Revit 2020

for Sheet Metal Detailers

Julie Fifield
SMW 104 JATC
Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers
Julie Fifield, SMW 104 JATC

© 2019 Julie Fifield

This work has been developed for the sole purpose of educating members of Sheet Metal
Workers Local 104. Members of Local 104 may copy this material for their own personal use.
Other than the exception of current members of SMW 104, all rights are reserved. No part of
this course may be reproduced or used by non-members of Sheet Metal Workers local 104,
without the prior written permission of the author.

Julie Fifield
julielfifield@gmail.com

Any comments, suggestions, or ideas that would make this course better would be greatly
appreciated. Please use the email address above.
Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers – Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Introduction______________________________________________________
Welcome, What is Revit?, How the Course is Organized,
About the Author

Part 1 – Basic Tools____________________________________

Basic Tools Overview………………………………………………………………………………………..

1-1. User Interface…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Goals, Opening Revit, File tab, Quick Access Toolbar & the Info Center,
The Ribbon, Opening an Existing Project, Project Browser, Remaining
User Interface tools, Navigation – 2D & 3D, Making new 3D views
& Deleting Views, Summary

1-2. Modeling Simply & Complex Elements…………………………………………………….

Goals, Modeling Walls. Modeling Doors & Windows, Selection & Modification,
The Modify Tab, Starting a New Project, Modeling complex Elements – Floor
Slabs, Modeling Flat Roofs, Modeling Sloped Roofs, Modeling Shafts, Summary

1-3. View Specific Elements………………………………………………………………………………..

Goals, Revit Elements: Model, Datum & View Specific, Dimensions: Temporary,
Permanent, & Chain Dimensions, Measure & Thin Lines, Tags, Text, Detail Lines,
Summary

1-4. Making Views…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Goals, Sectional Views, Making new 2D Views, Cropping a View, Making 3D Views,
Placing Views on Sheets, Summary

Part 2 – Architectural Project____________________________

Architectural Project Overview …………………………………………………………………………………………..

2-1. Setup, Structural & the Building Shell…………………………………………………………….
Goals, Start with the Levels, Add Grid Lines, Create Structural floor plans
& Place Columns, Structural Beams & Copy Clip, Add Exterior Walls &
Architectural Columns, Add Floors & Roof, Summary

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers – Table of Contents

2-2. Refine & Modify, Add to the Interior……………………………………………………………..

Goals, Modify & Refine, Loading & Swapping out Families, Adding a Shaft,
Making 3D Working Views from the Floor Plans, Adding Interior Walls, Adding
Interior Doors & Windows, Summary

2-3. Finishing the Building Exterior & Upper Levels

Goals, Adding Exterior Doors, Adding Exterior Windows, Finishing Levels 2 & 3
Floor Plans, Summary

2-4. Reflected Ceiling Plans……………………………………………………………………………………

Goals, Adding Ceilings, Comparing floor & Ceiling Plans, Adding Architectural
Grilles & Ceiling Exhaust Fans, Level 2 & 3 Ceilings, Summary

2-5. Creating Sheet Views & Printing…………………………………………………………………….

Goals, View Cleanup, Creating Sheets, Printing a PDF Ser, Printing to AutoCAD,
Summary

Part 3 – Shop Drawing Project___________________________

Shop Drawing Project Overview……………………………………………………………………………

3-1. Starting a Shop Drawing…………………………………………………………………………………

Goals, Preparing Revit Files you Receive, Project Browser Organization, Creating
A Shop Drawing Project, Link & Copy/Monitor, Create Plan Views, Summary

3-2. Finish Project Setup………………………………………………………………………………………..

Goals, Inserting Images into Views & Family files, View Setting Controls –
Discipline& View Templates, Creating Spaces, Control the Display of Linked Files,
Summary

3-3. Air Terminals, Ceiling Fans & Tags…………………………………………………………………

Goals, Adding Ceiling Elevation Tags, Placing Diffusers & Ceiling Fans,
Placing Tags, Summary

3-4. Mechanical Equipment & Schedules………………………………………………………………

Goals, Tagging Bottom of Beam Elevations, Placing VAV Boxes, Copy Diffusers,
Mechanical Equipment and Tags up to Levels 2 & 3, Add a Roof mounted
Exhaust Fan, Schedules, Summary

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers – Table of Contents

3-5. Fabrication Duct in Revit…………………………………………………………………………………

Goals, Set up a 3D Working View, Add Duct to VAV 1-2, Check out your Work,
Add Duct to VAV 1-3, Using Multi-Point Routing, Summary

3-6. Fabrication Duct, Continued…………………………………………………………………………..

Goals, Drawing a Round Duct Main, Round Branch Ducts, Duct Colors,
Exhaust Duct to the Roof, Summary

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers - Introduction

Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers – Introduction

Welcome to Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers.

This course is designed to help Detailers learn enough about Revit to begin working with it.
Whether you have been Detailing in AutoCAD or some other Cad Program, for 20 years, or
have never used a CAD program at all, makes no difference; step-by-step instructions are
provided for how to use Revit. What is expected, is that you already understand how to
detail; how to do the research involved to order ductwork, that will fit inside the building &
meets the specifications. Since information is going to come from a Revit file, instead of
hard copy plans, it is assumed you understand the importance of learning how Revit works
so you can manipulate it & get what you need out of it.

Not all Detailing jobs require the same amount of knowledge. If you work for one of the
larger companies, you will have CAD support, & most likely will have someone who sets
up the Projects you work in. Your Company will have standards & procedures you will be
expected to follow. If you are a Detailer who works for a smaller to medium sized
Company, you probably have no support, other than the basic support that comes with
your Autodesk products, & will be expected to know how to do your own setup.

I worked for smaller companies through most of my Detailing career (which was mostly
pre- Google), where I sometimes had no idea where to find the help I needed. That
experience has led to the creation of this course, so this course is directed more toward
the Detailer who does not have in-house support. If you are one of those Detailers that
have good CAD support, you can still benefit from understanding more about how Revit
functions; the better you understand Revit, the more control you will be able to take of your
own working environment. By the end of this course, I hope you will be comfortable
enough with Revit that you can continue on your own. I hope this course will provide you
with a good foundation to get you started, so you will enjoy the experience of working in
Revit.

What is Revit?
Revit is Building Information Modeling software. It is more than just a Model of a building; the
elements in the model contain all the information required to make the model realistic. The goal
of a Revit model is not only to be able to use the Model to build from, but to be able to use it to
manage the energy requirements & building systems throughout the building’s lifecycle. While
that goal is not yet fully realized, it is why we are being pushed to work in Revit.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers - Introduction

Most of the Architectural drawings you work with now come from a Revit file, because it is so
much faster, easier & more accurate than any previous method of producing plans. The
Mechanical drawings on larger Projects are likely to have come from Revit MEP also, but the
Mechanical was an add-in to the original Architectural program, so is further behind in its
implementation. Revit MEP is designed for engineering, & does an excellent job at what it does.
If you are in a position to work with an Engineer at the start of a design build project, it would
benefit you to take a standard Revit MEP course.

This course is aimed at Detailers working on Plan & Spec projects, or Design Assist projects who
want to be able to work with Fabrication duct in Revit. To really learn what we need to know
about Revit, from a Detailing perspective, we will focus on the Architectural program, because
that is what we will be interacting with when we use it as the background for drawing Fabrication
ductwork.

How this Course is Organized

This course is divided into three Parts: Drawing Basics, An Architectural Project & a
Mechanical Project.
Part 1 – Drawing Basics covers how the drawing tools work & the simplest of settings, so
you can get started playing around in Revit.
Part 2 – You will model a three-story Architectural building. The focus will be on
learning the settings & organization that control what you see on your screen - how to
control the Views. Part 3 – You will use the Architectural Project as a background file,
& link it into a Mechanical project, simulating the workflow of a real project.
Each Part is divided into six Modules, & each Module is divided into smaller sections. If
you have 10 minutes, during your lunch break for example, it would be enough time to
bother learning some more Revit.

After the first Module, the rest of the Modules will have Revit Project files associated with
them. You will work in a Project file as you progress through the Modules. Everything you
are expected to do in Revit is in bolder green type. This is to help you keep track of where
you are in the exercise, it is NOT intended to limit what you do in Revit. Please explore on
your own - that is the only way you will really get proficient in Revit. Like every other new
thing you learn, trial & error is still the best teacher.

There are Links to the topics or videos in Revit’s online help in the exercises. The Online
help is a good resource that you are encouraged to take advantage of. There are also
YouTube videos for most every Revit topic you can think of, & Google is a good place to
ask questions (once you know what to ask).

At the end of each module, you will turn in the Revit file you have been working in & take a
short quiz covering the concepts explored in the Module. Most Revit files can be continued

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing - Introduction

all uncertain about the accuracy of your previous exercise, please take advantage of the
Starting files. Remember, the goal here is to learn, not to get everything right.

About the Author

I retired near the end of 2014 with 32 years’ experience in the Sheet Metal trade. I started
my Sheet Metal career as an expeditor. I worked 5 years in the Shop & was fortunate to
be allowed to do layout for two of those years. I worked in the Field & had been a field
Foreman for 6 years, when I was offered the first CAD Detailing job at Anderson, Rowe &
Buckley Inc. I starting work with Cad in 1997, so have been actively learning CAD
software for the past 21 years. I am a Certified Revit Professional in Architectural Revit.

I was exposed to Revit for the last few years of my Detailing career & I am a huge Revit
fan, which has led me to become a part-time instructor at the Fairfield training center. I
have been teaching this course for a few years now, but it is still a work in progress. It is
my goal to make this coursework as real-world & as hands-on as possible.

I have been extremely fortunate to be allowed the opportunity of being a Sheet Metal
Worker and Detailer, & I am happy to have this opportunity to share my knowledge to
help other Detailers learn Revit. If you have any comments, see a good video that could
be included, or have an idea for how this course could be improved, please email me &
share your thoughts.

Good Luck!

Julie Fifield
Contact: julief@smw104training.org

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, Part 1 Overview

Part 1 – Basic Tools Overview

Part 1 will cover the drawing tools and some simple settings, so you can get started modeling as
soon as possible.

The first module will cover the User Interface & navigation. After that, we will learn how the
simple, one step tools work, then move on to tools that require multiple steps. We will explore
annotation, & finish Part 1 by making Views & placing Views on a Sheet.

All Revit tools work in a similar way, so once you understand what to expect from both the
simple & more complex tools, you should be able to apply that knowledge to other tools in the
program that we may not cover.

Except for an extra exercise on modification tools, we will stick to architectural tools instead of
using ductwork for these exercises. The focus here is on understanding how the drawing tools
work. It is too easy for some of us to become distracted by duct sizing, or proper fitting
selection, so to maintain focus on how the tools are designed to function, we will only be using
tools from the Architectural tab.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-1A

When you first open up the Revit Program, you will need to understand what you are looking at, so
we will begin by exploring the User Interface

Main Goals
To understand what you are looking at when you open a Revit project, how Revit tools are
organized, how to navigate between Views in a Project views, & how to navigate the drawing area

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Open a Template & Save a Project so it can be used as the starting

point for future Projects
• Understand what is accessed from the File tab & Home Icon
• Know where to go to make changes to the default Revit options, such
as Shortcut Keys
• Understand what the Quick Access Toolbar is
• Know how to get to Revit help online
• Understand the Ribbon organization, Tabs, Panels & Tools
• Use the Project Browser to navigate between views
• Become familiar with Properties
• Become aware of what shortcuts are available on the Status Bar
• Navigate 2D & 3D views

At the end of the Module:

• You will make some changes to a Project & save it to use as a starting point for future
models. This Revit file will be uploaded as one of the assignments for this Module

• You will upload another Project file you have been modifying during this module to show
that you have learned to Navigate a Model, navigate views, and create & delete Views

• You will complete a Quiz that covers the tools found in the Ribbon & User Interface layout

Let's get started!

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1B

Opening Revit from the Desktop Icon

1. Double click on the Revit Icon on your desktop to start the program

The Home screen was new in Revit 2019, along with other changes to the way the tools &
interface look.

- On the left panel of the Home page:

The arrow inside the circle will take you back to an active View, if you have one
open. If you are just starting the program, so do not have an active View, the arrow will
work the same as toggling the Home icon - it will take you to the main Revit interface.

The Home icon is located at the top left-hand corner of the screen, to the right of the,
Revit symbol - it will have a light blue background when the Home page is active.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1B

2. In the left-hand panel, below MODELS..., click Open... & the dialog
box below will appear where you can browse for an existing file

Open... below MODEL will allow you to open any type of Revit file, not only Models. You
can open:
• Models(rvt)
• Model templates (rte)
• Autodesk Exchange files (adsk)
• Families (rfa
• Family templates (rft)

3. Click Cancel for now, to exit the dialog box

4. Click on New… below Models,

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1B

The new button below MODELS will open to a dialog box where you can pick which template
file to start a model from. All models are originally started from a template file.

5. Below the Template file, Click on Construction & choose Architectural Template from
the list & OK to exit the New Project dialog box

Note: Since Revit 2019, Project files are now being called
Models on the Home Page. The Home page has Models & Families
instead of Projects & Families. You will notice, however, that once
you click on Open... below model, when the dialog box appears,
Autodesk is still referring to the Models as Projects. This change is
supposed to make it easy to work in the cloud, but it is not consistent.
Just be aware that whether they call the file a Project or Model, they
are still referring to a .rvt file

You now have a Project open.

6. Click on the Home icon to take you back to the Home page
Below FAMILIES... you can open an existing Family file, or choose new, to open to the library
of family template files (rft)

-On the right side of the screen is Recent Files, with thumbnails of the Models & Family
files you have had open recently, so your screen will not look exactly like the previously
shown image of the Home page. Double click on any thumbnail to open that Model. The
Learn button will take you to Revit online help, where you can find what is new in this
version & getting started videos.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1B

As you can see from the Home page, Revit has 2 main types of files, & they both have their
own template files to start from.

Models - Model (project) files include all the organization & management tools for how
all the elements that make up the building relate to each other.

Families - All the individual objects that make up the building have their own files,
referred to as Elements. There are 2D elements (dimensions), Datum elements (Levels &
Grids) & 3D elements, like a piece of duct for instance.

• The Model file knows how the various elements relate to each other. For example, it
knows that doors have to be placed (hosted) in a wall, so it will not allow a door to be
placed unless there is already a wall in the model to host it. It is aware of the insertion
point of every element, but does not know how to "build" the elements.
• The Family files contain all the information (parameters) for how each element will
look & act when placed in a model.
• This is partly why Revit can handle such big models, because the task of building a
model is being divided up between multiple files that are all working at different tasks
at the same time.

7. Click on either the right arrow or Home page icon to take you back to the open
Project

Your Model will display on the screen again & look similar to this image

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1B

The row of Tabs across the top is called the Ribbon. The Ribbon contains all of the tools used
in Revit, organized into Tabs by function. In the example above, the current tab is Architectural,
but the Ribbon is minimized to Tabs, so you do not see all the tool panels & icons.

To see all tools on the tabs, at the right end of the row of tabs, there is are 2 arrows
that controls how the Ribbon will be minimized. By default, the Ribbon is set to Cycle
through All.

The arrow on the right will set which minimizing option is available when you click the
button on the left. To see all the tools, click the left arrow - it will toggle through the 3
minimizing options & then display the full Ribbon.

8. If your Ribbon is not fully expanded, click the left button n at the end of the
Tabs (up to 3 times) until it displays like the image below

It is generally a good idea to keep the Ribbon fully expanded until you are proficient enough
to know where each tool you might need is located, or until you know the keyboard
shortcuts. The screen shots shown in this course will all show the Ribbon fully expanded.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1B

User Interface
As you look at the User Interface, feel free to explore. The worst-case scenario, is that you get
stuck. That is no problem. If you get stuck just close out the Project, without saving, & open a
new one to continue. If you prefer video, the online help has one, Tour of the User Interface.

The image below is from the online help, directly below the video, so you might have already
explored it. If not, we will start at the top & see what is there.

1. File tab
2. Quick Access Toolbar
3. Info Center - Including Help
4. Options Bar
5. Type Selector
6. Properties Palate
7. Project Browser
8. Status Bar
9. View Control Bar
10. Drawing Area
11. Ribbon

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1C

1. Open a new Model using the Architectural template, if you do not have
one open

The File tab, on the far left of the Ribbon, has a dark blue
background. It is different from all the other Tabs on the
Ribbon. Other Tabs have Panels with tools that display
across the Ribbon.

When you click on the File tab, a

drop-down panel opens below it,
with the file tools organized
vertically. You will also notice that it
takes longer to open than the other
tabs.

The file tab gives you access to

common Windows file tools, such
as New, Open, Save & Save As &
Print. It also has more advanced
tools, like Export, to create an
AutoCAD .dwg file.
Each tool in the left panel has a
default action. For instance, if you
click New, the default command is
to start a new Model, so the dialog
box to choose the starting Template
file will appear. If you want more
New file options, click the arrow to
the right of New, which will allow
you to create a new Family file,
among other options.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1C

Expanded New > options shown

With nothing selected, the right side of the File panel will either show you Recent files that
have been opened, or a list of currently open files. The icons at the top left side will toggle
between the two options. Whichever option is currently active will have a light blue
background, as is typical will other active Revit tools. There are pushpins to the right of each
recent file. You can Pin files, so that they will be forced to stay on the list.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1C

The Options button, at the bottom of the right side, will open a dialog box that will allow you
to change global Revit settings. These setting affect how Revit acts, regardless of what
Model you may have open. Unlike AutoCAD, there are not many customizations available in
Revit. We will look at some of the settings that you can change.

3. If you have not opened the File tab, do so now & click on the Options
button at the bottom.

We will only look a a few of the Option Tabs, if you would like a fuller explanation of all
Options Tabs, see Options in Revit help

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1C

The General tab is worth noting, because it is where you can set the Save reminder interval.
Revit does not automatically save your drawing. A reminder dialog box will pop up after 30
minutes, if you have not saved within that time period. You can change the interval if you
like. As with all CAD programs, it is good to get in the habit of saving often, then you will not
get the save reminder dialog box popping up in the middle of a command.

As you would imagine, the User Interface tab has some settings that can be changed. To see a
video of the changes you can make, watch Configure the User Interface, from Revit online help

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1C

• Configure, Tools and Analysis - The Tools that are checked in this list correspond to the
Tabs (except the File tab) at the top of the Ribbon. If you do not need to use a set of tools,
as Massing, for example, you can uncheck the box in front of the tool & the tab or panel will
no longer be displayed. This allows you to only have Tabs showing on your screen that you
will use.
• Keyboard Shortcut Keys, Revit is designed for people who type. Every command can
be started by typing a 2-keystroke shortcut. If Revit does not have 2 keys assigned to a
command, you can add them yourself, or change the ones Revit has pre-assigned.
Revit makes it very easy to customize the shortcut keys to encourage you to use your
keyboard.

If you click Edit, next to Keyboard Shortcuts the dialog box below will appear.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1C

Note: There are other options available that you can change on this tab. Check
them out if you like. It is suggested you work with the default options until you
know enough about how they affect you, Then, you will be able to make a better
decision about changing them.

The Graphic Tab allows you to change the color of 4 objects, the Background, Selection,
Pre-selection & Alert. I know AutoCAD users are used to seeing a black background, and
may be uncomfortable with the white background in Revit. I suggest you give it a try before
changing it. Unlike AutoCAD, most of the work in Revit is done in Gray scales, so try to give it
a chance.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1C

Temporary dimensions appear on the screen when you originally place elements or when you
select elements. They can be used to relocate elements. If they appear too large or too small
for you, you can adjust the size here.

The last tab to look at is the File Location tab. This is where a Company can add a Template file
to the list that will show up in the New Project dialog box, or delete the default templates. As you
can see, I have added SM 2019.rte to the top of my list so that it will show up as the default
when the dialog box is opened. This tab also shows the default save location for User files. If
you save a file, & can't remember where it went, this will show you where to look.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1D

Across the top band of the screen are the QAT, the name of the current fiile/view opened, the
Info Center & the minimize, maximize, & close buttons

The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) is

located at the top left of the screen

1. Open a blank Architectural Model, if it is not already open

The Quick Access Toolbar has shortcuts to the most commonly used tools. The image
above has less tools showing than what comes standard out-of-the-box.

2. Hover over each tool on the Quick Access Toolbar, until the tool tip
appears, so you know what tools are there.

Depending on the tool, the tool tip will show the name of the tool, the name plus a
description of the tool, or some tools will have an additional short video that will show you
how the tool is used. If the tool has shortcut keys assigned to it, they will be in parenthesis
after the tool name. If a tool is greyed out, it means that it is not possible to use in your
current view (for instance, the Undo command will be gray until you have entered
commands that it can be undone). If a tool is greyed out, it will still show you its tool tip.

At the right end of the Quick Access Toolbar, is a drop-down button used to customize the
toolbar. All the default tools will be shown in the list, if they are checked, they will appear in
the QAT.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1D

To add another tool to the Quick Access Bar, right click on any tool in the Ribbon that you
might want to add to the Quick Access Bar (door for instance). Click Add to Quick Access
Toolbar in the menu that appears. The tool will show up at the right end of the toolbar. If
you added a tool to the QAT, right click on the added tool & select Remove from Quick
Access Toolbar. You can change the order of the tools in the Quick Access Bar, by using
the customize drop-down & clicking Customize Quick Access Toolbar at the bottom of the
menu box.

The Info Center has tools for communicating with Autodesk.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1D

• Search (binocular icon). I have not had that much luck with the search feature as you
have to know the correct terminology for search to point you in the right direction. I
have had much better luck using Google to search.
• Communication Center (satellite dish icon)- connects to Autodesk
• Favorites (star icon) - A place to store favorite help sites
• Autodesk App Store (shopping cart icon) - You must have an Autodesk account to
access the app store. There are a few free apps that are worthwhile. We will discuss
them later on in the course.

• Revit Help You could teach yourself how to use Revit from this Help site. There are getting
started videos, & hundreds of YouTube videos covering everything from what is new to the
program to tutorials on how to use specific tools. The vast majority of information presented
in this course it taken directly from the Help site.

The drop-down button to the right of the Help? icon, will take you to other helpful resources.
Revit Community will open the forum site. You must have an Autodesk account to post
questions on this site, but if you post a question, you will generally get an answer back fairly
quickly. My experience with the forum site has been very positive. If you are serious about
learning Revit, you should take advantage of all the help that is out there.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1E

The ribbon is where you access all of the tools you need to model. It is organized by Tab,
Panels & Tools

• Tabs are organized by function.

• The first tab is the Architectural tab. It has all the tools you would need to
model architectural objects.
• The Structural tab has all the tools used to work in the Structural
discipline.
• The Systems tab has all of the MEP tools, including the Fabrication Add-in.
• There are tabs for Inserting other files into your drawing, adding
Annotation, Modifying object, etc. The Manage tab has tools that
control settings per Project
• The View tab has tools that control what you are seeing on your screen. So, for
instance if you accidentally disappear the Properties Palate, or View cube, you could
go to the View tab, & in the User Interface panel, you can check which tools you want
to have visible on your screen.

Tabs are made up of Panels. The Panels are also organized by function, so as you can
see on the Systems tab, there are HVAC (which places Revit duct), Fabrication, &
Mechanical Equipment panels.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1E

Panels can be dragged out of the Ribbon by their titles & relocated to a different location in the
Ribbon, or dragged onto the drawing area. If they are floating in the drawing area & you close
the panel, it will relocate back to the last place it was in the Ribbon.

As you can see on the View tab, Create panel above, the tools available are all for
creating different types of Views.

On the Architectural Tab, Build panel, the tools are the ones you would use to build
an Architectural model.

Drop-Down Buttons
Notice some of the panels and tools have drop-down arrows next to the panel titles or below
the tool icon.

• If you click on the arrow next to the panel title, you will see an expanded panel with
more tools that did not fit in the default panel. The panel can be pinned while
expanded if you want it to remain expanded.
• If you click on the drop-down below a tool icon, you will see more options for the
tool. Tools that have more than one option will open the default tool if you just
click on the button. Generally, the last tool option used will become the default.
This is typical behavior for Revit tools.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1E

When any tool has a diagonal arrow in the lower right corner, if you click on the arrow, it will
open up a settings dialog box.

Contextual Panels

When a tool is activated, the Ribbon changes to give you other tools & options that are
used with the tool you have selected. In the above image, the Wall tool was started. The
right end of the Ribbon changed to display the Modify|Place Wall tab, with a Draw panel.
The Draw panel gives you options for placing walls, like drawing a single line (the default)
or picking an existing line in your drawing to use to create a wall.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1E

The Options Bar

The Options Bar, below the Ribbon will only appear when certain tools are active. It will
display options that typically need to be configured for the active tool. For example, a couple
of the options for placing a wall are the wall height & if you want to draw a single wall or a
chain of walls. All options that are tool specific will display with a light green background.

When you first start a Tool, it is a good habit to look at the right end of the Ribbon, to see if
the tool has a contextual tab associated with it, & below the Ribbon, to see if the Options
Bar appears. If a tab has a light green background, it is contextual, The Options Bar
always has a light green background, as it is always contextual.

Starting & Ending Commands

There is always an active command in Revit. The Modify tool is the default command. In is by
itself in the Select panel & the Select Panel is the first panel on every tab. It allows you to
select an element so that you will be able to modify it.

An active tool will have a blue background. To start a tool, click its icon, or type the keyboard
shortcut. To end a tool, start another one.

There are a few tools that are more complicated, and require multiple steps to complete.
Roofs & Floors are typical of these types of tools. They require you to draw a closed sketch
first, and then the tool will be applied to the sketch. These tools have a Mode Panel.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1E

If a tool has a Mode panel, you MUST either check the red X or green Check mark to
exit the tool. If you try to change to a different tab while a tool with a Mode Panel is active,
your Ribbon will fade out, like the image below. If this happens,
click on the Contextual Tab at the right end of the ribbon. This will open the panels back up &
check something in the Mode panel to exit the tool.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1F

You will be using a Sample file provided with Revit to work through the remain of this Module.
Open Revit from your Desktop Icon

1. Open Revit from your Desktop Icon

2. Toggle the Home page off, to get to the regular Revit interface
3. From the File tab, click on the arrow to the right of Open
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the list & click on Sample Files

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1F

5. Double click on the file, rac_basic_sample_project.rvt to open it,

or single click & click open at the bottom of the panel

Your drawing Area will look like below.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1F

6. From the File tab, click on Save-As, and Save as a Project

7. In the Save - As dialog box,

• At the Top, Change the Save In: Samples (folder) to your Assignments
folder
• Rename the Project "1-1B (your name or initials)"
• Click Save at the Bottom to close the dialog box & save your new Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing. 1-1G

1-1G Project Browser

The Project Browser

The Browser by default is docked below Properties on the left side of your screen.
The project browser is the index for everything within the Project. It provides the structure to
navigate from one View to another.

The Project Browser shows a logical hierarchy for all views, schedules, sheets, groups, and
other parts of the current project. As you expand and collapse each branch, lower-level items
display.

You need to have the Project Browser open as you work. If you accidentally close the
Browser, it can be reopened by clicking the View tab, Windows panel, User Interface
drop-down Project Browser, or right-click anywhere in the application window and click
Browsers/ Project Browser.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing. 1-1G

The Project Browser & Properties can be moved to other locations or a second monitor. If you
would like to learn more about how to move them around, watch the Dock-able Windows
Video (2:04 minutes) from Revit Help.

1. Open your 1-1B Revit file, if it is not already open.

Revit always has an active View. Without an active View, you could not "see" into the model.
There is a single model & an infinite number of Views in a Project. A project does not have to be
large to have hundreds of Views. The Project Browser (referred to as just the Browser from here
forward) keeps the Views organized.

In the image above, the Browser is collapsed, so you only see the top-level file structure

In the image above, Sheets has been expanded. A001 - Title Sheet is in bold. The active
View displays in bold, so this is the View that is showing in the Drawing Area

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing. 1-1G

You can also see the Project file name & the active View in the Title bar, at the Center
top of your screen (between the QAT & Info Center)

To open another View, double click on the View in the Browser, & it will open on top of the view
you already have open.

2. Expand each of the Sheet Views to see what Views have been placed on the
sheets

3. Double click on Sheet A102 - Plans again, to make it the current View

4. Expand Sheet A102 (click the plus sign in front of it), to see the views that
have been placed on this sheet.

There are 2 Floor plan views on A102,

5. Double click on the Level 1 Floor plan below

Sheet A102

You can see to the right, that the Floor Plan: Level 1
that you opened the view from, has a grey background.
This tells you that you have opened a View from a
secondary location. If you expand the Floor Plans
group, you will see Level 1 is in Bold, so that is the file
that is currently open on your screen. Floor Plans have
to live in the Floor plan Group, Ceiling plans can only be
in a Ceiling plan group, Sections have to be in a Section
group, etc. Views that have been placed on Sheets will
show up below the sheet in the Browser, but still remain
in the group they belong to in the Views section of the
Browser. If you delete a View below a Sheet, it will only
remove it from the Sheet, but will not affect the View
itself.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing. 1-1G

There is nothing wrong with opening floor plans directly from the Views section of the
Browser, if you understand the Project setup. If you are working with a Project that is
disorganized, & has multiple floor plan groups, it is safer to open the floor plan from below a
Sheet, so you will be sure you are looking at a plan that was intended to be published.

By now you have several Views open & they are all stacked behind each other. Having
more Views open than you need can slow your computer down, so it is a good habit to get
used to closing Views you no longer need.
There are 3 tools on the View tab, Windows panel, that help you control your open views:
Switch windows, Close Hidden Windows, & Tile Windows. Close Hidden windows & Switch
Windows are also on the QAT, at the end on the right side

If there are multiples View open, the Close Hidden icon will have a red X on the icon. The X
will disappear when only one View is open.

6. Either from the View tab, Windows panel, or the QAT, c l i c k the Switch Windows
tool

You will see a list of currently opened Views. The one that is current will have a check mark in
front of it.

7. Click on the Close Hidden Window tool.

8. Click on the Switch Window again to confirm that you only have one view open.

Note: The Close Hidden tool cannot close a Project. If you have a single View open in a
Project, it will not be closed. If you have multiple Projects open, & use this tool, you will the
same number of Views open after using the tool as you have Projects open.

The other tool on the View tab, Window panel that is very useful is Tile Windows. If you
want to work with 2 or more views on the screen at the same time, use Tile Window, WT is
the shortcut keys. We will use this tool throughout this course.

9. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1H

1-1H Remaining User Interface Tools

Type Selector, Properties Palette, Status Bar, and View

Control Bar
We will briefly look at the remaining parts of the User Interface. As you start to use them, we
will cover them in more depth.

Type Selector
The Type selector is located at the top of the
Properties Palette. The Type Selector identifies the
currently selected family type and provides a drop-
down from which you can select a different type. In
the image above, no object is selected in the drawing
area, so the Type Selector is displaying the Floor
Plan (which is also a Family).

Properties Palette
The Properties Palette will usually be referred to as Properties for the remainder of this
course. The Properties palette is a modeless dialog where you can view and modify the
parameters that define the properties of elements. Modeless means it is always active. When
you make a change to anything in Properties, as soon as you move your cursor away from
the item, it will update; you do not have to click apply. There is an Apply button at the bottom,
but it is not necessary.
Most of the modifications you will make, to either views or objects, will be done in Properties.
While you can move Properties onto another screen, it is a good idea to keep it docked next
to the drawing area.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1H

Status Bar
The Status bar is located at the bottom left of the screen. The status bar provides tips or hints
on what to do. When you highlight an element or component, the status bar displays the name
of the family and type.
In the image above, nothing is selected in the drawing area, so Modify is the default tool. The
Status bar is displaying tips for how to use the Modify tool to select objects. For AutoCAD
users, this is as close to the command line as Revit offers.

View Control Bar

The View Control Bar will display below every View. If you have multiple Views open & tiled on
your screen, each View will have its own View Control Bar. The View Control Bar provides
quick access to functions that affect the current view. These tools can also be found
elsewhere, mostly in Properties, but are here for convenience, similar to the QAT.

The View Control Bar will have different tools available, depending on what type of View it is
attached to.

View control bar for a Plan View

View Control Bar for a 3D View

View Control Bar for a Sheet View

To open Revit Help & find out all the tools that are available on the View Control Bar , use this
link.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1J

1-1J Navigating 2D and 3D Views

1. Open your Exercise 1-1 Project file, if it is not already open. We will use it to
explore View navigation.

2. Double click on Level 1 in the Floor Plan section of the Browser, to open the
Level 1 view
You might want to watch a short (less than 2 minutes) video from Revit Help Essential Skills:
Navigation

Moving around inside a 2D View

• To Pan = Hold the mouse wheel down &
move the mouse around

• To Zoom = Roll the mouse wheel in or out

Follow the steps below to explore navigation in 2D views

3. Zoom & Pan the view so that Kitchen & Dining, 101, is as large as
possible while being completely centered within the screen.

4. To get a full view back, type in za (zoom all).

I have no problem navigating just using Pan, Zoom, & the Zoom All command. If you
prefer to use other Zoom options, you can access them from the Navigation Bar at the
top right side of the drawing area. If you want to learn more about the steering wheel,
on the top of this tool bar, check out Revit help, About the Navigation Bar

Section Views can be opened directly from the Floor plan View.

5. To open the Section 3 View, double click on the geometry of the section
tag (the solid blue arrows, NOT the text). You may have to zoom in to
select it.

The Section view will now be displayed in the drawing area, with the Level 1 Floor plan still
open (but not active) behind it. Look at the Browser, under the Sections grouping, you will see
which section you opened.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1J

If View tags, such as Sections, Levels or Elevation markers are blue, they are a hyper-links.
(Although they do not have to be blue to be a hyper-link, as you will see shortly)

6. In the section view, double click on the solid blue area of the Level 1 elevation
tag.

Level 1 will become active & come back to the top of the drawing area

There are 4 Elevation markers, one each on the south, north, east & west sides of the
plan. The south elevation mark is shown below, the Sheet it is on, A103, is inside the circle
& the detail number, 1, is outside the circle, in the direction the marker is pointing. The
north elevation does not have any numbers like the other 3 elevation markers, because it
has not been placed on a sheet. If it were to be placed on a sheet, the numbers would fill in
automatically. The elevation markers are not blue, but are still hyper-linked.

7. Double click on the south elevation marker, on the arrow (solid part above
the circle) to open the south elevation view.

8. When you are finished looking at the elevation, double click on the Level 2
Elevation tag, similar to what you did above to open Level 1, but this time open
Level 2

You now have a few Views open. To see all the open Views:

9. Click the Switch Window tool in the QAT, or from the View tab, Windows panel. All

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1J

open views will be displayed in a list, that will match the view titles opened across the
top of your screen. Place a check mark in front of Level 1 in Switch windows, or just
click on the title of the view at the top of the drawing area, to switch the current view to
the one you choose.

10. If you only need one view open, x out of the other views at the top of the drawing
area. Each open view will have its own title bar. Close all other views except level 1

11. Save your project

Moving around in a 3D View

The View Cube is used for 3D navigation. The Cube will
reflect the orientation of the View, so by looking at the
View Cube, you can tell how you are looking at the View.
It is set to show in all 3D Views, normally in the upper
right-hand corner inside the drawing area.

1.Open a few 3D views to look at them, but do not move around in them using
the View Cube.

Warning: when you change the orientation of a 3D view, you cannot undo it. The undo
command will only undo commands. If you are looking at an existing project & want to explore it
in a 3D view, make a new view so you will not affect any 3D views that may have been placed
on sheets.

2.Open the default 3D View (house icon) from the QAT, or double
click the {3D} view below the 3D Views section in the Browser, if it is
there already.

Note: The default 3D view will always be in parenthesis. If you rename the default 3D
view, it will create a new view & will no longer be the default. You can also open the default 3D
View from the View tab, Create panel.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1J

The View Cube

The View cube will be transparent & will show up darker only when
your cursor moves near it. The House icon above the cube & Context
Menu Drop-down button, at the lower right, will not be visible until you
are close enough to activate the Cube.
The house Icon is for the Home view; will take you to a preset
orientation. The orientation can be set from the drop- down Context
Menu.

3.Open the Context Menu, by either clicking the drop-down button or

with a right click anywhere on the cube itself.

4. Click Save View

5. Rename, 3D "your initials"

Look at the Browser, under the 3D Views group, your new View will be in bold, as it is the
active View on the screen. Also, the default 3D View {3D} is still there, but is not active
anymore. Zoom & Pan the 3D View the same way as you do with a 2D view.

Preset Orientations
The View Cube gives you ways to switch to predetermined orientations, by clicking on the
cube’s edges, corners or faces

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1J

When you are in an orientation that is straight to the Cube, there are more arrows buttons
available. The curved arrow buttons above the Cube will rotate 90° to the right or left. The
arrows pointing in towards the cube will rotate 90° down into the screen.

6. Click on the various places on the View Cube to reorient your View

Note: Sometime a 3D View will get stuck. If the View is not locked, & the View Cube
doesn't respond, the only way to fix it, is to close out of the View. If the View is stuck,
the X in the upper right corner will probably not respond if you click it either. From the
Browser, double click any other view to make it active. Close the 3D view by clicking the X in
the 3D view’s title bar at the top of the drawing area (it will respond as long as the view is not
the current view), or from the View tab > Windows panel> choose Close inactive, this will
close your stuck View, along with any other Views you had open but were not showing in the
drawing area. Double click your View that was stuck from the Browser, & it should no longer
be stuck.

Scrolling & Moving around inside a 3D View

The ring around the bottom of the Cube is called the Compass. You may
have noticed that is can be turned off/on in the Context Menu.

7. Move your cursor over the compass until it turns blue. While it
is blue, press & hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse around.

This will allow you to rotate around the pivot point of the View, & stay vertical to the view.
By default, the pivot point will be the center of the View. To change the pivot point, select any
object in the View before using the compass & the selected object will become the new pivot
point.

Note: You may have noticed when you were using the View Cube to orient the View, that
it always displayed the full view. If you select an object before orienting to a view, the view will
focus in closely on the object instead of the full view.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1J

Unrestricted Movement
To be able to move without the limitation of the Compass, there are two ways to go. Place
your cursor anywhere over the view cube. Drag (press & hold down the left mouse button).
& move your mouse around, OR hold down the Shift key & right mouse button & you’re your
mouse around. This allows you to rotate freely and change the view angle. In may take
some practice to get good at moving around freely with the View Cube.

8. Move around your View using Drag. If you get too far out of the view, click
on Home (house icon above the Cube) to bring the View back into the
drawing area.

9. Select an object first & then Drag, to see how it behaves differently.

10. When you are finished, Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1K

1-1K Making New 3D Views, Deleting Views

1. Open your 1-1 Project file, if it is not already open

At the end of this section, you will be uploading your completed 1-1Project file as one of the
drawing assignments for this Module.

Making 3D Views from existing 2D Views

You have already made a new 3D View from the default 3D View in the previous section. In
this exercise, you will make more 3D Views by using the view settings from existing 2D
Views in the Project. When making new Views from the View Cube drop-down menu, it is
important to start with the default 3D View.
To make a new 3D View from Level 1 Floor Plan:

2. Open the default 3D View, from the QAT or the Browser

3. Right click on the View Cube, or click the drop-down Menu

4. Click Save View

5. Rename, 3D Level 1

6. Open the View Cube Menu again

7. Further down the Menu, click on Orient to View

8. Click the arrow on the Floor Plans fly out, & select Floor Plan: Level 1

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1K

The 3D Level 1 View will appear oriented from the Top, like it is in the floor plan

9. Click a corner on the View Cube to reorient the 3D View to an isometric view, or
open the Context Menu & choose Orient to a Direction, & pick a View from the list

The View will appear in Isometric. The extents (height, width, depth) of the view is controlled
by the settings in Level 1 Floor plan. The part of the View that is showing is inside a Section
box.
Revit Help Resource, Video: Using a Section Box
Note: If you want to be able to change the extents of this new 3D Level 1 plan, you may need to
turn on the Section box. If it is not showing, & it is checked in the Extents section of the Views
Properties, it could have been hidden in the view. To see what has been hidden in a View, click
the Light bulb icon in the View Control Bar. When it is activated, the light bulb icon & the
drawing area will have a magenta border, & any element that are hidden in the view will appear
in magenta also. Select a hidden element, right click in the screen & choose unhide, element
from the right click menu.

9. Repeat the step above to create new 3D Views from Level 2.

10. Repeat to create 2 3D section views from the Building Section &
Longitudinal Section views below the Sections (Building Sections) group, but

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1K

do not change the Section Views to Orthographic views. Add 3D in front of the
View names.

11. Save your drawing file.

Deleting Views that you no longer need

When working in Revit, it is very easy to create new views. You will want to create views that
only show the part of the model you are working with. There can be thousands of Views in a
Project. It is good practice to delete Views that you are finished with. When you delete a
View, you are NOT affecting any model objects, only a particular “window” looking into the
model & any annotation that has been added to the View.
12. Delete all Views in the Browser that you have not created. You can delete
them individually, or use Shift to select all Views in a Group. If you delete all the
Views in a Group, the Group will disappear. When you are finished, you should
only have one group, 3D Views, under the Views(all) folder at the top of the
Browser.
While Deleting Views, you will get warning messages, like the one below. Click OK to accept
the warning, or the View will not be able to be deleted.

13. To Delete a single View, Right click on a View in the Browser & choose Delete

14. To Delete all Views in a group, use a single left click to select a view, hold
down the shift key & select another view. This will select all views between the
2 you selected. Right click & choose Delete.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1K

When you are finished, your browser should look similar to the one below, with only one
grouping below Views

15. Save your project.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-1L

1-1L User Interface: Summary

• Revit has 2 types of files, Projects & Families. Project files contain all the organizational
information & knowledge of how the building elements work together & Family files contain
all the data to draw the Elements
• You can start or open a new Project (Model) from either the Home page or from the file tab
The file tab will allow you to save Revit files to other formats
• Revit program settings are accessed from the Options button at the bottom of the File tab
• QAT (Quick Access Toolbar) is located at the top left of the screen & is a quick way to get to
frequently used tools
• Tools can also be started with keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts can be added or
edited from the file tab→ options→ User Interface tab (or the same dialog box can be
accessed from the View tab→ User Interface panel)
• Click on the ? icon, in the Info center, to open Revit Online Help
• The Ribbon is organized by usage, in Tabs, Panels & Tools
• If a tool has a drop-down button, it has other options available besides the default tool
• To end a command, start a new one, EXCEPT if the tool has a Mode panel. In that case,
you must exit the tool by either checking the red x or green check mark in the mode panel.
This will end the tool & activate the Modify tool, which is the default tool.
• The Project Browser is where you can access all the Views in your Project. It is the Index for
everything in the Project.
• The active View will be in Bold in the Browser
• The Status Bar will give you tips about the current tool you are using or what you have
selected
• Every View has a View Control bar; The View Control bar is a quick way to get to some of
the View's settings
• Use the mouse wheel to navigate (Pan & Zoom) inside both 2D or 3D drawings
• Use the View Cube to navigate within a 3D drawing
• Besides all the preset View orientations available on the View Cube, you can also right click
the View Cube & drag to have complete freedom of movement within a 3D View
• To make new 3D Views from the View Cube, use the Context drop-down menu to Save &
rename the default 3D View
• When you delete a View, it has no effect on the Model

References
1. Revit Online Help, Get Started – User Interface
2. Revit On-line Help, Get Started, Essential Skills – Navigate – Essential Skill

Note: some of the Tool descriptions in this Module are taken directly from the User Interface
section of Revit Help

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing

User Interface Assignment

The assignment & quiz for this module are different that the rest. After this module, you will
have a Revit project to work in as you move through the module, which will be graded for
80% of the Module grade. The remaining quizzes are all 10 questions & worth 20% of the
module grade.

This module has a quiz worth 50% of the grade, & a couple of Revit files that will be graded
for the remaining 50%.

The Assignment for this Module has 3 Parts:

1. The first part is optional. If you want your interface to appear the same as the
screenshots in this course, you can uncheck Tabs & tools that we will not be using. If you
are working with your own computer, this will make it easier to follow along. If you are
working on a company computer, or one you share with another Revit user, the changes
suggested here may not be appropriate.

2. You will change the dimension setting in the Architectural Template file, so that it will
report dimensions to the 1/4” & Save-As, to use as the starting file for future
assignments. This will be graded. (10 points)

3. Your 1-1 (your initials).rvt that you worked in during this module will be graded as part of
this assignment. (40 points)

Part 1
1. Open Revit, if it is not already open
2. Start a New Model from the Architectural template
3. Click on the File tab
4. Click Options at the bottom
5. Open the General tab
6. At the bottom of the tab, in the View Options box, verify that the Default View
Discipline is set to Coordination. If it is not, change it so that it is.
7. Open the User Interface tab
8. Below Configure, Tools & Analyses: Uncheck the following tools, as we will not be
using them: (see image on next page)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing

Steel tab and tools

Structural analysis and tools
Systems tab: electrical tools
Piping analysis tools
Mass & Site Tab and Tools
Energy Analysis and tools

1. From the File Menu, "Save As" a Project. Rename "Architectural", Save in your
Assignments folder
2. Click on the Manage tab, Setting Panel, Project Units, OR type UN (Project Units
shortcut keys)
3.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing

The Project Unit dialog box will appear

4. Click on the length dimension below

format

The Format dialog box will appear

5. Click on the drop- down button,

below Rounding: & choose:
To the nearest 1/4"

6. Click OK twice to exit both dialog

boxes

7. Save the Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing

Your Architectural.rvt & 1-1 (your initials).rvt will be graded after the due time/date
for your group. Please make sure they are in your Assignments folder, as that is
where we will be looking for them to grade.

You can log on to Total Track to take Quiz 1-1. Remember, the Quizzes must be completed
before midnight on Wednesdays for the week it is due, as they will timeout & you will no
longer have access.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Workers, 1-2A

1-2A Modeling Simple & Complex Elements: Goals

Main Goals
To learn how to model both simple Revit elements and more complicated Revit elements that
have Sketch & Mode panels

Note: This in one of the longest Modules in the course. The goal is to get you able to start
modeling in Revit as soon as possible.

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Model walls, windows, & doors
• Use temporary dimensions to change the locations of objects
• Use various selection methods
• Model floor slabs, flat & sloped roofs, and shaft openings
• Use tools that include Sketch
• Use tools that have a Mode panel
• Explain what controls the display of datum elements
• Adjust a View by using Underlay, View Range, & V/G Overrides

You will be working in a Revit Project file as you work through the sections of this Module.

At the end of the Module:

• You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the
drawing assignment for this Module

• The Quiz for this Module will also be an uploaded project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2B

1-2B Modeling Walls

Placing Walls is a good way to starting using Revit tools. The wall tool will open a
contextual Panel in the Ribbon & the Options Bar. It is typical of how most of the tools that
create objects will work, so we will look at it in depth.
Revit Help Resource, Video: Create Walls

1. Open the Architectural.rvt file you created in Module 1-1, & saved in your
Assignments folder

It should open to the Level 1 Floor Plan view.

Note: You have probably noticed that you have extra Revit files in your Assignments
folder. Every time you save your Project, Revit automatically saves a backup copy, from the
last time you saved. The backup copies have a 4-digit number added to the file name. Once
you are certain that you will not need the backup copies, you can delete them. When you open
a file, make sure it is not a backup or it might not have as much work done in the file as you
are expecting.

2. From the File tab, Save-As, renaming the file 1-2 (your initials) & save
in the assignments folder

3. Start the Wall tool by typing wa, or clicking the Wall icon in the

Architectural tab→ Build Panel.

4.
You will see the Ribbon change to show the Modify | Place Wall tab at the right end, & the
Options Bar below the Ribbon. Everything to do with the Wall tool has a light green background.

The Draw Panel has several options for drawing walls: line, rectangle, circles, arcs, pick
an existing line & pick a plane to turn into a wall. The default active tool is the line, which is
why it has a blue background. When you choose different draw options, the Options Bar,
below the Ribbon, will change to provide the right options for each
draw tool.

The Rectangle option is good for drawing the exterior walls of a

building & the line tool is better for interior walls.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2B

5. Click the rectangle draw icon

The Options Bar has 2 drop-down menus to control the wall height & placement, and a few
other settings for drawing the walls, like drawing a chain of walls or offsetting from the
points you select on screen.

Drop-downs available on the Options Bar

If you click on Unconnected, all Levels in the building will be shown in the drop-down list.
You can pick a Level to have the wall go up to, or leave unconnected, & type in the wall
height in the box.
The Location line determines how the wall relates to the line you draw to place it; it also
determines where wall dimension lines originate.

All the settings on the Options Bar can also be set from Properties. The settings Autodesk
chose to display in the Options Bar for some tools, are general ones that need to be
adjusted when using the tool. When you select a tool, and the Options Bar activates, it is a
good idea to pay to attention to what is there.
attention to what is there.
The settings in the Options Bar are fine
for now.

6. Click two points on the screen to

place to place 4 walls, staying
inside the 4 Elevation Markers

The walls will still be active after the initial

placement, & their temporary dimensions
will be showing. Click on the temporary
dimensions & change the numbers to
change the overall lengths of the walls.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2B

7. Click on the dimension on the east wall, while it has a blue background, type 30. (for
30’)

8. the

Notice how you did not need to enter to set the 30' 0" dimension. As soon as you clicked on the
horizontal dimension, the 30' 0" dimension took effect and the tool was ready for the next input.
Revit always has an active command. If you start another tool, the door tool, for instance, the
26' 6" dimension would update, close the wall tool, & be ready to place a Door. To end a tool
when you are not ready to add more objects, click on Modify or type MD. Modify is the default
tool that puts you in selection mode.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2B

Note: You can also use the ESC key to end one tool & start the Modify tool. Click ESC
twice for most tools, including the wall tool. The 1st ESC will end the current action - in the
case of the wall tool, it will deselect the walls that are active & be ready to place more walls.
The 2nd ESC will then end the Wall tool & activate the Modify tool.

9. Click Modify, type md, or click ESC twice.

The walls will no longer be active & the temporary dimensions will disappear.

Revit Dimensions
The format for typing dimensions in Revit is in feet. The foot symbol (') and the inch symbol
(") are not necessary. The hyphen (-) between feet & inches is not used; leave a space
between feet and inches, instead of typing a hyphen.
Here are examples of the formats Revit will accept:

• For 3 feet - type 3 or 36" or 0 36

• For 6 inches - type .5 or 6" or 0'6 or 0 6
• For 3 feet six inches - type 3'6 or 3.5 or 3 6 or 42" or 0 42
• For 3 feet six and one quarter inches - type 3'6.25 or 3 6.25 or 3 6 1/4 or 42.25" or 0 42.25
or 0 42 1/4

10. Save your 1-2 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2C

1-2C Modeling Doors and Windows

1. Open your 1-2 project file, if it is not already open

Drawing Doors
2. From the Architectural tab→ Build Panel, click the Door icon, or type DR

Notice the contextual tab for Doors does not have Draw tools like it does for walls; it only has
tools to Load Families & Place Tags. The Options Bar displays, but the settings are Greyed
out. The door settings in the Options Bar will only be available if you have selected the Place
Tags tool.
With the Door tool activated, when you move your cursor into the drawing area, it will have
the no symbol attached to the cursor until you are close enough to a wall that it can place
the door in. You cannot place a free-standing door into the model; it has to have a wall to
host it. This is typical Revit behavior.

3. Place a door in the southern wall; the side of the wall you are closest to when
you click will have the swing.

4. Use the space bar to flip the door before placing, or use the flip grips
to adjust the door after it is placed if necessary.
5. Use the temporary dimensions to center it in the wall
6. Place another door in the east wall. Use the temporary dimensions to
move it up so it is somewhere close the north end of the wall, or just use
the move grip to drag it up the wall.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2C

7. Save your project

Drawing Windows
1. Click on the Architectural tab→ Build panel→ Window tool, or type wn

The Window tool settings are identical to the door tool settings. Windows place exactly like
doors. The grips will flip which side of the wall the glass is closest to.

2. Place a couple of windows in the south wall

Make a 3D Working View

As you work in Revit, you will often want to see your work in a couple of Views at the same
time. If you have the screen space, you can tile 2 (or more) Views side-by-side to get a better
picture of what you are doing. If you don't have the screen space, you can use the Switch
Windows tool in the QAT, to quickly switch back & forth between different Views, or simple

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2C

click on the title bar of a different open view at the top of the drawing area, to make it the
current open View.
To make a working 3D View:

3. From the QAT, click on the default 3D View icon

4. In the Browser, right click on the {3D) View, below the 3D View
grouping, & choose rename. Name the new view 3D Working.
While it is not important to this exercise to rename the view, it is a good habit to rename
views when you make new ones, unless the new view is temporary. In that case, it is
important that you delete it when you are through with it. Revit has a lot of organization built
into it; naming Views is one task that you have to do manually.

5. To see your two open views side-by-side, type wtza. That is the shortcut keys for
Tile Windows followed by Zoom All.
The Level 1 Floor Plan view is not as zoomed in as close as it could be because the
Elevation Markers are defining the extents of the view. You can hide the Elevation Markers to
zoom in closer to the model. The 3D view is currently the active view. When you have multiple
views open on the screen, the active View will have a darker blue title bar. To switch the
active view:

6. Click anywhere on the title bar or within the Level 1 floor plan view; the Title
Bar for Level 1 will darken & the view will become active

7. The Windows tool is the last tool used, so it should still be active. Click
Modify to make it the active tool so you can select objects
8. Click a spot above & to the left one of the elevation markers, hold you
mouse button down & drag down & right to make a box around the elevation
marker. this will select the whole marker, not just a part of it.
9. Right click, choose Hide in View→Category. This will hide all Elevation Markers in the
View

10. Type za and the view will zoom in closer now that there are no Elevation
Markers

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2C

Placing Windows in a 3D View

You must start modeling a building in a Plan view, where the exact placement of elements
can be controlled. Elements will be hosted by the level of the plan view, to determine their
height placement. Once you have elements placed, that can either be connected to, or used
to control the location of other elements, you can place new elements in a 3D view. Since
you already have walls in the 3D view that can host the windows, you can add windows in
the 3D view.

11. Click the Title Bar or inside the 3D view to activate it

12. Place a few Windows in the 3D view, so each wall has 2 windows.

Use the View Cube to reorient the view to help place windows. A blue dashed line will
appear when you have your cursor close to the default sill elevation for the window. Click to
place the windows when the blue dashed line is on the screen. The window elevation will be
set once you click to place it. Temporary dimensions are available while placing & will still be
there after placement, (while the window is still active) so you can use them to move the
windows horizontally in the wall if you like.

13. Save your 1-2 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

1-2D Selection and Modification

Select & Modify

1. Open your 1-2 project, if it is not open

2. Open Level 1 Floor Plan & 3D Working views side-by-side

In this section you will add more walls & doors to the interior of the building. You will learn
about the different ways you can select elements so that you can modify them.
Start by lowering the exterior walls to make it easier to see into the building in the 3D view.

Chain Selection
Chain selection uses the tab key & will select objects that are connected end to end. This is
extremely useful when selecting duct runs, but in this case, you can use it to select all
exterior walls at one time.

3. In either view, hover your cursor over a wall until it highlights, then
press the Tab key. If all 4 walls do not highlight, press the Tab key again,
until they do. When all 4 walls are highlighted, click your mouse to select
them.
When you hover over an object & it highlights, it is called pre-selection. The highlight will let
you know what will be selected if you continue & click. In a very congested project, this is a
necessary feature. Each click of the Tab key works to scroll through objects that are close
together, & change what per-selects. Each click of the Tab key will move you to another
object, or in the case of the walls, a chain of walls. When the object(s) you want to select are
highlighted, click to select them.

4. With all 4 walls selected, in Properties, click

on Unconnected next to Top Constraint

5. A drop-down arrow will appear. Click on the arrow

& click on "Up to Level 2". Move your mouse away
from Properties & you can see the walls will be lower
in the 3D view.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

To add a few interior walls:

6. In the Floor plan view, start the wall command

7. Choose the line tool from the Draw Panel, & "Up to Level 2" in the drop-down
of the Options Bar

8. Place a vertical wall on the left side of the door & another wall or two to
divide the left side of the building in to a few offices.

Your building may look something like the image below

Keyboard and Mouse Selection

Revit help has a video Selection: Essential Skill (2:20) that explains how to use the Modify tool
options to select elements in a model.

When the Modify tool is active:

• a Click on an object will select it. You must click on one of the lines that define the
element, not inside it. The default is one element at a time, so if you click on
something else, the 1st element will no longer be selected. To deselect an element,
click on any empty space, & you will select "nothing", clearing any previous selection.
• Control Key – to select more than one element, hold down the control key while making
additional selections
• Shift Key – hold down the Shift key to deselect an item without losing the others

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

selected
• Pre-selection – hover over an object until it highlights. Press the Tab key to cycle
through objects that are very close. When the object you want highlights, Click to select
• Selection box – right to left, solid rectangle, will select whatever is completely
within the rectangle. With the Modify tool active, click the 1st point & drag to the 2nd
point. If you just click the 1st point without dragging, you will only have selected the
1st point
• Selection Box – left to right, dashed rectangle, but will select everything partially
within the box
• Chain Select – hover over an object & press the Tab key to select all objects attached
end to end (like a wall).
• The default action- when an element has been selected is Drag. If you hover your
cursor near a selected element, the Move grips will appear. As long as the grips are
displayed, you can move the element by dragging to a different location. If you do not
want to move very far, you might have to drag further than you want to activate the
move & then bring the mouse back to where you want it, or scroll in close, which will
change the snap increments.
• Nudge - When element(s) are selected, you can use the keyboard arrow keys to
Nudge them in the four arrow directions. The further zoomed into the drawing area,
the small the nudge increment
• Space Bar - the space bar will rotate some elements while they are being placed, or
afterwards, when they are selected

Note: The goal of this exercise is not for everyone to draw identical
buildings, but for you to explore the various drawing & modification tools.
The more things you try, the more your building will look different from the
examples shown, which is perfectly fine.

9. Use some of the selection tools above to modify your building:

• Try enlarging the building by moving the exterior walls out with Grips
• Try moving doors or walls around with Nudge

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

Modify tool, Selection Options

There are controls to limit the type of objects that can be selected. Below the Modify button, is
a Selection drop-down menu

The Menu options are also available on the right end of the Status Bar. Each of the icons
corresponds to the check boxes in the Select drop-down. If the box is not checked, the icons
will have a red X, signifying they are off.

For example, if the push pin icon has a red X, you will not be able to select any object that
has been pinned. Normally, you will pin an object if you do not want to accidentally move it,
so it makes good sense to not be able to select it. If you decide you need to move an object
that has be pinned, you will need to toggle off the red X on the icon, or check the box in front
of
"Select pinned elements" in the Modify panel drop-down.

All selection options should be turned off (have a Red X), and only turned on if you need them
for a specific command. We will go over the other icons when we come to a place where you
can use them. If you want to find out more about what each option does now, check out Revit
Help video, Option to Control Element Selection

4. Save your 1-2 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

Tools for changing things

Revit has basic Modification tools on the Modify Panel of the Ribbon that you will find in all
CAD programs. It also has some tools unique to Revit to help make modifications. We will at
look some of these in this section, starting with the Type Selector.

The Type Selector

The Type Selector is located at the top of the Properties palette. When any object is
selected, the Type selector will display the Family the object belongs to, & the Type. It can
be used to change the type of any object selected to any other type of the same category of
object (walls, doors, etc.) that are currently loaded into the project.

So far, we have just placed whatever Walls, doors &

windows showed up as the default. The wall type we
have been using is Basic Wall - Generic 8”.

1. To change the interior walls from 8” thick to 5”, select the interior walls
(use a right to left crossing box, or hold down the Control key while
adding to the selection).

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

2. With the interior walls selected, click on the Type Selector - you can click
anywhere within the Type Selector box

3. You will see a list of all wall types available in the project. Select Generic - 5”

4. Move your mouse back out into the screen. You will notice the interior
walls are now thinner. (Reminder: you do not have to click Apply in
Properties)

5. Save your 1-2 Project

Changing Object locations with Temporary dimensions

Earlier in this Module, you saw how temporary dimensions can be used to help you place an
object. Once objects have been placed, the temporary dimensions can still be used to move
them. Whatever object is selected is the object that will move.
To experience how this works, you will use the temporary dimensions to change an outer
corner room in your building, so the interior dimensions are 9'-0" x 9'-0".

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

6. Select the Interior vertical wall (your dimension will likely be different than
below)

Notice on the image above, there are several Grips (Grips are always blue).

The Flip Grip at the bottom is exactly like the window or door grips; they will flip the wall
orientation from inside to outside. (You will not notice a difference on the selected wall,
because it was placed center line)
The blue dot end Grip at the top of the wall can be used to shorten or lengthen the vertical wall
The blue dot Grips in the center of the Temporary Dimension witness lines can be used to
change what the dimension is locked to. You can drag the grip in the center of the wittiness to
another element, another wall, window, etc. to change where the dimension is being pulled
from. If you click on the witness line grip, it will toggle a dimension change from the center,
outside or inside of the wall.

7. Click both witness line grips of the temporary dimensions, until the dimension
shown is to the inside of both walls

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

8. Once the witness lines are to the inside of the room, click on the dimension text
& type 9 (for 9’)

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

Note: If you move a wall into a door or window, you will get a Warning message, like in the
lower right corner of the image below. Warning dialog boxes have a yellow background, and can
be ignored; you can continue & the dialog box will disappear. It is a good idea to pay attention to
any warning dialog boxes that appear. They will warn you if something needs fixing. In the case
below, it is warning you that you have moved the wall into a window. Select the window & use
the move grips or Nudge to slide it out of the wall.

Repeat this process, to move the horizontal wall of the office so the interior of the office
measures 9'-0"x9'-0"

9. Select the horizontal interior office wall

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2D

10. Toggle the witness grips of the temporary dimensions to the inside of the wall
11. Change the dimension text to 9'-0"
If this causes the wall to move into the window in your plan, use the nudge keys to move the
window out of the wall.

Window selected & moved north, to fix conflict

12. Repeat the steps above to change the other corner room of your building to
9’-0” x 9’-0” I.D. also

13. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2E

1-2E Modify Tab, Modify Panel

The Modify Panel has all the standard tools you might be familiar with from other CAD
programs, like Move, Copy, Rotate, Mirror & Align. We will not be getting to Fabrication duct
for a little while, but we will look at the Modify panel tools, focusing on the ones that are
useful & work on Fabrication Duct. If you would like more information on a particular tool, the
easiest way to get it is to hover over a tool and wait until the tool tip appears. If that is not
enough information, hit the F1 key.

Extra Exercise, in the Starting files folder is a file named 1-2E Modify.rvt It has
fabrication ducts that need to be moved, copied, rotated, etc. It is a way to explore these
tools with Fabrication ductwork. If you choose to do the exercise, reference the descriptions
below for how each tool works.

Tools on the Modify Panel

Below are descriptions of how to use the tools.

Align

This is one of the Modify tools that you should select before selecting objects. It works on
center lines of ducts, not their sides.

• Click Align or type AL

• pick a line on the permanent object you want to align to
• pick a line on the object you want to move
The align command will still be active, so you could continue picking another line & then
picking what moves to it. To exit the tool, start another tool, or click Modify, or type MD,
or click Esc once.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2E

Offset

Offset can be used to either Move or Copy, depending on whether Copy is checked in the
Options Bar. The distance for the option is also set from the Options bar. It works with the
center line of ducts.
• Select an element
• Click on Offset or type OF
• Set the distance & check Copy, if you are copying, in the Options Bar
• Hover over the element you wish to move until a blue dash line appears on the
side you want to offset. You need to favor a side for the dashed line to appear.

The Offset command will still be active, so you could continue offsetting, To exit the tool,
start another tool, or click Modify, or type MD, or click Esc once.

Mirror - Pick Axis

Use this mirror command when there is already a line you want to mirror off of.
• Select element to mirror
• Activate Mirror- Pick Axis (MM)
• Select mirror line
•
The tool will end & Modify will become the active tool

Mirror - Draw Axis (DM)

This works like the above Mirror except instead of picking a Mirror line, you have to pick the
starting & ending points of a line to mirror off of.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2E

Split Element

This is a useful tool for modify Ducts. Revit likes Duct to stay connected whenever possible.
This tool will break a duct so a section can be moved or deleted without moving the rest of
the duct run. Spit element is designed to break an element in 2 places & delete the section
between the points. On walls, it works the way it was designed. On ducts, it doesn't delete
the middle section. The way to use it on Ducts:

• Active the Split element (SL)

• click a point on a duct you want broken
• continue to click other points on any other ducts you want to break, If you only want
to break one point, or when you are finished breaking ducts, click on empty space &
the tool will end & Modify will become the active tool

Split with Gap t

This tool does not work on Ducts. It will split an element with one click, leaving a gap. The
gap distance is set in the Options Bar. It is used for breaking a wall up into panels.

Pin and Unpin

Pinning an element keeps you from moving it. If there are elements in the drawing area that
have been pinned, the Unpin tool will have a red X on it; if there are no elements pinned,
Unpin will be grayed out.

To Pin an element, select it & click Pin or type PN. To Unpin an element, you must first allow
them to be selected. If the Pin Icon in the Bar on the lower right corner of your screen has a
red X on it (as it should) you cannot select Pinned elements. Toggle the X off, & you will be
allowed to select Pinned elements, or used the Drop-down button on Select (below the
Modify too) to place a check in front of "Select pinned elements".

Once a pinned element is selected, the Pushpin icon will appear on the screen. You can
either unpin it by clicking the icon in the drawing area, or clicking the tool in the Ribbon, or
typing UP.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2E

Move

Gives you more control than Drag. The Options Bar has 2 settings you can check, Constrain &
Disjoin selection. Constraint will only move 90° vertically or horizontally; to override the
control, hold down the Shift key. Disjoin selection will allow you to move a piece of duct out of
a run, without moving the run it is connected to.
• Select the element(s) to be moved
• Activate the Move tool, (MV)
• Click a base point to move from, it does not have to be on the object that is moving
• Move your cursor in the direction you would like to move, type in the amount you want
to move, in feet & enter to move OR use the temporary dimensions & click when the
dimension matches the distance you would like to move OR move your cursor to the
location you want to move to & click to place.

Move is not a repeating tool, so once you have moved something, the active tool will revert to
Modify.

Copy

Copy is very similar to Move. On the Options Bar, Disjoin selection is grayed out; copy will
disjoin selected elements automatically (it will only copy what you have selected). Multiple
copies is able to be checked.
• Select what you want to copy
• activate the Copy tool (CO)
• pick the base point
• pick another point, or type in the distance, or use the temp dimensions.
if you have Multiple copies checked on the Options bar, the command continues until you
activate a different tool, or hit Esc, (activating Modify)

Rotate

The Space bar will rotate most objects 90°about its insertion point. You can set the angle &
change the rotation point with the Rotate tool.
• Select the element(s) to be rotated
• Active the Rotate tool (RO)
• The Options bar appears, where you can set Disjoin, Copy & Angle. You can also set
the angle in the drawing area.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2E

• The rotation point will appear as a blue dot on the element. To change the rotation point,
drag the dot to another location, or click Place on the Options Bar & click a new place for
the rotation point
• click a point to start the rotation ray, (generally straight to the right)
• dimensions & click when the degree on the screen is correct, OR type in the degree
you want to rotate & enter
• the tool will end & Modify will become active after you set the degrees

Array

Array will work with Duct, but as it is not commonly used, we will not get into it here. Check
the Revit help from the tool for more info.

Scale

You cannot use the scale tool on Fabrication duct.

Trim/Extent to Corner, Trim/Extend Single Element & Trim/Extend

Multiple Elements

The Trim/Extend tools will work on Fabrication duct, but Fabrication has better tools that do
the same job, so we will not explore how they work with ducts. We will use Trim/Extend to
Corner on walls later on in Part 2.

Delete

Select the elements to be deleted & type DE or click the Red X

As with the other tools, you can active Delete before selecting the element(s), but you will
need to click Enter after making your selection, which adds an extra step.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2F

1-2F Add to the Project

The Selection Filter

Revit has a Filter to allow you to filter elements by Category. You can make a selection box
around the whole model, & filter so that you select all Mechanical Equipment, or only the
Air Terminal, for example. When you have multiple elements selected, the Selection
Contextual Panel will display in the Ribbon. The Filter icon looks like a funnel. For
convenience, the filter is also available in the lower right corner on the status bar.

1. Open your 1-2 Project file, if it is not already open

2. Using a selection box, select everything in your drawing

area

3. Select the Filter, either from the Ribbon, or the lower

right corner of your screen

You can click "Check None" to clear the selection boxes, or uncheck the boxes to clear
them one at a time. The dialog will let you know how many items of each Category you
have selected, & also give you a total of all elements selected at the bottom of the box, & at
the bottom of the screen, next to the filter icon.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2F

4. Uncheck everything but Windows & click OK at the bottom. The dialog box will
close & all windows will be selected

5. Click on the Type Selector. There is only one Window family loaded into
this Project named Fixed, but it has several types (sizes). Choose the 16"x
48" type

If you hover over a type, you will get a preview, when you click to select it, & move your cursor
out of Propteries, you will notice the windows in your project are now all very narrow

Change the Visual Style of the View

The Visual Style can be changed in the Properties or
on the View Control Bar. Click the icon on the View
Control Bar & you will see there are 6 visual styles
available. You can tell which style the current view is
using by which icon is in the View Control Bar. In the
image to the right, the view was set to Hidden line, as
your view most probably is too.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2F

You will change the exterior wall to a different wall Type. To visually see the walls change,
change the 3D View to Shaded first.

6. Activate the 3D view

7. Click the Visual Styles icon on the View Control Bar, & change to Shaded

8. Chain select the exterior wall. (hover over an exterior wall & tap the
Tab key, click when all 4 walls are highlighted).

9. Click on the Type Selector, scroll down to the

bottom & choose "Exterior – Brick over CMU w
Metal Stud"

10. Move your mouse back into the screen & the
change will take place. If the brick is to the
interior of the walls, select the walls & use the
flip grips to correct it, or right click & choose
Change Wall’s Orientation.

11. Save your 1-2 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2F

Practice Exercise
To get some practice with the tools you have just learned, we will draw 2 more small buildings

1. Select the building you just finished working on & move it to the
left, closer to the West Elevation marker, to allow room to place 2 more
small buildings to the right of it.
2. Model 2 more sets of exterior walls, to the right of the one you have. Keep
them unconnected (On the Options Bar) so they will be 20’ high. Size is
unimportant, just stay between the Elevation Markers
3. Use the temporary dimension to make sure there is at least 15’ between
each of the buildings and the building on the right is at least 44' wide, east to
west
Your Floor plan view should look something like below, although your buildings will be
different sizes and the spacing will also be different.

4. Place 2 doors in each of the new buildings & 2 windows in each of the new
walls, anywhere you would like. Use the Type Selector, if you want to change
the Door or Window sizes
If you hide the Elevation markers in the Level 1 Floor Plan View, the View will Zoom in closer.

5. Click a spot above & to the left one of the elevation markers, hold your
mouse button down & drag down & right to make a box around the elevation
marker. this will select the whole marker, not just a part of it.
6. Right click, choose Hide in View→Category. This will hide all Elevation Markers in
the View
7. In the 3D View, you can select both Levels, & use the right click menu to
hide them also.
8. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2F

Hiding by Element or by Category

When you select an element & choose the Hide in View tool from the right click menu, you
have 3 options, Hide by Element, Category or By Filter...

• If you choose Elements, it will only affect your current selection.

• If you choose Category it will turn off the visibility of all elements of the same category in
the view.
• We will look at Filters later on in Part 3

The Right click menu provides a convenient way to get to tools. If you choose Hide in View>
Category, from the right click menu, what you have done is the same thing as if you edited the
Visual/Graphics of the View. With nothing selected in the floor plan, the Properties will show
View propertie

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2F

Visibility/Graphic Overrides (VG or VV)

V/G Overrides are crucial in allowing a full set of plans to be generated from a single
model. The Model & Annotation tabs control Categories of elements. Filters allow for more
refinement. By controlling what is displayed & how it looks per View, we can make Duct
Shop drawings, Hanger placement drawings, Insert drawings, Slab Edge drawings,
Installation drawings & As-builts all from the same model.

9. Click the Edit... across from Visibility/Graphic Overrides or type VG or

VV to open the dialog box
The V/G Overrides dialog box has tabs across the top. We will only pay attention to the first
two for now, Model & Annotation

10. Click on the Annotation Tab.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2F

Below the Tabs, there is a discipline filter. You can limit the
items displayed in the list by discipline. For example, if you
were working in a Mechanical project & wanted to turn on
the Mechanical Equipment tags, if this filter only had
Architectural or Structural checked, your tags would not
appear in the list. The list can get very long without a filter
in use. In the dialog box above, Architectural is the only
discipline checked, & the scroll bar on the right indicates
that only about one quarter of the tags are being shown at
a time.

There are three things that can be controlled by category for annotation elements; Visibility,
Projection/Surface lines & halftone.

• Below Visibility are the Categories. If they are unchecked, they will be hidden. Notice
the Elevation category is unchecked. That is because you turned it off when you used
Hide by Category. If a Category has a + sign in front of the box (like dimensions), it has
parts that can be controlled separately.
• Projection/Surface lines - if you click in this box, you can override the line weight or
color of all lines (not text) that are a part of a Tag. If a box is grayed out, it can not be
overridden.
• Halftone, you can force a tag to show faded out.

If you look at the Model Tab, you will see there are more options for displaying how the
lines look for model elements. Also, you can control the detail level by element, which
overrides the view setting in the View Control Bar. We will look at the V/G Overrides for
Model elements later in Part 2.
At the bottom of the dialog box is a link to open Object Styles. If categories do not have any
overrides, they will be drawn by the settings in Object Styles. Object Styles can also be
accessed from the Manage Tab.

11. Click OK at the bottom of the dialog box to exit. If you made changes in the
V/G Overrides dialog box, do not save (as long as you saved after hiding the
Elevation Markers), or use the Undo command to get back to where you were
before, & then save.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2G

1-2G Modeling Complex Elements – Floor Slabs

Note: Detailers can use Floor slabs to model Equipment pads.

1. Open your 1-2 Project, if it is not open.

2. Tile the Level 1 floor plan & the 3D Working view side-by-side if they are not.

Add Floor Slabs

Floors, ceilings, & floor openings are all tools that involve multiple steps. Tools that require
multiple steps have a “mode” panel. The Mode panel has a red X , & a green Check

mark You cannot exit a tool with a Mode panel, without clicking on one or the other.
Tools with Modes are the only tools that cannot be ended by starting a new tool. (Although,
you
can still use Undo to back out of the tool) For beginner users, if you get stuck, & the
program will not let you do anything, check if there is a green tab at the right end of the
Ribbon, & if so, click on it to see if there is a Mode panel that has not been exited.

Floors, ceilings, & floor openings all have a sketch mode; the tools will require you
to define a closed line sketch before you can apply the tool to it.

3. Make Level 1 the active view.

4.To place a floor in the 1st building on the left, From the Architectural Tab→
Build Panel→ Floor.

The contextual Ribbon will appear. Boundary Lines & Pick Walls are the default tools
(blue background). The Draw Panel looks similar to the wall draw panel, except it also has
Pick Walls as an additional option. The default options will work for this exercise. The
extent into wall (core) is checked on the Options Bar, which is also fine for our purposes.

Notice the Level 1 floor plan is faded out; this is because it has entered sketch mode.

5. Zoom into Level 1 Floor plan & select all four walls of the 1st building.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2G

4. Click on the green check mark to finish placing the first floor slab.

The floor slab will be highlighted (selected) until you click on nothing in the screen or start
another command. Notice in the image above, you can see in the doorways that the slab is
to the middle of the walls because this is a complicated wall type.

6. Repeat the process above to place a floor in the middle building. Because
the middle building has a simple wall type, the floor slab will place to either
the inside or outside of the wall. If you are nearer the outside of the wall when
you click to select it, it will draw to the outside, which is what we want. A
magenta sketch line will appear to let you know where the slab will be placed.
Use the Flip grips if the sketch line is to the inside of the wall.
7. Save your Project

There are times, you may not want the floor to be defined by the walls, while drawing a
mezzanine for instance, or drawing a slab for a Mechanical Equipment pad. For the 3rd
building, use a different sketch command to draw in the floor.

8. Start the floor command.

While in the line sketch command, you can click the Esc key twice to stop drawing lines,
which will allow you to select & edit lines that have already been placed (you don’t have to
place your lines perfectly at first) All the Modify tools will work on sketch lines.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2G

If you need to add more lines after you have edited some, click on the line tool from the
draw panel again. You must have a closed loop in order for the floor to place itself. The
Trim/Extend to Corner tool in the Modify panel works well to make sure you have a closed
loop.

When you have a sketch the way you want it, click the green check mark in the Mode panel
to finish & exit the floor tool. If you do not have a closed loop, you will get a warning & the
place that has the problem will be highlighted on the screen, so you can go back and fix it
before clicking the check mark again.

9. Use the line command to draw in something similar

to what is shown to the right, with a pad extending
outside the building. Move in close to the walls, so
you can see that you are drawing to the wall exterior.
Edit the sketch once it is initially placed, using the
temporary dimensions to center the pad on the front
of the building.

10. Save your Projec

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2G

Editing a Floor Slab

To change a floor slab once it is placed, you must edit the sketch. To select the floor
directly in the view, you must select it by its linework. If this is hard to do with the Tab key,
you can use the Filter tool, or enable Select by Face, from the Select Options bar. With
Select by Face enabled, you will be able to click anywhere on the surface of the slab to
select it.

When you select a floor, the Modify|Floor contextual tab appears. It has an Edit Boundary
button on the Mode panel that will put you back into sketch mode

1. Select the floor of the middle building, by using the Tab key, the Filter tool,
or Select by Face tool.
If you do use the Select by face tool, be sure to disable it again after you have selected the
floor.

2. Click on the Edit Boundary button in the contextual tab.

The sketch mode appears. Click on the center of a boundary line to move it, or click on an end
to change its length. Either move the sketch lines to create a partial mezzanine floor only, or
drag it out to create a porch slab in front of the building. Do something more complex if you
like. If you add rectangles or circles inside the slab, or any other enclosed sketch, they will
become cutouts. The below image shows the middle building edited to have the slab extent
past the front for a porch.

3. Edit the slab

4. When you are finished editing it, click the green check mark to finish & exit
the Floor tool.

5. Save

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2G

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2H

1-2H Modeling Flat Roofs

Note: It is important to open the Floor Plans, NOT the Ceiling Plans.
You will not see the doors or windows in the Ceiling Plans. You will not be
needing the Ceiling plans for this Project, so if you want to delete them, go
right ahead.

Adding a Flat Roof

Roofs are very similar to floors. In fact, if you want a flat roof, you could use the floor tool.
The only difference is the draw direction. The default location for the floor tool starts the
slab at the floor level & goes down, while the roof tool starts the slab at the floor level line
& draws the slab above the level. Building 1 should have a flat roof.

1. Open your 1-2 Project file, if it is not already open

2. Close all views, except Level 2 floor plan & the default 3D view. Type wtza,
to display both side- by-side

Datum Elements
In the Level 2 floor plan, you will see the Elevation Markers are there that you turned off in
the Level 1 Floor plan. Elevation Markers are datum elements, just as Sections, Grid lines,
Elevations lines & work planes. Unless datum elements have been hidden, they will appear
in any 2D view where they cross through the view plane. If they run parallel to the view they
won’t show; for instance, you cannot see the Levels in a plan view. An Elevation marker can
point to up to 4 elevation views, if all 4 sides have arrow lines pointing out. Datum elements
(except Levels starting in the 2019 version) cannot be displayed in 3D views.

3. Turn off the visibility of the Elevation Markers in the Level 2 floor plan & type
wtza again

Underlay
Notice how the 1st floor slabs, that are not covered up by walls, are showing in the Level 2
plan halftone (greyed out). You normally should not be able to see elements that are not
located on the level you are looking at. The reason you see the 1st floor slabs & interior

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2H

walls of Building 1 on Level 2 is because the Level 2 plan has the Level 1 plan showing as
an Underlay.

Revit help has a 2-minute video Create an Underlay

An Underlay can be very useful, it will allow you to see the steel & walls on the floors below,
or above. If you are drawing duct that goes through the floor slab, an underlay can help you
place the duct to miss the steel & walls. A Underlay will always appear halftone. You will not
be able to select an underlay if the selection option "Select Underlay Elements" is disabled.
If it is enabled, you will only be able to select one underlay element at a time.

If you scroll into the Level 2 Floor Plan View, you will notice that Building 1 (on the left), is all
greyed out. This is because we changed the walls to only go up to Level 2. If we turn off the
Underlay, Building 1 will not show at all in this view. We are going to put a flat roof on
Building 1, so first, we can extend the walls up 4' from Level 2 to form a parapet. This will
allow 4'-0" of wall to show in the Level 2 View.

4. Open the Level 1 Floor Plan View.

5. Chain select the 4 walls of Building 1.

6. In Properties, across from Top Offset, type 4 to add 4'-0" to the top of the
wall, move away from Properties to see the change take affect

7. Close out of the Level 1 Floor Plan View

You should be back to the screen with Level 2 & the Working 3D view side-by-side. If you
scroll in close, you can see the darker wall lines on Building 1, & you will now be able to
select the walls.

Now that the walls of Building 1 will not disappear, the

Underlay can be turned off. Underlay has its own section
in Properties of floor plans, the 2nd section, below
Graphics.

8. With the Level 2 plan active, in Properties,

scroll down to the Underlay section. Across from
Range: Base Level, you will see Level 1. Click on
Level 1, & a down arrow will display with other
options. Click none from the list, so the View will
have no underlay.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2H

Model a Flat Roof

9. Start the Roof command.

The default draw option is select walls, just as it was for Floor Slabs. In the Options Bar,
there is a check box for Defines Slope. If this box is checked the roof will have pitch.

10. Uncheck Defines Slope in the Options Bar

11. The roof will be placed the same as you did for the Level 1 floor, select all
4 walls & check the green check mark to exit the roof tool

Checking a Project's Levels

To see how many Levels a Project has & the spacing between floors, look at an Elevation
View ( or section view, it there are any in you project). The image below is of the East
Elevation.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2H

1. Double click one of the Elevations below the Elevations Section in the
Browser, to open an Elevation View

The Architectural template used to start this project has two Levels, 10' 0" apart. You can
change the spacing of the levels from an Elevation view or Section View. You only have to
be in a View where you can see the dimension between levels in order to be able to
change it.

2. Select the Level 2 line (not the text or level head

symbol)

Temporary Dimensions will show up, when they are activated, they
will be blue

3. Click on the 10'-0" dimension between Level 1 & Level

2, type 14

4. Click away on nothing to deselect the dimension

The dimension will update to 14'-0"

While you are still in the Elevation view, change the Level 2 text to Roof

5. Scroll in close enough to select the Level 2 text at the end of the Level
line. The Line should still be selected, if it is not, you may have to select the
Level line & then the Level text.

6. Change the text to Roof

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2H

When you move away & click on blank space to deselect the level text, you will get this
message:

This is asking if you would like any Views that are currently named Level 2 to be Named Roof
instead.

7. Click Yes. Look in the Browser & you will now see that the Level 2 floor
plan is now named Roof

8. Close the Elevation View

Back in the 3D view, you can see that the Roof of Building 1 has moved up from 10"0" to
14' 0". There is still 4' of wall above the roof level, because the Top Offset parameter is set
from the Level, so the walls of Building 1 moved up to stay 4'
-0" from the Level we are now calling Roof.

9. In either the 3D view or floor plan, hover your cursor over one of the
exterior walls of the middle building & tap the Tab key

10. When all 4 exterior walls are high-lighted, click to select

11. In Properties, under the Constraints section, change

the Unconnected Height from 20' 0" to 16' 0" (type 16)

Move your cursor away from Properties & you will see the walls
shorten in the 3D view

12. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2J

1-2J Modeling Sloped Roofs

Create a Sloped Roof

If you have a project to detail that has a sloped roof, & you do not have the Architectural
files for the building, knowing how to model the slope will really help you get it right,
especially if you have to support & seismic brace equipment from above.
You can also watch Revit On-Line help's Modeling: Essential Skills Video to see how a
sloped roof is added.

1. Open your 1-2 Project, if it is not already open

2. Tile the 3D view & the Roof floor plan view side-by-side.

The Roof Tool

Place a roof on the building to the right:

3. Activate the roof tool. From the Architectural Tab→ Build Panel→
Roof by Footprint (default) tool.

If the 3D view or Level 1 (instead of Roof level) is current when you start the roof command,
you will get a warning asking if you would like to place the Roof on Roof level, say yes)

If the 3D view is your active View, click inside the Roof plan to make it the active view. You
can place a Roof in the 3D view, but it is easier to see what you are doing in the floor plan
view.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2J

The Draw panel for Roofs looks identical to the Draw panel for Floors. The Boundary line &
Pick Wall tools are already selected by default.

The Option Bar is different though, & needs to be paid attention to. If the box in front of Defines
Slope is checked when you select a wall, the roof above it will slope up at whatever pitch you
define after placing it or 9/12 by default. If you want a roof overhang, it should be set here also

4. Check the Defined Slope box & set the overhang to 2’ 0" (type 2).

5. Hover over the east wall of the building. When the dashed blue line,
representing the overhang offset, is to the outside, click to select the wall. (if
you click with the overhang to the inside of the building, use the flip grips). Notice the
slope icon, with 9/12 next to it, shows up. If you wanted a different slope you could
change it on screen or in the Properties when the boundary line is selected. 9/12 slope
will be fine for this exercise.

6. Select the West wall when the dashed line is to the outside of the
building, The line will turn magenta when it is placed

7. Uncheck the box in front of "Defines slope" in the Options bar

8. Click on both north & south walls to finish selection walls, & create a closed
loop

9. Click the green check mark to finish & exit the Roof tool

10. You will get a message that asks if you want to connect the walls to the roof,
say Yes.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2J

In the Roof Floor Plan, the top of the roof is being cut out of the view, so it looks funny. In the 3D
view, the roof looks correct.

The View Range

The vertical extents of a view are controlled by the View

Range. In floor plan views the View Range sets the lower
& upper limits of a horizontal slice through the model,
In the Properties of a view, below the Underlay section is
the Extents section. If you click on Edit... to the right of
View Range, you can access the settings controlling how
much of the model is being allowed to show in this view.

11. With the Roof level view active, & no model

elements selected, Properties will look like the
image above. Click on Edit... to the right of View
Range

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2J

The typical View Range for an Architectural floor plan is shown above.

The absolute lower limit, View Depth, is at the bottom of the dialog, which in this view is even
with the Roof level.

Any objects between the View Depth level & the Bottom are going to draw with the
"beyond" line style. This slice of the model is used to show footings on a 1st floor plan. It is
useful in a Mechanical working view for showing Structural steel & full height walls on the
floor below the current level. Normally, the Bottom & View Depth level will be set at the
same elevation, effectively taking away the "extra" depth of the view.
The absolute top of the View will be Top, the elevation at the top of the dialog box. In a floor
plan, 7'- 6" from the current level is typically the Top of the range, as objects above the
ceiling never show in a Floor plan. If you make a 3D view, using Orient to View from the
View Cube, Top in the Primary Range will set the height of the 3D view. The bottom of the
3D view will come from Bottom in the View Range, so in the above example 3D view, you
would have a slice of the model that is
7'-6" thick.

The effective top of the View Range, in an Architectural view, is really the Cut Plane. There
are a few categories of elements that can show in an Architectural view above the Cut
Plane, but most objects will be cut, typically at 4'-0". This allows the windows & doors to be
cut, so you can see their profiles @ 4'-0". If there was no cut plane, the windows & doors
would be hidden under the walls @ 7'-6".

A View's discipline, visual graphic settings, & view range are interdependent. View Range
is one of the more complicated features in Revit. If you would like to understand it better,
click on the "learn more about the View Range" link in the View Range dialog box, or the
<<Show button for a graphical image of the parts of the view range.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2J

We will look at the View Range in more detail later in Part 2. For now, you can raise both
the Top & Cut plane in Properties of the Roof level floor plan, so that the top of the roof is
not cut off in the Roof Plan View.

12. Change both the Top & Cut Planes to 20'-0" (type 20) & OK to exit the dialog
box

13. Place a Roof on the middle Building, either a flat roof or sloped,
whichever you prefer. If you choose to place a sloped roof, change
the pitch also

14. Save

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2K

1-2K Modeling Shafts

Shafts are cutouts that can span multiple levels, cutting through floors, ceilings &
roofs. Openings created with the shaft tool cannot change size from level to level. To
make openings in floor slabs that change sizes as they go up, you would choose the
Opening by Face or Vertical Opening tool from the Openings panel on the
Architectural or Structural tab.

Adding Floor Openings

1. Open your 1-2 project file if it is not already open.

2. Tile Level 1 floor plan & 3D views side-by-side, with Level 1 floor plan the
active view

To make a shaft opening the same size thru multiple floors, you want to start on the lowest
level. Normally that would be Level 2, but to see how it works, for this exercise start on Level
1.

3, From the Architectural Tab→ Opening panel→ activate the Shaft tool.

The tool will open in sketch mode.

4. Choose the Rectangle tool from the Draw panel, & click 2 points
inside the building on the left,
for opposite corners of the
shaft, anywhere in the floor
space.
5. Use the temporary dimensions
to size & locate the opening. Make
a big opening, so it will be easy to
see.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2K

Once you have the shaft located, if you want to show an X through the opening in plan
views, to visually identify it as an opening, you would add symbolic lines. Symbolic Lines are
2D additions 3D objects, to convey information. For example, the door swings on plan views
are symbolic lines; the doors are closed in the 3D model. To add lines through the shaft
opening:

6. Click on the Symbolic Line tool in the Draw

panel, the line draw option should be selected by
default

7. Draw 2 lines from opposite corners through the shaft

opening. Type MD, click Modify, or click the Esc key to end
the symbolic line drawing command

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2K

8. Before exiting the tool, go to the

Property Palate & verify the Base
Constraint is set to Level 1 (it should be
by default if you are working in the
Level 1 floor plan). Change the Top
Constraint from Unconnected to "Up to
level: Roof", & add a Top Offset of 1' (so
the shaft will cut through the 12" roof
slab)

Notice the Base constraint is set to -1'-0". That

is because Revit knows the Level 1 floor is 1'-
0" thick & will cutout the thickness of the slab

9. Click the green check mark to finish.

Look in the 3D view to verify that both floors have openings thru them.

Note: It can be hard to select a shaft to edit it, if you forgot to add the symbolic lines, for
instance. If you want to select the shaft, the easiest way to do it, is to use a selection box
around it & then use the filter tool, to isolate the selection.

9. Save your Project.

Either continue to the next Section, or do the Extra Exercise below fi

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2K

Extra Exercise
Add another shaft opening to the building on the left, but make it different size openings on
each level. You will have to use a different tool, Opening by Face.

1. Work in the Level 1 view

2. From Architectural Tab→ Openings Panel→ By Face tool

3. Once the tool is selected, you must pick the face to be cut (floor) before
Sketch mode is activated. To select the floor, use the Tab key to help you
select one of its boundary lines. Use the rectangle tool & temporary
dimensions to place another opening
4. Click the green check mark to finish.

This placed an opening thru the Level 1 floor only. If you highlight the Roof slab in the
3D view, the roof will become transparent so you can see the opening below.

5. Close Level 1 view & open Roof floor plan. Type wtza

6. In the Property Palate, Underlay section, to the right of Range: Base level,
click on None & change to Level 1

You will now be able to see the opening you just created on Level 1 below in halftone.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2K

7. Start the By Face command again

8. Select the Roof floor slab to enter sketch mode

9. Change the draw option to Rectangular. On the Options bar, Type in 1 in the
Offset box, to offset 12”.

By setting a 12" offset, you can use the opening below to make another opening on the Roof
that is 12" larger on all sides.

The offset option works well when creating slab edge drawings.
If you have a duct penetration, & want the slab opening to be 2" greater
all around, so the TDF will clear, set the offset to 2" & select the sides of
the duct to determine the edges of the opening.

10. Click on one corner of the opening below, move your mouse to the opposite
corner. Make sure the offset is to the outside of the opening before clicking to
set. (If the offset is to the inside, click the space bar to flip it)

11. Add Symbolic lines to the opening

12. Click the Green check mark to finish placing an opening 1’ larger all around
than the opening on the floor below. Once placed, you can edit the opening by
editing it's sketch. If, for instance, you want 2 sides to be flush with the opening
below, drag the individual lines so that they are on top of the lines showing from
the underlay below.

13. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2L

1-2L Modeling Simple & Complex Elements:

Summary
• When you activate a tool, it will change the Ribbon. Contextual panels will appear on the
right end. It may also bring up the Options Bar, to change common settings for the tool
• Modify (MD) is the default active tool
• Dimensions in Revit are in feet, not feet & inches
• Use the Grip in the center of witness lines to change where the dimension is measuring from
• New Views should be renamed if you intend to keep them; if they are temporary, they
should be deleted when you are through with them
• WTZA = shortcut keys for Tile Window, followed by Zoom All
• The Tab key helps with selection by highlighting elements that are close together, so you
can scroll through elements, to select the one you want, Each tap of the Tab key will
change the highlight. If elements are connected end-to-end, Tab will chain select them all
as one of its options
• The Model & Annotation tabs of V/G Overrides let you control the display of elements in a
view by Category
• Complex Elements in Revit require multiple steps to complete; these tools have Mode
panels. You must click either the green check mark to accept and exit the tool, or the red X
to discard it (or you can Undo, which is the same as clicking the red X)
• Tools with Sketch Modes, need a closed line sketch to apply the tool to
• When a view enters Sketch mode, everything in the view will turn halftone & the
sketch lines will be magenta. To switch from drawing sketch lines to editing one,
type MD, click Modify or click the Esc key
• All modification tools will work on sketch lines
• Extend to Corner is a very useful tool to make sure you have a closed loop
• To Edit an element that was created with sketch mode, you must edit the sketch by using
the Edit Boundary tool when the element is selected
• Datum Elements will be visible in any 2D view where they cross the view plane, if they are
not hidden, but never in a 3D view except Level lines
• By changing the settings in the Underlay section of Properties, you may make another
level visible in a view; it will show in halftone
• To see or change the height of Levels, you must open an Elevation or Section view, so
you can see the Level lines to select them
• The View Range controls the height extents (top & bottom) of a slice of a model
that is shown in a plan view
• Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to Nudge, move elements in small
increments, in the arrow directions
• All Selection options, from the drop-down below Modify or the Bar at the lower right of

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-2L

should be disabled unless you specifically need one on for a command. Once the command
is finished, remember to disable it again.
• The Type Selector lets you swap family types of objects already placed in your drawing
area or pick different ones to place originally
• When using temporary dimensions to move elements, the object that is selected
is the one that will move

References:
1. Revit Help, Getting Started – User Interface
2. Revit Help, Getting Started – Essential Skills, Selection – Essential Skill
3. Revit Help, Model the Design, Architectural Modeling – Walls, Doors, Windows
4. Revit Help, Model the Design, Architectural Modeling – Slabs
5. Revit Help, Model the Design, Architectural Modeling –Roofs
6. Revit Help, Model the Design, Architectural Modeling, Openings – Cut a Shaft Opening
7. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project views, Plan Views, About the View
Range

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3A

1-3A View Specific Elements: Goals

. In this Module, you will use the annotation tools available from the QAT, to
dimension, add tags, and text to the Project you started in the last Module. You will
finish by using Detail Lines to sketch on a view

Main Goals
• To understand the different behavior of the 3 types of Revit Elements: Model,
Datum & View Specific (Annotation & Detail lines)
• Learn how to use Annotation tools & sketch with Detail Lines

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Change temporary dimensions to permanent dimensions
• Place permanent dimensions & chain dimensions
• Use the Measure tool & Thin Lines tool
• Add Tags & use tags to change object parameters
• Add Text notes
• Sketch with the Detail Lines tool

You can continue in the Project you started in the last Module, or open a Starting file
that will start where the last one left off. There is absolutely nothing wrong with starting
from the Starting file. If you had any difficulty with the Project in the last Module, or are
not sure it is correct, do yourself a favor & use the Starting file! Remember, the point of
these exercises is to learn, not to get everything right. Starting out with a Project file that
does not match the instructions in the exercise will just compound the problems &
cause you unnecessary frustration.

At the end of the Module:

• You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the drawing assignment for this
Module
• You will take a short Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts covered in this
Module

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3B

1-3B Revit Elements: Model, Datum & View Specific

There are 3 distinct types of Revit Elements. So far, you have added Model elements to a
Project & discussed Datum element. The 3rd type of element is View Specific. These are
mostly Annotation, but also include other 2D elements, like lines & hatches. Below is a
graph from Getting Started>Revit Fundamentals, of Revit Help, that shows an overview of
the 3 types of Revit Elements.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3B

Model Elements:
Model objects will show up in all views, unless the View has settings that block them from
showing. There are 2 types of Model elements, Host & Component.

• Host elements (also referred to as System families) are built-in-place families that
live in a Project file. They can "host" other objects. A wall is a system family that can
"host" a door or window. The main thing to remember about System Families, is
that they cannot be loaded from a Library folder; they must be transferred from
Project to Project, or duplicated from an existing family, renamed, & modified. That
is why, if you look at the Revit Library folders, there is no folder for Walls, Floors or
Ceilings.

• Model Component elements are everything else. All mechanical elements we would
place are component elements. This means that grilles, & equipment can be stored in a
Library folder & added to a project as needed. (Note: Revit Duct types are System families,
but we will be using the Fabrication MEP add-in to place ducts, not native Revit duct types).

Datum Elements:
These break the Model up into planes. Model elements are always associated with a plane,
usually a Level plane, that controls their placement within the model. Revit makes these
associations automatically, so it not something to be overly concerned about. Datum
elements will show in any 2D view where they cut through the viewing plane, unless they
are hidden by the Views settings. As mentioned earlier, they will not show in a 3D view
except for Level datum lines.

View Specific Elements:

Annotation & Detail elements are View specific; they cannot be placed in the model, only in a
View. Annotation & Detail elements will only appear in the particular view they are created in or
copied into. View setting can also hide annotation.
There are 2 types of View Specific elements:
• Annotation elements - text notes, tags, symbols, & dimensions. We will be looking at
these in this Module.

• Details, these are 2D lines & hatches that are used for drafting. They are used to add

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3B

detailed information, when you need to convey something that is not necessary to model.
On an Architectural sheet metal detail, you may use 2D detail components to show rivets or
screws. You may need to show them in a detail, but there would be no benefit from
modeling them. We will briefly look at Detail Lines in this Module.

There is a group of annotation tools in the Quick Access Bar that we have not used yet: for
measurement, dimensions, tags, & text.

In the next Section we will start with dimensions.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3C

1-3C Dimensions: Temporary, Permanent & Chain

Dimensions
1. Either open your 1-2 Project file or the 1-3 Starting file from the Starting
file folder.

2. Save As 1-3 (your initials), in your Assignments folder

3. Before starting to add dimensions to your buildings, change the exterior walls
of the first building back to the Generic 8” wall type

(The wall is too complicated & does not show temporary dimensions like a simpler wall will)

Making Temporary Dimensions Permanent

You have used temporary dimensions to move elements around in the previous Module. It is
very easy to turn a temporary dimension into a permanent one:

4. Select the east wall of building on

the right Temporary dimensions will

appear from objects nearby

5. To make a temporary dimension permanent, click the blue dimension icon

below the dimension text

6. Repeat, selecting walls & making the temp. dimensions permanent until
the overall size of the building on the right, and the distance between it & the
middle building are all permanent dimensions.

7. Move the witness lines by the grips in the center to make the wall
dimensions’ report from the exterior walls, not windows or doors. Toggle the
witness line grips to report from the finish face of the exterior walls.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3C

On permanent dimensions, when selected, scroll in to see a small dot right below the
dimension text. If the text is too large to fit comfortably between the witness lines, use this
text grip to move the text away from the dimension line.

Placing Permanent Dimensions

Permanent Dimensions can be placed from the dimension icon in the QAT, or the
Annotation tab> Dimension panel, or by typing DI.

Permanent dimensions can be used to move elements in exactly the same way as temporary
ones.
If you select a permanent dimension, it is not locked to either element, so you can move both
ends by the move grips to change what elements the dimension is attached to.
You cannot edit the length of a dimension by selecting it. You can edit the text, but it will not
allow you to type in an incorrect length
To move objects with permanent dimensions, select the object first

8. Activate the Dimension tool (di)

9. Select one end of a wall in the center building for the first dimension line.
While the cursor is hovering over the end of the line, tap the Tab key to toggle
between the center, outer or inner points on the wall. If you tab until the outer
edge of the wall is highlighted, & then click to select it, you will not have to
toggle the witness line grip after it is placed.

10. Select the other end of the wall for the second dimension point, also
using the Tab key to select the exterior line of the building

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3C

11. Move the dimension out the distance you would like it to appear from the
wall, & click on open space to set the dimension.

12. The dimension just placed will still be active. (Use the move grips to
change the dimension to report from the exterior of the building, if you did
not tab to select the exterior while placing the dimension)

13. The dimension tool will stay active until you change commands, so you
can continue & dimension the other wall of the center building.
Add a dimension between the middle & 1st building. If you want to line
dimensions up, if you get close to a dimension that is already in place, the
new dimension will try to snap to the one that is there. Just make sure you are
not over an object when you click to end a dimension.

14. Dimension the last building, either with permanent dimensions, or by

changing temporary dimension to permanent

15. Save your 1-3 Project

Chain Dimensions
There is no special tool for creating chain dimensions, it can be accomplished with the
aligned dimension tool. To add a chain dimension from the inside of the interior wall to the
shaft, the shaft width, & the distance from the shaft to the inside of the shaft wall:

1. Activate the Dimension tool (di)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3C

2. Hover over the vertical interior wall, when the wall highlights, tap the
Tab key until the east side of the wall is highlighted, then click to select the
point to start the dimension

3. Move right & click to select the west side

of the shaft opening for the 2nd point of the
dimension string

4. Click to set 3rd point & dimension the east side of shaft

5. Move your cursor up away from any elements, where you might want the
dimension placed & click on open space to end the dimension string.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3C

6. Once your dimension string is placed, move any dimensions that are not
easy to read by the grip (blue dot) below the text

7. Place another dimension string to dimension the shaft in the other

direction, off of the inside of a wall

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3C

To add a description to dimension text:

8. Double click directly on the shaft dimension text

A dialog box will open:

You are allowed to replace dimensions with text, but not false values.

9. Type SHAFT in the Above or Below field, depending on where you placed
your dimension string

10. Type I.D. in the Suffix field, & click OK at the bottom

11. Repeat, to add SHAFT & I.D. to the shaft dimensions in the other direction. Your
shaft size & dimensions will be different than the image below, so you might place
the text in different locations also. If you need to move the dimension string, select
the dimension by the dimension line & use the move grip or nudge keys to
reposition it.
12. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3C

Extra Exercise - If you added a second shaft in the last section, add dimensions strings
to it here.

Note: If you have a chain dimension, & want to delete a section of it, you can by using
the Tab key. Hover over the section of the chain dimension you do not want. The whole chain
dimension will highlight. Tap the Tab key, & only the section under your cursor will highlight,
so you will be able to select the dimension section & delete it, creating two separate
dimension chains.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3D

1-3D Measure & Thin Lines

You have probably noticed by now that the Dimension tool will only work to the center line or
ends of elements. What if you wanted to make sure you had 10' of clearance between an
exhaust duct outlet & supply intake on a roof? The Dimension tool would not work for that,
but you could use the Measure Tool.

Measure Between Two References Tool

The Measure tool on the QAT has two tools, Measure Between Two References and
Measure Along an Element. If you wanted to know the overall length of a wall, you could use
Measure Along an Element. For Sheet Metal Detailing, Measure Between Two References is
the measure tool you will turn to more often, & the default.

To use the measure tool, activate the tool. Pick the first point on the screen & then the
second point. The dimension will appear on screen along with the angle from horizontal. It is
temporary, as soon as you start another measurement, it will be gone. There is no way to
copy the measurement, other than making a screenshot, as has been done for this exercise.

Thin Lines
The Thin Lines tool (TL) can be found in the QAT. It is useful when you want to measure
something & the default line weight for the object is too thick to see exactly where to measure
from. Thin Lines is a toggle; to display everything on your screen in thin lines, click the icon.
When you want to restore the default settings, click it again.

In images below, a window is displayed with the default settings, & then with Thin Lines
toggled on.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3D

Window glazing measured with Measure Between Two References. You can see how much
easier it is to see where the dimensions are being pulled from with Thin Lined. The
Dimension cannot be made permanent, though.

Another good use for Thin Line is when you are placing Mechanical Equipment. Normally,
Mechanical Equipment will be drawn with a fairly thick line. That makes it impossible to see
the details.

With Thin Lines on you can use the Measure tool to confirm that the Revit Fan Family in
your model matches the Fan submittal. Although Manufacturers now provide most
equipment in Revit family files, they can be inaccurate; you are still the one responsible for
the accuracy of any equipment you place in your Shop Drawing.

1. Open your 1-3 Project file if it is not open

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3D

2. Activate the Level 1 floor plan

3. Click on Thin Lines in the QAT, or type TL

4. Click on the Measure Between Two References tool (it does not have
default shortcut keys -if you find you are using it a lot, you can make your
own shortcut keys for it)

5. Measure the glazing on a window

6. Measure 2 points in the middle of your drawing, that are not attached to
anything. you will see that you can measure anywhere, you do not need the
points to be attached to elements. You can use this tool to measure degree
also.

The Options Bar when Measure Between Two References tool is activated has a Chain box.
If this is checked, you can draw lines & the total length will display in the Options Bar. This
could be useful if you wanted to determine the linear feet of a run of duct.

7. Check the chain box in the Options Bar. Draw some lines & you will see
the total increase as you do.
8. When you are finished with the Measure tool, type MD, click Modify or Esc.

9. Toggle Thin Lines off

10. Save your 1-3 Project file (or not, the measure tool & thin lines did not make
any permanent changes to your Project. It is not necessary to save, but it is a
good habit & does not hurt anything to do an extra save.)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3E

1-3E Tags
Tags report live parameters about the model elements they reference. There are 2 ways to
place tags. In this section we will only look at the Tag by Category tool (TG) found in the
QAT.

Tag by Category tool

The Tag by Category tool will place a tag on any element in the drawing area. Once the tool
has been activated, if you move your cursor around the drawing area, when you are close
enough to any object that has a tag loaded into the Project, the Tag will temporarily show on
the screen. Click to place it when it is showing. If you click when a tag is not showing, it will
still select an element to tag, & you will see a dialog box asking you if you would like to load a
tag for the element you selected.

If you do not want a leader attached to the tag, uncheck the leader box on the Options bar

1. Open your 1-3 Project file, if it is not open

2. Level 1 is the only view you need to have open

3. Activate the Tag by Category tool (TG)

4. Tag the walls, windows & doors.

5. Type MD, or click Modify to end the Tag command

You may have noticed that you can tag the same element more than once if you are not
careful.

The windows in Building 1 will all have the same tag & the windows in building 2 & 3 will all
have the same number. The window tag is reporting a type parameter. Every window the
same type (size) will have the same tag.

The doors will be numbered sequentially, in the order they were placed. The door tags are
reporting an instance parameter. Every door will have its own number.

The walls will have blank tags, because all of the walls are the same type, Basic Wall
Generic - 8". This generic wall does not have a wall type label assigned to it. You can assign
the wall a type label from the tag. In Revit, because everything is always live, if you change

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3E

a TYPE parameter on a tag, it will change the parameter for that element & any other
instances of that element type throughout your Project. The wall tag is reporting a type
parameter, so if you change the tag label on one tag, it will affect all Basic Wall Generic - 8"
walls - the ones already in your project & all future instances of the same wall type.

6. Select any one of the wall tags you just placed. It will have a Question mark
where the wall type label should be.

7. Click directly on the Question mark

8. Type A1 in the text box.

You will get this dialog box, to make you aware of the change you are making.

9. Click Yes, & you will

see all the wall tags
update to A1

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3E

You just added a Type Mark number to this wall; every other 8” Generic wall that has been
placed or will be placed, will now have a Type Mark of A1. This will show up in Tags & Wall
Schedules. It will also show in the Type Properties dialog box for the Generic 8” wall. This is a
good example of how everything in Revit is connected & can be changed from anywhere.

To see the change in the wall type properties:

10. Select any wall

11. In the Type Selector, click Edit Type in

the lower right corner

The Type Properties dialog box will appear

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3E

12. Scroll down to the bottom section, & you can see that across from Type
Mark, A1 has been assigned.

13. Click OK to exit the dialog box

14. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3F

1-3F Text
The text tool in Revit is fairly easy to use. It does have some options we will explore.

1. Open your 1-3 Project file, if it is not open

2. Make Level 1 floor Plan active, if it is not.

Add Text Notes to your Project

When you activate the Text tool, from the QAT, Annotation Tab or type TX, there are some
settings to check before you select a spot on the screen to start typing text. The text style
of the current text will appear in the Type Selector. If you want a different text style, you
have to choose it before placing the text, or wait until after it is placed. The Type Selector
will gray out as soon as you click to start the text placement.

If you want to change the style, click on the Type selector & choose a different one. If the
style or size you would like to use is not there, you would have to create a new one from
Edit Type. We will look at how to do that in Part 2, but for now, we can use the default text
style.

The contextual tab Modify|Place Text will appear at the right end of the Ribbon.

The default text tool will be to place text without leaders. You can change that to a straight
leader, 2-point leader, or curved leader. Also, you can set where the leader attaches to the
text.

The Paragraph panel will let you change the text justification; Left justified is the default.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3F

Once you click a spot on the screen to start typing the text, the Ribbon will change again, to
show the Edit Text tab. It has options like Bold, Underline. etc., the same options you expect to
see in other programs, like Microsoft Word.

Note: The Edit Text tab has it's own Clipboard panel. To copy text
from another program: Start the Text tool, click the starting location for
the text & then use the Clipboard to copy the text into a text box. You
cannot just copy/paste text into a Revit file, you have to copy/paste into a
text box.

Notice that the Modify|Place Text Tab is still open, so after Editing your text, you can go
back to it & use Spell Check or Find and Replace.

Once you start typing, a box outline will appear around the text.

The box will grow to fit the text you type. If you return, the type will move down to another
line. When you are finished, click the close button in the Ribbon, or just click outside the box
& the text will still be active, but you will no longer be in Edit Text mode.

When the text is still active, you can use the grips to move it, rotate it, or change its shape.
Use the grips to get the text looking the way you want it, you will still be in the Text tool, &
dashed lines will appear whenever you are close enough to a placed piece of text, to help
line up the placement if you want to add another text note. To exit the Text tool, click Esc,
type MD or click Modify

Add Text below the Buildings

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3F

Add BUILDING 1 text below the Building on the left:

3. Active the Text tool (TX)

4. Click a spot below the Building on the left, & Type in BUILDING 1

5. Click outside the text box to end the Text Edit mode

6. Use the Move grip on the text that is still selected, to position it under the
Building if needed
Add BUILDING 2 below the middle building:

7. The Text tool will still be active, move to the right of the 1st text box, a
dashed blue alignment line will follow the cursor if you are in a straight line

8. Click a point below the center building & type BUILDING 2

9. Click outside the text box, & use the move grip to center the note below the
building if needed

10. Repeat one more time to place BUILDING 3 below the building on the right

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3F

11. The Text tool will still be active, click a point to the right of Building 3 and
add 3 more text notes, your name, Exercise 1-3 & the Date. Use the blue
dashed lines to line them up (either while placing are after you are finished.
Anytime you select a text note it will still have the blue dashed alignment
lines)

12.When you are finished, type MD, click Modify or Esc twice

13. Save your Project

Adding Multiple Leaders

The text tool can place a single leader as you place text. If you wanted more than one
leader coming off of a single note, you would need to add the extra leaders after you are
out of the text tool command. To place multiple leaders, select a text note. A slightly
different Tab will appear on the Ribbon, Modify|Text Notes.

From the Leader panel you can add as many leaders to a note as you like.
(You cannot mix leader styles). If you select a note that already has a
leader/leaders you will have the additional option to delete leaders. You
cannot select which leader will be deleted though, leaders are deleted in the
order they were placed

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3F

Extra Exercise
Add a note inside Building 2 to change the front door type to a 48” wide door.
• Text should be the same size as the text used for dimensions (3/32) To change text size, you must
change the text with the Type Selector
• Use either a 2 segment or curved leader
• Leader should be centered on the text where it attaches
• Use the box around the text to adjust the shape of the text so that the note is on multiple lines
• Save your 1-3 Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-3G

1-3G Detail Lines

Detail lines along with other Annotation are the View Specific Elements in Revit. Detail lines
are simply 2D lines added to a View. All 2D line work, whether it is a rectangle, circle, arc, or
spline is drawn with the Detail Line tool. Detail lines are most commonly used to convey
information that is not necessary to model; they are used to add additional details to
enlarged views. They are also good for making quick sketches when modeling duct might
not be appropriate.

Add Detail Lines to your Project

1. Open your 1-3 Project, if it is not already open
2. Work in the Level 1 Floor plan, all other views can be closed
3. From the Annotation panel→ Detail panel→ select Detail Line.

When you activate the Detail Lines tool, the

contextual ribbon will appear, allowing you
to choose draw options, & the Line Style.
Detail lines draw like any other simple tool.
There are options that can be selected from
the contextual panels & a few other options
available on the Options Bar.

To experience how Detail lines work, you

will draw two vertical ducts, a 24x48, with
hidden lines to symbolize going down & a
24” round, anywhere inside Building 2.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-3G

4. From the contextual panel, click on the

Rectangular Draw option, & choose Wide lines for
the Line Style

5. Select two points anywhere inside Building 2, that

will be the opposite corners of a 24x48 rectangle.
You can use the temporary dimensions to set the
size as you place it, or use them after the initial
placement, to get the 24x48 sized correctly

6. Change the draw option to Single line, & the Line

Style to Hidden

7. Draw two diagonal lines from opposite corners, to

represent the duct going down

8. To draw the 24” round duct, change the Draw Option to Circle, & the Line Style
back to Wide

9. On the Options Bar, check the box in front of Radius, & verify that the Radius
of the circle you are about to place is 1’ 0”.

10. Select a point inside Building 2, this will be the center point of the 24” round
circle.

11. To draw the round duct symbol inside the circle, change the Draw option to
the first arc, Start-End-Radius Arc

12. Change the Line Style to Thin line

It takes 5 clicks to draw the two arcs

13. Select the top quadrant of the circle

14. select the center point of the circl,

15. move your cursor to get a good radius on the arc,

& click to set

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailing, 1-3G

16. select the lower quadrant on the circle

17. Move your cursor to get a good corresponding arc to the first one & click to
place.

18. Click Modify to end the Detail Line command

19. Save your 1-3 Project

Extra Exercise - Dimension the 2 ducts you just placed with detail lines, as if they
were real ducts. Dimension the rectangle duct from the inside of the walls to the edge, & the
round duct from the inside of the walls to the centerline.

Check your class Library/ Extra Exercise folder, for another exercise called
Classroom cleanup.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-3H

1-3H View Specific Elements: Summary

• There are three types of Revit Elements, Model, Datum & View Specific (Annotation
& Detail)
• There is only one model where all Model Elements are placed
• Datum elements are planes & will be displayed in 2D views where they cut through
the viewing plane. They will never display in a 3D view except the Level datum lines
• Annotation is view specific. It only displays in the view it is created in or copied to.
You cannot put annotation in the model.
• Temporary & permanent dimensions function the same & can both be used to move model
elements
• Permanent dimensions can be moved from the original elements that they
measured, but both ends must to be attached to elements,
• Chain dimensions will continue as long as you are clicking on elements
• You cannot override the numerical value of a dimension to make it report a false length
• Measure Between Two References tool will allow you to measure anything,
but cannot be made permanent Tags can be used to change element
parameters
• Thin Lines can help you see details that the thicker lines might cover up
• Text style (size, font) must be changed through the Type Selector, either before
you start placing text, or after it is placed; other formatting options can be changed
from the ribbon while in text editing mode

References:
1. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Annotation,
Dimensions – Temporary Dimension, Permanent Dimensions,
Dimension Witness Lines, Dimension Properties
2. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Annotation, Text Notes, Add a Text
Note

3. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Annotation, Tags, Tag on Placement

4. Revit Help, Get Started, Revit Fundamentals, About Element Behavior in Revit

5. Revit Help, Model the Design, Tools and Techniques, Editing Elements, About
Modifying Elements, Measure Elements

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4A

1-4A Making Views: Goals

Understanding how to create, manipulate & manage Views is the key to being able to
work efficiently in Revit. In this Module we will start our exploration of Views by
creating new ones.

Main Goals
To get comfortable with the idea that you will be making & deleting Views in Revit all
the time if you are using it the way it was designed.

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Make Section Views
• Make new 2D Views with the 3 options, Duplicate, Duplicate with Detailing, & Duplicate
as a Dependent, and be able to choose the best option for your purpose.

• Change the View Extents of Views.

• Break a single View into multiple Views.
• Use 3 different methods to create new 3D Views
• Add Views to Sheets

You will be working in a Project file as you go through this Module. You can continue
in the Project you started in the last Module, or open a Starting file that will start
where the last one left off.

At the end of the Module:

• You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the
drawing assignment for this Module

• You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts

covered in this Module

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4B

1-4B Sectional Views

Sectional Views
A section view allows you to create a box in the model, that you can look into from one side. It
is a 2D view. You need to be in a 2D view for the Section tool to be available; it will be grayed
out if you are in a 3D view. The Section tool is available from the QAT & also View tab> Create
panel.

Revit help has a video on creating section video, that you can access from here, Create
Section Views

Section Controls & Grips

After activating the Section tool, you select two points on the screen, for the start & end
of the Section Line, these points have blue dot grips.

• The Blue dot grips control the length of the Section line, but not the actual extents of the
section view. This allows you more control over the placement of the Section head & tail
when you are working in a congested plan view.
• The Section line controls the front viewing plane, the other planes show as dashed blue
lines
• The Flip grips (below the Section Head) will flip the section 180 degrees, so in the image
above, if you flip the grips, the section would be looking south instead of north.
• The Circular grips with arrows, at the ends of the Section lines are a toggle. They will
display the Section Head, section tail, or nothing
• The Arrow grips on the dashed blue lines will move the extents of the view,
controlling how much is showing in the section.
• The break grip in the center of the section line will break the section line, but not affect the
view.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4B

Once you have a section set up, if you click on nothing it will deactivate the section. A
double click on the solid geometry of the Section Head will open the Section view. When a
section is placed, it will show up in the Browser, under Sections (Building Sections).
1. Open your 1-3 Project file or the 1-4 Starting file

2. Save - As, 1-4 (your initials) in your Assignments folder

3. Make Level 1 floor plan current & close any other views

4. Activate the Section tool from the QAT (there are no shortcut keys)

5. For the first point, click a point just below and to the left of Building 1

6. For the other end, move your mouse straight right & click a point to the right
of Building 3

7. Once the section is placed, to modify its location, hover over the section
line & move when the move grips appear, or use the arrow grips to change
the extents in the other 3 directions.

8.When you like the placement, click on any empty space in the screen, to
end the command & start the Modify command, or click on Modify, or type
MD

9. To open the section from the Level 1 plan view, double click on the solid
blue arrow portion of the section tag.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4B

10. Locate the Section view in the Browser & rename to Section –
North/South (it will be below Sections (Building Section) & named Section
1 by default)

11. Type Wtza, to open Level 1 & Section - North/South view side-by-side

12. In the floor plan view, click on the Section line

Notice when you select the Section line in the floor plan, the box around the view in the
Section will also be selected. The box is part of the section & you can adjust the extents of
the Section with the dot grips in the Section View. If you wanted to change the height of the
Section, you would have to do it from the Section View itself.

13. Make the Section View current (click inside the view or on it's title bar)

14. Scroll in to look closely at Building 1

Because we had a more complicated wall type when we placed the Floor & Roof Slabs, we
were not given grips to determine if the slabs should be to the exterior or interior of the
walls. The Stacked Wall: Exterior - Brick Over CMU w Metal Stud will have slabs to the
inside of the bricks, somewhere in the middle of the wall & Revit knew where the slabs
should start in relation to the walls. When we changed the wall type back to a 8" Generic
wall, that placement was lost. This is something to be aware of. Revit will swap out
elements, by their insertion points, but it will only check how things connect to other
elements when the original element is placed. When we swap out an element for a different

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4B

Family or Type, Revit will not check to make sure it works with the other elements it is
connected to.
A section view, just like a working 3D view, can help you discover discrepancies in your work
that you would not notice in a Plan View. Before continuing, fix the Floor & Roof slabs, of
Building 1, so the Floor slab goes to the exterior of the wall & the Roof slab is to the Interior.
Your slabs may not be the same as the ones in the image, but check them to make sure they
are drawn correctly. Try to do it on your own, or follow the steps below.

Fixing the Slabs in Building 1:

1. Work in the Level 1 Floor Plan
2. Select the Floor Slab, (you can use a selection box around Building 1, & then
use the Filter tool to only select the Floor
3. In the Contextual ribbon, click Edit Boundary
4. click on any wall that is to the inside of the building & use the move grip, or
flip grips to move them to the exterior of the wall. The walls will stay
connected.
5. Click the Green check mark to finish & exit the Edit Boundary tool
6. Work in the Roof level Floor Plan
7. Select the Roof only of Building 1
8. Select Modify Footprint in the Contextual ribbon
9. Click on any wall that is to the exterior & either move it to the inside with the
flip grips or move grips
10. Click the green check mark to exit the tool

15. Now that the Floor & Roof Slabs are corrected on Building 1, Select the
Section line again. Hover near the line until the move grips show up.

16. When the move grips show up, click & drag the line to move it up until it is inside the
buildings. Release the mouse. Notice how the Section view will change when you move
the section line in your Level 1 view. This is because it is live.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4B

17. Move the section line again, so it is going through the buildings & through a
shaft opening.

18. Close the section view.

19. Save your 1-4 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4C

1-4C Making New 2D Views

Revit Help also has a video on Duplicating Views

Creating 2D Views
1. Open your 1-4 Project file if it is not already open

2. Make Level 1 floor plan view current & close any other views

The easiest way to make a new 2D view is to copy an existing one. You can also make new 2D
Views from the View Tab > Create panel, but for this exercise, we will copy existing views.

3. In the Browser, right click Level 1, (or from the View Tab > Create panel)
and choose Duplicate View.

Duplicate View has 3 options. Duplicate, Duplicate with Detailing & Duplicate as a Dependent.

Duplicate View, Option 1 - Duplicate

4. Select Duplicate from the 3 options

Revit has a lot of organization built in. As mentioned before, naming Views is one of
the few organizational tasks you have to do for yourself. There can be hundreds of views in
a Project. Getting into the habit of giving them descriptive names, or company standard
names, when you 1st create a new view will pay off when the list of views gets really long.

5. In the Browser, right click the new view & rename to Level 1 Model only

The new view will be open on your screen. Notice how the new view does not have any tags
or dimensions showing, only model objects, & the section (datum element).

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4C

Duplicate will make a new view of all model objects, with the setting from the original view
controlling which & how model objects will be displayed. It does not copy the annotation
objects. This is fundamental for how Revit functions. There are an infinite number of views,
with varied annotation, BUT only one model.

6. Close the New view you just created.

You will make another new View, this time using Duplicate with Detailing.

Duplicate View, Option 2 - Duplicate with Detailing

7. Make another copy of Level 1, this time choose Duplicate with Detailing

8. Rename to “Level 1 with Detailing”

9. WTZA, so you have Level 1 & Level 1 with Detailing side-by-side

The views look identical, but they are still NOT the same view.

Duplicate with Detailing, will make a new view of the model with the current settings for how
model objects will be displayed, and it will make a copy of the annotation objects and place
them into the new view. The copies of annotation in one view are completely independent of
the copies in the other view.

10. Zoom in so you have Building 3 as large as possible in both views.

11. Select a wall in either view. Notice how it highlights in both views. Type
de for delete. The wall will disappear from both views. You have just removed
the wall from the Project. Click Undo (Quick Access Bar) to bring the wall
back.

12. Click on any dimension in Level 1 with Detailing view. Notice how it only
highlights in the view where it has been selected.

13. Right click, & click delete. The dimension disappears from one view, but
the original dimension in the other view is unaffected. Tags will act the same;
you can delete them, or move them, in one view without affecting the other.

14. Close the Level 1 with Detailing View

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4C

Duplicate View, Option 3 - Duplicate as a Dependent

15. Make 3 copies of the Level 1 Floor plan with the last Duplicate View
option, Duplicate as a Dependent.

16. Rename the 3 new views,

Building 1, Building 2, & Building 3

With Duplicate as a Dependent, the new view shows up indented beneath Level 1. The
dependent views are really the same view as the original, so it does not matter which view
you annotate in, they are the same view. If Level 1 floor plan view is deleted, the dependent
views will be too. (try it if you like, you will get a warning & you can use the Undo command
to bring them all back) The only thing you can adjust separately on a dependent view is the
view extents. This allows you to work in a continuous view, in Level 1 floor plan, but only
show a part of it (the dependent views) for plotting. This works exactly like Paper space in
AutoCAD drawings.

In the next section, you learn how to break up the views so each building will have it's own
dependent view for plotting.

17. Save your 1-4 Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4D

1-4D Cropping a View

Cropping Views
When you modeled the roofs in 1-2J, you adjusted the vertical extents of a View with the View
Range, so that the top of the roof showed up in the roof plan view. In this section, you will
adjust the horizontal extents of Views, to control how much of a model appears in a view in the
north/south & east/west directions.

Crop View Settings

Under the Extents section of the Browser, there are 3 settings for adjusting the crop of a view :
Crop View, Crop Region Visibility & Annotation Crop.

Crop View & Crop Region Visibility can also be accessed from the View Control Bar

• If the box in front of Crop View is unchecked, The Icon in the View Control bar will have a
red X on it, & you will see the full extent of the model; the view will not be cropped.
• If there is no check in front of Crop Region Visibility, the light bulb icon will be off (not
yellow), & there will be no box around the model that you can select to adjust the Crop
region. When the Crop Region Visibility is checked, a box will appear with grips that can
be moved to control how much of the view will be allowed to show, if the view is
Cropped.
• Annotation Crop is only visible when Crop Region is on and selected. It is a dashed box
around the outside of the crop Region that allows annotation to show, but no model
elements. This is commonly used to show notes or tags outside the model, especially
when the model is divided into multiply areas that are going to be placed on separate
sheets

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4D

Note: If there is a check in front of Crop Region Visibility, but no box is showing in the
model, it will be because the Crop box has been hidden in the View. From the View Control
Bar, click on the light bulb icon, to toggle on Reveal Hidden Elements. A magenta box will
display around the outside of your drawing area, & anything hidden will be shown in magenta.
The crop box region can only be hidden by element in each view; there is no Crop Region
category where they can be turned off in V/G Overrides. Select the Crop Box, right click &
choose Unhide in View > Elements. Toggle off the light bulb icon to exit Show Hidden
Elements mode.

You will use Crop View & Crop Region Visibility to change the extents of the dependent
Building floor plan views, so they only show one building per view.

1. Open your 1-4 Project file if it is not open

2. Open Building 1 floor plan view

3. From the Extents section or View Control Bar, check Crop View,
Crop Region Visible & Annotation Crop.

4. Click on the solid line box that surrounds the view (Crop box)

5. Use the blue dot grips in the center of the lines to move the box in
around Building 1. Get in fairly close around the model elements, ignoring
the annotation elements. The Crop Region is used to determine how much
space the view will take up when you place the view on a sheet.

6. Move the section Line back to outside the south side of the buildings. Move
the Head & Tail of the Section in close to Building 1, as that will also affect how
much space the view will take when it is placed on a sheet. The Head & Tail can
be adjusted per dependent view, but do not move the grips controlling the
extents of the section itself, as it will affect all views.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4D

We do not need to see the text, Building 1, in this view as it will have a View Title when it is
placed on a Sheet. There are 2 ways make the Building 1 text not show.

• Select the text, & right click, choosing Hide in View, Elements
• Move the Annotation Crop box up above the text. This will work as long as you do not have
dimensions below the Text that you want to show.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4D

7. Hide the BUILDING 1 text, one way or the other

8. Turn off the Turn off the Crop Region Visible from the Browser or View
Control Bar, if you do not want to see the Crop box in the view, BUT you
must leave Crop View & Annotation Crop checked, or the Crops will not be
applied to the view.

9. Repeat the process for Building 2 & Building 3 views, so you have 3
separate cropped views, one for each building.

10. Save

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4E

1-4E Making 3D Views

3D Views
There are three slightly different ways to make a new 3D View. Two must be started from
the default 3D view. The first method can be started from any existing 3D view. It is very
similar to how you just made the new 2D views.

Make a separate 3D View of each Building

1. Open your 1-4 Project file if it is not open

First Method:
2. In the Browser, right click on the {3D} view, below the 3D Views section,
& choose duplicate > Duplicate or Duplicate with Detailing

Duplicate or Duplicate with Detailing will act exactly the same if there is no 2D elements in
the view to copy. Duplicate with Detailing is available in a 3D View because it is possible to
lock a 3D view & add annotation. We will use the lock 3D view in the second method.

Note: you could duplicate any 3D view from the Browser.

We only have the one default 3D view to work with in our current
project, but it is not necessary to start with the default for this
method. You could also start from the View tab> Create panel>
duplicate view, with the 3D view you wanted to duplicate open &
active on the screen.

3. Rename the copied view - 3D Building 1

4. With 3D Building 1 current, check the Section box in the Extents section of
Properties.

In a 3D view, the Extent section in the Browser does not have a View Range. It has a

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4E

Section Box that controls how much of the model is shown in the view. It is similar to the
Crop box, in that if the Section Box is not checked, you will see the full Model.

A box will appear around the outside of the model. If the Section Box is checked and
you do not see a box around the model, the Section box has been hidden in the view.
Use the Show Hidden Elements tool from the View Control Bar to unhide it.

5. Select the section box. Use the grips (blue arrows in the center of each of
the 6 planes) to move the box in so that only Building 1 is within the box. The
size of the box will determine how much paper space it will take if you were to publish the
view, so bring the planes in close to the building.

You must leave the section box checked or the box will revert to the whole model. If you do not
want to see the section box, select it, right click & choose Hide in View → Elements.

6. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4E

Second Method:
Click the 3D view from the Quick Access Bar, or the {3D} in the Browser. You must start from
the {3D} View.
7. Turn on the section box, as you did in #4 above
8. Move the planes in tight to the middle building
9. When you have the extents of the view where you want them, Click the
Lock 3D View in the View Control Bar

The View Control bar changes depending on what type of View is current. When a 3D view
is active, the Lock 3D view icon will be on the bar. The house with the open lock icon will
change to show a locked one if the view has been locked. You can not lock the default 3D
view, so when you click it, it will bring up a dialog box to allow you to change the name &
create a new view. Once it is locked, the View Cube will become inactive. To unlock the
new view, click the icon again. A locked view will keep other users from accidentally rotating
or changing a 3D view that you have set up to be plotted, or would like to save for future
use.

10. Save your Project

Third Method:
The last method uses the view cube. You have already made 3D views with this method in
the Navigation Module. If you need more detailed instructions, refer back to 1-2G Making
3D Views.

11. Activate the default, {3D} view

12. Right click on the View Cube, choose Save View
13. Rename the View 3D Building 3
14. Right click on the View Cube again, & choose Orient to View→ Floor
Plans→ Level 1 – Building 3
15. Click a corner of the View Cube to Orient it to an Ortho view.
164. Select the Section box enclosing the view, raise the top plane until whole
building is in view, if it is not.
17. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4F

1-4F Placing Views on Sheets

This is the final section of Part 1. We cannot finish the exploration of Revit Basics, without
learning how to place Views on sheets.

Sheet Views
1. Open your 1-4 Project file if it not open
Up to this point, we have only used the Views section in the
Browser.

In the image to the right, the View section has been closed to
show the other sections.
We will add a Sheet view in this Module. There are no Sheets in
the Project so far, or there would be a + in front of the Sheets (all)
folder

Sheet are considered "views", but in a category by itself. Sheets are set up so Views can be
placed on them & be plotted. The Sheets section of the Browser can be customized so that
the Sheets are in the order that they will be published as the document set for the Project.

Note: There can be a lot of Views in a Project, & it can be hard to know which views are only
working views, or if they are intended for publication. Because all annotation is View specific, a
working view might look fine, but be missing important notes that were only added to the View
that was intended for distribution. If you do not have a clear understanding of how the Project
Browser is organized, it is a safe bet to get to the Views from under the Sheets Category. If
Views have been placed on a sheet, they are intended for publication; if they are not on a
sheet, they are "extra" and not officially or legally binding

2. In the Browser, right click on Sheets (all), choose New Sheet, or from
the View tab→ Sheet Composition → New Sheet.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4F

The Title blocks that have been loaded in the Project will appear in the dialog box. For our
purposes the one that is highlighted is fine.

3. Click OK at the bottom of the dialog box to create a blank sheet view with
the highlighted Title Block.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4F

You will place the individual Building floor plan at the top of the Sheet, with the 3D View of the
Buildings below them, & the North/South Section View near the bottom.

4. From the Browser, click on Building 1 floor plan & holding the mouse button
down, drag the view onto the sheet.

5. Release the mouse button & an outline of the view display on the sheet, so
you can move it around to a better location. Place it close to the top of the
sheet, to the left, so there will be room to place other views beside it. Click
to place.
6. Repeat to place, Building 2 & Building 3 floor plan views across the top of the
Sheet.

Once placed, Views can still be selected & moved around when the move grid appears, or
by using the Move tool. Blue dashed placement lines will show up to either line up the center
of the view or the title bar, when you are moving a view close enough to another view that is
already placed.
7. Repeat to place the 3D Buildings 1, 2 & 3 below the individual floor plans.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4F

Note: If the Views have too much extra area around the perimeters, they may not fit on your
sheet. If that is the case, you can select a view, right click & delete from the sheet, or you can
right click on the view below the sheet in the Browser & delete it from there. Go back to the
views & move the crop regions in further, then re-place them on the sheet.

If your Buildings are much larger than the examples above, you make not be able to fit them
on one sheet. If you have tried & cannot get them all to fit, you have two options:

1. In the Level 1 Floor plan, move walls in on one of the Buildings to shrink the overall size.
The floor & roof will stay connected. The Crop region will not change though, so you would
need to go back to the individual Building floor plan & move the Crop Regions in. The
section box should be moved in closer in the 3D view also.
2. Make another sheet view & split the drawing up between the two sheets.

8. Place the North/South Section View near the bottom of the Sheet.

Notice how the numbers in Section Heads filled in when the Section was placed on a Sheet.

9. Save your Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 1-4G

1-4G Making Views: Summary

• A Section is a Datum element. The extent of a section view is controlled by a box created in
another 2D view.
• The Section line is the front viewing plane of the Section; the other planes are
controlled by dashed blue lines when the section is active.
• Creating a Section creates a new View. It will be found in the Browser, under Sections
(Building Sections).
• There are 3 options for Duplicating a View: Duplicate, Duplicate with Detailing, & Duplicate
as a Dependent
o Duplicate makes a new view of model & datum elements only, using the settings
from the copied view
o Duplicate with Detailing, does the same as duplicate, but also copies all
2D (view specific) elements from the original. The 2D copied elements
(annotation) are just copies, they have no connection to the originals.
o Duplicate as a Dependent makes more versions of the same View. The
only thing that can be controlled separately in a Dependent View is the
Crop Region. This is designed so you can break up a large view to be
plotted in multiple drawings while still being able to work in the full view.
• If Crop View is on (checked in the Extents section of the Browser) the view will be cropped.
• If Crop Region Visibility is on, a box will show in the drawing area that allows you to change
the Cropped area. Crop View must be on in order for the box to have any effect
• The extent of a 3D view is controlled by a Section box
• If you rename the default 3D view, {3D}, it will become a new view & no longer the default.
• Sheet Views are a category in the Browser. They are designed to have views placed on
them to be plotted.

References:
1. Revit Online Help, Document and Present the Design, Section Views – Create a
Section View, About Section View Width and Depth
2. Revit Online Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Views, Use &
Manage Views, Dependent Views, Create a Dependent View
3. Revit Online Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Views, Controlling the
Elements Displayed in a View, About Crop Region, Edit a Crop Region, Show or Hide Crop
Regions
4. Revit Online Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Views, 3D Views, Change the
Extents of a 3D View
6.. Revit Online Help, Construction Documents, Sheets, Add a Sheet, Add Views to Sheet

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, Part 2 Overview

Part 2, Architectural Project - Overview

Now that you have completed Part 1, you should have a pretty good understanding of
how the drawing tools work in Revit. In Part 2, you will learn about the Revit settings
tools that control how elements act & react to other elements, how & if elements are
displayed in a view, & Project organization.

The Architectural Project

You will create a small building from out-of-the-box Revit, using the Architectural
template saved in the first section of Part 1. It will have four levels (3 floors & a flat
roof), structural steel, a shaft opening, exterior & interior walls, with appropriate doors
& windows. You will add ceilings, architectural grilles & ceiling exhaust fans. Finally,
you will create sheet views & plot out your Project as a PDF set of plans.

Why Bother to draw a Building?

As a Sheet Metal Detailer, you may be asked to detail a Project that does not have
any background files for you to use. Especially on smaller Projects, you may have to
visit the job site and survey the existing conditions to make your own background. If
you understand how to draw a building, making a simple background will be fast &
easy.

That being said, is not that important for most Detailers to be proficient at drawing an
Architectural building. What is really important though, is for a detailer to understand
how Revit works. It is possible to use Revit just as if it were AutoCAD; you could use
the floor plans as a flat background & draw on top of it. If you do not understand how
to use the 3D aspect of Revit, or how to easily make temporary views of exactly what
you want to see, that is probably how you would end up using it. The goal of this class
is to get you working in 3D, which is much faster, more accurate & more fun.

Normally you will be provided with Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical,

Plumbing & possibly other Revit files that you will use for a background & coordination.
The files will come from several different people or companies. It is a safe bet that
some of the files you receive will be drawn in a unique way & will not act as you might
expect them to. When you are trouble shooting files you do not understand, it is very
helpful to have a good understanding of what Revit can & cannot do.

The easiest way to learn how Revit works, is to use it for what it was designed for.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, Part 2 Overview

Revit is an Architectural program. Revit duct & Fabrication duct are add-ins that sit on
top of Revit. Part 2 will focus on learning how Revit is designed to work. Once you
have a better understanding of how Revit functions, it will make it easier when you
move to the Shop Drawing Project in Part 3 & start drawing ductwork.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1A

2-1A Setup, Structural & the Building Shell: Goals

You will start a new Project in this exercise.

Main Goals

To understand how to get a new Project started, how Structural is drawn in Revit & how to
create the exterior walls, floors & Roof.

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Start a new Architectural Project

• Draw Levels & grid lines
• Create Structural floor plans
• Create structural columns & beams
• Use the Clipboard to copy objects from one level to the others
• Draw Exterior walls using an offset
• Place Architectural columns
• Place different types of Floor slabs

You will be starting from the 1-1A (your initials).rvt that you created in Part 1-1B

At the end of the Module:

• You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the drawing assignment for
this Module
• You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts covered in this
Module

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1B

2-1B Setup – Start with the Levels

Every element you add to a Revit model is associated with a reference plane that controls
its location in the model. The first step to starting any new Project is to setup the Levels.
Levels are reference planes that break the model up into horizontal slices. All floor plans
are associated with a Level when they are created, & that association cannot be changed.
Without Levels, you cannot have Floor Plans.

You can name a floor plan view incorrectly, but you cannot
change the level the floor plan is associated with. For instance, if you
rename a Level 1 Floor plan to Level 3 Floor plan, any elements you
add to the newly renamed Level 3 Floor plan will still be added to
Level 1 in the Model. It can cause major confusion if the Views are
not named correctly.

Adding Levels

1. Open the Architectiural.rvt from your Assignments folder, or 2-1 Starting

file.rvt from the Starting files folder.

2. Save As, a project, renaming 2 -1 (your name or initials) in your

Assignments folder

Our building will have 4 Levels, 3 Floors 14'-0" apart & a Roof Level.

To add Levels, you must be in a view that intersects the Level planes so that Levels will
be visible. Elevation View and Section views are the only views that do that.

1. Open any Elevation View & close all other views

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1B

There are two existing levels in the template file you used to start this project. There is only
10'-0" between Level 1 & Level 2, so the 1st step is to change the distance between the
levels to 14'-0".

2. Select the Level 2 elevation line, use either the temporary dimension, or
dimension below the Level 2 tag to change the distance between Level 1 & Level
2 from 10’ to 14’ (type 14).

You need to create 2 more levels. You could just copy one of the existing Levels & rename
it, but if you use the Create Level tool from the View tab, it will automatically create Structural,
Floor & Ceiling plans for you when you make a new Level.

3. Architectural tab→ Datum→ Levels tool

4. Hover near the left end of Level 2 line until a straight vertical
line appears.

5. Move your mouse up until the dimension

above Level 2, shows 14’.

If you click to place the line at a different distance, it can be changed very easily after you
finish placing the level, with the temporary dimensions)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1B

6. Move the mouse straight right. When the alignment line vertical from the
other levels tags shows up, click to place the Level. This will keep the levels
even & also lock them, so they will move together.

The Level 3 Line will still be active, which is why you can see the
temporary dimension. Continue to place Level 4.

7. Move your cursor back to the left side, acquire the tracking
line, move up 14’ from Level 3 & click to start the next level
line. It will automatically be named Level 4.

Level 4 will still be selected after placement. This allows you to change the height after
placement if necessary. The Level 4 text will be blue when the Level is selected.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1B

8. Scroll in, so you can select the Level 4 text. Click when a box appears
around text, & change from Level 4 to Roof.

The following dialog box will appear:

When you created Level 4, Revit automatically created a Level 4 Structural plan, Floor plan &
Ceiling plan. What this dialog box is asking, is if all Views that are associated with this level
should have their names updated to match the new name of the Level.

9. Click Yes

Look in the Browser, & you will see that the Level 4 Floor Plan is now named Roof Floor Plan. In
the Ceiling Plans, there will be a Roof Ceiling plan also, which could be deleted. Select all
Levels with a crossing box.

10. Select all levels & Pin them so that they will not be moved by accident.
Either type PN or Modify tab→ Modify→ Pin tool.

11. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1C

Grid lines are Reference planes that break the horizontal space up into sections. Unlike
Levels, Grid lines are not necessary to place objects, as you saw in Part 1. Most projects
have grid lines, & Revit can associate Structural Steel to the Grid lines, as you will see in the
next section.

Revit help also has a video, Add Grid Lines

Our Small Building will have A-C vertical Grids, 20’ apart & 1-5 horizontal grids, 16’ apart.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1C

1. Open your 2-1 Project file, if it is not already open

2. Open Level 1 Floor Plan view & close all others

3. Start the Grids tool, it is in the same panel as Levels. Architectural

Tab→ Datum Panel→ Grids

The grids place from tail to Head, similar to Level lines, but can be switched after placement.

4. Click a point in the upper right corner of the screen (staying inside
the Elevation Markers) as the starting point for Grid line 1. The
placement is not important, it is very easy to move the grid lines around
once you have them all placed.

5. Click another point in a straight horizontal line to the left of the first
point, to place the other end of the grid, & the grid bubble will appear
with a 1 inside it.

Placing Grids is very similar to placing Levels; the temporary dimensions can be used after
placement to adjust the distance between grids.

6. Move your mouse back near the east end of the 1st Grid line, acquire
the tracking line from the existing grid line & drag straight down 16’. You
should see a blue dash placement line follow your cursor when your
alignment is close enough to the end of the 1st line & the temporary
dimension will change as you move your cursor. Click when the blue
dashed line is showing & the temp. dimensions read 16’. If you click when
the dimensions are not 16’, you can still change them after the click,
before placing the next grid.

7. Drag straight to the right & click when the other blue alignment line
appears to create the 2ND grid bubble.

8. Repeat the steps above to place remaining Grid Lines 3, 4, & 5

You should still be in the grid command, but if not, select it from Architectural → Datum → Grid
again.

9. Click a point in the lower left corner, below Grid line 5. This will be the
tail end of Grid line A.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1C

10. Move your mouse straight up the screen & click to place the other
end of Grid line A.

11. The Grid will be numbered 6 & will still be selected after placement.
Click on the number 6 (when it has a text box around it) & change to A.
If you change the number to A now, the remaining Grids will continue
the sequence, so you will not have to rename each grid line. Click away
from the text box to set the text.

12. Add Grid lines B & C using the same procedure, starting at the tail
end of the grid line. Be sure to use the blue alignment lines so your
grids ends are locked together.

13. When you are finished placing grids, type MD, click on Modify, or
tap the ESC key twice

If your Grids are not spaced correctly, you can always select a grid line & move it by the
temporary dimensions. Just remember, the line you select is the one that will move.

When a Grid line is selected, you will see it has some controls:

• If the box at the end of the line is checked, that end will display the Grid bubble & tag. If
both boxes are checked, you will get a Bubble at both ends

• The blue circles at the ends of each line are move grips. If you used the blue dashed
placement lines to place the grids, they will all move together with any end grip to make
the lines longer or shorter. If you placed a grid line without the alignment line showing,
select it & move until the blue dashed placement line appears, click while the line is
showing to lock it to the other lines.
• The symbol that looks like a break line, near the Bubble, will add an elbow to offset the
bubble if it is too close to another bubble.

14. You will most likely want to adjust your Grid layout, refine the lengths

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1C

of the Grid lines with the circle grips at the end of one of the lines. You
can make a selection box around everything & move the whole layout so
it is centered between the Elevation Markers.

If you did not lock the grid lines together when you placed them, (by using the dashed lines to
line them up), you can still select a grip line, & move it until the dashed line appears, & then
click to lock it to the other lines.

15. When you have your Grids the way you would like them to look,
select them all & pin them, so you do not accidentally move them.
16. Add chain dimensions in between the Grid lines, as shown on the
image at the top of this exercise.

17. Turn off the visibility of the Elevation Markers. Without the
Elevation Markers the drawing will be able to Zoom in closer when you
use the ZA command.

18. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1D

2-1D Create Structural Floor Plans & Place Columns

Before placing Structural Steel, you will create a

Structural Floor plan for Level 2. The template we
used to start this Project already had Level 1 & 2
Floor plans, & Level 1 & 2 Ceiling plans, but no
Structural plans for these levels. When we created
the Levels for the third floor & Roof, the level tool
automatically created the Structural, Floor & Ceiling
plans for those levels.

The image to the right shows all the Plan views you
currently have in your Project. You will have to create
a Structural plan for Level 2 from the View Tab.

Note: When we are looking at a Structural plan, the default

view is from floor level looking down. All Structural views are setup to
place structural objects that provide support for the floor Level of the
view. Columns & beams that reside on the 1st level, (support level 2
floor) are placed on the Level 2 Structural plan & will be associated
with Level 2. Structural Steel is unique it that they are the only
elements that are setup to associate with the Level above where they
physically are located.

Create a Level 2 Structural Floor Plan

1. Open your 2-1 Project file if it is not open.

2. View Tab→ Create Panel→ Plan Views→ Structural Plan

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1D

This dialog box will appear:

Notice the only Levels available in the box are Level 1 & 2. That is because the "Do not
duplicate existing views" box is checked at the bottom, & Level 3 & Roof Structural plans have
already been created.

3. Select Level 2 in the dialog box & click OK

4. In the Browser, if you look below the Structural Plans tab, you will see
that the Structural Level 2 plan is now the current view on your screen

5. Close all other views

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1D

6. Start the Columns tool, Structure Tab→ Structure→ Columns

If you look at the Type Selector, you will see that a W10X49 Column will be inserted. To see
if other Columns are loaded, click anywhere in the Type Selector box (on the icon, text, or
space in between, you do not have to click the drop-down button)

When the Type Selector is expanded, you can see there are two columns loaded into the
project. They both belong to the W Shapes-Column family. Families will have an icon in the
left side & the Family name on the right with a gray background. Family Types (members)
will be listed below without a colored background. The current Type will have a blue
background. If you wanted to change to a different size, it would have to be loaded into the
project first, then picked from the list in the Type Selector. Either column will work for this
exercise, W10x49 is what is shown in the images.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1D

When the column tool is activated, the Ribbon will show the Modify|Place Structural Column
Contextual Panel. The Vertical column is selected by default in the Placement panel, which is
correct.

7. Click on At Grids in the Multiple panel.

This tool will place a Column at every intersection of selected Grid lines. The Columns will
be attached to the Grids, so If the Grids move, the Columns will go with them. The settings
on the Option Bar should look like below: (the 9' 0" dimension is grayed out, so it does not
matter what it displays, you may have something different. It only becomes active if you
have the columns unconnected instead of set to go down to a floor. The options bar should
be set so the column is going Down (Depth) to Level 1.

8. Make a selection box around all grid lines.

9. Click the green check mark to finish the command.

Zoom in closer in your drawing, & you should see a Column at every Grid Intersection.

10. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1E

Steel beams are placed in the same way as columns.

Note: You could place beams in a Floor plan, instead of a

Structural plan, but you would have to lower the bottom Clip plane
below the current level, or the beam would be out of the View Range
and not visible. A Structural plan has the View Range preset to see
below the floor level, so it is easier to create a new Structural plan &
not mess around with the Floor plan View Range.

1. Open your 2-1 Project if it is not open.

2. Work in the Level 2 Structural Floor plan.

3. Structurel Tab→ Structure→ Beams

4. From the Contextual Tab, click On Grids

If you look at the Type Selector, you will see the beam Type that will be placed. If you click
the Type Selector, you will see that the only Beam currently loaded into the Project is a
W12x26, so we will use that for now.

5. Use a selection box to select all grid lines

6. Click the Green check mark to finish placing beams. Scroll in &
you should see the beams. They are single line; just like you would expect to see
on Structural plans.

To see the beams with actual width, in the View Control bar, change the detail Level from
Course to Medium.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1E

Add Joists
Joists are added with the Beam tool. If you add a beam between two columns, it will be a
beam; if you add a beam between two beams, Revit will change it to a Joist. To finish the
steel placement, you will add joists to break up the 20' spans.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1E

7. Click the Beam tool again, the default settings are OK. For the 1st
placement point, click a spot on the beam on Grid Line 1, anywhere
between column lines A-B

8. To finish the beam, move your mouse straight down, & click on the beam on
Grid 2

You could use the temporary dimension to locate it centered between the column lines. If
you had 2 or more joists, it would be easier to use the equal option of a chain dimension, so
we will look at how that works here.

9. Type DI, or click the

Aligned dimension tool
(QAT)

10. Place a chain

dimension from column
line A, to the center of the
joist, to column line B

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1E

11. Click on the EQ with the

red slash above the
dimension to toggle on
“Equal”, which will force the
dimensions to be the same.

12. If you wanted to keep the dimension, if you click on the EQ again, it
will change to the actual dimensions instead of EQ & will no longer be
constrained. If you do not need the dimension, delete it when you are
through using it to place the joist.

Note: By clicking the EQ toggle, you have created a constraint.

The dimensions will be forced to stay equal. If you erase a dimension that has the EQ
toggled on, you will get a warning message that the constraint will still be in effect even though
the dimension will be gone, unless you un-constrain it.
This is one of the things that can be very confusing if you are working in a project that you did
not draw yourself. Constraints are something to be aware of. If you try to move an element that
has a constraint stopping it from moving, you will get a warning message, where you can either
delete the constraint or cancel the move. If you are able to move an element that has
constraints applied, it may cause other elements to move with it.

13. Now that the joist is centered, use the Copy tool, (CO) with multiple
checked in the Options Bar, to copy it to the other bays. Pick the base
point carefully, so you can transfer the copy to the center of the other
bays; the end of the joist or a grid intersection works well for the base
point.

14. Open the default 3D view to see what you have so far. Wtza

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1E

Your Steel should look like

the image to the right

15. Save your

Project.

Note: You will see Level

datum lines in the 3D view,
but you will not be able to
select them, as long as you
have the “Select Pinned
Elements” toggled off. If
you want to hide the Level
lines, the extents of the 3D view will move in closer to the model. To hide them, uncheck the
toggle, “Select Pinned Elements”, select a level line, right click & chose hide in view, Category.
If you do hide them, be sure to toggle “Select Pinned Elements” again, to turn it off.

The Clip Board tool is a Window based tool that can copy & paste images between different
programs; You can copy Revit images to your email, or other programs. When using the Clip
Board inside of Revit, Revit provides more pasting options that are Revit specific, depending
on what you are copying. The Level 2 steel is complete. It is easy to copy this steel to other
levels.

16. From the 3D view, select everything.

17.From the Clip Board Panel, click the Copy tool (the only way you will
know you have clicked it, is that the Paste button next to it will no longer be grayed out).

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1E

18. Click the drop-down button below Paste. Select Align to Selected
Levels from the pasting options.

19. In the dialog box, select Level 3 & Roof. Click OK. You will now have 3 levels
of steel.

20. Save your Project.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1F

2-1F Add Exterior Walls & Architectural Columns

1. Open your 2-1 Project file, if it is not already open

2. Set up the screen so you have the Level 1 Floor Plan ( not the
Level 1 Structural plan) & the default 3D view side- by-side, with Level

Note: It can be helpful to close the Browser folders you are not
using. In the image below, the Structural, Ceiling & Elevation plan
folders are not expanded. It makes it less likely you will accidentally
open the wrong view if only the ones you are actively using are
expanded.

1 Floor plan the active view.

We want to add Exterior walls that go from Level 1 up to the Roof. They also want to be offset
8" to the outside of grid lines A/1 & C/5.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1F

3. Start the wall command by typing WA or clicking the Wall icon in the
Architectural tab > Build panel

4. Choose the rectangular draw option from the contextual panel.

The Properties will show for the Basic Wall family, Generic-8" type, this default wall will work
for the exterior walls. You will need to change some of the wall properties before placing the
walls. Options that can affect how the walls place are on the Options Bar.

In the Options bar:

5. Height should be the default direction,

Unconnected should be changed to Roof in
the drop-down menu. This sets the top
constraint

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1F

6. Location Line: should be changed to

Finish Face: Interior, so the wall will
draw to the outside of the rectangle

7. Offset: should be
changed to 0' 8"

8. Click the upper right Grid intersection, 1/A, or when the triangle grip
symbol for the center line of the column appears.

9. Click the lower left Grid intersection, 5/C, or when the triangle grip
symbol for the center line of the column appears, to finish & place the
walls. As long as you had
Finish Face Interior
selected & an 8" offset, the
interior of the walls will be
8" from the grid lines.

10. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1F

You already have Structural columns in your Project. In this next section, you will add
rectangular architectural columns to hide the structural ones.

11.You must use the drop-down button on the Architectural tab > Build
panel > Columns tool to get to the Architectural column. The default tool
will place a structural column, not an architectural one.

The default Option bar settings are OK. The Type Selector will show a 24 x 24 column as the
default. This needs to be changed to an 18 x 24.

12. From the Type Selector, choose 18x24 columns

13. Place a column at each grid intersection. While placing the first
one, use the space bar, if needed, to flip the column to match the
orientation of the structural columns that are already there. Either
place the rest individually or place the 1st row & copy them to the other
grid lines

Next, you will use the Clip Board to copy the Level 1 columns up to Levels 2 & 3

14. Select all Architectural Columns (use the

Filter tool)

15. From the Clip Board panel, Click on Copy

16. Click on the Paste Button Drop Down, and

Select Align to Selected Levels

17. From the Dialog box, select Level 2 & 3

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1F

Note: When you use the Clip Board Paste to copy the columns (or the structural
steel in the previous Module), you may have noticed that the Aligned to Selected
Views option was grayed out. This is because you were only copying Model
elements. Model elements are being copied from one location in the model to another
location. Model elements are not View specific. If you were to use the Clip Board and had
annotation elements in your selection set, the Aligned to Selected Views would be available
& Align to Selected Levels would be grayed out. Annotation can only be copied to other
Views, not to a location within the model.

18. Save your project.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1G

2-1G Add Floors & Roof

1. Open your 2-1 project if it is not open.
2. Work in Level 1 Floor plan to add the Level 1 floor.

In Part 1 you added some floor slabs to buildings. The Level 1 floor is added in exactly the
same way as you previously did.

3. Architectural tab > Build panel > Floor tool

The default settings are OK. (Pick walls, Generic 12” floor)

4. Click on all 4 walls. Make sure the sketch lines are to the exterior side
of the walls & click the green check mark to finish.
5. Close Level 1 floor plan & open Level 2 Floor plan to place the next
floor, use the Switch Window, & Close Hidden Windows tools in the
Quick Access bar
The upper floors will have a different floor type.

6. Activate the Floor tool again

The contextual ribbon & Option bar settings are all still fine

7. From the Type Selector, choose 3” LW Concrete on 2” Metal Deck

8. Pick all 4 walls. The sketch lines should

be to the interior of the walls on this level.
If they are not, use the flip grips.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1G

Note: if you place the floor with the flip grips to the outside, the
floor lines will show on the exterior of the building. If that happened,
you can fix it. Select the Floor, & edit it's boundary, the flip grips will
reappear so you can change them.

9. Click the green check mark to finish and place the floor.

You will get this message:

9. Click on Yes. Revit will fix the way the walls & floor are joined.

The floor will still be selected; we want to copy this floor to the 3rd floor & roof levels. The
floor will become a flat roof.

10. From the Clip Board Panel, click Copy

11. Click on the Paste Button Drop Down, & select Align to Selected Levels

12. Select both Level 3 & Roof in the dialog box & click OK.

Note: When you place the floor on Level 2 you received a

message about the floor/walls overlapping. You did not get the same
message when you copied the floor to Level 3 & the Roof Level.
When you copy elements, Revit does not "look" at them the same
way it would if you were placing them originally. For our purposes, it
does not matter, but the floors that were copied are not joined to the
walls correctly. The Join tool, on the Modify > Geometry panel will fix
it. It is not being covered here, because it is not something you would
have to use to Detail.

13. Save your project

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-1H

2-1H Setup, Structural & Building Shell: Summary

• Levels are the 1st thing to create when starting a new Project. Floor Plans cannot exist
without a Level to associate with.
• Levels & Grids are datum elements. They are reference planes that divide the model up into
sections.
• Levels & Grids draw from tail to head. To change the end the Tags are on, once Levels or
Grids are placed, check or uncheck the box at either end of the line.
• Levels & Grids use placement lines to align the lines with each other & lock the end of the
lines together, making it easy to shorten or lengthen the lines as a group after placement.
• It is a good practice to Pin Levels & Grids once you have them located, so they will not be
moved by accident.
• To create a Structural plan, go to the View tab, Create Panel, & click on the Floor Plan drop-
down > Structural Plan. Columns & Beams can both use the Grid lines for placement.
• If you toggle the Equality Icon on a chain dimension, the dimensions will be forced to remain
equal, even if the dimension is erased.
• The Options bar will help you see the things that are commonly changed when placing
elements
• Use the space bar to flip elements before or after placing
• Revit stands for Revise It - It is designed to make it easy to make changes to your Project.
• Closing Plan folders in the Browser that you are not going to be using can help you select
the correct views to work in
• Revit knows how elements are supposed to be joined. If you place elements that overlap,
you will get a message asking you if you would like the elements connected correctly. Revit
will never fix something for you without asking first.
• If you add a beam between two other beams, Revit will automatically change the steel
category to joist.

REFERENCES:
1. Revit Help, Get Started, Essential Skills – Levels -Essential Skill
2. Revit Help, Model the Design, Model Layout, Grids – Add Grids, Show & Hide Grid
Bubbles
3. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Plans, Plan Views – About Plan
Views
4. Revit Help, Model the Design, Structural Modeling, Structural Columns – Place Multiple
Columns by Grid
5. Revit Help, Model the Design, Structural Modeling, Beams – About Placing
Beams, & - Place Beams with the Grid Tool

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2A

2-2A Modify & Refine, Add to the Interior: Goals

You will make refinements to the shell in this Module, then add a shaft, interior walls, doors &
windows to your project.

Main Goals
Revit is designed to start from a generic mass which is then revised & refined to
become the actual model of what will be built. The name Revit comes from Revise
It. This is a very different process than most detailers are used to. The Goal in this
section is to see how easy it is to make changes to a model. When you have to
make changes to your shop drawings, for instance, if you get updated submittals &
have to change out equipment, Revit is designed to make it easy to make changes.

We will also gain some understanding of the ways to control how a View displays:
Using Underlays, V/G Overrides & View Range.

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Load new Families from the Library
• Use the Type Selector & Type Filter to select/change out elements
• Place shaft openings by using an underlay
• Add interior walls, doors & windows
• Control the way walls cleanup by using V/G Overrides
• Change the View Range in a floor plan to create a new 3D View with the right extents
• Create a new Family Type in an existing window family

You can continue working in the file you created in the last Module. Please use the
starting file for this module, if you are not completely sure your file from the last
module is correct.

At the end of the Module:

• You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the
drawing assignment for this Module

• You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts

covered in this Module

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2B

2-2B Modify & Refine

1. Open your 2-2 project if it is not open

Note: the 3D view in the image below is set to Shaded from the
View Control bar, Display settings. Unlike AutoCAD, you can work in
any display setting you are comfortable with, and it will not affect the
performance of the program.

You can see from the 3D view, that things are not quite right with the Building, the steel goes
through the Roof, & the exterior Walls ends exactly at the roof line. These are easy to fix; we

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2B

will start with the exterior walls and add a 4’ parapet.

2. In either a floor plan view or the 3D view, chain select the exterior walls.

3. In Properties of the wall, change the Top Offset to 4’ (type 4) & move
your cursor away from Properties to see the wall height change

Once the Exterior walls & roof are added, the default 3D view becomes much less useful for
seeing inside the building, but can still be very useful for group selection, as you get
everything in the building at one time. You can also group select the whole model from any
elevation view.

A section view is good for seeing inside the Building.

4. From a Floor Plan view, make 2 Section views through the

building, one horizontal & one vertical (Refer back to 1-6B Making
Section Views if needed).
5. Open one of the Section views. Locate it in the Browser, & rename
either Section north/south or Section east/west, whichever direction the

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 Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2B

section faces.
6. Select & Rename the 2nd Section also.

7. Arrange your screen so you have the Section north/south & the 3D
view open & side-by-side. Close hidden windows.

In the section view, look at the Steel on the 2ND, 3RD, & Roof levels. They go through the
floors. The floors are 5” thick, & the steel should stop at the bottom of the deck. The
architectural columns go through the floor also, although you cannot see it in the section view
because the floor slab is in front of the top of the column. If you highlight a column, you will
see its height.

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2B

The Type Filter is at the bottom of the

Type Selector box, to the right of Edit
Type. In the image to the right, the
whole model is selected, so the Type
Selector displays Multiple Categories
Selected. It is grayed out, as is the Edit
Type, but the Type Filter is not grayed
out & shows you that you have 188
elements selected.

The Type Filter can be used to modify a category of elements within a selection set, without
losing the whole selection set. This makes it much faster to fix the steel & columns height
issues because you do not have to select each category individually to make the changes.

8. Select the whole building in the 3D view

9. Click anywhere in the Type Filter to expand it.

10. Click on Columns from the list.

The Properties will now only show the Properties for columns, so you can make changes.

11. Change Top Offset to -0 5 (-5”).

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2B

The whole building will still be selected.

12. Click in the Type Filter, & choose Structural Framing (Girder) from the
list.

13. In the Properties Palate, scroll down to the bottom of the Geometric
Position section, change the z Offset Value to -0 5.

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2B

14. Click in the Type Filter again, this time choose Structural Framing
(Joists) from the list

15. In the Properties Palate, scroll down to the

bottom of the Geometric Position section,
change the z Offset Value to -0 5.

16. You could pick the Structural Columns & change its Top Offset to -0 5
from the Type Filter also if you want.

The Structural Columns actually will go through the

floors, but for our purposes that really doesn’t matter.
If you wanted the columns to be Structurally correct,
you could leave the columns the way they are in the
whole building, & go to the Structural roof plan to
change the column height on that floor only. Choose
one way or the other, so that the Structural Columns
will not show through the Roof level.

17. Save your 2-2 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2C

2-2C Loading & Swapping out Families

When we placed the steel, we used the default columns & beams that were loaded into
the basic architectural template. They are a little light weight. It is easy to change them
once they have been placed. You will need to load some larger Column & Beam families
first.

Templates should only have the basic elements that you are likely to use loaded into them.
A Revit project file can be very large because it contains a complete model. You should
only add Family files to a project that you intend to use. Fortunately, Revit makes it very
easy to add Family files to your project when you need them.

There are two ways to Load families, from the Insert Tab or from the Tools that place the
objects (door tool, for instance).

• When you Load from the Tool that places an element, it will load the Family file,
attached to your cursor, & be ready to place on your screen. It will only load Families
that belong to the tool category.

• When you Load families from the Insert Tab, it will not place the elements in the
drawing screen; it will only add it to the Families available from the Type Selector. You
can load any Family, regardless of its category. This is a good option if you are pre-
loading Families into your Project that you will be placing later, or if you already have
objects in your Project that you would like to swap out.

We already have the steel placed, so use Load Family from the Insert Tab. You will load a
W16x45 Structural Column and a W16x50 Structural Beam.

1. Open your 2-2 Project file if it is not open. The current view does
not matter when you are loading Families from the Insert tab.

2. Insert→ Load Families will open the Library.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2C

There are separate Categories for Structural Columns & Structural Framing.

Note: When you open the Library, there are folders for every category of
component Families.

There are two types of model Families, Host & Component. Families that are Hosts,
Walls, Floors, Roofs & Ceilings, do not have folders. Host Families have to be copied
from Project to Project, or duplicated & modified from an existing Family in the
Project.

As a Detailer, you will likely be provided with a file to use as a background that will
have the walls, floors, roof & ceilings already placed, so you will only be adding
component Families to your Project.

If a model element you would like to load into your Project does not have a
predefined category, it would be inserted as a component, & will show up in the
Family section of the Browser under Generic Model.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2C

3. Open the Structural Columns folder

4. In Structural Columns, open the Steel folder

5. In the Steel folder, Select the W-Wide Flange-Column Family file &
click Open at the bottom, or double click on the family to open

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2C

A catalog will open with a list of W Columns.

6. Scroll through the list, & select the W16x45 & click OK at the bottom

The Column will now be available in the Type Selector when Columns are either selected
or the Column tool is activated. Before switching out the columns, load the W16x50 beam.

7. Insert→ Load Families. In the Library folders, open Structural Framing

Note: Since the 2019 version, the Library opens to the last folder you were at in the
section. You will have to go up a few folder levels to get to the Structural Framing
folder.

8. In Structural Framing, open the Steel folder

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2C

9. In Steel, Open the W-Wide Flange family, by double clicking in it, or

selecting it & clicking open at the bottom

10. You will get a similar catalog for W beams that you did for W
columns. Choose the W16x50 & click OK

Note: You will notice that the W-Steel lists are exactly the same
for columns & Structural Framing. It is necessary to have the same
steel families in the Library in 2 different locations because Revit
treats the columns category & framing category differently.

All the columns should be changed to W16x45. This can be done the same way as
making the height changes above, by using the 3D view & the Type Filter.

11. From the 3D view, select the whole building.

12. Click on Common in the Type Filter & choose Structural Columns
from the drop- down list, just as you did previously.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2C

13. Click on the Type Selector.

The Type Selector now shows two Families

loaded, the W Shapes-Column & the W-Wide
Flange- Column.

14. Select the W16x45 and all the columns

will be updated

15. Use the Type Filter to select the

Structural Framing (Girders). Change the
W12x26 to W16x50 in the Type Selector.

If you look at a Section view, you will see that the Girders are now smaller than the Joists.

16. Save your Project

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2D

2-2D Adding a Shaft

To add a shaft from Level 1 through the Roof, we will use an Underlay to coordinate with the
steel above. An Underlay allows you to see additional levels in a floor plan view. In the
Properties of all floor plan views, Underlay has its own section, between the Graphics &
Extents sections.

When detailing, underlays are really useful for working on shafts, or making sure you are not
hitting structural steel if you are running duct vertically through a floor. When working in a
Mechanical Project, they are used to show the ceiling grid & structural steel in a floor plan
view, as we will see later in Part 3.

If you did not watch it earlier, here is the Video Link: About Underlays from online Revit
Help.

A few things to note about how Underlays behave:

• Underlays will display in half tone

• Underlays always look like they are beneath the current View, regardless of element
elevations (which is why they are called Underlays).

There is an icon in the Modify bar (or access from the select drop-down below

Modify) – Select Underlay Elements. Like all the other icons in the Modify bar, this one
should be kept off unless there is a reason to turn it on. If you toggle it on, you will still
only be allowed to select one underlay element at a time.

1. Open your 2-2 Project file, it is not already open

2. Work in the Level 1 Floor plan view

Note: If you two or more views open on your screen & you open a new view, it will come in over
top of the current view.

3. From the Browser, in the Underlay section, across from Range: Base

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2D

Level, click on None & change to Level 1

Note: It may seem odd to insert an underlay of the same level (level 1) into a Level 1
view. The reason this will work for you is because the Underlay will default to showing
you the whole Level, from Level 2 down to Level 1. Your current view is being cut by the Cut
Plane in the View Range (in the Extents section of Properties) @ 4'-0". Without the Underlay on,
you will only be seeing from 4'-0" down to the Level 1 floor elevation. With the Underlay for the
same floor on, you will be able to see from the elevation of Level 2 down to the Level 1
elevation.

You set the Underlay to Level 1, BUT nothing looks any different!

There are two settings that are stopping you from seeing the steel in the Underlay.

• The Top range of the Underlay is Level 2, so what you are seeing in the Underlay is the
top of the Level 2 floor slab. If your Visual Style is set to Hidden lines, you will not be
able to see through the floor slab to the steel, or anything else in the underlay below the
slab. Remember, the Underlay will appear below your current view, so it does not affect
how your current view displays.
• When the Detail level of a floor plan is set to Course, structural steel (along with other
elements, like Revit piping & Revit duct) will display as single line. Single line elements
do not show in an Underlay, so the steel will not show

4. Change the Visual Style to

Wire frame and the Detail level to
Medium.

Image on the right shows Level 1 Floor

Plan View with a Level 1 Underlay, in Wire
frame & Medium detail

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2D

The shaft will 4'-0" x 6'-0", 9-1/2" to the right of Column line B, & 9-1/2" below Column line 2

1. Architectural tab > Opening panel > Shaft tool

2. Modify|Create Shaft Opening Sketch tab > Draw panel > choose the
rectangle tool

3. Click 2 points below Grid Line 2, right of Grid Line B, to sketch the
opening, the original size does not matter, as you will use the temporary
dimensions to position it after the initial sketch is placed.

4. Click ESC key twice to exit the drawing mode of the shaft tool & let you
edit the shaft that is there

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 Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2D

5. Select the west line of the shaft. Use

the temporary dimension to change the
distance between the west shaft opening
& the center line of the steel to 9.5"

6. Select the east line of the shaft. Change

the temporary dimension between the east &
west lines to 4'-0" to set the width of the
shaft

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2D

7. Select the north shaft line. Select the

temporary dimension text between the
line & C/L of steel above, and change
to 9.5"

8. Select the south shaft line &

change the dimension between
north & south shaft lines to 6'-0"

Now the shaft should be located correctly. Before exiting the shaft tool, you will add
symbolic lines through the opening & set the shaft elevation in Properties.

9. Click on Symbolic lines in the contextual ribbon panel

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2D

The Draw line tool is active by default.

10. Click on opposite corners of the shaft opening to draw an X through the
opening

11. In Properties, set Base Constraint to Level 2, Top Constraint: Up to

Level: Roof

12. Click the green Check mark in the Ribbon panel to finish & exit the
shaft tool

13. Type MD, click on Modify or click the ESC key to deselect the shaft

14. In the Properties for Level 1 Floor plan, set the Underlay Range: Base
Level back to none.

The shaft will disappear from the view. This is because you are back to looking at Level 1
floor plan view only, & you are seeing it from the Cut plane @ 4'-0" looking down. The shaft
is above, out of your View Range. To get a good look at the shaft you just placed, you can
look at the 3D view & move the section box grips in so you can see inside the building. You
can also get a good view of the Shaft in a Section view, by moving the section view line so
that it cuts through the shaft opening.

15. Select the Section north/south. Hover near the section line until the
move grips appear.

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2D

16. With the move grips visible, drag the section line up the screen until it
cuts through the shaft opening

17. Double click on the solid geometry of the section head, or right click in
the drawing area & choose Go to View, to open the section view & see the
cut through the shaft

If you move your cursor over the outline of where the shaft is located, it will highlight, so you
could select the shaft from the section view, & modify it of you needed to.

18. Save your Project.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2E

2-2E Making 3D Working Views from the Floor Plans

3D working Views
Creating 3D views by Level is not a bad way to set up working views ahead of time. There
are several ways to make 3D views of the floors, as you did in Part 1-6E. We will make 3D
views of the different levels by using the View Cube option, which will give us the
opportunity to look at the View Range. If you need to refresh your memory on how to make
3D Views from the View Cube, review Part 1-6E, Making 3D Views.

1. Open your 2-2 Project, if it is not open.

The image above was made from the View Cube, orienting the View to Level 1 Floor plan. It
is a little hard to tell the overall height of this view, without interior doors, but it is obviously
below the structural steel.
The actual height is 7' 6", taken from the setting for Top: of the View Range of Level 1.

When making a 3D View from the View Cube, all of the settings from the View you orient to
are used to create the new View. If you have the visibility of an element turned off in the
original floor plan, it will remain off in the new 3D View. The vertical extents of the new 3D
View will be set by the Top & Bottom settings for the original view, as set in the View
Range.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2E

2. To avoid making changes to the settings of the Level 1 Floor

plan view, Right click the Floor plan & choose Duplicate >
Duplicate
Note: If you are working in a Project with multiple users, or on your own,
but have other distractions, it is always a good idea to copy a View to make
temporary adjustments to the settings instead of making changes to the
original. That way, there is no chance you will forget to reset the settings to what
everyone (including yourself) expects them to be. This can save you or someone else
from having to trouble shoot the View later on, when elements do not appear as
expected.

Revit will name the new view Level 1 Copy 1. As this is a temporary View, you do not need
to rename it something else.

3. With the new copied view current, in the Browser, Extents section,
click on Edit to the right of View Range

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2E

4. The View Range dialog box will appear

• The Bottom plane of the Primary Range is set to 0' 0" of the Associated Level, so
the bottom of the view will be at the floor line of Level 1.

• The Top is set at the Associated Level (Level 1) with an additional offset of 7’ 6”, so
the overall range of the view is a slice through the model that starts at the floor line
of Level 1, & goes up to 7’ 6” above the floor.

• This is the typical range of an Architectural floor plan view. They want to be able to
see the Doors in the view, but need to stay below the Ceiling line.

5. Determine the height of the 3D view you would like to create.

In the drop-down box to the right of Top: you can set the top to a different level. From this
setting, you could actually set the View to show the whole building if you wanted to. If you
set the Top: to Level Above (Level 2), & set Offset: to 0' 0", you would create a 3D view that
would show from Level 1 to Level 2 floor line elevations. That could work for you, but you
would have to adjust the visibility settings of the Level 2 floor slab, because you will not be
able to see through it.) If you want the top of your view below the 5" thick floor (the bottom
of the deck is @ 13' 7") change the Top to 13’ 6.9. Click OK to exit the View Range dialog
box.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2E

6. Type in the elevation you choose for the Top, Click Apply & OK to exit
the dialog box
7. With the default 3D view current, right click the View Cube & choose
Save View
8. Rename the new view 3D Level 1
9. From the View Cube menu, orient the new view to Floor Plans/ Level 1
Copy 1
10. Click a corner of the View cube to orient it to an orthographic view.

In the image above, the View was made from Level 1 Copy 1 that had Top: in the View
Range, set to 13' 6.9". The Visual Style for the View is set to Shaded. The section box has
been move out away from the walls, to make it easier to select it.

11. In the Browser, delete Level 1 Copy 1 Floor plan view

The section box, that controls the extents of the 3D view, is being applied to this view.
Otherwise, you would see the whole model. If you cannot see the section box, select everything
in the model & a box around the exterior with blue move grips in the center of each plane should
be visibly. (it is easier to see with the visual style set to Hidden lines, instead of Shaded). If you
still cannot see the section box with everything selected, the section box has been hidden in the
view. Check the Hidden Elements tool in the View Control bar.

12. Change the Visual style of the 3D view to Shaded if you prefer

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2E

13. Repeat the process, to create 3D views of Level 2 & Level 3.

14. Remember to delete the copies of the Level 2 & Level 3 floor plans

15. Save your Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

In this section, you will add walls for four offices on the west side of the building & walls
to enclose the shaft. The office walls get roughed in & refined to the desired locations,
using the temporary dimensions & modification tools. The Shaft walls use the Offset
option to place them 6" away from the shaft opening.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

Adding Walls for the Offices

1. Open your 2-2 Project, if it is not open.

2. Work in the Level 1 Floor plan view.
3. Type WA or Architectural tab > Build panel > Wall tool

In Properties:
4. In the Type Selector, scroll down & change the wall type to Basic Wall Interior -
5 1/2" Partition (1-hr)
5. Set the Top Offset to -0 5", so the walls will not go through the floor slab
6. In either the Properties or Options bar, set the Top Constraint to "Up to level:
Level 2

7. In the Options Bar, uncheck chain (if it is checked) to draw walls individually.
The default draw tool will be line, which is what you want

8. Place a wall from north to south. Exact location is not important.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

Three more walls will need to be placed to divide the west side of the building into 4 rooms.
The final location of the walls will have one end of all 3 walls attach to the columns. It is
better to place the walls from the center line of one wall to the center line of the other wall, &
then move them. Revit knows how to join the columns & walls when you move them into
each other, but it is hard to manually pick the correct location on the column to attach the
end on the walls. If the connection is not correctly joined, the Ceilings will not be able to find
the correct boundaries to place themselves later.

9. Add three more horizontal walls & exit the wall command

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

Once placed, the walls can be relocated:

• The north/south wall should be moved so that there is 10'-0" between the inner &
outer walls in the Offices
• The north & south corner offices should have the walls aligned to the outer edge
of the column (to make the corner offices slightly larger)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

• The Office wall in the center of the building should be C/L of the column line 3

Use temporary dimensions, and the Align tool to move walls to the correct locations on your
own, or follow the step-by-step directions below.

10. Select the North/south wall, toggle the witness line grips on the temporary
dimensions to the interior of the walls. If the west witness line is pulling the
dimension from the column line, move the witness line grip to the wall & then
toggle it to the inside of the wall. select the dimension text, type 10 in the
dimension text box

11. To use Align on the corner office walls, Modify tab >Modify panel > Align.
Click the side of a architectural column you would like a wall to align with, &
then click the edge of the wall that will move to match the column line. You do
not have to restart the Align command to move the wall on the other end of the
building. Continue by clicking the 2nd column line wall & then the 2nd wall line
you want to move to it. Type MD, click Modify or ESC to exit the Align command.

12. The office wall in the middle of the building can be moved by selecting the
wall, waiting for the Move grip icon to appear & dragging it to the column line. It
will snap to center when you get close. (you could use Align or move also)

13. Save your 2-2 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

14. Scroll in closely & look at how the wall cleans up at a column.

In the last section, you changed the Detail level to Medium, to force the structural steel to be
visible & display as double lines. The Walls will only display cleanly if the Detail Level is set
to Course. The two images below show how the walls display in different Detail levels.

Detail Level: Course Detail Level: Medium

How to Control the Display of Elements

To be able to work efficiently in Revit, you have to be able to control what your views look
like; to see exactly what you need, or turn off things that are in the way. Some things are
controlled automatically by Discipline, View type, or other settings, but generally, you have a
great deal of control over what elements are visible & how they appear. In the Properties of
every View, in the Graphic section, is Visibility/Graphic Overrides. This is where you can
control how/or if Elements are displayed in individual views.

V/G Overrides

We can adjust the Visual/Graphics settings of Level 1 Floor Plan, so the Steel will be allowed
to show & the walls will still clean up well.

1. With your Level 1 Floor Plan current and nothing selected, In Properties,
below the Graphic section, click on Edit to the right of V/G Overrides

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

The only two Tabs at the Top to be aware of for now are Model Categories & Annotation
Categories.

Below the Tabs is a Filter List. What shows in the table below can be filtered by Discipline.
This can shorten the list considerably. If an Element you are looking for does not show in the
table, check to see if it is being filtered out by not having the Element's Discipline checked.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

There are four things that can be controlled by Element in V/G Overrides:

• Visibility - The box in front of the Elements in the Visibility Column must be checked for the
Elements to be visible. (That doesn't mean every element will be visible if it is checked. As
we saw with the Structural Steel, there are other settings that can affect an element's
visibility.)
• How the Lines that make up the elements are displayed: color, transparency, line weight,
whether they have a fill pattern. These settings can be controlled separately if they are being
cut by the Cut Plane. We will get more into these settings later on In Part 3, where we care
more about how mechanical elements show.
• Any Category of Elements can be forced to display Half Tone.
• Any Category of Elements can have it's Detail Level locked in, so the Detail Level set in the
View will not control it.

We can use the Detail Level Overrides to lock in the display of the Walls & Steel, so they will
both display how we want them to, regardless of the Detail Level set in the View.

2. Scroll down the list of Elements until you get to Structural Framing. In the
Detail Level column located on the far right, change By View to Medium.

3. Change the Wall Detail Level to Course

4. Click Apply & OK to exit the dialog box

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2F

Add Walls Around the Shaft

The shaft should have walls 6” away from the shaft opening. To see the Shaft & beams
above again, you will need to Set the Underlay back to Level 1. You can place a 5-1/2"
Interior (1 hr) wall around the shaft, using the method as you did for the exterior walls of the
building, (except change the Top Offset to -0 5"), or follow the step-by-step directions
below.

1. In Properties, set the Underlay to Level 1

2. Start the Wall tool, (type WA)

3. Choose the Rectangle draw option, in the Options Bar, Set the height to
Level 2, Line Location to Finish Face Interior, & Offset to 6”

4. In Properties, change the Top Offset to -5” (so the walls do not go thru the
floor slab).

5. Click the upper left corner of the shaft opening to start placing the wall.

6. Before clicking the lower right corner of the shaft opening, if the walls are
inside the shaft, tap the space bar to flip them. Click to finish.

7. In Level 1 Properties, Underlay section, set the Range: Base level back to
none, to turn off the Underlay.

8. Save your Project.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2G

2-2G Add Interior Doors & Windows

The Architectural template file we used to start this Project only has one very basic door family
loaded. To place a glass door in the Offices, you will need to load one first.

1. Open your 2-2 Project file if it is not open.

2. Set your drawing area up so you have both the Level 1 Floor plan &
Level 1 3D working view side-by-side.

The point in having a 3D working view is that you can move the extents & orientation around
as you work, to give you a clear view of only what you are working on. You will be working on
the east wall of the Office, so adjust the 3D view to get in closer to see the east wall.

3. In the 3D view, Move the section box in so you have a good view of
the east wall of the offices.

Note: An easy way to get your section box exactly where you
want it, especially if you are working in a congested drawing, is to use
both views to set it up. Select the section box in the 3D view. Switch
the active view to the floor plan. The section box will display in the
plan view. If you move the north, south, east & west planes of the
section box in the plan view, you can see exactly where the planes
are going to cut the view.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2G

4. Architectural→ Build Panel→ Door→ Load Family.

5. Browse to the Door folder. Inside the Door folder, in the Commercial
folder, select the Door-Passage-Single- Full_Lite.rfa. When the
catalog appears, select a 36"x84" door.

6. In the plan view, place a Door in each office. 2’-2" is a good distance
between C/L of 36” doors & C/L of the walls. The closer zoomed in you are
in the view, the smaller increments the temporary dimension will show.
Place 4 doors, or place 1 in the upper office, mirror it to the office below,
using the C/L of the wall as the mirror line, & then copy or mirror both
doors to the lower two offices.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2G

We will use 48x72 windows to create a panel of windows in each of the Office walls. There are
3 window family files preloaded into the template file we used to start our Projects. We will use
the Fixed window family & create a new type (size).

7. Start the Window command.

8. From Type Selector, choose 36x72. Add one window to the wall in any
one of the offices, location is not important.

We want windows that are 48” wide, but 36” is the widest available in the Fixed window
family. When you have a Family that looks the way you want it to, but doesn't have the right
size, you can duplicate a family type that is closest to the size you want & modify it. It is
easy to make a new 48"x72" type, by duplicating the 36x72 type & change the name &
width.

1. Select the 36x72 window you just placed, if it is not still selected
2. Below the Type Selector, on the right side, click Edit Type.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2G

The Type Properties dialog box will appear.

3. Click the duplicate button, near the top. Rename to 48”x72” & click OK

Note: Renaming Family Types is just as important as naming

Views correctly. What you name the type will show up on schedules,
so it is important that you follow the same naming convention as the
other types in the Family.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2G

4. In the Dimensions section, change the Width from 3’0” to 4’0”

5. Click OK at the bottom to exit the dialog box & change the window
you had selected in the view will now be updated to the new size.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2G

6. Start the Window command

In the Type Selector drop-down, you can see that you

have added another window size to the type list of the
Fixed window Family.

7. Choose the 48x72 Fixed window, &

place windows in 2 of the Offices, 3
windows in a larger corner office & 2 in an
interior Office. (You can use the Copy
command with multiple checked in the
Options bar, to add more windows or
place them from the Type Selector)

8. Use the Nudge command (arrows on

the keyboard) to move the windows in
small increments so that they will fit.
When the windows are placed in the 2
Offices, Mirror (with column line 3 as the
mirror line) to place them in the remaining
2 offices.

9. Save your Project file.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2H

2-2H Modify & Refine, Add to the Interior: Summary

• The Type Selector & Type filter make it easy to swap out Elements by Category.
• The 3D View or Elevation Views will allow you to select the whole model at one time.
Section Views are good for seeing inside the model
• There are two places to load Families from, from the Insert tab or from the tool of the
element (door, window, etc.) When loading Families from the Insert tab, it does not matter
what the Family category is. When loading a Family from the Wall tool, you will only be
allowed to load wall Families.
• Families that have a large number of types, such as the W-Wide Flange steel families, have
Catalog files so you can only load the Family Types you need. This helps to keep the file
size from getting any larger than it has to be.
• An Underlay always appears in Half tone & displays below the current view, regardless of
element elevations
• You can only select one element at a time in an underlay. The Select Underlay
Elements must be toggled on in order for you to make that one selection.
• When the Detail Level is set to Coarse, some Elements will display as single line.
Single line elements will not show in an Underlay
• Underlays do not use a View Range, they will show Level-to-Level, for whichever
Levels are selected in the Underlay section
• If a View is set to Shaded & has a floor slab in the view, you will not be able to see
through the slab. Set the Visual Style to Wire frame to be able to see through the
slab.
• V/G Overrides can be used to control the display of elements by their Category in a View.
The 4 things it can control are:
1. Visibility
2. How Elements are displayed (line color, weight, transparency, etc.)
3. Whether they display Half tone
4. The Detail Level

• V/G Overrides can be filtered to show only elements of a particular discipline(s)

• When making temporary changes to View settings, it is good practice to make a
duplicate view to make the changes in. It is easier to delete the duplicated view
when you are finished with it, than remember to go back and reset the View
settings to the previous settings
• The Top & Bottom settings in the View Range of a Plan view will control the
extents of the 3D View made from that Plan view.
• When placing elements, the closer you are zoomed in, the smaller the increments
the temporary dimensions will display
• New Family types can be created by clicking Edit Type, when the Family is

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-2H

displayed in the Type Selector

• To create a new Family type, duplicate an existing one that is closest to the size
you would like to create & rename and modify it.
• Rename new Family types you create using the same format as the existing
Family types so they will appear similar in schedules

References:
Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Views, Plan Views, About Underlays;
View Range Properties

Revit Help, Customize Revit, Project Settings, Detail Level, Specify the Detail Level in a View

Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Views, Visibility and Graphic Display in
Project Views, Change the Graphics of a View; Visual Styles

Revit Help, Model the Design, Revit Families, Working with Families, Manage Families and
Family Types

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers. 2-3A

2-3A Finishing the Exterior & Upper Level Floor Plans

In this Module you will load new Family files to add exterior doors & windows, modify
instance parameters of windows, use the Clipboard to copy 3D elements to upper
levels, & finally, modify the elements to reflect the different floor layout on the upper
levels.

Main Goals
• To understand the differences between Family, Type & Instance parameters
• To become comfortable with Copying & Modifying; Revit is specifically designed to
encourage revising & refining a model, whether you are working on an
Architectural Project or a Duct Shop Drawing.

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

Use previously covered tools to gain more proficiency & practice with:
• Changing the location of what is being dimensioned by moving the grips on the witness line
of a dimension
• Loading new families
• Using the mirror & copy command
• Adding & removing elements from a selection set
• Selecting a good view to work in
• Use the Trim/Extend to Corner tool

Choose the best Paste option from the Clipboard paste drop-down
Explain the difference between Family, Type & Instance Parameters of model objects

At the end of the Module:

You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the drawing assignment for this
Module
You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts covered in this Module

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3B

2-3B Adding Exterior Doors

NOTE: For this exercise it is important that you start from the 2-3 Starting.rvt file. This
file has more walls, doors, rooms, room tags, a staircase, & shaft for the stairs added
to the Small Building Project that have completed so far. It is unlikely you will need to
know how to place a stairway to Detail, so it is not being covered here. Room tags are
something a Detailer should know how to place, but they are added differently when
you are working in a Mechanical Project with a linked in Architectural background, so
we will come back to Room Tags in Part 3, when working in the Mechanical Project.

The Architectural project template used to start this project only had one Door family loaded,
a Single - Flush Family with several Types (sizes) available. You added a Single Glass door
family for the interior Office doors. For the Building Entrance, you will need to load a Double
glass door family.

1. Open the 2-3 Starting.rvt file from the Starting file folder, & Save
As, a project, renaming 2-3 (your initials) in your Assignments folder

2. Working in Level 1 floor plan, select the Door tool from the Architectural
tab

3. From the Contextual tab→ Load Family

4. In the Library, go to Doors/ Commercial/ & open Door-

Exterior-Double- Two_Lite.rfa

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 Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3B

Note: A single click on any Family name will bring up a preview on the right-hand side of the dialog box.
Either click Open at the bottom of the dialog box, or if you do not need to see the preview, you can double click
the Family to open it. The dialog box will disappear & you will either be returned to the drawing area, or taken
to the Select Type dialog box, if there are multiple Types (sizes) available. Some simple Families, like the
Single- Flush Door family will automatically load all the Types. Families that are more complicated, like the
Double Glass Door, will let you choose which sizes you would like to load. Only loading sizes you will use will
keep the Project file from getting any bigger than necessary.

5. Select 72”x 84” door from the Select Type dialog box & click OK at the
bottom.

6. The Door will be attached to your cursor as soon as you are close
enough to any wall where it can be placed. Place the door anywhere in
the south wall with the doors swinging outwards.

7. While the door is still active, use the temporary dimensions to move
the center line of the door 13’ west of Line C, as shown below. (You may
have to move the witness line by the grip, so the dimension will be taken from the column line
instead of the wall line.)

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 Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3B

The Door command should still be active, but if it is not, select the Door tool again

8. Click Load Family in the Contextual Panel. New since 2019, the Library will
reopen to the last folder you accessed in a session, so it will reopen in the Door/Commercial
folder.

9. Go up one folder, to the Door folder. Open the Door-Overhead-Sectional.rfa

10. Place in east side of the North wall & move so the east edge of the
door is 3’ from Grid Line C

While the Door is active, check the Properties, & you will see there is only one Type of
Overhead Door in this Family, 8' x 6' 6". If you wanted your door to be a different size, you
would need to click Edit Type, Duplicate the 8' x 6' 6" type, rename it to the new size, &
change the dimensions, just as you did to create a 4' 0" wide window in the last section.

10. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3C

2-3C Adding Exterior Windows

Our Small Building is a city building which is sandwiched between two other buildings, so
it will not have windows on the west & east sides. Yours doesn’t have to be though; If you
want to add exterior windows to the west & east sides, you are welcome to do so.

1. Open your 2-3 project file, if it is not already open

You can use the 48" x 72" Fixed window Type you created previously to add 3 windows to
the front face of the building.

2. Work in the Level 1 Floor Plan view

3. Architectural tab→ Window tool, From Type Selector, choose 48x72

Fixed window

4. Place 3 windows in the South wall. Exact locations of the

windows are not important to us, just space them so they look ok

The Window tool should still be activated, but if it is not, restart it now. The North wall &
upper floors will have operable windows. We will use the Window-Double-Hung.rfa family.

5. With the Windows tool active, click on the Type Selector & look at the
Window-Double-Hung.rfa family Types.
There are 4 Types loaded. This is a standard window, so will have more types, that are not
loaded. Instead or duplicating a type & changing the name & size, check the family first, to see if

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3C

other sizes are available.

6. Click on Load Family

If you have not exited the Revit program since you placed the Doors, the Library will open
in the Doors folder, so you will have to go up a folder; If you have just reopened Revit, the
Library will open in the main folder.

4. Browse to the Windows folder & open the Window-Double-Hung.rfa

5. In the Specify Type dialog box, you can see that there are more sizes
available that what have been preloaded into the template we used to start
this project. Select the 38”x52" type, & click OK at the bottom
6. Place 3 windows in the North wall, similar to how you placed the 3 in the
front of the building

8. Click Modify to end Window command.

9. Save your project

The windows on the backside of the building will all be of the same family - Window-Double-
Hung.rfa. You could use the Clipboard tool to copy the Level 1 windows up to 2 & 3, but it might
be better to visually see all the windows at the same time, to make sure they are placed
symmetrically.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3C

There are 3 View types that will show you the vertical view of the North wall:

• 3D View. You could use a 3D view, set to the back. In this case, it is not your best option
because we would like to mirror the 2 windows on the west side of the building to the
east, so the windows will be symmetrical. We need Grid Line B to mirror of off. Grid lines
do not show in a 3D view

Note: New to 2019, you are able to see Levels in a 3D view.

If you do not see Levels, it is because the Visibility is not turned on.
Go to Visibility/Graphics Overrides of the 3D View, the Annotation
tab, & check the box in front of Levels in the Visibility column if you
would like to see the level planes in a 3D View.

• Elevation View. You could use the North Elevation View. In this instance it is a good
choice. The thing to remember about Elevation views, is that although you are only
seeing the exterior view of the building, the whole building is active, similar to a 3D View.
If you use a selection box around the windows on Level 1, it will select everything in the
building that fits the criteria of the selection box, not just what you see on your screen.
Since this building is pretty wide open, you will be able to select just the windows you
want in the North Elevation view.
• Section View. You could move your East/West section so that it shows you only the
North wall & will not affect other building elements behind the wall. If you were placing
Louvers in an Architectural Sheet metal project, this would be a better choice, because
you could isolate the wall & not inadvertently move something inside the building that
you do not see

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3C

10. Open the North Elevation View. The 2 east Windows on Level 1 can
be copied to Level 2.

11. Select both Windows. (use a selection box, or select individually using the control
key)

Check the number next to the filter tool at the

bottom right hand corner of your drawing
area, it will tell you how many elements you
have selected. It should be 2

12. From the Modify panel, click Copy

13. Click a base point, some place where it will be easy to click directly
one Level above; The Level line where it intersects the building, or
intersects the Level symbol works well. Click a point 14’ (one Level)
above & parallel to the first point, to finish the copy.

14. The windows you just copied will still be active (highlighted), select
the Mirror - Pick Axis tool from the Modify panel

15. Click on Grid Line B, to set it as the mirror line & place the mirrored
copy.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3C

16. Select all 4 windows on Level 2 & copy up to Level 3, to finish the
windows on the North side.

Depending on where you placed your windows, you may or may not be able to line up the
window on Level 1, next to the Garage door, with the windows on the Levels above. For
our purposes, it is not important that they line up.

17. Save your Project

The windows in the Front of the building on Levels 2 & 3 will be Double Hung, the same
as the windows on the North wall. They still want to be lined up with the windows on Level
1, so you will copy the Level 1 windows up to Level 2 & then change their Type with the
Type Selector.

1. Open the South Elevation View (& close out the other open views)

2. Copy the 2 windows on the west side, from Level 1 up to Level 2.

3. Mirror both windows, as you did above, so level 2 will have 4 windows.

4. Select all 4 windows & in Properties, use the Type Selector to

change the windows to Window-Double-Hung, 38" x 52"

5. While all 4 windows are still highlighted, use Copy again, to copy
them up to Level 3

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3C

6. Save your Project

You may have noticed after you changed out the windows, the new windows are too low to
the floor levels. That is because the insertion point on Windows are an instance parameter.
Understanding the difference between the 3 kinds of parameters is important so you will
know what you are affecting when you make a make a change to an element.

• Family Parameters. Family parameters can only be changed in the Family Editor.
These parameters determine how the element will display in the different views, & are
the highest level of control. The family determines if the element can have Types, or
Instance parameters. Families can get very complicated, so for instance, if a size
changes, other dimensions will be forced to change also.

- Whether or not a door is shown with a door swing & the degree it is open (usually 90
degrees, but it could be edited to any degree) in plan views is one of the things that are
controlled through the Door Family parameters.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3C

- A square neck diffuser family will force both width & depth to be the same dimension,
so you will not be able to change a 12x12 neck to a 16x12 neck.

The visibility & transparency of the

access clearance boxes on this Trane
Climate Changer AHU are controlled
by Family parameters & cannot be
changed with the Visibility/Graphics
Overrides of the 3D view. A Family
Parameter has been added, under
Construction, so that, when this unit is
selected, in Properties, under the
Construction section there is a
checkbox, where you can either display
or turn of the visibility of the access
clearance boxes.

Note: The Trane unit above is available in your class Library

files, if you want to play around with it. If you double click a family file
(with a rfa extension) it will open in the Revit Family Editor, not in a
Revit Project. You must load it into a Project first.

• Type Parameters are almost always a size variation, to allow multiple sizes of the
same element. Type parameters, if the Family allows them, can be edited through the
Properties of the element by clicking Edit Type below the Type Selector. New Types can
be made from duplicating an existing size, renaming it, & changing the element's
dimensions.

- It is important to rename Types descriptively. If you were to select a 12x12 neck

grille in your project, & opened the Edit Type dialog box, & selected the 12x12 neck
type, but did not duplicate it & rename it before changing the neck dimensions to 10x10,
it will change all the 12x12 neck grilles to10x10 in the entire project, but they would still
all be called out as 12x12 neck grilles.

• Instance Parameters are unique to each element. The location of each element could be
considered an Instance parameter. All properties that can be changed in the Properties
panel of the element, are instance parameters. The CFM on a grille is a good example of
an instance parameter. If you look at a Titus 350L Grille family, the Types will be the
various sizes, but each grille can have its own CFM.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3C

The Level 1 windows originally placed in the south wall were placed with the default sill
height of the 48" x 72" Fixed Window. The default sill height is an Instance parameter, to
allow the user to place windows at any elevation they would like on a window-by-window
basis.

To Fix the Sill Heights of the Double Hung Windows in the South wall:
7. Select the 8 Double Hung windows on the South wall with the 1' 0" Sill
Height

• You could select them individually in the South Elevation View,

• or use a selection box - check the number next to the Filter tool to confirm
you have only the 8 windows,
• or use a selection box that excludes Level 1, then use the Type Filter
below the Type selector to select the windows (it will not matter that you
are also selecting the windows in the North wall, because they are the
same Type & should all have the same Sill Height)

8. With the windows selected, change the Sill Height to 3' 0" in Properties

9. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

2-3D Finishing Level 2 & 3 Floor Plans

To finish out the upper floors, you will copy the interior walls, windows, doors, railings, &
stairway and then make necessary modifications.

Use the Clipboard Copy

1. Open your 2-3 Project file, if it is not already open

2. Work in the Level 1 Floor plan view

3. Using the various selection tools, select the interior walls, doors,
windows, stair & railing elements only.

Reminder: -Selection box, Left to Right to select elements completely inside the box
Selection box, Right to Left to select elements that are partially inside the box
Hold down the Control Key to add objects to a selection set
Hold down the Shift Key to remove objects from a selection set
Use the Filter tool to deselect Categories of Elements you do not want to copy

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

4. Once you are confident you have only the interior walls, doors,
windows, railings & stair elements in your selection set, Click the Copy
tool from the Clipboard panel.

5. Click the drop-down button below Paste in the Clipboard Panel

Note: Notice how the Aligned to Selected Levels that you used
previously to Copy Clip the Structural, floors & columns from one level
to another is grayed out? That is because only model elements can be
copied to levels. The Stair Path is an annotative element, not a model
element; it is the arrow & UP or DN text on the stairway. If any
annotative elements are part of a selection set, a View must be
selected to paste to. All Model elements will still be copied to the
Model & attached to the Level of the Selected View(s), but annotation,
or the Stair path in this instance, will only be copied to the Views
selected.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

6. Choose Align to selected Views. Choose Level 2 & Level 3 Floor plans.

7. Open Levels 2 & 3 Floor plans to verify that copy/paste worked

If you are not fully aware of which elements are Model or Annotation, Duplicate Level 1 by
right clicking on Level 1 Floor Plan & choosing Duplicate>Duplicate to copy only Model
elements. Look at the copy & you will see that the Stair Path & Room Tags were not
copied, because they are annotation. Delete the copy if you made one.

8. Save your project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

1. Open your 3D Level 2 View.

The walls, copied from Level 1, are OK on Levels 2 & 3, except the Break Room at the top
of the stairs needs to be eliminated & the stairwell needs a wall to enclose the opening

To delete Break Room 107, delete the southern wall. Try using the Trim/Extend to Corner
tool from the Modify tab to shorten the wall back to the Restroom.
2. Work in the Level 2 floor plan
Note: If you can see more in the Level 2 floor plan than you think you should be able to see,
check to see if it has an Underlay applied to it. If so, reset the Underlay to None.
3. Select Trim/Extend to Corner
4. Pick the part of a wall you want to keep (south wall of Restroom) &
then the wall to trim to (the wall between the Restroom & Break Room)
You may receive 2 warning messages.

-The first one will notify you that elements cannot remain joined. The wall you are trying to
modify is attached to the wall on the east of the Stairway, so must be detached. The walls
in question will be highlighted on your screen.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

5. Click Unjoin Elements to dismiss this message & allow the wall to
disconnect

-The second message will be about the Door no longer fitting in the host wall. "Cannot cut
36" x 84" instance out of wall"

6. Click Delete Instance(s) to allow Revit to delete the door & shorten the
wall.

7. Save your Project

The slab opening for the stairs on Level 2 needs to have a 4' 0" wall added around the
opening for safety. You will use the pick line option of the Wall draw tool to select the shaft
opening lines to add walls to.

You will need to be able to pick the Shaft opening lines. When the area you are working in
has multiple elements, like the stairs, stair run, railings, etc., it can make it hard to pick the
line you want. There are 2 ways to help to pick the correct lines.

- The preferred method is to use the Tab key to highlight the lines before you select them.

When your cursor is close enough to any element, it will highlight (pre-select). When there
are multiple elements close enough together & you click the Tab key, the highlight will
toggle through all elements that are close enough to be pre-selected. Whatever element
you have highlighted will display in the Status Bar (at the bottom left of your drawing area).

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

When the element you want is highlighted, click to select it.

-Some drawings have too many layers of elements stacked on top of each other & it can be
very frustrating trying to select the element you want. If you are having a hard time making
a selection in a crowded area, temporarily hide the other elements that are in your way.
You can temporarily hide elements by selecting them, & clicking the sunglasses Icon in the
View control bar.

You will have to choose whether to Hide/Isolate by Element or Category. When this tool is
activated, a cyan border appears around your drawing area. Once you are finished with the
Temporary Hide/Isolate tool, click the sunglasses icon again & click on Reset Temporary
Hide/Isolate. If you save your project & exit with the Temporary Hide/Isolate tool active, it
will force a Reset.

Try both methods, so in the future, when you are working in a congested area, it may help
you remember you have options.

1. Work in the Level 2 floor plan, scroll in close to the stairway

2. To add a low height wall, start the wall tool
3. Choose the Pick Line from the draw panel

There are settings that need to be changed to place the wall. Some, but not all of them, can be
set in the options bar. The base offset needs to be changed in Properties.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

3. Location Line: Core Face: Exterior.

This will place the wall outside the shaft with the
sheet rock continuous on the inside of the shaft
opening

4. Base Constraint: Level 2 (this will already

be set)

5. Base Offset: -4 6, This will force the wall to

extend 4'-6" down from the top of Level 2 to the top
of the Ceiling on Level 1

6. Top Constraint: Unconnected

7. Unconnected Height: 8 6. This will put 4'-

0" of the wall on Level 2 & 4'-6" below
Room Bounding will be checked, which is OK

8. Use either method to select the two shaft opening lines on the west & south
sides of the stairs. A blue dashed line, representing the other edge of the new wall, will
appear when you are close enough to the lines, the dashed lines should be to the outside the
shaft, so the walls will be placed on the concrete & the sheet rock will run inside the shaft
opening. If you place the walls to the inside of the wall, after they are placed, select them &
use the flip grips to flip them to the outside
9. Click Modify when finished, to exit the wall tool

10. Check your work in your 3D Level 2 view

10. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

11. Select the East/west

section & move it in close
to the west side of the
stairs.

12. Move the boundary

grips to get the section
only around the stair
area.

Notice how you only have to move the

section line, not the Head or Tail of
the Section, to move the section box
in tight around the stairs.
When you are using a section as a
working view & moving it around
your drawing, to get in close to the
area you are working, it is a good
idea to keep the head & tail out of
the drawing area. It makes it easier
to select it when you are ready to
move it to the next area.

13. Open the Section

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

1. In the section view, use the Tab

key to chain select both short walls
protecting the stairway opening on
Level 2

2. Use Clipboard copy/paste to

copy the selected walls to Level 3

3. Select all Stair & Railing

elements on Level 3 in the section
view & delete, but do not delete the
walls you just copied. Hint: use a
right to left selection box

4. Open the Level 3 floor plan.

Delete the Room at the head of the
stairs on Level 3, similar to Level 2.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

5. Create a new 3D View from the Section, Rename: 3D Section@ Stairs.

If you need to refresh your memory about how to create a 3D View from a plan or section
view, review 1-4E Making New 3D Views.

6. Check the 3D view to verify the walls & stairway are correct on both
Level 2 & 3

7. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3D

There is a fire escape in your class Revit Library folder. Add it to the North side of the exterior.
Note: Load from the Architectural→ Component tool, or if you load from the Insert tab, it will
be available to place from the Component tool. Save your Project when you are finished.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3E

2-3E Finishing the Exterior & Upper Level Floor Plans:

Summary

• A single click on a Family file in the Library will cause a preview to be displayed to
the right side of the Load Family dialog box
• Specify Types dialog box will appear when loading Families with more
complicated families, so you can load only the family Types (usually sizes) you
require. This helps keep the Project file size as small as possible.
• The Library will reopen to the last used folder in any session
• You can work in any View where you can see what you want to connect to or
modify; choosing a good view to work in can make your job easier
• The default North, South, East & West Elevation views are vertical views of the
building from the exterior. Just like a 3D View with no section box applied, the
whole building will be active in the View. You need to be aware that if you use a
selection box, you can select building elements that are hidden from view.
• The filter tool, at the bottom right corner of your screen, will show you how many elements
you have selected.
• Once an element is placed, if it is swapped out for a different Type, the original
insertion point will still be used. You may have to make adjustments to the new
element, if it should be inserted at a different elevation or location.
• Families have 3 levels of parameters, Family, Type & Instance
• Family parameters have to be changed within the Family Editor, which is a
different interface than the Revit project interface. Family parameters control how
the element displays.
• Type parameters allow for the elements to have standard variations, like multiple sizes.
• Instance parameters allow each element to have unique properties, such as
CFMs, or whether or not a fitting has a volume damper
• If you create a new family Type (size) it is very important to name it correctly. The
name may be used for schedules & takeoff.
• Revit will give you warning messages before detaching or deleting elements
• Temporary Hide/Isolate, the sunglasses icon in the View Control bar, can be used
to make it easier to work in a congested area
• Section Views can be moved around to provide good working views of just the area you are
working in
• The Copy tool from the Modify panel cannot change what the elements are
anchored to or associated with, The Clipboard Copy/Paste can disassociate an
element & re-associate it with a new host or level.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-3E

REFERENCES
1. Revit Help, Model the Design, Revit Families, Working with families, Open the Family
Editor; Manage Families and Family Types

2. Revit Help, Model the Design, Tools and Techniques, Parameters, About Parameters

3. Revit Help, Troubleshoot, Gathering Information to Troubleshoot Issues, About Messages

and Warnings You can Ignore

4. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Plans, Plan Views – Visibility and
Graphic Display in Project Views, About Hiding Elements in a View; Temporarily Hide or
Isolate Elements or Element Categories

5. Revit Help, Model the Design, Tools and Techniques, Edit Elements, About Copying
Elements, Copy Elements with the Copy Tool

Page 2 of 2
2-4A Reflected Ceiling Plans: Goals: APSM 132 DEV Fifield https://foothillcollege.instructure.com/courses/8852/pages/2-4a-reflected-...

In this Module you will add ceilings, and then add architectural grilles & fans to the ceilings

Main Goals
To be able to draw & edit ceilings.

To understand the difference between Architectural grilles & fan representations, and Mechanical grilles & equipment

To explore the View Range, & how it affects Floor Plans differently than Reflected Ceiling Plans

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

Explain what is required to be able to place ceilings
Modify Ceiling boundaries
Modify ceiling grid layout
Understand how Revit treats grilles differently when they are placed in an Architectural or Mechanical Plan
Discuss the role of the Cut plane in Plan Views

You can download the 2-4 Starting.rvt, or continue working in the file you created in the last Module. Please use the
starting file if you are not completely sure your file from the last module is correct.

At the end of the Module:

You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the drawing assignment for this Module
You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts covered in this Module

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4B

2-4B Adding Ceilings

1. Either open the 2-4 Starting.rvt file from the Starting

files folder, or open your completed 2-3 project file

2. Rename 2-4 your initials & save in your Assignments files

folder.

Before we even get started, let's

do a little housekeeping. If you
look at the Browser, there are
extra Views we do not need.

In the Floor plans folder, there is

a Site plan with nothing in it, so
it can be deleted.

There is a Roof Ceiling

plan that can also be
deleted.

3. Delete all Structural

Floor plans, the Site
plan & Roof Ceiling
plan

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4B

4. Open the Level 1 Ceiling Plan, & Level 1 Floor plan, & close all
other Views.

5. Hide the Elevation Markers in the Ceiling view

6. Type WTZA to tile the 2 Views & make them as large as will fit
the screen

When you look at the level 1 Floor & Ceiling plans side-by-side, one of the differences
is that the Floor plan has room tags, but the Ceiling plan does not. These Tags were
created in the Floor plan view & as noted before, because all Tags are annotation &
View specific, they will only appear in the View they were created in, unless they are
copied to another view. Notice that when you move your cursor around the Floor plan,
the Room elements do not highlight.

If you want to have the Room Tags show in the Ceiling plan, you could use the Clipboard to
copy them from the Floor plan, or use the Tag tool to tag the Rooms. If the visibility of the
Rooms have been turned off in V/G Overrides before you used the Clipboard copy, the Tags
will be copied to the Ceiling plan, but you will not see them. The thing to remember is this -
tags will not display for elements that are not visible. To see Room Tags, the visibility of the
Rooms has to be on.

In the Floor plan, the Rooms elements are still on or we would not be able to see the tags. The
reason the room elements do not highlight when you hover over them, is because the rooms
have been Pinned. As long as the Icon in the lower right of your screen, Select Pinned
elements, has the red X on it, you will not be able to select the pinned Room elements, so they
will not highlight when you move your cursor over them. Pinning the Room elements is an
effective way to not see the Rooms, while still allowing you to see the room tags.

Place Ceilings
Ceilings can be placed automatically IF you have drawn the walls in so that they
are connected to each other correctly. Ceilings have to have an enclosed
boundary to use the Automatic Ceiling tool. If you needed to draw in a ceiling that
was not enclosed completely by walls, or the walls were not drawn correctly, you
would use the Sketch Ceiling tool & draw an enclosed boundary, just as you did
when sketching the floor slabs in 1-2G Modeling Floor Slabs.

7. Architectural panel > Ceilings tool, Automatic

Ceiling will be the default tool

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4B

8. The default ceiling Type will be

2x4 T-bar. From the Type Selector,
change the ceiling Type to 2x2

9. Change the Height Offset from

Level to 10 6, this is the ceiling
height parameter

10. In the Floor plan view, click inside Office 105 to place the 1st
ceiling

You will receive this warning message, because the Ceiling you just placed is not
going to be visible in the View you placed it in. You will notice that it does show up in
the Ceiling plan. Warning messages have yellow backgrounds & do not require you
to do anything to dismiss them. If you continue with the next command, the
message will disappear. It can also be dismissed with the red x at the top right of the
dialog box. It is still a very good idea to pay attention to any warning message.

11. Switch to the Ceiling plan & place more 10' 6" ceilings in
the rest of the Offices, Restroom & Breakroom

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4B

All 10’- 6” Ceilings are placed in this vie

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4B

12. You will still have an active Ceiling command, in

Properties, change the Height Offset to 9 6.
13. Place a Ceiling in the Open Office.
14. Save your Project

Change the Ceiling Grid Layout

The Ceiling grids will have placed themselves centered in the rooms. It is simple to
change the grid layout. You will change the ceiling layout of the Restroom &
Breakroom to give you experience moving the Grids.

1. Zoom in close, so you have the Restroom & Breakroom

ceilings clearly in the drawing area

2. Select one of the horizontal grid lines in the Restroom

3. When the Move grip appears, drag the ceiling grid line
straight up to the wall. This will start a full tile at the north
wall

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4B

An unlocked lock icon will appear on the wall. If you click the lock icon, the ceiling will
be locked to the wall & would have to be unlocked in order to reposition the grid in
the north/south direction

4. Select a vertical ceiling grid line in the Restroom & move it to

the West wall

5. Repeat for the Breakroom, so full ceiling tiles are

starting from both rooms in the northwest corners

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4B

6. The Ceiling grids in the 4 Offices

should also be modified, so that a full
tile starts in the corner of the Offices
closest to the doors.

7. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

2-4C Comparing the Floor & Ceiling Plans

Compare Floor & RCPs

1. Open your 2-4 project file if it is not already open

2. Set up your Views so Level 1 Floor plan & Ceiling plans are
side-by-side

Revit has several types of Views that can be created: Plan Views, which include both Floor
plans & RCPs, 3D Views, Sectional Views, Elevations, Callouts, Schedules & Legends. Revit
has some settings that automatically apply to each View type. For example, Schedule &
Legend views do not have a window into the model, & the Ceiling plans are always viewed from
the bottom, looking up, & it is mirrored back down onto the drawing (which is why it is call a
reflected ceiling plan).

Revit does not let you change the view orientation of Floor plans or Ceiling plans. Floor plan will
always be viewed from the top & Ceiling plans will always be viewed looking up & reflected back
down. You can change the View range though. We will compare the differences in the View
range of these 2 views to give us a better understanding of the View Range.

View Range
The view range is a set of horizontal planes that control the visibility and display of objects in a
plan view.
Every plan view has a property called view range, also
known as a visible range. The horizontal planes that
define the view range are Top, Cut Plane, and Bottom.
The top and bottom clip planes represent the topmost and
bottom-most portion of the view range. The cut plane is a
plane that determines the height at which certain
elements in the view are shown as cut. These 3 planes
define the primary range of the view range.
(note: the above description is taken directly from Revit
Online Help)

To Edit the view range, in the Properties of a View, scroll

down to the Extents Section & click Edit next to View Range

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

• The Level 1 Floor plan has a View Range from the floor level up to 7'-6", with a cut plane @
4'-0". This means the maximum slice of the model that can ever be seen with these
settings, is a slice 7'-6" high from Level 1. Most architectural & Structural elements will be
cut at the 4'-0" Cut Plane, so you are really only seeing a 4'-0" thick slice of the model,
looking down from above.
• The View Depth allows extra depth to show below the Bottom. It is used to show footings in
a ground level plan. While it can be useful for detailing, we will not discuss it here.
Note: The "Learn more about view range" link at the lower left of the dialog box will take you to
Revit Help, for a more thorough explanation of the View Range

Typical settings for an Architectural Floor Plan View

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

The View Range of the Ceiling plans is simpler. There is only a Top & Bottom (the Cut plane &
Bottom are locked together, the elevation you choose for the Cut plane will also fill in the
elevation for the Bottom)

The Level 1 Ceiling plan has a View Range of from 7'-6" (Cut plane) up to the Level above,
which is 14'-0", You are seeing a 6'-6" slice of the model that starts 7'-6" above Level 1
& ends at Level 2 This allows you to look up at the Ceiling from an elevation that is above the
Doors & Windows, which is why no Doors & Windows are showing in the Ceiling plan.

Typical settings for a RCP

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

In our Level 1 views, the slices of the model you are seeing do not even overlap.

To see Doors & Windows in the Ceiling plan, lower the View Range enough so that
it intersects the Doors & Windows.

3. With the Ceiling Plan the active View, Edit the View Range,
change the Cut Plane elevation to 6 6

With the view range lowered, the doors & windows in the Ceiling plan will display
exactly as they do in the Floor plan.

To see how the Doors & windows would look like if they were not being cut by the
Cut Plane, raise the Cut Plane in the Floor plan

4. In the Properties of the Floor plan, Edit the View Range &
change the Cut Plane to 8 (8'-0")

The doors & windows will still be available in the floor plan, but they are below the
walls, so are not as easy to see. If you hover over a wall where you know there is
a door, you can use the Tab key to select the door.

5. After selecting a few doors & windows, change the View

Range Cut Plane back to 4' 0"

Not all elements can be Cut by the Cut Plane. To see which elements can be cut,
open V/G Overrides.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

The above V/G Overrides for the Floor plan, is filtered to only show Architectural
elements. Notice the scroll bar on the right, you are still only seeing about half of
the architectural elements in this dialog box.

Projection/Surface section will control how elements are displayed if they are not
being Cut by the Cut Plane. The Cut section controls how Cut elements display.
Elements that cannot be cut will be grayed out in the Cut section. Elements that will
not cut, will show by their Projection/Surface settings if any part of them is the
range (above the Bottom & below the Cut plane).

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

The above V/G Overrides dialog box is filtered to show only Mechanical elements.
Notice how almost all of the Mechanical elements cannot be Cut by the Cut plane.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

We will add a desk & chair to Office 105, to finish exploring the View Range.
Before adding furniture, move the Room Tag out of the Office. Room tags cannot
be moved out of the rooms they Tag, unless they have a leader, so the first step
to moving the tag is to add a leader

6. Select Office 105 Room Tag

7. From the Options bar, check the box in front of leader

8. Move the Tag out of the room to the west

All elements that do not have a specific category, are added as Component
elements. Furniture falls into this category.

9. Architectural panel > Component tool, the desk may

show up in the Type Selector. If it does not, click the
Type Selector & select a 60 x 30 desk

10. Flip the desk with the space bar, & set it in Office 105

The Component tool should still be active, reactivate it if it is not.

11. From the Component Contextual panel, choose Load

Family

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

12. Browse in the library to Furniture/ Seating. Select the Chair-

Executive.rfa

13. Use the space bar to flip the chair & place behind the desk

14. To see the Desk & Chair in a section view, move the
East/West Section view over to just inside the office wall.
Use the Flip Grip to change Section orientation & move the
grips in so only Office 105 will show in the section

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

15. Deselect the Section & double click the Section head to open
the Section View

16. After confirming your desk & chairs are placed correctly
in the section, close the section view, so that you will have
the Level 1 Floor & Ceiling plans side-by-side again.

You will not see the furniture in the Ceiling plan because the Bottom of the view
range is set to 6 6. The desk is 30" high. If you set the bottom of the ceiling View
Range to 3 (3'-0"), you will only see the chair, but not the desk. If you change the
Bottom in the View Range to 2, yo will see both desk & chair.

17. Lower the Ceiling plan view range to show either the chair or
both chair & desk.
18. After confirming your desk & chairs are placed correctly
in the section, close the section view, so that you will have
the Level 1 Floor & Ceiling plans side-by-side again.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4C

You will not see the furniture in the Ceiling plan because the Bottom of the view
range is set to 6’ 6”, which means we are looking up from 6’ 6”. The desk is 30"
high. If you were to change the Bottom of the ceiling View Range to 3 (3'-0"), you
will only see the chair (because the back of the chair is above 3’ 0”), but not the
desk. If you change the Bottom in the View Range to 2 (2’ 0”), you will see both
the desk & the chair.

19. Lower the Ceiling plan view range to show either the chair or
both chair & desk.

Because you are looking up in a Ceiling plan,

the furniture is blocking out the ceiling above it.
The Visual style of this View is set to Shaded.

We are still looking up in this view, but the Visual style

has been changed to Wireframe, so the furniture does
not appear to be on top of the ceiling grid.

20. When you are finished, change

the View Range of the Ceiling plan
back to 7 6, so the doors & window
will no longer display

21. Save your project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4D

2-4D Adding Architectural Grilles & Ceiling Exhaust

Fans
For this exercise, you will place grilles & ceiling exhaust fans as they would be placed in
an Architectural file, NOT as you will in a Mechanical project. This way, when you use
this file for your Mechanical Project later, the grilles & fans will be as you would expect
to find them in an Architectural file.

Adding Architectural Grilles

Architects do not place real Mechanical grilles or Equipment in their drawings. They
generally place simple line drawings that convey the location of "real" grilles or
equipment an Engineer or Detailer will place later.

Grilles will have to be loaded into the Project.

1. Work in the Level 1 Ceiling Plan

2. From the Architectural tab→ Build Panel→ Component tool→ Load

Family in the contextual tab. Anything that does not have its own icon for
category of elements in the Build panel, can be added from the Component
tool.

3. In the Library, browse to Mechanical/Architectural/Air-Side

Components/Air Terminals, & load both the Square Supply Diffuser.rfa &
Square Return Register.rfa

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4D

4. There will be 2 sizes of both grilles in the Type Selector. Choose a 24x24 supply
diffuser, and place one in the north Office. It will not snap to the grid, because the
insertion point on grilles & registers is C/L, so just place one in the room with the Grille
c/l on a grid intersection.

5. Use the Type Selector to change the grille to Square

Return Register, 24x24 & place it the same way in the
same office.

6. Use the Align tool to snap the grilles to the correct

ceiling grid lines

In the image to the right, a supply & return grille have

been placed, but still need to be relocated into the grid.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4D

If you would like to place lights in your Project, It is easier to place them first & use them to
help locate the Grilles. Placing lights is extra, you are not required to add them to complete
this exercise. The Starting file for the next exercise has the lights placed, so it is up to you.

If you do want to add Lights, they are added through the Component tool, & placed in the
same way as the Grilles. The Library path is Library/ U.S. Imperial/ Lighting/ Architectural/
Internal/ Troffer Light - 2 x 4 Parabolic.rfa. The lights will not rotate with the space bar, so
you will need to use Modify> Rotate after placement.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4D

7. Use the Copy tool, with Multiple checked in the options bar, to copy grilles
(and lights) to the other 10' 6" ceilings (Offices, Restroom & Breakroom) Select
the grilles to copy by one of their corners & they will snap to the ceiling grid
lines. Use the Sketch on the previous page for Placement

The architectural Grille families & light fixtures in the Project are Hosted; they will act
just like windows & doors in the walls. If the Ceilings move, hosted grilles & lights will
go with it; if the ceiling is deleted, the grilles & lights will be too. If you hide a light, you
will notice the ceiling has been cut for the light. The cut openings for the lights will
remain, as long as the light fixture is there, whether it is hidden or not. The grille
families we loaded will not cut holes in the ceiling; that is a parameter that is setup in
the Family through the Family Editor interface.

There are hosted & un-hosted Grille types, & it is important to be aware of the
distinction, so you will load the correct kind of Grille. They are not interchangeable.
You cannot swap out a hosted & un-Hosted grille for each other. If you try to, you will
get an error message that will stop the command. Whether or not a Grille family is
Hosted (ceiling based, wall based, & plane based are all variations of Hosted) was
determined when the family was first created. Hosted or /un-hosted grilles have to be
created from different template files.

Sometimes grilles will have "hosted" in the file name,

but not necessarily. If you receive a Revit project &
want to know if the Grilles are hosted or not, select a
grille, & look at its Properties:

Properties of a Hosted Grille family –

• A Hosted Grille has no place to change the
Offset (grille height) in the Properties

• You can change the Level in the Constraints

section of Properties, but the Grille will not be
moved out of the Level 1 Ceiling

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4D

Properties of an Un-Hosted Grille Family:

• You must set the Offset to the ceiling height in
Properties, or the Grille will be placed on the floor
(0’ 0”), & will most likely be out of the View Range
of most Ceiling plans

• If you change the Level, the Grille will be moved to

whatever Level you choose & will still be placed on
that Level at the Offset height in Properties

Finish the Open Office

There are a few ways place the Grilles (& lights if you want) in the Open Office
The first way, is to restart the Add Component tool & place the elements from there, just as
you did originally in the north Office. The elements placed with the Component tool will
acquire the elevation from the host ceiling.

A second way is to copy a grille in the 9' 6" ceiling and place in the same 9' 6" ceiling. Select
the extra grille & choose Pick New Host from the Modify|Mechanical Equipment contextual
panel. The grille will then be attached to your cursor (@ c/l because that is the insertion point
of the grille family) & you can place it in any other ceiling. You will still have to move it into
the ceiling grid.

Select a grille, use the Clipboard copy. That will detach the grille from the host
ceiling. Use the Paste from Clipboard option in the Paste drop-down, & the grille
will be attached to the cursor, just as above.

8. Use any method to place Grilles (& lights) in the Open Office. Use the
sketch on the next page for locations.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4D

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4D

Add Ceiling Mounted Exhaust Fans

Ceiling mounted Exhaust Fans will be added to the Restroom & Breakroom instead
of return grilles. They will be placed exactly as you did the grilles, except they need to
be loaded from the class Revit Library folder instead of the Revit Program Library.

9. Architectural tab→ Build Panel→ Component tool→ Load Family

10. Browse to your Revit Class/ Library folder. Choose exhaust fan clng based.rfa
When you open this fan family, you will get a warning that the family has to be
upgraded to the current Revit version. This is typical of most equipment families,
they do not make new versions unless the equipment has changed.

11. Place two fans, one in each room

Hint: to get the fans centered in the ceiling grid, select a

fan, move witness lines of the temporary dimension to
the ceiling grids, & change both dimensions to 1

12. Save your Project.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4D

Extra Exercise

This View of the Breakroom Ceiling shows how the Grilles & Exhaust Fan are just
flat, 2D representational families. These are good examples of how simple a family
can be to do the job they need to do; they add no more data to the project file than is
necessary. They are attached to the bottom of the ceiling plane, so will display
anytime the ceiling plane is in view. Note: In this view, we are looking down from
above, so the ceiling grids do not display. The grid is a pattern attached to the bottom
face plane of the ceiling element, & in this view, the ceiling has been made
transparent, so we are looking into the ceiling element, at the top face of the bottom
plane. To see the ceiling grid lines, you would need to rotate the view so you were
looking up at the ceiling.

For this extra exercise, create a view that looks similar to the view above. Duplicate
one of the existing 3D views & rename the View - Extra Exercise. Move the section
box in & modify the graphics. Hint: All of the changes that were made to this view can
be done through the right click menu.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers. 2-4E

2-4E Level 2 & 3 Ceiling Plans

Level 2 & 3 have the same floor plans as Level 1, except for the elimination of the
Breakroom. The easiest way to complete the ceilings on the upper levels, is to copy
the 1st floor ceiling & components to Level 2 & modify the ceiling around the
Breakroom.

Level 2 & 3 RCPs

Use the Clipboard to copy Level 1 ceiling & Components

1. Open your 2-5 Project file if it is not already open

2. Work in the Level 1 Ceiling plan

3. Select all Ceilings, Mechanical Equipment & Light fixtures (if you placed
them)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers. 2-4E

4. Use the Clipboard Copy, & Paste, Aligned to Level 2

5. Open Level 2 Ceiling Plan, scroll in close to the Breakroom area at the
top of the stairs

You can see that the Wall has been removed between the Restroom & Open Office,
but the Breakroom ceiling from Level 1 is still there. The Breakroom ceiling needs to be
eliminated on this level & the Ceiling in the Open Office needs to be extended into that
area

6. Select the Breakroom ceiling & delete it. If you select

one of the ceiling grid lines, & then click on the Tab key,
the ceiling will highlight, so you can select it.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers. 2-4E

Notice how the grille, light & fan were also deleted,
because they were "hosted" by the ceiling.

To modify the Open Office ceiling, you will have to

select it & modify its boundaries in the Mode panel,
similar to modifying floors & roofs.

7. Select the Open Office Ceiling

8. Click the Edit Boundary Icon in the Contextual Mode
Panel

The drawing will fade out, & the ceiling border will appear in magenta lines.

9. Use the Draw tools in the contextual panel & other Modify tools to extend
the ceiling border, making sure your border lines attach end-to-end & form
an enclosed loop (trim to corner is a good tool to use if your lines are not
connected)

10. When you are finished

modifying the border, click the
green check mark in the Mode
panel to exit the editing tool.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers. 2-4E

11. Copy a grille from the open office area & place it in the space (and a light
too, if you drew lights)

12. Add an Exhaust Fan, either from the Type Selector, copy from the
Restroom with the Clipboard copy, or select the Restroom fan, right
click & choose create similar. Whichever way you choose, you will
have to center the fan in the ceiling grid again.

13. Save your Project

Level 3 Ceiling
The ceiling on Level 3 will be exactly like Level 2, so you only need to use the Clipboard to
copy it up.
1. Select the Ceilings, Lights & Mechanical Equipment on Level 2
2. Copy, from the Clipboard
3. Paste, aligning to Level 3
4. Open your Level 3 Ceiling plan to confirm that it is correct
5. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4F

2-4F Reflected Ceiling Plans: Summary

• For ceilings to be placed, they have to have a closed loop boundary. The walls will create
this boundary for you if they are connected correctly. If the walls do not form a closed loop,
you can sketch a boundary by using the Sketch Ceiling tool, from the contextual panel of the
Ceiling tool.
• Warning dialog boxes have a yellow background. You are not required to do anything to
continue; the warning will disappear when you enter the next command. However, it is good
practice to pay attention to all dialog boxes that pop up.
• Floor plans are always viewed looking down from above & Ceiling plans are always viewed
from floor level, looking up.
• The View Range controls the vertical extents of all Plans Views.
• The 3 planes that make up the View range are Top, Bottom & Cut planes
• Almost all architectural elements & structural elements are affected by the cut plane, & will
not be displayed in a View if they are completely above the cut plane
• To see which elements can be displayed differently when cut by the Cut plane, look at the
V/G Overrides in any View. If the Cut section is grayed out for a category of elements, they
only have one display setting for both Projection lines & lines that are Cut
• Family parameters can control what will be displayed when an element is cut by the cut
plane. For instance, doors families may have a door swing graphic that displays only in plan
views when the Doors are being cut by the cut plane.
• To override the display of a single element, select it & use the right click menu. "Choose
Override Graphic in View/ By Element" to bring up the "View Specific Elements Graphics"
dialog box, which will allow you to make changes to the appearance of the element
• Room tags cannot be moved out of the room area they tag, unless a leader is attached first
• Section views can be moved around your drawing; When the section is selected, the grips
can be moved in close, to provide good working views of just the area you are working in
• The Component tool is a catch all for elements that do not have their own tool (such as
walls, windows, floors, etc...) in the build panel. Furniture is an good example of a Family
element that must be inserted into the Project with the Component tool
• Air Terminals in architectural plans are inserted with the component tool & will show up
under the Mechanical Equipment category
• Hosted & un-hosted grilles cannot be swapped out for each other
• Un-hosted grilles are not locked to the ceiling; ceiling elevation must be set through grille
properties
• To change the grid layout pattern on a ceiling, select a grid line & drag to a new location, or
use the move tool on the selected line

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-4F

REFERENCES:
1. Revit Help, Model the Design, Architectural Modeling, Ceilings, About Ceilings; Create a
Ceiling; Modify a Ceiling

2. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Plans, Plan Views – About the View
Range

3. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Plans, Plan Views – About the View
Range

4. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Visibility and Graphic Display in Project
Views, About the Visibility and Graphic Display Dialog; Override Graphic Display of
Element Categories

5. Troubleshoot, Troubleshooting: Model the Design, Troubleshooting: Rooms, Room Tag is

Outside of Its Room

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5A

2-5A Creating Sheet Views & Printing

This is the last Module of the Architectural Project! To finish it up, you will prepare the Views &
plot out a set of Plans.

Main Goals
To be able to Plot whatever you want plotted out of a Revit file into PDF or .dwg formats

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Prepare Views so they will fit on the Sheets to be plotted
• Create Sheet Views & populate the Title Blocks
• Plot a set of Plans to PDF
• Plot individual sheets to AutoCAD
• Plot selected 3D elements to a 3D AutoCAD format

You can start from the 2-5 Starting.rvt, or continue working in the file you created in
the last Module. Please use the starting file if you are not completely sure your file
from the last module is correct.

At the end of the Module:

You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the drawing assignment for this
Module.
You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts covered in this Module & the
overall Architectural Project.

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

2-5B View Cleanup

1. Open you 2-4 project, or 2-5 Starting file.rvt from the Starting Files
folder.
2. Save As 2-5 (Your Initials)

Preparing Views to be put on Sheets

To complete the Architectural Project, you will put all four Floor Plans, three Ceiling
Plans, four Elevation Views, two Section views & the 3D view of the Stairway on
sheets to be plotted out. Before placing them on sheets, they need to be opened &
checked to make sure they will fit on the Sheet.

3. Open the Level 1 floor plan view

Setup the section Views:

4. Move the North/South & East/West Section line, end markers & their Crop
region, so that they will give you a view you want to plot out.

Make sure the head & tail do not stick out too far
past the column grid lines. The Crop region of the
section will control how big the View will be when
placed on a sheet. To control the height of a
Section crop region, you have to be in a view
where you can see the height, a 3D, Elevation or
Section View.

Without the East/West section line selected, it

appears that this might be a good view to place on
a Sheet.

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

With the Section line activated,

you can see that the Section view This is what the Section would look
crop region is really quite limited. like if it were not adjusted to show a
fuller view

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

Prepare the 3D Stairway View:

5. Open the 3D Stairway View & rotate it to a good angle to be viewed on a sheet

6.Turn on the Crop View & Show Crop Region, & move the Crop box in so the
View will be as small as possible

7. Select the Section box, & use the right click menu to turn off its visibility

If a 3D view is going to be placed on a Sheet, it is good practice to lock the View orientation, so
if others open the view, they cannot change it without unlocking it first. Locking the View
provides a warning to anyone opening it, that they should duplicate the View before using it.

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

That way they can do whatever they like to the copy without affecting what is placed in the
sheet.

8. Once you have the 3D Stairway View oriented the way you would like it to
plot, click the Unlocked 3D View icon (house with a little padlock) in the View
control bar & select Save Orientation & Lock View.

It makes no difference what Visual Style you work in, but unless there is a good reason to plot
the view in Shaded, it will use less ink, & be more defined, if you change the Visual Style to
Hidden line for plotting.

9. Change the Visual style to Hidden

lines

10. Save your Project

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

Prepare the Elevation Views:

1. Open the East Elevation view
2. Toggle on “Select Pinned Elements”
3. Select the Level 1 Grid line & Unpin it
4. Move the ends of the Level 1 grid line, by the end grips, closer to the building.
If you placed the grids correctly, the other grid lines will be locked together, so will all move
as a unit. If the other grid lines did not respond to the Level 1 grid line, you would have to
unpin the other grid lines & move them
5. While the Level 1 Grid line is still selected, click the Propagate Extents icon, in the
contextual ribbon
6. In the Propagate datum extents dialog box, check the box in front of Elevation: West, this
will apply the changes you just made to the East Elevation view, so you will not have to
repeat the process for that view, click OK to exit the dialog box
7. Open the North Elevation view & move the Level 1 grid lines in closer to the model
8. Click on Propagate Extents & check the box for the South Elevation view
9. Click OK to exit
10. Pin the Level 1 Grid line
11. Toggle off “Select Pinned Elements”
12. Save your Project

Adjust the extents of the Plan Views:

How much space a View will take on a Sheet is determined by the size of the Crop
region being applied to the view. If you need a refresher on how Crop View, Crop
Region Visibility, & Annotation Crop work together, please review the section from
Part 1, 1-4D Cropping a View.

11. Working in the Level 1 Floor plan view, turn Crop View & Show Crop Region
on, either from the View Control Bar or the Extents section of the View Properties

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

12. Move the Crop box as close to the 3D elements as possible

Every View that will be placed on a Sheet, needs to have its extents checked. This
Project does not have that many Views to cleanup, so you could open each View
& move the Crop box in tighter to the Model elements. If this were a larger Project,
a high-rise for instance, or a plan that needed to be broken into multiple areas on
each floor, you would want to use a Scope Box to control the view Extents.

A Scope box can be used as a preset Crop Box, & applied to multiple views. If you
work for a large company, you will more than likely have the Project setup for you
already & will not have to create your own Scope Boxes. If you prefer, you may
skip the next section on Scope Boxes, but if you do, you will need to adjust the
Crop Region on each view you are placing on a Sheet.

13. Either open all views that are intended to be plotted out & move the
Crop regions in close to the 3D elements, then save your drawing or
continue with the Scope box section below.

Extra Exercise, Scope Boxes

Scope boxes can be used to control the visibility of datum elements, grid lines, levels &
reference planes in a View. It can also be used to Crop a View & then apply that Crop to other
views. Scope boxes must be created in a plan view, but can be adjusted afterwards in other
types of views.

For more of what can be done with Scope Boxes, watch Revit Help - Video: Create
and use Scope Boxes

To create a Scope box for the Level 1 Floor Plan:

1. Uncheck the Crop Region & Show Crop Region boxes, either from the

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 Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

Extents section of the Browser or the View Control Bar. (Note: it is not essential
to turn off the Crop, but it will make it easier to see what you are doing)
2. From View Tab> Create panel> Scope box

3. Select opposite corners to place a box in the

screen around the 3D elements, just as you would for
a Crop box. A Box will appear as dashed lines with
grips that can be used to adjust the positioning

Look at the Properties for the Scope Box while it is still active. Scope Boxes will automatically
number themselves. In a very large Project, there could be a lot of Scope Boxes, so it is a good
idea to rename the Scope box something descriptive

4. Rename the scope box - Floor Plan are

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

Because Scope boxes are Datum elements, they will show up in views you do not necessarily
want to see them in. There is a View Visibility control built into Scope boxes, so that you do not
have to open each view to hide them.

5. With the Scope box still selected, click Edit next to View Visible in Properties
The Scope Box Views Visible Dialog box appears.

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

6. In the Override Column, select None & use the drop-down button to the
right to change the None to Invisible for all 3D views & Section views.
HINT: Use the Shift key to select multiple rows at one time

Now you have created the Scope box & turn off its visibility in the View types that will
not use it. You still need to apply it to the Views, to
activate it as a crop region.

7. From the Properties of Level 1 floor plan, Extents

section, select the None next to Scope Box & change
to Floor Plan area

You will notice the ends of the Grid lines move in closer & the dashed Scope box will
become solid (if you have Crop Region Visibility on). Once the Scope box is applied
to the view, you will no longer be able to select it or modify it. (If you needed to adjust
it, you would have to change the Scope Box setting back to None or change to
another View where it is visible, but not applied to the View)

When a Scope Box is applied, the Crop View, both in the Extents Section of Properties & the
View Control Bar, will gray out. This is because the Crop View is being over-written by the
Scope box, so the Crop View is no longer an available option.

The Show Crop Region is still available because the area is still being cropped. You can turn off
the Crop Region Visibility in each view, or, if you do not mind seeing it in the View, there are
options to hide the Crop boxes & Scope boxes in the Printer setup, so that even though you see
them in the views, they will not plot out on the Sheets

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5B

8. Open the other Floor plans & Ceiling plan views, & change the setting
for the scope box to Floor Plan area.
9. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5C

2-5C Creating Sheets

Sheets are still considered Views, but they are unique and serve a different
function than all other View types. They are a blank sheet that normally have a
Title Block family inserted on to it. As you saw in Part 1, you can drag other views
onto Sheets to be plotted out.

1. Open your 2-5 Project, if it is not all ready open.

Revit Help Video Link: Creating Sheet Views

2. Create a new Sheet by right clicking on Sheets (all) in the Browser, &
selecting New Sheet, or from the Ribbon, View→ Sheet Composition→
Sheet.

Either method will display the New Sheet dialog box. Whichever Title Blocks are
loaded into the Project will appear in the upper section. If the Title Block you want
is not loaded, there is a Load button that will allow you to insert it before finishing
adding a new Sheet.

This Project should be plotted on the D 22x34 Title block, which will need to be loaded.

3. Click the Load... button in the New Sheet dialog box

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5C

4. From the Title Block folder in the Library, choose the D 22x34 & open

Note: If the Library opens to your class folder Library location, instead of the default
Revit Library, scroll down in the column on the left-hand side of the Load Family
dialog box, & Imperial Library will be one of the shortcut icons near the bottom

The Sheet will appear with the Title Block inserted

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5C

The title block is a family, if you click on any lines, text, or any part of it, it will highlight
as a unit. If you double click on it, it will open in the Family Editor, where you can
make changes to the Family file. As an example, you could redraw the borders to
create a different sized title block, add your company logo, or add your detailing
stamp to the title block.

Title Blocks normally include labels. Labels are text place holders that will fill in with
parameters pulled from the Project. The Project Information has several labels in the
title block, such as Owner, Project Name, Project Address, Issue Date, etc. Project
Information can be filled before creating sheets, from the Manage tab>Settings
panel> Project Information. There are also Labels specific to the Sheet, such as
Sheet Number, Sheet title (current Unnamed) & Drawn By, etc.

If the Project Information is filled in before the Sheet is created, the Labels on the
Sheet will already have the correct information displayed. If the Project Information
has not been filled in, you can add it by editing the text place holders on any Title
block, & the rest of the Title Blocks will update along with the Project Information
dialog box in the Ribbon.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5C

Note: If you double click on a piece of text in the title block, it will open the Family editor. If
you double click on a Label in a title block, it will allow you to rename the label.

If you are not sure if text is just a piece of text or a Label, click on the text/Label once & the title
block family will highlight. Pause before clicking on the text/Label again & nothing will happen if
it is only text, but if it is a Label, a textbox will open where you can rename it.

5. Update the Labels in the Title Block as shown above, using today's
date & your initials.
6. Back out so you can see the whole sheet in view.
• In the Browser, click & hold on the Level 1 Floor plan, & drag onto the
sheet view.
• When the cursor is over the sheet, it will turn into the move symbol.
• Release the mouse button, & the outline of the View will appear on
screen.
• Move your mouse to move the View to wherever you like & click to
place it. (It needs to be to the left so Level 2 can fit next to it)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5C

7. Drag the Level 2 floor plan onto the sheet & use the blue alignment
line, that will appear from the center of the Level 1 View, to line up the 2
views.

The View Title will come in directly below the View, with the line the full extents of the View’s
crop Region. If you want to shorten the line, you came move it by the end grips when the View
is selected. If you want to move the View Title, deselect the View, then select the View Title
separately, you will be able to move it by the move grip or use the Move tool on it when it is
selected.

8. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5C

You will need to create 4 More Sheets.

9. Right Click on Sheets (All) & click New Sheet 4 times

Notice how the Sheet numbers auto increment. While that will not help us much for this Project,
it can be useful in a mechanical project, if you number the 1st sheet (SM-1, for instance), before
creating more sheets.

10. Open A2-2 Sheet view

Title Block of 2nd Sheet - notice how the Project Information you
typed in on the 1st sheet is already filled in on this sheet too.

The Identity Data Section of the Sheets properties also

includes parameters for the Sheet. You can fill the Title
block sheet specific info in here or directly on the Sheet.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5C

Notice that once information has been added to the Sheet

parameter on another Sheet, that info will be available in the
drop-down box next to the parameter on the other sheets. This
makes it faster to fill in info that is the same, like your initials

11. Fill in the missing information on the rest of the title blocks, either in
the Sheets Identity Data section, or directly in the Title Block of the
remaining Sheets, per the info below, using today's date & your own
initials.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5C

12. Drag the appropriate views onto the sheets. If you have moved the crop
regions in, all 4 Elevation views will fit on A3.1. All three Ceiling plans should fit
on A6.1. (If you place the views on the sheet & they do not fit, delete the views from the
sheet. Open a View, unpin the Grids & move them in closer to the buildings. Place the
Views on the Sheet again)

Note: You may have noticed that the Date in the Browser (parameter named Sheet
Issue Date) does not update the date in the Title Block below Project number. This is
because the Title Block date is looking for the Project Issue date parameter, not the Sheet
Issue Date). The Sheet Issue Date would show up in the Revisions box, when the Sheet is
reissued. The original Project Issue Date will show up in the lower section of the Title Block.

Once you have the Section views on a Sheet, the Section numbers will fill in
automatically, & the Section Heads will be blue, because they will be hyperlinks.

11. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5D

2-5D Printing a PDF Sheet Set

Note: If you do not have Bluebeam, the Printing may be slightly different that the directions
below.
1. Open your 2-5 Project file, if it is not already open.

You will create a single PDF of the Sheets in this Project. If you were to plot a single
sheet, you would want to have it open before starting the Print command, but if you
are going to print the whole Project, it doesn't matter what View is open when you
start the Print command.

You can start the Print command in 3 ways, Click the Print icon in
the QAT, from the File tab, click Print, or through the keyboard,
Control + P

2. Activate the Print command

The Print dialog box will appear

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5D

3. Below Printer, Name: choose Bluebeam PDF (or PDF if that is what you have)

4. In the File section, choose a location to save your set of drawings, your Assignments
folder, & name it, Small Building - Your initials. Once you have the name & location, click
the radio button in front of "Combine multiple views/sheets into a single file" (it will default
to separate files if you change the path)

5. In the Print Range section, click the radio button in front of "Selected views/sheets", &
then click the Select... button below it
The View/Sheet set dialog box will appear

6. Check only the Sheets box, & uncheck Views

This will filter out the list so only Sheets are available.

7. Check the Check All button to add a check mark in front of all the sheets

8. Click OK at the bottom, to close this dialog box.

A new dialog box will appear asking if you want to save the Set

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5D

9. Click no, & you will be returned to the Print dialog box. (If you said yes, you
would get another dialog box where you could name the Set for future use.)

The Settings section, lower right side of Print dialog box, has a Setup... button. this
Button will take you to the Settings dialog box, where you can set the paper size
orientation, & scale to plot.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5D

The options section at the bottom will let you choose whether or not to print the scope
boxes, crop regions & reference/work planes. Normally, these will all be checked, so
that they will not print out. It also has the option to plot Links in Blue. When you are
printing to PDF, this is a good option.

10. Set the paper size to D 22x34 inches

11. Placement to Center
12 Choose Zoom, & 100%
13. Below Options, check the box in front of View Links in Blue
(you must be printing in color for this to work)
14. Click OK at the bottom, to exit this dialog box & go back to the Print dialog
box

You will get the Save Settings dialog box again.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5D

15. For this exercise, you can say no

The Print Dialog box will reappear.

16. Click OK in the bottom of the Print Dialog box.

Because this is a PDF, instead of a Plotter, you will get the dialog box asking for a
Save location again.

17. Save to your Assignments folder

18. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5E

2-5E Print to AutoCAD format (dwg)

We are in a period of transition from AutoCAD to Revit. There is bound to be
several years of overlap before Revit takes over. If you are working in Revit, you
need to be prepared to send someone an AutoCAD file. In this final section of Part
2, we will look at how to create both 2D & 3D AutoCAD files.

Exporting a sheet to AutoCAD

1. Open your 2-5 Project file, if it is not already open.

2. Open sheet A2-1

Unlike printing to PDF, when you export a Sheet to AutoCAD (.dwg), Revit will
export the Sheet as one file & any views placed on the Sheet as separate Xref files.
It will also create a .pcp file, which is a plotter configuration file that can be used to
print the layers correctly in AutoCAD, and any image files used on the sheet, like a
company logo or detailing stamp. As there can be several files, it is a good idea to
create a folder to place the export in before exporting it.

3. Create a folder, in Assignments, and name it A2-1

4. From the file tab> Export> CAD Formats> DWG

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5E

The DWG Export

dialog box will
appear

5. Click Next at the bottom

6. At the Top of the Export Cad Formats - Save to Target Folder dialog box, click
in the box to the right of Save in: & browse to the A2-1 folder location, if it does
not automatically open to the A2-1 folder

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5E

Next to File name/prefix: you will see a long name, including the Project name, Sheet,
Sheet number & Sheet title. This is the automatic long name. If you prefer the
automatic short name, A2-1, to the right of Naming: change to Automatic - Short, or
Manual to rename the file whatever you would like. Next to Files of type: you can
change the AutoCAD version to export to.

There will be a check in the box at the bottom, Export views on sheets and links as
external references. You will want to keep that box checked. If you uncheck it, it will
combine the Sheet & model views, but the model will lose its correct location, so if you
were to later combine the AutoCAD & Revit files in Navisworks, they will no longer
come in in the same location.

7. Change the name to automatic - short & click OK at the bottom of the dialog
box.

8. Browse to your A2-1 folder, & you will have 5 files:

9. Save your Project

Export a 3D View to AutoCAD

If you export from a 3D view, the file created in AutoCAD will also be in 3D. AutoCAD
is not equipped to handle 3D elements the way Revit does, so caution must be used
when deciding what to export to AutoCAD in 3D. You will export the 3D Stairway
view, just as you did the 2D Sheet view.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5E

1. Open the 3D Stairway view

2. File tab> Export> CAD Formats> DWG

3. Click Next in the DWG Export dialog box

4. Choose the Save to location as your Assignments folder

5. Click OK in the Export to CAD Format - Save to Target location dialog

box
You may receive a message “you cannot export a crop boundary from a 3D View”, if so, just
close the message
.
There will be 2 files created, a dwg & a pcp

If you have AutoCAD on your computer, browse to the file you just created & open it
to check it out. You can also open the AutoCAD Floor plan Level 2 view, & insert the
3D View as an xref, to verify that the 3D view will come in the floor plan view in the
correct location.

6. Save and Close your Project

7. Browse to your Assignments folder & you will see the new .dwg files
8. To finish this section, delete all of the backup files from your
Assignments folder
9. Create a new folder inside your Assignments folder & name it, Part 2
10. Move all of the files out of the Assignments folder & place them in Part 2
folder, so when you are ready to start Part 3, the Assignments folder will
be clean

Either continue to the next section, or complete the extra Exercise first.

Extra Exercise – Export a Revit Family to AutoCAD

During any transition period, there will be overlap between the old & the new. If you are still
working in AutoCAD, you may want to take advantage of all the 3D Family content that
manufacturers make available in Revit. You cannot export a Family file directly into AutoCAD,
but you can load it into a project, configure it, & then export it out.

1. Start a new Project, from the Mechanical template

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5E

There is a Utility-Centrifugal-Radial folder that had been downloaded from the

Greenheck website, in your class/Library/Greenheck folder.

2. From Windows Explorer, open the Utility-Centrifugal-Radial folder

You will see 3 files, the UtilityFan.rfa is the family file, but there is also a txt file & a pdf
file. It is important to understand what these other files are.

- If a .txt file downloads with the Revit family file, it must be located in the same folder
as the rfa file when the Family is loaded into a Project; it contains the information the
Family needs to create the various size configurations. Without the txt file, the family
will be static; you will not be able to change the size or any other configuration
options. Whenever you load a Family & the Select Type dialog box appears, where
you can choose which sizes to load, it has a .txt file associated with the family.
Structural steel is an example of a Family that has a .txt file.
If you open the txt file for this Utility Fan, you will see that there is a lot of information in the
file. Having a separate file to store all the configuration data makes it easier to build the
family (fill in information in an excel sheet as opposed to working directly in the family
file). The biggest advantage is that it will keep the family file smaller if you only load the
sizes you need into your project. If you have opened the UtilityFan.txt file, close it now
without saving.

- A pdf file, that comes with the equipment, may be a disclaimer, but it also might be
an information sheet about how to use the family file. That is the case with this

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5E

Greenheck Fan.

3. Open the UtilityFanHelp.pdf. It has information on how to configure the discharge

rotation & angle, a tip on how to add angular duct to the discharge, & the most likely
cause if you get an "Invalid Model" warning.

4. In Revit, go to System>Mechanical Equipment>Load Family

5. Browse to the UtilityFan.rfa, & open.

6. In the Select Type dialog box choose a fan size from the list, SWB-110
or any other size you prefer, & open
7. Place a fan in the drawing area & while it is still selected, in Properties,
change the configuration to CCW, UB (use the pdf sheet to help you
understand how it is configured).

8. Deselect the fan & change to the default 3D view

9. If the Levels are showing in the View, select them & hide in view, so all you
have in the view is the Fan.
10. Now that the Fan is configured, you can export it from the 3D View, just
as you did above (Export a 3D View to AutoCAD)
11. Name the AutoCAD file SWB-110 (or whatever size you choose) & place
it in the Part 2 folder you created inside the Assignments folder
12. If you have AutoCAD on your computer, open up the Fan file & take a
look at it.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5F

2-5F Creating Sheet Views & Printing: Summary

• When you see a Section marker in a Plan or Elevation view, you can tell the
starting plane of the Section & the direction it is looking in. To see the extents of
the Section, the Section must be selected
• The Crop View, in the Extents section of Properties, controls how much of the
model will show in any view.
• The only views that are do not have Crop View as an option are the views that do
not look into the model: Detail views, Legends & Schedules. These three view
types contain annotation elements (data from model elements), but do not have a
window looking into the model.
• The extents of a 3D View is controlled by its section box. It can be further cropped
for putting on a sheet by applying a Crop View.
• A 3D View can be locked, from the View Control Bar, to keep other users from
being able to rotate or move the View
• New Sheet Views can be created from View tab> Sheet Composition> Sheet or
by right clicking Sheets All in the Browser
• Title Blocks include Labels, which allow you to add parameters to the Title blocks.
The Project Name, Address, & Sheet Title are examples of Labels you will find on
Title Blocks.
• Views are dragged onto Sheets to be printed. Light blue dashed alignment lines
will show up on sheets when you are placing more than one view on a sheet
• Once Views are placed on a Sheet, the Section Markers will automatically fill in
with correct Sheet number & detail they are referencing
• You can print a group of Sheets as individual PDF files or combine them into a single PDF
• Print Setup Options will allow you to print hyperlinks in blue (section Markers for
instance), & choose whether you will print scope boxes, crop boundaries &
Reference/Work planes
• To create an AutoCAD drawing, you export to a Cad Format
• If you export a Revit 3D View, it will create a 3D AutoCAD file

REFERENCES:

1. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Plans, Plan Views, Section Views,
About Section View Width and Depth
2. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Visibility and Graphic Display in Project
Views, Controlling the Elements Displayed in a View, Crop a VIew

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 2-5F

3. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Plans, Plan Views – About the View
Range

3. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Sheets, About Sheets; About Title Block
Information for Sheets; Adding Views to a Sheet; Align Views on a Sheet, Rename a
Sheet

4. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Print, About Printing Views and Sheets;
About Printing to PDF; Best Practices: Printing

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1 Overview

Part 3 – Shop Drawing Project Overview

By now, you should have a pretty good idea how to draw in Revit & have some
understanding of how Revit is structured & organized. In this final Part, you will setup
& work in a Project to create a Shop Drawing.
Normally, a detailer will receive an Architectural Revit file to use as the starting point of
a Project. You may also receive Structural & other Revit files to complete the Model.
These files will be Linked (if you are an AutoCAD user, think Xref) into your own
Project where you will do all of your work. Linked files add another level of complexity
to how Revit deals with elements. Understanding how to work with linked files is
essential to being able to Detail in Revit. In this Part we will explore how to control
the visibility & display of elements in a linked file by using the Architectural file
created in Part 2 as the background for our Mechanical plan.
If you work for a large company, you may have all the setup done for you before the
Project is handed off to you, so you may think learning how to setup a Project is
unimportant. While it may not be as important, you can still benefit from knowing more
about what Revit can & cannot do. Revit is designed so individual users can setup
their own views so they can work in a way that is most efficient for how each
particular user prefers to work. If you do not have enough knowledge, you will not be
able to take advantage of the flexibility built into Revit, & will end up working in the
Project however the person who set it up left it. While that was standard procedure
when working in AutoCAD, Revit will give you many more options for how to
approach your work - once you understand how to use it.
We will start with a Template file that has been setup for drawing with Fabrication duct,
& link in Architectural Project completed in Part 2, to use as a background. We will
work through the common steps it would take to setup any Shop Drawing, just as you
would for any real-world project. Once the Project is setup, we will add Grilles & Tags,
then Mechanical Equipment & explore schedules. Finally, we finish by exploring the
various options for drawing Fabrication duct in Revit.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1A Starting a Shop Drawing: Goals

3-1A Starting a Shop Drawing: Goals

Main Goals

• To understand the importance of which Template you use to start a Project

• To learn the steps required to start a new a project that uses other linked Revit files for a
background

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Recognize whether a Revit file you receive is a Central or Local file, & be able to explain why that
maters
• Clean up an Architectural Revit file to use as a background in a Shop drawing
• Create a new Shop drawing project file
• Explain the Browser organization of the starting Template file
• Use Copy/Monitor tools to set up project Levels
• Create floor & ceiling plan views
• Create Sheet views & place plan views on sheets

At the end of the Module:

The Project file you worked in as you completed the sections of this Module will be graded as the
Assignment for the Module.
You will take a short Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts covered in this Module.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1B

3-1B Preparing Revit Files you Receive

A version of the Small Building Architectural.rvt you just completed in Part 2, is in your Starting files/
/Originals folder. You will leave the original in its folder & make a copy of your own. You always want to
save the original in case you corrupt the file & need to start over.

Preparing Background files Video

1. Copy the Small Building Architectural.rvt from the Starting files/ Original folder
2. Create a new folder inside your Assignments folder, naming it Links
3. Paste the copy of the architectural file in the Links folder

Note: Normally, Companies will have their own system for Project file organization. While there
is not nearly as much file organization necessary in Revit (as many of us are used to in AutoCAD),
there still need to be set places to store Originals, Links, Working & Family files that are Project
specific. This course does not attempt to simulate the file structure a Company might have in place.
Just be aware of where you are placing Link files, so in the event you move your working Revit file
location, you will know where to find the Link files, to re-path them to the correct location. All
starting files assume the Linked file is in the Starting file/Links folder. Save & close the file

The Architectural file has been Work-shared since you last worked on it. Most Revit files you receive will
be Work-shared. If the Project is large enough to require more than one user to produce it, it will most
likely be Work-shared.

Work-shared Projects have a Central file, stored on a server, that all users can access. All Users work on
Local copies of the Project, on their own computers, & then Synchronize the changes they make to their
Local copies to the Central file; No work is done directly in the Central file.

Most of the original Revit files you receive will be a copy of a Project Central file. If you open a copy of a
Central file, the first thing it will do is try to establish the connection back to the original Central file.
Since the original Central file is located on the Architect's server, or some other Company's server, it will
not be able to make the connection. You can still open the copy of the Central file, but you will not be
allowed to make any changes to it. For new Revit users this can be a huge stumbling block, if they
cannot figure out why they cannot manipulate the Revit files they receive.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1B

Note: Many larger Projects are now being detailed in the cloud, using Collaboration for Revit &
Bim360. In that scenario, the model only, (not the complete Project with all the views) is the central file
in the cloud, & all users still work off of Local copies & sync their work to the cloud Model, so the Model
stays up-to-day as detailers from various trades are continually adding & updating their work to the
same Model. We will not be covering that workflow in this course, as the Central model is usually setup
& controlled by the General Contractor. The workflow we will be exploring is based on you receiving
Revit Project files that you will use as a background to start detailing.

You must open Central files from the Revit Open command, either from the Home page or the File tab.
You cannot disable Work-sharing if you double click on a Revit file to open it. The Revit Open command
will bring up a dialog box, where you will have the option to disable Work-sharing.

To disable Work-sharing on the Small Building Architectural.rvt file:

4. Open Revit, click Open below Models on the Home page, or from the File tab, click the
Open icon

5. Browse to your class Assignments/Links/Small Building Architectural.rvt, click once to

select it (do not double click! If you double click & open the file, close it & start over)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1B

6. With the file selected, check the Detach from Central option at the bottom of the dialog
box, this will remove the link back to the original Central file, & the new file will no longer
be Work-shared.
If the File is not Work-shared, the check box the Detach from Central will be grayed out, so it will not be
an option.

7. Click Open

A new dialog box will appear:

8. Click Detach and discard worksets

Note: Most Revit MEP manuals will tell you to save the Worksets, not discard them. That is
because Revit MEP manuals are written for engineers & they assume the engineers are working closely
with the Architect during the design phase. If you were working a design build project, you may want to
save the Worksets. For most detailing Projects, we are past the design phase, so disabling the Worksets
will make the project less complicated & smaller.

You may have also noticed in the Open Dialog box above, that a Preview of the file will display on the
right & below the image will be the Revit version. The file in the image above is from Revit 2017. When
opening a File from an earlier version, as soon as the file opens, it will start the upgrade process. Revit is
not backwards compatible. You cannot work in an earlier version, or save back to an earlier version, or
link in files from a different version. If you were to open a earlier version Revit file, you would see the
following dialog box:

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1B

Our Architectural background file was in Revit 2020, so this box did not appear.

Purging Unused Families

Most Revit files are started from a Company template that has all the standard Family files they might
normally expect to use already loaded. You can reduce the size of the Project file, by purging the unused
Families.

9. On Manage tab→ Settings panel→ Purge Unused button

10. Click OK at the bottom to Purge. Repeat the Purge until the Number of items checked
reports 0. Be aware that the number might grow once you start purging - that will happen if the
project uses Groups (similar to Blocks in AutoCAD). Once a Group is purged, all of the element
components that made up the Group will then show up as individual elements, so the number of
elements to be purged can be larger after a purge than before.

Purge is also useful to delete categories of elements from your Project. If you use a template file that has
Fabrication services preloaded, & you would like to use a different database, you can purge the
Fabrication services out, so Revit will allow you to load a different database.

When you save, Revit will add _detatched to the file name, so that you realize you are no longer opening
the Central file.

11. Save & Close the file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

3-1C Project Browser Organization

Project Browser Organization Video

We are about to start a new project from a mechanical template SM 2020, that is set up for drawing
ductwork. This template has a different browser organization than what we have seen so far. The
Browser can be filtered to show a different organizational tree, to better suit your workflow.

To understand the Browser organization, we will first look at an Autodesk Sample file, to see how it has
been organized.

1. Open Revit if it is not already open

2. From the File tab/ Open - arrow to the right, scroll down to Sample Files,

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

3. Open rme_basic_ sample_project.rvt

4. In the Browser, open each of the

8 Views to see what is there.

It would appear this is a very small

project from what you can see in the
Browser.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

5. From the QAT, click on the default 3D view

You can see in the 3D view that there is a lot more Project there that what was being shown in any of
the views in the Browser. This is a function of how the Browser is organized. Notice near the top of the
Browser, View category has (simple) to the right of it. That is the current Browser Organization.

Note: you may notice that all the mechanical elements are showing in the 3D view, even though
they are below the walls, roof, & floor slabs. That is because the Discipline for this view is set to
Mechanical. In a Mechanical view, all elements that are not mechanical will display in half-tone and be
considered underlay elements. Underlay elements always appear in the background, regardless of their
elevation. To really see the difference the Discipline makes, in the Properties of the 3D View, Graphic
section, change the Discipline from Mechanical to Architectural or Structural.

Changing the Browser Organization

To change which Views appear in the Browser, you can get to the Browser organization in two ways,
either by right clicking on Views (simple) in the Browser, or from the View tab> Windows panel> User
Interface drop down.

6. Choose the Browser Organization to open the dialog box below, from either location

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

The Browser can have different settings for how the Views, Sheets & Schedules are organized. Simple is
checked, so it is the current organization.

7. Check Type/Discipline & chose OK.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

Now when you look at the Browser, the top folder organization will be for the type of Views, followed by
another folder for each discipline. All Floor plans will be under one folder.

8. Expand the Floor plans, Mechanical folder.

There are quite a few mechanical floor plans in this Project.

9. Open the Browser

Organization Properties
dialog box again.

10. Click Edit in the

Browser Origination dialog
box.

The Browser Organization

Properties dialog box will
appear:

There are two Tabs at the top

of this dialog box. The current
organization does not have any
filters, so all Views that are in
the Project will appear in the
Browser (The Simple
organization has a filter
applied, so that is why you did
not see all the views when you
first opened this Project.)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

11. Click on the Grouping and Sorting tab

Here is where the Folder structure that appears in the Browser is set up. The top folder is View type, so,
for instance, all floor plans will be grouped inside one folder.

The second level is Discipline, so there will be folders for Architectural, Structural, Mechanical,
Electrical, Plumbing & Coordination, (the six disciplines that Revit provides) as long as there are Views in
the Project that belong to those Disciplines.

To see how this works, we will add a Sub-discipline folder below Discipline. The Floor plans in the
Mechanical folder will then be sorted into separate folders, HVAC, Plumbing, etc.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

12. Click on None below Discipline, & Chose Sub-Discipline from the drop- down list

13. Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes

Look at the Browser, & under Floor Plans> Mechanical> you will see more folders, one for each sub-
discipline that has been created in this Project.

Check out some of the other Browser organizations that are setup in this project if you like. Make
changes to the Filters & Groupings and Sorting to see how it affects the Browser. Sheets can also have
custom organization. Most companies will have their own organizational structure, so it is good to be
aware of how they can be changed to suit how you work, & that what you see in the Browser might not
be all there is to a Project.

14. Close the Project, with or without saving

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

3-1C Project Browser Organization

Project Browser Organization Video

We are about to start a new project from a mechanical template SM 2020, that is set up for drawing
ductwork. This template has a different browser organization than what we have seen so far. The
Browser can be filtered to show a different organizational tree, to better suit your workflow.

To understand the Browser organization, we will first look at an Autodesk Sample file, to see how it has
been organized.

1. Open Revit if it is not already open

2. From the File tab/ click on the arrow to the right of Open, scroll down to Sample Files,

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

3. Open rme_basic_ sample_project.rvt

4. In the Browser, open each of the

8 Views to see what is there.

It would appear this is a very small

project from what you can see in the
Browser.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

5. From the QAT, click on the default 3D view

You can see in the 3D view that there is a lot more Project there than what was being shown in any of
the views in the Browser. This is a function of how the Browser is organized. Notice near the top of the
Browser, View category has (simple) to the right of it. That is the current Browser Organization.

Note: you may notice that all the mechanical elements are showing in the 3D view, even though
they are below the walls, roof, & floor slabs. That is because the Discipline for this view is set to
Mechanical. In a Mechanical view, all elements that are not mechanical will display in half-tone and be
considered underlay elements. Underlay elements always appear in the background, regardless of their
elevation. To really see the difference the Discipline makes, in the Properties of the 3D View, Graphic
section, change the Discipline from Mechanical to Architectural or Structural. You can also change the
Visual Style to Shaded, to get a better picture of what the building looks like.

Changing the Browser Organization

To change which Views appear in the Browser, you can get to the Browser organization in two ways,
either by right clicking on Views (simple) in the Browser, or from the View tab> Windows panel> User
Interface drop down.

6. Choose the Browser Organization to open the dialog box below, from either location

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

The Browser can have different settings for how the Views, Sheets & Schedules are organized. Above,
the Views tab is current, with Simple checked, so it is the current organization for views.

7. Check Type/Discipline & choose OK.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

Now when you look at the Browser, the top folder organization will be for the type of Views (Floor plans,
Ceiling plans, 3D Views, etc.), followed by another folder for each discipline. All Floor plans will be under
one folder.

8. Expand the Floor plans, Mechanical folder.

There are quite a few mechanical floor plans in this Project.

9. Open the Browser Organization Properties dialog box again.

10. Click Edit in the

Browser Organization
dialog box

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

The Browser Organization Properties dialog box will appear:

There are two Tabs at the top of this dialog box. The current organization does not have any filters, so all
Views that are in the Project will appear in the Browser (The Simple organization has a filter applied, so that is
why you did not see all the views when you first opened this Project.)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

11. Click on the Grouping and Sorting tab

Here is where the Folder structure that appears in the Browser is set up. The top folder is View type, so,
for instance, all floor plans will be grouped inside one folder.

The second level is Discipline, so there will be folders for Architectural, Structural, Mechanical,
Electrical, Plumbing & Coordination, (the six disciplines that Revit provides) as long as there are Views in
the Project that belong to those Disciplines.

To see how this works, we will add a Sub-discipline folder below Discipline. The Floor plans in the
Mechanical folder will then be sorted into separate folders, HVAC, Plumbing, etc.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1C

12. Click on None below Discipline, & Choose Sub-Discipline from the drop- down list

13. Click OK twice to exit the dialog boxes

Look at the Browser, & under Floor Plans> Mechanical> you will see more folders, one for each sub-
discipline that has been created in this Project.

Check out some of the other Browser organizations that are setup in this project if you like. Make
changes to the Filters & Groupings and Sorting to see how it affects the Browser. Sheets can also have
custom organization. Most companies will have their own organizational structure, so it is good to be
aware of how they can be changed to suit how you work, & that what you see in the Browser might not
be all there is to a Project.

14. Close the Project, with or without saving

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1D

3-1D Creating a Shop Drawing Project

Creating a Shop Drawing Video

1. Open Revit, if it is not already open

2. From either the Home page, click New below Models, or from the File tab> click New

The New Project dialog box will appear

3. Browse to your Starting Files folder & chose SM2020, Click OK to open

The radio button in front of Project will be selected by default

4. The new Project will be named Project 1, Save As, a Project, renaming 3-1 Your initials, & save
in your Assignments folder

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1D

Browser Organization
This Template has a different Browser organization
than what we have seen so far.

You can see the name of the Browser organization

for Views is called Plot/Working. This is a project
parameter that was added, so that Views can be
sorted by whether they are intended to be issued
(plotted) or working views.

If you look in the Properties for the East Elevation View,

you will see the parameter near the bottom of the Graphic
section.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1D

Because there can be an infinite number of views of the same floor plan in a Project, it is important to
make a clear distinction between which floor plan is intended to be published & which ones are working
views.

Plot Views. The Views that will be published are the ones that need to have annotation added to
them: sizes, elevations, tags, dimensions. It should not have other trades elements turned on, like
plumbing for example. It should always be left in a state where it is ready to print out. If someone
asks for the current status of a drawing, the plot view should be the one they are given.

Working Views can have user notes, either reminder notes about what changes need to be made, or
notes explaining why you did something. When you are asked to make a change that you would not
normally make, it is good to have notes right in the project that explains what, why & when you did
something. You are not likely to remember why you make a change 6 months later when the
Foreman asks you about it. In a Working View, you might have the plumbing turned on, or steel that
you do not want printed on your final drawing. Because annotation & View settings are view specific,
you can create as many different working views of the same floor plan as you like, without affecting
the Plot Views or other Users views. This is one of the biggest advantages of Revit over AutoCAD.
Every user on a project can create as many of their own working views, by copying Views, & changing
the Plot/Working to Their name. This will create a new folder in the Browser, where the User can
store their Working views.

Note: To see how this works, change the Plot/Working parameter in the Properties of the East
Elevation View currently open on your screen to your name instead of Working. Look in the Browser,
and you will see that you have just created another directory folder where you could store all of your
own working views. When you are finished, type Working (or use the drop-down) to change the View
back to Working. The folder structure in the Browser will revert back to how it was originally.

The company you work for may not have Plot/Working set up as it is in this template file, but they will
have some way to distinguish between working Views & Views that are intended to be published.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1D

If you look at the Browser organization for this template, you will see it does not have any filters, but is
sorted first by Sub-Discipline, then by Plot/Working, & finally by Family & Type (which is the View Type,
Floor plans, ceiling plans, etc.)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1D

Delete the Existing Elevations in the East Elevation View

To prepare the new project to link in the Architectural file we want to use for the background, you must
delete the existing Levels in the Project first. You will copy the levels from the Architectural file once it is
linked in.

4. Use a crossing box, or control key to select both Levels in the East elevation view at one
time. It is important to get them both - if you only have one Level left in a selection, Revit
will not allow you to delete it.

5. Delete both Levels

A Warning will appear, Floor plans cannot exist without a Level to be attached to, so the Level 1 Floor
plan View will be deleted along with the 2 levels.

6. Click OK to accept the deletion

7. Save your 3-1 project

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

3-1E Link & Copy/Monitor

Link & Copy/Monitor Video

1. Open your 3-1 Project file, if it is not already open

You should still be working in an Elevation view, all though it will be empty

Link in the Architectural File

2. Insert tab→ Link panel→ click Link Revit button (one click only)
3. Browse to your Assignments/Link folder & select the Architectural Small
Building_detached.rvt with one click only

4. At bottom of dialog box, set Positioning option to: Auto – Internal Origin to Internal
Origin. THIS IS IMPORTANT if you want your Project to come in in the same location as other trades
using the same architectural file as a background.

Video Note: The latest version of Revit added Internal to the Positioning option. The Link & Copy/Monitor
video will just say Origin to Origin.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

5. Click Open at the bottom, to close the dialog box & insert the file
You will see the elevation view of the building, but as long as you have the Select Links toggle disabled in
the status bar, as you should, you will not be able to select it.

6. Save your Project

Copy/ Monitor tool to Copy the Levels

Under the Collaborate Tab, Coordinate panel is the Copy/Monitor tool. This tool can copy certain
elements from a linked file & place a live copy in the current project. It will also automatically monitor
the copied elements.

The Monitoring feature is a way for the design team to insure changes they make to the model are
picked up by other team members, like the mechanical or structural engineers. Generally, you will want
to copy the Levels from the Architectural file, but there is no need to continuously Monitor them, as we
are never early enough in the design process that the distance between levels will ever change.
Whatever you can do in Revit to simplify & make the Project file smaller should be considered. Stop
Monitoring the level falls into this category, so you will copy the levels & then Stop Monitoring them.

7. Collaborate tab → Coordinate panel→ Copy/Monitor → choose select link from drop- down

8. Hover over the building, when a box appears around the linked file, click to select it. (This
tool will allow you to select the Link, even though the Select Links toggle is disabled)

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

The ribbon will change to show the Copy/Monitor contextual panel only

8. Choose Copy from the panel

9. In the Options bar, choose multiple.

Notice the Option Bar for Multiple copy has a Finish, Cancel & Filter buttons. You can use the Filter to
help make your selection in congested models. Also, once you have made your selections, you must click
the finish button on the Options Bar to finish the selection of multiple elements, and continue with the
tool you have selected in the Ribbon.

10. Select all four Levels in the drawing area

11. Click Finish in the Options Bar (NOT on the main Ribbon)

You will receive a warning about the Family “Level Head-Circle” being renamed, because the
same Level symbol family exists in your current project. This warning can be disregarded.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

There may be a pause while the program works to make the copies. Once the Copy command is
completed, Levels will be selected & display Monitoring Icons in the center of the lines, like the image
below.

12. To Stop the Monitoring, since the Levels are already selected, click the Stop Monitoring
tool on the Ribbon

When you stop monitoring the Levels, the only thing selected on the screen will be the 4 Levels. This will
cause the Ribbon to change the current Ribbon display to the Modify|Levels contextual ribbon. You will
need to click on the Copy/Monitor tab at the right end of the Ribbon again, to bring back the panel with
the green check mark & red X, to complete the Copy/Monitor command.

13. Click on the Copy/Monitor Tab

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

14. Click the Green check mark to finish the Copy command

The Levels will now be the only elements that currently reside in your Project, not in the link. If you
click on them, they will highlight & can be moved around. If you did move them, you would see the
Levels in the Linked model are still there, behind the new copies.

15. Select the four Levels & Pin them, so you will not inadvertently move them.

16. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1F

3-1F Create Plan Views

Create Plan Views Video

Once you have established current Levels in your Project, you can create Floor Plans. As said before,
floor plans cannot exist without having a Level to control their placement in the Model.

1. Open your 3-1 Project file, if it is not already open.

It does not matter which View you are in when creating Plan Views.

2. View Tab → Create → Plan Views → choose Floor Plan from the drop-down menu

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1F

The New Floor Plan dialog box will appear. All the Levels you have in your active project will be listed, so
you can create Floor plans for any existing level in your Project. At the top of the dialog box, you can
select which Floor plan type you would like to create, or Edit next to the Floor Plan will allow you to
duplicate a Floor plan type & create a new one. The template we started with only has one Floor Plan
type, but you could set up other Floor plan types, like an HVAC Insert Floor plan, or HVAC Slab Edge plan
to show all the duct penetrations through the floor slab.

New Floor Plans are started from a View Template that controls the display settings for the View. The
View Template can either be used as a starting point for each View, so that the original settings are
applied to the View, but the user can make any changes to the View they want to, or the View can
remain locked to the View Template.

If the View remains locked to the View template, the User cannot make display changes to the individual
View. Users can make changes to the View template, but any changes made will affect all views locked
to the same template. If you are working on a 20-story building, keeping the View template locked to
the Floor plan views will allow you to make one change to the Floor plan template & have it applied to
all of the Floor plans. It is a good bet that the Projects you will be working on will use View Templates,
so we will be exploring them more as we work through this mechanical project.

In the image above, Edit was clicked across from Floor Plan in the New Floor Plan dialog box. You can
see in the Identity Data section, that the Floor Plans you will create are going to be started with a View
Template named HVAC floor plan. The Check in the box below the Template name will lock the View
Template to the Views once they are created.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1F

The Template file used to start this Project (SM 2020), has new Floor plans locked to the View template
& set to Plot. All the other View types, Ceiling, Section, 3D, etc., have their own view templates to start
the Views, but they are not set to be locked into the template & are all originally set as Working views.
To see the settings of a View template, you can click on the Template name in this dialog box, get to
them from the Identity Data section in a View's Properties, or from the View tab→ Graphics Panel→
View Template icon→ Manage View templates.

3. Select all Levels in the New Floor Plan dialog box, & click OK at the bottom to create 4 new
floor plans
If you look at the Browser, there will be a Plot folder, with Floor plans below it. The 4 new floor plans
will be in this folder. The Roof was the last view in the list created, so it will be the current view in your
drawing area. The name of the View in the Browser is what will be printed below the view as the View
Title. You will add HVAC to the name of the Views in the Browser, so the View Title will call out the View
as a HVAC plan.

4. Right click on each floor plan View & Choose Rename, add HVAC to the end
Note: you can also right click on the view once, pause & right click again to open the text box that will allow
you to rename the view

The dialog box, Confirm Plan View Rename will appear after changing the name of each view

5. Choose No, so the Levels will not have HVAC added to their name

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1F

Create Reflected Ceiling Plans

Reflected Ceiling plans are viewed looking up, so they are not good views to publish. The ducts at higher
elevations in the RCP views will be the ones that show hidden lines. We expect to see ducts below other
duct display hidden lines. Despite that, RCPs are very good working views, because unlike floor plans,
they can be setup to show both door openings below the ducts & the structural steel above. You will
create Level 1, 2 & 3 reflected ceiling plans.

6. View Tab → Create → Plan Views → choose Reflected Ceiling Plan from the drop-down
menu

7. In the New Ceiling Plan dialog box, choose Levels 1 through 3 from the list & click OK at the
bottom
The New RCPs will show up in the Browser below Working, in a Ceiling plan folder. Level 3 will become
the current View, because it was the last view created. It is not necessary to rename the Ceiling plans,
because they are not intended to be published.

8. Save your 3-1 Project

Create Sheet Views

Place Views on Sheets Video

It is good practice to setup your Project at the beginning, when you normally have more time. It can help
you stay organized. It is also a good way to start getting familiar with the project. Create & fill in the
Sheets just as you did at for the Architectural project, in 2-5.
This project will have 3 sheets:
SM-1, Levels 1 & 2 HVAC Floor Plans
SM-2, Level 3 & Roof HVAC Floor plans
SM-3, Schedules & Details

1. View tab→ Sheet Composition→ Sheet or right click on Sheets(all) in the Browser

2. The 36x24 Title Block will be highlighted, which is the one we want to use. Click OK at
the bottom of the New Sheet dialog box to create a sheet

3. Change the Information in the Sheet Title block to make this SM-1. Either click on the text
& edit directly on the sheet, or change the text in the Properties Palate, Identity Data section.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1F

4. Change Unnamed to Levels 1 & 2 HVAC Plan, add your initials as the Author, below
drawn by, give it a date & Project number of your choosing

5. Create 2 more sheets & fill in their missing information. Try using the drop-down buttons in
the Properties palate – the information may already be there
6. Save your Project

Place Views on Sheets

Most Architectural plans are published in 1/8” scale. We generally detail in 1/4” scale, so our Template
for the floor plan is set to 1/4" scale. Because our Architectural building was 1/8” scale, the bubble on
the grid lines in your Project will be scaled down to 1/4" scale, but the length of the grid lines will be as
long as they were when they were created in 1/8” scale. This will affect how much space the views will
take up when they are placed on a sheet
.
The grid lines cannot be changed directly, because they are in the Linked in file. You cannot move
elements in a Linked file, you can only affect how or whether they display. Because Grid lines are datum
elements though, they can be affected by the crop box; if you create a smaller viewing area, the grid
lines will respond by moving in to the boundaries of your crop area.

7. Open each floor plan & activate the Crop View & Show Crop Region from the View Control
bar.
8. Move the box in as close to the model objects as you can. (you can ignore annotation objects)
This will bring the grid line bubbles in closer. When you are finished, if you do not want to see the Crop
Box in a View, From the View Control bar or Extents section of Properties, click Hide Crop Region, but
leave the Crop View active.

Note: The Linked file used a Scope Box to set the Crop boundary, it is showing in the View as a green
dashed line around where the Crop Region should be. You could turn off the Scope box in the V/G
Overrides for the HVAC plan View template, as long as you did not want to use Scope boxes in your
current Project. If you did want to use scope boxes in your current project, you could turn off the Scope
Boxes in the Linked file & leave them on in your current view. We will get to how that is done in the next
module.

9. Open SM-1. In the Browser, Click & drag Level 1 Floor Plan on the SM-1 sheet
10. Drag Level 2 floor plan onto the sheet also. Use the blue alignment line from the center of
the model to line up the two views. Click to place.
11. Align the View Titles if needed.
12. Open SM-2 & drag Level 3 & Roof floor plans into it.
13. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1G

3-1 G Starting a Shop Drawing: Summary

• Most Project files you will receive will be Work-shared. In order to make any
changes to them, they must be opened through the Revit Open tool, & Detach
from Central must be checked in the dialog box. When you save a Project that was
originally a Central file, it will add _detached to the file name.
• Revit is not backwards compatible. Everyone working on a Project must be in the
same version of Revit.
• Purging a background file, before linking it into your Project, will get rid of all the
unused Families & shrink the file size.
• The Browser can have custom organization for Views, Sheets & Schedules
• There may be more to the Project than what shows up in the Browser. The default
3D view {3D} will normally show the complete model.
• The SM 2020 template used to start our Project has a Project parameter added, so
Views can be sorted by Plot/Working. All Floor plan views are originally created as
Plot views & all other types of Views are originally set to be Working views.
• To delete all Levels in a Project, you must select & delete them as a group. Revit
will not allow you to delete the last remaining Level in a Project
• When Linking in files, the Positioning should be set to Auto - Origin to Origin if you
want your Project to maintain the global position of the Linked file
• Copy/Monitor tool will automatically monitor elements it copies. Stop Monitoring
has to be checked to disable this feature
• It is good practice to Pin Levels that have been copied into your Project so they will
not be moved by accident.
• Plan views reside on Levels. You can only create Plan Views for existing Levels
• Views are created using View Templates to determine their display characteristics.
The Views can remain locked to a View template or become independent,
depending on whether the “New views are dependent on template” box is
checked in the New View, Type Properties dialog box when the views are created
• You can control the visibility of elements in a linked file, and how they appear, but
you cannot move elements in a Linked file
• Datum elements in a linked file will move in to the extents of the View, so you can
move the Grids in by making the Crop Region smaller

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-1G

1. Revit Online Help, Document and Present the Design, Project View, Use &
Manage Views, Managing Views, Organizing Views in the Project Browser – Sort
Views in the Project Browser, Create a Project Browser Sort Group, Edit a
Project Browser Sort Group, Edit a Project Browser Filter
2. Revit Online Help, Model the Design, Parameter, Project Parameters –
Create Project Parameters

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2A

3-2A Finish Project Setup: Goals

Setup is very important, the better job you do with it, the easier it will be to work in
your Project later. We will cover a lot of ground in this section. To set up a Project
well, you must have a pretty good understanding of Revit, so we will cover some of
the major ways the display of Views are controlled.

Main Goals:
To expand your understanding of how the display of views are controlled: V/G
Overrides, including overrides for Linked files, View Discipline, & View Templates

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Insert an image into both Views and Family files
• Explain the importance of view Discipline
• Use View Templates to standardize changes across multiple views
• Change V/G Overrides in Links independent of Project V/G Overrides

You can start from the 3-2 Starting.rvt in the Starting file folder, or continue working in
the file you created in the last Module. Please use the starting file if you are not
completely sure your file from the last module is correct.

At the end of the Module:

• You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the
drawing assignment for this Module

• You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts

covered in this Module

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2B

3-2B Inserting Images in Views & Family files

1. Open your 3 -1 Project or the 3-2 Starting file from the Starting file folder

Note: if you start with the 3-2 Starting file, it will lose the path for its Linked in file.
To fix it, go to Insert tab →Link Panel→ Manage Links
Click on the Link name in the column on the left to select it, then Reload from button at
the bottom.
Browse to your Assignements/ Links folder & select Small Building
Architectural_detached.rvt, & click open.
You will be returned to the Manage Links dialog box, & the status should be Loaded.
Click OK at the bottom to exit the dialog box.
You will have to do this for every Starting file you use in this section.

2. Save-As 3-2 your initials, in your Assignments folder

3. Make any one of the Sheet Views current

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2B

Add a Company Logo to the Title Block family

The 36x24 Title block that was loaded into the SM 2019 does not have a Company logo. We
will add a SMW104 logo to the Title block, or if you have one, you can add a Company logo of
your choice. The Title block is a Family file, so you will open it in the Family Editor, which is a
separate Revit interface for working with Family files.

4. Double click on any geometry of the Title block to open it in the Family Editor.

You will see the Ribbon simplify, which will let you know you are in the Family Editor & only
the Title Block will appear in the drawing area. This is where you would go if you want to
modify this title block, to create new sheet sizes, for example. We will add a Logo to this
36x24 Title block Family. An Image will insert into a Family file similar to a View, the only
difference is that in a Family file, you will insert from the Family Editor, instead of the Revit
Project interface.

5. Insert tab → Import Panel → Image

The Import Image dialog box will appear

6. Browse to your class/Library folder, & Choose SMW104 Logo.bmp or any other
image of your choice

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2B

7. Click Open at the bottom & the dialog box will close. The image outline will be
attached to your cursor
8. Place it in the upper right corner of the title block

9. Once placed, you can use the corner grips to scale it, or use the arrow keys
to nudge it into position. (the closer you are zoomed in, the smaller the nudge
increment)

10. Click Load into Project & Close from the right end of the Ribbon

The Family Editor will close, & you will receive a new Save File dialog box.

If you click yes, it will update the title block in your Revit Library where the 36x24 Title block
resides, so you could reuse it. This is exactly what you want to do for your Company logo,
but not necessarily for the SMW104 logo. If you said yes, you would receive another dialog
box because the file already exists, so you would be aware you were about to override an
existing file.

11. Choose no in the Save File dialog box

Regardless of whether you want to save the Family file to your library, or whether you
choose Yes or No in the Save File dialog box, you will still get another dialog box asking if
you want to override the Family file that is currently in your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2B

12. Click on Overwrite the existing version and its parameter values

The Title block family will be updated (in this project only) Open the other sheet views, & you
will see they have been updated.

13. Save your 3-2 Project

Add a Detailing Stamp to the Sheet Views

There is a blank detailing stamp in the Library folder you can insert in the Sheet View, or
use your own stamp if you have one. You would not want to add it to the Sheet family, like
we did above for the SMW104 logo, unless you were the only one that ever uses the Title
Block. It is easy to add to just the sheet views you work on.

14. Insert tab → Import Panel → Image

15. Browse to your class/Library folder, & select STAMP.bmp, or browse to your
own stamp & open
16. Place in the Title block, in the square above the Plan North arrow
17. Use the grips to size, if necessary
18. With the stamp selected, click Copy from the Clipboard
19. Pull down on the Clipboard Paste drop-down, & choose Align to selected
Views
20. Choose SM-2 & SM-3 from the list
21. Save your 3 - 2 Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2C

3-2C View Setting Controls – Discipline & View

Templates
1. Open your 3-2 Project, if it is not already open

2. Make the Level 1 HVAC floor plan current

Before adding anything to the model, we will explore how the views are displayed,
specifically the view Discipline & the effects of having a view dependent on a View
Template.

View Discipline
The Level 1 HVAC plan was created from the HVAC floor plan template. In the HVAC floor
plan template, the discipline was set to Mechanical & the sub-discipline was set to HVAC.
The Discipline is a function controlled by Revit; the sub-discipline is just a category to help
users sort their views. Users can create whatever sub-disciplines they like. Disciplines are
set by Revit and have specific properties associated with them.

Revit has six Disciplines: Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, &
Coordination. The Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing disciplines have identical properties.

In a Mechanical Discipline:

• All Architectural & Structural elements will be displayed as an underlay, which means
they will appear halftone and as though they are below the mechanical elements. (This is
why a Mechanical 3D view looks so strange, because all of the mechanical elements
appear to be outside the building.)
• The Architectural & Structural elements will also be controlled by the Cut plane in the
View Range, but Mechanical elements are not affected by the Cut plane & will display as
long as they are between the Top & Bottom planes in the View Range.
• All mechanical elements will be displayed by the settings in Object Styles, (which can be
accessed from the Manage tab→ Settings panel → Object Styles, or from the bottom of
any V/G Overrides dialog box) unless it has an override applied.
• Anything drawn from the systems tab will be considered Mechanical. So electrical &
plumbing elements will display the same as mechanical elements.
• Plan views only display view tags for call-outs, sections, and elevations that were
created in a Mechanical Discipline view.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2C

Coordination Discipline. Coordination views are very useful for detailing, because none of
the elements will display as underlays, regardless of their discipline. The cut plane will affect
most elements (some mechanical elements are not affected, but most are).

Mechanical views are perfect for Plan views, where we want our duct & annotation to stand
out. In our Project, the floor plans are set to the mechanical Discipline, & set as Plot views.
All other views in the Project (sections, 3D, Ceiling Plans) are set to Coordination, so you
can see a realistic view of how your ducts interact with the surrounding elements. Ceiling
views could easily be changed to a mechanical Discipline, if you prefer the background
elements to be halftone. Because the Ceiling plans are set as working views, they are not
controlled by a View template, & can be easily changed. We will look at the effects of having
a view dependent on a View template next.

For complete information on how each Discipline changes the display of elements, look at
About the View Discipline, in the online help.

Views dependent on a View Template

View Templates are used to control the property settings when first creating a View, and can
be set to remain in control of the View, as our HVAC floor plans are. They can also be
temporarily created from one view's setting & applied to another View, to transfer the
Property settings from one view to another. They can then be deleted when you are finished
with them. View Templates are a very powerful tool that can be used create & maintain
standards in your plot Views, or transfer properties from one working view to another.
You can access the View Template from any View that has one applied, from the Identity
Data section of the Properties. You can get to all View Templates from the View tab >
Graphics panel > View Templates

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2C

Apply or Create a View Template can be

accessed with a right click on any View in the
Browser

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2C

If you look at the Properties of Level 1 HVAC view on your screen (or below, left side panel)
you will see that many properties are grayed out. When a View is dependent on a View
Template, the Template settings work as an override to the settings in the View's Properties.
To make changes to the properties that are grayed out, you must access them through the
View Template being applied.

View Properties Grayed out

3. In the Properties of Level 1 HVAC, scroll down to Identity Data section, & click
on HVAC floor plan, to the right of View Template, or right click Level 1 HVAC
floor plan in the Browser, & choose Apply Template Properties

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2C

The Assign View Template dialog box will appear. HVAC floor plan is highlighted in the left
panel; it is the current template being assigned to the view. All the settings in the right panel
correspond to the grayed-out settings in the View's Properties. The organization is not exactly
the same, but the controls are there. At the top right, you can see that this template is currently
being applied to 4 views (the 4 floor plan views). If you change any setting in the panel on the
right, it will affect all 4 views.

4. Click on Edit next to any V/G Overrides to get into the V/G overrides dialog
box for the View. Explore any other of the settings in the Template, & when
you are finished, exit without changing any of the settings (or if you do, use
undo to revert to the original)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2C

Note: In the View template dialog box there are 6 separate lines for getting to the V/G
Overrides dialog box. If you click edit next to any of the V/G overrides, it will open a V/G
Overrides dialog box for the View Template that looks just like any other V/G Overrides dialog
box. There are six individual lines in the Assign View template dialog box that correspond to the
6 tabs at the top of the V/G dialog box. Which line you choose Edit from, will open the
corresponding tab in V/G Overrides. It is easy to switch tabs once you are in the V/G Overrides
dialog box.
The properties accessed through Graphic Display Options in a Views Properties also have
individual lines in the Template.
In the Assign View Template dialog box, on the right side, there are check boxes below Includes.
If any boxes are unchecked, they will no longer be controlled by the View Template, so will not
be grayed out & that property will be controlled per view. Having 6 separate lines to get to the
V/G Overrides allows each tab to be included or excluded from the View Template, giving users
more control.

5. Close the Assign View Template dialog box

6. Save your 3-2 Project file

Extra Exercise
To really get a good understanding of how the View template can be used, make changes
to the settings of Level 2 HVAC floor plan. When you are finished, you can reapply the View
Template, & everything will revert to the Original settings. Do not worry about messing up
the View. In a worst-case scenario, you could always delete the View, & recreate it from the
View tab, as you did to create it in the first place.
1. Open the Level 2 HVAC floor plan
2. Change the View Template from HVAC floor plan to None (all settings will stay the same,
but the view will no longer be dependent on the HVAC Plan View Template, so you can
make changes from the Property palette)
3. Make any changes in the V/G Overrides you like, to see how it affects the way the View
displays. For example, the wall category in V/G overrides has both Projection/Surface and
Cut sections that have columns where lines & patterns can be overridden. Give the walls
different colors & add different patterns in each column to see how it affects the view.
4. Explore the various settings in the Graphic section to see what they will do to the View.
Change the View Range if you like. Make as many changes from the Graphic section as
you can, until the view looks very different, (or very screwed up!).
5. When you are finished, go back to the Identity Data section in properties & apply the
HVAC View Template to the View again, & you will see that it will revert back to the original
setting. Save your Project.

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2D

Note: This section on Spaces is no longer relevant, if you are using Revit
2020, are a subscription customer (student software counts), & have
installed the latest update which came out in November. In that release,
Levels have been added to the Air Terminal category, so we not longer
have to have Spaces in our project to report the level grilles are located on.
This section has not been deleted in case you are using an earlier version
of 2020.

3-2D Creating Spaces

Spaces are the mechanical equivalent of Rooms in Architectural. They are 3D regions that
are primarily used for engineering calculations. They are important to Detailing because Air
Terminal locations are recognized by the Space elements they reside in, which then allows
the Level they located on to be reported in a schedule. Since it is important to us to be able to
do Air Terminal takeoff per floor, we need Spaces in our model.

Creating Spaces

Note: if you receive a mechanical Revit file, it is very likely that it has Spaces. For Spaces
to be recognized though, they need to be live, not part of a linked file. Linking in a mechanical file
does not allow you to change any of the Revit duct, so if you are going to use the Revit
mechanical as a background "guide" & redraw everything live, you could link the Mechanical
Revit file into your Project, but you would still have to create Spaces.

If you want to use the Revit duct from a Mechanical Engineer's file, & convert it to Fabrication
duct, it must also be live in you Project. You can use the Clipboard to copy elements from the
Mechanical Revit file into your Project. If the Mechanical file already has the Spaces, you can use
Copy from the Clipboard to transfer them to your Project along with the Duct.

1. Open your 3-2 Project file, if it is not already open, with Level 1 HVAC floor
plan the current view
There is a setting that needs to be changed in the Revit Link, before spaces can be created.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2D

2. Expand the plus sign in front

of Revit Links at the bottom of
the Browser
3. Double click SB
Architectural.rvt

4. In the Type Properties dialog

box that appears, check the box
across from Room Bounding. This
will allow the walls in the linked
model to be used to create the
Space

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2D

Note: The other property accessed from this dialog box is Phasing. There are two default Phases in Revit,
Existing & New construction. The thing to remember about Phasing, is that the phases in your Project must
match the Phases setup in the Architectural file. We will not be covering Phasing in this course. For more
information on setting up & working with Phases, check out the online video, Phase Status.

5. Click OK to exit the dialog

box.
To create spaces on Level 1:

6. Analyze tab→ Spaces &

Zones panel→ Spaces

In order for the Space tool to recognize the Air Terminals, the space height has to be at least
as high as the ceilings. For engineering purposes, the spaces should match the ceiling heights,
so that the air volume is calculated accurately. For our purposes, it doesn't matter if the
Spaces are extra high. As long as they are at or above the highest ceiling, the space tool will
recognize the air terminals placed at ceiling height.

Note: Every air terminal has a room calculation point that the Space uses to recognize it. The point is a
dot on the end of a dashed green line, that will show up in the Family Editor, if the room calculation point box is
checked. If this Dot is too far away from the space, the space will not "see" it, so the Air Terminal location
cannot be scheduled. The calculation point of an Air Terminal family can be changed by dragging the dot in the
Family Editor, so that it is within the space it is serving.

Above image is of an Air Terminal in the Family Editor, with the calculation point turned on.

Louver families are a good example of air terminals that may need to have their calculation points moved - if
you need to be able to do takeoff by level. If Louvers fail to report the Level, the room calculation point may
be set to side of the louver that is outside the building. If the Louver is too far above the ceiling height set for
Spaces, the calculation point may need to be lowered closer to a space so it will register, or the Space
height raised.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2D

7. In Properties, set the Limit Offset: to 13’ (well above the highest ceiling)
8. Click Place Spaces Automatically on the contextual panel.

You will receive a message that 11 spaces were created automatically. There are a couple of
spaces, next to the stairway, that are not real spaces. For your purposes, it doesn't really
matter if there are extra spaces, as long as the Rooms that have Air Terminals have
spaces, the Air Terminals will report what Level they are located on.
9. Close the message box
10. Open Levels 2 & 3 HVAC floor plans & create spaces there also.

You will receive a message telling you 10 spaces here created on Levels 2 & 3, because
there is one less room (at the head of the stairway).

11. Save your 3-2 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2D

Turn off Spaces in your HVAC floor plan template

Now that there are Spaces in our Project, they will pre-select every time your cursor crosses
over their boundary lines. The only purpose of Spaces for detailing is to schedule Air
Terminals, so once they are created, you can turn off their visibility to get rid of the
distraction.

As Already noted, the view settings for all the floor plans are being controlled by the HVAC
floor plan View Template, not in the view Property settings themselves. To turn the Space
category off in Level 1 HVAC plan, we need to make the change in the HVAC floor plan
template. This will turn off Spaces in all floor plan views, because they are all dependent on
the same template.

12. With any Floor plan current, in the Identity Data section of the floor plan
Properties, click on HVAC floor plan in the box next to View Template
13.In the Assign View Template dialog box, click Edit next to V/G Overrides
Model

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2D

14. Make sure Mechanical is one of the selections in the filter list, or Spaces will
not be available. Spaces are a Mechanical category only, so will not show up if
the list is being filtered to just show Architectural or Structural categories.

15. Beneath the Visibility column, uncheck the box in front of Spaces, & click OK
at the bottom

16. Click OK again to exit the Assign View Template dialog box

17. Save your Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

Extra - Working with Phases

There is one thing that was mentioned in the previous section, that is still relevent. If you are
working in a Project that has Phases, you need to be aware that the Phase in your current
project MUST match the Phases is the Architectural linked project. There are two default
Phases in Revit, Existing & New construction. We will not be covering how to setup Phasing in
this course, But I will show you where to go to set it up. For more information on setting up &
working with Phases, check out the online video, Phase Status.

1. Open your 3-2 Project file, if it is not

already open

2. Expand the plus sign in front of Revit

Links at the bottom of the Browser

3. Double click SB Architectural.rvt

4. In the Type Properties dialog box that

appears, the Phase settings can be adjusted
from Edit, across from Phase Mapping.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

Create 3D Working Views

Even if it is easier to place duct in a plan view, a 3D working view will help you check your
work & give you a clear picture of how your duct is interacting with the building, or other
trade’s elements that you want to work around. Section views are also good working views
for checking your work, but you might need two sections views instead of one 3D view.
With either a 3D or Section view, you can move the section boxes in close to the area you
are working, so you will only have showing the exact area you are going to be working in.

We will make 3D views of all the Floor plan Views. You can make them by using the
default 3D view & using the View cube to rename & reorient them if you like, just as you
have done before. Another way to make them, is to start with the 3D Default view, rename
it, & move the Section box to just show the level you want in the view.

To make views by adjusting the Section box:

1. Open the Default 3D View

2. Rename it, either from the View Cube menu, or from the Browser

3. Orient it to the front view

4. The Scope box will be showing from the linked file. To turn off the Scope
box, either turn it off from the V/G Overrides, or try the following:

5. Toggle on “Select Links”.

When you move your cursor over the model, a box will highlight around the model, if you
were to click when the box is highlighted, you will select the whole linked file, which is not
what you want.

5. Hover your cursor over the dashed Scope box line, click the Tab key, when
the Scope Box highlights, click to select it. You are allowed to select one element
at a time from a Linked file, or an overlay.

6. With the Scope box selected, right click & choose Hide in View, Elements

7. Toggle off “Select Links”

The Levels are not showing in the 3D View. You could turn them on from V/G Overrides, or
try the following:

8. Click the lightbulb icon in the View Control bar, “Reveal Hidden Elements”.
A magenta box will appear around the perimeter of the drawing area, &

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

anything in the view that has been hidden will also appear in magenta.

9. You will not be able to select the Levels though, because they are pinned.
Toggle on, “Select Pinned Elements”
10. Select a magenta Level line or the Level Head symbol
11. Right click in the drawing area, & Choose Unhide in View, Category
The Level lines will change from magenta to black, when they are no longer hidden
12. Toggle off “Reveal Hidden Elements”
The Section box is not showing in the View
13. In the Browser, at the bottom of the Extents section, place a check in the
box next to Section box
14. Now you will be able to select the section box & lower the top to level 2 so
you can see into the Level 1 floor.
15. When you have the height of the section box correct, orient the view by
one of the corners of the View Cube, to see it in an Ortho view

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2E

This was not as efficient as using the View cube, to make the 3D View, but it gave you a
chance to use a few other tools, that can come in handy if you realize they are there.

14. Make 3D Level 2, 3D Level 3 & 3D Roof plans, any way you choose.
The 3D View template that was used to create the default (or any other) 3D view has the
floor slabs & Ceilings set to transparency so they can be seen through. This works for most
of the floors, but is not going to work on the Roof level.

15. In the V/G Overrides for the Roof level, click on the 41% in the
Transparency column across from Floor.

16. In the Surfaces dialog box, click Clear Overrides, & then OK to exit

17. Save your Project

You might have noticed that the ceilings in all the 3D views are set to a transparency & have a
pattern applied also. The pattern will make the ceiling show up when looking down at it. This is a
personal preference. Remember, in Revit you can set your working views up anyway you like
that helps make your work easier.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

3-2F Control the Display of Linked Files

In the Level 1 HVAC view, if you scroll in, you can see that all elements in the view are
displaying in halftone, except the air terminals & ceiling exhaust fans. When you placed the
air terminals and ceiling exhaust fans in the Architectural project, you may remember that
they were added as component elements, & were considered mechanical equipment, which
is why they are not halftone. All mechanical elements, whether they are live in the current
file, or linked in, will be displayed by the settings in Object Styles, (which can be accessed
from the Manage tab → Settings panel → Object Styles, or from the bottom of any V/G
Overrides dialog box) unless it has an override.

There are two methods you can use to change the color/line weight of the air terminals &
ceiling fans in a Linked file. One is simple & the other is more complicated, but has other
advantages. We will look at both methods. Choose either method for this project, directions
will be given for both.

Force the Link to display Halftone or Underlay

The easiest way to change the air terminals, so they are not so dark, is to force all elements
in the Linked file to display in halftone or as an Underlay - both will display halftone,
underlay will also make the linked air terminals appear below any other mechanical
elements added later.

1. Open your 3-2 Project if it is not already

open

2. In any Floor plan view, click on HVAC floor

Plan next to View Template, in the Identity
Data section of Properties

3. In the Assign View Template dialog box,

click on Edit next to V/G Overrides RVT Links

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

4. In the Assign View Template dialog box, click on Edit next to V/G Overrides
RVT Links

This dialog box will appear

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

The architectural file will already be selected, because it is the only linked file in the Project.
If you had multiple linked files in your Project, you would have to select one.

5. Place a check in the box either below Halftone or Underlay, it will have the
same effect

6. Click OK twice to exit both dialog boxes

7. Save your 3-2 Project file

The air terminals & fans will now be halftone, so when you place real Air Terminals & Fans over top of the
ones in the Architectural background, it will be easy to see if you have placed one or not. The problem with
this method is that the Grid lines became halftone also. While you may be able to live with that, the second
method, which we will look at next, gives you complete control over the display of linked elements.

Controlling the Display of Linked Files

There are 3 ways to control the linked files display settings, By Host View, By Linked View, or
Custom.

• The default is by Host view. The current Mechanical project is the Host to the linked file, so
elements will display however they are setup by each View, regardless of whether the
elements are linked or live. If you look at the image below of the Visibility/Graphics
Overrides for HVAC floor plan dialog box, you will see the current tab is Revit Links, &
below Display Settings, is By Host View.

• The second way is by linked View. If you choose this option, you can choose which
linked view from the list of possible views in the Linked file to import the setting from. You
will not be able to adjust the display settings.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

• The third way is Custom. With Custom, you can choose to start from By Host (which is
the default) or choose a view from the linked in file as the starting point, or properties
from both from the list in the Basic tab. Choosing a view from the linked file as the
starting point works really well if you need to make a slab edge plan, & the architectural
plan already has one that is set up close to what you need. Once you make the decision
about the starting point, you need to apply Custom to the Model or Annotation Tab, &
then you will have access to the V/G Overrides dialog box that will only affect the linked
file. When you receive Architectural & Structural files that have grid lines that don't match
up, causing double bubbles, this is the best way to fix it. You can turn off the grid lines in
one linked file, without turning off all grid lines.

Note: the only other way to turn off elements in a Linked in file is one at a time. If you had one or two
diffusers in the Linked file that did not match up with the Mechanical plan, this would be a good option.

To do that, you would have to uncheck the “Select Links” toggle in the status bar; that will let you select the
Link. Hover over a linked element, press the tab key, and select it when the element you want to hide
highlights. From the right click menu, choose Hide in View > Element. You cannot change the Graphical
appearance of individual elements in a linked file, the only control you have is the ability to hide individual
elements.

Turn off the Visibility of Mechanical Equipment in the

Linked file
We will change the display settings in the HVAC floor template, so that we can turn off the
visibility of Mechanical Equipment in the Linked Architectural file, & still have Mechanical
Equipment visible in our live file. We will use the Ceiling plan as our working view to place
the real air terminals & ceiling fans. To keep track of which diffusers you have placed, & to
avoid doubling up on diffusers, we will change the display setting in the Ceiling plan, so the
Mechanical Equipment category (diffusers) in the Linked Architectural file will display in
color.

1. Open your 3-2 Project file, if it is not already open

2. With any floor plan current, click on HVAC floor plan next to View
Template in the Identity Data section of Properties

3. In the Assign View Template dialog box, click on Edit next to V/G Overrides
RVT Links

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

This dialog box will appear

4. Click on By Host View

The RVT Link Display Settings dialog box will appear, with the Basic tab open. Custom must
be set on the Basic tab before Model or Annotation tabs can be accessed. When you
choose Custom, the settings below will no longer be grayed out, so you could choose which
settings to import from a linked view.

5. Click the radio button in front of Custom

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

6. Click the Model tab

All the Model elements will still be grayed out. The model tab needs to be set to Custom.

7. Click on By Host view below the tabs & choose Custom

The model categories will darken and become editable.

8. Scroll down the list & uncheck the box in the visibility column next to
Mechanical Equipment (if Mechanical Equipment does not show up in the
list, check the Filter List: near the top, Mechanical needs to be included in
the filter list)

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

9. Click Apply & OK to exit the Model tab settings

10. If you have a check in either the Halftone or Underlay boxes in the V/G
Overrides for HVAC floor plan dialog box, uncheck them & click OK twice to
exit & return to the view

The Diffusers & ceiling exhaust fans will no longer show in the HVAC floor plan views

11. Save your 3-2 Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

Change the Mechanical Equipment category in the

Linked File to display in Color
To make it easy to see where you have been when placing diffusers in the Level 1 Ceiling
plan, we will change the color of the Mechanical Equipment in the Linked file. The Ceiling
plan is setup as a Working View & not dependent on a View Template, so we can access
the setting for the Link from the Ceiling plan Properties. Other than where to get started,
the process is similar to what we just did to turn the Mechanical Equipment off in the floor
plans.

12. Make the level 1 Ceiling plan the current view

13. Click Edit next to V/G Overrides in Properties

14. Click the Revit Links tab, all the way on the right, in the V/G Override for Reflected
Ceiling Plan: Level 1 dialog box
15. Click on By Host below Display Settings, & choose the Custom radio button
16. Select the Model Categories tab
17. In the model tab, Click on <By Host view> below the tabs & choose Custom

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2F

The element categories will become editable

18. Click in the Lines Column across from Mechanical Equipment, & then click on
Overrides…
The Line Graphic dialog box will appear

19. Click in the box to the right of color: change the color to whatever color
you like. (The 3-3 Starting file is orange with a line weight of 3) You can change the line
weight here too if you like. By default, the line will be set to a heavy line (5).

20. Click OK to exit the Line Graphic dialog box, click Apply & OK to exit the
Model tab settings, & OK again to exit the V/G Overrides dialog box

Note: Once you have changed the Revit Linked file to Custom, it will stay Custom. If you want to make
more changes to the display of the Linked file, From V/G Overrides, choose the Revit Links tab, & click
on Custom to get to to the Revit link Model or Annotation tabs

21. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2G

3-2 Finish Project Setup: Summary

• The Family Editor has its own interface for creating & changing Family files
• Images can be added to a View or to a Family
• In the Mechanical Discipline, all Architectural & Structural elements will appear as
underlays & be affected by the Cut plane of the View Range
• In the Mechanical Discipline, Mechanical elements will display by Object Styles,
regardless of whether the elements are in a linked file or live, unless there is an override
applied
• Coordination views will show all elements as they really are in relationship to each other
• When properties are grayed out in the Properties Palette of a view, it indicates that the
view has a View Template controlling the Properties that cannot be accessed in the
Properties Palette
• To get to the View Template applied to a View, go to the Identity Data section of the
view in Properties, or right click the View in the Browser
• View Templates can also be managed from the View tab > Graphic panel > View
Templates
• View Templates are very powerful & can be used to maintain standards, or created
temporarily to transfer properties from one view to another
• Any change made to a View Template will affect all views dependent on that template
• Air Terminals have a room calculation point, that can be moved in the Family file. The
calculation point is what allows the Space to be aware of the existence of the Air
Terminal
• Once Spaces are created, their visibility can be turned off
• Linked files can be forced to display all elements in halftone, which will override the
display settings for elements in Object Styles
• Linked files can be controlled by the Host file, By a Linked file’s View settings, or by
Custom setting
• Once Custom is selected on the Revit Links tab, the Model or Annotation tabs have to
be set to Custom also, before the categories of elements will become editable

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-2G

References:
1. Revit Help, Model the Design, Revit Families, Working with Families, Open the Family
Editor
2. Revit Help, Model the Design, Model Layout, Information from Other Applications, Adding
Images and PDF files to Views
3. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Project Views, Visibility and Graphics Display
Dialog, Controlling the Elements Display in Views, About the View Discipline
4. Revit Help, Customize Revit, View Templates, About View Templates; Apply a View
Template
5. Revit Help, Collaborate with Others, Linked Models, Visibility of Linked Models, About the
Visibility of Linked Models; Use Custom Settings to Display Linked Models

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3A

3-3A Air Terminals, Ceiling Fans & Tags: Goals

Main Goals:
To understand the difference between hosted & Non-hosted air terminals, & be able to
choose which type to use in your Projects.

To understand that the Tags report live parameters & become aware that you can add
parameters to a Family type by filling in the parameter on a tag

After Completing this Module, you will be able to:

• Add ceiling elevation tags to appropriate views
• Place air terminals, ceiling mounted exhaust fans, air terminal tags, Mechanical equipment
tags & room tags
• Explain the difference between ceiling based, hosted & non-hosted Air Terminals
• Add Family parameters from the element's tag

You can start from the 3-3 Starting file.rvt in the Starting file folder, or continue working
in the file you created in the last Module. Please use the starting file if you are not
completely sure your file from the last module is correct.

At the end of the Module:

• You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the drawing assignment for this
Module

• You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts covered in this Module,
or your ability to find the information requested in the text

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 Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3B

3-3B Adding Ceiling Elevation Tags

In this module we will place the Air Terminals in the Project. Our Project is very simple as we
only have ceilings at two elevations. In a real Project, you would probably have multiple
ceiling elevations. The type of diffuser you will use in most projects, requires you to manually
set the air terminal elevation in the Properties; it will not acquire the height from the ceiling,
like the air terminals you used in the Architectural project. The easiest way to get the diffuser
elevations correct, is to place ceiling height tags to your ceiling view, to make it easy to
reference the heights as you place diffusers.

Ceiling Height Tags

1. Open either your 3-2 Project file, or the 3-3 Starting file, you will have to reload the
link. (see 3-2B for instructions on reloading the link)

2. Save as 3-3 your Initials, in your Assignments folder

3. Make the Level 1 Ceiling plan the current view

You will not be able to add ceiling tags to the floor plan. You can only place Ceiling tags in a
view that displays the ceilings. If you were to turn the visibility of the ceiling off in the RCP,
the tags will automatically be turned off.
There are 2 tag tools in the Annotate panel, Tag by Category, which we used previously, &
Tag All not Tagged. We will use the Tag All tool to place the ceiling tags.

4. Annotation tab → Tag panel → Tag all not Tagged. In the Tag All not Tagged
dialog box, the cell next to Ceilings has Ceiling Tag w Height, so it is loaded

Note: If the tag you are looking for is not loaded, close the Tag All not Tagged tool & open the drop-
down at the bottom of the Tag Panel. This will open the Loaded Tag & Symbols dialog box where you can
see what tags are loaded. If the tag you want is not loaded, it can be loaded from here.

If there are multiple tags for a category already loaded, click on the name of a tag in the Tag All not Tagged
dialog box. A drop-down list will appear with all of the available loaded tags that can be placed for the
element, so you can choose which tag you would like to place.

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Revit for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3B

In the Tag all not Tagged

dialog box:

5. Check the box for

"Include elements from
linked files". The Ceiling
is in the Linked file.

6. Click the box in front of

Ceiling Tags

The Ceiling tag w Height is in

the Loaded Tags column, so
that is the Tag that will be
placed.

7. Make sure the Leader

box is unchecked at the
bottom

8. Click Apply, then OK.

This will place ceiling tags in the center of all the ceilings. The tag in the Open Office will
most likely come in on top of the wall (centered in the ceiling)

9. Click on any tag once & use the move grips to drag it to a better location, if it
is not easy to read the elevation. Remember that this is not a plot view, so it
only matters that you can read it, it does not have to look good.

10. Save your 3-3 Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3C

3-3C Placing Diffusers and Ceiling Fans

There are 3 types of Air Terminal families.

• Ceiling based, like the ones we placed in the Architectural file. These will attach to the
ceiling & do not show an elevation in the property’s palate. The ceiling must be in the
current file. Since the ceilings are in the linked file not the mechanical files, we cannot
place Ceiling based air terminals in our Project.
• Hosted, these must be attached to a plane, like a wall, floor or ceiling. The plane does
not have to be in the current file; Revit can recognize planes in a linked in file. The default
tool in the contextual tab for placing a Hosted Air Terminal is Place on Vertical Face, so it
would be ready to place a wall grille. If you want to place a hosted grille in the ceiling, you
must first select Place on Face from the Placement panel of the contextual tab, to switch
to a horizontal plane. There is a good chance the Diffuser would come in upside down,
because Revit only recognizes the plane, it does not know that the face of the plane is
facing down instead of up. Hosted is a good option for attaching sidewall grilles to the
walls. You can place Hosted diffusers in the Mechanical plan ceiling, but if the ceiling
elevation is changed in the Linked file, the grilles will move with it. This may be fine in
some circumstances, but if you do not want the diffusers to move without you being
aware of it, don’t use Hosted families.

Note: If you use the Copy/Monitor tool to copy Ceiling based Diffusers into a Mechanical Project, they will
be changed to Hosted in your mechanical file. Other than that, you are not able to switch family types
between Ceiling, Hosted, or non-hosted. The three types of Air Terminal are started from different
template files & cannot be changed

.
• Non-Hosted. These are not locked to anything. The correct ceiling elevation must be
input into the property palate because they cannot pick up the elevation from the ceiling.
We will use non-hosted Diffusers in our Project.

1. Open your 3-3 Project, if it is not already open

2. Make the Level 1 Ceiling plan the current view

Placing Diffusers
The Diffuser we will use needs to be loaded into the Project

3. System tab→ HVAC→ Air Terminal

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3C

A dialog box will appear telling you that there are no Air Terminals loaded into the Project, &
asking if you would like to load on now.

4. Click yes

5. Scroll to Mechanical/MEP/Air-side Components/Air Terminals

6. Choose Supply Diffuser – Rectangular Face Round Neck.rfa, & OK

Before placing the diffusers, there are some settings to change in the Properties

7. From the Type Selector, choose 24x24 – 8” neck

8. Change either Elevation from Level or Offset from Host, (they will fill the other
one in, so that they are the same) to 10' 6", this is the elevation of the ceilings in
the four Offices
9. In the Mechanical section, uncheck the direction arrows (they do not scale &
are designed for a 1/8" scale drawing, so they would be very large in 1/4" scale)
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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3C

10. In the Mechanical – Flow section, set Cfm to 150

11. Place diffusers over the ones in the Linked file in the 4 offices.
12. Change the Cfm to 120, & place 2 more diffusers in the Restroom &
Breakroom.
Change the size & setting for the diffusers in the Open Office

13. From the Type Selector, change to a 24x24 – 10” neck diffuser
14. In the Properties:
• change the Offset from Host to 9’ 6”
• In the Mechanical section, uncheck the direction arrows
• In the Mechanical – Flow section, set Cfm to 300.
15. Place grilles over the 5 supply diffusers in the linked file in the Open Office.

Create a new Type in the Return Diffuser Family

A Return Diffuser needs to be loaded into the Project.

1. System> Air Terminal> Load Family

2. The library should open to the Air Terminal folder, since you just had it open,
load the Return Diffuser.rfa
The Return Diffuser family has one size - 24x24 face 12x12 Connection. We need a 24x24
face, 22x22 Connection. You will have to make a new size (type)

3. In the Type Selector, the Return Diffuser, 24x24 face 12x12 Connection should
be showing.

4. Click Edit Type below the Type Selector

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3C

5. In the Type Properties dialog

box, Click Duplicate...

6. Rename: 24x24 – 22x22 Neck,

& click OK

5. Under Dimensions change the

Duct Width to 22. (type 22, duct
sizes are in inches not feet) The
Height parameter will automatically
change because it is a square neck

6. While still in Edit Type, under the

Identity Data section, add PAR as
the Model, TITUS as the
Manufacturer, & B as the Type Mark

7. Click OK to exit the dialog bo

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3C

With the new Return Diffuser still in the Type Selector, change some of the diffuser Properties:

8. Change the Offset from Host to 10' 6"

9. Uncheck the direction arrows
10. Set the CFM to 150
11. Place Return Diffusers in each of the 4 Offices
12. Change the Offset to 9' 6" & CFM to 750
13. Place the 2 Return Diffusers in the Open Office.

Add a Model number to a Supply Diffuser

Before continuing, let's add the Model number to one on the supply diffusers, using Edit
Type, just as you did when changing the return diffuser.

1. Select any supply diffuser

2. From below the Type selector, click Edit Type

3. Scroll down to the Identity Data section, & type PSS in the box across from
Model
4. Scroll down further & type A in the Column across from Type Mark

3. Click OK at the bottom to exit the dialog box

4. Save your 3-4 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3C

Place the Ceiling Exhaust Fans

The ceiling exhaust fans will have to be loaded & placed similarly to the grilles. The only
differences are that they will be loaded from the Mechanical Equipment tab, and can be
found in Your class/Library folder, not in the out-of-the-box Revit Library.

1. Systems tab→ Mechanical Equipment→ Load Family, Browse to your

Revit Class/ Library/ Greenheck/ Inline – Ceiling folder.

2. Click the Ceiling-Exhaust-SP-A.rfa file, click open at the bottom.

3. In the dialog box, select SP-A70 & then OK.

4. Set the Offset from Host in the Property palate to 10' 6"

6. Use the space bar to orient the fans - they will be ducted to the Shaft

Hint: you might want to toggle on Thin Lines, so you can see the outlet on the fan

If you place the Fans, & the Visual Style is set to Hidden Line, all you will be able to see is
the grille at the ceiling level. Change the Visual Style to Wireframe, & you will be able to
see through the grille, to see the body of the fan & inlet.

7. Save your 3-3 Project file

Note: Once the “real” fans are placed, consider if the fans in the Linked file need to be turned off. You
are working in a View that is not intended for publication, so it is not necessary, unless the mechanical
equipment in the linked file is too distracting in your working view.

If you decide to turn them off, go back to V/G Overrides, Revit link tab, click Custom, Model tab and uncheck
the visibility of Mechanical Equipment in the link. Or, if only the Fans are distracting, you could turn their
visibility off one at a time, by toggling on Select Links, hover over the fan, press tab, & select a fan when it
highlights. Right click, & choose Hide in View> Element. If you choose to do that, remember to toggle Select
Links off after you are finished.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3D

3-3D Placing Tags

Add Air Terminal & Mechanical Equipment Tags
The Air Terminal & Mechanical Equipment tags can be placed at one time, using the Tag All
not Tagged tool.

1. Open your 3-3 Project file, if it is not already open

2. Set the Level 1 HVAC floor plan current.

All tags are View dependent, so tags need to be placed in the Level 1 view intended to be
published, not a working view. We will use the Tag All not Tagged tool, as we did to place the
ceiling height tags in the RCP, to place both Air Terminal and Mechanical Equipment tags.

3. Annotation tab→ Tag panel→ Tag All

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3D

4. In the Tag All Not Tagged dialog box, Include elements from linked files
should be unchecked (if you did not have the Mechanical Equipment category turned of
in the Linked Architectural file, & this box was checked, it would place Mechanical equipment
tags for all the linked diffusers)

5. Check the boxes in front of Air Terminals & Mechanical Equipment

6. The leader box should be unchecked.

Click Apply & OK to place a tag to the right of every grille & below the exhaust fans.

Note: The insertion point is determined in the family file & the grille tags will always come
in the same distance from the center of the grille, regardless of grille size. Once placed, if
you select a tag, you will see a move grip that can be used to relocate the tag. Once all
the duct has been placed, the tags will most likely have to be moved, so you may want to
wait to move tags around until the ducts are in place
.

Notice the Return diffusers Tags display the Type Mark, B. This is because we added it as a
parameter while we were creating the new size. We added A as the Type Mark for one of the
supple grilles, so that Type, one of the supple diffuser sizes, will have the Type mark in the
tag, & the other size supply diffuser will not.

To add a Type Mark parameter to the supple diffuser that is missing the “A” in its’ tag:
7. Single click the tag of one of the diffusers that still need the Type Mark, then
pause & single click on the tag again (a double click will open up the tag.rfa file in the
Family Editor. If that happens, click the x in the upper right corner to close the family file, & try
again.)

8. In the text box that opens,

type A in the Type Mark
box

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3D

If you click away from the text box, or click OK at the bottom, you will get another warning
message:

9. Click Yes, & OK to exit the Change Parameter Value dialog box

You will get an additional warning, because two types (both 8" & 10" round neck) in the family
have the same type Mark.

10. Click OK or Yes in the boxes to accept the changes

The ceiling exhaust fans have incremental numbers, but have not been assigned a Type Mark
yet.
11. Repeat the tag edit, this time choosing an exhaust fan tag
12. Add EF as the Type Mark, renumber 1-1 for the fan in the Restroom
13. Renumber the Breakroom fan 1-2
14. Save your 3-3 Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3D

Add Room Tags

The Level 1 HVAC floor plan should have room tags. They can be placed in the same way as
you placed the Air Terminal & Mechanical Equipment tag.

16. Annotation tab→ Tag panel→ Tag All tool

17. Check the box in front of Room tags

18. Make sure the “include elements from linked files” is checked, because
the room elements reside in the linked file.

19. Leaders should be unchecked

20. Click Apply & OK

The Room Tag will appear centered in the Rooms, just as the ceiling tag did.
Move tags if you would like to, but you will probably have to move them again later when you
have ducts placed. To move a Room Tag out of the room it references, you must add a leader
to the tag first. To add a leader, select a Tag, check the leader box either in the options bar or
properties. This will allow the tag to be moved outside the room boundary.

21. Save your 3-3 Project

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3D

Extra Exercise - Edit a Diffuser Family

The diffusers from the Revit library are round neck, but the visibility of the round collar is
turned off, so there is no visual clue what size the neck is, or that it is round. Family files
control how every object displays. If you want to see the round necks in your floor plans or
ceiling plans, you will need to edit the Diffuser family in the Family Editor, & turn on the
visibility of the round collars.

1. Double click on a any supply diffuser, or click once & select Edit Family
from the contextual ribbon. This will open the diffuser in the Family Editor.

2. Select the collar, NOT the duct connector that is on the top of the collar
(the lines with the arrows)

3. In the properties, click on Edit next to Visibility/Graphic Overrides.

This controls the Visibility of whatever element of the family you have selected, so here the
edit is only going to affect the collar you have selected.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3D

The Family Element Visibility Settings dialog box will appear

The box in front of Plan/RCP is unchecked, so the collar is not going to be visible in either of
these views.

4. Check the box in front of Plan/RCP & OK to exit the dialog box

5. Click Load into Project and Close from the Ribbon

The Save File box will appear. If you say Yes, it will update the Family in the Library. (While
you may want to do that in your library at home or work, please do not change it in the Library
at the Training Facilities.)

6. Choose No, or if you want the neck size to show any other time you use this
diffuser from your library, choose Yes

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3D

You will receive the Family Already Exists dialog box. This only affects the Family already
loaded into your Project.

7. Chose Overwrite the existing version and its parameter values

The Diffusers will now show the neck sizes in the floor plan & ceiling plan views.

8. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-3E

3-3E Air Terminals, Ceiling Exhaust Fans and Tags:

Summary

• Tags are view specific, they will only display in the view they are created in,
unless they are copied to another view
• Ceiling height tags can be used as references when placing diffusers, to help set
the diffusers at the correct elevations
• If you are tagging something that resides in a linked-in file with the Tag All Not
Tagged tool, you must have a check in the box in front of Include elements from
the linked file
• If you turn off the visibility of an element, any tags for the element will automatically be
turned off too
• There are 3 types of Air Terminal families, Ceiling based, Hosted & non-Hosted
• Ceiling based Air terminals can only be used if the Ceiling is in the same file
• Hosted Air Terminals are a good choice for wall grilles, because the grille will attach to the
wall plane
• Non-Hosted Air Terminals are not locked to any plane, & must have their
elevation set in Properties or they will be placed at 0' 0"
• To create a new Air Terminal that is a difference size, select the Air Terminal
family, Edit Type, Duplicate a type, rename, & change the size parameters.
• Parameters can be changed wherever you can access them, in the Family or Tag
• If you add a parameter to any family type (Size), it will be applied to every instance of the
family type in your Project
• The insertion point of tags is set in the family. They will always be placed the
same distance from the center point of the element they are tagging.
• To move a tag once it is placed, select it & drag by the move grips to a different
location
• Room Tags & Ceiling tags cannot be moved out of the areas they reference, unless a leader
is added first

References:
1. Revit Help, Document and Present the Design, Annotation, Tags, About Tags; About Tag
Labels; Tag all Not Tagged
2. Revit Help, Model the Design, MEP Modeling, Working with Duct Components, Place Air
Terminals
3. User Interface, Property Palette, Create a New Family Type in a Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4A

3-4 Mechanical Equipment & Schedules: Goals

Main Goals:
• To become aware of manufacturer content available in Revit
• To see how powerful schedules can be in Revit

At the end of the Module, you will be able to:

• Place Mechanical equipment
• Explain the importance of text files that are included with a Revit Family file when
downloaded
• Copy & Modify Schedules, to create different types of Equipment Schedules
• Use schedule filters

You can start from the 3-4 Starting file.rvt in the Starting file folder, or continue working in
the file you created in the last Module. Please use the starting file if you are not
completely sure your file from the last module is correct.

At the end of the Module:

• You will upload the Project file you have been working in as the drawing assignment for this
Module
• You will take a Quiz to assess your understanding of the concepts covered in this Module or
your ability to find the answers

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4B

3-4B Tagging bottom of Beam Elevations

In our Project, we only have 2 different beam sizes, so the bottom of the beam elevations do
not really matter. When you are working in a real project though, it might be helpful to see
the bottom of the beam elevations in your ceiling plan working view, so you will know if you
need to adjust the elevations of ducts crossing beams without having to switch views. This is
just another option, Revit is designed to make it easy for users to work in the same file, but
have their own control over the way they interact with their work.

Tagging Beams
There is a tool just for placing beam annotation. We will explore that before adding mechanical
equipment.

1. Open your 3-3 Project file or the 3-4 Starting file from the Starting file folder.
If you use the starting file, reload the Link file (see 3-2B for reload instructions
if necessary).

2. Save As, as Project, renaming 3-4 Project your initials in your Assignments
folder

3. Make the Level 1 Ceiling Plan current.

The Beam Annotation tools uses 2 tags, a Structural steel tag & a Spot Elevation
tag. Both have to be loaded into the Project for the tool to work.

4. Annotation tab→ Tag→ Beam Annotations tool

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4B

The Beam Annotations dialog box will appear

You can control whether tags are placed at either end or center of the steel, & on which side
of the beams. The settings button controls how far off of the beams the tags will place. You
can tag sloped beam & level beams differently. If you do not want all beams in the view to be
tagged, you can select the ones you want tagged before starting the tool.

5. Include beams from links should be checked

6. Click one of the Browse buttons, to load the Structural steel tag

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4B

7. Click the Structural Framing tag radio button, & the Standard Structural
Framing tag below the Type: box, then OK

8. Click another of the Browse buttons, where you would like the bottom
elevation to show

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4B

9. Select the Spot Elevation radio button, The BOS Spot elevation tag, set the
Display Elevation: to Bottom Elevation if it is not, then click OK

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4B

10. Click OK at the bottom of the dialog box to exit & place the beam tags

Note: If you no longer need to see the sizes or elevations, you can hide them in the view. This
will keep your working view from getting too congested. To hide either the size or the
elevations, select one of the tags, right click & choose Select All instances→ Visible in View
Right click again, choose Hide in View→ Elements.

If you want to turn them back on later, click on the light bulb icon in the View Control bar, to
show Hidden elements. Hidden elements display in Magenta. Select any hidden element &
right click, choose Unhide in View→ Elements. Toggle the light bulb back off.
The 3-5 Starting file has the Structural steel tags turned off, & the BOS tags left on.

11. Save your Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4C

3-4C Placing VAV Boxes

VAV boxes can be placed from Fabrication elements in Revit. Revit will allow in-line
fabrication equipment, such as FSDs, VAVs, & dampers to be used. If a company has VAV
boxes & FSDs configured the way they want them, they will most likely continue to use them.
We must use Revit elements for all equipment that are not in-line. To gain more
understanding about Revit Mechanical Equipment, we will use VAV boxes downloaded from
the Titus website.
There are Revit files available from most manufacturers. They can be quite sophisticated. For
example, the VAVs we will be using can be configured for coil location, control box location, &
the different insulation options available. The one thing to pay close attention to is the
connections. The equipment is created for engineers, so have connectors that can transfer
air flow from the grilles in a run to the equipment. The connectors work great for engineers.
The problem for detailers using the downloaded equipment, is that the connectors are usually
placed at the end of the collar connections, not where we would actually make the
connection. This is something that can be fixed in the Family Editor, but is beyond the scope
of this class. If you are the one who will be responsible for modifying the Equipment you use
in your Projects, you should consider taking another class on Family Editing.

Placing VAV Boxes

1. Open your 3-4 Project file if it is not already open

2. Make the Level 1 Ceiling plan the current view

3. System tab→ Mechanical Equipment

4. In the Type Selector, scroll down to DESV 08, 2 Row coil

The boxes will go in the hallway, to the left of the shaft & Restroom. The exact location is not
important, but use the image on the next page as a guide. The boxes will be automatically
numbered sequentially. If you place them in the order 1-1 to 1-4 it will make it easier to
renumber.

5. In the properties, set the Offset from Host – at the bottom of the Constraints
Section, NOT THE FRONT OFFSET, to match an elevation in the image on the
next page. If you do not set the offset, the boxes will come in at 0’ 0” (below the
View Range), & you will not be able to see them in this view

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4C

6. Right hand/left hand locations for control box

& coil connections can be changed in
Properties either before placing or afterwards.

7. Use the space bar to rotate the VAVs before

placing (or after if you prefer).
Note: VAV 1-3 is a 10", 2 row Coil box

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4C

You could place all 4 boxes, & go back & edit them after they are placed. You can change the
elevation, size, or any other property after a box has been placed. Use nudge to refine their
positions after placement.

If you end up with a box on the floor, so it is not visible in this view, open a 3D View or create a
section view, select the box, & type the correct elevation in Properties.

8. Save your Project

Note: If your Visual Style is set to Shaded, the lights will appear to be on top of the VAV boxes.
That would be because you are looking up in a ceiling view. There are a few ways to work
around this. You could make the Lights 100% transparent in V/G Overrides. You could change
the Visual Style to Wireframe. Also, you might want to consider changing the Discipline of the
view from Coordination to Mechanical. This will make all non-MEP elements display halftone &
appear like they are in the background.

9. After the boxes are placed and configured, switch to the Level 1 HVAC floor
plan

10. Tag the four boxes, either with the Tag tool in the QAT or the Tag All Not
Tagged tool. If you have a problem selecting a tag, use the Tab key.

11. Edit the tags. (Single click the tag, pause for a second, then click on the text)
Type Mark = VAV, renumber the boxes 1-1 through 1-4

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4C

You will receive a warning message when you renumber VAV 1-1, because another
mechanical tag, for the exhaust fan is already tagged 1-1. Both pieces of equipment that will
have the same number will highlight in orange on your screen, the existing one solid & the new
one in wireframe, this can help you not duplicate numbers if you have a lot of boxes to tag.
The warning will appear again when you tag the 1-2 box.

5. Click OK to dismiss the warning

6. Save your 3-4 Project file

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4D

3-4D Copy Diffusers, Mechanical Equipment and

Tags up to Levels 2 & 3
Very often in multiple story buildings there are typical duct configurations on different
levels. We will use the Clip Board to copy our mechanical elements from Level 1 to
Levels 2 & 3.

Copy Mechanical Elements up to other levels

1. Open you 3-4 Project if it is not already open
2. Make Level 1 HVAC floor plan the current view, we want to be able to copy the Air
Terminal tags & Equipment tags along with the Equipment.
3. Select all Air Terminals, Air Terminal Tags, Mechanical Equipment, & Mechanical
Equipment Tags. (you could select everything & use the filter tool to refine the selection)
4. Use the Clipboard Copy & Paste tools to Copy them to Level 2 & 3 HVAC
floor plans views. You will notice the Clip Board drop-down options will only let you copy
to Views, not Levels. You have annotation in your selection set, so you have to pick a view,
not a level.
5. Open Level 2 ceiling plan.
There is no Breakroom on Level 2, so the Diffuser & Ceiling Exhaust Fan copied from below
will be a foot above the ceiling & not located in the T-bar ceiling correctly.
6. Select both Diffuser & Exhaust Fan at the head of the stairway.
7. In Properties, type 9 6 (9' 6") in the Offset
8. Move both the diffuser & Fan into the correct position in the T-bar ceiling.
9. Switch your current view to the Level 2 HVAC plan
10. Edit the EF tags, Renumbering the exhaust fans to 2-1 & 2-2.
11. Edit the VAV tags, renaming 2-1 through 2-4. You will get a warning
message when you renumber VAV 2-1 & 2-2, just as you did on Level 1.
12. Open Level 3 Ceiling plan
13. Move the Diffuser and exhaust fan at the head of the stairway so that they
are located correctly in the T-bar ceiling & lower them both to 9" 6"
14. Save your 3-4 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4E

3-4E Add a Roof Mounted Toilet Exhaust Fan

When you download equipment from the manufacturers, sometimes the Revit files will also
have text & pdf files. It is important to understand what these other files are. A text file must
be in the same folder as the rfa file when it is loaded, if it contains the configuration
information the family file needs. A pdf may be a disclaimer, but it also might be an
information sheet about how to use the family file.

Add a Roof Exhaust Fan

We are going to load a Greenheck Utility fan for the breakroom & toilet exhaust. Before
loading into your project, go to your class/Library/ Greenheck/ Utility-Centrifugal-Radial folder

Open the txt file to see what it is. It contains configuration information for the family file. Close
the text file without changing anything.

Open the PDF file, UtilityFansHelp from the Greenheck/ Utility-Centrifugal-Radial folder. This
sheet explains how to get the right configuration you want from the family. After loading the
Family, you may want to reopen this PDF to see how to configure the fan.

1. Open your 3-4 Project if it is not open

2. Make the Roof HVAC floor plan current.

3. System tab→ Mechanical→ Mechanical Equipment→ Load family

Browse to your class/Library/Greenheck/ Utility-Centrifugal-Radial folder & load

UtilityFan.rfa

4. In the text dialog box, choose SFD-10 & click OK

5. Place on the roof to the east of the shaft

6. The Space bar will not work to rotate this fan. The Options bar has a box,
rotate after placement. You can check this box to rotate after you place it, or,
use the rotate tool afterwards, so the scroll end is facing the shaft

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4E

7. Place 2 dimension from the column lines, that you can use to move the fan
into the correct location. Fan should be 11’ north of Column Line 3 to fan C/L,
and 10’ west of Column Line C (to fan inlet) Select the fan & change the
dimensions

8. Open the PDF from the Library/Greenheck/ Utility-Centrifugal-Radial folder, &

configure the fan so that it is a counter-clockwise, up blast.

9. From the QAT, use the tag tool to tag the fan.

10. Edit the tag, Type mark should be TE, number should be 4-1

11. Save your 4-3 Project

Extra Exercise
Add a 12" equipment pad & isolators to the fan on the roof.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4E

The isolators & pad are not MEP elements, so before placing them you will want to change
the Discipline from Mechanical to Coordination in the View you will work in. The Roof plan
display is being controlled by the HVAC floor plan Template. You do not want to make
changes to the Template as it would affect the other floor plans, so duplicate the Roof view
to create a working view first.

• Duplicate the Roof plan, rename it, adding working to the name
• In the Properties, Identity Data Section, click on HVAC Floor plan across from View
Template and change the View Template being applied to None
• In the Graphics section, change the Discipline to Coordination (you will see the
background become darker - it will no longer be an underlay)
• In the Graphics section, change the Plot/Working parameter to Working (the view will
move from the Plot folder to Working folder in the Browser
• The Isolators need to be loaded from Systems→ Model→ Component→ Load Family,
they are in your class Library folder, named FHS_35_805.rfa
• To be able to see the bolt hole connections on the fan, click on Thin Lines in the QAT

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4E

Figure out how to draw the pad on your own, using the Floor tool, or follow the directions
below. There is no right way to do it. The way that works for you the best, is the right way, so
play around with it.

• Place the Isolators, line them up with the bolt holes on the fan.
• Use the Floor tool to draw a 12” pad. In Properties, change the Offset to 12", so the pad
will sit above the roof level. Use the Rectangle tool from the draw panel. On the Options
bar, set Offset to 0 8”, Pick opposite outside bolt holes on the diagonal, so that the pad
will be 8” away from any anchor.
• Before exiting the floor tool, click esc twice, so you can edit the sketch. Use the Move tool
to move the west line of the pad 14” further west (so you will be able to add another
support for the round duct after the flex connection at the fan inlet) or add a dimension
from the face of the scroll cage to the edge of the pad. You can then select the west line
of the pad & change the dimension to move the line. When you are finished drawing the
pad, click the green check mark to finish to Floor tool
• Raise the Fan & isolators so they sit on the pad correctly (you can type in the correct Offset
in Properties with the fan selected, or move it in a section, elevation, or 3D view. If you are
going to move it in elevation, the align tool works well. If you move it in 3D, make sure you
are straight on to the view)
• Save your 3-4 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4F

3-4F Schedules
Schedules are live in Revit & very powerful. If you have schedules in your template file, they
will fill in as you place elements, & do the takeoff for you. The template you used to start your
Project has several schedules.

Air Terminal Schedules

1. Open your 3-4 Project if it is not already open

2. Expand the Schedules/Quantities section in the Browser

3. Open Air Terminal Schedule

You can see the count, Type Marks, & sizes all filled in. The Manufacturer & Model are
displaying for the return diffuser, because we added it when we created the 22x22 neck
diffuser from Edit Type. The Model number for one of the Supply diffusers was added from Edit
Type also. You could select a supply Diffuser with the missing Model number in the drawing
area, & click Edit Type & add the parameters to the Identity Data section of Diffuser family,
like you did for the return diffuser, but it is easier to add the parameters from here. You can
add parameters to the family, the tag or the schedule.

4. Click in the blank Manufacturer box, across from the 8" round supply
diffuser

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4F

5. A drop-down button will appear on the right side of the box, click it &
TITUS will be available to be selected, because it has already been used in
the column

A notification will appear on your screen:

6. You are adding a parameter to the Family Type. Click OK

7. Change the 10" round neck diffusers to TITUS also.

8. Click in the Model column across from either

the 8" or 10" neck diffuser, that is missing a
model number & choose PSS from the drop-
down list

Notice the Level did not fill in. That is a function of

Sorting; the Diffusers are on multiple levels. To get the
diffusers to report by floor level, you will need to edit
the Schedule to tell it to sort by level.

9. In Properties, in the Other section, click on

Edit across from to Sorting/Grouping

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4F

The Schedule Properties Dialog box will open to the Sorting/Grouping tab. The Schedule is
already setup to sort by Type Mark & then by Size.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4F

10. Add another sorting, By Level & click OK at the bottom

The Schedule will now separate the diffusers by level.

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4F

We will not get into building schedules in this class, but we can do a few simple things. To
create a schedule that only shows the Level 1 Air Terminals, copy the schedule & apply a
filter.

11. Right click the Air Terminals Schedule in the Browser, & Choose Duplicate
View> Duplicate

12. Rename: Air Terminals Schedule - Level 1 Only

The new Air Terminals Schedule - Level 1 only will become the current view

13. In the Properties Palate, Click Edit next to Filter

The Schedule Properties dialog box will open to the Filter tab. There are no filters being
applied.

14. Change (none) to Levels

Equals is the default in the second column, & Level 1 will display in the 3rd column (it is the 1st
Level in the list)

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4F

15. Click OK to exit.

You will now have only Level 1 Diffusers showing in your new schedule.

16. Save your 3-4 Project

Mechanical Equipment Schedules

1. Open the Exhaust Fan Schedule

We never renumbered the Tags on Level 3, but they can be changed easier from here.

2. Change the Mark Numbers that read 1-10 & 1-11 to 3-1 & 3-2 (your numbers
might be different, but should still be changed to 3-1 & 3-2)
3. Open the Level 3 HVAC floor plan to confirm the numbers in the tags
are for the correct numbers for the fans, then close it again

We do not have a schedule for the VAV boxes, but it is very easy to create one from the
Exhaust Fan Schedule.

4. Duplicate the Exhaust Fan Schedule

5. Rename to VAV Schedule, either from the Browser or directly in the Heading of
the Schedule

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4F

The new VAV Schedule will become the current view

6. In Properties, click Edit across from Filter

This is a basic Mechanical Equipment schedule. The reason it only reports exhaust fans &
not all mechanical equipment, is because the EF schedule is filtered to only show
mechanical equipment with the Type Mark EF.

7. Use the drop-down button to change the Type Mark from EF to VAV

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 Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4F

8. Click OK to finish the VAV Schedule

9. The Mark numbers for the VAVs on Level 3 can also be renumbered from here.

If you did not place the boxes sequentially, so are not sure which box should have which
number, you can open the Level 3 HVAC floor plan & tile the VAV schedule side-by-side.
Then, when you select a VAV tag in the schedule to change its numbering, you can see
which VAV it is referring to on Level 3 (it will highlight).

10. Optional: Create another Schedule for the Roof Toilet Exhaust Fan

11. Open Sheet SM-3, & drag the Air Terminal Schedule – Air Terminal, VAV & EF
Schedules (& TE Schedule if you made one) onto the sheet. Use the Markers at
the top of the columns to resize the column widths

Notice the schedules have a space between the heading & body of the schedule. If you do not
like the way it looks, you can edit the Appearance tab of the schedules from Properties, &
uncheck the box in front of “Blank row before data”

12. Save your 3-4 Project

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Revit 2020 for Sheet Metal Detailers, 3-4G

3-4G Mechanical Equipment & Schedules:

Summary
• Use the Beam Annotation tool to places 2 tags at the same time, a Structural
Framing tag & a spot elevation tag (bottom of the beam)
• The biggest issue with downloaded equipment is that the connectors are probably not in the
correct location
• If you download an equipment.rfa file & there is a txt file with it, it must be placed in
the same folder as the rfa when it is loaded. It contains configuration information
the Family needs to make different sizes.
• If you do not set Offset in Properties for Mechanical equipment, it will most likely be
placed at 0' 0". If this is below the View Range of the View you are placing the
equipment in, the equipment will be placed, but will not be visible in your view.
• Tags can be used to add a Type Mark parameter to equipment, if the tag is setup to report
the Type Mark, but it has not been assigned a number yet
• You will receive a warning message every time you are changing a
parameter from a tag or schedule
• Schedules report live data from the model.
• You cannot edit & add incorrect information to a Revit Schedule
• Schedules can be Sorted, so sizes, Type Marks, or Levels, or any other parameter
in your schedule, will display on separate lines
• Schedules can have multiple filters, to show only Equipment with a particular Type Mark
(VAV for instance), by a certain Manufacturer, & only on a selected Level, for example to
see what a Schedule is set to display, click on any of the Edit buttons in the Properties. This
will open the Schedule Properties dialog box, on whichever tab you clicked Edit next to.

References:
1. Model the Design, Structural Modeling, Beams, Place Multiple Framing and Spot Elevations
2. Document and Present the Design, Schedules, About Schedules; Create a Schedule or
Quantity; Select Fields for a Schedule, Filter Data in a Schedule; Sort and Group Fields in a
Schedule

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