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REVIT Template User’s Guide

Step1 : Unzip the package documents, and locate the following files:

ArchD_30X40.rfa (30X40’s Arch D Titleblock)

30X40_Template_Rev1.rte (Template file)
30X40_Project_Rev1.rvt (Example project file)
BNA_Shortcuts.xml (Revit shortcuts file)
Revit Shortcuts Cheat Sheet.pdf
It’s up to you where to store the files; just remember where you’ve placed them as
you follow the next steps.

There are two primary ways to use the standards for your projects:

A. START A NEW PROJECT WITH THE TEMPLATE

The template file has all the 30X40 standards, view templates, line weights,
line styles, etc. On project startup select the template to begin a new project
(Choose: 30X40_Template_Rev1.rte)

You’re ready to begin designing with the 30X40 standards in place.

B. TRANSFER PROJECT STANDARDS INTO AN EXISTING PROJECT

You can also transfer the standards to your existing projects. There are
various methods for achieving this. Here’s a YouTube tutorial covering 5
methods for copying from one project to another (see: 1m15s mark).
**SEE ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS + NOTES ON LAST PAGE**

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STEP 2: Install fonts (as necessary). The template file uses two fonts which you’ll
need to download if they’re not already installed:

1. Franklin Gothic Medium Regular

2. Oswald Regular

You’ll need the TTF versions. If you’d prefer to use other fonts in lieu of these for
notations and your title block, you can change the font selections for text styles
within the template and the associated families.

NOTE: these text types have been used in every family with a text component, i.e.
section markers, stair tags, room tags, etc.

STEP 3: DRAFTING GUIDE

The template gets you most of the way toward achieving the look and feel of
30X40’s digital drawings, however - like any Revit project – you’ll still have some
drafting work to do to achieve the final look. This is typically accomplished by
individually overriding some of the line styles and weights. Check the DRAFTING
NOTES on the 2nd sheet of the example project for a few key items.

STEP 4: PRINTING
There’s more to the template than color scheme, but it’s especially important to get
that right. Make sure to uncheck “View link in blue.” Always remember to select
Zoom 100% size when plotting to scale. Revit will override Vector Processing to
Raster Processing for views that have shadows.

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STEP 5: Loading and using the custom shortcuts. To load the custom shortcuts,
open the Revit Keyboard Shortcuts dialog by typing “KS”. Click “Export” and save a
copy of the default shortcuts just in case. Then click “Import” and select the
BNA_Shortcuts.xml file included in the package documents and choose, “Overwrite
Existing Shortcut Settings”. See the included Revit Shortcuts Cheat Sheet.pdf
included for all the keystrokes.

A Few Tips
1. View templates globally control the graphic style and many organizational parameters
of a view. You’ve been provided three view templates: 30X40 - Foundation Plan, 30X40
- Schematic Elevation and 30X40 Schematic Plan. Apply these templates to your views
by selecting or opening the view in the Project Browser and choosing “View Template”
under Identity Data in the Properties panel.
2. While the view templates will get you most of the way there, you will have to use the
linework tool and in some cases “Override Graphics by Element” feature to achieve a
finished look. For example, in elevation the 30X40 - Schematic Elevation Template
applies the “30X40 - 7 - Heavy” linetype to the silhouette. Where the framed wall meets
the foundation wall, use the Linework Tool to override the silhouette to “30X40 - 4 -
Medium”. See the drafting guide on the second sheet of the example project file.
3. Use a similar method for the interior cut lines when using the provided Pocket Door
family.
4. Appropriate use of shades of grey is key to the overall look. The naming convention for
filled regions and grey coloring is “30X40 - Grey - RGB Value”, such as “30X40 - Grey -
230”. This would denote a fill with a light grey color. Greys are achieved on a scale from
white to black, with white having an RGB value of 255 – 255 - 255 and black an RGB
value of 0 – 0 - 0. A color with the RGB value 128 – 128 - 128 is referred to as 50%
grey. The higher the numbers the closer to white your fill will be. The template
automatically assigns grey poche and surface patterns to select items.
5. The 30X40 Tree Background was created using a Planting Object. There were various
methods available for creating this object, but we chose a planting object because it
resulted in the quickest use for you with the least amount of modification. To use the
30X40 Tree Background, place the trees behind your elevation. Make sure to place
each row of trees a good distance from your project and from each other so they don’t
cast shadows. See the 3D View in the provided project file. You must place these
objects outside of crop boundaries or hide them in views in which they’re not desired. If
you’re using a worksets enabled file, you may consider creating a workset for Tree
Backgrounds that is OFF by default. To change the colors of the tree create a new
material and apply it to the tree in the Type Editor. You’ve been provided with two tree
colors Background Trees 250 and Foreground Trees 236. These refer to the RGB value
of the grey (see above).
6. As a bonus, we’ve included a Solar Path Diagram Detail Component. Set the sunrise
and sunset azimuth and times as a Type Property, then control the radius and band

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thickness as an instance property once placed. The template file contains two pre-set
types: Mt Desert Island June (home to 30X40 Design Workshop). Create as many types
as you need to permanently set sunrise and sunset data for typical days. You can use
the Sun and Moon Tables from the US Naval Observatory to find solar altitude and
azimuth down to the minute.
NOTE: You may receive a warning that the site is not secure, because it hasn’t been
updated to https.
7. The Revit template and sample file are set to Imperial units. You can convert to metric
with a few simple steps.
a. Select “Project Units” from the Manage Tab.
b. Under the “Common” discipline click on the Length, Area and Volume buttons under
Format. Change these to your preferred units.
c. You will need to repeat this process for each of the six provided dimension types.
The provided dimensions have three text sizes (1/16”, 3/32”, 1/8”) and each size
has two pre-set units; one to display feet and inches and one to display inches only.
d. The quickest way to access the dimension types is on the start page, sheet A1.1.
Select any of the dimensions and choose “Edit Type”. Scroll down in the Type
Properties browser to find “Units Format” Select the button showing a dimension
and set the units to your preferred units. Repeat for the other dimension types as
required.

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ADDITIONAL NOTES:
1. Transfer Project Standards to an Existing Project
This works for section markers, interior elevation markers, grid lines, text types,
dimensions, line styles, view templates, filled regions. See the tutorial link.
Steps:
- Open existing project
- Open the 30X40_Project_Rev1
- In existing project, go to Manage / Transfer Project Standards
- In the Copy From field choose: 30X40_Project_Rev1
- Check All
- Choose Overwrite or New Only (up to your personal preference)

2. Edit Family and Load Into Project

Some of the items, i.e.: detail components, tags, symbols, objects like doors and
windows, won't transfer via method one above.
Steps:
- Select item in 30X40_Project_Rev1
- From the Modify panel choose: Edit Family
- Once inside the family, from the Create tab choose: Load Into Project. Select
existing project.

NOTE: A faster way to do this is to select the object and copy-paste them into the
existing project using CTL-C and CTL-V (the tutorial video shows this too).

4. Section Heads and Elevation may need a little bit of editing in the new project.
Steps:
- Select item
- Edit Type
- For Type tag + Callout tag, select the options labeled 30X40. Type will be
replaced with whatever you’ve selected, so either "Elevation" or "Section"

Credits:
The template, tools + customizations wouldn’t have been possible without the help
of my friend, architect Ben Norkin. He’s the principal of Ben Norkin Architecture, a
residential design practice near Washington DC. Ben teaches Revit to graduate
students + other architects. Learn more about the tools + training he offers at:
Hyperfine Architecture.

Copyright © 2019 30X40 Design Workshop