Datum consists of references, grids, and levels (Figure 2.2). The reason that datum is all about the relationships of your Revit project is because they establish and control your content (the building, stuff that goes in a building, and the stuff you need to document your building).

Reference planes can be created in any 2D view from the Home tab, but once created they may be visible in 3D. After you add reference planes to your project, they can be set and seen from the Work Plane panel. This will allow you to work with respect to the desired work plane.

Like reference planes, grid lines can also be added to any 2D view. Keep in mind that grids may only be perpendicular to levels. Furthermore, grids are only visible in views that are aligned with the grid. So if the grid is in a North/South orientation, you'll only be able to see it in plan and from the North/South–oriented views.

Levels may be seen and created only in views that are parallel to the analytic ground plane in Revit. So you can't create levels in plan and they can't be diagonal to the ground plane. To create any datum in Revit, simply select the desired type and then pick two points to define the start and end location.

Figure 2.1. Revit organization chart

Figure 2.2. Datum in Revit

Creating and Duplicating Levels

Creating a new level may or may not create a corresponding plan view (controlled by the Make Plan View option). Sketching a level defaults to creating a plan view. But copying an existing level will default to not creating a plan view, which is useful for creating relationships to content where no plan view is needed (for example, if you want to control multiple window elevations). The graphic indication of a level, which doesn't have a corresponding view, will be that the head of the level is black rather than blue.

Note

If you want to convert a datum level that doesn't have a view to one that does, simply select the Plan View option in the Create panel on the View tab. This will open the dialog box shown in Figure 2.3. You'll be able to select among all the non-view levels in your project and convert them to view corresponding levels.

Figure 2.3. Converting datum level to view level

You can also use this option to create duplicate views of existing levels. Simply uncheck the option at the bottom of the dialog box (Figure 2.4) and you'll see all the levels in your project.

Figure 2.4. All project-level datum

Analytic and Graphic Datum Extents

We need to mention two important notes about the control and visibility of levels and grids. First, you can control both the graphic and analytic ends of levels and grids. If you control the analytic end of the grid, you're controlling the extents of the datum across the entire project and all views, and the 3D option will be visible as you pull the datum, as shown in Figure 2.5 (seen above Level 2).

Figure 2.5. Controlling the analytic extents of datum

If you only want to move the graphic extents of your datum, first click the 3D icon. Now you can graphically modify the datum but not the analytic extents (Figure 2.6).

Figure 2.6. Controlling the extents of datum

Second, datum can only be visible in a view that is being crossed by its analytical extents. Here's the difference. The elevation in Figure 2.6 shows lowering the ends of the grid above Level 2. This might be done to make an elevation graphically "cleaner" at a large scale.

In Figure 2.7, the analytic (3D) extents of the grid don't cross the levels. As a result, the grids would not be visible in those views.

Figure 2.7. Analytic (3D) datum extents

But in Figure 2.8, the analytic extents cross both Level 1 and Level 2 datum. But the graphic (2D) extents are above Level 2. This means that the grid datum would still be visible in both levels.

Figure 2.8. Graphic (2D) datum extents

When you move datum in Revit, one way or another content is going to respond. If you move a level, walls and furniture are going to move accordingly. If you move a grid, structural elements are going to relocate. And if you move references, the elements associated with them update. As a matter of fact, you'll often pin datum or lock dimensions in order to restrict movement of datum after your project is starting to develop.

In turn, content can have a relationship to other content. For example, content can be hosted or associated with other content. Walls host doors and windows. A wall can be "attached" to a roof above it (or a floor or even another wall below it). Tops and bottoms of walls can even be attached to the top or bottom of other walls. But did you know that walls can maintain relationships inside other walls?

Here's a simple exercise to understand these relationships between content:

1. First, create a simple wall. Now let's edit the profile of the middle segment. Select the wall and click Edit Profile. Now you can't edit the middle wall's profile as shown in Figure 2.9 until you select the Edit Profile option. Once you're in Edit Profile mode, simply delete all the boundary lines and then redraw them as shown.

   

   Figure 2.9. Editing the wall's profile

2. Now finish Edit Profile mode. Then in a plan view, draw another wall directly on top of the one that you just created. Go ahead and use a different type that's wider than the first wall you used. Initially the walls will overlap and you'll get a warning, which is fine and can be ignored (Figure 2.10). In this case, the view is also set to Wireframe so you can see the edited wall's profile that's being enveloped by the second wall.

   

   Figure 2.10. Overlapping walls

3. Now here comes the fun part. Using your Cut Geometry tool, cut the enveloped wall from the enveloping wall. Figure 2.11 shows the result.

   

   Figure 2.11. Cutting geometry

4. This builds a relationship between the wall that's being cut and the wall that's cutting. This relationship will be maintained even if you change the inner wall's profile or type. Go ahead and change the wall to a Storefront Wall type. Now edit the elevation profile and finish the sketch. The relationships are immediately updated (Figure 2.12).

   

   Figure 2.12. Finished wall

So, objects in Revit are able to maintain relationships between other objects. But here's the thing—you may not always have associate geometry (like walls, floors, and roofs) to relate to other geometry. This is why datum is so important.

If you've been using Revit for a reasonable amount of time, it seems obvious that levels and grids would control content, but reference planes aren't often appreciated. Here's a simple exercise to demonstrate this special kind of relationship between reference planes and walls:

1. Go to a plan view and create a series of concentric walls, as shown in Figure 2.13.

   

   Figure 2.13. Concentric walls

   

   Figure 2.14. Datum and walls in context

2. Now go to the front elevation view, as shown in Figure 2.14. If you move Level 1, you'll notice that the walls all move with it. You don't have ti select the walls; it's in the properties of the walls to maintain a relationship to the Level 1 datum. You could make the top of the walls maintain this same kind of relationship to Level 2.

3. You can also create a relationship to the Revit planes. To do this, simply select all the walls (just hover your mouse over one wall and then click and release the tab button to select the chain of walls) and then click the Attach Top/Base button. By default, Attach Wall

   

Figure 2.15 shows the results in the elevation view, once you've attached the top and bottom of the walls to the upper and lower reference planes.

The incredible thing is that moving and rotating the attached reference planes can modify the attached relationships. This is shown in a perspective view of the walls in Figure 2.16.

There are situations where you need a particular relationship to be maintained without attached relationships to geometry but the top or bottom condition isn't a straight line. What to do? Well, here's another solution:

1. First, copy all the walls from the previous exercise over to the side, as shown in Figure 2.17.

   

   Figure 2.15. Finished wall

   

   Figure 2.16. Perspective view

   

   Figure 2.17. Copied walls

2. Now select all the walls and attach their Top Constrain to Level 2, as shown in Figure 2.18.

   

   Figure 2.18. Finished wall

What do you do you do when you want a curved or nonlinear attachment and there's no geometry to attach to? You model an in-place void of the same category:

1. First, select Component

   
   

   Figure 2.19. Wall and reference plane

2. Return to your South elevation and you'll start to model the void that carves the top of the walls.

3. When you start to create the revolve, you'll need to set the reference plane as shown in Figure 2.20. This will control the work plane with respect to the center of the series of tangent walls.

   

   Figure 2.20. Setting the reference plan

4. Now create the void revolve, as shown in Figure 2.21. To maintain relationships to Level 2, align and lock the top line to Level 2, and then dimension either side of the revolve sketch and lock those dimensions as well. This will force the void to move up with Level 2. Since the walls are also constrained to Level 2, they will move up as well.

   

   Figure 2.21. Revolving the sketch

5. Go ahead and finish the sketch. Now you can use your Cut tool to remove the top of the walls from the in-place void (Figure 2.22).

   

   Figure 2.22. Cutting with void

When you finish the in-place family, the walls will look similar to Figure 2.23. If you move Level 2 up or down, the void and walls will maintain relationships to their datum.

Figure 2.23. Finished walls

Overall, it's the role of datum, levels, grids, and reference planes to create your project's key relationships.

Content is all about repetition that you put in your Revit project to design, develop, and document your project. Content can often maintain relationships with other content, but more importantly, content maintains relationships to your project datum. As you can see from the Revit organization chart shown earlier in Figure 2.1, content includes system families, component families, and spaces.

System families (also called host families) are project content that is part of the Revit project environment. These families are not created in the Family Editor—they're already in your project environment. If you need another type, you'll duplicate an existing type from within the project. Content can be 2D or 3D. Walls, Floors, Roofs, Ceilings, Stairs, and Railings are common 3D system families. Text, Dimensions, Revision Bubbles, and Insulation are commonly used 2D system families.

Component families are created in the Family Editor and are also 2D or 3D content. This means that you'll have to create and load these kinds of families or files outside the Revit project environment. When you start to create a component family, you'll initially be given the dialog box in Figure 2.24. This is Revit prompting you to select the right family template. And by selecting the right family template, you'll be certain that the component that you're creating is going to behave, view, schedule, and (if necessary) export properly.

The next category of content is spaces, such as rooms, areas, and volumes. Obviously this isn't the same thing as geometry. But they're also an important part of your project and maintain relationships to datum (as well as some system families). Like some system families, they're also phase, design option, and workset aware and can be scheduled.

Figure 2.24. Selecting a family template

Type and Instance Parameters

Note

Everything in Revit has parameters, which are simply the information or data about something. The kind of information that you can assign to something is extensive (Figure 2.25).

Figure 2.25. Types of parameters

There are two kinds of parameters: type and instance. It's important that you understand the difference between the two kinds of parameters. Type parameters control information about every element of the same type. So for example, if you change the Material type of a piece of furniture, the material for all the furniture of that type will change. Instance parameters control only the instances that you have selected. So if the material of the piece of furniture that you've selected is an instance parameter, you'll only be editing the selected elements.

Both instance and type parameters can be constantly exposed and docked in the Properties dialog box. Simply selecting something will initially display the instance parameters. Figure 2.26 shows the instance parameters of a wall that control the relative height, constraints, and structural usage.

Figure 2.26. Instance parameters of a wall

By clicking the Edit Type button, you expose the type parameters (Figure 2.27). These parameters control values such as the structure, graphics, and assembly code.

Figure 2.27. Type parameters of a wall

Views are used to see the project. As you can see in the Revit organization chart shown earlier in Figure 2.1, there are both 2D and 3D views. Two-dimensional views are analytically oriented to specific coordinates, like plan, elevation, section, and so on. We've also grouped schedules under 2D areas of views. Views also have type and instance parameters (relative to each kind of view). Three-dimensional views are either orthographic or perspective in nature.

Understanding how to create and modify the properties of a view is important. First of all, every view has some kind of visibility parameters specific to that view (even schedules) that control what you want to be seen. Figure 2.28 shows the visibility parameters for an elevation. We'll discuss the other View Properties when we describe the UI later in this chapter.

Figure 2.28. Visibility graphics

Creating and Duplicating Views

It's important that you understand how to create different view types and how to control their extents after they're created.

Plans

When you create a corresponding level in elevation, you typically create plan views for your project. Figure 2.29 shows all of the level instance properties.

Figure 2.29. Plan view instance parameters

If you have a level without a corresponding view, you can also use the Plan Views function, as shown in Figure 2.30, to create a plan view.

Figure 2.30. Creating plan views

Next to the Plan Views option is the Duplicate View option, which allows you to duplicate the active view (Figure 2.31).

Figure 2.31. Duplicating existing views

Note

You can also right-click a view name in the Project Brower and access the same option to duplicate the view (Figure 2.32).

Figure 2.32. Duplicating views from the Project Browser

The vertical (in plan) and horizontal (in elevation) extents can also be controlled from View Properties. The View Range settings, as shown in Figure 2.33, define the vertical range of the view.

Figure 2.33. View Range dialog box

Checking the Crop Region Visible option can turn on the horizontal extents of a view. The shape may only be rectilinear (Figure 2.34).

Figure 2.34. Crop region

Although you can control the visibility of the crop region from this same dialog box, we recommend that you keep it turned on since you can control the visibility when you print (Figure 2.35).

Figure 2.35. Hiding the crop when printing

Elevations

Selecting the Elevation function on the View tab creates elevations. You'll also notice that as you place an elevation tag, they automatically orient to walls (Figure 2.36). If there's no host element nearby to reference, they'll automatically orient to the west.

Figure 2.36. Elevation tag orientation

Selecting the center of the tag will allow you to create additional elevation (more typically done for interior elevations) by selecting the unchecked boxes that surround the elevation tag (Figure 2.37).

Figure 2.37. Creating additional elevations

If you select the nose of the elevation tag, you'll see a blue line that defines the beginning of the cut plane for the elevation as well as a dashed line that defines the side and rear extents (Figure 2.38). This allows you to control the analytic extents of the elevation without moving the graphic tag, which is useful if you want the tag in a particular location but you want the actual elevation to start apart from the tag's location.

Figure 2.38. Elevation extents

Finally, there are three types of elevations in Revit: exterior, interior, and framing. Their differences are more than graphic. Exterior elevations by default don't have an active crop boundary, only a starting cut plane. Interior elevations have their crop boundary on by default and attempt to find boundaries of host elements, like walls, floors, and ceilings. Framing elevations become active in the presence of grids, and their cut plane corresponds to their grid.

Sections

Selecting the Section function on the View tab creates sections. By default, there are three types of sections: Building, Wall, and Callout (Figure 2.39). This allows them to be grouped with better clarity in the Project Browser, but there are also other important properties.

Figure 2.39. Section types

Unlike elevations, the cut plane of a section must correspond with the line of the section. Figure 2.40 shows the Instance Properties of a Building section. The far and side cut planes of a section can also be controlled. This goes for both Building and Wall sections.

Figure 2.40. Section properties and extents

Neither Building nor Wall sections may be created in a nonperpendicular orientation with regard to project levels. But after you create them, they can be rotated in elevation. But this would lead to confusion in your project because once rotated, the section wouldn't be available in plan.

This is where the Detail section is such a great help. A Detail section that's created in plan can not only be seen in corresponding views, but it will also presume different graphic conventions.

Note

For example, take a look at the two Detail sections in Figure 2.41 that are to the right of the Building section. When you create a Detail section, it will look like Detail Section 1. But when you view it in referring views, it will look like Detail Section 2.

The other thing that you should note is the color of callout and selection heads in Figure 2.41. These "blue" icons act as hyperlinks to the other views in your project. The great thing about them is they are automatically coordinated numerically when you place the views on your document set.

Figure 2.41. Detail sections in plan view

If we go to the view of the Building section, we see that the Detail sections are graphically the opposite of what you've seen in plan view (Figure 2.42).

Figure 2.42. Detail sections in section view

Callouts

There are two types of callouts: Detail and Floor Plan (Figure 2.43). Although Detail callouts may look like Detail sections graphically, they're not visible inside other perpendicular views. So a callout created in plan view will not be visible in elevations or sections like a Detail section.

Figure 2.43. Callout types

It's probably best to think of a Detail callout as an enlarged view. Its Far Clip settings are by default the same as the parent view (Figure 2.44).

Figure 2.44. Detail callout

Note

You can think of a Floor Plan callout as another plan view but with associated callout graphics. Floor Plan callouts also have all the same view controls as a regular plan view, such as Depth Clipping and View Range (Figure 2.45). Take a moment to note the line and control arrows around the border of the view. By modifying the location of these arrows, you're modifying the extents of the view. Of course, more than plan views can have their extents modified; elevations, sections, and callouts can all have their view extents modified in the same way.

Figure 2.45. Floor Plan callout

Drafting Views

Drafting views give you the ability to draw without first creating a reference to something in your project. They may contain Detail and Repeating Detail components, as well as all the annotation and documentation tools that Revit has to offer. Drafting views are great for drafting standard or analytic conditions that don't require an actual geometric underlay.

And once you've created a drafting view, you may refer to this view when creating an elevation, section, detail, and so on that would normally rely on an actual view of the model. As you start to create a standard project view (Figure 2.46), simply select the Reference Other View option and then you'll be allowed to select a reference view from all the other like views in your project, as well as any drafting views.

Figure 2.46. Drafting view reference

Legends

There are two types of legends: legends and keynote legends. Regular legends are used to assemble analytic views of content in your project, graphics, geometry, tags, and so on—anything that lives in your project. Legends may contain Detail, Repeating Detail, and Legend components (Figure 2.47).

Figure 2.47. Types of legends

A Legend component (Figure 2.48) is a special bidirectionally associative representation of 3D system and component families that may only appear in legend views (not drafting views). If the actual thing in your project changes, the representation of that thing in your legend will change as well.

Figure 2.48. Legend components

Keynote legends are special schedules. When creating a keynote legend, you'll be prompted much the same way as you are when creating a schedule (Figure 2.49).

Figure 2.49. Creating keynote legends

Schedules

There are five types of schedules in Revit: Schedule/Quantities, Material Takeoff, Sheet List, Note Block, and View List (Figure 2.50).

Figure 2.50. Schedule types

Schedules/Quantities in Revit are used to quantify the actual building elements that are being used in the project, not the elements that are loaded in the project (Figure 2.51).

Figure 2.51. Creating a schedule

Three categories of elements may be scheduled via Schedules/Quantities:

• Masses: Mass and Mass Floors

• Spaces: Rooms and Areas

• Content: System and component families

There is also a special schedule called a Multi-Category schedule. It is used to create and master schedule component families (and may only contain component families) across many categories.

We think that being able to create a Multi-Category schedule that could contain everything in one place would be great, as it would allow you to see your entire project in one schedule. We hope this is being planned for the future.

Documentation

Sheets in Revit ultimately contain all the documentation for your project and will come in a variety of standard as well as custom sizes. The important thing to remember is that you're not going to select a "scale" when you print a sheet; it's really more like printing than "plotting." If you need your sheet to be smaller or fit on the desired page, these options are available and little different than printing from a word processing application.

3D Views

There are two kinds of 3D views in Revit: orthographic and perspective. 3D views are orthographic, and Camera and Walkthrough views are in perspective. You can't change one to another after the fact, so select carefully (Figure 2.52). We'll also cover 3D views in more detail in Chapter 12 when we discuss visualization.

Figure 2.52. D view types

Orthographic views will always show parallel edges along Cartesian X-, Y-, and Z-axes. Orthographic views are best if you need to show model information to scale. A lot of people don't realize that it's possible to dimension and detail in Revit from a 3D orthographic view.

After isolating the part of the model that you want to dimension, the trick is to set the appropriate work plane (Figure 2.53) before dimensioning.

As long as you're careful about setting the work plane as you work, you can add dimensions and text to your views, as shown in Figure 2.54.

Figure 2.53. Setting the work plane

Figure 2.54. Dimensions in 3D orthographic views

Create perspective views by placing the start and end points of a camera (typically from a plan view). It should be noted that the first point you select in plan is where the view will be taken from, but the second point is also the rotation origin for the view (Figure 2.55). This is important because if you select a second point that is far beyond your view, when you open the view and attempt to modify it, it will rotate around a target that doesn't seem to make sense. That's because the target location of the view is off in the distance.

A perspective view will not be to scale, but it can be made relatively larger or smaller by selecting the view's boundary and then selecting the size crop from the Modify | Camera tab (Figure 2.56). Once you do this, you'll have the option to change the view size and field of view (proportionally or nonproportionally). You can also simply drag the nodes of the bounding box.

Figure 2.55. Setting eye and target origin

Figure 2.56. Modifying the view size and field of view

Camera extents are defined by the Far Clip Offset option, accessed in the View Properties' View Extents settings (Figure 2.57).

Figure 2.57. Far Clip Offset

If the Far Clip Offset is too shallow, the view will look something that Figure 2.58. Geometry that you'd expect to see will be "clipped" in the view.

Figure 2.58. Far Clip Offset is too shallow.

Simply increase the Far Clip Offset value to show more of the model. You may also do this graphically by returning to a plan view, right-clicking the view, and selecting Show Camera (Figure 2.59).

Figure 2.59. Selecting Show Camera

Once the camera is shown in your plan view, you may select the node at the far end of your clipping plane and manually drag the node to extend the Far Clip Offset of your view (Figure 2.60).

Figure 2.60. Extending the Far Clip Offset

Finally, 3D views (even walkthroughs) contain section boxes, which become active when selecting the Section Box option (Figure 2.61). This will allow you to control how much of the project is shown and is helpful for creating cutaway visualizations in real time or in renderings.

Figure 2.61. Section box

Project management has to do with all the project settings that control (and therefore restrict) any number of project variables. Looking at the Revit organizational chart shown in Figure 2.1, we'll discuss each of the management options in the rest of the chapter as we discuss the UI. At the moment, the most important part of project organization to discuss is worksets, because this has to do with workflow and how the team comes together to work on the project simultaneously. Worksharing is covered in more detail in Chapter 6, but we'll cover this topic here at a high level as it relates to overall workflow of Revit.

There are two kinds of worksets: system managed and user managed. The user cannot create, manage, or assign system-managed worksets. Users can only create, manage, and assign worksets and elements that are assigned to user-created worksets (Figure 2.62).

Figure 2.62. Only user-created worksets are visible by default.

When worksharing is enabled, Revit creates worksets for everything in the project: datum, content, views, and settings. Revit manages the worksets related to families, views, and project standards.

But as for the actual content that is being used in your project (not just loaded, but actually in use) such as datum, 3D host and system families, and spaces, Revit allows you to create, manage, and assign worksets to those elements. The elements that are assigned to user-defined worksets are illustrated in Figure 2.63.

Figure 2.63. Elements assigned to user-defined worksets

Levels and grids are assigned to the Shared Levels And Grids workset. All other 3D project geometry (system or components) is assigned to Workset1.

The great thing is that you only need to create and assign workset to a limited number of things that you're using in your project. Revit is managing the worksets assigned to everything else.

If you want to review any of the content from this portion of the chapter, you can download file c02_Organization.rvt from the Chapter 2 folder. This will allow you to investigate the complex 3D forms that were created using reference planes, hosted relationships, edited elevation profiles, and more.

The Application button (Figure 2.65), also called the application menu, allows you to access commonly used commands: New, Open, Save, Print, and so on. You can also export your project to a number of 2D and 3D formats from this menu. This is also where you would manage licensing information. The Publish option will allow you to publish RFA files to Autodesk Seek.

Figure 2.65. Application button

The Quick Access toolbar (QAT) allows you to create a group of frequently used tools into one selection area (Figure 2.66).

Figure 2.66. Quick Access toolbar

Right-clicking a command in one of the tabs will allow you to add elements to the QAT (Figure 2.67).

Figure 2.67. Adding commands to the QAT

By clicking the small, down-facing arrow to the far right of the QAT, you'll find that commands may be further customized, grouped, and removed from the toolbar (Figure 2.68). You also have the option to show the QAT below the Ribbon.

Figure 2.68. Customizing the QAT

To the far right of the QAT is the InfoCenter (Figure 2.69).

Figure 2.69. InfoCenter

From left to right, you have the ability to search, access the Subscription Center, access the Communication Center, save favorites, and get help.

The Properties tab contains the instance parameters of whatever you're currently working on. From this palette you can access the Type Selector, filter properties, and edit type parameters (Figure 2.70).

Figure 2.70. Properties Palette

Figure 2.71. Project Browser

The Project Browser can also be filtered and grouped into folders based on a number of user-defined parameters. To access the type properties of the Project Browser, simply right-click the Views portion at the top of the palette (see Figure 2.72).

Figure 2.72. Project Browser's Type Properties

The status bar provides useful project information on files that are opening or already open (Figure 2.73). Project information such as worksets, design options, and filters is immediately accessible from the status bar.

Figure 2.73. Status bar

The drawing area is the window into your design space. In this example, we've tiled four different view types: plan, elevation, 3D, and sheet view (Figure 2.74). Rather than jump between expanded drawing areas that obscure each other, it's sometimes helpful to tile many views in the same area.

Figure 2.74. Drawing area

When you do this, you'll only be able to zoom into the extents that are defined by the drawing area. If you want to get around this limitation, here's a helpful tip.

Create a new sheet, but then delete the sheet (keeping the view). This is your "working" space for any view of the project. Now you can create duplicate views of any of your project views and assemble them in this working space (Figure 2.75). Zooming in and out is much more fluid, and you're not limited to the extents of one drawing area. You can create a keyboard shortcut to activate and deactivate views, which is helpful as well.

Figure 2.75. Working sheet view

The View Control bar is at the bottom of every view and is contextual based on the type of view that you're working in (Figure 2.76). Some views (like sheet views) won't have them. Perspective views won't show a scale.

Figure 2.76. View Control bar

From left to right you have Scale, Detail Level, Visual Style, Sun Path (on/off), Shadows (on/off), Rendering Show/Hide (only in 3D views), Crop (on/off), Show Crop (show/hide), Temporary Hide/Isolate, and Reveal Hidden Elements.

One of the nice features in Revit Architecture 2011 is the ability to see realistic colors from the visual style (Figure 2.77).

Figure 2.77. Realistic option

The difference is subtle, but when combined with other graphic features, it will likely lead to users not rendering project views that are part of the document set. Rather, they'll opt for having real-time views.

You'll find the ViewCube in 3D views (Figure 2.78).

Figure 2.78. ViewCube

Hovering over the ViewCube will reveal the Home option (the little "house" above the ViewCube), which will bring you back to your home view. Right-clicking the ViewCube will open a menu that allows you to set, recall, and orient your view (see Figure 2.79).

Figure 2.79. ViewCube options

Selecting the Options menu will take you directly to the ViewCube options in the Options Bar (see Figure 2.80).

Figure 2.80. ViewCube Options Bar

The Navigation bar contains the Navigation Wheel, View Zoom, and Pan controls (Figure 2.81).

Figure 2.81. Navigation bar

The Ribbon contains all of the Revit functionality for designing and documenting your Revit project (Figure 2.82). There are specific portions of the Ribbon that you should be familiar.

Figure 2.82. Ribbon

Tabs

Tabs are used to select from among the various groups of functionality in Revit. There are nine tabs in the Revit Ribbon (Figure 2.83).

Figure 2.83. There are nine tabs in the Ribbon.

We'll take a moment to briefly describe these tabs.

Home

The Home tab is used to create or place content (both system and component families) as well as datum (Figure 2.84).

Figure 2.84. Home tab

Insert

The Insert tab is used to link external files (2D, 3D, image, and Revit file types) as well as search for external content via Autodesk Seek (Figure 2.85).

Figure 2.85. Insert tab

Annotate

The Annotate tab contains many of the tools necessary to annotate, tag, dimension, or otherwise graphically document your project (Figure 2.86).

Figure 2.86. Annotate tab

Structure

The Structure tab contains the tools necessary to add elements, which can be structurally analyzed in Revit Structure (Figure 2.87). You can also add datum from this tab.

Figure 2.87. Structure tab

Massing & Site

The Massing & Site tab contains the tools necessary to add massing- and site-related elements (Figure 2.88).

Figure 2.88. Massing & Site tab

Other than infrequency of use, Massing and Site elements are so conceptually dissimilar that we believe they should occupy separate tabs.

Collaborate

The Collaborate tab refers to the tools that you'll use to coordinate and manage the project within your own team as well as across other teams and their linked files (Figure 2.89).

Figure 2.89. Collaborate tab

View

The View tab refers to the tools that you'll use to create all your project views, 2D and 3D, as well as schedules, legends, and sheets. You can also modify your user interface from this tab, including your keyboard shortcuts (Figure 2.90).

Figure 2.90. View tab

Manage

The Manage tab contains all your project standards and other settings (Figure 2.91). This tab also contains your design option and phase tools. We believe it would make more conceptual sense to locate design option and phase tools in the Home tab.

Figure 2.91. Manage tab

Note

One of the most important settings that you'll use during your project is Object Styles on the Manage tab. Selecting this option will allow you to manage the global visibility settings for just about everything in your project: how it projects, how it cuts, and its associated color and pen weight.

Modify

The Modify tab contains the tools you'll use to manipulate all the content that you're creating in your Revit project (Figure 2.92).

Figure 2.92. Modify tab

Contextual Modify

Contextual Modify tabs are contextually revealed as part of an addition to the Modify tab when specific elements are selected (Figure 2.93). Contextual tabs are located to the far right of all the other panels in your Ribbon.

Figure 2.93. Contextual tabs

Panels

Panels identify areas of grouped functionality in the Ribbon. They can also be pulled out of tabs and arranged so that functionality is persistently exposed. To relocate a panel, simply click and drag the panel portion out of the Ribbon (Figure 2.94).

Figure 2.94. Panels

The panels will snap together if you hover over a previously placed panel. To return a panel to the Ribbon, simply click the small down arrow that is in the upper portion of the right grey bar in the panel set.

Options Bar

Note

The Options Bar is a contextually sensitive area that gives you feedback as you create and modify content (Figure 2.95).

Figure 2.95. Options Bar

UI Limitations and Evolution

Although there's been a lot of improvement in the Revit Architecture 2010 UI compared to the Revit Architecture 2011 UI, we believe there's room for improvement. Here's where we'd like to see the UI to develop for Revit Architecture 2012. These improvements can happen in two specific areas:

• Although the user is able to undock panels, it would be more helpful if the user had the option to undock entire tabs (as the functionality is so related). As it is, undocking and organizing panels is tedious and time-consuming.

• Undocked panels may not exist within the Ribbon or Options Bar area. This is really unfortunate. Having undocked panels in the drawing area leaves the overall view feeling cluttered and inconsistent. And as much as the implementation of the Ribbon was about "saving" space on your monitor, it's pretty clear to see every View tab has a considerable amount of unused space from the right of each tab and all the way to the right side of the monitor.

To resolve both conditions, we recommend that tabs have the ability to be undocked from the Ribbon and exposed persistently below the default Ribbon.

In this scenario, the user wants to be able to quickly and easily create, annotate, view, and modify their project. Since this is such a considerable portion of their workflow, the corresponding tabs are undocked from the default Ribbon and persistently exposed below it. This is far more sensible than having frequently used items placed in the hard-to-reach (and see) Quick Access toolbar.

Here's a mockup:

As you can see, the Home tab remains in its default location. But the Annotate, View, and Modify tabs are now to the side of and below the default Ribbon. And there is enough space to the right of the Modify tab for contextual panels. The Properties Palette and Project Browser are vertically stacked. Overall, this arrangement maximizes the drawing area while minimizing contextual selection between commonly used tabs.