Show Hidden Lines

Model and detail elements that are obscured by other elements can be displayed using the Show Hidden Lines tool. You can use the Show Hidden Lines tool on all elements that have the Hidden Lines subcategory.

  

·         Click View tab - Graphics panel - Show Hidden drop-down - (Show Hidden Lines).

·         Place the cursor on an element that is hiding another element, and click to select it.

·         Then select the element that is obscured.

The lines of this element display in a hidden line style through the overlapping element. To change the hidden line style of the element, use the Object Styles tool. The Hidden lines are a subcategory of the element category.

The Remove Hidden Lines tool is the inverse of the Show Hidden Lines tool.

·         To reverse the effects of this tool, click View tab - Graphics panel - Show Hidden drop-down - (Remove Hidden Lines).

·         Select the element that will hide the other element.

·         Select the other element to be hidden.

Placing Text

If you need to place text in your Revit project, you can just pick a start point and then begin to type. The result will be one long string of text. If you want to get the text to wrap, you will have to manually adjust the text box after placement.

If when you place the text you pick a rectangle, this will create the text box extents and the text will wrap to this box automatically.

Creating New Family Types

You can use the Project Browser to create additional family types or edit type parameters. Instead of going into the ribbon and selecting the icon, you can just expand out the heading in the Family list in the project browser and edit the types from there.

You have multiple options,

• If you right-click on the Family you can create a ‘New Type’ or you can go directly to ‘Edit’ the family.

• If you right-click on the Type you can ‘Duplicate’ or go to the ’Type Properties’ dialog box.

• If you double-click on the Type you will open up the ‘Edit Type Properties’ dialog box, where you can duplicate the type or edit some of the parameters.

So next time you need to create a new Family type or Edit some Type parameters, think about the project browser it might be a little quicker. 

Cut Profile

If you are creating detail views in your model and in specific areas you would like the profile of the element to change without having to manipulate the modelled element. You can use the Cut Profile tool to change the shape of elements that are cut in a view, such as roofs, floors, walls, and the layers of compound structures. The tool is available in plan, RCP, and section views. Changes made to the profile are view-specific; that is, the element's 3D geometry and its appearance in other views do not change.

This tool is used in one-off instances. If you find yourself manipulating the cut profile over and over again for the same object, then you should modify the modelled element. Otherwise you are fudging your model.

The Cut Profile tool is in the View Ribbon.

You can select an individual Face or the Boundary between faces (for elements adjacent one another).

Just select the boundary you would like to adjust and edit the sketch.

When you are drawing the sketch, there is a little blue arrow. Make sure that it is pointing towards the Object you want to show, or you won’t get your material fill pattern to fill the new cut profile.

Opening Worksets

When you are opening a Central Project File that contains worksets, you can speed up the process by specifying what worksets you would like to open by selecting the Specify…. tool in the Open Dialog Box. Just hit the down arrow beside the Open button.

This will give you the option of picking the worksets prior to opening. It will save you having to go to the worksets after the file has opened. (As a default it sets them all to open, just review the list and close the one you don’t want!)

Formula - Changing Units

When using formulas in your Revit Families, it can sometimes be troublesome when you are using other parameters to drive formulas that contain different unit types.

For example, if you are creating a parameter that is a number type and you are using a Length Parameter in the formula. The result will be an error ‘Inconsistent Units’

To get these formulas to work, in the formula, just divide the Length Parameter by 1 (the ‘mm’ will automatically appear). Then you will get the correct result.

This process works with other types of Parameter types that use units…..