the Type selector, select Plan Swing [cut].
TIP If the Arc from Center and End Points command is not visible
on the Options Bar, click the down arrow button, and select the
command from the menu.
When drawing an arc from center and end points, you first
specify the arc center, then you specify each end point.
24 Enter SI, and select the intersection at the upper left corner
of the door opening for the arc center point.
25 Select the upper right corner of the door opening for the arc
start point.
26 Select the upper left corner of the door leaf for the arc
endpoint.
In the image below, the arc is selected so you can see the arc
center and each end point.
Add a reference plane for the exterior face of the door

27 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Door Leaf Solid
Geometry on page 592.
Creating the Door Leaf Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the door leaf with an
extrusion.
Dataset
Continue using the family file from the previous exercise.
1 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click
Exterior.
2 On the Design Bar, click Solid Form Solid Extrusion.

3 On the Design Bar, click Set Work Plane.
4 In the Work Plane dialog box, under Specify a new Work
Plane, select Reference Plane: Exterior for Name, and click
OK.
6 On the Options Bar, enter 50 mm for Depth, and click
.
7 Select the upper left corner of the door opening for the first
corner of the rectangle, and then select the lower right
corner of the door opening for the second corner of the
rectangle.
Creating the Door Leaf Solid Geometry | 593

9 In the Project Browser under Elevations, double-click Left.

11 Add a horizontal dimension from the exterior face of the door
extrusion to the interior face of the door extrusion.
TIP When you add the witness line to the exterior face of the
extrusion, use the TAB key to toggle to the extrusion reference,
then click to specify the dimension witness line.
12 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select the dimension.

13 On the Options Bar, select Thickness for Label.
14 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click Ref.

Level.
Specify the visibility of the door leaf in plan view

16 Select the door leaf extrusion.
Creating the Door Leaf Solid Geometry | 595
17 On the Options Bar, click Visibility.

18 In the Family Element Visibility Settings dialog box, under
View Specific Display, select Front/Back, and clear Plan/RCP,
Left/Right, and When cut in Plan/RCP.
19 Under Detail Levels, verify that Coarse, Medium, and Fine are
21 In the Element Properties dialog box, select Panel for

Subcategory, and click OK.
The solid geometry of the door is now complete.
22 Proceed to the next exercise, Assigning Materials to the Door
Assigning Materials to the Door Components

In this exercise, you assign a material to the door leaf. This material
designation controls how it displays in shaded and hidden line views. It
also defines its appearance when rendered.
Dataset
Create a new material based on the existing red oak material

2 In the Materials dialog box, click Duplicate.
3 In the New Material dialog box, enter Oak Door for Name,
and click OK.
4 In the Materials dialog box, under AccuRender, click

Texture.
for
5 In the Material Library dialog box, navigate to

AccuRender/Wood/Oak,Red/Stained,Dark,No Gloss.
6 Click OK.
7 In the Materials dialog box, click OK.
Assign the Oak Door material to the door leaf

8 Select the door leaf extrusion.
10 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Materials and

Finishes, click
for Material.
11 In the Materials dialog box, under Name, select Oak Door,
and click OK.
The door leaf is assigned the new Oak Door material.
Assign the Oak Door material to the door frame

14 Select the interior door frame extrusion.
16 In the Element Properties dialog box, click
for Material.
17 In the Materials dialog box, select Oak Door for Name, and
click OK.
19 Repeat the previous five steps for the exterior frame
extrusion.
The door frame is assigned the new Oak Door material.
Assigning Materials to the Door Components | 597
View the new door

20 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), under 3D Views,
double-click View 1.
21 On the View Control Bar, click the Model Graphics Style
control, and select Shading with Edges.
22 Zoom in on a door corner.
The Oak Door material is now assigned to the door leaf and
door frame.
Flex the door model

23 Zoom out to view the entire door.
Flexing the new family is an important part of the design
process. By flexing the new component, you ensure it adjusts
to the changes it may encounter once loaded into a project.
Try to move the dialog box off to the side so you can still
see the door family next to it. This allows you to apply
changes made in the dialog box and see how the new door
reacts.
25 In the Family Types dialog box, do the following:
Under Dimensions, enter 2500 mm for Height.
Enter 1500 mm for Width.
Under Other, enter 125 mm for Frame Width.
Click Apply.
Notice the door geometry adapts to the new dimension

values.
Assigning Materials to the Door Components | 599
26 Return the door parameters to their original values.

In the Family Types dialog box, do the following:
Under Other, enter 75 mm for Frame Width.
Click Apply.
27 Click OK.
28 Proceed to the next exercise, Defining New Door Types on
page 600
Defining New Door Types

In this exercise, you define new door types based on the door model that
you have created.
Dataset
Define new door types with various heights and widths

2 In the Family Types dialog box, under Family Types, click New.
3 In the Name dialog box, enter 925 x 2000mm for Name, and
click OK.
4 In the Family Types dialog box, specify the following:
Click Apply.
Define the second new door type.

5 Under Family Types, click New.
6 In the Name dialog box, enter 750 x 2100mm for Name,
and click OK.
Click Apply.
Define the third new door type.

9 In the Name dialog box, enter 1220 x 2134mm for Name,
and click OK.
Click Apply.
11 Click OK.
You now have three new door types defined within your
door family.
13 Navigate to the folder of your choice and save the new door
family with the name, Training Door.rfa.
Load the new door family into a new project

15 In the New Project dialog box, under Template file, click
Browse.
Defining New Door Types | 601
16 In the left pane of the Choose Template dialog box, click

Training Files, and open Metric\Templates\ DefaultMetric.rte.
17 Under Create new, select Project, and click OK.
20 In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location where you
saved the door family, Training Door.rfa, select it, and click
Open.
Place new door types in the project

Use the default wall selection in the Type Selector.
22 Draw a wall segment 8000mm long.


26 In the Type Selector, select Training Door : 925 x 2000mm.
27 Add the door to the left side of the wall as shown.
Defining New Door Types | 603
29 Add this door to the center of the wall as shown.

31 Add the third door type to the right side of the wall as shown.
32 You can close all files without saving.

You now have three new flush exterior doors based on the new door family
prototype. This completes the lesson, Creating a Door Family.
Creating a Window Family

In this lesson, you create a custom window family based on the
definition of a fixed rectangular window with nine lights. You create
the window frame, glazing and mullions as extrusions, and create the
window sash as a sweep. You then assign parameters to the window
family to allow for the creation of different-sized versions of the
nine-light prototype.
Finally, you assign new dimension values to the window to create new
types within the window family, and specify values for the window
width, height, default sill height, and mullion offset.
Specifying the New Window Parameters

In this exercise, you specify the parameters for the new window family.
The window type has a variable height and width, equally spaced vertical
mullions, and the height of the top and bottom row of lights is
adjustable.
Create a new family based on the default window template

Creating a Window Family | 605

and open Metric\Templates\ Metric Window.rft.
Four views are tiled on your display. The reference planes that
display are part of the default window template and represent
the window opening profile. The window opening is aligned
and locked to the reference planes. Labelled dimensions, part
of the window properties, are also displayed.
6 Maximize the exterior elevation view.
7 Enter ZF; this is the keyboard shortcut for Zoom to Fit.
8 Two dimension strings display with their labels, Height and
Default Sill Height. The label name, also one of the window
properties, is one of the type parameters. When you add labels
to dimensions, these specific type parameters are adjustable
once the window is part of a project.
Modify the new window type height and width parameters

Move the dialog box off to the side so you can see the window
opening.
Click Apply.
Change the height and width values again, and click Apply.
Notice how the window opening adapts to the changing
dimension values. This process is called flexing the model,
and it is done to avoid conflicts and to ensure that all model
geometry adjusts to changes as designed.
11 Enter 1000 mm for Height and 2000 mm for Width, and
click Apply.
This is the starting point for the new window.
12 Click OK.
13 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Window Frame
Solid Geometry on page 607.
Creating the Window Frame Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the window frame with
a sweep. Creating sweep geometry requires first sketching the sweep
path, then sketching the sweep profile. The profile is swept along the
path to create the solid geometry.
Dataset
Create a sweep path for the window frame solid geometry

1 On the Design Bar, click Solid Form Solid Sweep.
2 On the Design Bar, click Sketch 2D Path.
Creating the Window Frame Solid Geometry | 607
5 Sketch a rectangle to represent the sweep path starting at the

upper left corner of the opening and ending at the lower right
corner. Snap the cursor to each corner.
6 On the Design Bar, click Finish Path.
Add a reference plane for the sweep profile

7 On the Design Bar, click Sketch Profile.
8 In the Go To View dialog box, select Elevation: Right, and click
Open View.
9 On the View Control Bar, click the Scale control, and select
1:10.
10 Zoom in on the red dot in the middle of the wall.
The red dot indicates the intersection of the sweep path and
the profile plane.
11 On the Design Bar, click Ref Plane.
mm.
, and specify an offset of 50
13 Pick the exterior wall face so that a reference line is offset

50 mm to the left of the exterior wall face as shown.

15 On the Options Bar, select Prefer: Wall faces.
16 Add a dimension between the exterior wall face and the new
reference plane.
17 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the dimension.
18 Drag the value control off to the side as shown.
19 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the reference

plane.

enter Sash for the Name, and click OK.
Sketch the window frame profile

23 On the Options Bar, select Chain and click
24 Below the red dot, sketch the frame profile approximately

as shown.
NOTE When you sketch the frame profile, the exact dimensions
are not critical. However, the frame profile should extend
beyond the edges of the wall. Precise dimensions are assigned
to the frame profile in subsequent steps.
26 Select the right edge of the frame section, and drag it to the
exterior face of the wall. When the lock displays, click it to
constrain the frame to the exterior wall face.
27 Select the left edge of the frame section, and drag it to the
interior face of the wall. When the lock displays, click it to
constrain the left edge of the frame to the interior face.
28 Select the short line parallel and to the right of the Sash
reference plane. Drag it to the left and align it with the Sash
reference plane. When the lock displays, click it to lock the
line to the reference plane.

30 Add a vertical dimension of 40 mm to the left side of the
frame and another vertical dimension of 20 mm to the right
side of the frame, as shown.
TIP After adding the dimension, click Modify, select the line
you want to move, and specify the dimension value.
Modify each dimension if necessary.
Align the new profile to the window opening edge

31 Select the 40 mm dimension. When the lock displays, click
the lock to constrain the present value.
TIP If you dont see the lock icon, zoom out until it displays.
32 Select the 20 mm dimension. When the lock displays, click
the lock to constrain the present value.
34 Select the horizontal reference plane that intersects the red

dot; this is the top of the window opening. Next, select the
top horizontal line of the frame profile. Lock the alignment
when the lock icon displays.
35 On the Design Bar, click Finish Profile.

36 On the Design Bar, click Finish Sweep.
The window frame profile is swept around the window
opening.
37 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand 3D Views,
and double-click View 1.
If necessary, spin the model so you can see the interior of
the frame.
38 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click Exterior.

39 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Window Sash Solid
Creating the Window Sash Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the window sash with an
extrusion.
Dataset
Specify the window sash extrusion parameters


Plane, select Reference Plane: Sash for Name, and click OK.
and select Lock.
, and enter - 45 mm for Depth,
Pick the sash profile lines

6 Place the cursor over the left side of the frame, press TAB to
cycle through the selection options, and select the option,
Chain of walls or lines.
The entire sash outline is selected, and lock icons display

on each line.
Creating the Window Sash Solid Geometry | 617
Draw offset extrusion lines

7 On the Options Bar, set the following options:
Click
Enter - 50 mm for Offset.

You specify a negative offset value to indicate an extrusion
direction inside of the window frame.
Click
8 Specify the upper left inside corner of the window frame for
the first corner of the rectangle, and then specify the lower
right inside corner for the second corner of the rectangle.

10 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click Right.
Notice the sash is aligned with the Sash reference plane.
11 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click View

1.
Spin the model if necessary to view the sash and frame at
various angles.
The window sash extrusion is now complete.
Creating the Window Sash Solid Geometry | 619
12 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Window Glass Solid

Creating the Window Glass Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the window glass with
an extrusion.
Dataset
Add a reference plane to specify the glass work plane

, and enter 30 mm for Offset.
4 Select the left edge of the sash so that a vertical reference plane
is added 30 mm to the right, as shown.

6 Add a horizontal dimension of 30 mm between the left edge
of the sash and the reference plane.
Creating the Window Glass Solid Geometry | 621

8 Select the reference plane.

enter Glazing for the Name instance parameter, and click
OK.
Pick lines to define the glass extrusion

14 In the Work Plane dialog box, under Specify a new Work Plane,
select Reference Plane: Glazing for Name, and click OK.

and select Lock.
, enter -12 mm for Depth,
17 Place the cursor on one of the sash extrusion lines, press

TAB until the chain of lines is preselected, and click to create
the glass boundary.
View the window model with frame, sash, and glass

20 Select the glass extrusion.

specify Glass for the Subcategory instance parameter, and
click OK.
NOTE Assigning subcategories to model elements is important.
After the family is loaded into a project, you can control
subcategory visual style using the Objects Styles dialog box.
24 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click View 1.
Spin the model if necessary to view the sash and frame at
various angles.
Flex the window model

Move the Family Types dialog box off to the side so you can
see the window model.
Under Other, enter 500 mm for Default Sill Height.
Click Apply.
Notice the window adapts to the new dimension parameters.
NOTE After flexing the model, it is important to verify that all

model elements adapted to the changes as expected. For example,
make sure the window frame stretched with the opening and that
the glass extrusion remains attached to the interior edge of the
sash. You should flex the model at regular intervals to catch
problems early. Most problems can be resolved by aligning and
locking lines.
27 In the Family Types dialog box, return the window to its
original dimensions:
Click Apply.
Click OK.
28 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Window Mullion

Creating the Window Mullion Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the window mullions
based on reference planes and extrusions.
Dataset
Add reference planes to specify the location of the new window

mullion centerlines
Exterior.
3 Add two horizontal and two vertical reference planes inside
of the window opening to approximate the mullion
centerline locations as shown.
NOTE When you draw each reference plane, the exact location
is not critical. Precise dimensions are assigned to the reference
planes in subsequent steps.
Creating the Window Mullion Solid Geometry | 627

Add a multi-segmented dimension referencing all of the
vertical reference planes except the center (Left/Right) as
shown. After adding the dimension, click the EQ symbol to
make the dimension segments equal.
5 Add a dimension between the top of the window opening

(top reference plane) and the horizontal reference plane
below it, as shown. Do not be concerned with dimension
values.
6 Add a dimension between the bottom of the window

opening (bottom reference plane) and the horizontal
reference plane above it, as shown. Do not be concerned
with dimension values.
Add a mullion offset family parameter

8 Select the dimension on the upper-right that references the
top two horizontal reference planes.
9 On the Options Bar, select <Add parameter...> for Label.

10 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, specify the following
parameters:
For Parameter Type, select Family parameter.
Under Parameter Data, enter Mullion Offset for Name.
Under Group parameter under, select Dimensions.
Select Instance.
Click OK.

12 In the Family Types dialog box, under Dimensions, enter 350
mm for Mullion Offset, and click OK.
TIP Due to the length of the dimension label, you may want to
drag the dimension value as shown.
13 Select the horizontal reference plane second from the bottom.
Notice the dimension value becomes editable.

14 Click the dimension value, and enter 350 mm as the new
value.

16 Select the dimension on the lower-right.
17 On the Options Bar, select Mullion Offset for Label.
As you did before, move the dimension value as shown.
Create the vertical mullion extrusions

Plane, select Reference Plane: Glazing for Name, and click
OK.

23 On the Options Bar, enter 14 mm for Depth, and click
24 Sketch a rectangle centered on the left vertical mullion

reference plane approximately as shown. Do not be concerned
with precise dimensions. However, it is critical that the short
horizontal lines align with the horizontal edges of the sash.
Watch the Status Bar to be sure that the lines are snapping to
the sash.
After you complete the sketch, notice lock icons display on

the interior horizontal edges of the sash.
25 Click both of the locks so the mullion adapts to changes in
window height.
27 Add a horizontal dimension from the left edge of the

mullion extrusion to the reference plane centered between
the vertical mullion extrusion sketch lines, and to the right
edge of the mullion extrusion.
Click the EQ symbol to make both horizontal dimensions
equal. Move the dimension values as shown.
28 Add a horizontal dimension from the left edge to the right

edge of the mullion extrusion, and place it above the
dimension you placed in the previous steps.
29 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the dimension you
added in the previous step.
30 On the Options Bar, select <Add parameter> for Label.
31 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, specify the following
parameters:
For Parameter Type, select Family parameter.
Under Parameter Data, enter Mullion Width for Name.
Under Group parameter under, select Dimensions.
Select Type.
Click OK.
Move the Mullion Width value to the left as shown.
32 Repeat the previous steps to create an identical mullion

centered on the right vertical reference plane as shown.
Remember, follow these basic steps:
Sketch the rectangle similar to the mullion on the left.

NOTE Do not lock the lines to the sash edge as you did
previously.
Dimension mullion edges and the reference plane at

the center of the mullion and click the equality
constraint.
Add a dimension between the left and right mullion

edges.
Select the dimension, and on the Options Bar, select

Mullion Width for Label.
Do not be concerned with the value of the mullion width.

This is changed in later steps.
Specify the mullion width parameter

Move the dialog box off to the side so you can see the window
in the drawing area.
35 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 40 mm for Mullion
Width, and click Apply.
Notice the mullions remain centered and equally spaced

on the reference planes.

Click Apply.
Notice the window adapts to the new dimension parameters,

and the mullions stretch with the new window height.
NOTE After flexing the model, it is important to verify that all

model elements adapted to the changes as expected. In this case,
you should pay close attention to the new mullions and make
sure they remain centered, evenly spaced, and aligned with the
sash edge. You should flex the model at regular intervals to catch
problems early. Most problems can be resolved by aligning and
locking lines, or undoing the same.
Click Apply.
Click OK.
Sketch the horizontal mullion extrusions

select Reference Plane : Glazing for Name, and click OK.
Notice the Depth value on the Options Bar remains at the

previously specified value.
43 Sketch a rectangle centered on the upper horizontal mullion
reference plane approximately as shown, and then click the
lock icons to lock the left and right edges to the edge of the
sash.

45 Add a vertical dimension from the top edge of the mullion
extrusion to the reference plane at the center of the mullion,
and then to the bottom edge of the mullion extrusion.
Click the EQ symbol to make both vertical dimensions
equal, and move the EQ values off to each side as shown.

47 Add a vertical dimension from the top edge to the bottom
edge of the mullion extrusion, as shown. Do not be
concerned with the dimension value.
48 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the dimension you
added in the previous step.
49 On the Options Bar, select Mullion Width for Label. Move the
dimension value as shown.
50 Repeat the previous steps to create an identical mullion

centered on the lower horizontal reference plane as shown.
Remember, follow these basic steps:
Sketch the rectangle similar to the mullion you just

completed.
NOTE Do not lock the lines to the sash edge as you did
previously.
Dimension mullion edges and the reference plane at the

center of the mullion and click the equality constraint.
Add a dimension between the upper and lower mullion

edges.
Select the dimension, and on the Options Bar, select

Mullion Width for Label.
The horizontal mullion extrusions are now complete.
Join the mullion geometry

52 On the Tools menu, click Join Geometry.
53 Select the horizontal mullions, and select the vertical mullions.

If necessary, spin the model to get a good view of the mullions.
Notice the mullion extrusions are joined.

55 Adjust the location of the window model within the drawing
area, so when you open the Family Types dialog box, you
can still see the window.
Click Apply.
Notice the window adapts to the new dimension parameters

and the mullions stretch with the new window height.

Click Apply.
Click OK.
59 Proceed to the next exercise, Assigning Materials to the

Window Components on page 644.
Assigning Materials to the Window Components

In this exercise, you assign materials to the frame, sash, and mullions that
you want to display in renderings of the new window.
Dataset
Create a new material based on the existing yellow pine material

3 In the New Material dialog box, enter Pine Frame for Name,
and click OK.
Texture.
for

AccuRender/Wood/Pine, Yellow/, select Stained, Dark, No Gloss,
and click OK.
Assign the Pine Frame material to the frame, sash, and mullions
Exterior.
9 Select the window frame sweep, the sash, and the mullions.
TIP Hold the CTRL key down as you select the sweep and
various extrusions.

select Frame/Mullion for Subcategory.
12 Under Materials and Finishes, click
for Material.
13 In the Materials dialog box, select Pine Frame for Name,

and click OK.
Edit for Visibility.
View Specific Display, select Front/Back and When cut in
Plan/RCP (if category permits); clear the other view options.
16 Under Detail Levels, verify that Coarse, Medium, and Fine
are selected, and click OK.
Assigning Materials to the Window Components | 645
The window frame is assigned the new Pine Frame material.

Modify the glass visibility

19 In the Project Browser under Elevations, double-click Right.
20 Select the glass extrusion.
View Specific Display, select Front/Back and When cut in
Plan/RCP (if category permits).
23 Under Detail Levels, verify that Coarse, Medium, and Fine are
25 Zoom in on a window corner.
Assigning Materials to the Window Components | 647
The window frame, sash, mullions, and glass display their

assigned materials.
26 Proceed to the next exercise, Defining New Window Types
on page 648.
Defining New Window Types

In this exercise, you define new window types based on the window model
that you just created. You begin by adding a formula to the mullion offset
parameter to specify horizontal divisions of one third the overall height
of the window. You then create multiple window types that will be available
to the user after the family is loaded into a project.
Dataset
Add a mullion offset formula to the family type

1 Zoom to fit and move the window model off the side of the
drawing area so it will be visible after you open the Family
Types dialog box.
3 In the Family Types dialog box, enter Height/3 in the
Formula column for Mullion Offset, and click Apply.
The horizontal mullions are now spaced apart at one third
the height of the window.

4 In addition to flexing the model after the addition or
modification of model geometry, it is also a good idea to
flex the model after a new formula is applied.
In the Family Types dialog box, enter 2000 mm for Height,
and click Apply.
Defining New Window Types | 649
The window height is doubled, but the one third height

spacing is maintained in the horizontal mullions.
5 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 1000 mm for Height,
and click Apply.
Define new window types with various heights and widths

7 In the Name dialog box, enter 2500 w x 1250mm h for
Name, and click OK.
8 In the Family Types dialog box, specify the following parameter
values:
Enter 1250 mm for Height.
Click Apply.

Name, and click OK.
11 In the Family Types dialog box, specify the following
parameter values:
Click Apply.
Define the final window type

Name and click OK.
14 In the Family Types dialog box, specify the following
parameter values:
Click Apply.
Click OK.
You now have three new window types defined within your
window family.
16 Navigate to the location of your choice and save the new
window family with the name, Training Window.rfa.
Load the new window family into a new project

on your default template.
to start a new project based
18 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Window.

20 In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location of your
Training Window.rfa file, select it, and click Open.
Place new window types in the project

22 Draw a generic wall segment 12000 mm long.
23 On the Design Bar, click Window.

24 On the Options Bar, clear Tag on Placement.
25 In the Type Selector, select Training Window : 1800 w x
1500mm h.
26 Add the window to the left side of the wall.
27 In the Type Selector, select Training Window : 2500 w x

1250mm h.
28 Add this window to the center of the wall.
29 In the Type Selector, select Training Window :2600 w x
1300mm h.
30 Add the third window to the right side of the wall.

32 On the View menu, click Thin Lines.
33 Zoom in on the center window.
Notice the detail that displays. This is because you set the
visibility values to display when cut in plan/RCP.

You have three new fixed nine-light windows based on a new window
family prototype. This completes the Creating a Window Family lesson.
Creating a Furniture Family

In this lesson, you create a custom furniture family based on the definition
of a rolltop desk. You begin by creating the desktop, drawer base, rolltop,
and drawers as extrusions. You then assign parameters to the furniture
family to allow for the creation of different-sized versions of the prototype.
Finally, you assign new dimension values to the furniture to create new
types within the furniture family, and specify values for the furniture length
and depth.
Specifying the New Rolltop Desk Parameters

In this exercise, you add reference planes and specify the parameters for
the new rolltop desk furniture family.
Create a new family based on the default furniture template

1 Close all open projects or families.
and open Metric\Templates\ Metric Furniture.rft.
4 Maximize the view, Floor Plan: Ref. Level.
5 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom to Fit.
The reference planes that display are part of the default

furniture template; they represent the furniture centerline
axes.
Draw additional horizontal and vertical reference planes

NOTE When you draw the reference planes, their exact location
is not critical. Precise dimensions are assigned to the reference
planes in subsequent steps.
7 Draw two horizontal reference planes, one above and one
below the existing horizontal centerline reference plane as
shown.
8 Draw two vertical reference planes, one to the left and one
to the right of the existing vertical centerline reference plane
as shown.
Specifying the New Rolltop Desk Parameters | 655
Dimension the reference planes

10 Near the bottom of the drawing area, add a horizontal
dimension string beginning at the left reference plane,
proceeding to the centerline reference plane, and ending at
the right reference plane, as shown.
Click the EQ icon to make the segments equal.
11 Add an overall horizontal dimension underneath the

dimension you just added. It should reference the left
reference plane and the right reference plane as shown.

13 Select the left reference plane.
14 Change the horizontal dimension to 2000 mm.

16 On the right side of the drawing area, add a vertical dimension
string beginning at the upper reference plane, proceeding to
the centerline reference plane, and ending at the lower
reference plane, as shown.
Click the EQ symbol to make both segments equal.
17 To the right of the dimension you just created, add an

overall vertical dimension from the upper reference plane
to the lower reference plane, as shown.

19 Select the upper, horizontal reference plane.
20 Change the vertical dimension to 1000 mm.

22 Clean up the extents of the reference planes and the
dimension witness lines as shown.
TIP To do this, select each reference plane and drag the extents
to the new position. Afterwards, select each dimension and
drag the witness line controls as needed.
Add length and depth family parameters

23 Select the 2000 mm dimension.
25 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, specify the following:
Under Parameter type, select Family parameter.
Under Parameter Data, enter Length for Name.
For Group parameter under, select Dimensions.
Select Type.
Click OK.

Under Parameter Data, enter Depth for Name.
Select Type.
Click OK.
These reference planes will be the skeleton that you snap

the solid geometry to. Therefore, you should flex the design
now to ensure the reference planes and labelled dimensions
adapt to changes as expected.
Flex the design

29 Adjust the location of the reference planes within the
drawing area, so when you open the Family Types dialog
box, you can still see the model.
Under Dimensions, enter 3000 mm for Length.
Enter 1500 mm for Depth.
Click Apply.
Notice the reference planes adapt to the new dimension

parameters. When the solid geometry is snapped to the
reference planes, it will also adapt to the same changes.
32 In the Family Types dialog box, return the parameters to their

original values:
Click Apply.
Click OK.
33 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Desktop Solid

Creating the Desktop Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the desktop with an
extrusion.
Dataset
Create the desktop using an extrusion

3 Select the upper left reference plane intersection for the first
corner of the rectangle, and then select the lower right
reference plane intersection for the second corner of the
rectangle.
NOTE In the image below, the symbolic line thickness was

modified for training purposes. Your lines may have a lighter
weight.

Plane, select Level: Ref. Level for Name, and click OK.
Depth.
, and enter 100 mm for
9 Move the cursor over one of the symbolic lines, press TAB
until the chain of lines is offered as a selection option, and
click to select all four symbolic lines.
Creating the Desktop Solid Geometry | 665
11 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click Front.
The desktop extrusion extends 100 mm above the reference

level.
Move the desktop up

13 Move the cursor over the top edge of the desktop, press TAB
until Extrusion : Shape handle displays in the Status Bar, and
select the top edge.
14 Drag the top edge of the desktop upward until the temporary
dimension value is 750 mm.
15 Move the cursor over the bottom edge of the desktop, press
TAB until Extrusion : Shape handle displays in the Status Bar,
and select the bottom edge.
16 Drag the bottom edge of the desktop up until the desktop is
100 mm thick.
Add height and thickness dimensions

18 Add a vertical dimension from the reference level to the top
edge of the desktop, as shown.
19 Add a vertical dimension from the bottom of the desktop

to the top edge.
Add height and thickness family parameters

Under Parameter Data, enter Height for Name.
Creating the Desktop Solid Geometry | 667
Select Type.
Click OK.

26 n the Parameter Properties dialog box, specify the following:
Under Parameter Data, enter Thickness for Name.
Select Type.
Click OK.
Flex the design

28 Adjust the location of the model within the drawing area, so
when you open the Family Types dialog box, you can still see
the model.
Under Dimensions, enter 4000 mm for Length, and click

Apply.
Enter 1200 mm for Height, and click Apply.
Enter 150 mm for Thickness, and click Apply.
Notice the desk top adapts to the new dimension parameters.
31 In the Family Types dialog box, return the parameters to

their original values:
Enter 100 mm for Thickness.
Click Apply.
Click OK.
32 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Desk Drawer

Base Solid Geometry on page 669.
Creating the Desk Drawer Base Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the desk drawer base.
Dataset
Offset two reference planes to locate the first drawer base corner
Level.
Offset.
, and enter 100 mm for
Creating the Desk Drawer Base Solid Geometry | 669
4 Move the cursor over the left vertical reference plane, and click
to locate a new vertical reference plane offset 100 mm to the
right.
5 Move the cursor over the upper horizontal reference plane,

and click to locate a new horizontal reference plane offset 100
mm below it.

7 Add a dimension referencing the left vertical reference plane
and the offset plane you added. Click the lock icon as shown.
8 Add a dimension to the top horizontal reference plane and

the offset plane below it. Lock the dimension as shown.
Sketch the left drawer base

Plane, select Level: Ref. Level for Name, and click OK.
14 Select the intersection of the new offset reference planes for

the first corner of the rectangle, and then specify a point 300
mm to the right and 800 mm down for the second corner of
the rectangle, as shown.
After you complete the rectangle, two lock icons display.

15 Click both of the lock icons to lock the edges of the extrusion
to the reference planes.
17 Add a vertical dimension from the lower reference plane to

the lower edge of the drawer base, and then click the lock
icon to lock the dimension.
Mirror the left rectangle to create the right drawer base

19 Select the four sketched lines.
TIP You can select multiple elements by holding the CTRL key
down. You can also highlight the entire line chain, using the
TAB key.
20 On the Tools toolbar, click the Mirror tool,
21 Select the vertical centerline reference plane as the mirror

axis.
A duplicate of the left drawer base is mirrored to create the

right drawer base.
23 For the align-to reference, select the horizontal reference plane

second from the top, as shown below at the cursor.
24 Select the top horizontal line of the right drawer extrusion

as shown.
A lock icon displays.

25 Click the lock icon to lock the extrusion edge to the
reference plane.

27 Add and lock the following two dimensions to the right drawer
extrusion:
Add a dimension from the right vertical reference plane

to the right edge of the drawer base, and then click the
lock icon to lock the dimension.
Add a dimension from the lower reference plane to the

lower edge of the drawer base, and then click the lock icon
to lock the dimension.
28 Add two final dimensions, one on each extrusion that

references the width of the drawer base, as shown.
29 Select the dimension referring to the drawer width on the

left extrusion.
Under Parameter Data, enter Drawer Base Width for

Name.
Select Type.
Click OK.
32 Select the dimension referring to the drawer width on the

right extrusion.
33 On the Options Bar, select Drawer Base Width for Label.
Extend the drawer base extrusions up to the desktop

38 Select the lower edge of the desktop as the align-to reference.
39 Select the upper edge of the drawer base.

After the alignment, a lock icon displays; click it to lock the
alignment.

The solid geometry for the desk drawer base is now

complete. However, notice that annotations display in this
view.
43 Click the Annotation Categories tab.
44 Clear Show annotation categories in this view, and click
OK.
45 On the View Control Bar, click the Scale control and select
1:20.
Flex the design

46 Adjust the location of the model within the drawing area so
when you open the Family Types dialog box, you can still see
the model.

Apply.
Notice the desk adapts to the new dimension parameters.

original values:
Click Apply.
Click OK.
50 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Rolltop Solid

Creating the Rolltop Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the desk rolltop.
Dataset
Create the rolltop extrusion


Creating the Rolltop Solid Geometry | 681
select Reference Plane: Center (Left\Right) for Name, and click
OK.
7 Sketch the rectangle beginning at the intersection of the

desktop and the right reference plane, then move the cursor
up 300mm and to the left 400mm, and click to specify the
upper left corner, as shown.
9 Select the desk top, then the lower horizontal sketch line, and
click the lock icon to lock the alignment.
10 Select the right vertical edge of the desktop extrusion, then

select the right parallel sketch line, and lock the alignment.

12 Add one dimension referring to both vertical sketch lines,
and lock it. Add another dimension to both horizontal
sketch lines, and lock it.

14 On the Options Bar, click the Fillet arc tool,
TIP You may need to click the down arrow button, and then
select the fillet arc tool from the menu.
15 Select the left vertical sketch line, the upper sketch line, and
then move the cursor down and to the right until you create
and arc similar to the image below. Do not be concerned with
the precise dimension of the arc radius.
The rolltop extrusion outline is complete.
Align the left and right edges of the rolltop with the drawer bases
19 Select the left edge of the left drawer base, select the left edge
of the rolltop, and click the lock icon.
20 Select the right edge of the right drawer base, select the right
edge of the rolltop, and click the lock icon.
The solid geometry of the rolltop is now complete.
Flex the design

22 Adjust the location of the desk model within the drawing area
so when you open the Family Types dialog box, you can still
see the model.

Apply.
Enter 1500 mm for Depth, and click Apply.
The desk should adapt to all the changes. If not, you may need
to align and lock problematic edges that did not remain
aligned. You can also use dimension constraints.
original values:
Click Apply.
Click OK.
26 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating the Drawers Solid

Creating the Drawers Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you create the solid geometry of the drawers and apply
material to the desk.
Dataset
Create the desk drawer extrusions

Plane, select Pick a Plane, and click OK.
4 Select the front plane of the right drawer base.
Creating the Drawers Solid Geometry | 689

8 Sketch six drawers similar to the image below.
NOTE The exact configuration of the rectangles representing the

drawer fronts is not critical.
10 Add a dimension between the vertical edges of the drawer

base and the vertical lines of each bottom drawer. Lock each
dimension as you add it. There should be four dimensions
as shown.
NOTE Adding and locking these dimensions is very important.

If you modify the desk length or the drawer base width, these
locked dimension assure that the drawers flex as expected. If
you cannot see the locks on the dimensions, zoom the view
until you do.
12 On the Options Bar, select Multiple Alignment.

13 To constrain the four upper drawers, select the left vertical
line on the left lowest drawer first, and then select the
corresponding left vertical lines of the two drawers above
it. After selecting the line of an upper drawer, click the lock
that displays to lock the alignment.
, and repeat the previous
step by selecting the right vertical lines of the drawer set on
the left.
, and repeat the previous
two steps on the right set of drawers.
These steps ensure the top drawers remain aligned and flex
with the constrained bottom drawer.
17 On the Design Bar, click Extrusion Properties.

18 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Constraints, enter
20mm for Extrusion End, and click OK.
Apply material to the desk

21 Draw a pick box around the entire desk to select all the
extrusions.

Finishes, click
for Material.

25 In the New Material dialog box, enter Desk - Wood, Cherry,
and click OK.
Texture.
for

AccuRender/Wood/Cherry and select Stained, Dark, Polished.
28 Click OK.

Flex the design

32 Adjust the location of the desk model within the drawing
area so when you open the Family Types dialog box, you
can still see the model.
Under Dimensions, enter 4000 mm for Length, and

click Apply.
Enter 1500 mm for Depth, and click Apply.
The desk should adapt to all the changes. If not, you may
need to align and lock problematic edges that did not
remain aligned. You can also use dimension constraints.
35 In the Family Types dialog box, return the parameters to
Click Apply.
Click OK.
36 Proceed with the final exercise in this lesson, Defining New

Furniture Types on page 694.
Defining New Furniture Types

In this exercise, you define new furniture types based on the rolltop desk
model that you just created.
Dataset
Define new furniture types with various widths and depths

3 In the Name dialog box, enter Rolltop Desk 2000 x
1000mm for Name, and click OK.
4 In the Family Types dialog box, verify that Length is 2000 mm
and Depth is 1000 mm, and click Apply.
7 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 2100 mm for Length
and 1100 mm for Depth, and click Apply.

10 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 2250 mm for Length
and 1250 mm for Depth, click Apply, and click OK.
You now have three new furniture types defined within
your furniture family.
12 Navigate to the folder of your choice and save the new
furniture family project with the name, Training Furniture.rfa.
Load the new furniture family into a new project

based on your default template.
to start a new project

control and select Shading with Edges.
Training Furniture.rfa file, select it, and click Open.
19 In the Type Selector, select Rolltop Desk 200 x 1000mm.
20 Specify a point in the drawing area to add the first desk.

22 Specify a point to the right of the first desk, and add the
second desk.
Defining New Furniture Types | 695

24 Specify a point in the drawing area to the right of the previous
two desks, and click to add the third desk.
You now have three new rolltop desks based on the new rolltop desk
furniture family prototype. This completes the Creating a Furniture Family
lesson.
Creating a Baluster Family

In this lesson, you create a custom baluster and apply it to a set of stair
railings. Balusters are simply profile extrusions with an assigned height
family parameter.
Drawing a Baluster
In this exercise, you draw a baluster with an extrusion.
Dataset
On the File menu, click New Family.
In the left pane of the New dialog box, select Training Files and
navigate to the Metric Templates folder. Select Metric Baluster.rft,
and click Open.
Create a new family based on the default profile template

1 Expand the left elevation view.

baluster template. The bottom of the baluster is at the
reference level and the baluster has an assigned default
height of 750mm. Top and bottom cut angles for the
baluster are also displayed.
Draw the baluster plan profile

Plans, and double-click Ref. Level.
Drawing a Baluster | 697

6 In the Work Plane dialog box, select Ref. Level for Name, and
click OK.
NOTE When you draw the closed profile lines and arcs, their exact
location is not critical. However, the baluster profile should be
centered on the vertical and horizontal reference planes. Draw
your profile approximately 30mm wide by 60mm deep.
8 Draw the closed baluster plan profile as shown.
Extend the baluster extrusion to the top reference plane

10 In the Project Browser under Elevations, double-click Front.
By default, the extrusion has a height of 250mm.

11 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select the extrusion.
13 Select the top reference plane and select the top edge of the
extrusion.
14 Click the lock icon.
15 Save the new baluster family with the name Training

Baluster.rfa.
The new custom baluster is now complete.
Assigning the New Baluster to a Stair Run

In this exercise, you assign the new baluster that you just created to a
stair run.
Load the new baluster family into a new project

2 In the New Project dialog box, click Browse, and in the left
pane of the New dialog box, select Training Files. Navigate
to the Metric Templates folder. Select the DefaultMetric.rte
file, and click Open. In the New Project Dialog box, click
OK.
Draw a straight stair run

3 On the Design Bar, click the Modelling tab.
4 On the Design Bar, click Stairs.
5 Draw a straight stair run as shown.

7 On the File menu, click Load from Library Load Family.
Training Baluster.rfa file, select it, and click Open.
Assigning the New Baluster to a Stair Run | 699
10 On the View menu, click Orient Southwest.

11 On the View menu, click Shading with Edges.
Apply the custom baluster to the stair run

12 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select the existing railing.

15 In the Type Properties dialog box, click Edit for Baluster
Placement.
16 In the Edit Baluster Placement dialog box, under Baluster
Family, select Training Baluster : Training Baluster for the
Regular baluster.
17 Clear Use Balusters Per Tread on Stairs.

18 Specify Start and End posts as Training Baluster.
19 Click OK.
20 In the Type Properties dialog box, click OK.
22 Zoom in on the new balusters.
The stair run is now assigned the new baluster that you
created. This completes the Creating a Baluster Family
lesson.
Creating Profile Families

A profile is a series of closed two-dimensional lines and arcs. Use profiles
to define object cross sections such as railings, balusters, soffits, cornices,
and other sweep-defined objects. Create profiles to define frequently
used shapes in your details.
In this lesson, you create five different profiles: a sweep, a railing, a stair
nosing, a reveal, and a host sweep. You then create an in-place sweep
based on a 2D path and apply the host sweep to a wall.
Drawing a Sweep Profile

In this exercise, you draw a sweep profile.
Dataset
In the left pane of the New dialog box, select Training Files, and
navigate to the Metric\Templates folder. Select Metric Profile.rft, and
click Open.
Create a new family based on the default profile template

NOTE When you draw the closed profile lines and arcs, their
exact location is not critical. However, the sweep profile should
begin at the reference plane intersection.
2 Starting at the reference plane intersection, draw the sweep
profile with line and arc segments as shown.
Creating Profile Families | 701
3 Save the new profile family with the name Profile - Sweep.rfa.
The new sweep profile is now complete.
Drawing a Rail Profile

In this exercise, you create a rail profile.
Dataset
navigate to the Metric\Templates folder. Select Metric Profile-Rail.rft,
and click Open.
Create a new family based on the default rail profile template

1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, verify that Ref. Level
is open.
The reference planes that display are part of the default rail
profile template, with the vertical reference plane labeled
as the rail centerline and the horizontal reference plane
labeled as the rail top. The rail height is measured from the
floor elevation to the rail top.
Draw the rail profile

NOTE When you draw the closed profile lines and arcs, their
exact location is not critical. However, the top of the rail profile
should coincide with the rail top reference plane.
3 Starting at the reference plane intersection, draw the rail
profile with line segments as shown.
4 Save the new profile family with the name Profile - Rail.rfa.
The new rail profile is now complete.
Drawing a Rail Profile | 703
Drawing a Stair Nosing Profile

In this exercise, you create a stair nosing profile.
Dataset
navigate to the Metric\Templates folder. Select Metric Profile-Stair
Nosing.rft, and click Open.
Create a new family based on the default stair nosing profile

template
1 Notice the existing planes and text provided within the
template.
The reference planes that display are part of the default stair
nosing profile template, with the vertical reference plane
labeled as the riser face and the horizontal reference plane
labeled as the tread surface. Additional text specifies the
lower-left quadrant as the location for the stair nosing.
Draw the stair nosing profile

NOTE When you draw the closed profile lines and arcs, their exact
location is not critical. However, you must draw the stair nosing
in the lower-left quadrant. In addition, the top of the stair nosing
profile should coincide with the tread surface reference plane and
the right edge of the stair nosing profile should coincide with the
riser face reference plane.
3 Starting at the reference plane intersection, draw the stair
nosing profile with line and arc segments as shown.
4 Save the new profile family with the name Profile - Stair
Nosing.rfa.
The new stair nosing profile is now complete.
Drawing a Reveal Profile

In this exercise, you create a reveal profile. Reveal profiles are used with
the Reveal tool in the project environment to define a wall cutout.
Dataset
navigate to the Metric\Templates folder. Select Metric Profile-Reveal.rft,
and click Open.
Create a new family based on the default reveal profile template

1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, verify that Ref.
Level is open.
reveal profile template, with the vertical reference plane
labeled as the wall face, and the wall body indicated to the
right of the wall face reference plane. The horizontal
reference plane represents the offset from floor level to the
reveal.
Drawing a Reveal Profile | 705
Draw the reveal profile

NOTE When you draw the closed profile lines, their exact location
is not critical. However, the left edge of the reveal profile must
coincide with wall face reference plane and the reveal must be
drawn within the wall body (to the right of the wall face reference
plane).
3 Starting at the reference plane intersection, draw the reveal
profile with line segments as shown.
4 Save the new profile family with the name Profile - Reveal.rfa.
The new reveal profile is now complete.
Drawing a Host Sweep Profile

In this exercise, you create a host sweep profile. Host Sweep profiles are
similar to reveal profiles and are used with the Host Sweep tool in the
project environment to define a shape to add to a host surface, which
may be any vertical surface.
Dataset
navigate to the Metric\Templates folder. Select Metric Profile-Hosted.rft,
and click Open.
Create a new family based on the default host sweep profile

template
1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, verify that Ref.
Level is open.
The reference planes that display are part of the default host
sweep profile template, with the vertical reference plane
labeled as the host face and the host body indicated to the
left of the host face reference plane. The reference plane
intersection is the origin of the host sweep profile.
Draw the host sweep profile

Drawing a Host Sweep Profile | 707
NOTE When you draw the closed profile lines, their exact location
is not critical. However, the left edge of the host sweep profile
must coincide with the host face reference plane, and the host
sweep profile must be drawn outside of the host body (to the
right of the host face reference plane).
3 Starting at the reference plane intersection, draw the reveal
profile with line and arc segments as shown.
4 Save the new profile family with the name Profile - Host
Sweep.rfa.
The new host sweep profile is now complete.
Applying a Sweep Profile to a 2D Path

In this exercise, you apply the sweep profile that you just created to a 2D
path.
Create a new project

pane of the New dialog box, select Training Files. Navigate to
the Metric\Templates folder. Select the DefaultMetric.rte file,
and click Open. In the New Project Dialog box, click OK.
Specify the family category

3 On the Modelling menu, click Create.
4 In the Family Category and Parameters dialog box, select
Generic Models for Family Category, and click OK.
5 In the Name dialog box, enter Sweep for Name, and click OK.
Sketch the 2D sweep path

6 On the Family tab of the Design Bar, click Solid Form
Solid Sweep.
7 On the Design Bar, click Sketch 2D Path.
NOTE When you sketch the 2D path, the exact location of the
path is not critical.
8 On the Design Bar, click Lines and sketch the 2D path
approximately as shown.
9 On the Design Bar, click Finish Path.
Apply the sweep profile to the 2D path

10 On the Options Bar, click Load Profiles.
11 In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location of Profile
- Sweep.rfa, select it, and click Open.
12 In the Type Selector, beside Load Profiles, select Profile Sweep.
13 On the Design Bar, click Finish Sweep.
14 On the Design Bar, click Finish Family.
Applying a Sweep Profile to a 2D Path | 709
Modify the sweep profile configuration

16 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Elevations,
and double-click South.
17 Zoom in on the right end of the sweep.
18 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Ref Plane.

19 Draw a vertical reference plane coincident with the left edge
of the profile as shown.
20 Select the sweep profile and, on the Options Bar, click Edit.
21 Select the sweep profile again and, on the Options Bar, click
.
22 In the Element Properties dialog box, do the following:
Under Constraints, enter 600 for Vertical Profile Offset.
Enter 25 degrees for Angle.
Under Other, select Profile Is Flipped.
23 Click OK.
The sweep profile application is now complete.
Applying a Host Sweep Profile to Walls

In this exercise, you apply the host sweep profile that you created to a
group of walls.
Create a new project

pane of the New dialog box, select Training Files. Navigate
to the Metric\Templates folder. Select the DefaultMetric.rte
file, and click Open. In the New Project Dialog box, click
OK.
Draw a wall group

NOTE When you draw the walls, their exact location is not
critical.
4 Draw four walls as shown.
Applying a Host Sweep Profile to Walls | 711
6 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Host

Sweep Wall Sweep.
7 On the Options Bar, verify that Horizontal is selected.
8 Select a point on the left wall for the wall sweep.
9 Select a point on the right wall for the next wall sweep.
Replace the default wall sweep with the new host wall sweep
12 In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location of Profile
- Host Sweep.rfa, select it, and click Open.
13 Select the wall sweep and, on the Options Bar, click
.
15 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Construction, select
Profile - Host Sweep : Profile - Host Sweep for Profile, and
click OK.
18 In the Dynamic View dialog box, click Spin [Shift].

19 Move the cursor to rotate your viewpoint to view the host
sweep from underneath.
The default wall sweep is replaced with your host sweep

profile.
This completes the Creating Profile Families lesson.
Applying a Host Sweep Profile to Walls | 713
Creating a Room Tag

In this lesson, you create a room tag which displays room name, floor and
ceiling finish, and area with labels added to extract project data.
Specifying Room Tag Parameters

In this exercise, you specify the room tag parameters.
Dataset
On the File menu, click New Annotation Symbol.
navigate to the Metric Templates folder. Select M_Room Tag.rft, and
click Open.
Create a new tag based on the default room tag template

The reference planes that display are part of the default room
tag template.
Edit the 3mm label

2 On the Family tab of the Design Bar, click Label.

5 In the Type Properties dialog box, select Underline, and click
OK.
Add a 2mm label

7 In the Type properties dialog box, click Duplicate.
8 In the Name dialog box, enter 2mm for Name, and click OK.
9 In the Type Properties dialog box, enter 2 for the Text Size
parameter, clear Underline, and click OK.
Combine labels into a room tag

11 On the Design Bar, click Label.
12 In the Type Selector, verify that Label : 3mm is displayed.
13 On the Options Bar, verify that Center and Middle are
selected for Text Alignment.
14 Specify the location for the first label as shown.
15 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Name, and click

OK.
16 Zoom in on the label.
The name label is displayed with the text underlined.

17 In the Type Selector, select Label : 2mm.
18 Specify a point below the Name label for the next label
location.
19 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Floor Finish, and
click OK.
20 Specify a point below the Floor Finish label for the next
label location.
21 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Ceiling Finish,
and click OK.
Specifying Room Tag Parameters | 715
22 Specify a point below the Ceiling Finish label for the last label
location.
23 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Area, and click OK.
The Area label has a predefined value of 150 SF.

24 Save the new room tag with the name Finish Area Tag.rfa.
The new room tag is now ready for use.
This completes the Creating a Room Tag lesson.
Creating an Annotation Symbol

In this lesson, you create a custom north arrow annotation symbol and
place it in a new project.
Creating a Custom North Arrow Annotation Symbol

In this exercise, you create a custom north arrow annotation symbol with
a circle and lines.
Dataset
On the File menu, click New Annotation Symbol.
navigate to the Metric\Templates folder. Select Generic Annotation.rft,
and click Open.
Create a new annotation symbol based on the default generic

annotation template
1 In the Project Browser, notice that there is only one view
available.

generic annotation template. Notes included with the
template specify annotation parameters.
Sketch a north arrow symbol

4 Specify the reference plane intersection for the circle center

point.
5 Drag the cursor and specify a radius of 8mm.
Creating a Custom North Arrow Annotation Symbol | 717
7 Draw a horizontal line from the left side to the right side of
the circle through the center point.
8 Draw a vertical line from the top to the center point of the
circle.
9 Draw a vertical line from the center point to the bottom of

the circle.
The new north arrow annotation symbol is ready to edit.
Add an annotation objects subcategory

11 On the Settings menu, click Object Styles.
12 In the Object Styles dialog box, under Modify Subcategories,
click New.
13 In the New Subcategory dialog box, enter North Line for
Name, verify that Generic Annotations is selected for
Subcategory of, and click OK.
14 In the Object Styles dialog box, in the North Line row, select
3 for Line Weight, and click OK.
Apply the new line weight to the upper vertical line

15 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the upper
vertical line.
16 In the Type Selector, select North Line.
18 Select the template notes and press DELETE.

The north arrow annotation symbol is now complete.
19 Save the new north arrow with the name, Training North
Arrow.rfa.
Creating a Custom North Arrow Annotation Symbol | 719
Adding the New North Arrow to a Project

In this exercise, you add the new north arrow annotation symbol that you
created to a project.
Load the new north arrow into a new project

4 In the Select a Titleblock dialog box, select A1 metric.
5 Click OK.
6 Zoom in on the lower right corner of the sheet.
8 In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location of Training
North Arrow.rfa, select it, and click Open.
9 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Symbol.
10 In the Type Selector, select Training North Arrow.
11 Specify a point in the lower right corner of the sheet to place
the symbol.

This completes the Creating an Annotation Symbol lesson.
Creating a Titleblock Family

In this lesson, you create a custom titleblock sheet based on the A0 metric
titleblock template.
The titleblock has linework, text, and labels. You customize the titleblock
with a new text style, graphics, and your project data.
Drawing Linework for a Titleblock Sheet

In this exercise, you draw all of the linework necessary to create a custom
A0-size sheet.
Dataset
On the File menu, click New Titleblock.
In the left pane of the New dialog box, select Training Files and
navigate to the Metric\Templates folder. Select A0 metric.rft, and click
Open.
Create a new family based on the default titleblock template

1 The default titleblock template consists of 4 border lines.
Sketch the inside border

, and enter -25 for Offset.
Drawing Linework for a Titleblock Sheet | 721
4 Specify the upper left corner of the sheet for the first rectangle
corner, and then specify the lower right corner of the sheet
for the second corner of the rectangle.
Add vertical and horizontal lines

, and enter 140 for Offset.
6 Move the cursor over the right inside border line, and click to
draw a new vertical line.
, and click
8 Enter 0 for Offset.

9 Draw a horizontal line 140mm below the upper inside border
as shown.
10 Draw a horizontal line 120mm below the last horizontal line

as shown.
11 Draw a horizontal line 120mm above the lower inside border

as shown.
12 On the Design Bar, click Modify, press CTRL, and select the
second and third horizontal lines.
16 In the Type Selector, select Title Blocks.
18 Move the cursor over the third horizontal line, and click to
draw a new horizontal line 20mm below the existing line.
19 Move the cursor over the fourth horizontal line, and click
to draw a new horizontal line 20mm below the existing
line.
20 Move the cursor over the fifth horizontal line, and click to
draw a new horizontal line 20mm below the existing line.
Drawing Linework for a Titleblock Sheet | 723
21 On the Options Bar, enter 30 for Offset.

22 Move the cursor over the third horizontal line, and click to
draw a new horizontal line 30mm above the existing line.
23 Move the cursor over the seventh horizontal line, and click to
24 Move the cursor over the eighth horizontal line, and click to

26 Zoom out to view the entire sheet.
The titleblock linework is now complete.
Adding Graphics and Text to a Titleblock

In this exercise, you add a company logo, text notes, and labels to your
titleblock.
Add a company logo

1 On the File menu, click Import/Link Image.
2 In the Open dialog box, navigate to Training Files/Common,
select Company Logo.jpg, and click Open.
3 Place the image in the upper right corner of the sheet as
shown.
4 Zoom in on the logo.
Adding Graphics and Text to a Titleblock | 725
Create a new 10mm text style


9 In the Name dialog box, enter 10mm Bold for Name, and
click OK.
10 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Text, enter 10 for
Text Size, and select Bold.
11 Click OK twice.
Add company name text

12 Draw a text box under the first horizontal line as shown.
13 Enter Arch Design Inc. in the text box.

14 Click outside of the text box to complete the text.
Add company address and phone number text

16 Draw a text box below the initial text, and add an address
and phone number as shown.
Press ENTER to add each new line of text and click outside
of the text box to complete the text.
17 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the last text
note.
18 Select the drag handle, and drag the text note down as
shown.
19 Click outside the text box to complete the modification.
Add consultant name, address, and phone number text

21 Draw a text box below the second horizontal line, and enter
the following text:
Consultant:
Address:
Address:
Telephone:
22 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the consultant text
note.
24 On the Options Bar, select Constrain and Multiple.

25 Click inside the Consultant text group.
26 Move the cursor down 120mm and click to specify the first
copied text note position.
27 Move the cursor down another 120mm and click to specify

the second copied text note location.
Create a new 5mm text style


32 In the Name dialog box, enter 5mm for Name, and click OK.
33 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Text, enter 5 for Text
Size.
34 Click OK twice.
Add drawing data text

36 Draw a text box in the lower right space of the titleblock, and
enter Sheet Number:.
37 Draw a text box in the next space up, and enter Checked By:.
38 Draw a text box in the next space up, and enter Drawn By:.
39 Draw a text box in the next space up, and enter Date:.
Add drawing data labels

41 On the Options Bar, select Right and Bottom for Text
Alignment.
42 Place the cursor at the lower right corner of the Date field,
and click to specify the label location.
43 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Project Issue Date,

and click OK.
The label displays a default value wrapped to 3 lines.
44 Select the left drag handle on the label, and drag to the left
until the label displays on one line.
NOTE Move the label if necessary to line up properly with the

existing text.
45 Place the cursor at the lower right corner of the Drawn By
field, and click to specify the label location.
46 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Drawn By, and click
OK.

existing text.
47 Place the cursor at the lower right corner of the Checked
By field, and click to specify the label location.
48 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Checked By and
click OK.

existing text.
Create a new 15mm label style


53 In the Name dialog box, under Text, enter 15mm Label
54 In the Type Properties dialog box, enter 15 for Text Size.
55 Click OK twice.
Add sheet number and project data labels

56 In the Type Selector, select Label : 15mm Label.
57 Place the cursor at the lower right corner of the Sheet
Number field, and click to specify the label location.
58 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Sheet Number,
and click OK.
59 On the Options Bar, click Center and Middle.
60 Place the cursor near the center of the field above the Date
field, and click to specify the label location.
61 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Project Number, and
click OK.
63 Place the cursor near the center of the field above the Project
Number field, and click to specify the label location.
64 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Project Name, and
click OK.
66 Place the cursor near the center of the field above the Project
Name field, and click to specify the label location.
67 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select Client Name, and
click OK.
Create a 4mm label style


73 In the Name dialog box, enter 4mm Label, and click OK.
74 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Text, enter 4 for
Text Size.
75 Click OK twice.
Add Project Path label

76 In the Type Selector, select 4mm Label.
77 On the Options Bar, click Left and Middle.
78 Place the cursor in the border area below the left side of the
Sheet Number field, and click to specify the label location.
79 In the Select Parameter dialog box, select File Path, and click
OK.
80 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and then adjust the width
of the File Path field so that it is approximately equal to the
width of the Sheet Number field.
81 Save the new titleblock family with the name Training

A0Horizontal Titleblock.rfa.
The titleblock graphics, text, and labels are now complete.
Adding the Titleblock to a New Project

In this exercise, you add the titleblock that you created to a new project.
Load the new titleblock family into a new project

5 In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location of Training
A0Horizontal Titleblock.rfa file, select it, and click Open.
6 In the Select a Titleblock dialog box, select Training
A0Horizontal Titleblock.
7 Click OK.
Modify titleblock properties

8 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select the titleblock.
10 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Other, enter

Name for Drawn By, and click OK.
12 On the Settings menu, click Project Information.

13 In the Type Properties dialog box, do the following:
Enter January 1, 2005 for Project Issue Date.
Enter In Progress for Project Status.
Enter Jane Smith for Client Name.
Adding the Titleblock to a New Project | 737
Enter Office Building for Project Name.
Enter 2005-01 for Project Number.
14 Click OK.
This completes the Creating a Titleblock Family lesson.
Creating In-Place Families

In this lesson, you start with an incomplete building information model
of the Pantheon, and add a dome roof and a concave floor with revolved
forms as in-place families. You create an in-place family in your current
project rather than in the Family Editor. In-place families interact with the
building model according to their assigned family category.
NOTE This project was created using an imperial template and components.
To change the units of measurement to meters, on the Settings menu, click
Project Units. Set the Length units to millimeters, set the Area to Square meters,
format the Area to use 2 decimal places, and set the suffix to None.
Creating the Dome Roof In-Place Family

In this exercise, you create the dome roof with a revolved form. Sketch the
roof cross-section with a closed profile in an elevation view.
Dataset
In the left pane of the Open dialog box, select Training and navigate
to the Common folder.
Select c_Pantheon.rvt, and click Open.
Open the existing Pantheon building model

1 On the View menu, click Orient Southeast.
Next, you add a dome roof with oculus (circular opening)

to the Pantheon building model.
Elevations, and double-click South.
Specify the Roofs family category

Roofs for Family Category, and click OK.
5 In the Name dialog box, enter Dome for Name, and click
OK.
Creating the Dome Roof In-Place Family | 739
Specify the dome roof revolved form parameters

6 On the Design Bar, click Solid Form Solid Revolve.
8 In the Work Plane dialog box, select Pick a Plane, and click
OK.
9 Select the Center East/West reference plane as shown.
10 In the Go To View dialog box, select Section: Wall Section Center, and click Open View.
The center wall section view is displayed.
Draw the axis of rotation for the dome roof revolved form
11 On the Design Bar, click Axis.
13 Specify the bottom endpoint of the Center East/West reference

plane for the start point of the axis, and then specify the top
endpoint of the reference plane for the endpoint of the axis.
Draw the lower face of the dome roof

16 Specify the intersection of the Upper Cornice horizontal

reference plane and vertical axis as the circle center point.
17 Move the cursor out, until it creates an intersection with

the level 1 reference plane.
The circle is tangent to the interior wall face and the level 1
reference plane at the floor line.
Draw the oculus rim profile

18 Zoom in on the top of the circle.
The reference planes that display are guides for drawing the
oculus rim profile.
, and select Chain.
20 Specify the reference plane intersection for the start point of

the rim profile as shown.
21 Snap to reference plane intersections, and draw the five rim

profile line segments in the shape of a reverse C as shown.
Split the circle

23 On the Options Bar, select Delete Inner Segment.

24 Select a point on the circle to the right of the rim profile.
25 Select the intersection of the circle and the lower left vertical
line of the profile as shown.
The circle is trimmed between the rim profile and the first split
point.
Draw the upper face of the dome roof

28 Specify the endpoint of the upper left rim profile line segment
as the arc start point.
29 Specify the top of the stairs in the wall section as the arc
endpoint.
30 Specify a point on the arc approximately as shown.
Draw two lines to close the dome roof profile

and select Chain.
33 Draw a horizontal line from the arc endpoint to the interior

edge of the wall, and then draw a vertical line down the
interior wall face to the lower dome roof face tangent point.
Trim the arc below the tangent point

35 Select the interior face of the wall, and then select a point
on the arc above the tangent point as the segment to keep.
The dome roof closed profile is now complete.
Specify lightweight concrete for the dome roof material

36 On the Design Bar, click Revolution Properties.
Finishes, click for Material.
38 In the Materials dialog box, select Concrete - Cast-in-Place
Lightweight Concrete for Name, and click OK.
The dome roof in-place family is now complete.
Creating the Concave Floor In-Place Family

In this exercise, you create the concave floor slab for the Pantheon
building model.
Specify the concave floor revolved form parameters

Floors for Family Category, and click OK.
3 In the Name dialog box, enter Concave Floor for Name,
and click OK.
4 In the Project Browser under Elevations, double-click South.
5 On the Design Bar, click Solid Form Solid Revolve.

7 In the Work Plane dialog box, select Pick a Plane, and click
OK.
8 Select the Center East/West reference plane as shown.
Creating the Concave Floor In-Place Family | 747
9 In the Go To View dialog box, select Section: Wall Section Center, and click Open View.
Draw the axis of rotation for the floor revolved form

10 On the Design Bar, click Axis.
12 Specify the bottom endpoint of the Center East/West reference

plane for the start point of the axis, and then specify the top
endpoint of the reference plane for the endpoint of the axis.
Draw the concave floor profile

, and select Chain.
15 Specify the intersection of the T.O. Footing level line and

the axis, for the start point of the floor profile as shown.
NOTE You may need to zoom in closer to the intersection to

select the first point.
16 Drag the cursor up 800 mm, and specify the next point for
the floor profile as shown.
17 Specify the intersection of the level 1 reference plane and the

interior wall edge for the next point of the floor profile as
shown.
18 Specify the intersection of the T.O. Footing level line and the
interior wall edge for the next point of the floor profile.
19 Specify the intersection of the of the T.O. Footing level line
and the axis for the last point of the floor profile.
The concave floor closed profile is now complete.
Specify cobblestone for the concave floor material

20 On the Design Bar, click Revolution Properties.
21 In the Element Properties dialog box, click
for Material.
22 In the Materials dialog box, select Cobblestone for Name,

and click OK.
26 In the Project Browser under 3D Views, double-click 3D
Section View.
This completes the Creating In-Place Families lesson.
Parametric Component
Design Techniques
14
In this tutorial, you create a new parametric component within

the Family Editor. During this tutorial, you learn the process
and methodology of creating a new family. In exercises that
become increasingly complex, you learn specific techniques
and best practices that you can apply broadly when creating
other families in Revit Building 9.1.
The parametric component that you design in this tutorial is
an open web wood floor truss. In this case, the length of the
trimmable truss determines the size and grade of the truss
chords. In the center of the truss is a mechanical service
clearance to accommodate HVAC systems. The truss also has
multiple types, formula-based parameters, assigned
subcatecories, and detail level controls. This type of component
uses a broad spectrum of design techniques within the Family
Editor.
753
The goal of this tutorial is to teach you the proper approach

to parametric component creation, not specifically how to
make a floor truss. At the end of this tutorial, you will
understand the process, methodology, and the specific
techniques for creating a parametric component.
754 | Chapter 14 Parametric Component Design Techniques
Planning a Parametric Component Family

Creating a new parametric component family is no different than any
other design process; planning ahead is one of the most important steps.
Knowing why you are creating a particular family and what you need
it to do will drive the specific design process. In this lesson, you
accomplish two main tasks: you determine the component needs and
select the family template that is suited to those needs.
Determining Component Needs

In this exercise, you determine the requirements of the new component.
In this case, it is an open-joist wood floor truss. For training purposes,
imagine that your firm specializes in light commercial and residential
design. Your assignment is to create a truss that adapts parametrically
to changes in the building design.
Decide component type and design requirements

1 What type of component are you designing?
In this case, the design specification requires that the floor
truss snaps to columns, beams, and structural walls, and
also works intuitively with them. It should also be an
available option within a beam system. In addition, the
component should use the point-to-point insertion method
with the joist web members adjusting parametrically.
Because this component has to interact closely with other
structural components, this must be a structural beam
component. This decision dictates which family template
you begin with. If the component did not have to interact
so closely with other structural components, a generic
floor-based component might work. Although this solution
is possible, it is not the best solution.
In the next exercise, you select the best available template
with which to begin the new structural beam family.
2 What additional design requirements affect the design plan
for this beam family?
Additional design requirements
The truss should automatically adjust depth as the

length changes.
Two types should be created, a 2x3 truss and a 2x4 truss.
A rectangular mechanical clearance opening must be

centered within the beam.
Planning a Parametric Component Family | 755
The design requirements dictate how simple or complex a

family must be. In this case, the beam design must be advanced
in order to have the flexibility that the specs require.
NOTE When creating a new family, you should avoid

over-designing the component. If the design requirements can
be met with a simple design, then you should design only what
is needed to satisfy the requirements. For every complexity added
to a family, there is a computing performance cost that must be
paid within the project. Take this into consideration during your
design planning.
Using the new family within a project

3 How will you use the family within a project?
For instance:
What materials need the most control?

These materials, such as wood type, would require Instance
or Type parameters.
What materials remain constant throughout a project?

The chord and web material will always be wood. These
materials can be applied using Object Styles.
What types are most commonly used?

In this training case, only the 2x3 and 2x4 trusses with
wood web members are required.
How will the component need to be scheduled?

This is an important question, especially if you are
going to be nesting subcomponents that may require
separate scheduling. In addition, the means by which
you gather the information you require within the
schedule needs to be built into the component.
You have completed the planning stage for the new family.
Depending on the family you are designing, the planning
stage and questions may differ.
4 Continue with the next exercise, Selecting the Family
Template on page 757.
Selecting the Family Template

In this exercise, you determine which family template provides the best
starting point for the new beam family. In the previous exercise, you
determined that the component type is a structural beam. This critical
decision reduces the quantity of template options.
Selecting the Family Template | 757
Review the template options

2 Click File menu New Family.
The New dialog box opens to the templates folder that is
specified in your Settings Options dialog box. You should
be in the Metric Templates folder. Usually, this is where you
access family templates. However, to ensure you are using the
templates referenced in this tutorial, you will access them from
the Training Files folder.
and open Metric\Templates.
4 Scroll through the various template options.
Notice that most of the template names include the
component type. In addition, the template name often
includes information how the component would be used with
a project, for example: wall based or floor based.
5 Select Metric Generic Model floor based.rft.
NOTE Do not double-click the template or open it. Select it so
that the preview displays.
On the right side of the New dialog box, notice the preview.
Like most generic family templates, it provides two

intersecting reference planes: Center (left/right) and Center
(front/back).
6 In the New dialog box, scroll to the structural framing
templates.
There are two structural framing templates provided.
Metric Structural Framing - Beams and Braces.rft

This template is design specifically to accommodate
point-to-point insertion and the specific snapping,
spacing, and display functions required by structural
beams.
Metric Structural Framing - Complex and Trusses.rft

This template is designed for complex framing
components and trusses. It provides two intersecting
reference planes: Center (left/right) and Center
(front/back). Because of its simplicity, it is not designed
to create a component capable of point-to-point
insertion.
7 Select Metric Structural Framing - Complex and Trusses.rft,

and notice the preview.
Although the template name suggests this is the appropriate

template, it is not the best starting point for the beam
family.
Selecting the Family Template | 759
8 Select Metric Structural Framing - Beams and Braces.rft and

notice the preview.
Notice this template offers three vertical planes on each side

of the center (left/right) reference plane. These planes are
designed specifically to accommodate point-to-point beam
insertion and the special snapping and display requirements
of beam components. This template is the best starting point
for the new family.
Open the family template

9 Double-click Metric Structural Framing - Beams and Braces.rft
to open it.
10 Maximize the view, Floor Plan: Ref. Level.
Floor Plan: Ref. Level
In this view, you can see the rectangular beam extrusion and
a symbolic line.

Notice that the beam extrusion is centered on the level line.
When a beam family based on this template is added to a
project, the top of the beam extrusion is aligned to the
associated level of the plan view.
1.
This beam extrusion is supplied within the template as a

starting point. Like many templates, the geometry supplied
can be used or discarded as needed.
13 Proceed to the next lesson, Creating the Component
Skeleton on page 761.
Creating the Component Skeleton

In this lesson, you add the reference planes, lines, and dimensions that
provide a skeleton for the solid geometry. As you add solid geometry
later in the tutorial, you snap and lock the solid geometry to these
reference planes and lines. Therefore, creating a skeleton to build upon
is the foundation of a new component family.
NOTE When creating or modifying a family, it is not necessary to create a
skeleton of reference planes or lines and then align and lock the solid
geometry to it. Dimensioning the solid geometry directly also works;
however, using reference planes and lines is considered more reliable and
is therefore a best practice.
Adding Reference Planes

In this exercise, you add reference planes to the beam design. These
reference planes act as part of the skeleton to which the solid geometry
will align and lock.
Creating the Component Skeleton | 761
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you started in the previous exercise.
Review existing reference planes

Level.
2 Place the cursor over the leftmost vertical reference plane until
the tooltip displays the name of the plane, Reference Plane:
Left.
TIP The name also displays on the Status Bar.
3 Repeat this step for the other two vertical planes on the left
side.
The reference planes in this template are designed to
accommodate the point-to-point insertion of a beam
component. The reference planes and their respective
explanations are listed below.
Left and Right:

These two planes mark the points where the beam
intersects with other columns. In the image below, two
steel columns and a steel beam have been added to a
project. The two arrows point to the snap points that the
left and right reference planes refer to.
NOTE The reference planes shown in the project image

below were added as a training reference. Reference planes
that display within a family file do not display within a
project.
Member Left and Member Right:

These two planes refer to the left and right extent of
the beam solid geometry when displayed in a medium
or fine display view of a project. In the project plan
view image below, notice the location of the beam
extents. The six reference planes shown in the project
below were added as a training reference; they do not
display when the family is loaded into a project.
Stick Symbol Left and Stick Symbol Right:
Adding Reference Planes | 763
These two planes refer to the extents of the stick symbol

when it is loaded into a project and the plan view display
setting is coarse.
Each family template has a different set of reference planes

established within it. Before adding new reference planes, it
is important to be familiar with the template so you do not
create duplicate or conflicting planes.
Delete existing solid geometry

4 Select the rectangular beam extrusion.
NOTE Be careful not to select the symbolic line.
5 On the Edit Toolbar, click
In a later exercise, you add the solid geometry for the truss as
a sweep.
Add new reference planes

7 Add a reference plane approximately 50 mm above the
horizontal reference plane: Center (Front/Back).
8 Add a reference plane approximately 50 mm below the

horizontal reference plane: Center (Front/Back).
You will use these two reference planes to control the beam
width and keep it centered on the reference plane: Center
(Front/Back).
Add ref. planes to control beam depth

11 Add a reference plane approximately 150 mm below the
Level: Ref. Level.
12 Add a reference plane approximately 150 mm above the Level:

Ref. Level.
TIP You can also use the mirror tool to accomplish this task. To
do this, select the lower horizontal reference plane, click
on
the Edit toolbar, and select the Level: Ref. Level as the mirror axis.
These two reference planes mark the top and bottom extents
of the beam. This beam requires additional reference planes
to complete the truss skeleton.
mm.
, and specify an Offset of 38
The next four reference planes that you add mark the thickness
of the truss chords.
15 Place the cursor over the top horizontal reference plane. When
a copy of the reference plane displays below it, click to place
it.
TIP You can control the direction of the offset by moving the
cursor slightly to either side of the line you intend to pick.
16 Place the cursor over the lower horizontal reference plane

and when a copy of the reference plane displays above it,
click to place it as shown.
17 Place the cursor over Reference Plane: Member Left, and

when a copy of the reference plane displays to the right of
it, click to place it as shown.
18 Place the cursor over Reference Plane: Member Right, and

when a copy of the reference plane displays to the left of
it, click to place it as shown.
You have completed the reference planes that make up the

skeleton of the chords. Before you move on to the next
exercise, you must add four additional reference planes to
accommodate the center chase.
19 On the Options Bar, specify an Offset of 200 mm.
20 Place the cursor over Reference Plane: Center (Left/Right), and
when a copy of the reference plane displays to the left of it,
21 Place the cursor over Reference Plane: Center (Left/Right), and

when a copy of the reference plane displays to the right of it,
22 On the Options Bar, specify an Offset of 238 mm.

23 Use the Reference Plane: Center (Left/Right) to add reference
planes to the left and right of it as shown below.

Level.
Notice the reference planes that you added in the elevation
view. Although there is nothing technically incorrect
regarding the reference planes in this view, cleaning up
some of the extents would make the view easier, which you
do in the next exercise.

27 In the Save As dialog box, enter Wood Floor Truss for File
name, navigate to the folder of your choice, and click Save.
NOTE You use this family for the remainder of this tutorial. Make
sure you remember where you saved it.
28 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Dimensions and
Constraints on page 770.
Adding Dimensions and Constraints

In this exercise, you add some of the dimensions and constraints that
control how the open web floor truss adapts to changes in its geometry.
By applying dimensions and constraints directly to the skeleton of the
family, you can make sure the new family adapts to changes in geometry
as expected before adding solid geometry to it.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset, Wood Floor Truss.rfa, that you saved at the
end of the previous exercise.
Dimension chord width

This tool is the aligned dimension tool. It allows you to

dimension between parallel lines.
3 Select each of the horizontal reference planes and place the

dimension to the left as shown. After adding the dimension,
separate the overriding values by dragging the value controls
as shown.
TIP You may need to adjust your zoom settings during this
procedure.

5 Select the dimension you added in the previous step, and
click the EQ symbol when it displays.
This ensures that changes to the chord width are distributed
equally across the center reference plane.

7 Add a dimension referring to the upper horizontal reference
plane and the lower horizontal reference plane. Place the
dimension as shown.
Adding Dimensions and Constraints | 771
Add the depth dimension and equality constraint

10 Select the upper horizontal reference plane, the Center
reference plane, and the lower horizontal reference plane,
place the dimension to the left as shown, and click the EQ
symbol to apply the equality constraint.
NOTE The center horizontal reference plane overlaps the level
line: Ref. Level. You may need to use the TAB key to toggle the
selection to the reference plane.
11 Add a dimension referring to the upper horizontal reference

plane and the lower horizontal reference plane and move it
to the left of the equality constrained dimension you added
previously.
Dimension and constrain the center chase width

12 Add a dimension referring to the three vertical reference
planes in the center of the model, place the dimension
under the lines as shown and click the EQ symbol to apply
the equality constraint.
13 Add a dimension referring to the reference planes to the

left and right of the Center (Left/Right) reference plane, and
place it below the dimension you added previously.
Adding Dimensions and Constraints | 773
Dimension chord thickness

14 On the right side of the model, add two dimensions as shown.
These dimensions refer to the chord thickness.
15 Add four dimensions as shown.

These dimensions refer to the chord thickness of the vertical
members and the members that border the center chase.
You have finished adding the dimensions and constraints

that control how the truss skeleton adapts to changes.
Throughout the tutorial, you will add additional reference
planes, dimensions, and constraints as needed.
In the next exercise, you label the dimensions to create
instance and type parameters. These parameters are the key
to providing flexibility within a project. In addition, they
allow you to flex the model in order to test your design.
17 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating New Length
Parameters on page 775.
Creating New Length Parameters

In this exercise, you create new length parameters that control the basic
dimensions of the floor truss. The parameters that you create when
designing a family are the same parameters used within a project to
control the instance and type parameters of that family. When you
design a new family, it is important to decide how much control over
the component will be required after the component is loaded into a
project.
There are many types of parameters and various ways to create them.
In this exercise, you label the dimensions that you added in the previous
exercise. When you label a dimension in the Family Editor, it becomes
a parameter. You choose whether to make it an instance or type
parameter.
Things to consider when deciding instance or type:
If the component comes in standard sizes that must be maintained,

consider making it a type parameter.
If the component is something that is cut or otherwise extremely

flexible, consider making it an instance parameter.
If the component has material that varies per component, consider

making the material parameter an instance parameter.
If the parameter controls something that usually remains constant

by its nature, consider making it a type parameter. You should lean
towards simplicity whenever possible.
Dataset
Create the chord width parameter

Level.
Creating New Length Parameters | 775
2 Select the dimension that refers to the width of the chord as

shown.
3 On the Options Bar, select Add parameter for Label.

Under Parameter Type, select Family parameter.
Under Parameter Data, enter Chord Width for Name.
Select Dimensions for Group parameter under.
Select Type.
This indicates whether the parameter is a type or instance
parameter.
Click OK.
Create truss depth parameter

6 Select the dimension on the left that refers to the depth of the
truss.

Under Parameter Data, enter Depth for Name.
Select Type.
Click OK.
Create center chase width parameter

9 Select the dimension that refers to the width of the center
chase interior.

Under Parameter Data, enter Center Chase Width for

Name.
Select Type.
Click OK.
Create chord thickness parameter

12 On the right side of the model, select the dimension that refers
to the thickness of the lower horizontal truss chord as shown.

Under Parameter Data, enter Chord Thickness for Name.
Select Type.
Click OK.
TIP You may need to drag the text label downward as shown.
Apply chord thickness label to other dimensions

15 On the right side of the model, select the dimension that
refers to the thickness of the upper horizontal truss chord.
16 On the Options Bar, select Chord Thickness for Label.
17 Apply the Chord Thickness label to the vertical chords and

the vertical members on the left and right side of the center
chase as shown.

In the Family Types dialog box, notice the labelled dimensions
display under the list of parameters and under the group,
Dimensions.
When you load this family into a project, these parameters
will be available within the Type Properties dialog box for the
beam.
19 Click Cancel.
21 Proceed to the next exercise, Flexing the Component Model
on page 780.
Flexing the Component Model

One of the most important steps in the process of creating a new parametric
component is the flexing of the model. Flexing the model means to change
parameter values, thus forcing the model to adapt to the changes. This is
not limited to length parameters. If you add a new material parameter,
you should also test it to make sure it works as expected. You should flex
the model after any major change to the design.
You should flex a new family after:
Adding or modifying an element.
Adding or modifying a parameter.
Adding a new constraint.
Nesting a component.
Adding or modifying a parameter formula.
When you flex a family, you should always do it from the Family Types
dialog box, rather than by manually stretching or manipulating the
objects within the family. When you change a parameter value and
apply the change, this is the most accurate way of testing how the family
will behave within a project.
In this exercise, you flex the model to test the various length parameters
that you added in the previous exercise. Even though you have yet to
add any model geometry to the family, it is important to verify that the
reference lines adjust to changes as constraints are maintained. After
you verify this, you can add the model geometry to the skeleton and be
relatively certain that it will also flex as expected.
Dataset
Preparing the family for flexing

1 When flexing the model, you need to be able to see the
model within the drawing area and also apply new values
within the Family Types dialog box:
Maximize the Revit window and adjust the zoom

settings so the model is in one corner of the drawing
area. When you open the Family Types dialog, you can
drag it to the opposing corner.
or
Flexing the Component Model | 781
Reduce the Revit window and keep the model centered

in the drawing area. When you open the Family Types
dialog box, you can drag it off the Revit window as shown.
Adjust your display using one of the two methods before

opening the Family Types dialog box.
2 On the Design Bar, click Family Types, and drag the dialog
box so that you can view the model.
Flex the truss depth

3 In the Family Types dialog box, under Dimensions, enter 600
mm for Depth, and click Apply.
Notice the depth of the truss adapts to the change in
dimension value. Also notice the equality constraint spreads
the additional depth evenly above and below the Ref. Level.
In addition, notice that the reference planes marking the chord
thickness adapted to the change in depth while maintaining
their specified value. Verifying that the entire model adapts
to changes and making sure nothing breaks is the essence
of flexing.
4 Enter 450 mm for Depth, 80 mm for Chord Thickness,

800 mm for Center Chase Width, and click Apply.
Notice that the model adapts to all of the changes.
Flexing the Component Model | 783
Reset parameters
5 In the Family Types dialog box, reset the parameters back to
Enter 38 mm for Chord Thickness.
Enter 400 mm for Center Chase Width.
Click Apply.
Click OK.
When working within the Family Editor, you should always

flex the design after you add new elements or modify the
existing design in any way.
7 Proceed to the next lesson, Adding Solid Geometry on page
784.
Adding Solid Geometry

In this lesson, you add the solid geometry using extrusions for the chords
and trimmable plywood ends. After creating the extrusions, you constrain
them using a combination of locked alignments and labelled dimensions.
After flexing the design, you load the truss into a project to verify that it
works as designed.
Creating Solid Extrusions

In this exercise, you create the top and bottom chords of the truss. After
adding the chords, you align and lock their position.
Dataset
Add chord extrusions

1 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click Left.
2 Zoom in around the center of the truss design.

4 In the Work Plane dialog box, click Name, select Reference
Plane: Member Left, and click OK.
, and select Lock.
7 Select the four reference planes that border the top chord
as shown.
Notice that the sketch lines are automatically locked to the

reference planes.
When using the Trim tool, click the part of the line you
want to keep.
Creating Solid Extrusions | 785
9 Select perpendicular intersecting lines to create the top chord

sketch as shown.

, and verify that Lock is selected.
12 Select the four reference planes that border the bottom chord
as shown.
NOTE A warning dialog displays notifying you that there are
overlapping lines. You can ignore this warning because after you
finish trimming, the lines will no longer overlap.
14 Select perpendicular intersecting lines to create the bottom

chord sketch as shown.

1.
Notice the chord extrusions and the symbolic line. The
chords need to be aligned and locked to the correct reference
planes in order for them to flex with changes in the
geometry.

18 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Constraints to the
Adding Constraints to the Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you add constraints to the chord extrusions and then
flex the family to verify that it works as designed.
Dataset
Constrain the extrusion ends

Adding Constraints to the Solid Geometry | 787
2 Enter SD; this is the keyboard shortcut for Shading with Edges.
This makes the chord extrusions more visible within the view.
3 Select the chord extrusions.
4 Drag the right arrow control to the right until it snaps to the
reference plane: Member Right, as shown.
Click the lock symbol to lock the extrusion edge to the
reference plane.
5 Drag the left arrow control to the right until it snaps to the
reference plane: Member Left, as shown.
Click the lock symbol to lock the extrusion edge to the
reference plane.
Flex the design

6 Prepare the view for flexing in the same way you did during
the flexing exercise. Youll want to set up your screen so you
can see the model truss while the Family Types dialog box is
open.
On the Design Bar, click Family Types.
7 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 6000 for Length, and
click Apply.
Notice that the extrusions did not move or change their
length. This is because the length dimension references the
extreme left and right reference planes, not the member
right or member left reference planes. Therefore, you must
add a new constraint before flexing the length.
8 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 3000 for Length, click
Apply, and click OK.
Add a new dimension and constraint

10 Add a dimension between the reference plane: Left and the
reference plane: Member Left as shown.
Click the lock symbol to lock the dimension value.
11 Add a dimension between the reference plane: Right and the

reference plane: Member Right as shown.
Click the lock symbol to lock the dimension value.
In this particular case, adding this constraint to the model has

no impact on how it works within a project. This is a two-point
placement beam family that uses the member left and member
right reference planes as the determining extents of this
component. Later in this lesson, you load this family into a
project to test how it works within a project environment.
Flex the length

13 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 6000 for Length, and
click Apply.
Notice that the extrusions adjusted to the change in length.

This tells you that the constraints on the extrusion ends are
working.
TIP If one of the extrusion ends did not adjust as expected,

use the Align tool and add the constraint. Afterwards, flex the
model once again to make sure the fix works as expected.
14 Click OK.
In a later exercise, you add the web members. Therefore,
you need a truss long enough to add web arrays and do not
need to return the truss back to its original length value.
Flex the chord width, depth, and thickness

1.
16 Enter SD for Shading with Edges.

Enter 600mm for Depth.
Enter 200mm for Chord Width.
Enter 76mm for Chord Thickness.

TIP When flexing, it is important to remember the original
values so you can reset them afterwards. Therefore, try picking
a method, such as doubling, that allows you to easily return
to the original values.
Click Apply.
The chords should adjust to each of the new values.

19 Specify the beam values shown below:
Enter 89mm for Chord Width.
Click Apply, and click OK.

21 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Additional Solid
Creating Additional Solid Geometry

In this exercise, you add the extrusions for the truss ends and the center
chase.
Dataset
Add the center chase extrusions

Level.
2 Zoom in on the center of the truss and select the model line
that represents the beam stick symbol.
3 On the View Control Bar, click the Hide/Isolate control,
and click Hide Object.
This will make it easier to sketch the center chase extrusions.
selected.
, and verify that Lock is
7 Select the four reference planes that border the left, vertical
member of the center chase as shown.
Notice that the sketch lines are automatically locked to the

reference planes.
9 Select perpendicular intersecting lines to create the left,

vertical member of the center chase sketch as shown.
Creating Additional Solid Geometry | 793

12 Select the four reference planes that border the right, vertical
member of the center chase as shown.
NOTE A warning dialog displays notifying you that there are
overlapping lines. You can ignore this warning because after you
finish trimming, the lines will no longer overlap.
14 Select perpendicular intersecting lines to complete the center

chase sketch as shown.

17 Zoom in on the center chase.
Align and lock the new extrusions

18 On the Tools menu, click Align.
This next process is very important. The ends of the chase
extrusions must be aligned and locked to the horizontal
reference planes coincident with the interior edges of the
chords. Although you can align and lock extrusion to
extrusion, it is considered a best practice to align and lock
to reference planes.
19 For the align-to reference, select the reference line on the
top of the lower chord as shown.
You may need to press TAB to toggle the selection options.
20 Click the bottom edge of one of the chase extrusions, and

after the alignment, click the lock symbol to lock the
alignment.
21 Align the top edge of the chase extrusions with the reference
line coincident with the lower edge of the upper chord, and
lock the alignment as shown.
Flex the center chase

Enter 800mm for Center Chase Width.
Click Apply.
The truss should adapt to all the changes. If it does not, redo
any problematic alignments and constraints.
25 In the Family Types dialog box, reset the values as follows:
Clean up the view

26 Zoom to Fit.
27 Clean up the view by moving the dimensions off to the side

as shown.
This will make subsequent work much easier.
Add the truss end extrusions

28 Select the Chord Thickness dimension in the lower-left
corner as shown.
29 On the Options Bar, select Add Parameter for Label.

30 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, under Parameter
Data, do the following:
Enter Trimmable End Length for Name.
Select Instance.
Click OK.
31 Select the Chord Thickness dimension in the lower-right

corner of the view.
32 On the Options Bar, select Trimmable End Length for Label.

34 In the Family Types dialog box, under Dimensions, enter
300mm for Trimmable End Length, click Apply, and click
OK.
Sketch the right end extrusion

36 Zoom around the truss elements.
38 In the Work Plane dialog box, select Reference Plane: Member
Right for Name, and click OK.
41 On the upper chord, select the lower horizontal reference

plane; on the lower chord, select the upper horizontal reference
plane. These two lines represent the upper and lower boundary
of the sketch.
42 On the Options Bar, enter 19mm for Offset.

43 Select the Center (Front/Back) reference plane twice to add a
sketch line to each side as shown.
45 Select perpendicular intersecting lines to complete the end

sketch as shown.

47 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Constraints,
verify that 300mm is specified for the Extrusion End value,
and click OK.
Sketch the left end extrusion

49 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click Left.
50 Zoom around the truss elements.
52 In the Work Plane dialog box, select Reference Plane: Member
Left for Name, and click OK.
55 On the upper chord, select the lower horizontal reference

plane; on the lower chord, select the upper horizontal reference
plane. These two lines represent the upper and lower boundary
of the sketch.
56 On the Options Bar, enter 19mm for Offset.
57 Select the Center (Front/Back) reference plane twice to add a
sketch line to each side as shown.
59 Select perpendicular intersecting lines to complete the end

sketch as shown.

61 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Constraints,
specify -300mm for the Extrusion End value, and click OK.
NOTE This extrusion value must be negative in order to push
the extrusion towards the center of the truss.
Add alignment constraints

Although the truss ends line up with the reference planes

controlling the length of the trimmable ends, they are not
aligned and locked to those reference planes and would not
pass a flex test.
64 Zoom in on the left end of the truss.
66 Select the Member Left reference plane as the align-to point.
67 Select the left edge of the left end extrusion, and lock the
alignment.
68 Select the reference plane coincident with the right edge of
the left end extrusion; this is the align-to point.
69 Select the right edge of the left end extrusion, and lock the
alignment.
70 Repeat the previous five steps for the right end of the truss.
Make adjustments to account for the right side.
TIP When you finish the alignments, if you select the end
extrusion, a lock displays on each side indicating the constraints
to the reference planes.
Flex the design

Enter 600mm for Trimmable End Length.
Click Apply.
The truss should adapt to all the changes. If it does not, fix
Enter 300mm for Trimmable End Length.

1.
76 Save the Family.

A new dataset is provided for you beginning with the next
lesson. It is identical to the truss you have been designing.
If you are comfortable with your design, you can continue
using it in the next lesson. If you have experienced any
errors or have deviated from the exercises in any way, you
should close the file and begin with a fresh dataset.
77 Proceed to the next lesson, Testing the Family in a Project
on page 803.
Testing the Family in a Project

In this lesson, you load the family into a project to test it in a real-world
environment. After you load it into the project, you add several beam
instances and then modify the shape of the foundation to see how the
beams adapt.
Testing the Family in a Project | 803
Loading a Family into a Project

In this exercise, you load the truss family into a project that consists of
foundation walls, a sill, and a rim joist.
NOTE Close any open families or projects. The truss family that you use in this
lesson is identical to the truss you have created in the previous exercises.
Although you could continue using the previous family, it is recommended
that you use the new family in order to ensure consistency.
Datasets
Open the truss family
Open the m_Wood Floor Truss_1.rfa file located in the Metric\Families

folder.
Open the project file
Open the m_WWF1.rvt file located in the Metric folder.
Load the truss family into the project

1 On the Window menu, click m_Wood Floor Truss_1.rfa.
The truss family is loaded directly into the only other open
file. If you had multiple projects or families open, a dialog
box would have displayed asking for you to specify which
projects you wanted to load the family into.
Notice that the project file is now active.
3 In the Project Browser, expand Families, expand Structural
Framing, and notice that the Wood Floor Truss_1 family
has been loaded.
4 Proceed to the next exercise, Testing a Family Instance in
a Project on page 805.
Testing a Family Instance in a Project

In this exercise, you add several instances of the truss family to the
project, and then modify the project to see how the beams adapt.
Dataset
Continue to use the datasets that you used in the previous exercise.
Testing a Family Instance in a Project | 805
Add beams to project

1 In the Project Browser, expand Views, expand 3D Views, and
double-click 3D - Southeast Isometric.
This project consists of foundation walls, a slab, a wood sill,

and a wood rim joist. The rim joist was added as a beam;
therefore, the truss family you loaded will interact with it
as one beam does to another.
1.
TIP If the Structural tab of the Design Bar is not active,
right-click in the Design Bar, and click Structural.
4 In the Type Selector, select m_Wood Floor Truss_1.
5 Using point-to-point insertion, add three vertical beams
that snap to the rim joist at each end.
NOTE Do not be concerned with the exact location of the
three beams. Try to make them approximately equidistant as
shown.
6 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click 3D Southeast Isometric.
Notice the wood truss sits on top of the sill and attaches to
the rim joist as expected.
1.
8 Select Grid 2 and drag it downward until the walls form an
approximate square.
NOTE Make sure you drag the grid line, not the wall or rim joist.
You do not need to be precise; you are merely testing the new
floor truss to verify that it adapts to the changes.
Notice the wood truss adjusted to the changes.
The truss ends remained constant and adapted to the

new beam length.
The center chase remained the same width while

remaining centered.
In the next lesson, you nest the web components into the truss
and create an array that adapts to changes in length.
10 On the Edit menu, click Undo Drag.
This should return the project to its original dimension.
11 On the File menu, click Save as.
12 In the Save as dialog box, navigate to a folder of your choice
and save the project with its existing name.
IMPORTANT Do not change the name of the family. The project
and family need to interact based on a consistent file name.
Edit a family from within a project

13 Select one of the wooden truss components.
14 On the Options Bar, click Edit Family.
15 When prompted to open the truss family for editing, click Yes.
Because the family is already open, the wood floor truss family
becomes the active view.
16 Proceed to the next lesson, Working with Nested
Subcomponents on page 810.
Working with Nested Subcomponents

In this lesson, you nest wood web members into the floor truss, and create
a formula controlled array to fill in the truss.
Adding a Nested Component

In this exercise, you nest two wooden web members into the truss. You
then align and lock the web extents before applying a formula-controlled
array.
Dataset
Continue to use the datasets from the previous exercise.
Prepare the view for nesting

1 Make sure that m_Wood Floor Truss_1.rfa is the active file.
Level.
3 Select the symbolic line in the center of the truss.
4 On the View Control Bar, click Hide/Isolate, and click Hide
Object.
This will aid in the placement of the wood web.
Load the wood web family
In the left pane of the Open dialog box, click the

Open the m_Wood_Web.rfa file located in the

Metric\Families folder.
Adding a Nested Component | 811
This family is a single extrusion as shown. The extrusion is

aligned and locked to invisible model lines that make it easier
to array within the truss. The geometry is driven by
formula-based parameters that link to the host family.
Add two wood web components

6 On the Design Bar, click Component.
7 In the Type Selector, verify that m_Wood_Web: Wood Web
is selected.
8 Add two instances of the wood web component as shown.
Place one wood web on each side of the center chase. Snap
the center line of the web to the center reference plane of the
truss. Leave a slight gap between the chase and the web. This
will make aligning the wood web easier.
IMPORTANT Make sure you snap the center line of the web
components to the center reference line of the truss.

11 Place the cursor over the left wood web. Do not select it.
Notice the model lines that surround the web component;

they are visible only when you place the cursor over the
component. In the following steps, you align the web panel
using these lines rather than the extrusion edges.
Also notice that the depth of the web members needs to be
changed. This will be accomplished in the next exercise
when you link the nested parameter with the host
parameter.
Align the nested web components

12 Enter AL; this is the keyboard shortcut for Align.
You will align the left web component first.
13 For the align-to point, select the reference plane that is
coincident with the left edge of the left center chase
extrusion.
14 Select the right vertical model line of the left web

component as shown.
IMPORTANT Do not lock the alignment
15 Repeat the previous two steps to align the left edge of the right
web component to the right edge of the center chase as shown.
Each of these web components represents the starting point

of the web arrays that you add later in this lesson.
NOTE You do not have to align the top or bottom the web
components because the height of the web members will adapt
to the truss height after you create and link the parameters in the
next exercise. In addition, it is important to note that you should
avoid adding unnecessary constraints.
Add reference planes for array anchors

18 Add two reference planes as shown. Place each reference plane
just to the outside of the center of the web components.

The reference plane you added in the previous step represents
half the web width. In the steps that follow, you align the
reference planes to the center of the web components.
20 Select the center of the left web component as the align-to
point.
21 Select the reference plane that you added to the left of the
web components center as shown.
22 Click the lock to lock the reference plane to the centerline

of the web component.
23 Repeat the previous two steps to align and lock the right
web component and the reference plane as shown.
Dimension and label array anchors

25 Add the following two dimensions:
Left web dimension
Select the reference plane that you aligned to the center

of the left web component.
Select the reference plane that is coincident with the right

edge of the left web component and the outside edge of
the center chase.
Place the dimension as shown.
Right web dimension
Select the reference plane that you aligned to the center

of the right web component.
Select the reference plane that is coincident with the left

edge of the right web component and the outside edge of
the center chase.
Place the dimension as shown.
In the next exercise, you label these dimensions. You also add
a formula to the parameter in order to maintain the web
position as the truss changes depth, length, or the width of
the center chase.

28 In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the same directory
in which you saved the project file and save this family
there with its current name.
29 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Formula-controlled
Creating Formula-controlled Parameters

In this exercise, you add new parameters to control the web components.
You then link the nested web parameters to the new host parameters.
Dataset
Continue to use the datasets that you saved in the previous exercise.
Create a new parameter for web depth

Enter WebDepth for Name.
Select Constraints for Group parameter under.
Select Common for Discipline.
Select Length for Type.
Select Type.
Click OK.
4 In the Family Types dialog box, under Constraints, enter

Depth - (Chord Thickness * 2) for the WebDepth
Formula.
TIP You can expand the width of the Family Types dialog box
to facilitate typing within the formula field.
This formula ensures that the web depth will account for
any changes in the chord thickness or truss depth.
NOTE Formulas are case sensitive. When you refer to another
parameter within a formula, ensure you enter it exactly as it is
named.
Creating Formula-controlled Parameters | 817
5 Click OK.
Link the nested component to the new parameter

6 Right-click the left web component, and click Properties.
8 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Other, click the button
to the right of the WebHeight value.
9 In the Associate Family Parameter dialog box, select WebDepth,

and click OK.
In the Type Properties dialog box, notice that = displays
within the WebHeight button.
Notice the web members are resized to fit more precisely

between the chords. In addition, notice the center of each
nested web component is locked to the reference plane that
bisects it.
Create new formula-controlled parameter for center chase


Enter CC for Name.

This parameter is primarily for convenience. It will use
a formula to add the center chase width and the
thickness of the two bordering chords.
Select Other for Group parameter under.
Select Instance.
Click OK.
16 Under Other, enter Center Chase Width + (2*Chord

Thickness) for CC Formula.
After you enter the formula, the resulting value is displayed
as an inactive field.
Create WebArrayLength formula-controlled parameter

Enter WebArrayLength for Name.
Select Instance.
Click OK.
19 Under Constraints, enter (Length - (CC+300))/2 for

WebArrayLength Formula.
This formula subtracts the length of the center chase and
its two bordering chords plus an additional 300mm before
dividing it in two to specify the length of each array. The
additional 300mm is to account for the ends, which must
remain at least 150mm long.
Create WebArrayNum formula-controlled parameter

21 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, under Parameter Data,

do the following:
Enter WebArrayNum for Name.
Select Integer for Type.
Select Instance.
Click OK.
22 Under Constraints, enter WebArrayLength/(2*WebDepth)

for WebArrayNum Formula.
23 Click OK.
Add parameter to anchor web array

24 Select the dimension that refers to the midpoint of the left
web as shown.

do the following:
Enter Webhalflength for Name.
Select Instance.
Click OK.
27 Select the dimension that refers to the midpoint of the right

web.
28 On the Options Bar, select Webhalflength for Label.
Add formula for Webhalflength

31 Under Constraints, enter
(WebArrayLength/WebArrayNum)/2 for
Webhalflength Formula.
32 Click OK.
Notice the location of the web components has adapted to
the formula.
Associate web component parameters

33 Right-click the left web component, and click Properties.
35 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Other, click the
button to the right of the WebArrayLength value.
36 In the Associate Family Parameter dialog box, select
WebArrayLength, and click OK.
In the Type Properties dialog box, the button next to the
WebArrayLength value should have an equals sign within
it.

Because you have added and constrained new components, it

is very important that you flex the model to ensure the nested
components and the formulas that controls them work as
expected. It is especially important to flex the model before
arraying the truss so that you dont multiply any existing
problems.
Flex the design

41 Adjust the view so you can flex the truss while in the Family
Types dialog box.
Click Apply.

46 Proceed to the next exercise, Arraying Nested
Subcomponents on page 823.
Arraying Nested Subcomponents

In this exercise, you array the nested web components, add alignment
constraints, and link the arrays to the WebArrayNum parameter.
Dataset
Arraying Nested Subcomponents | 823
Array the left web component

2 Select the nested web component left of the center chase.
3 On the Edit menu, click Array.

Creating an array requires two basic steps. First, you specify
the move start point; then you specify the move end point.
You must use precision when arraying because any error is
multiplied as the array grows.
Verify that Group and Associate is selected.
Enter 3 for Number.
Select 2nd for Move to.
Select Constrain.
5 Select the bottom-right corner of the nested web extrusion as

the move start point. When picking the corner, use the TAB
key to toggle to the endpoint of the vertical model line within
the nested family.
6 Select the bottom-left corner of the nested web extrusion

as the move end point. When picking the corner, use the
TAB key to toggle to the endpoint of the vertical model line
within the nested family.
7 Press ENTER to complete the array.

Array the right nested web component

9 Select the nested web component right of the center chase.
Verify that Group and Associate is selected.
Enter 3 for Number.
Select Constrain.
12 Select the bottom-left corner of the nested web extrusion

as the move start point. When picking the corner, use the
13 Select the bottom-right corner of the nested web extrusion
as the move end point. When picking the corner, use the
14 Press ENTER to complete the array.

16 Zoom out to view the truss.
Align and lock the arrays

17 Zoom in on the left array of web components.
19 In the left array, place the cursor over the boundary between
the two left web components until the reference highlights,
then select the line twice.
Because there are two overlapping lines at this location, you

are aligning the two bordering web components to each other.
20 Click the lock symbol to keep the web components locked at
their edges.
21 Within the left array, align and lock the two right web
components.
22 Within the right array, align and lock the two boundaries
between the three web components. Use the same techniques
as you did in the previous three steps.
NOTE This step is very important. If you do not lock the edges
of the array, the web components overlap each other when
you change the depth of the truss.
Label the arrays

23 Select the middle web component of the left array.
24 Notice the array line displays above the components with
the array value. Place the cursor over the array line as shown
and select it.
NOTE Do not select the array value.

25 On the Options Bar, select WebArrayNum for Label.
26 Select the middle web component of the right array.
27 Select the array line over the web components on the right.
28 On the Options Bar, select WebArrayNum for Label.
30 Zoom out until you can see the entire truss.
Notice the arrays appear to be too long. This is because earlier

in the tutorial, you added a dimension to lock the Member
Left and Member Right reference plane to the outer Left and
Right reference planes. The primary reason for this was to allow
for flexing the length.
31 Zoom around the left side of the truss.
32 Select the dimension between reference plane Left and Member
Left as shown.
33 Delete the dimension.

35 Select the reference plane, Left, as the align-to point.
36 Select the reference plane, Member Left, and lock the
alignment as shown.
Notice the end of the array still overlaps the trimmable end.
You will fix this in later steps by changing the parameter
value.
NOTE With most beam families, you would not want to align
and lock these two reference planes; however, in this case, the
wood floor truss normally sits on a sill bordering a rim joist.
Therefore, this solution has little, if any, significant impact.
38 Zoom in around the right side of the truss.
39 Delete the dimension between reference plane Right and
Member Right.
40 Align and lock reference plane Right and Member Right.
41 Zoom out until you can see the entire truss.
Change trimmable end length value

150mm for Trimmable End Length.
44 Click Apply, and click OK.
Notice the web arrays fit within the truss without overlapping
the ends.
Flex the design

45 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click View 1,
and prepare the view for flexing.
Enter 12000mm for Length.
Click Apply.
TIP When flexing a complex model such as this, you should

flex the model in as many ways as possible to verify it is working
correctly; however, for training and time purposes, these steps
have been reduced.
Enter 6000mm for Length.
You have completed the design of the primary components

of the truss.
50 Proceed to the next exercise, Reloading a Family into a
Project on page 832.
Reloading a Family into a Project

In this exercise, you reload the truss family into the project. You then
increase the distance between the foundation walls to see how the truss
adapts to the changes in length.
Dataset
In addition to the truss family, the project, m_WWF1.rvt, should be open.
Reload the truss into the project.

1 Verify that the truss family is active and the 3D View, View 1,
displays.
3 In the Reload Family dialog box, select Override parameter
values of existing types, and click Yes.
Notice the project file becomes active and the beam has
updated with the latest changes.

1.
5 Drag Grid 2 downward until the shape of the building
footprint is almost square.
Notice the truss has adapted to the changes.
Reloading a Family into a Project | 833
7 On the Edit menu, click Undo Drag.

8 Save and close the project file and the family file.
In the next lesson, you begin with a new dataset which is
identical to both of these files.
9 Proceed to the next lesson, Applying Subcategories, Materials,
and Parameters on page 834.
Applying Subcategories, Materials, and

Parameters
In this lesson, you create and apply subcategories and materials. You then
create a parameter to specifically control material application.
Creating and Applying Subcategories

In this exercise, you create new subcategories within the truss family.
You then reload the family into the project and apply a material to the
subcategory.
Datasets
In this dataset, the truss was added to a beam system that occupies
approximately half the building footprint. In addition, four instances
of the floor truss were added to the other end of the structure.
Apply Object Styles

1 Zoom in around beam system.
Notice no material has been applied to the truss. Within
the family, the material values were set to By Category by
default.
Creating and Applying Subcategories | 835

3 In the Object Styles dialog box, verify that the Model Objects
tab is selected, and expand the category Structural Framing.
Notice that the Structural Framing category and all of the
subcategories have no material value defined. In addition,
notice that the subcategories do not apply to the wood floor
truss that you have designed.
4 On the Structural Framing category line, click in the material
field until the button displays as shown.
5 Click the button that displays in the Structural Framing

Material field.
6 In the Materials dialog box, click Wood - Timber for Name,
and click OK.
7 In the Object Styles dialog box, click OK.
Notice the Wood - Timber material has been applied to all
Structural Framing components.
When you apply a material to the Structural Framing

category, all subcomponents of that category are assigned
that material. If there was a metal beam in this building
model, it would also have the wood material applied to it.
If you create subcategories as you design in the Family
Editor, you have more control over component visibility
within a project.
8 On the Edit menu, click Undo Object Styles.
Create subcategories within the truss family

9 Select a truss that is not part of the beam system.
11 Click Yes to open the family for editing.
click New.
14 In the New Subcategory dialog box, enter Wood Floor
Truss for Name, and click OK.
Apply material to subcategory

15 Click in the Material field for the Wood Floor Truss
subcategory, and click the button to open the Materials
dialog box.
17 In the New Material dialog box, enter Wood Floor Truss,
and click OK.

_accurender\Wood\Pine, Yellow, select Natural,No Gloss for
Name, and click OK.
Apply the subcategory to the truss components

22 Draw a pick box around the entire truss.
24 In the Filter dialog box, click Check None, select Other, and
click OK.
Notice the chords and end extrusions remain selected.

select Wood Floor Truss for Subcategory, and click OK.
Apply a subcategory to the nested web components

28 Place the cursor over one of the arrayed web components,
press TAB to toggle to the web component and click to select
it.

The web component family opens in a 3D view.

click New.
33 In the New Subcategory dialog box, enter Wood Floor
Truss - Webs for Name, and click OK.
By creating a separate subcategory for the web components,
you can apply a different material to all web components
when using this truss within a project.
34 Click in the Material field for the Wood Floor Truss - Webs
subcategory, and click the button to open the Materials
dialog box.
36 In the New Material dialog box, enter Wood Floor Truss
- Webs, and click OK.

_accurender\Wood\Pine, Yellow, select Natural,No Gloss for
Name, and click OK.
41 Select the web extrusion.


select Wood Floor Truss - Webs for Subcategory, and click OK.
Reload web component into truss family

45 In the Load into Projects dialog box, select m_Wood Floor
Truss_1.rfa, and click OK.
Reload truss into project

48 In the Load into Projects dialog box, select m_WWF2.rvt, and
click OK.
Notice the new object subcategory styles are applied to the
truss components.

51 In the Object Styles dialog box, under Categories, expand
Structural Framing.
Notice the two new subcategories are listed. You can change
the style of only the wood truss components without
impacting other structural framing components.
52 Click OK.
54 In the Visibility Graphics dialog box, under Visibility,
expand Structural Framing, clear Wood Floor Truss - Webs,
and click OK.
Notice the web extrusions not longer display; however, the
stick symbols continue to display.
55 On the Edit menu, click Undo Visibility/Graphics.

57 In the Save as dialog box, navigate to a folder of your

preference and save the project with the current name.
58 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Material Parameters
on page 842.
Creating Material Parameters

In this exercise, you add a new material parameter that allows you to specify
a material for each truss instance.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset that you saved in the previous exercise.
Open truss family for editing

1 Select a truss that is not part of the beam system.
Create material parameter

do the following:
Enter Floor Truss Material for Name.
Select Materials and Finishes for Group parameter under.
Select Material for Type.
Select Instance.
Click OK.
7 In the Family Types dialog box, notice the default material is

By Category.
In this case, do not assign a material to the parameter. When
reloaded into a project, this component will continue to use
the material assigned to the subcategory by default. This
material parameter allows you to assign a material on an
instance parameter.
8 Click OK.
Link truss extrusions to material parameter

9 Draw a pick box around the entire truss.
11 In the Filter dialog box, click Check None, select Structural

Framing (Wood Floor Truss), and click OK.
Notice the chords and end extrusions remain selected.

Finishes, click the button to the right of the Material value
field.
14 In the Associate Family Parameter dialog box, select Floor
Truss Material, and click OK.
16 Place the cursor over one of the web components, press TAB,
and select the component.

19 In the Type Properties dialog box, under Other, click the
button to the right of the WebMaterial value field.
20 In the Associate Family Parameter dialog box, select Floor
Truss Material, and click OK.
21 Click OK twice.

24 In the Load into Projects dialog box, select m_WWF2.rvt,
and click OK.
Notice the appearance of the floor trusses has not changed.
26 Select a floor truss that is not part of the beam system.

Finishes, click the Floor Truss Material field and click the
button that displays.
Creating Material Parameters | 843
29 In the Materials dialog box, select Metal - Steel for Name, and
click OK.
Notice the material is applied only to the selected beam.

33 On the File menu, click Close.
34 Close any open files.
You can save the open files if you wish. In the next lesson, a
new dataset is supplied.
35 Proceed to the next lesson, Controlling Component Visibility
on page 844.
Controlling Component Visibility

In this lesson, you add controls to specify the views in which each element
displays and at what detail level.
Assigning Detail Level and View Controls

In this exercise, you designate the display of elements in specific views
and at specific detail levels.
Datasets
Change detail levels

1 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level, and click
Coarse.
Assigning Detail Level and View Controls | 845
Notice the rim joist no longer displays. However, notice the

floor truss has not changed appearance, because you have yet
to assign a detail level to each of the elements within the truss
family. Currently within the truss, all elements display at all
times in all views.
2 Select a floor truss.

Apply detail level controls to web components

5 Select a web component.
8 Select the web extrusion.
10 In the Family Element Visibility Settings dialog box, specify
the following:
Under View Specific Display, clear Plan/RCP.
Clear Left/Right.
Under Detail Levels, clear Coarse.
Click OK.

12 In the Load into Projects dialog box, select m_Wood Floor
Truss_1.rfa, and click OK.

Notice the appearance of the floor trusses has not changed.
Assign detail level to center chase extrusions

14 Select the center chase extrusions.
the following:
Clear Left/Right.
Click OK.
Assign detail level to truss ends

17 Select the end extrusions.
the following:
Click OK.
Assign detail level to truss chords

20 Select the truss chords.
the following:
Click OK.

24 In the Load into Projects dialog box, select m_WWF3.rvt,
and click OK.
Assigning Detail Level and View Controls | 847

Notice that the floor truss solid geometry is not displayed.
26 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level, and click Medium.
Notice the floor truss solid geometry is displayed.
1.
28 On the View Control Bar, click Detail Level, and click Coarse.
Notice the symbolic representation of the beams.

30 In the Save As dialog box, navigate to your preferred location
and save the project with the current name.
31 Proceed to the next lesson, Creating Component Types
on page 849.
Creating Component Types

In this lesson, you create multiple floor truss types to speed up the design
process when working in a project. In the final exercise, you create a
conditional formula that adjusts the truss depth based on the truss
length.
Creating Multiple Component Types

In this exercise, you create multiple types for a 89x38 truss and a 64x38
truss. Although you can change the parameters of a truss within a project,
creating predefined types can speed up the design process.
Open the truss family for editing

Create new types

Creating Component Types | 849
6 In the New dialog box, enter 89x38 for Name, and click OK.
8 In the New dialog box, enter 64x38 for Name, and click OK.
64mm for Chord Width, and click Apply.
Notice the chord changes width.
10 Select 89x38 for Name, and click Apply.
The truss returns to its original designed value.
NOTE When creating new components, create types for those
most frequently used in your projects.
11 Click OK.
TIP You can also use new types to flex the model.
Load new types into the project

click OK.
16 In the Type Selector, select 64x38.
17 Add a beam in the center of the open space.
18 In the Type Selector, select 89x38.
19 Add a beam next to the 64x38.
Notice the two beam types.

23 Proceed to the final exercise, Creating Conditional
Formulas on page 851.
Creating Conditional Formulas

In this exercise, you create a conditional formula that changes the depth
automatically as the truss increases in length.
Open the truss for editing

Adding a conditional formula

You are going to enter a conditional formula that follows
this basic rule:
IF ( <condition>, <result-if-true>, <result-if-false>)
the follow formula for Depth:
if(Length < 6600, 286, if(Length < 7500, 350,
if(Length < 9000, 400, 400)))
6 Click Apply.
Creating Conditional Formulas | 851
Flex the design

7 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 8000 for length, and
click Apply.
Notice the truss depth increases.
8 In the Family Types dialog box, enter 6000 for length, click
Apply, and click OK.
Load the truss into the project

click OK.
Test the conditional formula within a project

1.
13 Select Grid 2 and drag it downward until it is between
8000-9000mm from Grid 1.
15 Notice the change in floor truss depth.
NOTE You would have to change the depth of the sill and rim
joist to accommodate this change.
IMPORTANT When you changed the width of the building
footprint, you probably noticed a change in the amount of time
the view needed to regenerate. Regeneration time and overall
performance can be affected by over-designed families.
You have completed this tutorial.
17 Close any open files.
Using Advanced
Features
853
Curtain Systems
15
Curtain systems are not walls, and they are not windows. Like
walls, they can define space and separate the exterior from the
interior. They are typically not load-bearing and are not cut
for doors or windows. Like windows, they can usually include
mullions and have glazed panels. Unlike windows, curtain
systems are usually assembled on site as a single unit.
A typical curtain system comprises a wall, panel, grid lines,
and mullions, and you can change these elements individually.
This affects the entire curtain system. For example, to resize
the system, you need to change the length of the wall. To
switch panel types, you need to select a panel. To change grids,
you select the grid.
You can add curtain systems with the wall command, or you
can use a specific curtain system command.
855
856 | Chapter 15 Curtain Systems
Flat Curtain System

In this lesson, you further develop the building information model by
creating a flat curtain system at the entrance of the model.
Creating an Entrance
In this exercise, you create a curtain system using the wall command.
This type of curtain system is also referred to as a curtain wall.
Dataset
Open the m_Curtain_Walls.rvt file located in the Metric folder.

Plans, and double-click Ground Floor.
2 Zoom in on Grid F where it meets the arc in the floor.
This floor edge will be the entrance to the building.
Creating a curtain system using the wall command

4 On the Type Selector, click Curtain Wall : Curtain Wall 1.
5 Start the curtain system where shown.
Flat Curtain System | 857
6 Move the cursor down along the edge of the floor and finish
at the outside face of the exterior wall as shown.
7 Zoom in on the join between the curtain system and the

exterior wall.

and double-click Southeast Isometric.
9 On the View menu, click Orient Northeast.
10 Zoom in on the curtain system you just added.
11 Select the curtain system and click
Note that a curtain system created from the wall command

has similar properties to other walls: base constraint, top
constraint, top and base attachments, and room bounding.
You want the curtain system to attach to the roof.
12 Under Constraints, specify Up to level: TOP OF ROOF for Top
Constraint.
13 Specify 1200 for Top Offset, and click OK.
The curtain system is now at the same height as the other
existing curtain systems.
Right now, the curtain system is a single glazed panel. You are
going to subdivide the panel into several smaller panels, using
curtain grids.
Adding curtain grids

14 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click
GROUND FLOOR.
16 Place the elevation symbol in front of the curtain wall and
click Modify on the Design Bar.
17 Click the elevation arrow to display the crop boundary, and

resize the crop boundary as shown.
18 In the Project Browser, right-click on the elevation name

Elevation 1 - a, and click Rename.
19 Enter Entrance Elevation, and click OK.
20 In the drawing area, double-click the elevation symbol arrow
to open the new elevation view.
22 Select a curtain grid line or edge of a wall, then click to place
a horizontal curtain grid 1200 mm above the ground floor
level line.
23 Place another grid 1500 mm above the first grid.
24 Place another grid so that it snaps to the SECOND FLOOR level

line.
26 Hold CTRL and select the 3 grid lines you just placed.
27 On the Edit menu, click Copy to Clipboard, or press CTRL + C
on the keyboard.
28 On the Edit menu, click Paste Aligned Select Levels by Name.
29 In the Select Levels dialog box, hold CTRL and select SECOND
FLOOR, THIRD FLOOR, FOURTH FLOOR, FIFTH FLOOR, SIXTH
FLOOR, and SEVENTH FLOOR, and click OK.
The selected grid lines are now at each of these levels.

31 Place the cursor on grid 2 so that it highlights. Click to
create a vertical grid.
This divides the curtain wall vertically into 2 panels, one
larger than the other.
32 Move the cursor along the GROUND FLOOR level (left of
the vertical grid line) until it snaps to the midpoint of the
larger vertical panel. Click to place another grid line.
TIP To be sure that the curtain grid is at the midpoint of the
panel, watch the tooltips and the Status Bar.
Next, you add a doorway to the curtain system. You do not

use the Door command. Instead, you set up a doorway on a
curtain panel, and then you replace that panel with a curtain
system door panel.
Adding the doorway

34 Zoom in to the ground floor level in the Entrance Elevation
view.
35 Select the left vertical grid line, and on the Options Bar, click
Add or Remove Segments.
You enter an editor that lets you select segments of the grid
line to remove them.
36 Select the lowest segment of the left grid line, and then select
the segment above it.
The segment line style changes to dashed.
37 Click in any white space to exit the editor.

The two segments are removed.
38 Using the same method, remove the horizontal segment

that intersects the vertical segment removed in the previous
step.
39 On the Design Bar, click Curtain Grid.
40 On the Options Bar, select One Segment.

41 Place 4 vertical grid lines as shown.
42 Place dimensions as shown, and lock them.
TIP You may need to adjust your zoom settings to view the
dimensions.
43 Delete the dimensions.
44 When the warning about locked dimensions being deleted
displays, click OK to leave the curtain grids constrained.
You now have two 1800 mm wide panels between smaller
rectangular panels.
45 Select the horizontal grid line that is 1200 mm above the
ground floor.
46 Click Add or Remove Segments on the Options Bar.
You are going to add more segments to an existing curtain
grid.
47 Click the horizontal grid line between the smaller panels. The
line style changes from dashed to solid to indicate a grid
segment has been added. Do not click between the 1800 mm
panels.
Use the following picture as a guide.
TIP The middle grid lines are centered between the long
vertical grid above them. To get the horizontal grid to display
between the vertical grids, click once to the right of the long
grid and then click once to the left of it.
48 When the grids are placed (line style have changed to solid),
click in any white space to exit the editor.
Next, you replace the 2 larger 1800 mm panels with curtain

system doors.
Files icon, and open Metric\Families\Doors.
51 In the Doors folder, select M_Curtain Wall-Store Front-Dbl.rfa,
and click Open.
52 Select the left 1800 mm panel. You will have to press TAB
to highlight it. Watch the Status Bar to be sure you are
highlighting the panel.
53 On the Type Selector, click M_Curtain Wall-Store Front-Dbl:

Store Front Double Door.
The panel changes to a double door.
54 Use the same method to replace the other panel with a double
door.
These panels schedule as doors, not as curtain panels. They

are part of the curtain panel category.
GROUND FLOOR to see the plan view door swings of the
curtain wall doors.
Now, on the new curtain system you added, you replace some
of the transparent panels with solid ones.
57 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click Entrance
Elevation.
58 On the View Control Bar, click
, and click Wireframe. This
changes the graphics style of the view.
Next, you change panels in front of ceilings from glazed to
solid.
Changing panels
59 Zoom in to the FIFTH FLOOR level.
60 Select one of the panels below the FIFTH FLOOR level line.
61 On the Type Selector, click System Panel : Solid.

The glazed panel is changed to a solid panel.
62 With the panel still selected, click
63 Click Edit/New to open the Type Properties of the panel.

The Offset property specifies the distance from the centerline
of the curtain wall. Thickness specifies the depth of the
panel, and Material specifies the shading and patterning.
64 Click OK twice to close the Type Properties and Element
Properties dialog boxes.
65 Replace the two adjacent glazed panels with solid panels.
66 On the View Control Bar, click Shading with Edges for
Graphics Style.
The glazed panels display in blue, and the solid panels
display in white.
67 On the View Control Bar, click Wireframe for Graphics Style.

68 Change the remaining glazed panels in front of ceilings to
solid panels.
69 On the File menu, click Save As. Name the file

m_rvt9_Curtain_Walls-in_progress.rvt.
This completes the exercise for creating an entrance.
Adding Mullions to the Curtain System

In this exercise, you place mullions on curtain panel grids.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise.

1 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Mullion.
2 On the Options Bar, select Grid Line Segment.
3 Place a mullion on the grid segment at the ground floor
immediately to the right of the right set of doors.
4 On the Options Bar, select Entire Grid Line.

5 Place a mullion on the horizontal grid that is 1200 mm
above the ground floor.
6 On the Options Bar, select All Empty Segments.

7 Place the cursor on any empty grid segment on the curtain
system and click.
Now all empty grid segments have mullions on them;

however, there are a few that you do not want, so you
remove them next. The two mullions below the doors are
not necessary, because they reduce the doors size by their
widths.
Removing mullions
8 Zoom in on the set of doors.
9 Delete the mullions below them.
Adding Mullions to the Curtain System | 871
Mullions can change their joins to other mullions. You are

going to change some mullion joins.
Changing mullion joins

10 On the View Control Bar, click Hidden Line for Graphics Style.
11 Select the vertical mullion above and between the set of double
doors.
Two mullion join controls display.

12 Click the lower mullion join control.
The bottom of the mullion meets the top of the horizontal

mullion.
13 Click the top mullion control.
The top of the vertical mullion now meets the bottom of

the horizontal mullion above.
TIP After selecting the vertical mullion, you can also right-click
and select Break at Join from the Join Conditions menu to break
the mullion at both joins.
15 In the Project Browser, double-click Southeast Isometric.
Adding Mullions to the Curtain System | 873
16 Save the file.

This completes the exercise for adding mullions.
This also completes the lesson on creating a flat curtain system. You learned
how to create a basic curtain wall system and how to subdivide it with
grids. You also learned how to modify grids and change panels. Finally,
you learned how to add mullions and change their joins.
Curved Curtain System

In this lesson, you create a curved curtain system near the entrance of the
model that was just completed. You also create a custom curtain panel for
the system. Finally, you add both predefined and custom mullions to the
system.
Adding a Curved Curtain System

In this exercise, you add a curtain system using the wall command. The
curtain wall is sketched as an arc.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous lesson.

1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click Ground
Floor.
2 Zoom in on the circular space above the entrance that was
just completed.
4 On the Type Selector, click Curtain Wall : Curtain Wall 1.
5 Click
6 Under Constraints, specify Up to level: FIFTH FLOOR for Top

Constraint.
7 Enter 1200 for Top Offset, and click OK.
9 Start the wall by clicking at the left edge of the circle at the
centerline of the intersecting wall.
10 Place the second point at the lower right side.
11 Finish the arc by clicking at the top of the arc.
Adding a Curved Curtain System | 875
The curtain wall displays as one flat panel between the first
and second points placed. Next, you place grids on the system.
The curtain grid command snaps only to the curved arc. You
are going to use one of these snaps points.
13 Snap the cursor to the midpoint of the curved arc and click.
Watch the Status Bar to ensure you are at the midpoint.
14 Continue to place more grids by using the snap points on the

arc. Divide the halves into quarters, eighths, and then
sixteenths.
15 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click East.
16 Zoom in on the cylinder, and snap the cursor to each level
line and click to add horizontal curtain grids. Do not add a
grid on the GROUND FLOOR level.

Next, you change some panels in the system.
Using walls as panels

18 Using a selection box, select the bottom layer of panels.
Remember to click
to filter out all other elements from
the selection except Curtain Panels.
19 On the Type Selector, click Basic Wall: Generic - 300mm.
20 Save the file.
Adding a Curved Curtain System | 877
This completes the first exercise for creating a curved system. Next you
create a custom panel and add it to the system.
Adding a Custom Curtain Panel

In this exercise, you create a custom curtain panel and place it into the
curved curtain system.
Dataset

icon, and open Metric\Templates\Metric Curtain Wall Panel.rft.
5 On the Design Bar, click Lines, and on the Options Bar, enter
100 for Depth.
7 Start the sketch at the upper lefthand reference line

intersection and finish at the lower righthand reference line
intersection.

9 Select the extrusion, and click
10 Under Identity Data, specify Glass for Subcategory, and click

OK.
11 On the Design Bar, click Model Lines, and on the Options
Bar, click
12 Sketch 2 lines that crisscross the extrusion.

14 On the File menu, click Save As, and save the family as
Curtain Panel - Pattern.rfa.
15 Close the family file by clicking Close on the File menu,
and return to your project file.
17 Load the Curtain Panel - Pattern.rfa family.
FOURTH FLOOR.
19 Highlight a panel in the arc, right-click and select Select
Panels along Horizontal Grid from the Select Panels menu.
All fourth floor panels are selected.
20 On the Type Selector, select Curtain Panel - Pattern.
All the panels change to the custom panel you created.
21 Select the curved arc curtain wall.
22 Right-click, and click Flip Orientation.
Adding a Custom Curtain Panel | 879

. and then click
. Hold
Shift and spin the model so that you can see the curved curtain
system.
The curved curtain systems structure now matches that of the
main part of the building.
24 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click FIFTH

FLOOR.
25 Highlight a panel in the arc, right-click and select Select Panels
along Horizontal Grid from the Select Panels menu. All fifth
floor panels are selected.
26 On the Type Selector, click System Panel - Solid.
All the panels change to the solid panel.
The finished arc wall should look like the following picture.
27 Save the file.

This completes the exercise for adding a custom curtain panel.
Adding Mullions to the Curved Curtain Panel

In this exercise, you add both custom and predefined mullions to the
curved curtain panel.
Dataset

1 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click East.
3 Select each horizontal grid line on the curved curtain panel,
except at the GROUND FLOOR level.
Adding Mullions to the Curved Curtain Panel | 881
For vertical mullions, you use the Family Editor to create a

custom mullion.
Creating a custom mullion in the Family Editor

icon, and open Metric\Templates\Metric Profile.rft.
6 On the Settings menu, click Family Category and Parameters.
7 Specify Mullion for Profile Usage, and click OK.
, enter 8 for Sides, and select
Radius and specify 50 mm for the radius.
10 Place the cursor at the intersection of the reference planes and
click to enter the octagon starting point. Click again to specify
the ending point. Notice that both the starting and ending
points are in the same location.

12 Select the lines in the octagon.
14 In the Family element visibility settings dialog box, clear
Fine, and click OK.
This controls the detail level at which the mullion profile
displays.
Files icon.
17 Open the m_Cylinder Mullion - detail.rfa file from the
Metric\Families\Detail Components folder.
19 Place the detail component so that it snaps to the mullion
profile as shown.

21 Select the detail component, and click Visibility.
22 In the Family element visibility settings dialog box, clear
Coarse and Medium, and click OK.
The detail component becomes the true representation in plan

view.
24 Save the family as Cylinder Mullion.rfa.
25 Close the family file by clicking Close on the File menu, and
return to the project file.
27 Load the Cylinder Mullion.rfa family.
After the new profile is loaded, it can be added as a mullion
type.
28 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click Southeast
Isometric.
29 Click
, and spin the model so that you can see the curved
curtain system.
30 On the Modelling tab, click Mullion.
31 Click
32 In the Element Properties dialog box, select Circular Mullion

for Family.
33 Click Edit/New.
35 Enter Cylinder Mullion for Name, and click OK.
36 Under Construction, specify Cylinder Mullion : Cylinder
Mullion for Profile.
37 Click OK twice.
38 On the Options Bar, select All Empty Segments.
39 Click on any grid line in the entry cylinder.
40 On the Design Bar, click Modify to exit placing mullions.
You have placed more mullions than you want, so next you
remove the unwanted ones.
GROUND FLOOR.
42 Highlight a mullion in the arc, right-click and use Select
Mullions on gridline from the Select Mullions menu, and
click DELETE.
43 Save the file.

This completes the exercise for adding mullions, as well as the lesson
on creating a curved curtain system. In this lesson, you learned to create
a curved curtain system, make custom curtain panels and mullions, and
then apply those custom elements to the system.
Additional Curtain Systems

In this lesson, you create additional types of curtain systems: a sloped
glazing system, a storefront system, and a ruled curtain system.
Sloped Glazings
Sloped glazings are useful when you are creating skylights and other glazed
roofing systems.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous lesson.

1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click TOP
OF ROOF.
2 Zoom in on the skylight at the center of the building between
Grids 2 and 3 and D and E.

Footprint.
4 On the Design Bar, click Pick Walls.
5 On the Options Bar, select Defines slope.
6 Select the inside faces of the base walls.
TIP To chain select all the walls, place the cursor on the inside
face of one of the walls, and press TAB. All the inside faces
highlight, and you can click to select them all.
7 On the Design Bar, click Roof Properties.

8 In the Element Properties dialog box, click System Family:
Sloped Glazing for Family.
9 Under Constraints, enter 600 for Base Offset From Level,
and click OK.
11 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click
Southeast Isometric.
12 On the View Control Bar, click Hidden Line for Graphics
Style.
13 Zoom in on the skylight.

15 On the Options Bar, select Entire Grid Line.
Sloped Glazings | 887
16 Select the grid lines that define the edges of each panel in the
sloped glazing.
18 On the View Control Bar, click Shading with Edges for Graphics
Style.
19 Save the file.

This completes the exercise for creating a sloped glazing system.
Storefront System
In this exercise, you embed curtain walls into other walls to create a
storefront system.
Dataset

GROUND FLOOR.
2 Zoom in on the wall at the eastern-most area of the model.
You are going to place a storefront system in this wall. You

can place the curtain wall right inside this wall.
3 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Wall.
4 On the Type Selector, select Curtain Wall : Storefront.
5 On the Options Bar, select Unconnected for Height, and
enter 2400.
6 Start the wall 1200 mm from one end of the wall on the
wall centerline.
Storefront System | 889
7 Sketch a curtain wall along the wall centerline to the

approximate length shown.
This curtain wall cuts the original wall.
8 Click the temporary dimension, enter 10200 mm, and press

ENTER.
This specifies an exact length for the wall.
Isometric.
11 Zoom in on the new storefront wall.
The storefront wall already has a curtain grid layout, which is

specified in the type. To see how the grid layout is defined,
you can look at the properties of the storefront wall.
12 Select the storefront wall, and click
13 Click Edit/New to open the Type Properties dialog box.

The type parameters under the Vertical Grid Pattern and
Horizontal Grid Pattern headings create the predefined
layout. For this wall, the Layout (Vertical Grid Pattern) is
set to Maximum Spacing, and the Spacing (Vertical Grid
Pattern) is set to 1524 mm. This indicates that the curtain
grids are placed at even intervals along the length of the
curtain wall at a distance up to 1524 mm. The Layout
(Horizontal Grid Pattern) is set to Fixed Distance, and the
Spacing (Horizontal Grid Pattern) is set to 2400 mm. This
means that the panel heights will be exactly at a 2400 mm
height, even if the wall height changes.
14 After you have looked at the Vertical Grid Pattern and
Horizontal Grid Pattern parameters, click OK to close the
Type Properties dialog box and return to the Element
Properties dialog box that displays the instance parameters.
The Instance Parameters list includes additional parameters
that define the curtain grid layout. Under the Vertical Grid
Pattern heading, you find Number, Justification, Angle, and
Offset. You see these same parameters for Horizontal Grid
Pattern. Under Vertical Grid Pattern, the Number is the
number of vertical curtain grids you want on the curtain
instance. The Justification specifies the vertical spacing at
the beginning, center, or end. By setting the Angle value,
you are rotating the grid lines to an angle on the face of the
panel. The Offset is the distance the spacing starts from the
justification point. The Horizontal Grid Pattern counterparts
are the same but for the perpendicular direction. For more
information about these curtain wall parameters, see the
Revit Building help.
15 To see how these parameters can affect the wall, enter 45
for Angle (Vertical Grid Pattern) and 15 for Angle
(Horizontal Grid Pattern). Click OK.
16 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Mullion, and

select All Empty Segments on the Options Bar.
17 Select a curtain grid.
Storefront System | 891
18 Save the file.

This completes the exercise on creating a storefront. In this exercise, you
learned how to embed a curtain wall and set up a grid layout.
Curtain System by Lines

In this exercise, you create a curtain wall based on 2 lines that have been
sketched at different elevations on the model. This type of curtain system
is known as a ruled curtain system.
Dataset

Isometric.
2 Orient the view to the storefront wall you added in the last
exercise.
3 On the View Control Bar, click Hidden Line for Graphics

Style.
4 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Curtain
System Curtain System by Lines.
5 Place the cursor at the top edge of the SECOND FLOOR slab,
making sure Thin Lines : Model Lines : Line is highlighted.
Watch the Status Bar and Tooltips to be sure you are
highlighting the thin line. Press TAB to select the line if it
does not immediately highlight.
6 Click the highlighted line.

7 Place the cursor at the top edge of the TOP OF ROOF level,
and highlight the thin line.
Curtain System by Lines | 893
8 Select the highlighted line.

A panel between the 2 lines is created.
A ruled curtain system does not have all the properties of a

curtain wall.
10 Select the panel, and click
Notice there are very few properties for the ruled curtain
system.
11 Click OK to close the Element Properties dialog box.
Next, you subdivide the ruled curtain system using curtain
grids.
NOTE The next few steps are intended as a guide to finish the
system, but now that you have created a ruled curtain system,
you can vary the steps to style the system the way you want.
13 Using the midpoint curtain grid snaps, place horizontal
grids that divide the panel into halves, quarters, and then
eighths.
This is similar to placing the grids on the curved curtain
system.
14 Place vertical grids that snap to the midpoints on the panel
and divide the panel into halves, quarters, and then eighths.
Finally, you replace some of the glazed panels in front of
the ceilings with solid panels.
15 Highlight a top level glazed panel, right-click and use Select
Panels along Grid 2 from the Select Panels menu.
16 On the Type Selector, click System Panel : Solid.
17 Change the THIRD FLOOR level panels to solid.
18 Save the file.

This completes the exercise for creating a ruled curtain system, and the
lesson on creating additional curtain systems. In this lesson you learned
to create a sloped glazing system, embed a curtain system inside another
wall, and define a ruled curtain system.
Curtain System by Lines | 895
Roofs
16
In this tutorial, you learn how to create different types of roofs

in Revit Building 9.1. In addition, you learn how to add fascia,
gutters, and soffits to the roofs that you create.
897
Creating Roofs
In this lesson, you learn to create several different types of roofs, including
hip, gable, shed, and mansard roofs. You create roofs from footprints and
by extrusion: the two roof creation methods in Revit Building.
Creating an Extruded Roof

In this exercise, you create an extruded roof over a breezeway between a
house and a garage.
You create the roof by sketching the top roof profile and extruding it over
the length of the breezeway. Before you can sketch the roof profile, you
need to select a work plane to use as a sketching guide. You do not need
to create the work plane; a work plane named Breezeway exists for the
purpose of this exercise.
Dataset
Open m_Roofs.rvt located in the Metric folder.

898 | Chapter 16 Roofs

Extrusion.
3 In the Work Plane dialog box, select Name, and then select
Reference Plane : Breezeway.
4 Click OK.
5 In the Go To View dialog box, verify that Section: Section1
is selected, and then click Open View to select a section
view parallel to the work plane in which to sketch the roof.
6 In the Roof Reference Level and Offset dialog box, verify
Level 3 is selected for Level, and click OK.
The section view is automatically cropped around the area
where you want to sketch the roof.
Before you can sketch the profile of the roof, you need to
define four reference planes to help determine key points
on the profile sketch.
7 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Ref Plane.
8 Sketch the first reference plane 450 mm to the left of the
left exterior breezeway wall face.
Creating an Extruded Roof | 899
TIP Instead of trying to place the reference plane in its exact

location initially, you can place it in the general location and then
zoom in and use temporary dimensions. This helps ensure that
the plane is measured from the face of the wall rather than from
the wall centerline.
9 Sketch a similar reference plane 450 mm to the right of the

right exterior breezeway wall face.
10 Sketch a vertical reference plane centered between the two

vertical walls.
11 Sketch a horizontal reference plane 450 mm below Level 2.
Next, sketch the roof profile.

13 On the Options Bar, select Chain.
14 Sketch two sloped lines to create the roof profile.
Begin the sketch at the intersection of the left vertical reference

plane and the horizontal plane. Use automatic snaps to link
the chain to the reference plane intersections.
15 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Finish Sketch to

complete the roof.
The roof is automatically extruded from the Breezeway work
plane in one direction.
to display the model.
Notice that the breezeway roof penetrates the house walls

inappropriately.
Next, use the Join Roofs command to adjust the length of the
roof and join the roof edges to the exterior walls.
18 Select the edge of the roof, and then select the exterior wall
face of the garage to join the roof to the garage wall.
Use the Join Roof command again to join the opposite end
of the breezeway roof to the exterior wall of the house that
joins the breezeway.
20 Select the breezeway roof edge, press TAB, and then select
the exterior face of the wall.
The roof should resemble the following illustration.
The breezeway walls still penetrate the roof, so you next

attach the breezeway walls to the breezeway roof.
21 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Sections
(Type 1), and double-click Section 1.
22 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Modify.
23 Select one of the breezeway walls, press CTRL, and select the
second wall.
24 On the Options Bar, click Attach for Top/Base, and then verify
that Attach Wall: Top is selected.
25 Select the roof to join the wall tops to the roof.

breezeway roof in the model.
to view the completed
27 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Gable Roof from a

Footprint on page 904.
Creating a Gable Roof from a Footprint

In this exercise, you create a gable roof over a garage from a footprint.
You begin by sketching the perimeter of the roof in plan view to create
the roof footprint. You use roof slope lines to define the roof gable ends.
To complete the gable roof with the correct pitch, you set the roof slope
as a property of the footprint slope lines.
Dataset
m_Roofs.rvt.
Footprint.
2 In the Go To View dialog box, verify that Floor Plan: Garage
Roof is selected, and click Open View.
3 Next, sketch the roof footprint.
On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Pick Walls.
4 On the Options Bar, verify that Defines slope is selected,
and enter 600 for Overhang.
5 Select the left vertical wall of the garage to define the first
roof slope line. Verify that a dashed green line displays to
the left of the wall from the edge of the roof as you select
the wall.
6 Select the parallel wall on the right to define the second

roof slope line. Verify that a dashed green line displays to
the right of the wall from the edge of the roof as you select
the wall.
Creating a Gable Roof from a Footprint | 905
7 On the Options Bar, clear Defines slope.

8 Select the two horizontal walls to create a closed loop and
complete the roof footprint.
Next, edit the properties of the two vertical slope definition

lines to change the roof pitch.
9 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Modify.
10 Press CTRL, select both slope definition lines, and on the
Options Bar, click
The Element Properties dialog box is displayed. By default, the

roof slope has a 750 mm rise over a 1000 mm run.
11 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Dimensions, enter
500 mm for Rise/1000 to change the roof slope, and click OK.
13 When you see the informational dialog box, click Yes to attach
the highlighted exterior garage walls to the roof.
attached walls in the model.
to view the gable roof and
15 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Roof with a Vertical

Penetration from a Footprint on page 907.
Creating a Roof with a Vertical Penetration from a

Footprint
In this exercise, you add a main gable roof to a house from a footprint.
The roof requires an opening to accommodate a chimney.
You begin by sketching the perimeter of the roof in plan view to create
the roof footprint. After you define the roof slope lines and complete
the footprint, you sketch a closed rectangular opening around the
chimney. When you complete the roof, the opening that you sketched
becomes a void in the roof.
Dataset
m_Roofs.rvt.
Creating a Roof with a Vertical Penetration from a Footprint | 907

Footprint.
3 On the Options Bar, clear Defines slope, and enter 600 for
Overhang.
NOTE You add the slope defining lines in a later step.
4 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Pick Walls.
5 Place the cursor over one of the exterior walls, press TAB, and
then verify that a dashed green line displays to the exterior
side of the walls.
6 Click to select all the walls.

Next, sketch the chimney opening.
9 Using automatic snaps, sketch a rectangle from the upper left

corner of the exterior chimney face to the lower right corner
of the exterior chimney face.

entire floor plan.
Next, add new slope lines to the roof.
12 Select the uppermost horizontal line.
13 On the Options Bar, select Defines Slope.
14 Select one of the shorter line segments shown in the
15 On the Options bar, select Defines Slope.

16 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Finish Roof.
17 When you see the informational dialog box, click Yes to
attach the walls to the roof.
model.
to view the new roof in the
19 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Hip Roof from a

Creating a Roof with a Vertical Penetration from a Footprint | 909
Creating a Hip Roof from a Footprint

In this exercise, you create a hip roof over the rear of a house from a
footprint.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise, m_Roofs.rvt.

Footprint.
3 On the Options Bar, select Defines slope, and enter 600 for
Overhang.
5 Select the exterior edges of the three walls that create the rear
addition to the house. Verify that a dashed green line displays
on the exterior side of the wall from the edge of the roof as
you select the walls.
Next, close the roof sketch. Roof sketches must create a

closed loop before you can create the roof. The sketched
lines cannot overlap or intersect each other.
7 On the Options Bar, clear Defines Slope, and click
8 Select the exterior edge of the uppermost horizontal wall

of the main building, using the following illustration for
guidance.
Next, trim the extra line segments that result from the
intersection of the sketch lines. You must trim these lines
to create a valid sketch.
10 On the Options Bar, verify that the Trim/Extend to Corner

option is selected.
11 To trim the first line segment, select the left vertical slope
definition line, and then specify a point near the midpoint
of the line that you sketched along the wall of the main
building.
Creating a Hip Roof from a Footprint | 911
Make sure you select the segment on the side that you want
to keep.
12 Repeat the trim procedure on the adjacent corner to create a

closed loop without intersections.
Next, raise the roof 600 mm above the current level.

13 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Roof Properties.
The Element Properties dialog box is displayed.
14 Under Constraints, enter 600 for Base Offset From Level, and
click OK.
17 Click
to use the Dynamic View tool to view the back of
the house.
Notice that the walls do not join to the roof. Use the Attach
Top/Base command to join the walls to the roof.

19 Select one of the walls under the hip roof, click Attach for
Top/Base on the Options Bar, and then verify that Attach
Wall: Top is selected.
20 Select the roof to join the wall top to the roof.
21 Click
to use the Dynamic View tool to view the
remaining walls that support the hip roof.
22 Using the same method that you used previously, join the
two remaining walls to the roof. Press and hold CTRL to
select and join the two remaining walls at the same time.
Creating a Hip Roof from a Footprint | 913
Notice that the new hip roof does not properly join to the
back of the house. Next, use the Join Roof command to fix the
roof.
24 Select the edge of the hip roof, and then select the edge of the
main roof to join the roofs.
The properly joined roof should resemble the following

illustration.
25 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Shed Roof from a

Creating a Shed Roof from a Footprint

In this exercise, you create a shed roof over the entrance to a house from
a footprint.
Dataset


Footprint.
4 On the Options Bar, clear Defines Slope, and enter 300 for
Overhang.
5 Place the cursor over one of the exterior walls that defines
the entry way, press TAB, and then click to select all three
of the entry way walls.
Verify that a green dashed line displays around the exterior
side of the walls before clicking to select the walls.
6 On the Options Bar, enter 0 for Overhang.

7 Select the exterior face of the main wall to close the sketch.
Next, trim the extra line segments that result from the
intersection of the sketch lines. You must trim these lines
to create a valid sketch.
Creating a Shed Roof from a Footprint | 915
9 On the Options Bar, verify that the Trim/Extend to Corner

option is selected.
10 To trim the first line segment, select the left vertical roof line,
and then select a point near the midpoint of the upper
horizontal line you sketched earlier. Make sure you select the
segment on the side that you want to keep.
11 Repeat the trim procedure on the adjacent corner to create a
closed loop without intersections.
Next, you add a slope-defining line.

12 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Modify, and select
the lower horizontal line at the front of the roof.
13 On the Options Bar, select Defines slope.
Notice the rise value is displayed next to the slope marker.
14 Enter 500 mm for the rise value to change the roof slope, and
press ENTER.
15 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Roof Properties.

16 Under Constraints, enter -600 for Base Offset From Level, and
click OK.
17 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Finish Roof to
complete the roof.
18 Click Yes to attach the walls to the roof.
19 Click
on the View toolbar to display the model.
20 Click
to use the Dynamic View tool to rotate the model.
21 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Slope Arrows to a

Shed Roof on page 917.
Adding Slope Arrows to a Shed Roof

In this exercise, you add slope arrows to the shed roof.
Dataset
m_Roofs.rvt.
2 Select the shed roof over the entrance of the house.
sketch.
to activate the roof footprint

5 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom in Region, and
zoom in around the shed roof footprint.
Before you can add slope arrows, you need to split the slope
defining line into three segments. To help locate the
position of each split, you need to add two reference planes.
6 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Ref Plane.
8 Select the two vertical sketch lines. Verify that the reference
planes are located inside the shed roof sketch.
Adding Slope Arrows to a Shed Roof | 917
9 On the Tools menu, click Split Walls and Lines.

10 Split the slope defining line where the reference planes
intersect as shown in the following illustration.
Next, change the longest slope line segment (the middle

segment) so that it no longer defines slope.
11 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the middle segment
of the slope defining line.
12 On the Options Bar, clear Defines Slope.
Next, add two new slope arrows.
13 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Slope Arrow.
14 On the Options Bar, verify
is selected.
15 Sketch a slope arrow from the reference plane to the midpoint

of the lower horizontal roof line:
Select the intersection of the left vertical reference plane

and the roof line to specify the location of the slope arrow
tail.
Move the cursor along the roof line until the midpoint
displays, and then select it to specify the location of
the slope arrow head.
16 Repeat steps 13 - 15 to add the second slope arrow.

Begin the tail at the right reference plane, and move the
cursor to rotate the arrow. The head should snap to the
midpoint of the line as in the previous steps.

18 Press CTRL, select both slope arrows, and click
19 Under Constraints, select Slope for Specify.

20 Under Dimensions, enter 500 for Rise/1000, and then click
OK.
21 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Finish Roof to
complete the roof.
22 Click
on the View toolbar to display the model.
NOTE If the front wall is separated from the roof, use the Attach
Top/Base command to join the wall to the roof.
23 Proceed to the next exercise, Aligning Roof Eaves on page
920.
Adding Slope Arrows to a Shed Roof | 919
Aligning Roof Eaves

In this exercise, you convert the gable roof over the garage to a hip roof
and use the Align Eaves tool to adjust the eave heights. When you sketch
a hip roof, the adjacent eave heights must align. When eave heights differ,
you can use the Align Eaves tool to align them.
Dataset
and double-click Garage Roof.
2 Select the gable roof over the garage.
4 Select the two gable end lines (the lines without slope
definition).
5 On the Options Bar, select Defines Slope.
6 With the two gable end lines selected, on the Options Bar,
click

800 mm for Rise/1000, and click OK.
8 On the Sketch tab of the Design Bar, click Align Eaves.
The eave lines display with a dimension. This dimension is
the height of the eave measured from the sketch plane.
9 Select the left vertical eave to use to align the eaves. When
aligning eaves, you must select one eave to use to align both
eaves.
Next, select a method to align the eaves.
10 On the Options Bar, select Adjust Overhang to align the eaves
by adjusting the overhang to match the eave height of the
first eave.
11 Select both the horizontal eave lines.
Notice how the overhang adjusts to match the eave height of
the first eave.


16 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Mansard Roof on
page 921.
Creating a Mansard Roof

In this exercise, you create a mansard roof by cutting off a hip roof at a
specific level and adding another roof on top of it.
Creating a Mansard Roof | 921
Dataset
Open m_Mansard_Roof.rvt located in the Metric folder.

1 In the Project Browser, expand Views (all), expand Elevations,
and double-click North.
Notice the model has four defined levels:
In the next steps, you constrain the current roof so it does not
rise above Level 3.
2 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Modify.
3 Select the roof and, on the Options Bar, click
4 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Constraints, select

Level 3 for Cutoff Level.
5 Click OK to cut the top of the roof off at level 3.
Next, create a new roof that starts at level 3 and completes

the mansard roof.

Footprint.
, and then select Defines slope.
11 Select the four edges of the roof cutoff.
Creating a Mansard Roof | 923

13 Select one of the roof cutoff lines, press TAB, and select the
remaining three lines.

750 mm for Rise/1000, and click OK.
complete mansard roof.
to display the model with the
Creating Fascia, Gutters, and Soffits

In this lesson, you learn how to create roof fascia, gutters, and soffits in
Revit Building. After you create a roof, you can easily create its fascia,
gutters, and soffits.
Creating Roof Fascia

In this exercise, you learn to use the Host Sweep command to create
fascia on the roof of a condominium.
Dataset
Open c_Condominium.rvt located in the Common folder.

Files icon, and open Metric\Families\Profiles\Roofs.
3 Press CTRL, select M_Fascia-Built-Up.rfa and M_Gutter-Cove.rfa,
and click Open.
Sweep Roof Fascia.
6 In the Element Properties dialog box, click Edit/New to

access the type properties of the fascia.
8 In the Name dialog box, enter Built-up Fascia, and click
OK.
M_Fascia-Built-Up: 38 x 184mm x 38 x 286 for Profile, and
click OK twice.
10 Move the cursor to the top edge of the roof.
Creating Roof Fascia | 925
11 Select the top edge of the roof to place the fascia.
12 Select all of the roof top edges to place the fascia around the
building.
13 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Gutters on page 926.
Creating Gutters
In this exercise, you use the Host Sweep command to place a gutter at the
bottom edge of the roof on a condominium building model.
Dataset
c_Condominium.rvt.
Sweep Roof Gutter.
3 In the Properties dialog box, click Edit/New.

5 Enter Cove Shape Gutter for Name, and click OK.
M_Gutter-Cove: 125 x 125mm for Profile.
7 Under Materials and Finishes, click in the Value field for
Material, and then click
8 In the Materials dialog box, select Metal-Aluminum for

Name, and click OK three times.
9 Move the cursor to the bottom edge of the roof.
10 Click to place the gutter.
Creating Gutters | 927
11 Continue to add gutters to the other roof edges of the building

model.
12 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Soffits on page 928.
Creating Soffits
In this exercise, you learn how to place a roof soffit. You add the soffit
underneath the roof of the condominium building model that you used
in the previous exercise.
Dataset
c_Condominium.rvt.
1 In the Project Browser, expand Views, expand Floor Plans, and
double-click Roof.
2 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Roof Roof Soffit.
3 On the Design Bar, click Pick Roofs.
4 Select the roof.

Creating Soffits | 929
Notice that the geometry of the roof and the soffit overlap.
7 On the Tools menu, click Join Geometry.

8 Select the roof, and then select the soffit to join them.
Area Analysis
17
In this tutorial, you learn how to use area analysis tools to

define and label spatial relationships. The first step in area
analysis is the definition of area schemes. Two schemes are
provided by default: Gross Building and Rentable. You can
edit the rentable scheme and create additional schemes. You
then create area plans for each scheme as needed. Each area
scheme can have multiple area plans. Finally, you create area
schedules and color fill plans based on the area schemes and
plans.
931
Using Area Analysis Tools

In this lesson, you use the two predefined area schemes to create respective
area plans to define gross area and a rentable area. You add and modify
the area boundaries and add areas. In the final exercise, you create a color
fill plan and area schedule based on the area schemes and plans.
Creating Area Schemes and Plans

In this exercise, you use the two predefined area schemes to create respective
area plans to define gross area and a rentable area. You add and modify
the area boundaries and add areas.
Dataset
Open the c_Area.rvt file located in the Common folder.

NOTE Images in this exercise reflect Imperial values. If you are using metric
units, your values will be different.
Set units of measurement to metric

1 On the Settings menu, click Project Units.
2 In the Project Units dialog box, under Length, click Format
and specify the following:
For Units, select Millimeters.
For Unit Suffix, select mm.
Click OK.
3 Under Area, click Format and specify the following:
For Units, select Square meters.
For Rounding, select 2 decimal places.
For Unit Suffix, select m2
Click OK.
4 In the Project Units dialog box, click OK.
View predefined area schemes

and verify that Level 1 is the active view.
932 | Chapter 17 Area Analysis
6 On the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar, click Settings.
TIP If the Room and Area tab is not visible, right-click in the
Design Bar, and click Room and Area.
7 In the Room and Area Settings dialog, click the Area Schemes
tab.
There are two schemes currently defined: Gross Building
and Rentable. These schemes define spatial relationships.
Gross Building: Total constructed area of a building.
Rentable: Area measurements based on the standard

method for measuring floor area in office buildings.
Although you can create new schemes that are based on

the Rentable scheme, it is not necessary in this exercise.
8 In the Room and Area Setting dialog box, click the Room
Calculations tab.
You can specify the height where the room area is
calculated.
At system computed height: Generally defaults to or

1000 mm above the level.
NOTE If the room area includes a room separation line,
the system-computed height defaults to the level, or 0.
Creating Area Schemes and Plans | 933
At specified height: You specify the height above the level

that area is calculated.
You can specify the boundary location to be used for room

area calculations, as well as selecting whether to have room
volumes calculated automatically.
9 Click Cancel.
Create a gross building area plan

10 On the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar, click Area Plan.
11 In the New Area Plan dialog box, do the following:
Select Gross Building for Type.
Select Level 1 for Area Plan views.
Verify that Do not duplicate existing views is selected.

NOTE If you clear Do not duplicate existing views, you can
create a copy of the area plan with subsequent changes to
the original area plan duplicated in the copied plan.
Click OK.
12 When the informational dialog box displays, click Yes to create

the boundary lines automatically.
When you select Yes in this dialog box, area boundary lines
are automatically placed on the exterior walls of the building
model, forming a closed loop. If you select No, you must
manually add these boundary lines.
13 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), notice there is a new
view type called Area Plans (Gross Building). Expand Area Plans
(Gross Building), and notice that the Level 1 area plan is the
active view.
14 On the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar, click Area.
NOTE The Area command is used to create and tag new areas.
The Area Tag command is used to tag existing areas. An area
is represented by two crossed reference lines. To modify the
area, you must select one of the reference lines, rather than
the area tag. The area reference lines are for design purposes
only and do not print.
15 Click in the middle of the room on the lower left corner of
the building model to place the tag.
NOTE An area tag measures area based on the area plan

boundary lines. A room tag measures the area enclosed within
the room-defining walls at the boundary location specified in
Room and Area Settings.
Next, you create a new area plan for rentable space. You
add and use area boundary lines to define the office areas,
common areas, and store area.
Create a rentable area scheme and plan

16 On the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar, click Area
Plan.
17 In the New Area Plan dialog box, do the following:
Select Rentable for Type.
Select Level 1 for Area Plan views.
Verify that Do not duplicate existing views is selected.
Click OK.
18 Click Yes to automatically define the area boundary lines.
Notice that the area boundary lines are on the inner face of
the exterior walls.
NOTE The area lines follow some of the windows hosted by the
exterior wall. Although the rule for these lines is to follow the
inside face of the wall, if the window glass is greater than 50% of
the wall height, the area boundary lines are placed on the face of
the glass.
Notice that there is a new view type called Area Plans
(Rentable). Expand Area Plans (Rentable), and notice that the
Level 1 area plan is the active view.
19 Zoom out until you can see the entire building model.
Add area boundary lines

20 On the Design Bar, click Area Boundary.
21 On the Options Bar, verify that Pick Lines and Apply Area
Rules are selected.
When you add area boundary lines, you can either draw them
or pick them. When you pick the walls, you can select the
option "Apply Area Rules" so that the area boundary lines
adjust to the area type. If you do not select this option, the
area boundary lines do not update automatically.
22 Select all the interior walls by clicking them one at a time.
23 On the Design Bar, click Area.

24 In the upper left corner of the building model, click inside
the middle of the room to place the tag.

26 Select the area you added to the room in the upper left
corner of the building model.
NOTE If you have difficulty selecting the area, place the cursor
over the Area Tag and press Tab until Area displays in the status
bar, and click to select the area.
Enter Tenant 1 for Name.
Select Office area for Area Type.
Click OK.
29 On the Design Bar, click Area.

30 Add the area to the room on the lower left corner of the
building model.
31 On the Design Bar, click Modify and select the area.
Enter Tenant 2 for Name.
Select Office area for Area Type.
Click OK.
34 Using the techniques learned in previous steps, add an area

in the common space to the right of the double doors hosted
by the west exterior wall.
In the Element Properties dialog box, do the following:
Enter Circulation for Name.
Select Building Common Area for Area Type.
Click OK.
35 Add an area to the building model core, enter Core for

Name, and select Major Vertical Penetration for Area Type.
36 Add the last two areas to the two spaces on the right side
of the building model. Name the areas Tenant 3 and Tenant
4, and select Store Area for Area Type. Tenant 3 should be
in the upper right, and Tenant 4 in the lower right.
Notice that within the two store areas, the area boundary lines
have adjusted to the new area type.

38 Navigate to your preferred directory, name the project Area-in
progress.rvt, and click Save.
NOTE This project is required in its current state if you intend to
continue with the next exercise.
In this exercise, you used the two predefined area schemes to create
respective area plans to define gross area and a rentable area. You added
and modified the area boundaries and applied area tags to define spaces.
In the next exercise, you create a color fill area plan and an area schedule.
Creating Area Schedules and Color Fill Area Plans

In this exercise, you create a color fill area plan and an area schedule.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise.
Create a color fill plan

1 On the Room and Area tab of the Design Bar, click Color Fill.
2 Move the cursor under the left corner of the building model,
and when the color legend displays, click to place it.
3 When the dialog box displays, click OK to make the required

visibility setting changes.
Create an area schedule

4 On the View tab of the Design Bar, click
Areas (Rentable), and click OK.
6 In the Schedules Properties dialog box, click the Fields tab.
Creating Area Schedules and Color Fill Area Plans | 941
7 Under Available fields, select Area Type and click Add.

8 Add the fields Area and Name.
9 Click OK.
The fields you selected in the Schedule Properties dialog box
are displayed as column headings within the schedule.
Massing
18
You can use massing tools during the initial design process to
convey a potential design concept without the level of detail
usually found in a project. You can create and modify the
geometric shapes that aggregate to form the building model
shell. At any time, you can pick massing faces and make
building model elements such as walls, floors, curtain systems,
and roofs. After you make building elements, you can specify
the view to display massing elements, building elements, or
both. Massing elements and building elements are not linked
automatically. If you modify a massing face, you then need
to update the building face.
In this tutorial, you create a new building model using the
various massing tools to add and cut mass. After you create
the basic geometric shape of the building model, you convert
to the basic shell elements of the building model. You then
modify the building model in both the massing view and the
shell view to see how changes propagate throughout the
project.
943
944 | Chapter 18 Massing
Using Massing Tools

In this lesson, you create the basic geometric shape of the building model
using various massing tools. You assign the default wall, floor, and roof
types so that when you convert the massing elements to shell elements
in the final exercise, the building model uses those element types to
define the walls, roofs, and floors.
Adding Massing Elements to a Building Model

In this exercise, you create the basic geometric shape of a building model
by adding solid and void extrusions, sweeps, and cutting geometry.
Dataset
Open the m_Massing_Start.rvt file located in the Metric folder.
Using Massing Tools | 945
Adding a mass element

1 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), under Floor Plans,
double-click Level 1.
2 On the Massing tab of the Design Bar, click Create Mass.
TIP If the Massing tab is not available on the Design Bar,
right-click anywhere over the Design Bar, and click Massing.
3 Click OK in the Show Mass mode informational dialog box.
4 Click OK in the Name dialog box to accept the default name
Mass 1.
The Design Bar title changes to Mass.
6 On the Sketch Design Bar, click Lines, and click
Options Bar.
on the
7 Sketch the shape as shown using the exact values.

TIP You may want to dimension and constrain the lines to
maintain the exact dimensions.

Finishes, click the Value for Material, and then click
10 In the Materials dialog box, select Mass (Opaque) for Name,

and click OK.
25000 for Extrusion End, and click OK.
Create next extrusion form

Options Bar.
on the
17 On the Options Bar, enter 1550 mm for the Offset.

This means the sketch line is placed 1550 mm from the
position you pick with the cursor.
18 Place the cursor in the drawing area on an edge of the
existing form so that the edge is highlighted.
Watch the Status Bar in the lower-left corner of the screen
to be sure you are highlighting the Form : Extrusion : Shape
Handle.
19 Click the edges of the form to create sketch lines as shown.
Be sure to click to the inside of the extrusion.

Finishes, click the Value for Material, and then click
Adding Massing Elements to a Building Model | 947
22 In the Materials dialog box, select Mass (Transparent) for Name,

and click OK.
25000 for Extrusion Start and 27500 for Extrusion End, and
click OK.
25 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), double-click {3D} to
see the results.
The second form is on top of the first form.
Continue creation of next massing form

26 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), under Elevations
(Building Elevation), double-click West.
27 On the Design Bar, click Solid Form Solid Blend.
28 In the Work Plane dialog box, select Pick a plane, and click
OK.
29 In the drawing area, highlight the larger form.
TIP If necessary, press TAB to highlight the entire face.
30 Click to select the face.

Options Bar.
on the
Sketch the blend base

32 Select the top of the larger extrusion as shown.
Next, you draw a sketch line that acts as a construction line

to create an arc.
34 Place the cursor at the midpoint of the sketch line as shown,

and click to select the line start point.
The triangle indicates that the cursor is at the midpoint.
35 Sketch a line 6000 mm up as shown.
TIP If you do not see this option, click the arrow next to the
drawing options, and click Arc passing through three points from
the menu.
37 Sketch the arc as shown with the top of the arc snapping to
the top of the construction line.
38 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and delete the vertical

construction line.
39 Select the arc and the horizontal line.
41 Click the cursor at the midpoint of the horizontal sketch

line as shown.
42 Move the cursor straight up and click at the top horizontal

line of the smaller extrusion as shown.
Sketching the blend top

43 On the Design Bar, click Edit Top.
44 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), under Elevations
(Building Elevation), double-click East.
45 On the Design Bar, click Lines and, on the Options Bar, click
.
46 Sketch the horizontal line as shown.
48 Create an arc as shown.
49 On the Design Bar, click Blend Properties.

50 In the Element Properties dialog box, verify that Mass (Opaque)
is selected for Material and that -92000 is specified for Second
End, and click OK.
53 Proceed to the next exercise, Using Massing Tools to Cut

Geometry from the Building Model.
In this exercise, you created two extrusions and a blend that form the basic
geometric shape of the building model.
In the next exercise, you use the massing tools to cut geometry from the
shapes you have created.
Using Massing Tools to Cut Geometry from the Building

Model
In this exercise, you use a void extrusion to cut geometry from one of
the massing shapes you added in the previous exercise.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise and
the resulting building model.
Dataset

m_Massing_Start.rvt.
2 In the drawing area, select the mass.
Add reference planes

3 On the Mass tab of the Design bar, click Ref Plane.
and enter 15000 for Offset.
5 Place the cursor near the left edge of the massing element
so that the edge is highlighted, and place the first reference
plane 15000 mm to the right.
6 Place another reference plane 15000 mm to the right of the
first reference plane.
Using Massing Tools to Cut Geometry from the Building Model | 953
7 Using the same technique, place three more reference planes

15000 mm apart from left to right, as shown.
When sketching the void extrusions in the steps that follow,

you specify the intersection of the reference planes and the
top and bottom edges of the massing element. These reference
planes act primarily as sketching aids.
Sketch extrusion voids

8 On the Design Bar, click Void Form Void Extrusion.
9 On the Design Bar, click Lines and, on the Options Bar, click
and select Chain.
NOTE If the file is currently in shaded mode, click
View Control Bar, and then click Hidden Line.
on the
10 Enter SI for intersection snap, and sketch the first void

extrusion as shown.
11 Sketch two additional void extrusions as shown. When

sketching each extrusion, snap the corners to the intersections.

13 Under Constraints, enter 12000 for Extrusion End, and 0 for
Extrusion Start.
14 Click OK.
17 On the Mass Design Bar, click Finish Mass.

19 Save the file as m_Massing_Complete.rvt.
In this exercise, you cut voids through an extrusion you added in the
first exercise.
Using Mass Family Files in a Project

In this lesson, you open a predefined mass family file and create new
types from it. You then load that mass family file and others into a
project. You place several instances of the mass families into the project.
Finally, you use the Join Geometry command to join several instances
of the mass elements.
Creating New Mass Family Types

In this exercise, you create new family types from a mass family file.
Using Mass Family Files in a Project | 955
Dataset
Navigate to the Metric\Metric Families and Templates\Families\Massing

folder.
Open Box.rfa.
Creating three new family types

2 In the Family Types dialog box, click New.
3 In the Name dialog box, enter 15000 mm x 18000 mm x
12000 mm for Name, and click OK.
4 In the Family Types dialog box, under Other, enter 15000mm
for Width, 12000 mm for Height, and 18000 mm for Depth,
and click Apply.
5 Click New and enter 68000 mm x 9000 mm x 18000 mm

6 Enter 68000 mm for Width, 18000 mm for Height, and 9000
7 Click New and enter 46000 mm x 6000 mm x 11000 mm
8 Enter 46000mm for Width, 11000 mm for Height, and 6000
9 Click OK.

11 Save the file as Box-Training.rfa.
In this exercise, you opened a mass family file and created three new
types of this family file.
Loading and Placing New Mass Families

In this exercise, you load and place the new family types that you created
from the previous exercise. You also load other existing mass families
and place them.
Dataset
Open the m_Massing_In-place.rvt file located in the Metric folder.
1 If not already selected, click

show the massing model.
on the View toolbar to

double-click Site.
Style Wireframe.
Files icon.
6 Navigate to the Metric\Families\Massing folder.
Loading and Placing New Mass Families | 957
7 Open the Box-Training.rfa, Arc Dome.rfa, Semi Barrel Vault.rfa,

and Triangle.rfa family files.
8 On the Massing tab of the Design Bar, click Place Mass.
9 In the Type Selector, select Box-Training: 68000 mm x 9000
mm x 18000 mm.
10 Place the box mass family on the in-place mass family as
shown.
TIP You may want to use the Move tool to accurately place the
mass families.

12 Select the box, and click
13 Specify Mass (Transparent) for the Material instance parameter,

and click OK twice.
mm x 12000 mm.
16 Place 3 of these box families on the larger box family as shown.

18 Press CTRL, select the 3 boxes, and click
19 Specify Mass (Opaque) for the Material instance parameter,

and click OK twice.
21 In the Type Selector, select Triangle: 15000 x 45000 x 10500.
23 Place the cursor in the drawing area, and click to place the
mass.
24 On the Options Bar, enter 90 for Angle.
26 In the drawing area, select the triangle, and use the Move
command on the Edit toolbar to place the triangle as shown.
27 Select the triangle, and click
28 Specify Mass (Transparent) for the Material instance

parameter, and click OK twice.
mm x 11000 mm.
31 Place the box mass family as shown.
32 Select the box and click
Loading and Placing New Mass Families | 959
33 Specify Mass (Opaque) for the Material instance parameter,

and click OK twice.
Notice that the triangle and the box masses that you just placed
all overlap. In the next exercise, you join these mass elements.
In this exercise, you loaded and placed the new family types that you
created in the previous exercise. You also loaded other existing mass families
and added them to the building model.
Joining Mass Elements

In this exercise, you join and modify the mass elements you placed from
the previous exercise.
Dataset
Continue using the m_Massing_In-place.rvt file.
Join geometry
NOTE When you join geometry, the first mass element selected
cuts volume from any subsequently selected mass element.
3 Select the middle Box-Training: 15000 mm x 18000 mm x
12000 mm mass element as shown.
Joining Mass Elements | 961
4 Select the triangle, and then press ESC to see the result.
Modify existing massing elements

double-click Site.
6 Select the right edge of the Box-Training: 46000 mm x 6000
mm x 11000 mm and drag it to the left edge of the middle
Box-Training: 15000 mm x 18000 mm x 12000 mm as shown.
Mirror the modified mass element

7 With the smaller box still selected, click
toolbar.
on the Edit
for Axis.
9 Position the cursor over the upper edge of the middle box,
enter SM, and snap to the midpoint of the edge.
10 Click to select the mirror axis start point.
11 Drag the cursor down to create a vertical axis of reflection
as shown.
TIP Pressing SHIFT while dragging the cursor locks the axis
orthogonally.
12 Click to mirror the existing massing element.
Joining Mass Elements | 963
Join geometry
15 Select one instance of the modified Box-Training: 46000 mm

x 6000 mm x 11000 mm first, and then select the triangle.
16 Repeat for the other instance of the modified mass element
and the triangle.
17 Press ESC to see the result.
In this exercise, you joined mass elements together. The first selected mass
element cut geometry from the subsequently selected mass element. You
also modified and mirrored a mass element before joining its geometry
with that of another element.
Using Mass Elements with Design Options

In this lesson, you continue using the same file from the previous lesson.
You add mass elements to design options to experiment with different
versions of the design. You then make one of the design options the
primary one for the model.
Mass Elements in Design Options

In this exercise, you place the mass elements from the previous exercise
into Design Options. You then switch between different design options
to get different versions of the design.
Dataset
Continue using the file m_Massing_In-place.rvt.

1 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the triangle
mass element.
2 On the Window menu, click Toolbar Design Options.
3 On the Design Options toolbar, click
4 In the Add to Design Option Set dialog box, select Sloped

(primary), clear Curved, and then click OK.
double-click Site.
Placing semi barrel vaults

7 In the Type Selector, select Semi Barrel Vault: 10000 x 15000
x 7500.
Using Mass Elements with Design Options | 965
9 Place the cursor in the drawing area and click to place the
mass.
10 On the Options Bar, enter 90 degrees for Angle.
11 Place a semi barrel vault where shown.
TIP You may want to use the Move tool to place the mass
precisely.
12 Place another semi barrel vault as shown.

14 In the drawing area, select the 2 semi barrel vaults, and click
.
15 Specify Mass (Transparent) for the Material property, and click
OK twice.
, and click Wireframe.
Placing arc dome mass elements

18 In the Type Selector, select Arc Dome: 6000R x 2750H.
19 Place 3 arc domes as shown.

TIP Use the snap control lines to assist in placing the domes.

21 In the drawing area, select the three arc domes, and click
.
22 Specify Mass (Transparent) for the Material property, and
click OK twice.
23 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), under Elevations,
double-click North.
25 Move the three arc domes to the position shown.
Create a Design Option set

26 Select the three arc domes and the two semi barrel vaults.
28 In the Add to Design Option Set dialog box, select Curved,

clear Sloped, and click OK.
Mass Elements in Design Options | 967

double-click {3D}.

31 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Design Options
tab.
32 Click the value for Design Option, select Curved from the
Design Option menu, and click OK.
You can now see the shapes that are part of the curved
design option. Because it is likely that your client prefers
the design option with curved shapes, you can make it the
primary option.
34 In the Design Options dialog box, select Curved and, under

Option, click Make Primary.
35 Click Close and close the warning that displays.
36 On the File menu, click Save As and save the file as
m_Massing_Design_Options.rvt.
In this exercise, you placed mass elements into Design Options. You
then switched between different design options to get different versions
of the design.
Creating Building Components from Mass

Elements
In this lesson, you use building component creation tools to make
building components from mass faces.
Creating Walls by Picking Faces

In this exercise, you pick massing faces to create walls.
Dataset
Creating Building Components from Mass Elements | 969
Open the m_Massing_Building_Components.rvt file located in the Metric

folder.
1 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), double-click {3D}.
to show the massing model.
3 On the View menu, click Orient Southeast.
Creating walls
4 On the Massing tab of the Design Bar, click Wall by Face.
5 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Exterior - Brick on CMU.
Loc Line.
, and select Wall Centerline for
7 Place the cursor in the drawing area and select the face of the
in-place mass family as shown.
The southeast wall of the mass model is now Brick on CMU.

10 Select all the faces shown in red.
NOTE If a Warning dialog box is displayed, alerting you that

the highlighted walls overlap, ignore the warning and continue
selecting wall faces.
13 Select the face indicated by the arrow as shown.
Creating Walls by Picking Faces | 971

15 On the Design Bar, Click Wall by Face.
16 In the Type Selector, select Curtain Wall : Storefront.
17 Select the 3 faces shown in red.
You can ignore the warnings about walls overlapping. If

desired, you can select the overlapping curtain wall, and click
Edit Profile on the Options Bar. You can then edit the profile
to clean up the overlapping geometry.


23 Open the 3D view to see the results.
In this exercise, you picked several massing faces and created both basic
walls and curtain walls.
Creating Floors by Picking Faces

In this exercise, you pick massing faces to create floors.
Creating Floors by Picking Faces | 973
Dataset
Continue using the file m_Massing_Building_Components.rvt.

3 On the Model Categories tab, clear Curtain Panels, Curtain
Systems, and Walls.
4 Click OK.
Creating floors
5 Select the in-place mass family Mass 1.
6 On the Options Bar, click Floor Area Faces.
7 In the Floor Area Faces dialog box, select all levels, and click
OK.

9 Press CTRL, and select the three 15000 mm x 18000 mm x
12000 mm box mass elements and the mirrored 46000 mm
x 6000 mm x 11000 mm box masses as shown.

11 In the Floor Area Faces dialog box, select Levels 1-4, and click
OK.
12 On the Options Bar, clear Exclude Options.
13 Press CTRL, and select the semi vault barrel mass elements
and the 68000 mm x 9000 mm x 18000 mm box mass
element as shown.

15 In the Floor Area Faces dialog box, select Level 1, and click
OK.
17 On the Massing tab of the Design Bar, click Floor by Face.
18 On the Options Bar, verify that Select Multiple is selected.
19 Drag a pick box over the entire model to select all the floor
area faces.
20 On the Options Bar, click Create Floors.

double-click Mass Schedule.
This shows you the gross floor area of each mass.
In this exercise, you created floors by first creating floor area faces and
then picking those faces to create floors. You then viewed a massing
schedule that listed the gross floor area of each mass in the model.
Creating Roofs by Picking Faces

In this exercise, you pick massing faces to create roofs.
Dataset

Creating roofs
2 On the Massing tab of the Design Bar, click Roof by Face.
3 Select the top face of the left 15000 mm x 18000 mm x
12000 mm box mass element as shown.
Creating Roofs by Picking Faces | 979
4 In the Type Selector, select Basic Roof : Generic - 400mm.

6 Create the same roof on the remaining 15000 mm x 18000
mm x 12000 mm box mass elements, and also on the top faces
of the 46000 mm x 6000 mm x 11000 mm box mass elements.
NOTE Each time you select a face on an instance of the 15000
mm x 18000 mm x 12000 mm box mass element family, click
Create Roof. This creates the roof and lets you pick another face
to create a new roof.
Your model should now look as shown.
7 With the Roof by Face command still selected, select Sloped

Glazing in the Type Selector.
8 Select the left semi barrel vault mass element.
10 Repeat these steps to create a sloped glazing roof on the
other semi barrel vault mass element.
12 Click the Model Categories tab, select Curtain Panels,
Curtain Systems, and Walls, and then click OK.
Creating Roofs by Picking Faces | 981
In this exercise, you created roofs by picking faces of massing families.
Creating Curtain Systems

In this exercise, you create curtain systems by picking non-planar massing
faces.
Dataset

2 On the Massing tab of the Design Bar, click Curtain System
by Face.
3 In the Type Selector, select Curtain System: 1500 x 1500mm.
4 On the Options Bar, be sure that Select Multiple is selected.
5 Press CTRL, and select both halves of the left arc dome mass
element as shown.
Creating Curtain Systems | 983
7 Repeat the same steps for the two other domes.
8 With the Curtain System by Face command still selected, select

the blended form on the in-place mass.
10 Click Modify to exit the command.

In this exercise, you created curtain systems on non-planar faces.
Creating Curtain Systems | 985
Editing Elements Created from Massings

In this exercise, you create curtain systems by picking non-planar massing
faces.
Dataset

double-click Site.
3 On the Model Categories tab, clear Curtain Panels, Curtain
Systems, Floors, Roofs, and Walls, and then click OK.
Next, you resize one of the 15000 mm x 18000 mm x 12000
mm box mass elements.
4 Select the box mass family as shown and click

7 Enter Larger Size for Name, and click OK.
9 In the Element Properties dialog box, enter 30000 for
Width, and click OK.

11 On the Options Bar, clear Exclude Options.
12 Drag a selection box over the box family and the dome
family.
Editing Elements Created from Massings | 987
13 Use the Move tool to position the box and dome families as
shown.
14 Open the 3D view to see the result.
The curtain system is no longer aligned with the dome

family. In the next steps, you remake several of the building
elements to fit to the new size of the massing family.
16 Zoom in to the upper right-hand portion of the model and
select the three walls shown.
TIP To select the curtain wall, press TAB several times until the
Status Bar indicates you are highlighting the Walls : Curtain Wall
: Storefront. Also, remember that there are two curtain walls of
this type that are overlapping here; you want to select the smaller
one.
17 On the Options Bar, click Remake.

18 In the Exclude Hosts dialog box, click OK.
TIP If you temporarily hide one of the resized walls, you will
notice that Revit Building resized the floors.
20 Select the roof as shown.
21 On the Options Bar, click Remake.
22 Select the arc dome curtain system, and click Remake.
In this exercise, you changed the size of an existing mass family. You
then modified building elements to resize with the new mass family.
Controlling Mass/Shell Visibility

In this exercise, you switch the visibility of the view between the massing
elements and the model (shell) elements.
Dataset

1 Open the 3D view.
Turn off massing

2 Click
on the View toolbar to turn off massing.
Controlling Mass/Shell Visibility | 993
The 3D view now shows only the building shell.
Now you create a 3D view that shows only the massing.

3 In the Project Browser, right-click on the 3D view, and click
Duplicate.
4 Rename the view 3D - Massing only.
6 On the Model Categories tab, click All to select all categories.
7 Clear one of the check boxes.
8 Click None to clear the selection.
9 Select Mass, and click OK.
In this exercise, you switched the visibility of the 3D view to show either
the building shell or the mass model.
This concludes the massing tutorial. If desired, you can continue adding
additional Revit modeling components, such as columns and an extruded
roof, to the building shell. You might create the model shown.
Controlling Mass/Shell Visibility | 995
Grouping
19
Using the grouping functionality in Revit Building 9.1, you

can create reusable entities that represent layouts common to
many building projects. By grouping objects, you not only
simplify their placement, you also simplify the modification
process. For example, when you make changes to a single
instance of a model group, all instances in the building model
are updated, and all new instances that you place contain the
modifications.
You can also nest groups within other groups. In this tutorial,
you create a model group for a typical hotel guest room, and
then you create a group for a typical toilet room that is nested
within the guest room group. Modifications to the nested
group are automatically included in the host group.
Saving a group to a library gives you the ability to share the
group with other team members working on the same project,
or with those working on a different project. This functionality
ensures consistency within and across projects. It also gives
all those with access to the library the ability to load any group
from the library into their project drawing. Because existing
groups can be duplicated and then customized for another
purpose, creating a library of groups for your office can reduce
997
the amount of work needed to create, place, and modify

repetitive units.
998 | Chapter 19 Grouping
Creating Groups
In this lesson, you learn how to use model groups to collect related
elements to simplify placement of repetitive units. Examples of the types
of units for which groups are intended include hotel rooms, classrooms,
and typical office layouts.
After you create a model group, you can place instances of the group in
the building model using various methods. You can also update all
instances of a group in the building model by editing a single instance
of the group and saving the changes.
Creating a Group
In this exercise, you create a model group for a typical hotel room. You
create the group by selecting drawing objects and grouping them as a
single entity.
Dataset
Open the m_Grouping.rvt file located in the Metric folder.
Specify a view
2 Enter ZR to zoom to a specific region.
3 Draw a rectangle around the populated room.
The view is zoomed in to the selected room. You zoom in

so that you can select objects in the room accurately.
Creating Groups | 999
Create a group from drawing objects

4 Press and hold CTRL, and select the bed, chair, desk, and two
nightstands.
6 In the Project Browser, expand Groups, and expand Model.

7 Right-click Group 1, and click Rename.
8 Enter Typical guest room, and press ENTER.
The objects are now grouped and can be placed in the drawing
as a single entity.
10 Navigate to your preferred directory, name the file Grouping-in
11 Proceed to the next exercise, Placing a Group on page 1000.
Placing a Group
In this exercise, you use drag and drop functionality to place a new instance
of a group in the floor plan. You also mirror an existing instance of a group,
using an adjacent wall as the axis of reflection.
Dataset
Continue using the dataset saved at the end of the previous exercise,
Grouping-in progress.rvt.
Modify the origin of a group

1 In the drawing area, select the group.
2 Drag the group origin to the wall intersection directly below
the entry door, as shown.
Drag a group into position

3 In the Project Browser, select Typical guest room and drag
it to the room below the original instance of the group.
4 Snap the origin to the wall intersection below the entry
door.
A second instance of the group is added to the drawing.

Mirror a group
6 In the drawing area, select the original instance of the group.
8 Select the wall abutted by the desk and tub of the original
instance as the axis of reflection.
Placing a Group | 1001
You should now have three instances of the Typical guest

room group in your model: two with the original orientation
and one mirrored, as shown.
10 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying a Group on page
1002.
Modifying a Group
In this exercise, you make changes to a single instance of a group. When
you finish the editing routine, all instances of the same group in the
drawing are updated.
Dataset
1 In the drawing area, select the mirrored instance of the Typical
guest room group.
2 On the Options Bar, click Edit Group.
The elements in this instance of the group remain displayed

in their object style. All other elements in the model are grayed
out.
3 Press and hold CTRL, and select the desk and chair.
5 Click near the left edge of the desk as the move start point.
6 Click the exterior wall as the move end point.
The edge of the desk is aligned with the exterior wall.

7 On the Design Bar, click Finish Group.
All instances of the Typical guest room are updated to reflect

the change.
9 Proceed to the next lesson, Creating Nested Groups on
page 1003.
Creating Nested Groups

In this lesson, you create a group that you add to a previously created
group. The new group is considered nested within the host group, and
is contained in every new instance of the host group that you place in
the building model.
Creating Nested Groups | 1003
When you make changes to a nested group, the host group is also updated.
This ensures that the modifications are propagated when each new instance
of the host group is added to the building model and also when each
stand-alone instance of the nested group is added.
Creating a Nested Group

In this exercise, you create a group for a toilet room that you add to the
guest room group. The new group is then nested within the original group,
which acts as the host. When you nest the toilet room in the guest room,
all instances of the host group are updated to contain the nested group.
Dataset
Continue using the dataset saved at the end of the previous lesson,
Create a group
1 In the original instance of the Typical guest room group, select
all the elements that make up the toilet room and closet. In
the selection, make sure you also include both doors and their
host walls, and the wall separating the bathroom and closet.
3 In the Project Browser, expand Groups, expand Model,

right-click Group 1, and click Rename.
4 Enter Typical toilet room, and press ENTER.
Change the origin of a group

5 Select the original instance of Typical guest room.
6 Drag the origin of the group to the intersection of the corridor
wall and the guest room wall nearest the tub.
Create a nested group

8 On the Design Bar, click Add To Group.
The elements of the group are grayed out in every instance;
everything else is available for selection.
9 On the Options Bar, verify that Multiple is clear.
10 In the drawing area, select the Typical toilet room group.
Creating a Nested Group | 1005
The Typical toilet room group is nested in the Typical guest

room group, and all instances are updated to include the nested
group.
13 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying a Nested Group on
page 1006.
Modifying a Nested Group

In this exercise, you add a component to a single instance of the nested
toilet room group. When you edit the group to add the component, all
instances of the nested group are updated in the building model. Because
the modified group is nested, the host group is also updated so that new
instances of either group contain the new component.
Dataset
Add a component to the model

2 In the Type Selector, select m_Pedestal_Sink-3D.
3 In the drawing area, place the cursor over one of the toilet
rooms and press the spacebar three times to rotate the sink to
the orientation shown.
4 Place the sink on the wall with the toilet in any instance of
the Typical toilet room.
Edit a nested group

6 Move the cursor over the same instance of the toilet room
group in which you placed the sink.
7 Press TAB, and select the nested toilet room group.
10 In the drawing area, select the sink.
Modifying a Nested Group | 1007
All instances of the nested group are updated with the change.
13 Proceed to the next lesson, Working with Groups on page
1008.
Working with Groups

In this lesson, you work with groups in order to use them in the most
efficient manner within and across projects. You create a group based on
an existing group by using the Duplicate command. You then customize
the new group for use in the current building model. You also create a
detail group in the level 2 floor plan that you add to the building model
in a different floor plan view.
In subsequent exercises, you add door tags to a group, and then save the
tags as an attached detail group. You work with the attached detail group
in a different way than you had previously worked with host and nested
groups, because attached detail groups require more manual manipulation.
Lastly, having created a group that represents a typical layout, you save it
to a library where it can be accessed by other team members for use in
other projects. When you load the group from the library into a new
project, you can then work with it in the context of the new project. You
use functionality that allows you to not only fix inconsistencies among
instances of a group, but automatically create a new group as part of the
process to fix the group.
Duplicating a Group
In this exercise, you use the Duplicate command to create a group based
on an existing group. You then place the new group in the building model,
and customize it so that it fits in the available space and has the correct
group nested within it. After you finish the modified group, you draw an
axis of reflection at the midpoint of the building model so that the group
is mirrored from its location at the top of the building model to a location
at the bottom.
Dataset
Use Project Browser to duplicate a group

1 In the Project Browser, under Groups, right-click Typical guest
room, and click Duplicate.
A new group definition (Typical guest room 2) is displayed in
the Project Browser.
2 Right-click Typical guest room 2, and click Rename.
3 Enter Corner guest room, and press ENTER.
Place a duplicated group

4 Drag Corner guest room from the Project Browser to the
vacant room in the northwest corner of the building.
5 Click at the upper-right corner of the room, where the
corridor wall and the exterior wall intersect, to specify the
group origin.
7 After a warning message displays, click OK.
Notice that the desk overlaps the exterior wall. This is

because the corner room is smaller than the interior rooms.
Edit a duplicated group

8 In the drawing area, select the Corner guest room group.
10 Press and hold CTRL, and select the desk and chair.
12 Move the desk and chair so that they are within the room.
13 On the Design Bar, click Remove From Group.
14 Select the toilet room.
16 Select the same toilet room group, and press DELETE.
Duplicating a Group | 1009
Nest a group
17 In the Project Browser, select Corner toilet room, and drag it
into the corner guest room.
Use the inside corner of the exterior wall and the corridor wall
as the origin of the group.
18 On the Options Bar, click Finish to finish placing the group.
22 In the drawing area, select the Corner toilet room group.
TIP If a warning appears indicating that there are errors that
cannot be ignored, click Unjoin Elements to resolve the errors.
Mirror along a drawn axis of reflection

for Axis.
27 Click the midpoint of the corridor wall as the start point of

the axis of reflection as shown.
TIP To help find the midpoint of the wall, enter SM on your
keyboard to limit snaps to midpoints.
28 Drag the cursor to the left, past the exterior wall, staying
perpendicular to the corridor wall, and click to specify the
end point.
A new instance of the Corner guest room group is added to

the southwest corner of the building model.
30 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating a Detail Group on
page 1011.
Creating a Detail Group

In this exercise, you sketch and annotate a rectangular filled region that
represents an area of tiled flooring in front of the elevators in the
building model. You then save the region and the text note as a detail
group. You can add the detail group to other views of the building model.
Dataset
Draw a filled region

Creating a Detail Group | 1011
to draw a rectangular region.
3 Click the lower-left endpoint below the elevators as the start

point of the rectangle.
4 Move the cursor down and to the right, and select a point on
the interior of the vertical wall.
A rectangular region with a diagonal cross hatch pattern is

added in front of the elevator doors.
Add a text note

to add an arc leader.
8 Click in the filled region to specify the leader start point.

9 Click below the filled region to end the leader and specify the
text start point.
10 Enter Tile, and click Modify on the Design Bar.
The text note with arc leader is added to the building model.
Create a detail group

11 Press and hold CTRL, and select the note and the filled
region.
13 In the Project Browser, expand Groups, and expand Detail.

15 Enter Elevator lobby tile, and press ENTER.
Modify a group origin

16 In the drawing area, select the instance of the Elevator lobby
tile group.
17 Move the origin of the group to the corner of the elevator
shaft, as shown.
Add a group instance to a different drawing view

3.
19 Drag an instance of the Elevator lobby tile group from the
Project Browser into the level 3 view.
21 Proceed to the next exercise, Using Attached Detail Groups
on page 1013.
Using Attached Detail Groups

In this exercise, you add door tags to the Typical toilet room group, and
then use the door tags to create an attached detail group. Because the
detail group contains variables, it cannot be added to a group in the
same manner that a drawing component can be added; you must
manually attach it to each instance of the Typical toilet room group.
Using Attached Detail Groups | 1013
Dataset
Place door tags

2.
2 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Tag By Catgeory.
4 Place two door tags in the original instance of the Typical toilet
room, as shown.
Create an attached detail group

6 In the drawing area, press and hold CTRL, and select the two
door tags.
A warning dialog box is displayed, informing you that an

attached detail group has been created for the Typical toilet
room group.
8 In the Project Browser, expand Groups, expand Attached
Detail, and expand Typical toilet room.
10 Enter Door tags, and press ENTER.
Place a detail group in another group instance

11 Move the cursor over the Typical toilet room group, (this
group is just below the original instance of the Typical guest
room group), press TAB, and select the nested Typical toilet
room group.
12 On the Options Bar, click Place Detail.
13 In the Attached Detail Group Placement dialog box, select
Door tags, and click OK.
The new instance of the attached detail group is added at

the same relative position and orientation as in the original
instance of the model group.
NOTE Component instance numbering is sequential; therefore,
the doors are numbered based upon the order in which you
placed each group.
15 Proceed to the next exercise, Saving and Loading Groups
on page 1015.
Saving and Loading Groups

In this exercise, you save a group to a library so that you can use the
group in a new project. This enables you to create a library of groups
that can be shared with other team members and used on multiple
projects. Using groups from a library ensures consistency and increases
Saving and Loading Groups | 1015
productivity for projects that reuse similar typical layouts for repetitive
units.
Dataset
Save a group to a library

1 On the File menu, click Save to Library Save Group.
2 In the Save Group dialog box, select Typical toilet room for
Group To Save.
NOTE Groups containing nested groups cannot be saved.
3 Click Save.
Load the group in a new project

In the New Project dialog box, under Template file, click

Browse.
In the left pane of the Choose Template dialog box, click

the Training Files icon, and open Metric\Templates.
Select the m_Tutorial_Default.rte file, and click Open.
5 In the New Project dialog box, click OK.

6 On the File menu, click Load from Library Load Group.
7 In the Load Group dialog box, navigate to the directory where
you saved the group, select Typical toilet room.rvg, and click
Open.
8 In the Duplicate Types dialog box, click OK.
Sketch walls
to draw a square.
11 In the drawing area, click to specify the start point of the

square, and then drag the cursor so that all the walls in the
square are 6000 mm long.
Place an instance of the loaded group

12 In the Project Browser, expand Groups, and expand Model.
13 Select Typical toilet room, drag it into the drawing area,

and place it in the upper-right corner of the square, as
shown.
IMPORTANT Be sure to line up the outline of the group with

the exterior surface of the walls. The toilet and the tub are
wall-hosted components whose hosts are not part of the group,
so it is important to place the group accurately in order to use
the walls you sketched.
The Typical toilet room model group is added to the new

project.
16 Enter Loaded_Group for File name, and click Save.
17 Proceed to the next exercise, Automatically Creating a
Group on page 1018.
Saving and Loading Groups | 1017
Automatically Creating a Group

In this exercise, you mirror the instance of the Typical toilet room group
you added to the new project in the previous exercise. Because one of the
wall-hosted components in the group does not have a wall in the mirrored
group, the software gives you the option of fixing the inconsistency by
creating a new group. The new group is created automatically and contains
the same components as the existing group, except for the wall-hosted
component for which there is no wall.
Dataset
Loaded_Group.
1 In the drawing area, select the instance of Typical toilet room.
3 Select the wall shared by the toilet and the sink as the axis of
reflection.
Because there is no wall to host the tub in the mirrored

instance, a warning dialog box is displayed.
4 In the warning dialog box, click Fix Groups.
5 In the Fix Inconsistent Groups dialog box, click Create new
group types, and click OK.
The Typical toilet room model group is mirrored, and a new

group (Typical toilet room 2) is created. The tub component
is not included in the new group because there is no wall
to host it.
save the drawing.
Automatically Creating a Group | 1019
Site
20
In this tutorial, you use the site tools in Revit Building 9.1 to
add and modify site components within a project.
1021
Using Site Tools

In this lesson, you use site tools to add and modify site components within
a project. You start by importing the site contour data and converting it
to 3D contour data. You add property lines manually, convert the data to
a table, and then modify the data. You add subregions to the area to define
parking areas, islands, and walkways. After grading the topography to
create a slightly elevated and flat surface, you add a building pad to the
site. In the final exercises, you add parking and planting components and
create a parking space schedule.
The exercises are sequential and must be done in order.
Creating a Toposurface
In this exercise, you create a toposurface using two different methods.
Using the first method, you create a toposurface by manually placing
elevation points in the site plan. In the second part of this exercise, you
import contour data from a DWG file and use it to create the project
toposurface.
Dataset
Open the m_First_Project.rvt file located in the Metric folder.

This project file was created using the default metric template.
1022 | Chapter 20 Site
Create a toposurface by adding elevation points

Plans, and double-click Site.
The scale of this view is 1 : 100.
2 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Toposurface.
TIP If the Site tab is not displayed, right-click in the Design
Bar, and click Site.
3 On the Design Bar, click Point.
4 On the Options Bar, enter an absolute elevation of 3000
mm.
5 Click in the drawing area to specify a point.
Creating a Toposurface | 1023
6 Add two additional points to create a triangle. Use the

following illustration as a reference.
Triangulation boundaries display only after you add the third

elevation point. A toposurface must have at least three
elevation points.
7 Add additional points to create a contour circle similar to the
following illustration. The circle should be approximately
55000 mm wide.
8 On the Options Bar, enter an absolute elevation of 6000mm.

9 Add a concentric circle of 6000mm elevation points inside the
3000mm contour.
TIP Do not be concerned with the exact quantity or placement

of the points.
10 Repeat the previous step for 9000mm, 12000mm, 15000mm,

and 18000mm absolute elevations. Try to add each circle
concentrically inside the previously created circle. Use the
following illustration as a reference.
11 On the Design Bar, click Finish Surface.

12 On the Settings menu, click Site Settings.
13 In the Site Settings dialog box, under Additional Contours,

under Increment, enter 1500mm, and click OK.
This setting reduces the quantity of contour lines in the view.
15 On the View Control Bar, click Model Graphics Style, and click
Shading with Edges.
view it at various angles.
and spin the toposurface to
Use imported contour data to create a toposurface

17 Select the toposurface and, on the Standard toolbar, click
to delete it.
18 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand Elevations

Before importing the contour data, modify the level names
and elevations.
20 Zoom in around the Level 2 head, click the elevation value,
enter 1000mm, and press ENTER.
21 Click the Level 2 text, rename the level Basement, and

press ENTER.
22 When you are asked if you want to rename corresponding
views, click Yes.
23 Click the Level 1 text, rename the level Base Site
Elevation, and press ENTER.
Click Yes when prompted to rename corresponding views.

double-click Site.
26 In the Import/Link dialog box:
In the left pane, click the Training Files icon.
Select the c_Import_Site file located in the Common

folder.
Under Layer/Level Colors, select Preserve colors.
Under Import or Link, select Current view only and

choose Select for Layers.
Click Open.
You are immediately prompted to select the layers you want

to import.
27 In the Select Layers/Levels to Import/Link dialog box, clear
layer 0 and layer C_bench_mark, and click OK.
28 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and zoom out until you can
see the entire topography within the view.
29 Select the imported topography.
Until it is exploded, it is considered an import symbol.
30 On the Edit menu, click Pin Position.
This ensures the import symbol is not accidently moved.
Notice the elevation symbols are displayed.

33 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Annotation
Categories tab.
34 Under Visibility, clear Elevations, and then click OK.
35 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Toposurface.
36 On the Design Bar, click Use Imported Import Instance.
37 Place the cursor over the imported symbol and, when the
edges highlight, select it.
When you select the import symbol, you are prompted to

select the layer that will generate the elevation points.
38 In the Add Points from Selected Layers dialog box, clear

C_INDX, and click OK.
The import symbol is converted to elevation points and
contours.

41 Enter ZF to zoom to the extents of the image.

and spin the toposurface to
view it at various angles. Notice the change in this toposurface
elevation is minor.

44 Navigate to your preferred folder, name the project Site-in
NOTE If you intend to complete the next exercise, this project
file is required in its current state.
45 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Property Lines on

page 1031.
Adding Property Lines

In this exercise, you add property lines using two methods. Using the
first method, you sketch the property lines and then convert the sketch
into survey data. Using the second method, you create property lines
by entering survey data into a table of distances and bearings.
This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise and the
project file in its current state. If you have not completed the previous
exercise, do so before continuing.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise, Site-in
progress.rvt.
Sketch property lines

1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click Site.
2 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Property Line.
3 In the Property Line Creation dialog box, select Create
property lines by sketching, and click OK.
Adding Property Lines | 1031
5 Using the sketching tools available on the Options Bar, sketch

the shape shown in the following illustration. Although you
can use your preferred sketching method, you can quickly
create the shape by doing the following:
Sketch the rectangle first.
Click Modify.
Select and delete the right vertical line.
Using the 3-point Arc tool, add an arc line on the right.
NOTE The weight of the sketch lines has been increased in the
illustration for training purposes.
The property lines are displayed with a dash-dot line type

on the topography.
7 Move the cursor over the property lines and, when they
highlight, select the lines.
8 On the Options Bar, select Edit Table.
A warning dialog box is displayed, informing you that
converting a property line sketch to a table cannot be
undone.
9 In the warning dialog box, click OK.
10 In the Property Lines dialog box, click OK.
NOTE The values displayed in the Property Lines dialog box
depend on the exact dimensions and location of your sketch.
Create property lines using a table of distances and bearings

11 Select the property lines and, on the Standard toolbar, click
to delete them.
12 On the Design Bar, click Property Line.
13 In the Property Line Creation dialog box, select Create
property lines by table of distances and bearings, and click
OK.
14 In the Property Lines dialog box, click Insert three times
until there are four rows of deed data.
15 Starting in Row #1, enter the following deed data for rows 1
through 4:
100000 S 00'0" E
80000 N 900'0" W
100000 N 00'0" E
80000 N 900'0" E
Notice that after you complete the last line, the distance that
displayed under From last to first point now displays Closed.
This means there is no gap in the property lines. If the gap is
not closed, review your data entry and make necessary
corrections.
16 Click OK.
The property lines are displayed at the tip of the cursor.
17 Move the cursor over the topographic surface and using the
following illustration as a reference, click to place the
property lines.
Tag property lines

18 On the Settings menu, click Annotations Loaded Tags.
19 In the Tags dialog box, scroll down the list of categories
until you find Property Lines and notice there are no tags
loaded for Property Line Segments.
20 Click Load.
21 In the left pane of the Open dialog box, click Training Files,
and click Metric\Families\Annotations\Civil.
22 Select M_Property Line Tag.rfa and click Open.
23 In the Tags dialog box, notice a tag is now loaded for
property line segments, and click OK.
Before adding property line segment tags, the visibility of
the imported symbol needs to be turned off. Even though
you converted the symbol to elevations points and contours,
the original DWG file remains visible in the view.
25 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Imported
Categories tab.
26 Under Visibility, clear the checkbox for c_Import_Site.dwg
and click OK.
27 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Tag By
Category.
NOTE If the Drafting tab of the Design Bar is not visible, right-click
in the Design Bar, and click Drafting.
29 Zoom in and place the cursor over the center of the north
property line. When the tag displays at the tip of the cursor,
click to place it.
30 Tag the three remaining property lines.

Shading with Edges.
The tags display more prominently in this view.

33 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Contour Visibility
and Site Settings on page 1037.
In this exercise, you created two sets of property lines. The first set you
sketched and then converted into deed data. You created the second set
of property lines directly from deed data and located it on the topography.
In the final step, you loaded and tagged the property line segments.
In the next exercise, you modify site settings and contour line visibility.
Modifying Contour Visibility and Site Settings

In this exercise, you create a new object style subcategory to mark a
specific elevation. You also modify the site settings so that the new
subcategory is displayed at the specific elevation.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise, Site-in
progress.rvt.
Create an object style subcategory for specific elevation

click Wireframe.
3 On the Model Objects tab of the Object Styles dialog box,
scroll down the list of categories and expand Topography.
4 Under Modify Subcategories, click New.
5 In the New Subcategory dialog box, enter the name
Working Contour, verify that it is a subcategory of
Topography, and click OK.
In the Object Styles dialog box, the new object style
subcategory is displayed under Topography.
6 In the Object Styles dialog box, specify the following settings
for the Working Contour subcategory:
Verify that the Line Weights are 1.
Under Line Pattern, select Dash dot.
Under Line Color, select a shade of Brown.
Modifying Contour Visibility and Site Settings | 1037
7 Click OK.
Modify site settings

8 On the Settings menu, click Site Settings.
9 In the Site Settings dialog box, under Contour Line Display,
specify an interval of 1000mm passing through elevation
0.0mm.
10 Under Additional Contours, specify the following values:
Under Start, enter 1000.
Under Range Type, select Single Value.
Under Subcategory, select Working Contour.
11 Click OK.
The object style subcategory, Working Contour, displays on
the topography only at the elevation you specified.

save changes.
The next exercise requires a new dataset.
13 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Topographic
Subregions on page 1039.
In this exercise, you created a new object style subcategory for
topography. You then modified the site setting to distinguish a specific
contour interval using this subcategory.
In the next exercise, you create topographic subregions to define roads,
parking areas, and islands.
Creating Topographic Subregions

In this exercise, you create subregions in order to define roads, parking
areas, and islands. Creating a subregion does not result in separate
surfaces; it merely defines an area of the surface where you can apply a
different set of properties, such as material.
Dataset
Creating Topographic Subregions | 1039
Open the m_Site.rvt file located in the Metric folder.
Sketch initial parking area

1 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Subregion.
3 Using the sketching tools on the Options Bar, sketch the shape
highlighted in the illustration below. Although the exact
dimensions are not important, try to replicate the location
and proportion.
TIP You can either sketch the shape freehand or draw two
perpendicular rectangles, use the trim tool to create just one
closed loop, and use the fillet arc sketching tool to add the curved
corner. The horizontal rectangle is approximately 7500 mm wide;
the vertical rectangle is approximately 19500 mm wide.
NOTE In the Metric dataset, you may see fewer contour lines
than in the images shown in this exercise.
Notice that the left edge of the subregion overhangs the site
topography. When you finish the sketch in a later step, the
subregion will end at the edge of the defined topography.
Specify subregion properties for parking area

4 On the Design Bar, click Properties.
Finishes, click the Value for Material, and then click the
down arrow to open the Material dialog box.
6 In the Materials dialog box, select Site - Tarmacadam for
Name, and click OK.
enter Parking for Name, and click OK.
9 On the View menu, click Shading with Edges.
Notice that the new subregion uses the material Site Tarmacadam. Although you can select each toposurface
region separately and apply different properties to each, the
toposurface and its contour data remain one element.
You can create a toposurface schedule to report information
regarding each toposurface region.
Open the topography schedule

double-click Topography Schedule.
NOTE Your values may differ depending on your sketch.

This topography schedule uses a filter to omit unnamed
topographic regions. As you create new subregions, they display
within this schedule.
Modify the subregion

Hidden Line.
13 Select the subregion you created in the previous steps.
14 On the Options Bar, click Edit Boundary.
15 Add new lines and modify the existing lines to create a
boundary similar to the one shown in the following
illustration. The two additional parking areas in the top portion
of the sketch must be at least 5500 mm deep to accommodate
parking spaces.
TIP Add the two upper parking areas as rectangles. Delete
overlapping lines, and use the split and trim tools to clean up the
sketch. Mirror the arc line to create an exact duplicate.

Notice that the project area has increased.
Add additional subregions

In this training project, additional subregions are required
to create a more attractive parking area. Within each
subregion, you apply different materials such as grass and
concrete.
20 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Subregion.
22 In the upper-right parking area, use the sketching tools
available on the Options Bar to sketch the parking island
shown in the following illustration. Precise dimensions are
not important at this time.

Finishes, click the Value for Material, and then click the down
arrow to open the Material dialog box.
25 In the Materials dialog box, select Site - Grass for Name, and
click OK.
enter Island - Grass for Name, and click OK.

Notice that the schedule has been updated with the new
information.
Using the techniques learned in previous steps, add the

three additional subregions shown in the following
illustration. You must sketch each region separately. Name
each region Island - Grass, and apply the material Site Grass.

Notice that the schedule has been updated.
Add the concrete walkway

32 On the Design Bar, click Subregion.
34 Use the sketching tools available on the Options Bar to
sketch the new concrete walkway shown in the following
illustration. Name the subregion Walkway, and apply the
material Concrete - Cast-in-Situ Concrete - walkway.
WARNING Subregions cannot intersect, so you need to offset

coincident lines between the subregions by 100 mm.
NOTE Although several toposurface subregions now exist

within this project, there is still only one toposurface. If you
want to modify the elevation points of a particular subregion,
you must either edit the entire toposurface or split the
toposurface.
Notice that the schedule has been updated.

38 Navigate to your preferred folder, name the project Site
tutorial-in progress.rvt, and click Save.
39 Proceed to the next exercise, Grading the Toposurface on
page 1047.
Grading the Toposurface

In this exercise, you grade the toposurface to create a slightly elevated
and flat parking area. When you use the grading tool, the existing
topography is demolished and a new toposurface is created where you
can edit the elevation points.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise, Site
tutorial-in progress.rvt.
Modify toposurface phase assignment

Grading the Toposurface | 1047
2 Select the toposurface.
4 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Phasing, select

Existing for Phase Created, and click OK.
A warning dialog box is displayed, stating that subregions must
have the same Phase Created parameter and the same Phase
Demolished parameter as the host toposurface. Click OK to
set the subregion phase to match the toposurface.
Notice that the toposurface displays differently. The display
settings are controlled by the phase filter.
RELATED For more information regarding phasing, see the
tutorial, Using Phasing on page 1196.
6 On the Design Bar, click Graded Region.
7 In the Graded Region dialog box, select Copy Internal Points,
and click Select and Edit.
Copying internal points lets you delete only the points in the
parking area without altering the remaining elevation points.
8 Select the topographic surface.
Delete elevation points

9 Draw a pick box outside the main parking area as in the
following illustration. Make sure the pick box allows a
significant buffer around the area. The intent is to select all
the elevation points inside and around the parking area.
10 Press DELETE.
Notice the toposurface displays with different colors

representing the different phases: existing, demolished, and
new.

click Hidden Line.
12 Draw another pick box around the driveway and remaining

parking area as in the following illustration.
13 Press DELETE.
Add new elevation points

14 On the Design Bar, click Point.
15 On the Options Bar, specify an Absolute Elevation of 5500
mm.
16 Add elevation points outside the perimeter of the entire

parking area and walkway as in the following illustration.
Place the points until there are no contour lines crossing
the parking area or walkway.

The parking and walkway areas are now elevated and flat.
Shading with Edges.
view it at various angles.
, and spin the toposurface to
The phase filter for this view allows both the new and
demolished surfaces to display. This accounts for the red
surface that you see in this view.
Delete the demolished toposurface from the project

22 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Phasing, specify
Existing for Phase, and click OK.
Only the components created in or assigned to the Existing
phase display in this view. Therefore, only the original
toposurface displays, because you assigned it to the Existing
phase before grading. Because this toposurface is no longer
required for this project, you can delete it.
23 Select the toposurface, and delete it.
New Construction for Phase, and click OK.
Only the graded topography displays.

27 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding a Building Pad on
page 1055.
Adding a Building Pad

In this exercise, you create a building pad. A building pad is a toposurface
hosted element and cannot be added to any other element, nor can you
add it without first adding a topographic surface. When you add a
building pad, it automatically cuts a hole in the toposurface and places
it at the depth you specify.
Dataset
Add a building pad to the project

2 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Pad.
NOTE By default, the Pick Walls command is active. If you have
an existing building model, you can pick the exterior walls to
define the building pad.
Adding a Building Pad | 1055
4 Using the sketching tools available on the Options Bar, sketch

an approximate replica of the outline shown in the following
illustration. The building pad should border the concrete
walkway on the right and the upper parking area.


, and spin the toposurface
to view it at various angles. Notice the new building pad.
Adding a Building Pad | 1057

10 Proceed to the next exercise, Adding Site Components on
page 1058.
Adding Site Components

In this exercise, you add parking and planting components to the site
surface.
Dataset
Continue to use the dataset you used in the previous exercise, Site tutorial-in
progress.rvt.
Add parking components

2 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Parking Component.
3 In the Type Selector, select M_Parking Space: 4800 x 2400mm
- 90 deg.
4 Zoom in on the upper parking area that borders the building
pad and add a parking component to the area.
5 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the parking

space.
6 Use the flip arrows so it displays as shown below and move
it toward the lower left corner of the parking area.
NOTE Make sure you place the parking space a slight distance
above the building pad.
7 Add 6 additional parking spaces to the right of the first

space. Verify that the spaces are horizontally aligned and
the left edge of each space is aligned with the right edge of
the previous space.
TIP You could also use the Array tool to accomplish this task.
Adding Site Components | 1059

view it at various angles. Notice the new parking spaces.
Add planting components to the site

11 On the Site tab of the Design Bar, click Site Component.
12 In the Type Selector, choose any tree type, and add a tree
to each of the two round parking islands as shown below.
Adding Site Components | 1061
13 Add some more trees outside the parking area as shown below.

view it at various angles. Notice how the trees vertically attach
to the toposurface.
NOTE Plants are displayed as simple geometry unless rendered.

In the following illustration, the landscape shown in the
previous illustration has been rendered.

17 Proceed to the next exercise, Tagging Site and Parking
Tagging Site and Parking Components

In this exercise, you tag the planting and parking components that you
added previously.
Dataset
Tagging Site and Parking Components | 1063
Tag site components

3 In the Tag All Not Tagged dialog box, select the line for the
category Parking Tags that uses the loaded tag M_Parking Tag:
Boxed, and click Apply.
4 Select the line for the category Planting Tags that uses the
loaded tag M_Planting Tag: Boxed, click Apply, and click OK.
5 On the View menu, click Hidden Line.
6 Zoom in to the upper parking area and around the trees.
Notice each is tagged with no instance mark. In the following
exercise, you use a parking schedule to number the parking
spaces.
NOTE Site components can also be numbered by clicking the

tag number and changing the value.
8 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating Parking Space
Schedules on page 1065.
Creating Parking Space Schedules

In the final exercise of this tutorial, you create a parking schedule. You
can use a parking schedule to report the quantity and area of each type
of parking space.
Dataset
Create a parking schedule

2 In the New Schedule dialog box, select Parking for Category,
and click OK.
4 Under Available fields, select Mark, and click Add.
5 Under Available fields, select Type, and click Add.
7 Under Fields, select Mark, and under Heading, enter Space.
8 Under Fields, select Type, and under Heading, enter Size,
and click OK.
The parking schedule is displayed. If necessary, you can
resize the column width by dragging the column edges.
9 On the Window menu, click Close Hidden Windows.

This closes all the views except the parking schedule.
double-click Site.
Creating Parking Space Schedules | 1065

This tiles the Site plan next to the parking schedule.
12 In the Site plan, zoom in around the upper parking lot where
you previously added the parking spaces.
13 In the Parking Schedule, under Space, number the first three

spaces consecutively.
Notice that the parking spaces in the Site plan update
automatically. Also notice that when you place the cursor in
the parking schedule, the selected space highlights in the Site
plan. This allows you to know which space you are numbering.
14 In the Parking Schedule, under Space, finish numbering the

remaining spaces.
Structural
21
In this tutorial, you use the structural tools in Revit Building

9.1 to create a building model skeleton. You begin by adding
the structural walls, columns, and beams to Level 1. After
completing level 1, you copy the entire structure and use the
paste-align command to add the structure to the three levels
above it. In the final lesson, you create framing elevations and
add structural braces to the building model.
1067
Adding Structural Walls

In this lesson, you add structural walls to a project file where only the grid
lines have been added. You use an imported DWG file as an underlay to
trace the initial outline of the structural walls. You then sketch additional
walls to which you add dimensions and constraints.
Importing a DWG for Use as an Underlay

In this exercise, you import a DWG file into the Level 2 floor plan. The
DWG file contains walls that you trace in the next exercise to create the
structural walls.
1068 | Chapter 21
Structural
Dataset
Open the m_Structural.rvt file located in the Metric folder.
Import the DWG file

1 Before importing the DWG file, verify that the Level 2 floor
plan is open.
If necessary, go to the Project Browser, under Views (all),
under Floor Plans, and double-click Level 2.
3 In the left pane of the Import/Link dialog box, click the
Training Files icon, and select m_Wall_Import.dwg from the
Metric folder.
4 In the Import/Link dialog box, under Import or Link, specify
the following:
Select Link (instead of import).
Select Current view only.
Select All for Layers.
5 Under Layer/Level Colors, select Invert colors.

6 Under Positioning, select Automatically place, and select
Origin to origin.
7 Click Open.
The DWG file is displayed on the Level 2 floor plan.
Importing a DWG for Use as an Underlay | 1069

9 Navigate to a folder of your choice and save the project as
Structural_tutorial.rvt. This project file is required for all
subsequent exercises in this tutorial.
In this exercise, you imported a DWG file. This file is used in the next
exercise, Sketching Structural Walls on page 1070, to trace the initial set
of structural walls.
Sketching Structural Walls

In this exercise, you use the linked DWG file to trace the initial set of
structural walls. After you trace the walls, you turn off the visibility of the
DWG file, and add the remaining structural walls to the building model.
Dataset
This exercise requires the project file, Structural_tutorial.rvt that you saved
at the end of the previous exercise.
Display the Structural tab of the Design Bar

1 If the structural tab is not displayed, right-click in the Design
Bar and click Structural.
Sketch structural walls by tracing the DWG

2 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom in Region.
3 Draw a zoom region around the upper set of lines.
1070 | Chapter 21
Structural

Wall.
Structural walls differ from non-structural walls in several
ways. First, their Structural Usage parameter is automatically
set to Bearing. In addition, you add a structural wall by
specifying the depth of the wall, rather than the height.
This requires the bottom of the primary view range to be
set to the level below in order to see the walls as you sketch
them.
5 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Generic - 200mm.
Select Depth.
Click
Select Chain.
Select Finish Face: Exterior for Loc Line.
In the steps that follow, you sketch a chain of walls over

the path highlighted in the following illustration.
7 Begin the first wall by selecting the intersection of the upper

left corner of the line chain.
Sketching Structural Walls | 1071
8 Move the cursor over the top right intersection of the line,
and click to specify the wall endpoint.
9 Move the cursor downward to the next line intersection, and

click to specify the next wall endpoint.
10 Move the curser to the right, and click the next line
intersection.
1072 | Chapter 21
Structural
11 Move the cursor to the top of the line chain until a reference
plane displays indicating the cursor is on a parallel plane
with the slanted wall on the left, and click to complete the
chain of walls.
12 On the Design Bar, click Modify to finish the sketch.

TIP If necessary, you can spin the model in a 3D view by clicking

in the View toolbar. Use the Dynamic View tools to modify
the 3D view.
15 Zoom around the second chain of lines.
16 On the Structural tab of the Design Bar, click Structural Wall.

On the Options Bar, notice that the wall options you used
previously are still selected.
17 Using the bulleted steps below, sketch a chain of walls over
the path highlighted in the following illustration.
1074 | Chapter 21
Begin the wall chain by clicking the lower left intersection

where the end of the line chain adjoins grid C.
Click each exterior line intersection in a clockwise

direction.
When you reach the endpoint on the lower right corner

of the chain, zoom in to ensure you select the intersection
of the imported lines and grid C.
Structural
18 On the Design Bar, click Modify to end the wall chain.

Turn off the DWG visibility

2.
22 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Imported
Categories tab.
23 Under Visibility, clear m_Wall_Import.dwg and click OK.
Unselected categories are not visible in the referenced view.
Sketch additional structural walls

24 On the Structural tab of the Design Bar, click Structural Wall.
25 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Generic - 200mm.
Clear Chain.
Select Wall Centerline for Loc Line.
Click
to create a three-point arc.
27 Follow the sequence of steps in the illustration below to add

a 180 degree three point arc.
Select the endpoint of the left vertical wall. This is the left
extent of the arc.
Select the right endpoint of the horizontal wall. This is

the right extent of the arc.
Move the cursor upward and specify an arc radius of 180

degrees.
29 Add a horizontal wall beginning at the midpoint of the left

vertical wall as shown.
1076 | Chapter 21
Structural
30 Move the cursor to the right until it intersects with the

slanted wall on the right.
31 Add a vertical wall between the two horizontal walls as

shown.
33 Select the vertical wall you added in the previous step and
make sure the temporary dimension between the wall and the
centerline of the left vertical wall is equal to 1500 mm.
If it is not, click the value, enter 1500, and press Enter.
34 Select the horizontal wall, click the temporary dimension value

between it and grid C, enter 1500, and press ENTER.
1078 | Chapter 21
Structural
35 Zoom around the upper set of walls as shown.
36 On the Design Bar, click Structural Wall and on the Options

Bar, clear Chain.
In the steps that follow, you create the final structural walls
for the project. Both walls are 1200 mm long.
Create the final structural walls

37 Begin the first wall on the endpoint and wall centerline
shown in the illustration below.
38 Draw the 1200 mm wall parallel to the adjoining wall as

shown.
39 Create an additional 1200 mm wall as shown.

Begin the wall at the top of the right vertical wall and draw it
inward so that it is parallel with the wall you sketched in the
previous steps.

1080 | Chapter 21
Structural

This project file is required, in its current state, to continue
with the subsequent exercises in this tutorial.
In this exercise, you used the DWG file to trace the initial set of structural
walls. After turning off the visibility of the linked DWG, you added the
remaining structural walls required for this building model.
In the next exercise, Dimensioning and Modifying Walls on page 1081,
you add dimensions and equality constraints to the walls. You then
make minor modifications to their position.
Dimensioning and Modifying Walls

In this exercise, you dimension the structural walls and add an equality
constraint to the dimension to keep the walls equidistant. You also
reposition the walls to see how they adapt to changes in the design.
Dataset
This exercise requires the project file, Structural_tutorial.rvt, that you
saved at the end of the previous exercise.
Add an aligned dimension

1 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), Floor Plans,
2 Zoom around the lower set of walls.
Dimensioning and Modifying Walls | 1081

Select
Select Wall Centerlines for Prefer.
Select Entire Walls for Pick.

After you select Entire Walls, the Options button becomes
available.
On the Options Bar, click Options to specify the wall pick

options.
In the Auto Dimension Options dialog box, select

Intersecting Walls, and click OK.
5 Move the cursor over the left vertical wall, and when it
highlights, select it.
6 Move the cursor to the left, and click to place the dimension
as shown.
1082 | Chapter 21
Structural
Create an equality constraint

8 Select the dimension you added in the previous steps.
9 Click the EQ symbol to make each of the segments equal.
Modify wall position

10 Select the upper horizontal wall as shown.
11 Click the temporary dimension value, and enter 4000 for the
distance between the wall centerline and grid B.
1084 | Chapter 21
Structural
Notice the horizontal walls remain equally spaced.

12 On the Edit menu, click Undo Edit Dimension Length.

with the next lesson in this tutorial.
In this exercise, you added a dimension to the structural walls and used
an equality constraint to keep the walls equidistant. You also
repositioned the walls and observed how they adapted to the change in
the design.
In the next lesson, Adding Structural Columns and Beams on page
1086, you add structural columns and different beam types to the building
model.
Adding Structural Columns and Beams

In this lesson, you add structural columns, several different beam types,
joists, and purlins to complete the Level 1 structure.
Adding Structural Columns

In this exercise, you use several different methods to add structural columns:
you manually select grid intersections, you use the grid intersection tool,
and you add a column outside the grids. In addition, you rotate columns
by pressing the SPACEBAR when necessary.
Dataset
Add columns to grid intersections manually

1.
Column.
4 In the Type Selector, select M_W-Wide Flange-Column:
W250x80.
5 On the Options Bar, select Height and specify Level 2.
6 Add a column to C1 as shown.
If necessary, zoom in to place the column.
1086 | Chapter 21
Structural
TIP When adding the column, if the column orientation is not

similar to the callout shown below, press the SPACEBAR to rotate
the column.
7 Add similar columns to C2, C3, and C5.
Adding Structural Columns | 1087
Add columns using selected grid intersections

8 On the Options Bar, click Grid Intersection.
This option allows you to place columns at the intersections
of selected column grids.
9 Use a crossing selection, and select grids 1-5, and A.
TIP To create the crossing selection, specify a point under grid
A and to the right of grid 5, and drag your cursor up and to the
left as shown below.
1088 | Chapter 21
Structural
10 Notice columns are added to A1-5.

Columns A3-5 are shown below.
Rotate the columns

11 Press the SPACEBAR.
All of the columns on grid A rotate until they are parallel
with the vertical grids.
12 Press the SPACEBAR again.
Notice the columns rotate until they are parallel with grid
A.
13 Press the SPACEBAR until the columns return to their original
position.
14 If necessary, zoom out until you can see all the grids.
This completes this set of columns.
Add columns B1-5

16 On the Options Bar, click Grid Intersection.
17 Create a crossing selection that includes B1-5.
18 If the columns are not aligned as in the illustration below,

press the SPACEBAR to rotate them.
Columns B3-5 are shown below.
TIP Notice that as you rotate these columns using the SPACEBAR,
the columns on A1-5 do not rotate. Although you could have
added columns B1-5 with the first set of columns, you could not
have rotated them independently of each other. That is why you
finished the first set and then reentered the grid intersection mode
to add columns B1-5.
21 Select column A5 and delete it.
Add a column outside of the grid

22 On the Design Bar, click Structural Column.
23 Add a M_W-Wide Flange-Column: W250x80 between B4 and
C5.
1090 | Chapter 21
Structural
The column should be 4200mm to the left of grid 5, and

6900mm below the exterior face of the horizontal wall
above it.


In this exercise, you used various methods to add structural columns,
and you rotate the columns using the SPACEBAR.
In the next exercise, Adding Structural Beams and Girders on page
1092, you add structural beams to the building model.
Adding Structural Beams and Girders

In this exercise, you add beams manually, and use the grid tools to add
beams automatically. Different structural conditions exist within the
building model that require specific beam conditions. As you use the beam
tool, you learn how to work with these varied conditions.
Dataset
Add beams using point-to-point insertion

2.
To add a beam using point-to-point insertion, you specify the
start and endpoint of the beam.
4 In the Type Selector, select M_W-Wide Flange: W310x67.
5 Zoom around the right side of the building model.
6 Add a beam between the column shown below and the
horizontal wall above it. Start the beam at the column
midpoint and move your cursor up until it connects with the
wall centerline.
1092 | Chapter 21
Structural

8 Zoom around the upper set of walls as shown.
Adding Structural Beams and Girders | 1093
10 In the Type Selector, select M_W-Wide Flange: W310x32.7.

11 On the Options Bar, select Girder for Usage.
12 Add a beam between the midpoint of the structural wall shown
and grid A.
TIP Select the midpoint of the wall first, and then move the cursor
up to grid A.
Use the grid tool to add beams between columns

When you use the grid tool to place beams, the Structural
Usage parameter of each beam is automatically specified
depending on the join conditions. For example, if a beam is
joined column-to-column, the Structural Usage parameter is
automatically set to Girder. Use the following table for other
conditions.
Column
Column*
Girder
Brace
1094 | Chapter 21
Structural
Brace
Horizontal
Bracing
Girder
Joist
Purlin
Other
Other
Horizontal
Bracing
Girder
Joist
Purlin
Other
Other
Other
Other
Other
Other
Other
Column
Horizontal
Brace
Girder
Brace
Horizontal
Bracing
Horizontal
Bracing
Girder
Joist
Purlin
Other
Horizontal
Bracing
Horizontal
Bracing
Horizontal
Bracing
Other
Joist
Joist
Purlin
Other
Purlin
Purlin
Other
Purlin
Other
Joist
Purlin
Other
Other
*Structural walls produce the same result as columns.

15 Create a crossing selection that includes grids 1 and 2.
16 Notice that beams are added at the grids and connected to

each column.
19 Zoom in the upper-right quadrant of the building model.
Add beams to an intersecting structural wall

20 Select the structural wall that spans grids 3 and 4, click the
temporary dimension value, enter 8200, and press ENTER.
21 On the Design Bar, click Beam.

24 Select grid 3, press and hold CTRL, and select grid C.
1096 | Chapter 21
Structural
Notice beams are added between columns. In addition,

notice that beams connect to the structural walls that
intersect grids.
Add a chain of beams

26 On the Options Bar, select Chain, and for Usage, select
Girder.
27 Using point-to-point insertion, refer to the following steps
and illustration to add two beams to grid 5.
Click column C5 to start the beam chain.
Click column B5 to add the first beam.
Click the intersection of grid 5 and the structural wall

as shown to add the final beam in the chain.
Press ESC to end the chain.

29 Add a beam between A4 and the structural wall that intersects
grid 4 as shown.

31 Add a chain of beams beginning with the end of the structural
wall at C4, connecting the column at B4, and ending with the
structural wall that intersects grid 4 as shown.
1098 | Chapter 21
Structural
NOTE When you begin the beam chain at C4, make sure you
select the intersection of the grid lines. You may need to zoom
in significantly to accomplish this. You can also use the shortcut
key, SI, to snap only to intersections.
Add beams that intersect other beams

33 Select grid A.
35 Zoom around the beam between A3-4.
The W310x67 beam spanning A3-4 supports the W310x32.7

beam that intersects it perpendicularly. If the W310x32.7 beam
had crossed grid A, it would have become the supporting beam
because it was placed first, and the W310x67 beam spanning
A3-4 would have been two separate beams.
37 Select grid B.
1100 | Chapter 21
Structural
Add a concrete beam

2.
41 Zoom around the upper structural walls between A4-5.
43 In the Type Selector, select M_Concrete-Rectangular Beam:
200 x 500mm.
In the steps that follow, you use point-to-point insertion to

add the beam between the two short wall segments that adjoin
grid 4 and 5.
45 Specify the beam start point at the endpoint of the short wall
segment adjacent to grid 4 as shown below.
46 Move the cursor to the right, enter SE (shortcut key for

endpoints), and click the endpoint of the short wall segment
adjacent to grid 5 as shown below.

1102 | Chapter 21
Structural
Notice the concrete beam you added in the previous step.
Add remaining girders

2.
50 Zoom around the A1-B3 region.
53 On the Options Bar, for Usage, select Girder, and select
Chain.
In the steps that follow, you add two W310x67 beams
parallel to the wall that intersects grid 3.
54 Begin the beam chain by selecting the intersection of the
wall and grid 3.
55 Move the cursor to the left and parallel to the wall, and click
when it intersects grid 2.
1104 | Chapter 21
Structural
56 Move the cursor to the left and parallel to the wall, and
click when it intersects grid 1.
Press ESC twice to end the beam placement mode.

1106 | Chapter 21
Structural
In this exercise, you added beams and girders using the point-to-point
insertion method. You used the grid tool to add beams to selected grids
and learned how varied structural conditions affect the outcome of the
automatically placed beams.
In the next exercise, Adding Joists and Purlins on page 1107, you add
joists and purlins to the building model.
Adding Joists and Purlins

In this exercise, you add joists and purlins to the building model. You
begin by adding W-Wide Flange joists. You then create a joist array,
while allowing the automatic beam tool to assign the Structural Usage
parameter value depending on the join conditions. For example, when
you use the automatic beam tool to add beams between joists, the
structural usage of the beams is automatically set to purlin, and their
display within the plan view adjusts accordingly.
Dataset
Add a W-Wide Flange joist

2.
2 Zoom around the A1 - B3 quadrants.
4 In the Type Selector, select M_W-Wide Flange: W310x32.7.
5 Add one beam between the A1-2 girder and the parallel
girder below it. Add the beam a few feet to the right of grid
one. Do not worry about the exact placement at this time.
Adding Joists and Purlins | 1107

7 Select the beam you added in the previous steps.
The beam needs to be 1250 mm right of grid 1. Modify the
temporary dimension value if necessary.
8 With the beam selected, click
1108 | Chapter 21
Structural
on the Options Bar.
9 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Structural,

notice that the Structural Usage value is Joist.
This value was set automatically because when you created
the beam, the Automatic option was selected by default in
the Options Bar. In addition, according to the table shown
at the beginning of this lesson, any beam added between
two girders becomes a joist when the Automatic option is
selected.
10 Click OK.
Create a joist array

Click
Clear Group and Associate.
Enter 14 for Number.
13 Click the intersection of the upper extent of the joist and

grid A as shown to specify the array start point.
14 Move the cursor to the right and parallel to grid A. Make

sure the cursor is over grid A. Once the direction is set, enter
1250 and press ENTER.
This creates an array of 14 joists that are parallel to grid A.
Add purlins
16 Add a beam from the midpoint of the first joist to the right of
grid 2 that stretches perpendicularly to the next joist on the
right as shown.
1110 | Chapter 21
Structural
17 Zoom in around the area surrounding the purlin.
Notice the difference between the line weights and patterns

of the girders, joists, and purlins. Their display in plan view
is dependent on their Structural Usage parameter value.
NOTE You can control the structural framing line weight, style,
and color within the Object Styles dialog box.
18 Select the purlin you created in the previous steps.

Click
Enter 7 for Number.
21 Click the endpoint of the left joist as shown to specify the

array start point.
22 Move the cursor to the endpoint of the next joist on the right,
and click.
The purlins array along the midpoints of the joists.
1112 | Chapter 21
Structural
Turn on connection symbol visibility

23 Zoom in around the structural framing below A1-2, and
create a crossing selection that includes all the structural
framing members in this portion of the view.
25 In the Filter dialog box, clear all options except Structural

Framing, and click OK.
27 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Other, change

the following instance parameters:
Select Moment Connection Last.
Select Moment Connection First.
Click OK.
28 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and notice the connection

symbols display.

resembles the image below.
, and adjust the view until it

In this exercise, you added different joist types and allowed the automatic
beam tool to assign the Structural Usage parameter value depending on
the join conditions.
1114 | Chapter 21
Structural
In the next lesson, Copying Level 1 Structure to Upper Levels on page

1115, you create new levels and copy the level one structure to the upper
levels of the building model.
Copying Level 1 Structure to Upper Levels

In this lesson, you create new levels. You then copy the entire structure
that you have designed up to this point and use the paste-align command
to create the structure on the upper levels. This technique saves
significant design time and ensures consistency on each level.
Defining New Levels

In this exercise, you create several new levels. These levels are required
in the next exercise where you copy the existing structural components
to the new levels.
Dataset
Create three new levels

Building Elevation.
2 Select grid 1.
3 Drag the upper grid control up to move the grid heads out
of the way of the new levels. You need at least 3 meters of
space.
Copying Level 1 Structure to Upper Levels | 1115
4 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Level.

5 On the Options Bar, select Make Plan View.
6 Sketch the new level line 3000 mm above Level 2 as shown
below using the following steps:
Click the level line starting point 3000 mm above the left
extent of Level 2.
Move the cursor over the right extent of Level 2.
Click to add Level 3.
In the Project Browser, notice that the Level 3 floor plan is

displayed.
7 Repeat the steps above to create Levels 4 and 5 as shown.
Each level is 3000 mm high.
1116 | Chapter 21
Structural

In this exercise, you created three new levels. These levels that are
required in the next exercise, Duplicating the Existing Design on page
1117, where you copy the structural elements and paste align them to the
new levels.
Duplicating the Existing Design

In this exercise, you copy the structural elements and use the paste-align
command to add them to the new levels. This technique saves you
significant time compared to manually recreating the design on each
level.
Dataset
Copy the structural elements

Duplicating the Existing Design | 1117
2 Draw a selection box around the entire design. Make sure the
entire building model is included.
3 On the Edit menu, click Copy to Clipboard.

Although you can select and copy the components from any
view, it is often easier and more certain to copy from a 3D
view if your intent is to select the entire building model.
Paste the structural components on the new levels

4 On the Edit menu, click Paste Aligned Select Levels by Name.
5 In the Select Levels dialog box, select Level 2, press and hold
CTRL, and select Levels 3 and 4.
1118 | Chapter 21
Structural
6 In the Select Levels dialog box, click OK.

Building Elevation.

In this exercise, you copied the existing structural elements on Level 1
and used the paste-align command to create the structural framing on
the upper levels.
In the next lesson, Adding Braces in a Framing Elevation on page 1119,
you create a framing elevation in order to add structural braces.
Adding Braces in a Framing Elevation

In this lesson, you create a framing elevation in order to provide a view
in which to place structural bracing members. You then add C-channel
bracing to one level and array it to the remaining levels.
Creating a Framing Elevation

In this exercise, you create a framing elevation. You use this elevation
view in the next exercise to place structural braces.
Adding Braces in a Framing Elevation | 1119
Dataset
Create a framing elevation

2.
2 Zoom out so you can see the entire building model.
3 On the Structural tab of the Design Bar, click Framing
Elevation.
4 On the Options Bar, make sure Attach to Grid is selected.
5 Place the cursor over grid C, at the midpoint between grids 2
and 3, and click.
1120 | Chapter 21
Structural
You can now view the new elevation, Elevation 1-a, in the
Project Browser.
7 Double-click the elevation head in order to open the view.
Notice the stick framing representation. This is because the

Detail Level of this view is automatically set to coarse. Also
notice that grid 3 is identified within the view.
You are ready to add the structural braces.
Creating a Framing Elevation | 1121

In this exercise, you created an elevation view design specifically to add
structural braces.
In the next exercise, Adding Structural Braces on page 1122, you add
c-channel bracing to the building model.
Adding Structural Braces

In the final exercise of this tutorial, you add structural braces to the building
model. You begin by adding a set of braces to level 4. You then array the
braces to the remaining levels.
Dataset
Expand the view extents

1 Before adding the braces, select the view crop box, and using
the shape grips, drag the left and right extents until you can
see the grid heads for 2 and 3 as shown. Also select grids 2 and
3 and drag them until they appear as shown.
1122 | Chapter 21
Structural
2 On the Structural tab of the Design Bar, click Brace.

3 In the Type Selector, select M_ C-Channel: C75x7.4.
When adding the braces, you use point-to-point insertion.
Because it is often necessary to make sure you snap to the
endpoints and midpoints, you should use the following
snap shortcut keys when applicable.
SM: Snap only to midpoints of objects.
SE: Snap only to endpoints of objects.
4 Enter SE and click the beam endpoint below the intersection

of grid 2 and Level 4.
Adding Structural Braces | 1123
5 Enter SM and click the midpoint of the girder located on Level

5.
The brace displays.
6 Enter SM and click the midpoint of the girder located on Level

5.
7 Enter SE and click the endpoint at the intersection of grid 3

and Level 4.
1124 | Chapter 21
Structural
The second brace is displayed.
Array the braces

9 Select both braces on Level 4.
Click
Enter 4 for Number.
Select Constrain.
12 Click the intersection of Level 5 and grid 2 to specify the

array start point.
13 Click the intersection of Level 4 and grid 2 to specify the array

endpoint.
The braces are arrayed to Level 1.
15 In the Tag All Not Tagged dialog box, select Structural Framing
Tags, and click OK.
1126 | Chapter 21
Structural
In this exercise, you added structural braces to the design and created a
brace array.
1128 | Chapter 21
Structural
Sharing Projects
22
When working with large building projects, architects

commonly work in teams with each person assigned to a
specific functional area. This involves simultaneously working
on and saving different portions of the project at the same
time, called Worksharing. In this tutorial, you learn how to
use Worksharing to divide a project into worksets so multiple
users can access the project and have all their changes
coordinated by Revit Building 9.1.
You can enable Worksharing for any project. A workset is a
collection of building elements, such as walls, doors, floors,
stairs, and so on. Only one user can edit each workset at a
given time. All other team members can view this workset;
however, they cannot make changes to it. This prevents
possible conflicts within the project. If you need to modify an
element that belongs to a workset that someone else is actively
working on, you can borrow that element without requiring
the workset owner to relinquish control of the entire workset.
Using Worksharing, team members adding and changing
elements in worksets can save their work to a local file on the
network or their own hard drive and publish work to a central
file whenever they choose. They can update their local files at
1129
any time in order to see the changes other team members have
published.
1130 | Chapter 22 Sharing Projects
Overview
Sharing a project for the first time
To share a project, you must first enable Worksharing. The first time
you activate worksets within a project, a dialog box displays allowing
you to set up the initial sharing of the project. After the project is shared,
each building element in the project is contained in exactly one workset.
You can change the workset assignment of any modeling element within
the property dialog box for that element.
Working in a shared project

In a shared project, you can only make changes to the worksets that are
editable by you. To make a workset editable, go to the Worksets dialog
box, select the desired workset, and click Editable. Each workset can
only be editable by one user at a time. If you only need to modify a
single element within a workset that someone else has checked out, use
Element Borrowing.
When you are working on a shared project, you specify an active workset.
Any new model elements are automatically assigned to the active
workset. Elements specific to a view, such as annotations and
dimensions, are automatically assigned to the view workset of the current
view.
Increasing performance using selective open

When opening a Worksharing-enabled project, you can select which
worksets are open or closed. Elements in closed worksets are not read
from disk until they are required. This reduces the time it takes to open
the file and the amount of memory it uses. You can close or open
worksets at any time using the Worksets dialog box. You can improve
the display-related performance of Revit Building by opening only those
worksets required for your work.
In the lessons and exercises that follow, you learn some of the strategies
that maximize your use of worksets. You gain valuable practical
experience setting up a project for worksets and working within that
project.
Using Worksharing in a Project

In this lesson, you learn the fundamentals of Worksharing. This includes
how to plan and execute the use of worksets in a project in order to
maximize project and team performance. After learning the
fundamentals, you enable Worksharing within a project and set up the
initial workset environment. In the next exercise, you learn how to work
as an individual with the central and local project files. You then learn
Overview | 1131
how to work within a Worksharing-enabled project with multiple users

and borrow particular elements from other users.
Understanding Worksharing Fundamentals

In this conceptual exercise, you learn the fundamentals of Worksharing
application. You learn what to consider before enabling and using
Worksharing. You learn the basic steps of project sharing as well as tips
for dealing with common workplace scenarios.
When planning a Worksharing-enabled project

The decisions you make when sharing a project and setting up its worksets
can have long-lasting effects on the project team. When setting up
Worksharing, you should take several considerations into account:
General Considerations:
Project size
Team size
Team member roles
Default workset visibility
You can maximize long-term project performance more easily if you plan
Worksharing appropriately and use the feature correctly. Establishing
practical policies on how all team members access and create new worksets
in the project will maintain performance for existing users and ease the
process of introducing new team members to the project.
Project size
The size of your building may affect the way you decide to segment
the worksets for your team. Unlike AutoCAD Xrefs, you do not need
to make separate worksets for each floor of the building. Instead, you
should separate the project into worksets that allow team members to
work without interfering with each other. In a multi-story structure,
you could create separate worksets for a set of building elements that
will only appear on one floor, such as a tenant interior. If the project
floor plan is so large that you need to split it with match lines to fit it
on sheets, you may want to create separate worksets for each portion.
Team size
You should take into consideration the size of the project team at the
time you enable Worksharing. You should have at least one workset
for each person, not including the Project Standards, Shared Levels
and Grids, and View worksets. In most projects, greater subdivision
improves workflow by reducing interference between team members.
Experience has shown that, for a typical project, the optimum number
of worksets is approximately four for each team member.
Team member roles

Typically, designers work in teams, with each assigned a specific
functional task. By subdividing the project based on these task roles,
each team member has control over a portion of the design. A typical
scenario for a multi-story commercial building is shown in the
following illustration. Notice that the workset names refer to
functional roles.
TIP As new team members create new worksets for their own use,
make sure visibility defaults are set appropriately.
Default workset visibility

After a project has been shared, a Worksets tab displays on the
Visibility/Graphics dialog box. On this tab, you control workset
visibility on a per view basis. If you are sure that the elements of a
particular workset should not appear in a view, you can turn off the
visibility of that workset within that view. This allows Revit Building
to display the view faster because computing time is not spent
figuring out if the element belongs to a workset that should be
displayed.
When you create a new workset, you decide whether or not the
elements in that workset are visible by default in each view.
Regardless of the default setting, you can change the visibility setting
in the Visibility/Graphics dialog box. Long-term performance is
improved if new worksets are not visible by default unless they need
to be. Team size usually increases as the project progresses from the
design stage to the documentation stage. As new members create
worksets for their own use, the worksets they add often do not need
to be visible by default.
Conceptual stages of project sharing

The following steps explain the basic stages of project sharing.
Step 1: Start the project with one user

One user starts to work on the project. This project file should
incorporate as many office/project standards as possible and it should
include many of the families required by the project. The building model
Understanding Worksharing Fundamentals | 1133
should also reach a reasonable point of development before you enable

Worksharing.
Step 2:Activate Worksharing

After the building model is ready for multiple user access, the project
coordinator should enable Worksharing.
Step 3: Create additional worksets

After enabling Worksharing, the project coordinator should create the
additional worksets required by the team. When creating the new worksets,
remember to create worksets for functional roles and properly assign default
visibility.
Step 4: Subdivide the building model into worksets

After you have created the initial worksets, you must assign building model
elements to their respective workset. For example, if a workset named
Interior was created, you would want to assign the interior walls and other
interior components to that workset.
Step 5: Create the central file

The first time you save a project after Worksharing has been enabled, the
file is saved as the central file. The central file coordinates and propagates
the changes of each user and keeps track of which worksets are available.
Therefore, it is essential that you save the central file to a location accessible
to all team members. Generally, the central file is not a file that a team
member would open and work in directly.
Step 6: Create local files

Each team member creates a local file that makes it possible to check out
worksets and work on their respective portion of the building model. When
finished or at regular intervals, each user saves their changes back to the
central file where the changes can be propagated to all team members. You
create a local file by opening the central file and using Save As to create
a local copy of the central file. Local files are user-specific and can only be
accessed by the users that created them.
Step 7: Open worksets

Whenever you open a central or local file, you have the option to choose
which worksets to open. This is called Selective Open. When opening a
Worksharing-enabled project, you can shorten the time required to open
the file by selecting to open only the worksets required to complete your
assigned tasks.
Step 8: Check out worksets from the central file

When you check out a workset, you make that workset editable by
you. This gives you the right to make changes to the elements in the
workset and to add to the workset. There is no limit to the number of
worksets you can have editable at one time. However, no other users
can make modifications to any elements in those worksets until you
check them back into the central file.
Step 9:Work on the project

Work on the project, within the local file, proceeds as usual. As you
work, new building elements are assigned to the workset that is active
at the moment. On the Options Bar, you can select which workset is
active. You can make a workset active only if it is editable by you.
Step 10: Saving your changes

As you work on the project throughout the day, you should save the
file locally and to the central file at regular intervals. When you save
locally (to your local file), your changes are saved; however, they are
not propagated to the rest of the team. When you save to the central
file, your changes propagate to the entire team. When you save to the
central file, you should relinquish any worksets that you no longer need.
This makes them available to other team members. Any changes that
other users have made to the building model become visible to you after
you save to the central file or when you select Reload Latest.
Step 11: Closing a local file

At the end of a work session, you should save to the central file and
relinquish control of all worksets that you set as editable. After saving
to the central file, you should then save to your local file. This ensures
that your local file is synchronized with the central file.
Tips and common scenarios

1 When working on a Worksharing-enabled project, you can
still work remotely as an individual and as a team. The tips
discussed below provide useful information for working
creatively with worksets.
Understanding Worksharing Fundamentals | 1135
Taking your computer to a remote location with the project

2 You do not need to have access to the central file in order to
work on the project. You can work on the project from a
remote location by doing the following:
Before leaving the office and disconnecting from the

networked access to the central file, make any required
worksets editable, save to the central file, and then save
the local file.
When working remotely, you work no differently then

you would in the office. You can modify any elements in
an editable workset and all new elements are added to the
active workset. You can also add new elements to any
View or Project Standards workset even if they are not
editable.
If you realize that you need to modify elements in a workset

that you did not make editable before going remote, you can
make the workset Editable at Risk. In this situation, you will
not be able to save your changes back to the central file if
another user has changed the same workset and already
published those changes back to the central file. In this
instance, if you know who checked out the required workset,
you may want to phone them and make arrangements rather
than waste valuable work time. If you choose Editable at Risk
and the owner of the at-risk workset has already published
their files to the central file, you will not only lose the changes
to that workset, you will lose the changes you made to all your
worksets. If the owner of the at-risk workset agrees to relinquish
editability of the contested workset, you can save your changes
back to the central file but then the other owner loses all their
work.
Since making a workset Editable at Risk carries a high risk that
work will be lost, you should use it only when:
You do not intend to save your changes back to the central

file, or
You are very confident that no other user will make that
workset editable in your absence. If you have a colleague
who is in the office with access to the central file, you may
want to request that someone start a session of Revit
Building, change the username to your name under
Settings Options, and make that workset editable. This
will guarantee that no other user can make it editable
during the remainder of your absence.
WARNING You should avoid editing a workset at risk

whenever possible.
Multiple users working remotely

3 Users can work remotely provided the remote users have
high-speed network access to the central file; for instance,
using VPN. Alternatively, a user can transfer a local file to
someone with network access who can then publish the
changes back to the central file, reload the latest changes
from the central file, and transfer the updated local file back
to the remote user.
Remote rendering
4 While rendering remotely using AccuRender is supported,
it is not recommended unless you understand the
implications for the rest of the team. If you intend to render
the building model while away from the office, you will
probably be changing material definitions and other project
settings. To do this, you should check out the Materials
workset. This means that other team members will not be
able to change any materials while you have the Materials
workset checked out.
In this conceptual exercise, you learned what to consider before enabling
Worksharing. You learned the basic steps of project sharing as well as
tips for dealing with common workplace scenarios.
In the next exercise, you enable Worksharing in a project and set up
some initial worksets.
Enabling Worksharing and Setting Up Worksets

In this exercise, you enable Worksharing within an existing project. You
subdivide the project into worksets and save the project as the "Central
File."
Dataset
Open the c_Worksets.rvt file located in the Common folder.
Enable Worksharing
1 On the File menu, click Worksets.
Enabling Worksharing and Setting Up Worksets | 1137
A dialog box displays suggesting that any user new to

Worksharing should complete this training. It also informs
you that existing elements in your project move to default
worksets.
2 Click OK to accept the default workset names.
The Worksets dialog box is displayed.
3 Notice that all worksets are open and editable by you.

Your username displays as the present owner.
TIP You can change your username by selecting Options under
the Settings menu. You cannot change your username with an
unsaved Worksharing-enabled project open. Do not change your
username during this exercise unless explicitly instructed to do
so.
4 In the Worksets dialog box, under Show, select:
Families
Project Standards
Views
5 Scroll down the list of workset names, and notice all are
editable by you.
6 Under Show, turn off Families, Project Standards, and Views.
Only User-Created worksets should display.
In this simple training project, a small number of team

members are working on the building model. For training
purposes, imagine four users including yourself. The project
must be subdivided in such a way as to reflect the tasks of
each user. In this case, one user is assigned to the
development of the exterior, another is assigned the interior
layout, a third team member is assigned furniture placement,
and the remainder of the team must work on wall section
details.
Therefore, you must create worksets that allow each team
member to work independently.
Creating new worksets

7 In the Worksets dialog box, click New.
8 Enter the name Interior Layout.
Notice that Visible by default in all views is checked. Because
the interior walls appear in many views, it is better to make
them visible by default.
9 Click OK.
The next workset you create is for the furniture layout.
Because furniture should only be visible in specific views,
you should turn off Visible by default in all views. This
improves performance since fewer components need to be
generated in each view.
10 Click New.
11 Enter Furniture Layout, clear Visible by default in all
views, and click OK.
The final new workset is for the exterior shell of the building
model. Rather than create a new workset for these elements,
you can rename the default workset, currently named
Workset1.
12 In the Worksets dialog box, select Workset1.
13 Click Rename.
14 In the Rename dialog box, type the name Exterior Shell,
and click OK
You have created the required worksets for each team
member working on this project. The next step is to assign
elements within the building model to specific worksets.
This is why all worksets are editable immediately after you
enable worksets.
15 In the Worksets dialog box, click OK.
When you initially activate Worksharing, all building model

elements are placed into Workset1 by default. Because you
renamed Workset1 to Exterior Shell, all building model
elements are assigned to that workset. In this training file,
furniture components have not been added to the building
model and therefore do not need to be moved to the respective
workset. You do, however, need to reassign the interior
elements to the Interior Layout workset.
Subdividing the project into worksets

17 In the drawing area, select any of the exterior walls of the
building model.

notice that the Workset parameter is set to Exterior Shell.
20 Click OK.
21 Select one of the interior walls.

select Interior Layout for Workset, and click OK.
24 Select all of the interior elements, including the interior doors,
stairs, and walls.
The easiest way to do this is to drag a pick box beginning inside
the lower right corner and up to the upper left corner.
TIP You can also hold CTRL down to select multiple elements.
Hold Shift down to deselect an element.

You can verify that all interior elements have been
reassigned to the Interior Layout workset by turning off the
visibility of that workset.
28 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Worksets
tab.
Notice that the visibility of the Furniture Layout workset is
turned off in this view. This is because you turned off
Visible by default in all views when you created the
workset.
29 Clear Interior Layout to turn off the visibility of that workset
in the view.
30 Click OK.
The Level 1 floor plan should display with only the exterior
shell visible. If any interior elements remain, select them and
change their workset assignment to Interior Layout.

32 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Worksets tab.
33 Select Interior Layout, and click OK.
35 In the drawing area, select all of the interior elements of the
building model.

Create the central file

The central file is created automatically the first time you save
the project after enabling worksets.
Navigate to a location on a network drive that all team
members have access to, but be sure not to save the file in the
training files location. This is imperative if you and another
user intend to complete the multi-user exercise later in this
tutorial. If you do not have access to a network and still want
to complete that exercise, this can be accomplished by saving
the central file to your hard drive and changing your user
name before accessing the project.
39 In the Save As dialog box, enter Worksets Project-Central
as the file name.
40 Click Save.
Now that you have created the central file, you must
relinquish workset editability so that other users can have
access to the worksets they need.
Checking in the worksets

42 In the Worksets dialog box, select all the User-Created
worksets by pressing CTRL + A.
43 On the right side of the dialog box, click Non Editable.
Notice that your name has been removed as the owner of
the worksets and all Editable values are set to No.
44 Click OK.
If you intend on completing the remaining exercises in this
tutorial, make sure you remember the location of this central
file. You must access it in each of the remaining exercises.
In this exercise, you enabled Worksharing on a project, created new
worksets to accommodate each team member, and then assigned building
model elements to the worksets. You then created the central file and
checked in all worksets. This project is now ready for individuals to
access it and check out their required worksets.
Working Individually with Worksets

In this exercise, you create your local file, check out worksets, make
modifications to the building model, and publish your changes back to
the central file where other team members can see them.
This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise and access
to the resulting central file. If you have not yet completed the exercise,
Enabling Worksharing and Setting Up Worksets on page 1137, please
do so before continuing.
Creating a local file

1 On the File menu, click Open, and navigate to the location
where you saved the central file created in the previous
exercise.
2 In the Open dialog box, select the central file and, under
Open Worksets, select Specify.
3 Click Open.
Working Individually with Worksets | 1143
Using selective open allows you to choose which worksets you

want to open. Only the worksets you select and any worksets
already editable by you are opened. In addition, any referenced
workset is opened but hidden. This reduces the amount of
time required to open very large project files and increases
performance while you work.
4 In the Opening Worksets dialog box, select all the User-Created
worksets, and click OK.
6 In the Save As dialog box, click Options.
7 In the File Save Options dialog box, verify that Make this the
Central location after save is not selected, and click OK.
8 Navigate to a directory on your hard drive, name the file
Worksets Project_Local-User1, and click Save.
You have created a local file which is for your use only. Next,
you check out worksets so you can modify the building model.
Checking out worksets

The project sharing environment allows you to choose which
worksets are opened during a working session. Only the
worksets that are opened are visible during that session. In
this case, you are assigned the task of designing the interior
layout of the building model.
10 In the Worksets dialog box, select Interior Layout for Name,
and select Yes for Editable.
Your name displays as the owner of the Interior Layout
workset.
11 Click OK.
You are now ready to modify the interior layout of the building
model. Before working on the model, you should activate the
Worksets toolbar.
12 On the Window menu, click Toolbar Worksets.
The Worksets toolbar displays with a drop-down list that allows
you to specify the active workset.
13 On the Worksets toolbar, select Interior Layout.

Any new elements that you add to the building model are
automatically assigned to the active workset.

On the Options Bar, notice the Editable Only option. If this
is selected, you can only select editable elements within the
drawing area. Verify that it is cleared.
16 Select the upper exterior wall and notice a symbol displays
indicating that the element belongs to a workset that is not
currently editable.

notice that this element is assigned to the Exterior Shell
workset and that the Edited by value is blank.
Even though you have not checked out the Exterior Shell
workset, you can still edit this wall.
19 Under Constraints, select Finish Face: Exterior for Location
Line, and click OK.
Because this element is not owned by another user, Revit
Building borrows it for you and applies your changes. If it
was owned by another user, a message would display and
you would have the option to cancel the change or make
the element editable.
The upper exterior wall should still be selected.
Notice that the wall still belongs to the Exterior Shell workset;
however, the Edited by value is now assigned to you.
21 Click OK.
In the Worksets dialog box, notice that you do not own the
Exterior Shell workset, but you are listed as a borrower of that
workset. In this case, you have borrowed the ownership of the
upper exterior wall.
23 Click OK.
Modify the building model

24 Select the door on the right side of the corridor.
25 Delete the door.

26 Select the wall that hosted the deleted door, and modify the
length so that the corridor is open.

28 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Interior - 126mm
Partition (2-hr).
29 Using the following illustration as a guide, add a horizontal
wall in the lower right corner. The precise location is not
important.

31 Select the vertical interior wall in the upper right corner,
and extend the lower end until it intersects the horizontal
wall you added previously.

33 In the Type Selector, select M_Sgl Flush: 864 x 2032mm.
34 Using the following illustration as a guide, add two door
openings into the rooms you created.
All of the new elements that you added were automatically

assigned to the Interior Layout workset. If you place the
cursor over any of the new elements, a tooltip, which
matches the information in the Status Bar, displays the
workset as well as the element type.
When working in your local file, you should perform regular

saves. It is recommended that you locally save your work
approximately every 30 minutes and save to central every 1-2
hours.
Saving your work

35 On the File menu, click Save to Central.
The Save to Central dialog box is displayed with the path to
the central file automatically filled in. Whenever you save,
you can relinquish the user-created worksets as well as any
borrowed elements. By default, Borrowed Elements is selected.
In this particular case, you borrowed the upper exterior wall
in order to modify it. You should check this element back into
central so that others can use it if necessary.
In addition, notice that there is an option to save the local file
immediately after the save to central. Although this is not a
necessary option if you are in the middle of a work session, it
is recommended. At the end of a work session, you should
relinquish all worksets, save to central, and save locally
immediately afterward.
36 In the Save to Central dialog box, select:
Borrowed Elements
User-created Worksets
Save the local file after Save to Central completes

successfully
37 Click OK.
If you intend to complete the remainder of this tutorial by
proceeding to the multi-user exercise, leave this file open in
its current state.
In this exercise, you created your local file, checked out worksets, and
borrowed an element from a workset you did not own. You modified the
building model, and published your changes back to the central file where
other team members can see them.
Using Worksets with Multiple Users

In this exercise, two users access the central file through a network
connection. For training purposes, they are referred to as User 1 and User
2. Each modifies the building model within their local file and publishes
it back to the central file where the other user can see the changes.
Throughout the process, each user must check out worksets, make elements
editable, and reload the latest changes.
This exercise requires the completion of the previous workset exercises

and access to the resulting local and central files. If you have not yet
completed these exercises, please do so before continuing.
Although this exercise is designed specifically for two separate users with
network access to the central file, a single user can complete this exercise
by opening up an additional session of Revit Building and setting the
username to User 2. In the following section of this exercise, instructions
are provided on how to accomplish this.
NOTE If you are working with a second user (User 2), skip the following
section, and proceed to Creating a local copy.
Using a second Revit Building session to mimic User 2

1 Minimize the current Revit Building window.
2 Start a new Revit Building session by double-clicking the
Revit Building icon on the desktop or by selecting it from
the Start menu.
3 On the Settings menu, click Options.
4 Click the General Tab and, under Username, enter User 2,
and click OK.
WARNING After completing this tutorial and closing the
project file, return to the Settings dialog box, and reset the
Username to your computer login name. This is a system
setting.
Creating a local copy

5 In this exercise, two users work on the building model
residing in the central file you created and saved in a
previous exercise. If both users have completed the previous
worksets exercises and created central files on the network,
select one of those central files to be used in this exercise.
Regardless of which central file you choose to use, one user
has already created a local file. For training purposes,
consider that person to be User 1. The user who has not yet
created a local file for the chosen central file is User 2. The
next series of steps create a local file for User 2. Throughout
the remainder of this exercise, instructions are staggered,
specifically sequenced, and refer explicitly to User 1 and
User 2.
Using Worksets with Multiple Users | 1149
User 2: Create a local file, and check out worksets

6 On the File menu, click Open, and navigate to the location
where you saved the central file named Worksets
Project-Central.rvt.
7 In the Open dialog box, select the central file and, under Open
Worksets, select Specify.
8 Click Open.
Using selective open allows you to choose which worksets you
want to open. Only the worksets you select and any worksets
already editable by you are opened. In addition, any referenced
workset is opened but hidden. This reduces the amount of
time required to open very large project files and increases
performance while you work.
9 In the Opening Worksets dialog box, select all the User-Created
worksets, and click OK.
13 Navigate to your preferred location on the hard drive, name
the file Worksets Project_Local-User2, and click Save.
You now have a local copy of the project. This file is for your
use only.
15 Select the Exterior Shell workset, and select Yes for Editable.
You are now the owner of that workset.
16 Click OK.
User 1: Check out worksets, modify the building model, and publish
changes
17 User 1 should still have the local file open. If it is not open,
open it now.
Notice that the Exterior Shell workset is checked out by User
2.
19 Try to change the Editable status for Exterior Shell to Yes.
A warning is displayed informing you that you cannot check

out this workset because it is already checked out by another
user.
20 Click OK to return to the Worksets dialog box.
21 Select the Interior Layout workset, and select Yes for
Editable.
Notice that you own this workset and the active workset is
now Interior Layout. If you only have one workset checked
out, it becomes the active workset.
22 Click OK.
24 Select the vertical interior wall shown in the following
illustration, and move it to the left until it approaches the
centerline of the exterior double door on the south wall.
A warning is displayed informing you that a conflict exists.

25 Click anywhere in the empty drawing area to ignore the
warning.
27 In the Save to Central dialog box, select the option to save
the local file after the central file is saved.
28 Click OK.
User 2: Modify the building model and publish changes

Notice that the changes made by User 1 do not immediately
display in the local file of User 2. That is because changes
made to the central file display in local files only when the
worksets are explicitly updated.
30 Using the following illustration as a guide, select the lower

exterior wall, and move it upward approximately 2 meters.
A message displays warning you that several windows are not

cutting anything. This is because windows are wall-hosted
components and cannot float in the air without a wall to host
them.
31 Click Delete Instances to delete the windows.
33 In the Save to Central dialog box, select the option to save the
local file after the central file is saved.
34 Click OK.
When you save to central, you publish your changes and load
the changes other users have made to the building model. The
wall conflict with the door opening that User 1 introduced
now displays.
35 Using the following illustration as a guide, delete the left
window on the lower exterior wall, and move the door to the
right in order to avoid the conflict.

38 Click OK.
User 1: Reload latest worksets, and check out additional worksets

39 On the File menu, click Reload Latest.
The changes User 2 made are apparent.

41 Select Furniture Layout, select Yes for Editable, and click
OK.
Because you now have more than one workset checked out,
you are asked if you want to make the Furniture Layout
workset the active workset. Click Yes.
Even though the Furniture Layout workset is active, you
still have complete access to the elements belonging to the
Interior Layout workset. However, any elements added to
the building model are automatically assigned to the active
workset.
Before adding any furniture, you should create a furniture
plan view.
42 On the Project Browser, under Views (all), under Floor Plans,
right-click Level 1, and click Duplicate.
43 On the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, right-click Copy
of Level 1, and click Rename.
44 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Level 1 Furniture
Plan, and click OK.
45 On the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click
Level 1 Furniture Plan.
46 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Component.
47 In the Type Selector, choose any desk, and click inside any
room.
A message displays informing you that the component you
are trying to place is not visible in that view. This is because
when the Furniture Layout workset was created, the Visible
by default option was not selected. Therefore, the visibility
of the workset is not turned on even though it is checked
out and is the active workset. You should turn on the
visibility before adding furniture.
50 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Worksets
tab, select Furniture Layout to turn on its visibility, and
click OK.
51 Notice that the desk you added previously now displays.

54 Click OK.
User 2: Make an element editable on the fly

55 On the File menu, click Reload Latest.
Notice the new Level 1 Furniture Plan view in the Project
Browser.
56 Right-click the upper exterior wall, and click Properties.
58 In the Type Properties dialog box, click Rename.
59 In the Rename dialog box, enter Exterior Wall - 200mm,
and click OK.
60 Click OK twice.
62 In the Worksets dialog box, under Show, select Project
Standards.
63 Scroll down to the bottom of the list until you see Wall Types.
Notice you have borrowed a portion of the workset.
64 Click OK.
66 In the Save to Central dialog box, select:
Borrowed Elements

successfully
67 Click OK.
If you intend to complete the final portion of this tutorial

by proceeding to the Element Borrowing exercise, leave this
file open in its current state.
User 1: Reload latest, and save

68 On the File menu, select Reload Latest.
69 On the File menu, select Save to Central.
70 In the Save to Central dialog box, select the following, and
click OK.

successfully
In this exercise, two users worked on the same building model using
worksets. Each user checked out worksets, modified the building model,
and published their changes back to the central file.
In the final exercise of this tutorial, you learn how to borrow elements
from worksets that other users are actively working on.
If you intend to complete the final exercise of this tutorial, Borrowing
Elements from the Worksets of Other Users on page 1155, leave this file
open in its current state. This exercise also requires two users and you
can skip the first sections of the exercise and proceed directly to the
section, Checking out worksets.
Borrowing Elements from the Worksets of Other Users

In this exercise, two users are working on the same project with separate
local files. As each of you work, you must borrow elements that belong
to worksets that the other user has checked out. You learn how to make
borrowing requests and how to grant them.
This exercise requires two users and, throughout this training, they are
referred to as User 1 and User 2. There are specific instructions for each
user. Each user must have network access to the central file.
Although this exercise is designed specifically for two separate users with
network access to the central file, a single user can complete this exercise
by opening up an additional session of Revit Building and setting the
username to User 2. At the appropriate point in this exercise, instructions
are provided on how to accomplish this.
NOTE If you are working with a second user (User 2), finished the previous
workset exercises, and still have your local files open, proceed directly to
the section Checking out worksets.
Borrowing Elements from the Worksets of Other Users | 1155
If you have not completed the previous workset exercises, you need to set
up your central and local files. Only one user needs to open the dataset
and save the central file to a network location.
NOTE When you open the training dataset for this tutorial, you may receive
a message informing you that the central file has been relocated. Click OK to
this message and subsequent messages. These messages are a result of the
central file being relocated (to your PC). In subsequent steps, you save the
dataset as a central file, and these problems are rectified.
Dataset
Open the c_Worksets Project-Central.rvt file located in the Common

folder.
Save training file as the central file on the network

2 Navigate to a directory on the network that both users have
access to.
4 In the File Save Options dialog box, select Make this the
Central location after save, and click OK.
5 Click Save.
You have created a new central file for User 1 and User 2.
User 1: Create local file

6 For the sake of simplicity, the user that saved the central file
should be User 1. The central file should still be open.
8 Navigate to a directory on your hard drive.
11 Name the file Worksets Project_Local-User1, and click
Save.
This is the local file for User 1.
User 2: Create local file

12 If you are a single user and want to replicate the multi-user
experience, perform the following steps to create a session
for User 2:
Start a second session of Revit Building by

double-clicking the icon on the desktop or by selecting
it from the Start menu.
On the Settings menu, click Options.
Click the General tab of the Options dialog box.
Set the Username to User 2, and click OK.
This Revit Building session is now set up for User 2.

WARNING After completing this tutorial and closing the
project file, return to the Settings dialog box, and reset the
Username to your computer login name. This is a system
setting.
13 On the File menu, click Open, and navigate to the network
location where User 1 saved the central file.
14 In the Open dialog box, select the central file and under
Open Worksets, select Specify.
15 Click Open.
Using selective open allows you to choose which worksets
you want to open. Only the worksets you select and any
worksets already editable by you are opened. In addition,
any referenced workset is opened but hidden. This reduces
the amount of time required to open very large project files
and increases performance while you work.
16 Select all the User-Created worksets, and click OK.
19 In the File Save Options dialog box, verify that Make this
the Central location after save is not selected, and click OK.
20 Navigate to a directory on your hard drive, name the file
Worksets Project_Local-User2, and click Save.
You have created a local file which is for your use only.
Next, you check out worksets so you can modify the
building model.
Checking out worksets

21 Both User 1 and User 2 can check out their worksets at the
same time. Afterwards, the steps for each user have to be
followed in sequence.
User 1: Check out worksets

23 In the Worksets dialog box, if any User-Created worksets are
not open, select them, and click Open.
24 Select the Exterior Shell workset, and select Yes for Editable.
25 Under Active Workset, select Exterior Shell, and then click OK.
User 2: Check out worksets

27 In the Worksets dialog box, select the Interior Layout workset,
and select Yes for Editable.
28 Under Active Workset, select Interior Layout, and then click
OK.
User 2: Borrow an element from User 1

29 On the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click Level
1.
30 On the Options Bar, verify that Editable Only is cleared.
This allows you to select elements that belong to worksets that
you do not own.
31 On the left exterior wall, select the second window from

the top.
A symbol appears letting you know that it belongs to a

workset you do not own.
32 Move the window 500 mm toward the upper exterior wall.
You can do this by dragging the window or by modifying
one of the temporary dimension values.
A warning message informs you that you must obtain
permission from User 1.
33 Click Place Request to ask User 1 for permission to edit the
window.
After you submit the request, a message informs you that
you are waiting for permission from User 1.
At this point, you should inform User 1 that you are waiting
for permission to edit a borrowed element. Leave this dialog
box open until User 1 grants permission.
User 1: Grant User 2 permission to borrow element

34 When User 2 contacts you and informs you that a borrowing
request is pending your authorization, click the File menu,
and click Editing Requests.
35 In the Editing Requests dialog box, select the request submitted

by User 2.
36 Click Grant.
37 Click Close.
User 2: Check for editability grant

38 In the Check Editability Grants dialog box, click Check Now.
A message informs you that your request has been granted.
39 Click OK, and notice the window is in the new location.
User 1 and 2: Save to Central, to Local, and close

40 On the File menu, select Save to Central.
41 In the Save to Central dialog box, select the following, and
click OK.
Borrowed Elements (User 2 only)

successfully
In this multi-user exercise, you learned how to borrow elements from

another workset even though that workset was actively being edited by
another user. In this case, you requested permission to edit the element,
and the other user granted it.
Creating Multiple
Design Options
23
When working with a building model, it is common to explore

multiple design schemes as the project develops. These schemes
can be conceptual or can be detailed engineering designs.
Using design options, you create multiple design schemes
within a single project file. Because all design options coexist
in the project with the main model (the main model consists
of elements not specifically assigned to a design option), you
can study and modify each design option and present the
options to the client.
1163
In this tutorial, you learn how to create and manage multiple

design sets and options within a single building model.
1164 | Chapter 23 Creating Multiple Design Options
Creating Multiple Design Options in a Project

You can use design options to explore multiple design schemes as the
project develops. At any time in the design process, you can have
multiple sets of design options, and each option set can have multiple
schemes. For example, you can have an option set called roofing with
multiple subordinate roofing schemes. In addition, you can have an
option set for the roof structure with multiple subordinate structural
design schemes. After you and the client agree on the final design, you
can designate a primary design scheme for each option set.
In this particular case, the task is to develop two roof schemes for an
addition to an existing house. The client is interested in a pergola and
sunshade for the roof terrace but is not sure of the specific layout or
materials. The client has asked you to create various options.
In the first exercise in this lesson, you set up the design option names
and add the modeling elements to the structural design option set. In
the second exercise, you create two roof system design options that work
with the structural options. In the final exercise of this lesson, you learn
how to manage and organize the design options, make your final design
decision, and delete the unwanted options from the project. These three
exercises are designed to be completed sequentially with the second and
third exercises dependent on the completion of the previous exercise.
Creating the Structural Design Options

In this exercise, you set up multiple design option sets, each with
multiple design options. After setting up the design option sets and their
subordinate options, you design each of the structural options. The first
option is a simple combination of columns and beams. With the second
option, you create a unique in-place family as the structural system.
Creating Multiple Design Options in a Project | 1165
Dataset
Open the m_Urban_House.rvt file located in the Metric folder.
Create first design option

1 On the Tools menu, click Design Options Design Options.
The first time you open the Design Options dialog box within
a project, the only available command is to create a new option
set. There is no limit to the number of option sets you can
create. Each option set represents a portion of the building
model wherein design alternatives are being considered. After
you create a design option, you can edit it. Any new elements
introduced at that time become part of that option.
2 In the Design Options dialog box, under Option Set, click New.
Notice Option Set 1 has been created with a design option:
Option 1 (primary). This option will be the first structural
scheme consisting of 75 mm round columns and 50 mm round
bars.
TIP In this exercise, the roof and structure systems must work
together; therefore, each is constructed for interchangeability.
3 Select Option 1 (primary), click Edit Selected, and click Close.
Any new elements introduced to the building model are added
to this option.
and double-click ROOF TERRACE.
5 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom in Region, and zoom
in on the upper half of the building model.
6 On the Modelling tab of the Design Bar, click Column.
7 In the Type Selector, select Round Column: 75mm Diameter.
8 Using the following illustration as a guide, add three columns.
Arrows and the dimension lines have been added for training
purposes only. The left column should be centered at the
intersection of the notch and the wall, the second column
directly across from it at the intersection of the two walls, and
the third column centered between the two.
TIP To center the middle column, either add a centered

reference plane and snap the column to it, or add a dimension
string between the columns, and click the EQ symbol to
equalize the segments. You should delete the dimension and
unconstrain after adding the column.

10 Select the three columns either by dragging a pick box
around them or by selecting them individually while
holding CTRL.
12 On the Options Bar, select:
Constrain
Copy
Multiple
The Copy command is a two-click process. The first click

specifies the reference point on the element to be copied,
and the second click specifies the point on the building
model the reference point is copied to. In this case, the three
columns need to be copied three times to create a 3 x 4 grid
of 12 columns. By selecting Multiple, you can continue
adding new copies without reselecting the reference point
(the first click). Selecting Constrain limits the movement
and helps ensure the post-copy alignment of the columns.
Creating the Structural Design Options | 1167
13 Zoom in around the left column that is embedded in the

notch.
14 Click at an identifiable part of the notch construction. Because
it is important that you select the same location on the notches
you copy to, make sure you select a point that is easily
recognizable. In the following illustration, the midpoint of
the lower notch line is selected.
TIP You can zoom in and out easily during this process using the
wheel on your wheel mouse.
15 Zoom out and move downward to the notch just below this
one.
16 Zoom in around the notch construction, and click in the same

location as you did for the previous notch.
A copy of the three selected columns is added.

17 Zoom out and, using the same technique, add a copy of the
columns to the next two notches below this one. When you
are finished, click Modify on the Design Bar to end the copy
process.
Because of the size of the columns, they are difficult to see
in this view.
Notice the 12 columns that you added.
Next, you add the beams that span the columns.

19 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click TOP
OF CORE.

Adding a beam is a two-click process. The first click specifies
the beam start point. The second click specifies the end of the
beam.
21 In the Type Selector, select Round Bar : 50mm.
22 Add the first beam between the upper left and right columns
by using the following steps:
Zoom in on the upper-left column, and click at its center

to set the beam start point.
Zoom out and move the cursor over the upper right
column.
Zoom in on the upper right column, and click on the

center to set the beam endpoint.
Use the following illustration as a guide. In it, two callouts

with thin lines have been added to clarify the location of the
start and end points of the beam.

24 Select the Beam you added previously.
The beam needs to be added between the remaining columns.
You can do this manually or use the Copy command.
26 On the Options Bar, select:
Constrain
Copy
Multiple
27 Zoom in around the upper left column that is embedded in

the notch, and click the center point.
This is the reference point for the subsequent copies.
28 Zoom out, move down to the next set of columns, zoom

into the left column, and select the center of the column
to add a copy.
29 Repeat this step twice more until a beam is added to each
set of columns.
Notice that the beams complete the bracket structure for the
proposed roof.
Organize design option sets and subordinate options

32 In the Design Options dialog box, notice that you are still
editing Option Set 1: Option 1 (primary).
33 Click Finish Editing.
34 In the Design Options dialog box, under Option, click New.
NOTE Be sure you are creating a new option, not a new option
set.
35 Select Option 1 (primary) and, under Option, click Rename.
36 In the Rename dialog box, enter Brackets for New, and click
OK.
37 Select Option 2 and, under Option, click Rename.
38 In the Rename dialog box, enter Beam for New, and click OK.
39 Select Option Set 1 and, under Option Set, click Rename.
40 In the Rename dialog box, enter Structure for New, and

click OK.
Logically naming the option sets and relative options allows

you to more easily manage them.
41 Under Option Set, click New.
42 Select Option Set 1 and, under Option Set, click Rename.
43 In the Rename dialog box, enter Roofing for New, and
click OK.
44 Select the option set Roofing and, under Option, click New.
There should now be two roofing design options.
45 Under Roofing, select Option 1 (primary).
46 Under Option, click Rename, name the option Louvers,
and click OK.
47 Under Roofing, select Option 2.
48 Under Option, click Rename, name the option Sunscreen,
and click OK.
You have completed the initial setup of the design option
sets and their subordinate design option names. This allows
you to more easily manage the project.
Design the second structural design option

49 In this section of the exercise, you create the second design
option. When finished, it will resemble the following
illustration.
50 In the Design Options dialog box, under Structure, select Beam.

51 Under Edit, select Edit Selected.
Under Now Editing, notice that Structure: Beam is displayed.
52 Click Close.
Notice that the columns added to the Brackets design option
do not display.
53 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click ROOF

TERRACE.
54 Zoom in toward the top of the roof terrace near the stairs.

56 In the Type Selector, select M_Roof Beam.
57 Place a roof beam into the drawing area as shown.

Using the Align tool requires two clicks. The first click sets the
plane that the object will be aligned to. The second click
represents the plane that is moved.
59 Align the roof beam by clicking the lower edge of the adjacent
horizontal wall and then clicking the lower edge of the roof
beam. Refer to the following illustration.
60 After aligning the beam, click the padlock that displays to lock
the alignment.
62 Select the beam and, on the Edit toolbar, click
Clear Group and Associate
Enter 4 for number
Select 2nd for Move To:
Select Constrain
Using the Array tool requires two clicks. The first click sets
the move start point. The second click represents the move
end point.
64 Click the start point at the alignment of the beam and wall
as shown.
65 Move the cursor down to the next intersection of the lower

edge of the horizontal wall and the beam. Click to indicate
the end point of the move.
Three more roof beams are placed at the same intersection as

the first beam.
Notice the new design option for the structural elements

supporting the roof system.

68 In the Design Options dialog box, click Finish Editing.
Notice that even before you close the dialog box, the 3D
view has reverted back to the brackets rather than the
structural beams you just created.
That is because the brackets option is set to primary, which
is visible by default. Design option visibility is covered in
more detail later in the tutorial.
69 Click Close.
71 Navigate to your preferred directory, name the file,
m_Urban_House-in progress.rvt, and click Save.
NOTE If you intend to continue with the next exercise, you
need this file in its current state. You can leave it open and
proceed immediately to the next exercise.
In this exercise, you set up multiple design option sets, each with
multiple design options to pick from. After setting up the design option
sets and their subordinate options, you designed each of the structural
options: one for brackets, the other for beams. The first option is a simple
combination of columns and beams. With the second option, you created
a unique in-place family as the structural system.
In the next exercise, you create the roof systems that compliment these
structural design options.
Creating the Roof System Design Options

In this exercise, you design each of the roofing options. The first option,
a Louver system, is constructed of 50 mm x 250 mm rafters and 50 mm
x 150 mm louvers. The second roofing system, Sunscreen, is a simple
fabric roof created using an extrusion. Both of these options are designed
to work in conjunction with each of the structural design options.
This exercise is designed to work in conjunction with the other exercises
in this tutorial. All are sequential and dependent on the previous exercise.
If you have not completed the first exercise in this tutorial, do so now.
Create the first roofing design option

1 If you do not have the project file that you saved at the end
of the previous exercise open, open it now. You should have
named it m_Urban_House-in progress.rvt.
Creating the Roof System Design Options | 1179

3 In the Design Options dialog box, under Roofing, select
Louvers (primary).
4 Under Edit, click Edit Selected.
Under Now Editing, Roofing: Louvers (primary) should display.
5 Click Close.
and double-click TOP OF CORE.
8 In the Type Selector, select Rafter 50mm x 250mm.
9 Zoom in on the lower half of the building model until you
can see the bottom set of columns and the beam traversing
the span.
10 Referring to the following illustration, place the rafter 900 mm
inside the wall shown and overlap the horizontal beam 900
mm.
The dimensions shown are for training purposes. If you need
to add dimensions, delete them after the rafter is in place.

12 Select the rafter you added previously.
14 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Other, enter

11750 mm for Length, and click OK.
The rafter should now span the entire vertical length of the
proposed roof system.

Enter 5 for Number.
Select 2nd for Move To.
Select Constrain.
You are creating an array of five rafters that are 990 mm apart.
17 Zoom in on the intersection of the lower end of the rafter and
the intersecting beam; click in the center of the intersection
to specify the array start point.
18 Move the cursor horizontally to the right and, when the

listening dimension displays, enter 990, and press ENTER.
Zoom out to see that the rafter array is created.
Add the louvers to the design option

20 In the Type Selector, select Louver 50mm x 150mm.
21 Place the first horizontal louver in the upper left corner
according to the following illustration.
22 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the louver you
just placed.
24 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Other, enter 5475

mm for Length, and click OK.
The louver now spans the horizontal plane of the roof system.
25 With the louver still selected, click the Edit menu, and click
Array.
Enter 34 for Number.
Select 2nd for Move To.
Select Constrain.
27 For the array starting point, click in the center of any

intersection between the louver and the beam.
28 Move the cursor vertically downward, and, when the listening
dimension displays, enter 300, and press Enter.
Zoom out to see that the 34 louvers array 300 mm apart.
The louver roof system is complete.

31 In the Design Options dialog box, under Edit, click Finish
Editing.
The louver roof system still displays in the 3D view because it
is the primary option.
Create sunscreen roof system

32 In the Design Options dialog box, under Roofing, select
Sunscreen.
33 Under Editing, click Edit Selected, and then click Close.
Notice that the louver roof system no longer displays.
34 In the Project Browser, expand Elevations, and double-click
West.
35 Zoom in on the upper level where the roof design is taking
place.

Extrusion.
37 In the Work Plane dialog box, select Reference Plane : Roof
Extrusion for Name, and click OK.
The roof extrusion reference plane has been added to the
dataset specifically for this purpose and is hidden in all
views.
38 You are prompted to verify the roof level and offset. Click
OK.
Because an extruded roof has a roof type associated with it,
you only need to sketch a single line or a string of lines to
define the shape of the extruded roof. In this case, you must
create a draped canvas sunscreen. Therefore, the sketch
should be a series of arcs connected at the ends where they
connect to the columns.
This tool allows you to sketch an arc line using three points.
The first two points define the ends of the line, and the
third point defines the arc.
41 Select the top of the left column, the top of the next column
on the right, and then adjust the dip of the arc until it is
60 degrees. You can adjust the degrees by clicking the blue
temporary dimension value immediately after you create
the line.
42 Repeat the previous step and create two more arcs between
the columns.
NOTE As you sketch the arcs, try to get the angle value as close
to 60 degrees as possible, then you can modify it through the
dimension. Do not be too concerned if your sketch lines do not
exactly connect. You will fix this in a later step.
44 In the Element Properties dialog box, specify the following:
Select Sunscreen Fabric for Type.
Under Constraints, enter 300 mm for Extrusion Start.
Under Constraints, enter 5800 mm for Extrusion End.
45 Click OK.
The roof sketch must be a continuous line. You must make
sure the arcs are connected where they connect to the columns.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to use the Trim tool.
46 On the Tools menu, click Trim/Extend.
47 Select the left arc and then the center arc. Select the right arc,
then the center arc.
The arcs should connect.

The louver roof system is complete.
You have completed the sunscreen roof system.

51 In the Design Options dialog box, under Edit, click Finish
Editing, and then click Close.
NOTE If you intend to continue with the final exercise, you
need this file in its current state. You can leave it open and
proceed immediately to the next exercise.
In this exercise, you designed each of the roofing options. The first
option, a Louver system, was constructed of 50 mm x 250 mm rafters
and 50 mm x 150 mm louvers. The second roofing system, Sunscreen,
was a simple fabric roof created using an extrusion. Both of these options
are designed to work in conjunction with each of the structural design
options.
Managing Design Options

In this exercise, you explore how to present each of the design options
by creating multiple views to display the various combinations. After
exploring the combinations, you select a design, make it part of the
building model, and delete the discarded design options.
This exercise is designed to work in conjunction with the other exercises
in this tutorial. All are sequential and dependent on the previous exercise.
Managing Design Options | 1189
If you have not completed the previous exercises in this tutorial, do so

now.
Create new views for each design option

1 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand 3D Views.
Because the client wants to see 3D building models of each of
the designs, you must create a named 3D view for the primary,
secondary, tertiary, and last options.
right-click {3D}, and click Rename.
3 In the Rename View dialog box, enter Primary Option, and
click OK.
4 In the Project Browser, right-click the 3D View Primary Option,
and click Duplicate. Repeat this step two more times until you
have three copies of the view.
5 Right-click each of the copies, and click Rename. Rename the
three copies as follows:
Secondary Option
Tertiary Option
Last Option

double-click Primary Option.
tab.
Notice that both option sets are set to automatic. This ensures
that the primaries (currently bracket and louver) are visible.
9 Click OK.

double-click Secondary Option.
12 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Design
Options tab.
13 Specify Beam for the Structure design option, and click OK.

double-click Tertiary Option.

tab.
17 Specify Brackets for the Structure design option, specify
Sunscreen for the Roofing design option, and click OK.

double-click Last Option.
tab.
21 Specify Beam for the Structure design option, specify Sunscreen
for the Roofing design option, and click OK.
At this point, all isometric views are ready to be placed on

a titleblock or exported and e-mailed to the client.
In this case, the client has reviewed the design options and
has decided that the beam system coupled with the louver
roofing system is the preferred design. In your design
options, the beam and the louver roofing should be selected
as primary.
23 In the Design Options dialog box, under Structure, select
Beam.
24 Under Option, select Make Primary. This was the client
choice for structural.
Because the client has selected the design option, the current
primaries are no longer options; but should be accepted as
part of the building model.
25 Select Structure.
26 Under Option Set, click Accept Primary.
An alert is displayed, asking if you are sure you want to
delete all elements of secondary options in this option set
and remove the option set.
27 In the alert dialog box, click Yes.
The set is deleted, the beam option becomes part of the model,
and you get a dialog asking if you want to delete dedicated
option views.
28 In the Delete Dedicated Option Views dialog box, click Delete
to remove the views that used options, since you no longer
need them.
29 Select Roofing.
30 Under Option Set, click Accept Primary to take the louvers
into the model, delete the other design option geometry and
any dedicated option views.
31 In the alert dialog box, click Yes.
32 In the Delete Dedicated Option Views dialog box, click Delete.
33 In the Design Options dialog box, click Close.
34 In the Project Browser under 3D Views, double-click Primary
Option. The other options were removed along with any
dedicated option views.
The beam and louver systems are now part of the building
model.

In this exercise, you learned how to present each of the design options by
creating multiple views to display the various combinations. After exploring
the combinations, you selected a design, made it part of the building model,
and deleted the discarded design options.
Project Phasing
24
In any project, you or the client may want to view the model
according to phases. Phases represent distinct time periods
over the duration of a project. You can create as many phases
as necessary and assign building model elements to specific
phases. You can use phase filters to control the flow of building
model information into views and schedules. This allows you
to create phase-specific project documentation, complete with
schedules. For the client, you can create a visual time line of
phase-specific 3D views.
In the lesson and exercises that follow, you work in a simple
building model that requires renovation. You create new
phases, demolish existing construction, and then add new
building model elements. In the second exercise, you apply
phase-specific room tags to rooms that vary with each phase.
1195
Using Phasing
In the lesson and exercises that follow, you work in a simple building
model that requires renovation. You create new phases, demolish existing
walls and doors, then add new walls and doors in a different location. This
changes room definition and total building model area.
In the second exercise, you apply phase-specific room tags to rooms that
vary with each phase and observe the differences in the phase-specific
room schedules.
Phasing Your Model

In this exercise, you work in a simple model that requires renovation. You
create new phases and phase filters and modify graphic overrides. During
the demolition and renovation process, you create new phase-specific views
in order to visualize the changes that you make to the model.
Dataset
Open the c_Phasing.rvt file located in the Common folder.
NOTE The units of measurement in this project file are imperial. Because units
of measurement have little bearing on the goals of this tutorial, you do not
need to change the project units to metric. If you wish to do so, go to the
Settings menu, click Project Units, define the units, and click OK.
1196 | Chapter 24 Project Phasing
View current phase conditions

When you create a new project, two phases exist by default:

Existing and New Construction. As you add new elements
to the building model, they are assigned to the New
Construction phase by default. This phase assignment is
controlled by a setting within the view properties.
You can control the default phases and view phase setting
by changing the settings within a template. If you change
the view property settings and the phase definitions within
a template file, then new building model elements are
assigned to a phase according to those settings.
3 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Phasing, notice
that Show All is selected for Phase Filter and New
Construction is selected for Phase.
This means that all building model elements, regardless of
phase, are visible in this view. Any new elements that you
add to the building model are assigned to the New
Construction phase.
4 Click Cancel.
5 Select any of the exterior walls.
In the Element Properties dialog box, under Phasing, notice

that New Construction is selected for Phase Created, and
None is selected for Phase Demolished.
7 Click Cancel.
Phasing Your Model | 1197
Change the phase of the existing building model elements

9 In the drawing area, drag a pick box around the entire building
model to select all of the elements in it.
TIP If this were a multi-story building, you may want to select
the building model in a 3D view to ensure you capture all of the
components.
After you release the mouse button, all of the building model
elements, including the door tags, are highlighted in red. Door
tags are not phase-specific and must be filtered from the
selection.
11 In the Filter dialog box, clear Door Tags, and click OK.

Existing for Phase Created, and click OK.
Notice that the line style of the walls and doors is displayed
as gray rather than black because of the phase and phase filter
settings in the view properties.
Because this is a renovation project, it requires a plan view for
demolition and new construction. After you create the views,
you modify their view properties to make each view phase
specific.
Create phase-specific views

16 In the Rename dialog box, enter Level 1 - Existing, and
click OK.
You are asked if you want to rename corresponding level
and views. This refers to the ceiling plan and the level line
visible in any of the elevation views. Since this is a
phase-specific view, you do not want to rename the
corresponding views and level.
17 Click No.
1 - Existing, and click Duplicate.
19 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, right-click Copy
of Level 1 - Existing, and click Rename.
20 In the Rename dialog box, enter Level 1 - Demo, and click
OK.
You should now have a separate floor plan for the existing
building model and the planned demolition.

1 - Existing.
Existing for Phase, and click OK.
The line style of the walls and doors returns to black.
1 - Demo.
Notice that the line pattern is still gray. You may need to
zoom in to see this.
This view uses a different line style because the phase property
of this view is set to New Construction. On a logical time line,
new construction occurs after existing construction, to which
all the building model elements belong. Because of this time
relationship, a graphic override is used to make older
elements use the gray line style. Later in this exercise, you
modify these settings.
Next, you use phase filters to define which building model
elements display in a particular view.
Define phase filters

25 On the Settings menu, click Phases.
26 In the Phasing dialog box, click the Phase Filters tab.
There are five default phase filters. In this case, however, you
need a filter that takes all of the phases into account with a
particular graphic override.
27 Click New.
A new phase filter is displayed at the bottom of the Filter Name
list.
28 Under Filter Name, click Filter 1, and enter Composite Plan.
29 For Composite Plan, under New, select Overridden.
This new filter uses graphic overrides to set the display of all
building model elements: New, Existing, Demolished, and
Temporary.
View graphic overrides

30 Click the Graphic Overrides tab.
Graphic Overrides define the appearance of building model
elements according to their phase status. Phase status is time
dependent.
31 Click OK.
Next, you begin demolition. There are two ways to demolish
an element. You can select it and change its Phase parameter
to Demolished, or you can use the demolish tool.
Demolish building model elements

The cursor is displayed as a hammer.

33 Referring to the walls that display as dashed lines in the
following illustration, select the interior walls one at a time,
in the upper left corner and the lower right corner.
As you click each wall, its display changes to a dashed line.
Notice that the doors display as demolished even though

you did not specifically demolish them. That is because
doors are wall-hosted elements. When you demolish the
host, you demolish all elements hosted by it.
1 - Existing.
Notice that the demolished walls continue to display. This
is because the view phase filter is set to Show All.
Add new construction

1 - Demo.
Show Previous + New for Phase Filter, and click OK.
The demolished walls are no longer displayed.

39 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Interior - 4 7/8" Partition
(1-hr).
40 Using the following illustration as a guide, add a long
horizontal wall, and then add four short vertical walls between
it and the upper exterior wall.

42 In the Type Selector, select Sgl Flush: 34" x 84".
43 Add a door leading into each room. Click the control arrows
to adjust the opening and face directions.

1 - Existing.
Notice this view still displays the original walls and doors.

1 - Demo.
Composite Plan for Phase Filter, and click OK.
The composite plan phase filter uses graphic overrides.

Notice that all building model elements display using the
composite filter.
Create a new construction view

Show Previous + Demo for Phase Filter, and click OK.
right-click Level 1 - Demo, and click Duplicate.
right-click Copy of Level 1 - Demo, and click Rename.
52 In the Rename dialog box, enter Level 1 - New, and click
OK.
Show Previous + New for Phase Filter, and click OK.
The renovated building model plan is displayed. This filter

displays all original components that were not demolished
(Show Previous) and all new components added to the building
model (+ New).
Shading with Edges.
All elements are displayed in this view, regardless of phase,
because the phase filter is set to Show All. You could create
multiple 3D views that display each phase just as you did with
the floor plans.
57 If necessary, spin the building model so you can see the
demolished walls, which are displayed as red.
Notice that all the elements are displayed using the material
defined by the graphic overrides.

If you wish to save this file, you can do so at this time.
In this exercise, you created a building model with three distinct phases
and created views with appropriate phase filters to display each phase.
In the next exercise, you learn how to use phase-specific room tags.
Using Phase-Specific Room Tags

In this exercise, you add room tags to a building model that has multiple
phases. Floor plans have been created to display each phase of the
project: existing conditions, demolition, and new construction. As the
renovation process continues, the rooms change in both definition and
size, and the information that each room tag reports adjusts accordingly.
Dataset
Open the c_Phase_Specific_Room-tags file located in the Common

folder.
NOTE The units of measurement in this project file are imperial. Because
units of measurement have little bearing on the goals of this tutorial, you
do not need to change the project units to metric. If you wish to do so, go
to the Settings menu, click Project Units, define the units, and click OK.
Add room tags

Plans, and double-click Level 1 - Existing.
Notice that this view is the original building model.
1 - Demo.
In this view, the walls marked for demolition display using
a dashed line style. They are the same walls that display as
red in the 3D view.
1 - New.
In this view, you can see the new walls added to the building
model. The three level 1 floor plan views show the
progression of the renovation. You can also see that the
room quantities, sizes, and locations change depending on
the phase of the project.
All room boundaries are phase-specific; therefore, room tags
report information based on the phase of the view in which
the rooms were added.
4 On the Settings menu, click Phases.
Using Phase-Specific Room Tags | 1205
In the Phasing dialog box, notice that there are two phases
defined in this project. Phase 0 is for existing conditions and
Phase 1 is for demolition and new construction.
5 Click OK.
1 - Existing, and maximize the view.
8 Using the following illustration as a guide, click in each room
to create a room and place a room tag.

1 - New.
12 On the Design Bar, click Room.
13 Starting in the room in the upper left corner, click in each
room as you move to the right. Use the following illustration
as a guide.
Notice that the two rooms in the lower corners are identical
to both the existing phase and the new phase, yet they have
different room numbers.
1 - Demo.
Tag.
16 Using the following illustration as a guide, add a room tag
to the three rooms adjacent to the lower exterior wall. The
room tag command allows you to tag existing rooms.
Notice the room tags in this view get the same room tag
numbers as the tags in the view displaying new construction.
That is because the same phase is assigned to both views. In
this case, both views are assigned the same phase yet have
different phase filters.
View phase-specific room schedules.

double-click Room Schedule - Existing.
18 On the Window menu, click Close Hidden Windows.
double-click Room Schedule - New Construction.
The two schedule views tile.
Notice that in each phase-specific schedule, room

information differs based upon the phase of the view the
tags are in. In addition, notice the new construction has 25
less total square feet than the original building model. This
is because the additional interior walls in the new
construction occupy more space than the original.
In this exercise, you added room tags to various floor plans that are
assigned different phases. You also opened two schedules to observe
how the room information is reported by phase.
Linking Building Models

and Sharing
Coordinates
25
Many projects consist of disparate buildings in an overall

campus, or of a group of related but semi-independent
sub-projects. In these situations, you can use model linking
and shared coordinates to create the campus within one project
file while allowing work to proceed on the individual building
models in other project files. This maximizes efficiency,
performance, and productivity by working in a smaller project
file while retaining the ability to place that building model
into a larger context.
Specific examples when you may want to use model

linking and shared coordinates:
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.
In this tutorial, you link several building models within a single

project file in which only a site plan has been developed. You
position the building models on the site plan, modify their
visibility, and manage the links throughout the project. In the
1211
final lesson, you share the coordinates so that the linked files
remember their location within the host project.
1212 | Chapter 25 Linking Building Models and Sharing Coordinates
Linking Building Models

In this lesson, you work within a project in which only the site
components have been developed. You link multiple instances of one
building model and a single instance of another. You position the
building models on the site, modify their visibility, and manage their
locations in coordination with their originating project files.
NOTE You must complete the exercises in this lesson in sequence.
Linking Building Models from Different Project Files

In this exercise, you open a project in which only site components have
been developed. You link two building models to the project. One
building model is a condominium, and the other is a townhouse.
Linking Building Models | 1213
Placement options when linking building models

1 When you link a building model in a project, you have the
option to manually place the linked building model or allow
Revit Building 9.1 to automatically place it.
Automatic placement options:
Center-to-Center: Revit Building places the center of the

imported geometry at the center of the model.
NOTE The center of a Revit Building model is the center of
the model geometry. This center changes as the footprint of
your model changes.
Origin-to-Origin: The origin of the imported geometry is

placed at the invisible origin of the Revit Building model.
By shared coordinates: When using Model Linking in

conjunction with Shared Coordinates, this option will
place the link at a predefined location.
RELATED See the lesson, Sharing Coordinates Between
Building Models on page 1236.
Manual placement options:
Cursor at origin: The origin of the linked document is

centered on the cursor.
NOTE Revit Building projects are based on a coordinate
system; however, this system is not exposed to the user.
Cursor at base point: Not applicable for linked Revit

Building Files. This option is grayed out.
Cursor at center: The center of the linked document is at

the cursor location.
This tutorial requires write permission to all the training files

used. Because training files are used in multiple tutorials and
are normally installed as read-only, you need to copy the three
training files to a different directory and make them writable.
If you are comfortable doing this using Windows Explorer,
you can do so. The required files can be found in the Common
folder of the Training files: c_Site, c_Townhouse,
c_Condo_Complex. Otherwise, use the following steps to copy
the training files to a new location.
Save training files to different folder

2 Create a new folder on your hard drive called Model Linking.
In the left pane of the Open dialog box, click the

Open the c_Site file located in the Common folder.
4 On the File menu, click Save As, navigate to the Model

Linking folder you created in the first step, and save the file
there.
6 Repeat the previous four steps for the following files:
c_Townhouse
c_Condo_Complex
7 Open the Model Linking folder, select the three files,

right-click, and click Properties.
8 Clear Read-only, and click OK.
All three files now reside, with write permission, in the Model
Linking folder that you created.
Link condo complex into site project

Navigate to the Model Linking folder.
Select c_Site.
Click Open.
Linking Building Models from Different Project Files | 1215
NOTE The three project files used in this lesson use imperial units
of measurement. Because model linking and sharing coordinates
are not dependent on project units, you do not need to change
the project units to metric. If you wish to do so, you can go to
the Settings menu, click Project Units, and make your changes.

Notice the blue detail lines. These represent the footprint
outlines of the three building model sites.
11 On the File menu, click Import/Link Revit.

12 In the Add Link dialog box:
Navigate to the Model Linking folder and select

c_Condo_Complex.
Under Positioning, select Automatically place.
Under Automatically place, select Origin to origin.
13 Click Open.
The condo complex building model is placed approximately
at the center of the site model.
Move the condo complex building model

14 Select the linked building model.
After you select it, Linked Autodesk Revit Model:
c_Condo_Complex.rvt is displayed in the Type Selector.
Standard move commands work with linked building
models. The linked model moves as one object, similar to
the behavior of imported DWG objects.
The Move command requires two clicks. The first click

specifies the move start point. The second click specifies the
move endpoint.
16 For the move start point, click the upper-left corner of the
linked condo complex building model.
17 For the move endpoint, click the upper-left corner of the

matching blue detail lines above it.
After you specify the location to move to, the linked file is
displayed within the confines of the blue detail lines.
18 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom To Fit.
Link the townhouse building model

19 On the File menu, click Import/Link Revit.
Navigate to the Model Linking folder, and select

c_Townhouse.
Under Positioning, select Automatically place.
Under Automatically place, select Origin to origin.
21 Click Open.
The townhouse building model is displayed above the site

model.
Rotate the townhouse

22 Zoom in around the townhouse model and select it.
To rotate an object, you first specify the rotation start point,

and then click to specify the end of the rotation. In this case,
the townhouse must be rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
24 Place the cursor just north of the townhouse and, when the
vertical line displays, click to specify the rotation start point.
25 Move the cursor 90 degrees clockwise, and click to specify

the end of the rotation.
The rotated townhouse should resemble the following

illustration.
Move the townhouse

This townhouse building model needs to be moved inside the

blue detail lines in the lower-left corner of the site model. Do
not be concerned if the detail lines do not match the exact
footprint of the townhouse.
27 Click the lower-left corner of the townhouse building model
as the move start point.
28 Select the lower-left corner of the lower-left set of blue detail

lines as the move endpoint.
The townhouse is located within its required footprint.
Copy the townhouse

The Copy command works much like the Move command.

The first click specifies the start point, and the second click
specifies the copy-to point.
30 For the starting point, select the upper-right corner of the
townhouse.
31 Select the upper-right corner of the blue detail lines on the
right to specify the copy-to point.
A copy of the townhouse is displayed on the right side of the

site project.
32 On the Edit menu, click Rotate, and rotate the townhouse 180
degrees.
NOTE After you rotate the townhouse, if it does not fit reasonably
well within the detail lines, use the Move command to make any
adjustments.
33 Click the first instance of the townhouse on the left.
35 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Identity data, for

Name, enter Townhouse A, and click OK.
36 Use the same technique to name the instance of the

Townhouse on the right to Townhouse B.

NOTE If you intend to complete the next exercise of this
tutorial, you need this project file open and in this view.
In this exercise, you linked two separate Revit Building 9.1 models into
a site model. After linking the files, you rotated and moved the building
models to fit them into their designated positions within the site
development.
In the next exercise, you modify the elevation of the townhouses.
Repositioning Linked Building Models

In this exercise, you reposition the townhouses in respect to their
elevation. When you originally linked the files, they were placed too
low within the site topography. In this exercise, you modify their vertical
position so that the townhouses sit correctly on the site.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise in this
tutorial and the resulting project files. If you have not completed the previous
Repositioning Linked Building Models | 1225
Modify the vertical position of the townhouses

2 Using the Dynamic View tool, hold the Shift key down and
spin the model until it resembles the following illustration.
Notice that the townhouse is not at the proper elevation in

relationship to the site toposurface. This is apparent because
there is a planter below ground level that was designed to sit
on top of the site surface.
3 In the Project Browser, under Views (all), expand Elevations,
and double-click South.
4 Zoom in around the townhouse on the left.

5 Place the cursor over the townhouse and notice that, when it
highlights, the tooltip and status bar display the name of the
linked file.
6 Zoom in closer on the lower half of the townhouse and notice
the ground floor level of the townhouse is 11 feet below Level
1 of the site project.
In the steps that follow, you use the Align command to

reposition the linked model within this project. When using
the Align command, you first select the plane you want to
align to, and then select the plane that you want to align.
In this case, you align the Ground Floor level to Level 1 of
the site plan.
8 elect the Level 1 line of the Site project, move the cursor
over the Ground Floor level of the Townhouse project, and
click to select it.
Notice that the townhouse is now at the proper height

within this project. Also notice the option displays for you
to lock the alignment. Do not lock the alignment of the
linked file. This would over-constrain the model.
9 In the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click North.
Repositioning Linked Building Models | 1227
10 Using the same technique learned in the previous steps, align

the Ground Floor level of the remaining townhouse to Level
1 of the Site project.
11 Return to the South elevation view.

Both townhouses should be at the proper level.
14 Using the Dynamic View tool, hold the Shift key down and
spin the model until it resembles the following illustration.

NOTE If you intend to complete the next exercise of this tutorial,
you need this project file open and in this view.
In this exercise, you changed the elevation of the townhouses relative to
the host project. As you can see, each linked file can have a separate set of
levels and relative heights and you can accommodate those differences
within the host project.
In the next exercise, you modify how the linked files display within the
host project.
Controlling Linked Building Model Visibility

In this exercise, you modify the visibility settings of the linked files
within the site project. After you link an Revit Building 9.1 project file
within another project, you can control the visibility settings, detail
level, display settings, and the halftone settings.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercises in this
Modify visibility settings

1 On the Project Browser, under Elevations, double-click
South.
3 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Revit Links
tab.
4 Under Visibility, expand c_Townhouse.rvt.
Notice that you can change visibility settings of an entire
linked file or selected instances of a linked file.
NOTE You have three options for controlling visibility settings
of a linked file. By host view matches the display to the
settings of the current active project view. By linked view
matches the display to the settings of the linked project view.
Custom allows you to override specific visibility settings for a
linked project or an instance of the linked project. When you
link a file, the defaults are set to By host view for all options.
5 Under Display Settings for c_Townhouse.rvt, click By Host
View.
6 On the Basics tab of the RVT Link Display Settings dialog
box, click Custom.
If the Basics page is set to Custom, then the other pages on
the RVT Link Display Settings dialog may be set to By host
View, By linked view, or Custom.
7 Click the Annotations Categories tab.
8 For Annotation Categories, select <Custom>.
Controlling Linked Building Model Visibility | 1229
9 Under Visibility, scroll down and clear Levels.

10 Click OK.
11 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click OK.
Notice the Level lines for both townhouses are no longer
displayed.
NOTE Changes to Visibility/Graphics are per view only. The

townhouse level lines still are displayed in the remaining elevation
views.
Apply halftone
12 On the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click Level
1.
14 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Revit Links tab.
15 Under Visibility, expand c_Townhouse.rvt.
Notice the option to halftone individual instances of the
townhouse model.
16 Select Halftone for the Townhouse project, and click OK.
Halftone displays objects with half their normal darkness.

With linked files, you can apply halftone to the entire linked
project or individual instances of the model. Using the
Custom option, you can also apply halftone to individual
categories. Notice both townhouses are displayed in
halftone.
Detail levels of a linked file

18 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click the Revit Links
tab.
19 For c_Townhouse.rvt, under Display Settings, click By Host
View.
20 In the RVT Link Display Settings dialog box, on the Basics
tab, select Custom.
21 Click the Model Categories tab.
22 In the Model categories list, select <Custom>.
23 By default, the detail level for the linked townhouse project
is set to By Host View. This means that the detail level of
the linked file is matched to the detail level of the current
active project view. By selecting custom under Model
Categories, you can independently set the detail level for
each model category for each link on a per view basis. You
can click the value for Detail Level, and then set the detail
level to coarse, medium, or fine.
In this case, no detail level changes are required.
24 Click OK.
Controlling Linked Building Model Visibility | 1231
Modify display settings of linked files

25 You can use display settings to control the view range, phase,
and phase filter of a specific link.
On the Revit Links tab, under Visibility, select
c_Townhouse.rvt.
Notice that the Custom button displays under Display Settings.
26 Under Display Settings, click Custom for the Townhouse link.

27 In the RVT Link Display Settings dialog box, select Floor Plan:
Ground Floor for Linked view.
By default, the view range of a linked project uses the current
view of the host project to define its view range. In most cases,
this is preferable. However, there are situations, on a sloped
site for instance, where you need to specify a different view
range so that all the building model plan views cut at the same
height. In this case, the townhouse view range now uses the
same view range defined within the Floor Plan: Ground Floor
of the original linked file.
28 Select By linked view for View range.
Notice the Phase and Phase filter specfied are By host view. In
this case, the host view specifies New Construction for the
Phase and Show All for the phase filter.
This means that the phase named New Construction for the
linked building model is displayed, with Show All as the phase
filter applied to the link. With the Show All filter applied, all
new, existing, demolished, and temporary components in that
particular phase (New Construction) are displayed. All other
components are grayed out.
29 Click OK.
30 In the Visibility/Graphics dialog box, click OK.
NOTE If you intend to complete the next exercise of this

tutorial, you need this project file open and in this view.
In this exercise, you modified the visibility settings of the townhouse
link by turning off the visibility of the level lines and applying halftone
in a plan view. You also changed the view range of the townhouse so
it would cut through the building model at the same height as the other
linked building model.
In the next exercise, you manage the linked files.
Managing Linked Building Models

In this exercise, you manage the links within the host project by
unloading and reloading the linked projects. After you link an Revit
Building 9.1 project into another project, a connection to the original
linked project continues to exist. If the host file is closed and one of the
linked files is modified, those modifications are reloaded into the host
project when it is reopened.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercises in this
Unload and reload links

1 On the File menu, click Manage Links.
2 In the Manage Links dialog box, click the Revit tab.
Notice the Loaded, Locations Not Saved, and Saved Path
fields are read only. They supply information regarding the
links.
NOTE The Locations Not Saved field is only relevant for links
with shared coordinates. In a shared coordinate environment,
any changes made to the locations of a linked file are saved
within the linked file rather than the host project. As links are
moved to new locations in the host project, you can use the
Save Locations command to save the new locations to the
linked project. You learn more about this in the next lesson,
Sharing Coordinates Between Building Models.
3 Under Path Type, notice that you have a choice between
Relative and Absolute.
Managing Linked Building Models | 1233
The default path type is Relative. In general, you should use

a relative path rather than an absolute. If you use a relative
path and move the project and linked file together to a new
directory, the link is maintained. If you use an absolute path
and move the project and linked file to a new location, the
link is broken because the host project continues to look for
the link in the absolute path specified. The most common
scenario for using Absolute is when the linked file is on a
network where multiple users need access to it.
4 Under Linked File, select c_Condo_Complex.rvt.
The buttons at the bottom of the dialog box are now active.
5 Click Unload.
The Loaded option for that linked file is now clear.
6 Click OK.
Notice that the condo complex link is no longer displayed in
the host project.

8 In the Manage Links dialog box, click the Revit tab.
9 Under Linked File, select c_Condo_Complex.rvt.
10 Click Reload.
11 Click OK.
Notice the condo complex building model has been reloaded

into its previous location.
TIP In the Manage Links dialog box, you can also remove a
link completely or reload the link from a different location.
Linking building models with Worksharing enabled
In some cases, you may need to link projects that have
Worksharing enabled. In these cases, you should consider
the following:
Selective open of worksets: When linking a

Worksharing-enabled building model, you can specify
which worksets to open after the link is made. In the
Add Link dialog box, under Open Worksets, select
Specify. This enhances performance by reducing the
quantity of components that must be opened and
drawn.
Changing the linked worksets: While working in

a host file with Worksharing-enabled linked files, you
may decide that you need to see additional worksets of
one of those linked files. To do this, go to the Manage
Links dialog box and use the Reload From command.
You can then specify the additional worksets you need
opened.
Linking a building model into multiple host

projects: Although the same Worksharing-enabled
building model can be linked within multiple host
projects, the specific worksets opened in each host
project must be identical. The user who creates the first
link determines the status for all other linked files.
Managing Linked Building Models | 1235
Host files with Worksharing enabled: When the

host file has Worksharing activated, you must keep in
mind which workset the link is placed in. Links consist
of two parts: the link symbol and the link instance. When
you initially place the link, both the link symbol and the
link instance are placed in the active workset. However,
link instances can be reassigned to different worksets. In
general, you should try to keep all instances of a link on
the same workset.
TIP When opening a Worksharing-enabled host file, it is possible

to specify which links are loaded when the host file opens. A link
is only loaded if the workset that the link instance is assigned to
opens. If you choose not to open that workset, the link is not
loaded.
13 In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the Model Linking folder
you created in the first exercise, name the file Site_Project, and
save it as an RVT file.
NOTE If you intend to complete the next lesson, Sharing
Coordinates Between Building Models, it is important that this
file exist in the same directory as the condo complex and
townhouse projects.
In this exercise, you managed the linked files by unloading and reloading
the townhouse project. In the next lesson, you learn how to share the
coordinates between the host and linked projects.
If you intend to complete the next lesson now, leave the project file open
in its current view.
Sharing Coordinates Between Building Models

In this lesson, you learn how to share coordinates between project files so
that you can correctly locate building models with respect to each other.
When used in conjunction with model linking, you can keep track of the
multiple locations in which a linked building model may reside.
When you share coordinates between projects, you are deciding which
coordinate system will be used by the two files. In essence, you are
establishing a shared origin point.
NOTE This lesson requires the completion of the lesson Linking Building
Models on page 1213, and the resulting project files. If you have not
completed the previous lesson, do so before continuing.
Acquiring and Publishing Coordinates

In this exercise, you publish the coordinates from a host project file to
two different buildings that are linked to that project. The host file
consists primarily of site components.
When you link an Revit Building 9.1 project into another project (the
host project), you can choose to use the coordinates of either the host
project or the linked project. In most cases where the host project
consists primarily of site components and the linked projects contain
the building models, the host project coordinates are used. This ensures
all the linked building models define their position with respect to the
site data.
When you are working in the host project, you can publish the
coordinates of the linked files. This sends the coordinate information
to the linked project so that its internal coordinate system matches the
host project.
You can also acquire coordinates when working in the host project. In
this case, the host file acquires the coordinates of a specified linked file.
You may want to do this in a case when the link refers to a DWG that
has an established coordinate system that you want the host project to
adopt.
Acquiring and Publishing Coordinates | 1237
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous lesson, Linking
Building Models on page 1213, and the resulting project files. If you have not
completed the lesson, do so before continuing. If you have closed the project,
open it before continuing.
Dataset
Navigate to the Model Linking folder you created in the first exercise
of this tutorial.
Select Site_Project.rvt and click Open.
Publish coordinates
1 Verify that the floor plan Level 1 is the active view.
2 On the Tools menu, click Shared Coordinates Publish

Coordinates.
As indicated in the Status Bar, you must now select a linked
project to publish coordinates to.
3 In the drawing area, click the Condo Complex. It is the
building model in the upper center of the host project.
4 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog box, select

Location 1, and click OK.
On the Status Bar, notice you are still in Publish Coordinates
mode and Revit Building is waiting for you to select another
link.
5 On the Design Bar, click Modify to end the Publish
Coordinates process.
NOTE If you intend to complete the next exercise of this lesson,
You have published the coordinates of the host project to the linked
project. Both projects now share the same coordinate system.
Relocating a Project with Shared Coordinates

When an Revit Building 9.1 model is linked into a host project, it is
placed at a specific 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 a 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 additional locations. An example of a
linked file with many locations is a prototype model of a 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 buildings on a site.
Relocating a Project with Shared Coordinates | 1239
In this exercise, you specify and save the two townhouse locations, even
though both models originate from one linked file. You also relocate the
shared origin of the project.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise within
this lesson and the resulting project files. If you have not completed the exercise,
Specify a townhouse location

1 In the drawing area of the floor plan Level 1, move the cursor
over the left townhouse and, when the edges highlight, click
to select it.
3 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Instance

Parameters, notice the Shared Location value is Not Shared.
4 Under Value, click Not Shared for Shared Location.
Because this is the first time you are setting up the shared
coordinates between the host and the linked models, a dialog
box is displayed telling you to reconcile the coordinates. This
means that you need to choose which coordinate system will
be shared by both files. This is a one-time operation.
5 In the Share Coordinates dialog box:
Select Publish the shared coordinate system.
Under Record selected instance as being positioned at

location, click Change.
6 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog box, click Rename.
7 In the Rename dialog box, enter Lot A for New, and click
OK.
8 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog box, click OK.
9 In the Select Location dialog box, click Reconcile.
10 In the Element Properties dialog box, notice the Shared
Location value is now Lot A, and click OK.
Constrain a link to a specific location

11 Select the townhouse building model on the right side of
the host project.
After a link instance is assigned a shared location, changing
the position of that instance can affect the definition of the
location that is saved with the linked file. When
constraining a link to a location, you have only two choices:
Move the instance to an existing location that is not

already in use.
Record the current position as a location.
13 In the Element Properties dialog box, under Instance

Parameters, click Not Shared for Shared Location.
In the Choose Location dialog box, notice that you do not
have an option to acquire or publish coordinates. This is
because the coordinates for this linked file have already
been shared. It is only necessary to reconcile coordinates
once.
14 In the Choose Location dialog box, select Move instance
to.
Notice the OK button is not active. This is because you
cannot choose a location where an instance link already
exists. You created the Lot A location in previous steps, and
the left townhouse resides at that location.
15 In the Choose Location dialog box, select the second option,
Record current position as.
Notice the OK button is still not active. Because Lot A is
currently in use, you cannot redefine its location.
16 Click Change.
17 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog box, click
Duplicate, enter Lot B for Name, and click OK.
18 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog box, make sure Lot
B is selected, and click OK.
19 In the Select Location dialog box, click OK.
You now have two different locations for the townhouse
building model: Lot A and Lot B.
Save locations
22 In the Manage Links dialog box, click the RVT tab, and then
select the townhouse project.
23 Click Save Locations.
24 In the Save Modified Linked Model dialog box, select Save,
and click OK.
When you create a location, it is not automatically saved
within the linked file. To explicitly save a location, you must
go to the Manage Links dialog box and save the locations there.
NOTE If you attempt to close a host file without saving location
changes made to linked files, you are prompted to save the
locations to the linked files.
25 In the Manage Links dialog box, notice the Locations Not
Saved checkbox for the townhouse project is no longer
checked.
26 Click OK.
27 Select the townhouse on the right in Lot B and drag it a short
distance in any direction. When you release the mouse button,
a warning is displayed.
You are informed that you have attempted to move a linked
file that has been saved to a specific location. You are given
the opportunity to save the new location, ignore the warning,
or cancel the action.
28 Click Cancel to return the townhouse to Lot B.
You can relocate an entire project with respect to all the linked
files that are shared with it. When you relocate a project, the
active location position is moved, although it may appear that
the linked files are moving. By relocating a project, you
essentially move the origin of the shared coordinates.
Relocate a project
30 On the Tools menu, click Project
Position/Orientation Relocate this Project.
This is a two-click process. The first click specifies the move
start point. The second click specifies the move endpoint.
31 Click just north of the site topography and just below the
North elevation symbol.
32 Move the cursor horizontally to the left approximately 40'

and click to relocate the shared origin.
Notice the site topography and the linked building models no

longer line up, and the linked projects are offset the distance
that you moved the origin.
33 On the Edit menu, click Undo to return the origin to its

original position.
35 In the Save Modified Linked Model dialog box, select Save,
and click OK.
In this exercise, you created and saved the locations of each townhouse.
You have also learned how to relocate the host project with respect to the
linked projects.
Scheduling Components of Linked Files

In this exercise, you schedule components of the host file and of all linked
files.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise within
this lesson and the resulting project files. If you have not completed the exercise,
Create a door schedule

1 Verify that the floor plan Level 1 is the active view.

Doors, and click OK.
Select the fields to display in the door schedule

5 Under Available fields, select Count, and click Add.
6 Add the remaining fields in the following order:
Family and Type
Comments
Cost
Scheduling Components of Linked Files | 1245
7 Select Include elements in linked files, and click OK.
In order to see a concise listing of all the doors in the campus

project, you can sort the schedule data and display a single
table entry per door type.
Sort schedule data

8 In the Project Browser, expand Schedules/Quantities, right-click
Door Schedule, and click Properties.
for Sorting/Grouping.
10 In the Schedule Properties box, select Family and Type for Sort
by.
11 Select Grand totals, clear Itemize every instance, and then click
OK twice.
Because you did not itemize every instance of each door

type, the schedule lists the total count for each door type,
and a grand total for the number of doors in the project
buildings.
NOTE In the following exercise, you work in one of the linked
projects. You cannot work on a host file and one of its linked
files simultaneously in the same session of Revit Building.
In this exercise, you created a schedule of doors in the host file and all
linked files of a project. You also sorted the schedule data to produce a
consolidated listing of the components.
Working with a Linked Building Model

After a file has been linked into a host and its coordinates are shared,
the linked file contains information about its location with respect to
the host. When opening the linked file, you can select which of the
defined locations is the active location that you would like to work on.
Also, if other models were linked into the same host, you could link
them in and have them retain their correct position.
In this exercise, you work on the townhouse building model and modify
its location.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercises within
this lesson and the resulting project files. If you have not completed the
exercises, do so before continuing.
Dataset
Navigate to the Model Linking folder you created in the first exercise
of this tutorial.
Select c_Townhouse and click Open.
Link a project
1 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 1st
Floor.
This project is currently linked to the Site_Project.rvt file. It
is located in Lot A and Lot B within that project file. In
addition, the condo complex is linked within the
Site_Project.rvt file.
Working with a Linked Building Model | 1247
2 On the File menu, click Import/Link RVT.

Navigate to the Model Linking folder you created in the

first exercise of this tutorial.
Select c_Condo_Complex.
Under Positioning, select By shared coordinates.
Click Open.
Because this building model only has one named location, it

is placed automatically within the host project.
4 Zoom out to see the condo complex building model.
The condo complex is positioned relative to the active location

of the townhouse building model. The current active location
is Lot A.
Change the active location

5 On the Settings menu, click Manage Place and Locations.
Notice that Lot A is the current active location.
6 Select Lot B, and click Make Current.
7 Click OK.
Notice that the condo complex link has repositioned itself

as though the townhouse was on Lot B.

In this exercise, you worked within a project that is linked within another
project. You loaded a linked file into the townhouse project and then
changed the active location to see how the project reacts to the changes.
In the final exercise of this tutorial, you manage the shared locations.
Managing Shared Locations

The Manage Place and Locations command allows you to quickly create
new location names or rename existing ones. These new locations can
be assigned later within a host file. In this exercise, you create a new
location, orient a view to true north, and use the Report Shared
Coordinates tool.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercises within
this lesson and the resulting project files. If you have not completed the
exercises, do so before continuing.
Manage locations
1 On the Settings menu, click Manage Place and Locations.
2 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog box, click
Duplicate.
3 In the Name dialog box, enter Lot C, and click OK.
4 In the Manage Place and Locations dialog box, click OK.
Managing Shared Locations | 1249
Lot C now exists as a location although it has not been

specified as an instance. In the host file, you can select Lot C
if necessary.
Orient a view to true north

True North for Orientation, and click OK.
7 Zoom to Fit.
Notice that the orientation of the model resembles the site
project.
Report shared coordinates

8 On the Tools menu, click Shared Coordinates Report Shared
Coordinates.
This command allows you to determine the location of
elements and points in the model with respect to the shared
coordinate origin.
9 Click any component or in any location on the drawing area.
On the Options Bar, notice the coordinates display in regards
to the direction and distance to the origin.
10 On the File menu, click Close. You can save the file if you
wish.
In this exercise, you created a new location using the Manage Place and
Locations tool. You rotated a view to true north and used the Report Shared
Coordinates tool to locate components in regards to the origin.
You have completed this tutorial.
Customizing Project
Settings and Templates
1251
Modifying Project and

System Settings
26
In this tutorial, you learn how to modify your Revit Building

9.1 working environment. In the first lesson, you modify the
system environment, which is independent of the project
settings. In the second lesson, you modify project settings to
control the appearance of the components and subcomponents
within that project. Finally, you create an office template, and
set it as your default template.
1253
Modifying System Settings

In this lesson, you learn how to control the system settings within Revit
Building. System settings are local to each computer and applied to all
projects; they are not saved to project or template files.
Modifying General System Options

In this exercise, you modify the settings that control your local Revit
Building working environment. These settings control the graphics,
selection default options, notification preferences, journal cleanup options,
and your username when using worksets.
Set graphics settings

1 On the File menu, click Close to close all open projects.
3 In the Options dialog box, click the Graphics tab.
4 Under Colors, select Invert background color, and click OK.
5 On the File menu, click New Project to open a new Revit
Building project.
Browse.
Training Files.
8 Select m_Tutorial_Default.rte in the Metric/Templates folder, and
click Open.
Notice that the drawing area is black.
11 In the Options dialog box, click the Graphics tab.
12 Under Colors, click the value for Selection Color.
13 In the Color dialog box, select yellow, and click OK.
NOTE You can also specify the Alert Color. When an error occurs,
the elements causing the error display using this color.
14 Click the General tab.
15 Under Notifications, specify the following options:
Select One hour for Save Reminder interval.
1254 | Chapter 26 Modifying Project and System Settings
Select None for Tooltip Assistance.
16 Click OK.
18 Sketch a simple straight horizontal wall in the center of the
drawing area.
19 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and select the wall.
Notice the selected wall is yellow rather than the default

red.
21 Place the cursor over the wall but do not select it.
Notice that a tooltip is not displayed.
22 Place the cursor over any of the icons on the toolbars.
Notice that a tooltip is displayed even though you set
Tooltip Assistance to None. This setting controls only the
tooltips that display within the drawing area.
24 When prompted to save, click No.
Files icon.
27 Open the m_Settings.rvt file located in the Metric folder.
Modifying General System Options | 1255
Notice that the system settings apply to this project.

29 In the Options dialog box, click the Graphics tab and make
the following changes:
Under Graphics, clear Invert background color.
Select Red for Selection Color.
30 Click the General tab and make the following changes:
Under Notifications, select your preferred Save Reminder

interval, and select Normal for Tooltip Assistance.
Under Username, enter the name you want to use during

worksharing. Your login name displays by default.
Under Journal File Cleanup, select values for When

number of journals exceeds and Delete journals older than
(days).
Journal files are deleted automatically after their number
exceeds the value you specify. Journal files are text
documents that record each step during your Revit
Building sessions. These files are used primarily in the
software support process. Journals can be run in order to
detect a problem or recreate lost steps or files. They are
saved at the termination of each Revit Building session.
31 Click OK.
Notice that the drawing area background colors are no longer
inverted and that tooltips display when you place the cursor
over any building component.
32 On the File menu, click Close. If prompted, do not save the
changes.
33 Proceed to the next exercise, Specifying File Locations on
page 1256.
Specifying File Locations

In this exercise, you specify your default file locations. These settings
control location of important Revit Building files such as your default
project template, the family template files, the family libraries, as well as
the material and rendering libraries.
Set file locations

2 In the Options dialog box, click the File Locations tab.
3 Under Default template file, click Browse.

Notice that there are industry-specific templates that you
can set as your default template.
TIP To view a template, you can start a new project with that
template. On the File menu, choose New Project, and click
Browse to select a template.
4 Click Cancel.
5 Under Default path for user files, click Browse.
6 In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the folder to save
your files to by default, and click OK.
7 In the Options dialog box, under Default path for family
template files, click Browse.
This path is set automatically during the installation process.
These are the family templates that you use to create new
families. It is unlikely that you would ever want to modify
this path. However, there are some circumstances where
you may need to modify the path, such as in a large,
centralized, architectural firm where customized templates
reside on a network drive.
8 Click Cancel.
Specify library settings and create a new library

9 In the Options dialog box, under Libraries, notice the list
of library names.
The list is dependent on the options that you selected during
installation. Each library path points Revit Building to a
folder of families or training files. You can modify the
existing library names and path, and you can create new
libraries. An icon for each library displays in the left pane
of all Revit Building Open, Save, Load, and Import dialog
boxes.
Specifying File Locations | 1257
When you are opening, saving, or loading a Revit Building

file, you can click on the library folder located in the left pane
of the dialog box. In the following illustration, notice that the
libraries display as icons in the left pane of the dialog box.
10 Under Libraries, click
11 Click in the Library Name field of the new library, and change
the name to My Library.
12 Click in the Library Path field for My Library, and click the
arrow that displays on the right side of the field.
13 Navigate to C:\My Documents or any other folder where you

want to create a personal library of Revit Building projects,
templates, or families, and click OK.
TIP You may want to create a new folder first, and select it as the
library path.
The new library displays in the left pane of all Revit Building
Open, Save, Load, and Import dialog boxes. The library
icons display in the order that they are listed in the Options
dialog box.
14 Under Library Name, click My Library.
15 Click
OK.
until My Library is at the top of the list, and click

17 In the left pane of the Open dialog box, click the My Library
icon.
Notice that Revit Building navigates directly to the library
path. If you work in a large office, you may want to set up
an office library on a network path in order to increase
productivity and maintain office standards.
18 Click Cancel.
20 Click the File Locations tab.
21 Under Libraries, select My Library.
22 Click
to delete the library.
Specify rendering settings

23 Click the Rendering tab.
24 Under AccuRender resource location, view the current path.
This path specifies the location of the AccuRender texture
library. This path is determined during installation. If you
want to relocate this path, specify the new location here.
25 Click OK.
26 Proceed to the next exercise, Specifying Spelling Options
on page 1259.
Specifying Spelling Options

In this exercise, you modify the spelling settings and the custom
dictionaries for Revit Building.
Modify spelling settings

2 In the Options dialog box, click the Spelling tab.
Specifying Spelling Options | 1259
3 Under Settings, select Ignore words in UPPERCASE.

4 Under Personal dictionary, click Edit.
The custom dictionary opens in your default text editor.
5 In the text editor, enter sheetmtl-Cu.
7 On the File menu, click Exit.
Notice that there is also a building industry dictionary.
8 Under Building industry dictionary, click Edit.
9 In the text editor, scroll down the list of building industry
terms.
10 On the File menu, click Exit.
11 In the Options dialog box, click OK.
to open a new Revit
Building project using the default template.
13 On the Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Text.
14 Click in the drawing area, and enter This is sheetmtl-Cu
and SHTMTL-CU.
16 On the Tools menu, click Spelling.
Notice that the spell checker allowed sheetmtl-Cu because you
added it to the custom dictionary. It allowed SHTMTL-CU
because you set the spelling options to ignore words in
uppercase.
17 Click OK.
19 In the Options dialog box, click the Spelling tab.
20 Under Settings, click Restore Defaults.
This resets the spelling settings to their original configuration.
21 Under Personal dictionary, click Edit.
The custom dictionary opens in your default text editor.
22 In the text editor, delete sheetmtl-CU.
23 On the File menu of the text editor, click Save, and then click
File Exit.
24 In the Options dialog box, click OK.

25 On the File menu, click Close. If prompted, do not save the
changes.
26 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Snap Settings on
page 1261.
Modifying Snap Settings

In this exercise, you modify snap settings. Snap settings are system
settings that are applied to all projects and not saved within a project
file. You can turn snap settings on and off, or use the shortcut keys to
force a particular snap method. In this exercise, you modify snap
increments, work with snapping turned off, and use shortcut keys to
control snapping on an instance basis.
Modify snap increments

1 On the File menu, click New Project to open a new Revit
Building project.
Browse.
Training Files.
4 Select m_Tutorial_Default.rte in the Metric\Templates folder,
and click Open.
6 On the Settings menu, click Snaps.
Notice that you can modify both length and angular snap
increments. As you zoom in and out within a view, Revit
Building uses the largest increment that represents less than
2mm in the drawing area. You can add an increment by
entering the value with a semicolon after it.
Modifying Snap Settings | 1261
7 Under Dimension Snaps, click in the Length dimension snap

increments box following the value 1000; and enter 500 ;.
8 Under Object Snaps, notice the two-letter acronyms next to

each object snap option.
These are shortcut keys that you can use at any time when
working on the design. For example, if you want to snap an
object to a wall midpoint, enter SM and only midpoint snaps
are recognized until you commit an action. After you click to
place the object at the midpoint, snapping reverts to the system
default settings.
9 In the Snaps dialog box, click OK.
11 Click in the center of the drawing area, and move the cursor
to the right.
Notice that the listening dimension snaps at 1000 mm

increments. If it does not, zoom out until it does so.
A listening dimension refers specifically to the dimension that
appears while in the act of sketching. This dimension reacts
to the movement of your cursor and numerical keyboard
entries.
TIP To zoom while in the act of sketching, use the wheel

button on your mouse. If you do not have a wheel button, you
can right-click and select a zoom option from the context
menu. While sketching, you can also use the zoom shortcut
keys such as ZO to zoom out.
12 While sketching a generic straight wall, zoom in until the
listening dimension snap increment shifts to 500 mm.
This is the increment that you added previously.
Sketch without snapping

13 While sketching the wall, enter the shortcut key SO to turn
snaps off.
Notice that when snapping is turned off completely, the

listening dimension reflects the exact length of the wall as
you move the cursor to the left or right.
14 Click to set the wall endpoint.
15 Click in the drawing area to start a second wall, and move
the cursor to the right. Do not set the wall end point.
Notice that snapping is once again active. When you use

shortcut keys to control snapping, the command is only
active for one click of the mouse.
Use snapping shortcut keys

16 On the Design Bar, click Modify, and click Wall.
17 Place the cursor over the horizontal wall you added
previously.
Modifying Snap Settings | 1263
Notice that the cursor snaps to various points on the wall. If

you move the cursor along the wall, it will snap to the
endpoints, the midpoint, and the wall edges.
18 Enter SM.
This is the snap shortcut key that restricts all snapping to
midpoints.
19 Notice that the cursor now snaps only to the midpoint of the
wall.
20 Click to start the wall at the midpoint.

21 Move the cursor downward, and specify the wall endpoint.
22 On the Settings menu, click Snaps.
23 Under Dimension Snaps, click in the Length dimension snap
increments box, and delete the value 500 ;.
Make sure you also delete the semicolon.
24 Click OK.
25 On the File menu, click Close, and do not save the file.
26 Proceed to the next lesson, Modifying Project Settings on
page 1264.
Modifying Project Settings

In this lesson, you learn how to control the project environment by using
the options available on the Settings menu. Using these options, you
modify the appearance of components and their subcomponents within
a project. You create and modify materials, annotations, lines, fill patterns,
and object styles. Finally, you modify the way the Project Browser organizes
the project.
The exercises in this lesson should be done sequentially using the same
project file. If you cannot complete the exercises in their entirety, save the
project file with a unique name, and use it to complete the exercises.
Creating and Applying Materials

In this exercise, you create a new material and apply it to a model
component. When you apply a material to a component, it defines the
appearance of that component in shaded and rendered views. Well designed
materials provide the foundation for photorealistic renderings.
In the steps that follow, you begin with a simple building model consisting
of brick on CMU exterior walls.
This building model has a generic roof and generic floor. After you create
a new fieldstone material and apply it to the exterior wall face, you
render a region to observe the changes.
Dataset
Open m_Settings.rvt located in the Metric folder.
Create a new material

Notice the materials listed on the left side of the dialog box.
This list includes all materials available for use on model
components. When a model component is loaded into a
project, all materials that are part of that component family
are also loaded into the project.
2 Scroll down, and select Masonry - Stone for Name.
Notice that there is no Surface Pattern applied to this
material, nor is there an AccuRender texture applied.
However, this material provides a good foundation for the
new material, Masonry-Fieldstone.
Creating and Applying Materials | 1265
3 Click Duplicate.
This creates a new material using the selected material settings
as the starting point.
4 In the New Material dialog box, enter Masonry - Fieldstone,
and click OK.
You have created a new material that can be applied to any
model component in this project. Notice that the material
settings have not changed from the material that you
duplicated. In the steps that follow, you modify the material
so that it displays correctly in a shaded or rendered view.
Modify material settings

to select a texture.
6 Navigate to BMCD2AR3\Bitmap Textures\Stone\, select Stone04,

and under Name, select Normal.
7 In the Material Library dialog box, on the Material menu, click
New Use Current Material as Template.
8 In the Material Editor dialog box, click the Maps tab.
9 Select the entry under Image Mapping, and click Edit.
10 In the Image Mapping dialog box, click the Orientation tab.
11 Under Offset, enter 0.75 for X and Y, and click OK.
By offsetting the X and Y values of the image map, you help
prevent the appearance of repetitive patterns within the
rendering.
12 In the Material Editor dialog box, click OK.
13 In the Save Material As dialog box, enter Masonry Fieldstone for the name, select user from the list of libraries,
and click OK.
The AccuRender texture Masonry - Fieldstone is now part of
your AccuRender User library.
14 In the Material Library dialog box, click OK.
Before closing the Materials dialog box, notice that the Surface
Pattern is still blank. In the next exercise, you create a
fieldstone pattern and apply it to the Masonry - Fieldstone
material.
15 Click OK.
Apply the new material

Plans, and double-click 02 Entry Level.
17 Select the lower exterior wall, and click

19 Click Duplicate.
20 Enter the new wall name, Fieldstone on CMU, and click
OK.
21 In the Value field for Structure, click Edit.
22 Click in the Material field for Finish 1.
Layer #1 is the exterior finish of the wall. It is currently
assigned the material Masonry - Brick.
23 On the right side of the Material field, click
24 In the Materials dialog box, select Masonry - Fieldstone for

Name, and click OK.
This is the material you created previously.
The lower wall now uses the Fieldstone on CMU AccuRender
texture when you render it.
26 Select the left exterior wall.
27 Press CTRL, and select the rear exterior wall.
28 In the Type Selector, select Basic Wall: Fieldstone on CMU.
All of the exterior walls of this project are now Fieldstone on

CMU.

verify that Shading with Edges is selected.
Notice that the exterior walls are no longer brick, and there is
no stone pattern applied in this view. This is because a surface
pattern was not selected when the fieldstone material was
defined. In the following exercise, Creating and Applying Fill
Patterns on page 1270, you create a fieldstone pattern and apply
it to this material.
31 On the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Region Raytrace.
TIP If the Rendering tab is not available on the Design Bar,
right-click the Design Bar, and click Rendering.
32 In the drawing area, drag a rectangle around the 3D image.
33 In the Scene Selection dialog, for Type, select Exterior, and

click OK.
After you draw the rectangle around the 3D model and
select the scene, the rendering process begins. When
finished, the fieldstone material that you created is
displayed.
TIP If you want to see the material in greater detail, click

Display Model on the Rendering tab of the Design Bar. Zoom
into the model, select Region Raytrace, and drag a rectangle
around the area you want to render.
Notice the roof did not render. This is because a material has
not been applied to the roof. In the exercise, Controlling
Object Styles on page 1273, you apply a material to default roofs
and resolve this.
34 On the Rendering tab of the Design Bar, click Display Model.
36 Navigate to a folder of your preference, and save the file as
m_Settings-in progress.rvt.
37 Proceed to the next exercise, Creating and Applying Fill
Patterns on page 1270.
Creating and Applying Fill Patterns

In this exercise, you create a new pattern called Fieldstone and apply it to
the material you created in the previous exercise.
There are two types of fill patterns: model and drafting. Model patterns
represent actual element appearance on a building, such as brick coursing
or ceramic tile on a wall. Model patterns are fixed and scale with the model.
Drafting patterns represent material in symbolic form, such as steel, which
consists of a double-diagonal hatching pattern. Drafting pattern density
is fixed. Both pattern types are created and applied in a similar way.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise. Use the
project file that you saved at the end of that exercise, m_Settings-in progress.rvt.
Create a new fill pattern

1 In the Project Browser, expand Elevations, and double-click
West.
Notice that no model surface pattern displays on the fieldstone

wall.
2 On the Settings menu, click Fill Patterns.

3 Under Pattern Type, choose Model.
4 Scroll down the list of patterns.
Notice that a fieldstone pattern is not available.
5 Click New.
6 In the Add Surface Pattern dialog box, click Custom.
7 Under Custom, click Import.
8 Navigate to the training folders installed with your Revit
Building software.
TIP Typically, your training files can be found on C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\Revit
Building\Training. The location of these files can vary
depending on the path you set during installation.
9 Select Fieldstone_Model.pat from the Common folder, and
click Open.
10 Under Custom, select fldstn, and enter .56 for Import scale.
11 Enter Fieldstone for Name, and click OK.
The new model pattern is available in the Name list in the
Fill Patterns dialog box.
12 Click OK.
Apply the fieldstone pattern

13 Select the west exterior wall with windows.
Creating and Applying Fill Patterns | 1271

16 In the Value field for Structure, click Edit.
17 In the Edit Assembly dialog box, click in the Material field for
Finish 1.
Finish 1 is the exterior finish of the wall. It is currently assigned
the material Masonry - Fieldstone.
18 On the right side of the Materials field, click
In the Materials dialog box, notice that there is no surface

pattern applied to the Masonry - Fieldstone material.
19 Under Surface Pattern, click
to select a fill pattern.
20 In the Fill Patterns dialog box, under Pattern Type, select

Model.
21 Select the Fieldstone model pattern, and click OK.
The west wall of the building displays as solid fill.
25 Zoom into the model until the fill pattern appears.
TIP If the pattern does not display, adjust your zoom settings as
needed.

28 Proceed to the next exercise, Controlling Object Styles
on page 1273.
Controlling Object Styles

You can use Object Styles to control the appearance of components and
subcomponents. Object Styles are applied in every view and can be
overridden in a particular view by modifying the Visibility/Graphics
settings. Object Styles allow you to control the appearance of multiple
component types.
For example, there are often multiple window types within a project.
The client may not be certain of the exact window frame color to use
and may want to see renderings of various options. Rather than
continually modify the type properties of each window type, you can
set the window frame material to By Category. You can then change
the material in the Object Styles dialog box and apply it to all window
types.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise. Use
the project file that you saved at the end of that exercise, m_Settings-in
progress.rvt.
Apply object styles

1 In the Project Browser, expand 3D Views, and double-click
3 Windows.
2 On the keyboard, use the shortcut keys ZR (Zoom in Region)

and drag a rectangle around the three windows facing you.
Controlling Object Styles | 1273
Shading with Edges.
4 Select one of the rectangular windows.

click the Trim Exterior Material value, and select
8 In the Materials dialog box, click By Category.

This means that the material is assigned by the Object Styles
setting.
11 Select the arched window.

click the Trim Exterior Material value, and select
15 In the Materials dialog box, click By Category.
Notice the exterior frames of all the windows are now gray.

20 Under Category, expand Windows, and select Trim.
21 Click the Trim Material value, and select
22 In the Materials dialog, select Trim, and click Duplicate.

23 In the New Material dialog, for Name, enter Trim - red paint,
and click OK.
24 On the right side of the dialog, under AccuRender, for
Texture, click
25 In the Material Library dialog, expand Solid Colors, and

select Reds and Oranges.
26 Under Name, select Indian,Dark,Glossy, and click OK.
27 Under Surface Pattern, click the Color value, select a red
color, and click OK.
28 In the Materials dialog, click OK.
29 In the Object Styles dialog, click OK.
Notice that the red paint trim material is applied to all
windows regardless of their type.

32 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Line Patterns and
Styles on page 1276.
Controlling Object Styles | 1275
Modifying Line Patterns and Styles

In this exercise, you create a new line pattern and apply it to the fascia of
the roof. You then create a new line style to mark the zoning setback from
the property line.
NOTE This exercise requires the completion of the previous exercise. Use the
project file that you saved at the end of that exercise, m_Settings-in progress.rvt.
Create a new line pattern

1 Verify that the project from the previous exercise, m_Settings-in
progress.rvt, is open with the 3D view active.
2 On the Settings menu, click Line Patterns.
3 In the Line Patterns dialog box, click New.
4 In the Line Pattern Properties dialog box, enter Roof Line for
Name.
5 Enter the Types and Values shown in the following illustration:
6 Click OK twice.
You have created a new line pattern; now you must apply it.
There are two ways to apply the line style to the roof. You can
use the Visibility/Graphics settings to modify the roof
appearance in a specific view, or you can use Object Styles to
apply the change to all views.
Hidden Line.

9 In the Object Styles dialog box, under Category, select Roofs.
10 Select Red for Line Color, and select Roof Line for Line
Pattern.
11 Click OK.
The line style is applied to the roof in the view.
Modifying Line Patterns and Styles | 1277
12 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, double-click to

building.
verify that Hidden Line is selected.
Notice that the line color displays in this view, but not the
line pattern.
NOTE The line pattern is most appropriate in plan views. The

pattern is not applied in a perspective or camera view where you
expect to see a solid line. Plans, sections, elevations, and
orthogonal 3D views show line color and pattern.
14 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, double-click 03 Roof.
16 In the Object Styles dialog box, under Category, select Roofs.

17 Select Black for Line Color, and select Solid for Line Pattern.
18 Click OK.
20 Click the Model Categories tab, and select Roofs for
Visibility.
21 Click Override for Line Style Projection.
This overrides the appearance of the roof only in the current
view.
22 In the Select Line Style dialog box, select Override and
specify the following options:
Select 5 for Line Weight.
Select Blue for Line Color.
Select Roof Line for Line Pattern.
23 Click OK twice.
Create a new line style

Notice the site topography and the property lines.
26 In the Line Styles dialog box, under Modify Subcategories,
click New.
27 Enter Zoning Setback for Name, and click OK.
Modifying Line Patterns and Styles | 1279
28 For the Zoning Setback category, specify the following values:
Select 2 for Line Weight Projection.
Select Red for Line Color.
Select Double dash for Line Pattern.
29 Click OK.
31 In the Type Selector, select Zoning Setback.
32 In the Options Bar, specify the following:
For Plane, select Level: 02 Entry Level.

A line is placed in the model. You want to place it above
the topography.
Click
Click
33 Draw lines for the setback approximately as shown:
NOTE If you only want the setback to display on the site view,
use the Detail Lines command on the Drafting tab of the Design
Bar. Detail lines only show in the view where they are created,
as if they are placed on an overlay of the view.
Notice the Zoning Setback lines appear in this view.

36 On the Model Categories tab, expand Lines, and clear
Zoning Setback.
This turns off the visibility of the Zoning Setback lines only
in this view.
37 Click OK.
Entry Level.
40 On the Model Categories tab, expand Lines, and clear
Zoning Setback.
41 On the Model Categories tab, expand Site, and clear Property
Lines.
42 Click OK.

45 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Annotations on
page 1281.
Modifying Annotations
In this exercise, you create a new dimension style using units of
measurement that differ from the project settings. You also load a new
window annotation symbol and apply it to show the window instance
number rather than the window type.
progress.rvt.
Modifying Annotations | 1281
Create a new dimension style

1 Verify that the project from the previous exercise, m_Settings-in
progress.rvt, is open with the 3D View active.
2 On the Settings menu, click Annotations Dimensions
Linear.
4 Enter the name Linear - Metric and click OK.
5 Under Text, click the default value for Units Format.
6 In the Format dialog box:
Clear Use project settings.
Select Millimeters for Units.
Select mm for Unit suffix.
7 Click OK twice.
You have created a new dimension style.
9 In the Type Selector, select Linear - Metric, and place a
dimension on the floor plan.
to undo the dimension.
Load a new window tag

Level.
Notice that the windows on the west wall are tagged, and
that the tags display the window type rather than the
window instance number.
13 Select a tagged window in the west wall.
15 In the Element Properties dialog box, notice the Mark value

differs from the window tag value.
The window tag used in this project is designed to display
the type. In the steps that follow, you load a new window
tag that displays the window instance mark.
16 Click Cancel.
18 In the Tags dialog box, under Category, scroll down to
Windows.
Notice that there is a window tag loaded and applied to
windows.
19 Click Load.
Files icon, and open Metric\Families\Annotations\
M_Window Tag - Number.rfa.
In the preview image, notice that the label displays 1i. This
indicates this tag is designed to display the window instance
value rather than the type value.
21 Click Open.
Modifying Annotations | 1283
22 In the Tags dialog box, scroll to Windows and notice that

M_Window Tag - Number is now the assigned tag.
This tag is used when tagging windows By Category.
23 Under Loaded Tags, click M_Window Tag - Number, and select
the drop-down arrow that displays.
Notice that you can choose between the two window tag types
loaded into this project. Leave M_Window Tag - Number as
the assigned tag.
24 Click OK.
25 Press and hold CTRL, select the 3 window tags, and press Delete.
26 On the Drafting tab of the Design Bar, click Tag By Category.
28 On the west wall, click the bottom window.
A window instance tag displays on the selected window.
29 On the Design Bar, click Tag All Not Tagged.

Under Category, notice Window Tags appears twice. Each
Window Tag category has a different loaded tag: one displays
the type value, the other displays the instance value.
30 Select the Window Tag category with the loaded tag,
M_Window Tag - Number.
31 Under Leader, verify that Create is clear, and click OK.
The remaining untagged windows are tagged by instance

value. Both window tag types can coexist within the same
view.
TIP Using the techniques learned in the previous steps, you
can have multiple views: one displaying window type tags and
the other displaying window instance values.

35 Proceed to the next exercise, Specifying Units of
Measurement, Temporary Dimensions, and Detail Level
Options on page 1285.
Specifying Units of Measurement,Temporary Dimensions,

and Detail Level Options
In this exercise, you modify three settings that have a broad impact on
the project. In the first section, you specify the project units of
measurements. Unless overridden, dimension values display using this
setting. In the second section, you modify the temporary dimension
settings. In the final section, you modify the detail level assignments.
progress.rvt.
Set units of measurement

2 In the Project Units dialog box, under Length, click the
default value for Format.
3 In the Format dialog box, select To the nearest 100 for
Rounding, and click OK.
4 In the Project Units dialog box, under Area, click the default
value for Format.
5 In the Format dialog box, select 0 decimal places for
Rounding, select meters squared for Unit suffix, and click
OK.
Modifications to area rounding are displayed in schedules
and area tags.
Specifying Units of Measurement,Temporary Dimensions, and Detail Level Options | 1285
6 Click OK.
Unless overridden, dimensions use these project settings.
Specify temporary dimension properties

7 On the Settings menu, click Temporary Dimensions.
8 Under Walls, select Faces.
9 Under Doors and Windows, select Openings, and click OK.
NOTE In this project, temporary dimensions now snap to the wall
faces and to the door and window openings. The location of
temporary witness lines can be changed by dragging the control.
Specify detail levels

10 On the Settings menu, click Detail Level.
When you create a new view and specify its view scale, the
detail level is specified automatically according to the
arrangement in the table.
TIP You can override the detail level at any time by specifying
the Detail Level parameter in the View Properties dialog box or
the Detail Level icon on the View Control Bar.
In this table, you use the arrows between the columns to move
view scales from one detail level to another. You do not select
a view scale to move it. The view scale moves either from the
bottom or the top of the column based on the direction.
11 Between the columns Coarse and Medium, click
Notice the 1 : 50 view scale moved to the Medium column.

Any new view created using this scale is automatically assigned
the detail level Medium.
12 Click OK.
15 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Project Browser
Organization on page 1287.
Modifying Project Browser Organization

In a typical project, you often produce multiple packages of related
drawings. These drawings and sheets can become so numerous that
navigating a lengthy Project Browser list can be cumbersome. In order
to organize the views and sheets into sets of deliverables, you can use
the Project Browser settings to instantly modify how the Project Browser
groups and sorts.
In this exercise, you modify the Project Browser organization and create
new methods of grouping and sorting the views and sheets.
Dataset
Open c_Project_Browser.rvt from the Common folder.
Organize the Project Browser by views

Plans, and expand 3D Views.
Notice that the views are listed alphabetically.

2 In the Project Browser, expand Sheets (all).
Notice that the sheets are listed alphanumerically based on
the sheet number.
Modifying Project Browser Organization | 1287
3 Open each of the 3D views in the following order, and notice

the progression of each view:
Main Bldg - Phase 1-Structure
East Wing - Phase 2-Structure
West Wing - Phase 3-Structure
Completed Project-Structure
Completed Structure w/ Roof&Floors
Completed Project
Each of the 3D views varies by phase and discipline.

4 On the Settings menu, click Browser Organization.
5 On the Views tab, select Discipline, and click OK.
On the Project Browser, notice that Views are divided into
Architectural and Structural disciplines.
6 In the Project Browser, expand both the Architectural and
Structural views.
8 Select Phase, and click Apply.
In the Project Browser, notice that Views are grouped based
on Phase.
9 In the Browser Organization dialog box, select Type/Discipline,
and click OK.
10 In the Project Browser, expand each view type, and notice that
each is grouped by discipline.
Organize Project Browser by sheets

12 Click the Sheets tab.
13 Select Sheet Prefix, and click OK.
14 In the Project Browser, under Sheets, expand each sheet set.
Create a new browser organization name

16 Click the Views tab, and click New.
17 Enter Phase/Type/Discipline, and click OK.
18 In the Browser Organization Properties dialog box, click the
Folders tab, and specify the following:
Group by: Phase
Then by: Family and Type
Then by: Discipline
19 Click OK.
20 In the Browser Organization dialog box, select
Phase/Type/Discipline as the current browser organization,
and click OK.
Modifying Project Browser Organization | 1289
21 In the Project Browser, under Views, expand Complete, expand

3D Views, and expand both Architectural and Structural.
Notice that the Project Browser has reorganized all the views
within this project according to Phase, View Type (Family and
Type), and Discipline.
If you want to save this file, navigate to your preferred
directory, enter a unique file name, and click OK.
Proceed to the next lesson, Creating an Office Template on
page 1290.
In this lesson, you modified various project settings that affect project
appearance and organization. All the settings that you changed in this
lesson are saved with the project. You can also save these settings in a
template file. By saving these settings as a template and using it throughout
the office, you maintain consistent standards and reduce the amount of
repetitive work. In the lesson that follows, you create an office template.
Creating an Office Template

In this lesson, you create a Revit Building template file and set it as your
default template. When you create new projects, the project template is
used to provide the initial project settings such as materials, dimensions
styles, levels, and view names. You can save Project Browser organization
schemes, named print settings, and render scenes in a template. Although
Revit Building provides many templates to choose from, you may decide
to modify one or more of these templates to the specific needs of your
company. A well designed template will ensure office standards are
maintained and will reduce repetitive work.
This lesson is intended to provide you with a blueprint of how to create
your office template. It is mostly conceptual and designed as a road map
with options for your consideration. The lesson begins with choosing the
right base template and progresses through many of the most common
modifications that you would consider in order to make a template unique
to your situation.
Choosing the Base Template

In this exercise, you select the starting point for your office template.
Whenever you create a new project or template, a group of settings are
used to specify the project environment. For example, when you create a
new project, you can select an existing template or begin the project with
no template. Even if you choose not to base that project on a template,
certain baseline settings are still assigned to the new project. When you
create a new template based on an existing template, the same rules apply.
You can use an existing template as the baseline or use no template at all.
You should choose the option that will help you develop the best
template with the least amount of work.
Review existing templates

2 Under Template File, click Load.
the Training Files icon, and open Metric\Templates.
Notice there are a number of different templates to choose
from. The template selection may vary depending on your
installation. Other than the default template, each is
modified in a way to make it useful to the applicable
industry; for instance, structural or construction.
The first step in creating your office template is deciding
which template to use as your starting point. You may need
to have a variety of office templates if your work requires
it. In that case, you can modify one template and use
Transfer Project Standards to copy the changes to other
templates.
4 Select the Construction-DefaultMetric.rte template, and click
Open.
5 In the New Project dialog box, select Project for Create new.
6 Click OK.
7 In the Project Browser, expand Views, expand Elevations,
and double-click North.
8 On the View menu, click Zoom Zoom in Region and, in
the drawing area, drag a zoom region around the level heads.
Notice that there are more predefined levels than you
normally see in the default template.
9 In the Project Browser, navigate throughout the various
views and schedules.
Notice that the construction template is more complex than
the default template. Other templates, such as the structural
template, are simple in respect to the predefined views and
schedules, but the view properties have been modified to
maximize the use of the structural tools.
If you have additional projects open, close them.
12 Under Template File, click Browse.
Choosing the Base Template | 1291
13 Select the default template.

TIP This template is the starting point for your new template. If
you want to use a template other than the default, you can select
it now.
14 Click Open.
15 Under Create New, select Project Template, and click OK.
16 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Project Settings on
page 1292.
Modifying Project Settings

In this exercise, you modify the project settings for your new template.
These settings control the appearance of components and their
subcomponents within a project. In order to maintain office standards and
reduce rework, you can establish the settings that are common to most
projects. For example, you can create the materials commonly used in most
projects. When you create the material, you can dictate its appearance in
all views and when rendered.
In this exercise, you modify the following:
Materials
Fill patterns
Object styles
Line styles, weights, and patterns
Annotations
Project units
Temporary dimensions
Detail levels
Project Browser organization
In addition to the list above, there are additional commands under the
Settings menu that allow modifications that can be saved in a template.
The specifics regarding each of these are addressed at the end of this
exercise.
During this exercise, specific modifications are not dictated. You are merely
pointed to each area where you can adapt the template to your needs. For
more details on modifying these settings, see the previous lesson,
Modifying System Settings on page 1254 or refer to the Help
documentation.
Create and modify materials

2 Scroll down the Name list.
Observe the materials that are already defined. You may
want to rename or modify some of the existing materials.
If there are materials that are commonly used within your
office or industry, create and modify them as needed.
If you create or modify new materials, you may want to
specify their appearance when rendered. You can do this
by setting the AccuRender Texture.
Material Library.
to access the AccuRender
If there are custom AccuRender materials that you want to

add to the template, you can do so by going to the Material
menu and selecting New. Choose the appropriate option,
and create the AccuRender material.
RELATED See Modifying System Settings on page 1254 for
more information on creating new AccuRender materials.
When you save a new AccuRender material designed to be
used in an office template, be aware that access to the
original material library may be necessary at some point.
You may want to save the material to a library located on
a network path.
4 Click OK twice to close the Material Library and Materials
dialog boxes.
Create and modify fill patterns

5 On the Settings menu, click Fill Patterns.
6 Scroll through the list of model and drafting patterns.
TIP Drafting patterns represent materials in symbolic form.
Model patterns represent actual element appearance on a
building. You can align, rotate, and move model patterns. You
can also dimension to model pattern lines.
7 Create new fill patterns as needed, or modify existing
patterns.
Modifying Project Settings | 1293
RELATED See Modifying Project Settings on page 1264 for

more information on creating new fill patterns.
8 Click OK when finished.
Specify object styles

In the Object Styles dialog box, you can set line weights, line
colors, line patterns, and materials for different categories and
subcategories of components or imported objects.
TIP When the material of a component is set to by category, it
adopts the material assigned to its object styles category.
10 Click the Model Objects tab, and scroll through the list of
categories.
11 Modify the properties of any existing categories as needed.
12 If necessary, create new subcategories.
13 Click the Annotation Objects tab.
14 Modify categories, and create new subcategories as needed.
15 Click OK to close the Object Styles dialog box.
Modify line styles

17 For existing line categories, modify the line weight, line color,
or line pattern as needed.
18 If necessary, create new line subcategories.
19 Click OK.
Modify line weights

20 On the Settings menu, click Line Weights.
The Line Weights command controls the display of line widths
for each scale of a view. You can add and delete view scales.
In the dialog box, there are three tabs: one for model
component line styles, one for perspective model line styles,
and one for annotation symbol line styles.
The Model Line Weights tab controls the line width of

modeling components, such as walls and windows in
orthographic views. The widths are dependent on the scale
of the design. You can define the widths of 16 different pens
for six different drawing scales.
The Perspective Line Weights tab controls the line width of
objects such as walls and windows in perspective views.
The Annotation Line Weights tab controls the line width
of annotation symbols, such as section lines and dimension
lines. Annotation line widths are independent of the view
scale.
21 Click the Model Line Weights tab.
22 Modify existing line weights as needed.
23 Add and delete view scales as needed.
24 Click the Perspective Line Weights tab.
26 Click the Annotation Line Weights tab.
28 Click OK.
Modify line patterns

29 On the Settings menu, click Line Patterns.
30 Scroll through the list of line patterns.
31 To modify a line pattern, select it, and click Edit.
32 Add and delete line patterns as needed.
33 Click OK.
Modify arrowheads
34 On the Settings menu, click Annotations Arrowheads.
The arrowheads configured within this dialog box can be
applied to text notes, tags, and dimensions.
35 Select the Type drop-down list, and notice the list of existing
arrowhead styles.
To see the details of a particular style, select it from this list.
36 Modify the properties of existing arrowhead styles if
necessary.
37 Click Rename if you want to rename an existing arrowhead.
38 If you need to create a new arrowhead style, click Duplicate,

name the style, and specify the properties.
39 Click OK.
Modify Dimension Styles

40 On the Settings menu, click
Annotations Dimensions Linear.
Linear, angular, and radial dimensions are modified separately.
41 Select the Type drop-down list, and notice the list of existing
linear dimension styles.
To see the details of a particular style, select it from this list.
42 Modify the properties of existing linear dimension styles if
necessary.
43 Click Rename if you want to rename an existing style.
44 If you need to create a new linear dimension style, click
Duplicate, name the style, and specify the properties.
45 Click OK.
46 Repeat the previous five steps for angular and radial
dimensions.
On the Settings menu, click

Annotations Dimensions Angular.
On the Settings menu, click

Annotations Dimensions Radial.
Modify loaded tags

The tag assignments in this dialog box dictate the default tag
for each category. For example, when you add a door with the
tag option selected, the door is tagged using the tag assigned
to the Doors category in this dialog box. You can override tag
assignment using the Type Selector.
48 Scroll through the list of loaded tags.
Notice many categories do not have loaded tags. You can have
multiple tags loaded for any category. When more than one
tag has been loaded for a category, the last loaded tag becomes
the default tag. In the Tags dialog box, you can override the
assignment by selecting a different tag from the drop-down
list.
49 To load new annotation tags, click Load.

50 After you have loaded the necessary tags, make sure each
category is assigned the desired tag, and click OK.
Specify project units

52 Under Length, click Format.
53 Modify the unit settings if necessary.
54 Click OK.
55 Repeat the previous two steps for the Area, Volume, and
Angle settings.
56 Specify the Slope option, and choose a decimal symbol.
57 Click OK.
Specify temporary dimensions

58 On the Settings menu, click Temporary Dimensions.
59 Under Walls, specify where you want the temporary
dimensions to measure from by default.
TIP In the drawing area, you can modify the location of
temporary dimension witness lines.
60 Under Doors and Windows, specify the default location for
temporary dimensions.
61 Click OK.
Specify detail levels

62 On the Settings menu, click Detail Level.
When you create a new view, the detail level of that view
is automatically assigned using this table. The detail level
is based on view scale. You can override the detail level at
any time by specifying the Detail Level parameter in the
View Properties command.
View scales are organized under the detail level headings
Coarse, Medium, or Fine. Using the arrows between the
columns, you can move view scales from one detail level to
another.
63 Review the table, and move view scales as needed.
NOTE You cannot select specific scales in this dialog box. To

move the view scales, click the arrows between columns. The view
scales move from the lower-left to the upper-right and vice-versa.
64 Click OK.
Modify project browser organization

In a typical project, you often produce multiple packages of
related drawings. These views and sheets can become so
numerous that navigating a lengthy Project Browser list can
be cumbersome. In order to organize the views and sheets into
sets of deliverables, you can use the Project Browser settings
to instantly modify the grouping and sorting within the Project
Browser. If you routinely create the same documentation sets,
you may want to modify the browser organization settings
within the template.
RELATED For more information on modifying browser
organization, see Modifying Project Browser Organization
on page 1287.
66 In the Browser Organization dialog box, click the Views tab.
67 Delete, Rename, or Edit existing organization types.
68 If necessary, create new browser organization types.
69 Click the Sheets tab.
70 Delete, rename, or edit existing organization types.
71 If necessary, create new browser organization types.
72 Click OK.
Additional project settings

73 On the Settings menu, there are several additional commands
that control the project environment. Although these settings
can be saved within a template, you should consider each
carefully before applying changes to a template.
For example, you can save rendered scene settings to a
template. However, you may only want to add generically
named settings that would be applicable to most projects. In
such a case, you must decide if the time investment is offset
later by the reduction in repetitive work.
Each of these areas are covered later in this lesson or in other

tutorials. Use the table below as a checklist, and make
modifications in each area as necessary. Links to associated
tutorials are provided. You can find additional information
in Help. Each command is available on the Settings menu.
Settings
Menu
Command
Associated Tutorial
Considerations
Project
Parameters
This command is
covered in an exercise
later in this lesson. See
Setting up Shared
and Project
Parameters on page
1312.
If necessary, you can add

project (and shared)
parameters to a template.
This could be useful for things
such as hardware, furniture,
or electrical fixtures.
Phases
Project Phasing on
page 1195
If necessary, you can set up

the phases, phase filters, and
graphic overrides applicable
to most projects.
Room and
Area
Settings
Area Analysis on
page 931 and
Working with Room
Objects on page 306
If necessary, you can create

and modify area schemes if
there are default settings
applicable to most projects.
View
Templates
This command is
Modifying Views
and View Templates
on page 1303.
Create and modify the view

templates to control the
appearance of default views.
Render
Scene
This command is
Modifying Render
Scene Settings on
page 1307
If necessary, you can create

scene settings and save them
to the template.
Site
Settings
Modifying Contour If necessary, you can set the

Visibility and Site
default contour line interval,
Settings on page 1037 the section cut material, and
the poche depth.
74 Proceed to the next exercise, Loading and Modifying

Families and Groups on page 1300.
Loading and Modifying Families and Groups

In this exercise, you load and modify families or groups into the template
started in the previous exercise. If you have not completed the previous
exercise, do so before starting this exercise. Depending on the intended
use of this template, you may want to load families into the template to
save time later or ensure consistency throughout the office. You can load
any family or group into a template. Obviously, you should only load
components that tend to be used in every project and are not likely to
change. For example, you could load detail components, titleblocks, and
electrical fixtures. You may want to modify wall types to add a more diverse
selection within the template. Although the options are endless, there are
some important thoughts to consider.
It is important to understand that you should not load every conceivable
family into a template file. Although this is possible, it is not recommended
because it would increase the file size significantly before the first
component was added to the project. In addition, each component loaded
will add to the length of the relative Type Selector list. For example, if you
loaded every window type you could find, you would have to scroll through
a lengthy list of windows every time you changed a window within a
project. This would be cumbersome and counterproductive. You should
think very carefully about what families or groups to load and modify
within a template.
Load and modify families

1 Use the project started in the previous exercise, and in the
Basics tab of the Design Bar, click Door.
2 In the Type Selector, notice the list of doors already loaded.
If this selection is satisfactory, you can move onto the next
component type. However, you may want to delete, modify,
or add to this selection. You can do this in several ways: select
a component type and click Properties, or use the Project
Browser. In the steps that follow, you do both.
3 To modify, create, or load a new door type, select from the
Options Bar.
Use the instructions in the table below to load, create, or
modify a door.
Goal:
Steps:
Load new door

type
In the Element Properties dialog box, select Load.

Navigate to the directory containing the door
type. Select it, and click Open.
Modify door type
In the Element Properties dialog box, select

Edit/New. Make modifications, and click OK.
Goal:
Create new door
type
Steps:
In the Element Properties dialog box, select
Edit/New. Click Duplicate. Enter Name, and
click OK. Modify type properties, and click OK.
4 Click OK.
5 Repeat the process for any component type that you want
to modify.
You may want to open other Design Bar tabs and make
modifications to components not available on this tab. You
can also load families and groups from the File menu.
6 On the File menu, click Load from Library.
Notice that you have the option to Load Family or Load
Group. Loading from the library is the quickest when you
know exactly what families you want to load. Press ESC twice
to return to the template.
Use Project Browser to modify families

7 In the Project Browser, expand Families.
Notice that each family category is listed. You can use the
Project Browser to modify family types.
8 Expand Annotation Symbols.
Loading and Modifying Families and Groups | 1301
Notice that there is a titleblock symbol loaded. (The titleblock

name may vary depending on the template you started with.)
9 Expand the titleblock, and select the titleblock type.
11 Click Preview.
This titleblock is currently part of the template. Notice it has
Revit Building in the upper-right corner. You may want to
load a titleblock applicable to your office and then delete this
titleblock.
To load a titleblock, click Load. For more information, see
Creating a Titleblock Family on page 720.
12 Click OK.
You can use the Project Browser to delete a component from
the project/template. To do so, right-click the component, and
click Delete.
13 Using any of the techniques learned in previous steps, load,
create, or modify any component families or groups as
necessary.
14 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Views and View
Templates on page 1303.
Modifying Views and View Templates

At the beginning of this lesson, you created new projects using different
templates, and you noticed that each template had a unique set of
predefined views. In this exercise, you create the views required for your
template. In addition, you create and apply the underlying view
templates that control their initial appearance.
View templates help standardize the look of all views by providing the
initial settings for a view. In addition, you can apply a template to an
existing view at any time using the Apply View Template command.
The view inherits view properties such as View Scale, View Range,
Discipline, Detail Level, and the visibility settings of categories and
subcategories. In this exercise, you will first modify view templates, and
then create new views that will automatically use those templates.
Create and modify view templates

1 On the Settings menu, click View Templates.
2 Select Architectural Plan for Name.
These settings are applied when you create a new plan view
by adding a new level. At any time, you can apply a view
template to any view. These values represent the starting
point for each plan view.
By modifying the view templates according to your specific
needs, you reduce rework and increase consistency across
projects.
3 Specify each value according to your needs. Keep in mind
that these settings are the default settings for this view type.
4 If necessary, rename or duplicate the view template and
make modifications.
5 Repeat the steps above for each of the view templates in the
Name drop-down list.
6 Click OK.
Apply view templates

7 In the Project Browser, expand Views, expand Floor Plans,
Applying a view template to a view is a one-time action.
Upon the application of the view template, the view
properties of the target view are instantly reset to match
those of the template. After applying the template, the view
is not linked to the template in any way. Subsequent
Modifying Views and View Templates | 1303
modifications to the view template do not affect any current

views unless you reapply the view template. There is no limit
to the number of times you can apply a view template to a
view. In addition, there is no limit to the number of view
templates that you can apply.
9 Select the Architectural Plan template.
10 Select Apply automatically to new views of same type.
This option means that every time a new plan view is created,
it will use this view template to set the initial view properties.
11 Click Apply, and click OK.
2.
14 Select the Architectural Plan template, click Apply, and click
OK.
17 If you made modifications to the Site Plan template, select Site
Plan, click Apply, and then click OK.
NOTE Do not select Apply automatically to new views of same
type. This would result in the Site Plan view template becoming
the default template for all new plan views.
18 If you modified any other view templates, open the view from
the Project Browser, and apply the appropriate template.
Create and modify views

Notice the level names. Blue level heads have associated plan
views. Black level heads have no associated views.
20 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, review the existing
floor plans.
21 In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, right-click Level 1,
and, in the context menu, notice that you have the option to
rename, duplicate, or delete this view.
If necessary, you can rename this view according to your
preference. You can also duplicate or delete the view.
22 In the Project Browser, review the floor plans, ceiling plans,

and elevations. Rename, duplicate, or delete them as needed.
23 To add additional levels to the template, click Level from
the Basics tab of the Design Bar.
Make sure you are still in the South Elevation view.
24 In the Options Bar, select Make Plan View.
25 Add the new level within the elevation view.
The associated floor plan will use the Architectural Plan
view template to set its initial view properties.
26 Rename and reposition the level as needed.
27 Create additional levels as needed.
Create 3D views
28 To add 3D views to the template, click
toolbar.
on the View
29 In the Project Browser, expand 3D Views.

30 In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, right-click {3D},
and select Rename.
31 Rename the 3D View.
If necessary, you may want to modify the view properties
of any new views. To do so, go to the View menu, and click
View Properties.
32 To create additional 3D views, click

toolbar.
on the View
You can use this tool, Dynamically Modify View, to orient

and save the view.
34 Click the arrow on the right side of the Dynamic View dialog
box.
Modifying Views and View Templates | 1305
35 You can use Orient to a Direction or Orient to a View to set

the camera location and target.
36 To save the view, click

OK.
, supply a view name, and click
The view is listed in the Project Browser under Views 3D

Views.
Create and modify schedules

You can add schedules to a template. You may want to consider
adding the schedules that you use most often, and modify
their properties accordingly. This can save significant time and
ensure office standards are maintained.
38 If you want to add schedules to your template, select the
category type, and click OK.
39 In the Schedule Properties dialog box, make the following
modifications as needed:
On the Fields tab, select and order required fields.
On the Filter tab, assign filters.
On the Sorting/Grouping tab, modify settings as needed.
On the Formatting tab, modify settings as needed.
On the Appearance tab, modify settings as needed.
40 Click OK.
41 Repeat the steps above for each schedule type you add to the
template.
Add sheets to the template

You are prompted to select a titleblock. If you have already
loaded your office titleblocks into the template, select one,
and click OK.
TIP You can add sheets to the template and delete the
titleblock. To do so, select the default titleblock, and click OK.
After the sheet is created, select the titleblock and delete it.
You can still add views to the sheet. To later add a titleblock
to a sheet, go to the View menu, and click New Place
Titleblock.
43 Add views to the sheet by selecting Add View from the View
tab of the Design Bar.
TIP You can drag and drop views directly from the Project
Browser onto the sheet.
44 To rename or renumber the sheet, right-click the sheet in
the Project Browser, and click Rename.
45 Create new sheets as needed.
Subsequent sheets are numbered consecutively based on
the previous sheet.
46 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Render Scene
Settings on page 1307.
Modifying Render Scene Settings

You can create interior and exterior scene settings and save them within
the template. By adding a default interior and exterior rendered scene
setting to the template, you could render basic scenes much faster and
with greater consistency without the need to spend time modifying
these settings.
Create and modify an exterior scene

1 On the Settings menu, click Render Scene.
2 In the Render Scene Settings dialog, click New.
3 In the New Render Scene dialog, for Name, enter
exterior-default.
4 Under Type, select Exterior, and click OK.
Settings, click Environment.
6 Specify the background color.
Automatic Sky: Treats the background as a sky, and

changes the color automatically depending on the sun
and sky conditions.
Modifying Render Scene Settings | 1307
Solid Color: Specifies a single color that appears behind

your rendering.
2 Color Gradient: Lets you vary the color between two

selected colors.
3 Color Gradient: Lets you vary the color between three

selected colors.
7 Specify the Advanced features:

TIP As you select options, the relevant tab appears; for example,
select the Clouds option, and a Clouds tab appears.
Background Image: Lets you map images to your

background. Choose from bitmap, tiff, jpeg, or targa.
Background images are available from the AccuRender
software, which is included on the Revit Building CD. Be
sure that you have installed this software; if not, you can
install AccuRender by running the install program on the
Revit Building CD.
Clouds: Adds procedurally generated clouds to the

background.
Haze: Simulates effects from slight depth cues to dense

fog.
Ground Plane: Adds an infinite plane to your rendering.
Alpha Channel: Lets you use the image's alpha channel

(embedded pixel-by-pixel masking information), if one
exists.
You can also save and load environmental settings.

8 Click OK.
9 Under Scene Settings, clear Use Sun and Shadow Settings from
view.
10 Click Sun.
11 On the Solar Angles tab, verify On is selected and select By
Date, Time, and Place for Specify Solar Angles.
12 Specify the date and time, place, settings, and colors, and then
click OK.
13 Under Plant Season, choose the appropriate season for plant
rendering.
Different seasons directly affect any AccuRender plants in

the view; for example, a deciduous tree in summer appears
in full bloom with leaves, while in winter, it is completely
bare.
14 Under Limit Model Geometry, specify Culling options:
Select Back Face Culling to eliminate rendering on

model faces that do not face the camera eye. This works
on opaque faces only. AccuRender always processes
transparent faces. Back face culling decreases rendering
time and space; however, the quality also is lower.
Select View Culling to eliminate rendering model faces

that lie outside the area being raytraced. This setting is
effective for region raytraces.
15 Specify the Radiosity Settings:
Select Quality: Click the Quality drop-down list to

choose an option: Draft, Medium, Good, Better, Best.
Radiosity quality affects the relative coarseness of the
mesh and the amount of time to process the solution.
Setting the quality to Better or Best reduces meshing
artifacts, such as jaggy shadows or light leaks, but also
increases the solution time.
Specify the Solution Goal: This limits the radiosity

calculation to a certain number of steps. This value is
used both for the initial number of steps when you first
use the Radiate command and for any subsequent
calculation by clicking Continue from the Options Bar.
Specify the Color Bleeding value: This controls the color

saturation of reflected light. Higher values cause the
color of reflected light to more closely approximate the
color of the reflecting surface. Meaningful values are
between 0 and 1.
16 Specify Raytrace Settings:
Select Quality: Click the Quality drop-down list to

choose an antialiasing option: Draft, Medium, Good,
Better, Best.
Antialiasing is a process in which more than one ray is
shot for each pixel in an attempt to better resolve the
value of the pixel. Increasing the antialiasing level adds
considerable rendering time. Draft provides the lowest
quality and fastest speed. Best is the slowest, but
provides the highest quality.
Modifying Render Scene Settings | 1309
Set values for Reflection and Transparency bounces.

The number of bounces determines how many levels of
reflections or transparencies are permitted. Higher values
cause longer rendering times.
Select Soft Shadows to produce more realistic shadow

edges. Shadows based on the size of the light source are
calculated.
Select Blurry Reflections to affect the look of reflections

in glass.
Select Blurry Transparency to affect the look of material

seen behind glass.
Select Recalc Radiosity Lights to recalculate the shadows

cast during the radiosity preprocess. This is a very time
consuming operation but, when used in conjunction with
high antialiasing and soft shadows it can produce very
high quality renderings with fewer radiosity artifacts.
Create and modify an interior scene

17 In the Render Scene Settings dialog box, click New.
18 Provide a name for the new interior scene, for example Interior
- Default.
19 Under Type, select Interior, and click OK.
20 Repeat the steps you performed when creating an exterior
scene.
These scenes are now part of the template and will provide
users with two basic rendering scenes.
22 Proceed to the next exercise, Modifying Import/Export
Settings on page 1310.
Modifying Import/Export Settings

In this exercise, you modify the export layer settings for DWG/DXF and
DGN files. You then set the import line weights for DWG/DXF. When you
import a DWG or DXF file, each layer in the file is assigned a line weight
based on the pen number/line weight settings you created.
Modify export layers for DWG and DXF

1 On the File menu, click Import/Export Settings Export Layers
DWG/DXF.
The Export Layers command maps Revit Building categories

and subcategories to specific layer names that are available
after exporting to other CAD programs. Revit Building
presets the layer names to American Institute of Architects
(AIA) industry standards. The layer names are stored in a
text file (either exportlayers.txt for AutoCAD or
exportlayersdgn.txt for MicroStation), and then are exported
along with your project into the appropriate CAD program.
The layer mapping files reside in the Data folder of the Revit
Building program installation directory.
TIP Color ID in the Export Layers dialog box corresponds to
an AutoCAD or MicroStation color ID. Layer name corresponds
to level name for MicroStation.
2 For each category, specify the following:
Projection Layer Name and Color ID
Cut Layer Name and Color ID
3 If you modified the settings in this dialog, select Save As,

name the file, and click Save.
Modify export layers for DGN

4 On the File menu, click Import/Export Settings Export
Layers DGN.
5 For each category, specify the following:
Projection Level Number and Color ID
Cut Level Number and Color ID
6 If you modified the settings in this dialog, select Save As,

name the file, and click Save.
Modify import line weights

7 On the File menu, click Import/Export Settings Import
Line Weights DWG/DXF.
You can import pen numbers from a DWG or DXF file and
map them to a Revit Building line weight. You can save
these mappings to a text file, and they become the set
mappings for the project. These settings are retained within
the project template; therefore, you do not need to worry
about where the text file is saved.
Modifying Import/Export Settings | 1311
8 In the dialog box, match the pen (DWG/DXF Color Number)

to the appropriate line weight, for example, Pen Number 1 to
Line Weight Number 1, Pen Number 2 to Line Weight Number
2, and so on. Set as many pen-line weight mappings as desired.
9 Select Save As, name the file, and click Save.
When you import a DWG or DXF file, each layer in the file is
assigned a line weight based on the pen number/line weight
settings you created.
10 Proceed to the next exercise, Setting up Shared and Project
Setting up Shared and Project Parameters

In this exercise, you continue the refinement of the template by setting
up shared parameters, project parameters, and related multi-category tags
and schedules.
Using Shared Parameters, you can define additional parameters that are
not included in either the pre-defined instance and type parameters within
family components or within the project template. You can add these
shared parameters to any family regardless of category. Their definitions
are stored in an external file ensuring consistency across families and
projects. Their values may also be aggregated and reported using
multi-category schedules. For example, you could use Shared Parameters
to add specific parameters to an existing family component for scheduling
and tagging when those parameters are not initially present by default.
Project Parameters are those parameters (either instance or type) that 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 (as with Shared Parameters).
Multi-Category Tags employ Shared Parameters to permit tagging of any
family component regardless of category. When scheduling, you normally
schedule a single category: rooms, doors, windows, and so on. When you
create a multi-category schedule, it lists components regardless of category
by using an external parameter as a filter.
In this exercise, detailed instructions are not supplied since each office has
a unique set of needs. If you are unfamiliar with shared parameters, project
parameters, and the creation of multi-category tags and schedules, see
Scheduling Shared Parameters on page 328 or Scheduling Project
Parameters on page 340. If you do not need to make changes to shared or
project parameters, you can skip this exercise and move onto the last
exercise of this lesson, Creating Named Print Settings.
Set up shared parameters

1 On the File menu, click Shared Parameters.
NOTE This procedure is for creating a new shared parameter

file. If a file already exists, you can browse to that file and
modify it as needed.
2 Click Create.
This allows you to name the external parameter file. If this
template will be used by multiple people within an office,
you may want to save the file to a network location.
3 Name and save the file.
After the file is named, you can begin creating parameter
groups.
4 In the Edit Shared Parameters dialog box, under Groups,
click New.
5 Enter the group name, and click OK.
6 Create as many groups as needed.
For each parameter group, you can create a list of
parameters.
7 Under Parameter group, select a group that you want to add
parameters to.
8 Under Parameters, click New.
9 Name the Parameter, and specify the Type.
10 Click OK.
11 For each parameter group, add required parameters.
12 Click OK when you have finished creating shared
parameters.
Set up project parameters

13 On the Settings menu, click Project Parameters.
14 Click Add.
15 In the Parameter Properties dialog box, select Project
parameter.
16 Under Name, enter a parameter name.
17 Under Discipline, select a parameter discipline type.
18 Under Type, select a parameter value type.
19 Choose whether the parameter is stored by instance or type.
20 Select the element categories this parameter applies to.
Setting up Shared and Project Parameters | 1313
21 Click OK.
22 Add project parameters as needed.
23 To add a shared project parameter, click Add, and select Shared
Parameter.
24 Click Select, and choose a shared parameter.
25 Click OK.
26 Choose whether you want the shared parameter to be an
instance or a type parameter, and assign which categories this
parameter applies to.
27 Click OK.
28 Add shared project parameters as needed, and click OK when
finished.
Create and load multi-category tags

29 Create required multi-category tags in the Family Editor.
For information on creating multi-category tags, see the tutorial
referenced in the introduction of this exercise, or use the Help
documentation for assistance.
After you have created the multi-category tags within the
Family Editor, you can load them into the template.
31 Navigate to the directory, select the tag, and click Open.
The tag is now part of the template.
Create multi-category schedules

33 Select <Multi-Category> for Category.
34 Under Name, enter a name for the schedule, and click OK.
35 Create the schedule as you did in the previous exercise.
Notice that the shared parameters created in previous steps
are available within the list of available fields.
36 When you have completed the schedule, click OK.
37 Create additional multi-category schedules as needed.
38 Proceed to the final exercise, Creating Named Print Settings
on page 1315.
Creating Named Print Settings

In this exercise, you create named print settings, save the file as a
template, and make it your default template file. Depending on your
office environment, you may find it beneficial to add named print
settings to the template. This is especially true if you have numerous
printers in a large networked office. For each printer, you can set options
such as sheet sizes, paper placement, and the percent of actual size. You
can also create named settings for printing to DWF and to a PDF writer.
By creating named settings within the template, you need only select a
setting, make minor modifications if necessary, and print.
Create named print settings

1 On the File menu, click Print.
By going first to the Print command, you can select the
printer for each set of named settings within the Print Setup
dialog box.
2 Under Name, select the first printer for which you want to
create named settings.
3 Under Settings, click Setup.
4 Click Save As.
5 In the New dialog box, enter a name for the print setting
and click OK.
6 Modify the printer settings.
7 If you want to have multiple settings for this printer, click
New, and create additional settings as needed.
8 Click OK when you have finished creating named settings
for this printer.
9 In the Print dialog box, select a different printer, click Setup,
and create new settings for this printer.
10 Repeat these steps as needed.
TIP You can also create named settings for your DWF and PDF
writer.
Your template is complete. The only remaining task is to
save it.
Save the template

Creating Named Print Settings | 1315
13 Navigate to the directory where you want to save the template.

If you need to share this file with others, you should save it
to a network path.
14 Under Save as type, select Template Files (*.rte).
15 Name the template, and click Save.
Use the template

16 To use the template, go to the File menu, and click
New Project.
17 Select Browse, and navigate to the location where you saved
the template.
18 Select the template, and click Open.
19 Click OK.
The changes you made to the template are now the starting
point for this project.
You can also set this template as your default template.
Set the template as your default template file

21 Click the File Locations tab.
22 Next to Default template file, click Browse.
23 Navigate to the template location, select it, and click Open.
24 Click OK.
TIP There are other ways you can create a template. If you have
a project, you could delete the model geometry and save the
empty project as a template file. This can provide a good starting
point for a template. In addition, you can use the Transfer Project
Standards tool to move standards from one project to another.
In this lesson, you modified settings, loaded components, and saved them
to a template. By investing the time to individualize your template, you
ensure that office standards are maintained. In addition, you significantly
reduce the amount of repetitive work that would be done by each employee
for each project.

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Revit Building 9.

Copyright 2006 Autodesk, Inc.

Autodesk Canada Co. Trademarks

Third Party Trademarks

Third Party Software Program Credits

Developing Your Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Chapter 2 Creating a Building Information Model . . . . . . . . . . 35

Documenting Your Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Chapter 3 Creating Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Adding a Sheet to the Project . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 4 Detailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Chapter 5 Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

Using Formulas and Filters in Schedules . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 6 Annotating and Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347

Viewing and Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

Chapter 7 Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387

Chapter 8 Rendering Views and Creating Walkthroughs . . . . . . 419

Creating a Walkthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452

Chapter 9 Creating Solar Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463

Chapter 10 Presentation Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495

Importing and Exporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557

Chapter 11 Importing SketchUp Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559

Creating Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577

Chapter 12 About Families and the Family Editor . . . . . . . . . . 579

Chapter 13 Creating Components in the Family Editor . . . . . . . 585

Adding the Titleblock to a New Project . . .

Chapter 14 Parametric Component Design Techniques . . . . . . . 753

Using Advanced Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 853

Chapter 15 Curtain Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855

Curtain System by Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892

Chapter 16 Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 897

Chapter 17 Area Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931

Chapter 18 Massing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 943

Chapter 19 Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 997

Modifying a Nested Group . . . .

Chapter 20 Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1021

Chapter 21 Structural . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1067

Chapter 22 Sharing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129

Chapter 23 Creating Multiple Design Options . . . . . . . . . . . 1163

Creating the Roof System Design Options . . . . . . . . . . . . 1179

Chapter 24 Project Phasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1195

Chapter 25 Linking Building Models and Sharing Coordinates . . 1211

Customizing Project Settings and Templates . . . . . 1251

Chapter 26 Modifying Project and System Settings . . . . . . . . 1253

how Revit Building works.

the terms used when working with the product.

how to navigate the user interface.

how to perform some common tasks in the product.

Using the Tutorials

Accessing Training Files

Where are the training files located?

Common: generic files often used to teach a concept. These files

Imperial: files specifically for users working with imperial units.

NOTE Depending on your installation, your training folder may be in a

Using the Tutorials | 5

IMPORTANT Content used in the tutorials, such as templates and families, is

4 Click the dataset name, and click Open.

In many cases, the work you do in a project during a tutorial

For File name, enter the new file name.

For Save as type, verify that Project Files is selected, and

Create a project from a template

8 In the New Project dialog, under Create new, select Project.

Accessing Training Files | 7