Appendix A

The Bottom Line

Each of The Bottom Line sections in the chapters suggests exercises to deepen skills and understanding. Sometimes there is only one possible solution, but often you are encouraged to use your skills and creativity to create something that builds on what you know and lets you explore one of many possibilities.

Chapter 1: Introduction: The Basics of BIM

Understand a BIM workflow. Understand how projects are completed in BIM and how the use of Revit software on a project can change how information within a project is created.
Master It Explain one of the primary differences between a more traditional 2D CAD-based workflow and producing documents using Revit.
Solution In a 2D CAD-based workflow, documents are created by team members by creating plans, sections, elevations, and details all as separate drawings and then manually coordinating that content for the project set. In a BIM or Revit workflow, the plans, sections, elevations, and perspectives are a by-product of creating the virtual building model and are coordinated through updates made to the model itself.
Leverage BIM processes. Understanding the level of risk your firm is willing to take in new technologies will help you establish goals for your future use of BIM.
Master It Using the three areas of firm integration (visualization, analysis, and strategy), define how those areas overlap for your firm or project.
Solution Remember, there is no wrong answer in mapping a path forward for your firm or project. The important thing is to identify which areas are critical to the workflow of your firm to help you focus your future efforts.
Focus your investment in BIM. Since using Revit software is a change in workflow, it is also important to understand the change in staffing and who is needed to perform what roles on a project.
Master It What are the three primary roles in a Revit project, and what are the responsibilities of those roles?
Solution Every successful Revit project will need three roles accounted for. These roles do not need to be individual people; one person can assume all three roles at any point in the project. The roles are architect, modeler, and drafter. These roles are responsible for understanding and articulating the design, creating model content, and laying out and annotating the documentation, respectively.

Chapter 2: Principles: UI and Project Organization

Understand the user interface. In addition to understanding how your project is organized, to use Revit software well you must understand how the user interface is organized. Once you grasp both of these concepts, you’ll be ready to move ahead.
Master It The “big” areas of the user interface are the ribbon, the Properties palette, the Project Browser, and the drawing area. How do these areas work together, and what tabs correspond to an iterative design process?
Solution The Architecture tab is where you’ll turn in your early design process because it contains datum, system families, component families, and spaces. As the design develops, you’ll establish your views from the View tab. When you start to get into documentation, you’ll work from the Annotate tab. Having panels from the Modify tab pulled off and close at hand will keep you from having to go between one contextual tab and another.
Understand project organization. The compelling advantage of being able to design, document, and manage your project across multiple disciplines—the architectural, structural, and mechanical disciplines—is something that you can do only in Revit software, and understanding project workflow is key to getting off on the right foot.
Master It Thinking back to the Revit organization chart shown in Figure 2.22, what are the main components of a Revit project, and how can you apply them to your design process? How do these categories directly affect your design workflow?
Solution The top-level categories of a Revit project are datum, content, views, and management. They correspond to the design process of maintaining relationships, repetition, representations, and restrictions. Keep these corollaries in mind as you move sequentially from schematic design, design development, construction documentation, and construction management.

Chapter 3: The Basics of the Toolbox

Select, modify, and replace elements. There are many fundamental interactions supported by Revit software to select just what you need and to modify elements efficiently.
Master It How can you quickly select only the door tags in a plan view and switch them to another type?
Solution First, window-select around the entire plan. Then, using the Filter tool in the Modify tab of the ribbon, select only the Door Tags category, close the Filter dialog box, and change the type in the Properties palette.
Edit elements interactively. The editing tools in Revit are similar to those found in other CAD and BIM software programs. Tools such as Move, Copy, and Trim are available on the Modify tab of the ribbon.
Master It How do you create a parametric repetition of an element?
Solution Select an element and activate the Array tool from the Modify tab of the ribbon. Specify a linear array with the Group And Associate option, and choose either Move To 2nd for specific element spacing or Move To Last for consistent overall length with varied element spacing.
Use other editing tools. Beyond the basic editing tools are more advanced commands to help you consistently and intelligently populate a building model with content.
Master It How do you copy model elements in the same location for a multistory building?
Solution Select the required elements and copy them to the Clipboard (Ctrl+C). From the Clipboard panel in the Modify tab, select Paste image Aligned To Selected Levels, and then choose the levels to which you’d like to paste the copied content.
Create site context for your Revit project. The site tools allow you to create context for your building models, including topographic surfaces, graded regions, and property lines.
Master It Describe the different methods used to create a topographic surface.
Solution A topographic surface can be created by placing points at specific elevations relative to internal project coordinates, by using an imported 3D CAD file from a civil engineering software program, or by using a text file that contains the x-, y-, and z-coor dinates of a field of points.

Chapter 4: Configuring Templates and Standards

Define settings for graphic quality and consistency. The fundamental building blocks for any template are the customized settings to object styles, line styles, fill patterns, materials, and more.
Master It How can a complex custom-fill pattern be imported?
Solution Use a text-editing application to create a custom pattern or copy a pattern from another application. Be sure to add lines to the pattern definition that describe the units and pattern type. In the New Pattern dialog box, choose Custom and click the Import button to select your custom pattern file. Adjust the pattern as necessary for the desired result.
Organize views for maximum efficiency. The project template can be used to capture a framework supporting your visual and organizational standards.
Master It How can you customize the Project Browser to support your business needs?
Solution Filtering folders based on view types and documentation helps the entire team quickly find what they’re looking for in a project. Your project template can also exclude views that are not needed based on a specific task. For example, if you’re in design development, you can exclude previous views and sheets that were part of a previous schematic design stage.
Create custom annotation families. Developing a graphic style to match your standards will usually require you to edit some annotation families or create them from scratch.
Master It Can a single label display more than one parameter? How are custom view tags loaded into a project?
Solution A single label can show more than one parameter—and even custom parameters. Just remember to place the label with the Label tool (not adjacent to the Text tool). Assign the label to report the desired parameters.
Start a project with a custom template. Making your custom template available for new projects ensures that all future projects will maintain the same level of graphic quality and efficiency you expect.
Master It How do you set your own custom project template to be the default for new projects?
Solution Click the Application button, select the Options button, and navigate to the File Locations tab. Click the Browse button for the Default Template File field, and navigate to the location of your custom project template. From now on, click the Application button, select New image Project, and select New in the Recent Files window—or click Ctrl+N—to use your new template as the basis for the new project.
Develop a template management strategy. Organizing your standards, content, and settings while using Revit tools to transfer content will make your effort more efficient.
Master It How do you insert your standard details from one Revit project to another? How do you transfer settings such as materials?
Solution 2D content such as standard details can be stored in a separate Revit project files and loaded when needed. One way to do this is with the Insert Views From File tool in the Insert tab. Select an RVT project file, and then choose eligible views such as drafting views, sheets, or schedules. They are transferred into your active project with all ­associated parameters. To transfer settings and styles such as materials, select the Manage tab and click Transfer Project Standards. Remember to open another project from which you’d like to transfer settings before running this tool.

Chapter 5: Understanding Worksharing

Understand key worksharing concepts. Once the team has created local files, it is necessary to understand how to keep both the local files and the central file up-to-date as changes occur on the project. Doing so ensures that everyone is working from an updated and recent copy of the model at all times.
Master It Once you’ve begun working in your local file, how do you publish your changes to the central file? How do you download changes from the central file to your local file?
Solution The easiest way to do this is by using the Synchronize With Central command, which is accessible from the Collaborate tab and is also accessible from the Quick Access toolbar. To download changes from others without uploading your latest work, use the Reload Latest (RL) command.
Enable worksharing in your project. Knowing how to activate and utilize worksharing is indispensable to working in a team environment using Revit.
Master It How do you transition a single-user Revit file to a multiuser environment using worksharing?
Solution To activate worksharing, click the Worksets button on the Collaborate tab. This will initiate the worksharing feature and divide your model into the two default worksets. To allow others to access the model, you will need to choose File image Save As and save the file to a network location. After this, close the file. Each team member then makes a local copy of this network file and works exclusively within their local copy.
Organize worksets in your model. There is no single rule for organizing worksets in your project models; however, they can be used to your team’s advantage. You can use worksets to better organize larger projects and for additional visibility control.
Master It How do you assign objects to worksets? How do you change an object’s workset assignment?
Solution As model elements are added to a project, they are assigned to the active workset selected by the user. The active workset is visible in either the Collaborate tab in the ribbon or in the status bar. An object’s workset assignment can be changed in the Properties palette at any time.
Manage workflow with worksharing. Once the central file has been created, you’ll need to organize and structure the model into logical worksets to maintain workflow with Revit.
Master It How do worksets differ from layers in 2D CAD? What are some logical ways to create worksets within a model?
Solution 2D CAD layers were logically divided around individual elements in isolated files. In Revit, because everything is in one file and you are working with 3D objects, not just model lines, you need to use worksets to divide the building in different ways. Some logical workset divisions would be Shell And Core, Interiors, FF&E, and Site.
Understand element ownership in worksets. Editing elements in a central file means you have sole ownership over further changes to those elements. Understanding the permissions is critical to working in a team.
Master It How do you edit an element in the model if someone has already taken ownership of it in a worksharing environment?
Solution Trying to edit the element initiates a request for permissions in Revit. By alerting the other team member of your desire to have ownership of this element, they can grant your permission request using the Editing Requests button on the Collaborate tab.

Chapter 6: Working with Consultants

Prepare for interdisciplinary collaboration. Proper planning and communication are the foundation of effective collaboration. Although only some client organizations may require a BIM planning document, it is a recommended strategy for all design teams.
Master It What are the key elements of a BIM execution plan?
Solution An effective BIM execution plan will first list the goals and uses of building information modeling as well as the scope of the data to be developed. It will also list the software platforms to be utilized, information exchange process, delivery strategy, and technology infrastructure.
Collaborate using linked Revit models. The most basic tool for collaboration is the ability to view consultants’ data directly within the context of your own model. Project files from other disciplines can be linked and displayed with predictable visual fidelity without complex conversion processes.
Master It How can worksharing complement the use of linked Revit models?
Solution Placing each linked model on a unique workset allows team members to choose when to load or unload the linked models without affecting their teammates. Worksets within linked models can also help manage graphic quality using the ability to load or unload worksets globally.
Use Copy/Monitor between linked models. The Coordination Monitor tools establish intelligent bonds between elements in a host file and correlating elements in a linked model. They also support a workflow that respects the needs of discrete teams developing their own data, perhaps on a different schedule than that of other team members.
Master It How can grids in two different Revit projects be related?
Solution The Copy/Monitor tool allows you to copy an element from a linked file into a host file and monitor the linked element for changes.
Run interference checks. Interference checking—also known as clash detection—is one of the most important components of building information modeling. It is the essence of virtual construction and has the greatest potential for cost savings during the physical construction process.
Master It How do you find interfering objects between two linked Revit models?
Solution On the Collaborate tab, locate the Coordinate panel and choose Interference Check image Run Interference Check. If you are using linked models, select the desired linked project in the Categories From drop-down list while keeping the other column set to Current Project. Select the desired object categories in the left and right columns (for example, choose Structural Framing from a structural model and Ducts from an MEP model). Click OK to run the check. The results can be exported to a report for coordination with others.

Chapter 7: Interoperability: Working Multiplatform

Use imported 2D CAD data. CAD data can be integrated into your Revit project in a number of ways: as plans of existing conditions, as fixture layouts from consultants, or as standard details from your company’s library.
Master It How can CAD details be used in a Revit project?
Solution Create a new drafting view for a single detail. From the Insert tab, choose Link CAD and select a DWG detail file. During linking, set the colors to Black And White. Make sure the scale of the drafting view matches the notation scale of the CAD detail. Use the Query tool to turn off unwanted layers within the linked file.
Export 2D CAD data. The ability to deliver quality 2D information to other constituents involved in your project is as important as importing it into the Revit environment. Appropriately formatted views, standardized layer templates, and proper coordinate settings will result in happy team members and a smooth coordination process.
Master It Does Revit software comply with the National CAD Standard?
Solution You have the ability to map Revit model categories to standardized layers in the Export Layers dialog box. Access this tool by clicking the Application menu and selecting Export image Options image Export Layers DWG/DXF. Load industry-standard layer conventions using the Standard button.
Use imported 3D model data. Model data generated outside of the Revit environment can be integrated into your projects as whole-building systems, massing studies, or unique components.
Master It How can a building’s structural model created with Bentley Structure be integrated into a Revit project?
Solution Create a structural framing family into which the DGN model will be inserted. When the family is finished, the DGN geometry will be displayed as any other Revit structural-framing component.
Export 3D model data. Your modeled elements don’t have to remain in the Revit environment forever. Data can be exported to 3ds Max, SketchUp, AutoCAD® MEP, and more.
Master It How can I coordinate my architectural Revit model with an engineer using AutoCAD MEP?
Solution The engineer will likely require one DWG model per level for efficient coordination. Create duplicate floor plans for exporting and adjust the View Range settings for Top to Level Above, Offset: 0 and Bottom to Associated Level, Offset: 0. Create duplicate 3D views for each level, right-click the ViewCube®, choose Orient To View image Floor Plans, and find the corresponding floor plans. These 3D views can be batch-exported to DWG format and referenced by the MEP engineer in her designs.
Work with IFC imports and exports. Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) is a vendor-neutral model format designed to support interoperability in the AEC industry. It is widely used by some major BIM platforms available around the world.
Master It How is an IFC model integrated into a Revit project for coordination?
Solution You can open an IFC file by clicking the Application menu and selecting Open image IFC. Once the file is open, the data can be saved as an RVT Revit project file, and linked into another Revit file for continued coordination.

Chapter 8: Advanced Modeling and Massing

Create and schedule massing studies. Starting the design process with actual building elements can lead to a lot of unexpected frustration. Walls lead to rooms, which get room tags and eventually scheduled. But if you’ve failed to fulfill the client’s program, you’ll wonder where to start over!
Master It You’re faced with creating some design studies of a large hospital complex. How would you go about creating a Revit project that would allow you to create a massing study and schedule it against the design client’s program?
Solution Massing studies allow you to create schedules of the surface, floor areas, and volumes of a mass. This is incredibly helpful for resolving the design intent and client’s program before committing to walls, floors, and other building geometry.
Know when to use solid and surface masses. While solid masses and surface masses can both be used to maintain relationships to host geometry like walls and roofs, surface masses can’t be volumetrically scheduled or contain floor area faces.
Master It You’ve been asked to create a complex canopy system for the entry to a hotel project. The system will consist of a complex wave of triangular panels. What kind of mass would you create?
Solution You’re probably going to be better off not creating a solid mass because you don’t need a solid—you only need a surface. It’s best to use solids when you have to calculate the client’s overall design program: floor areas, surface, and volume. For limited, surface-based relationships, just use surface massing. Surface masses will help you resolve the overall design idea first. Then you can move on to patterns and eventually component-level geometry.
Use mathematical formulas for massing. Not all massing is going to involve intuitive, in-the-moment decision making. By discovering the underlying rules that express a form, it is possible to create the formulas that can iterate and manipulate your massing study. So rather than manually manipulate the mass, you manipulate the formulas related to your mass.
Master It What’s the best way to discover and create these formulas?
Solution Never stop sketching! Staring at a blank spreadsheet is a one-way road to frustration. Sketch the idea and try to discern the rules that make the form change and morph into your design idea. Once you think you’ve discovered the rules that contain the idea, start testing the rules. Once you find that the idea or principle is valid, it’s simply a matter of scale.

Chapter 9: Conceptual Design and Design Analysis

Conceptual design begins with building form. Understand ways to generate building forms quickly and easily to explore a variety of shapes and orientations.
Master It Describe how you can use families to quickly generate form.
Solution By using adaptive components and masses, you can quickly create geometry that can be dynamically modified by pushing or pulling reference lines or by formulas.
Embrace sustainable design concepts. Understanding the concepts behind sustainable design is an important part of being able to perform analysis within the Revit model and a critical factor in today’s design environment.
Master It What are four key methods for a holistic sustainable design?
Solution Four key methods for a sustainable solution are (1) understanding a building’s climate, (2) reducing building loads, (3) using free energy when possible to power those loads, and (4) using efficient systems.
Prepare and export your model for energy analysis. Being able to predict a building’s energy performance is a necessary part of designing sustainably. Although Revit doesn’t have an energy modeling application built into it, it does have interoperability with many applications that have that functionality.
Master It Explain the steps you need to take to get a Revit model ready for energy analysis.
Solution The steps are as follows:
1. The building has to have walls, floors, and roofs. Those all need to meet and join so there are no unrealistic gaps in the model.
2. Make sure each of the regions in the model has a room element inserted into it and the room element’s height is set to the bottom of the floor above.
3. Under Area And Volume Calculations, turn on Room Volumes.
4. You’re now ready to export the model to gbXML and import that into an energy-­analysis application.

Chapter 10: Working with Phasing, Groups, and Design Options

Use the Phasing tools to create, demolish, and propose a new design. Time is such an important element to the design process and nearly impossible to capture with traditional CAD tools. Don’t use phasing for construction sequencing (there’s a better way). Embrace phasing for communication, not just illustration.
Master It How can you use phasing to communicate your design across a series of key stages? What kind of project is best suited to phasing?
Solution From the Manage tab, you can access the settings for phases. You can create phases for the major stages of work in your project as well as define filters and graphic overrides to illustrate the overall design approach. Use the Phase and Phase Filter view properties to customize project views including schedules. Set the Phase Created and Phase Demolished properties of model elements to adapt to the project phases. Any kind of project can utilize phasing, but tenant improvement projects benefit the most from the ability to document existing conditions and demolition.
Understand and utilize groups. Groups are great for creating collections of both host and family component geometry. Just remember to apply best practices, and you’ll avoid a lot of common roadblocks. Individual model elements within groups will always appear properly in schedules, as you’d expect. And creating exceptions in groups allows you to make subtle changes without creating a new group.
Master It Why shouldn’t you mirror groups?
Solution Although mirroring works conceptually, it breaks down in implementation. Just because you can mirror something in Revit Architecture doesn’t mean that it can actually be manufactured that way. And even more confusion can result if the mirrored object has to be powered, accessed, maintained, and so on in an impossible condition.
Mirroring groups has been known to create so much hassle that you are better off avoiding it. And we’ll keep pushing Autodesk to restrict mirroring of family components (as well as groups) as a parameter.
Create and use design options. Like groups, design options work great when you follow the rules. Design options are intended for design iteration that is bounded and well-defined—not for putting multiple buildings in one project file. Remember that links, groups, and phasing can exist within design options. Always keep hosted elements with their host when using design options.
Master It Suppose you have a multistory tower. How could you show multiple design options for the entire vertical exterior enclosure?
Solution Put each enclosure option in a different project file. You can link these files into one master project file. Then associate each of the links with a different design option. Eventually you set and accept the primary option. Then bind the link, and the chosen enclosure model will become a group within your project. The group can be ungrouped to continue editing the final design.

Chapter 11: Visualization

Create real-time and rendered analytic visualizations. Analytic visualization is about communicating information about your project in a nonliteral way, and it’s very important! It’s not about showing real materials in the project, but about using filters to visualize important metadata.
Master It During the renovation of a space, you want to reuse the doors rather than throw them away. How would you illustrate this?
Solution Assign an instance parameter to the doors called Recycled. Then apply this value to all the doors fulfilling these criteria in your project. Now you can use this parameter to create a view filter to illustrate where these reused doors are being used.
Render emotive photorealistic visualizations. Photorealistic visualization is about communicating design ideas but in emotive ways that are much closer to how the space will be experienced, including real lighting, materials, and entourage. Just remember that the time it takes to calculate and render your views will change dramatically based on the quality and resolution of your views.
Master It Would the rendering for a PowerPoint presentation differ from a rendering being printed for a marketing brochure?
Solution The rendering for the PowerPoint presentation needs to be only about 150 dpi, while the rendering for the printing needs to be 300 dpi. A 300 dpi image will take much longer to render than a 150 dpi image, even though they’ll look the same on the screen.
Understand the importance of sequencing your visualization workflow. The sequence of design—building, content, materials, and cameras—is not the same as the sequence for visualization (geometry/cameras, lighting, materials). Lighting is far more important than materials of actual objects. Get the lighting right and the materials will look great, but not the other way around.
Master It How do you create a rendering environment that replaces the actual materials with matte materials in order to study the effects of lighting on your design?
Solution Until View Filters allows rendered materials to be overwritten in a view, use phasing. Create a filter that overrides the materials, and assign this analytic filter to the view that you’re rendering with lights. After you achieve the desired lighting effects, start re-rendering the view showing the actual materials.

Chapter 12: Walls and Curtain Walls

Use extended modeling techniques for basic walls. Walls in Revit are made from layers of materials that can represent generic placeholders for design layouts to complete assemblies representative of actual construction.
Master It How can you customize the profile of a wall?
Solution A wall can be attached to another object such as a roof, floor, or reference plane. Select a wall, activate the Attach Top/Base tool, and pick the object to which the wall should be attached. You can also edit the profile of a wall in elevation by selecting a wall, activating the Edit Profile tool, and modifying the sketch of the wall.
Create stacked walls. Exterior walls are usually composed of several combinations of materials with varying thicknesses. These various wall types can be combined into a single entity called a stacked wall.
Master It How do you create a stacked wall?
Solution You must duplicate an existing stacked wall type within a project. In Type Properties, open the Edit Assembly dialog box and add any combination of basic walls into the stacked wall structure.
Create simple curtain walls. A curtain wall is an assembly of parts including curtain grids, panels, and mullions. They can be created in predefined types with regular horizontal and vertical spacing along with specific panel and mullion types.
Master It How do you add a door to a curtain wall?
Solution Use the Tab key to select a single panel in a curtain wall segment. If the panel is part of a predefined system, you must unpin the panel first. From the Type Selector, choose a curtain panel door family.
Create complex curtain walls. The Revit conceptual massing environment can be used to create complex curtain wall configurations. Pattern-based panel families can be loaded into the massing environment and populated on a divided surface. These populated surfaces can then be loaded and placed in a project model for documentation and scheduling.
Master It How do you create a complex divided surface?
Solution From the Recent Files window, select New Conceptual Mass. Add a second level to the family and draw a curved line on each level. Select the two lines and click Create Form; choose the Planar Surface option. Select the new form and click the Divide Surface button on the ribbon.

Chapter 13: Floors, Ceilings, and Roofs

Understand floor modeling methods. Floors make up one of the most fundamental, sketch-based system families used in a Revit model. You can customize them to accommodate a variety of assumptions at various stages of design.
Master It How can you create a structural floor with integrated metal decking?
Solution You can create a structural floor by going to the Architecture tab of the ribbon and clicking Floor image Structural Floor. This tool activates the Structural parameter in a floor’s instance properties. Once this is activated, edit the floor’s type properties to add a Structural Deck layer and assign a deck profile.
Model various floor finishes. Thick and thin floor finishes can be created to support tagging, scheduling, and quantity takeoffs.
Master It How would you represent a thin finish material in your project such as carpet?
Solution Activate the Split Face tool from the Modify tab of the ribbon, select a floor, and define the boundaries of the area to be assigned as the thin material. Activate the Paint tool, select the appropriate material, and click the split face you created within the floor.
Create ceilings. Ceilings are sketch-based system families that can host objects such as light fixtures and HVAC diffusers.
Master It What’s the best way to model a ceiling within a space?
Solution Ceilings are best created in a ceiling plan. Activate the Ceiling tool from the Build panel in the Architecture tab of the ribbon. Specify a value for the Height Offset From Level setting of the ceiling in the Properties palette, and use Automatic Ceiling to fill a bounded space with a ceiling object.
Understand roof modeling methods. Roofs can be modeled as simple single-pitch shed roofs or complex extrusions of sinuous curves.
Master It What is the best way to create a single vault roof?
Solution That roof is best created with the roof by extrusion method. Go to the Architecture tab of the ribbon and click Roof image Roof By Extrusion. Specify a wall or reference plane as the work plane and switch to an elevation, section, or 3D view. Draw the profile of a vaulted roof and click Finish Edit Mode. Adjust the extents of the extrusion as desired.
Work with advanced shape editing for floors and roofs. A small but powerful toolset is available for extended editing of floor and roof objects. These tools allow you to create warped floor slabs and tapered layers of roof assemblies.
Master It How do you create a drainage point in a flat roof slab?
Solution Select a roof object and activate the Add Split Line tool from the Shape Editing panel in the ribbon. Draw two crossing lines from the four corners of the roof boundaries. Activate the Modify Sub Elements tool and select the point where the split lines cross. Change the value that appears to create a low drainage depression in the slab.

Chapter 14: Family Editor

Getting started with a family. Before you start to create your own family components, take a moment to think about how you expect that component to “behave” in your project. The role of the Family Editor isn’t just an environment to model geometry; it also determines how the content that you create will behave in the project environment.
Master It Choosing the right template is critical. You can convert from one family template to another, but this is not always the case. Why would you want to choose a door template rather than a Generic Model template?
Solution Balusters, curtain panels, detail components, and hosted elements all have specific, predefined behavior. Plan ahead when you’re creating these categories. Objects that need to “cut” their host, like doors and windows, must be created in templates that are hardwired to contain a portion of the host that will be cut. This allows you to create the door and also cut the host in the way that it needs to cut in the project.
Create the framework for a family component. Reference planes, points, and lines are the “bones” of your component. Assign parameters to the skeleton, and the geometry will follow along. Be sure to test the parameter and reference relationships before you start to create any solid model geometry.
Master It Why should you build, assign parameters to, and test the references first? Why not just model the geometry?
Solution Testing the references and parameters before you add geometry keeps things simple and helps you troubleshoot parametric behavior before building the geometry. Remember to keep parametric dimensions outside of Sketch mode so you and others can easily find them later. After you’ve tested the parameters and references successfully, you can be confident that your geometry will behave predictably.
Understand family modeling techniques. While the Family Editor contains a wide assortment of modeling and editing tools, you don’t always need to build everything in one file. You can utilize a number of techniques to reduce redundancy and manage complex geometry for a component family.
Master It When would you consider using the technique of nesting families? How could this method improve the efficiency of a component family?
Solution Anytime you need to create a repetitive element within a family, you should consider using a nested family. This method allows you to build the repetitive element only once, and you will maintain better control of the placement of the nested component within its host. You can also use multiple nested families as a way to explore various design solutions for a component or to efficiently manage subcomponents, such as different hardware types for a door.
Use extended family management techniques. Sometimes parametric behavior will depend on the parameters that directly control it, but often these parameters will be expressed as a relationship to something else.
Master It Why are formulas so important? Why not just create the parameters you need, and then modify them as needed in the project environment?
Solution Formulaic relationships help maintain rules within a family so that changing one rule can have an effect on many others. Using formulas, therefore, allows you to drive one parameter based on the value of another, and the result can drive a length, material, or other rules-based value. When you have many, many ­parametric-type permutations, it’s better not to weigh your project down with a lot of options that you’ll probably never use. Whenever this happens, don’t load all the possible types in your project—just turn to a type catalog in order to select only the family types that you need. Since you don’t want to have to remember all of these relationships manually, allow Revit to maintain them for you.

Chapter 15: Stairs and Railings

Understand the key components of stairs and railings. Having a complete understanding of the components of stairs is important. You don’t want to set about breaking the rules until you understand how best (and when) those rules can be broken.
Master It What are the essential parts of stairs?
Solution Baluster posts, balusters, and baluster panels along with handrail profiles are the essential parts of any railing. Nosings, stringers, and treads are the essential parts of stairs. Having a firm understanding of how these components react to their respective dialog boxes is critical.
Design railings with default tools and those outside the box. Designing in a spreadsheet is hard. Step back and consider what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’ll look at the components that make up stairs, you’ll see some interesting opportunities.
Master It How would you create a continuous tread that wasn’t monolithic? What would you do if you wanted to create a custom stringer? Are balusters always vertical and used to support handrails? What if your particular stair just can’t be modeled in the Stairs tool?
Solution Try using the nosing profile to complement the shape of your tread. And don’t forget that a handrail profile can be used to create a custom stringer profile with little trouble. Although balusters often support handrails, this is not always the case. Balusters may also consist of the support element that will support the tread. A complex baluster family associated with the railing as the start post can create the most complex railing conditions quickly and easily. But if all else fails, remember that there’s still the Family Editor. Just model it the way you want it, and then put it in the project. It’s probably more sculpture than stair at this point. Modeling it in the Family Editor means that you’ll be able to move, elevate, rotate, and copy the results throughout the project. If you have to make changes (and you will), you’ll simply open the component in the Family Editor.
Understand the different stair tools and apply them to custom designs. From model patterns to geometric intricacy, there’s a lot that can be created with the Railing tool. When this doesn’t work, look to the Curtain Wall tool for “railings” that can contain space and allow “balusters” to be conveniently unlocked.
Master It Why would you not use a railing to manage repetitive relationships? What if you need to accurately distribute geometry along a path?
Solution Modeling these railings as components in the Family Editor is often faster than creating groups and then copying them throughout the project. Railings are also helpful for creating geometry that needs to be distributed along paths, even if the results aren’t actually railings. Finally, don’t use geometry when a model pattern will do. This will keep your project light.
Implement best practices. There are specific best practices when creating custom stairs and railings. Pay attention to nesting geometry, maintaining the right level of detail, and filtering schedules so the metadata ends up in the right place.
Master It Is it possible to create solutions that are too efficient? What’s the big deal with detail levels? And finally, what’s the most important thing to remember before creating an elegant workaround?
Solution You’re not the only person working on the project! Design is a team sport, and any out-of-the-box exceptions to the rules need to be understood by the entire team. “Over modeling” is often misunderstood to mean “too much geometry,” but geometry is critically important to understanding how your design is going to be assembled. So if you’ll take the time to assign levels of detail to components, it’ll help refresh views and printing. Finally, remember that the best solution is the one that is implementable. If your team doesn’t understand your “custom hack,” you’re not playing a team sport and the project will ultimately suffer.

Chapter 16: Detailing Your Design

Create details. Details in Revit are a combination of 2D elements layered on top of 3D model elements or sometimes just stacked on top of each other. Creating good, easy-to-read details typically requires some embellishment of the 3D model.
Master It What are the three primary categories of detail elements and how are they used?
Solution Detail lines are used to create two-dimensional linework of various weights and styles. They are used for drafting, much as you would draft in a CAD application. Filled regions and masking regions are the two region types that are used to apply patterns (even if that pattern is a solid-white field) against your details. These can help to show context such as materiality. Components like detail components and detail groups are used to create 2D families that can be used and reused in a variety of details within the model. They are historically used to create elements like blocking, metal studs, metal deck, and so on.
Add detail components to families. You can make creating details in Revit easier by adding some of the detail elements directly to the family. In this way, when you cut sections, make callouts, or enlarge plan conditions, your “smart” details can begin to construct themselves.
Master It Because you don’t always want elements to appear in every scale of view, how can you both add detail elements to your families and still limit the amount of information that is shown in any given view?
Solution Using the detail levels (Coarse, Medium, and Fine), you can control the visibility of any element within a family to show, or not show, at those settings. By controlling the detail level, you can keep the family simple in a Coarse view and add more detail as the drawing gets increasingly complex.
Learn efficient detailing. As you master detailing in Revit, you’ll begin to learn tips and tricks to make your process of creating details more efficient.
Master It To help you assess how much effort you should be putting into your details, what are three questions you should be asking yourself before starting any detail?
Solution Will I see or use this in other views in the project?
Will it affect other aspects of the project (like material takeoffs)?
How large is it?
Use details from other files. In many project workflows, you will need to incorporate details from other projects. Reusing these details can aid in the speed and efficiency of project documentation.
Master It There are several ways to reuse details from other projects. Name one and list the steps to perform the tasks necessary to quickly move a detail from one project to another.
Solution Here are the steps to save views from one project for use in another project:
1. Start by opening the file with the views you want to save. Click the Application menu and select Save As image Library image Views.
2. The Save Views dialog box shows a list of view names on the left and a preview window on the right. Click the check box for each of the views you want to save into a separate file; click OK.
3. To import the views, open the project you’d like to import the views into, and choose Insert From File from the Insert tab. Choose Insert Views From File.
4. In the resulting dialog box, you will have a list of the views you can import from the ­column on the left and a preview of those views on the right. Check the box for the views you want to import and click OK.

Chapter 17: Documenting Your Design

Document plans. With floor plans you can create visual graphics that help to define how a space is laid out. However, Revit provides other tools such as area plans to help you describe space.
Master It List the four types of area plans that you can create and note the two that Revit creates automatically.
Solution The four types of area plans are rentable area, gross area, usable area, and BOMA area. The software provides automatic calculations to show rentable and gross areas.
Create schedules and legends. Schedules are another view type; they allow you to show information about the model in a nongraphic format. Schedules can also be used to dynamically report quantities of elements inside the model.
Master It Understand how to create schedules and report additional information about the elements in the model. How would you create a simple casework schedule showing quantities of types?
Solution Here are the steps to create a schedule within Revit:
1. On the View tab, choose Schedule/Quantities from the Schedule button.
2. Choose Casework as a schedule category.
3. On the Fields tab, choose Family And Type followed by Quantity.
4. On the Sorting tab, choose to sort by Family And Type; make sure Itemize Every Instance is checked. When that’s done, click OK.
Lay out sheets. Eventually in a project it will become necessary to create sheets that will become the documentation set. Knowing how to create a good sheet set provides you with another venue to communicate with contractors, clients, and other team members.
Master It To properly create a sheet set, you need to understand the dynamics of adding views to a sheet. In the Revit environment, there is only one way to add views to a sheet. What is it?
Solution Views can be added to a sheet by dragging them from the Project Browser and dropping them onto the sheet. From that point, they can be edited or manipulated to properly place them relative to other views that appear on that sheet.

Chapter 18: Annotating Your Design

Annotate with text and keynotes. Although a picture is worth a thousand words, you will still need notes to make drawings understandable and be able to call out key elements in each view. Understand how to create and modify text and keynotes for a complete set of documents.
Master It To properly utilize the keynoting feature, you’ll need to understand what each of the three keynote types do and how they’re used. List each and explain how they can be used in a project.
Solution Element keynotes annotate assemblies such as walls, floors, and roofs. Material keynotes designate materials within Revit, such as concrete, gypsum board, or rigid insulation. User keynotes are not tied to an element or a material and can be used to note other aspects of the view or detail.
Use tags. Tags are text labels for elements such as doors, walls, windows, rooms, and several other objects that architects typically need to reference in a set of drawings. These tags typically refer back to other schedules or information in other portions of the drawing set and are unique to the view in which they are inserted.
Master It Inserting tags quickly can be a good way to make documentation time more efficient. How can you quickly tag a number of elements in the model at the same time?
Solution Use the Tag All tool. This tool allows you to load several tags for different elements at the same time and populate a view with all those tag types at once. You will probably need to manipulate the location of some of the tags, but most should be placed cleanly and accurately, saving you time for other portions of the project.
Add dimensions. Dimensioning is a critical part of the project documentation, allowing you to communicate the distance elements are from one another.
Master It Adding dimensions is a necessary part in any project. However, in a project workflow you will typically want to change the location of a dimension’s witness line without having to re-create the entire dimension. How do you move a witness line without remaking the entire dimension?
Solution Highlight the dimension string and grab the blue grip that is below the text string. By clicking and holding this element, you can now select a new host for the witness line.
Set project and shared parameters. Revit Architecture lets users add as many custom parameters to an element as are needed to document the project. These parameters can be both tagged and scheduled, depending on how they are made.
Master It You need to add a custom parameter for your project to track the percentage of recycled content in materials. What’s the best way to go about doing this?
Solution Since the items you want to track need to be scheduled but not tagged, it’s easiest do to this with a project parameter. Add one to the project for a percentage of recycled content, and then track that in a Multi-Category schedule showing all the material types you want to track.

Chapter 19: The Construction Phase

Add revisions to your project. You need the ability to track changes in your design after sheets have been issued. Adding revisions to a drawing is an inevitable part of your workflow.
Master It Add to your project revisions that automatically get tracked on your sheet.
Solution Use the Revision Cloud tool and the Revit Revision cloud tag family. Using those tools to create revision clouds ensures that they will automatically be tracked on the sheets on which they appear.
Use digital markups. DWFs provide a lightweight means to digitally transfer and mark up multiple sheets in a document set.
Master It Explain the workflow using DWF markups.
Solution Once your views are drawn and placed on sheets, export the sheets to a DWFx format. They can be shared with the quality assurance team for markup. QA will open the DWFx in Design Review and create the comments, and then send the marked-up set back to the design team. This set is then linked back into the drawing set, and the markups will be visible on the drawing sheets.
Model for construction. Parts and assemblies allow a Revit element to be broken down into smaller parts. These subelements can be used in more detailed ways for the construction process while still maintaining their association with the larger model.
Master It Describe the method for breaking down a design-based model assembly into its individual components.
Solution Select a wall, floor, roof, or ceiling and use the Create Parts tool. The view may need to be set to Show Parts. Once parts are created, they can be divided, merged, or excluded.

Chapter 20: Presenting Your Design

Add color fill legends. Color fills are a great way to illustrate data that otherwise might appear only in a schedule, such as department assignment, designed areas, and room finishes.
Master It There are a variety of ways to graphically display information using color fills. It can initially take a bit of time to get things organized, but once you create them, the legends can easily be transferred between views and projects. Describe how to add a color fill legend, once created, to your project template.
Solution To add a color fill legend from a project to your project template, add it to a view and add the view to a sheet. Legends can be transferred like schedules: Once they are added to a sheet, they can be copied to the Clipboard and then pasted to the sheet in the project template. This will transfer all the colors, fonts, and other settings from the project to the template.
Use 3D model views in your presentation. Revit provides a variety of ways to help you visualize your designs—both while designing and during presentation. Understanding where these features are located and how and when to use them can help expedite the presentation process, depending on the look and feel you want to create with your images.
Master It Describe the process for creating an exploded 3D view of each level within your project.
Solution After adjusting the view range of your plan views to accommodate the actual bottom of the level up to the top, open a 3D view and right-click the ViewCube. Select Orient To View and choose the floor plan for each level.
Work with viewport types. Viewport types are simple to manage, but they are powerful when applied to the views you place on sheets. You can customize the view titles for any use case, from design presentations to construction documents.
Master It Describe the process for adding a new viewport type to your project.
Solution After placing a view on a sheet, select the view and click Edit Type in the Properties palette. Click Duplicate and create a uniquely named type. Once you have modified the settings, apply the new type to other views by selecting a viewport and picking the new type from the Type Selector.
Understand Displaced Views. Displaced views are essentially used to create exploded axonometric views that used to be drafted by hand or created manually in a separate model. Understand the best ways to use this tool to help visualize and communicate design ideas.
Master It Describe the process for creating a displaced view.
Solution Starting in a 3D view, select elements to visually displace. The selections will be based on how you would like to see the elements grouped as you move them around within the view. By selecting elements and then selecting the Displace Elements tool, you can begin staging your axonometric view.

Chapter 21: Point Clouds

Understand how to create a point cloud. Point clouds are created with laser-scanning equipment typically by a surveyor or other LiDAR provider. Understanding the processes behind creating point clouds is critical to being able to plan a scan for your project.
Master It What are the two types of LiDAR scanners and how do they differ?
Solution Time-of-flight scanners and phase-shift scanners are the two types. The time-of-flight scanner has a slower collection rate for its points but a longer range. Based on this, it is typically used in exterior conditions. The phase-shift scanner is faster at point collection but has a shorter range (65′/20 m versus the time-of-flight scanner at 1,000′/300 m). Based on that, it’s typically used for building interiors.
Plan for a scan. Planning a point cloud scan is an important part of the process. This will help ensure that you collect all the information that you need inside the building and don’t have to repeat the scan because something was overlooked.
Master It What are the key elements to planning a LiDAR scan?
Solution There are four major elements in planning a scan:
  • Is the scan interior, exterior, or both?
  • What is the level of detail you’ll need to collect in the scan? Understand that this can vary by room or other condition.
  • What kind of imagery do you need? Are photos from the scanner sufficient to collect the data, or do you need the LiDAR scan processed in color as well?
  • What is the schedule the scan needs to be completed within? How does that affect building operations?
Working with the point cloud in Revit. Once you import the point cloud into Revit, you can begin modeling. Understanding how to use that data in the model will keep your project moving efficiently and your frustration at a minimum.
Master It List some of the ways you can optimized point cloud performance in Revit.
Solution There are several ways to optimize your Revit performance with point clouds:
  • Isolate the point clouds by workset so you can turn them on or off as needed.
  • Create scope boxes around the areas you’re working within to help keep the amount of information on the screen at one time to a minimum.
  • Use View Depth to minimize how far back into an elevation or section you see. This will help you isolate various elements so you can model one component at a time.
  • Use scope boxes in 3D. While much of your architectural design might happen in plan and section, sometimes it’s easier to model against a point cloud when you can see the condition in axonometric.
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