Creating a Simple Layout

Begin by downloading the file c01-Interface.rvt or c01-Interface-Metric.rvt from this book’s companion web
page: www.sybex.com/go/revit2012essentials. You can open a Revit project file by dragging it directly into the
application or by using the Open command from the Application menu. You can even double-click on a Revit file,
but be aware that if you have more than one version of Revit installed on your computer, the file will open in the
last version of Revit you used.
Once the project file is open, you will notice in the Project Browser that the active view is {3D}. This is the
default 3D view, which you can always access by clicking the icon in the Quick Access toolbar (QAT) (which looks
like a little house). Note that the view name of the active view is always shown as bold in the Project Browser. Let’s
begin by placing some walls on some predetermined points in a plan view:
1. In the Project Browser, locate the Floor Plans category, expand it, and double-click on Level 1. This will open
the Level 1 floor plan view.
2. From the ribbon, select the Home tab and click the Wall tool.
3. In the Options Bar located just below the ribbon, change the Height to Level 2 and set Location Line to Finish
Face: Exterior. Also make sure the Chain option is checked.
4. At the top of the Properties palette, you will see the Type Selector. Click on it to change the wall type to Basic
Wall: Exterior - Brick on Mtl. Stud. Also find the parameter named Top Offset and change the value to 3´-0˝
[1000 mm].
Before you begin modeling, notice the Draw panel in the ribbon (
Figure 1-9
). You can choose from a variety of geometry options as you create 3D and 2D elements in the drawing area.

Figure 1-9:

Select geometry options from the Draw panel in the ribbon.

5. You are now ready to begin modeling wall segments. In the drawing area, click through each of the layout
markers from 1 through 6. Note how you can use automatic snapping to accurately locate the start and end of
each segment. At point 3, place your mouse pointer near the middle of the circle to use the center snap point.
6. After you click the last wall segment at point 6, press the Esc key once to stop adding new walls. You will
notice that the Wall command is still active and you can continue adding new walls if you choose. You can even
change the wall type, options, and properties before continuing.
7. Press the Esc key again to return to the Modify state. You can also click the Modify button at the left end of
the ribbon.
Your layout of walls should look like the image shown in Figure 1-10.

Figure 1-10: Your first layout of walls in a plan view

 Using Filter, Mirror, and Trim/Extend
As we continue the exercise, you will use a few common modifying tools to further develop the layout of walls.
You will also learn how to select and filter elements in the model. Let’s begin by mirroring part of the layout and
connecting the corners with the Trim tool.
1. Using the mouse pointer, click and drag a window from the lower left to the upper right to select only the
wall segments running east-west, as shown in Figure 1-11.

Figure 1-11:

Drag the cursor from left to right to select some of the walls.

2. You’ll probably have more than just walls when you use this method of selection. To reduce the selection to
only walls, click the Filter button in the ribbon and clear all the check boxes except for Walls, as shown in Figure
1-12.

Figure 1-12:

Filter your selection to only include walls.

 3. From the Modify tab in the ribbon, click the Mirror – Pick Axis tool and then click on the dashed line
representing the reference plane in the plan view. Mirrored copies of the selected walls will appear opposite the
reference plane, as shown in Figure 1-13.

Figure 1-13:

Mirrored copies of the selected walls

Figure 1-16: Use the Switch Windows command to see what views you have activated.

Changing Element Types

Next you will change the properties for some of the elements you’ve already created using the Properties palette.
You will also change some walls from one type to another. In the previous exercise, you created additional levels,
thus increasing the overall desired height of your building. In the following steps, you will adjust the top constraint
of the exterior walls and swap a few walls for a curtain wall type:
1. Activate the default 3D view. Remember, you can click the Default 3D View in the QAT or double-click the
{3D} view in the Project Browser.
2. Click the Close Hidden Views button in the QAT and then activate the South view under Elevations (Building
Elevation) in the Project Browser.
3. From the View tab in the ribbon, locate the Windows panel and then click the Tile button. The two active
views (default 3D view and South elevation) should now be seen side by side.
4. In either view, find the Navigation bar, click the drop-down arrow under the Zoom icon, and then click Zoom
All To Fit, as shown in Figure 1-17.

Figure 1-17:

Use Zoom All To Fit when you are using tiled windows.
.

Figure 1-18:

The number of selected items can be seen in the Properties palette.

6. In the Properties palette, find the parameter Top Constraint. Change the value to Up To Level: Roof and then
click Apply. Notice how the walls all change height in both the 3D view and the elevation view. Also note how
the offset is maintained relative to the level of the top constraint (Figure 1-19).
In the final steps of this exercise, you will change a few wall segments from one wall type to another. Making
these kinds of changes in Revit is similar to changing the font of a sentence in Microsoft Word where you would
select the sentence and choose a different font from the font selector.
7. In the 3D view, select the wall at the west (left) side of the layout. Press and hold the Ctrl key and select the
wall segment at the east (right) side as well (Figure 1-20).

Figure 1-19:

Tiled windows show the result of modifying the top constraints of the walls.
Figure 1-20:

Use the Ctrl key to manually select multiple items in your model.

8. At the top of the Properties palette is the Type Selector. Click it to open the list of available wall types within
the project. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and select the type Curtain Wall: Exterior Glazing. You may get
a warning when you make this change; if so, just select Unjoin Walls or whatever the recommended action is.
Your result should look like the image in Figure 1-21.
9. Remember to save your project file before continuing with subsequent lessons.

Figure 1-21: Wall segments have been changed to a different type.

 8. In the plan view, click on each of the two interior walls you just created. You will see one dimension appear
between the two walls, but the command is still active. Keep going to the next step.
9. Hover the mouse pointer over one of the two exterior walls and you will notice that the centerline of the wall
is the default reference. Press the Tab key until you see the inside face of the wall highlight, as shown in Figure
1-24, and then click to add the dimension. Repeat this process for the exterior wall on the other side.

Figure 1-24:

Use the Tab key to toggle between wall references before you place a dimension.
 Now try moving each of the exterior walls again. Observe how the constrained dimensions are preserving your
intent to keep the outer rooms at their defined dimension.

Aligning Elements
In the following exercise, you will use dimensions to precisely place two more walls. You will then learn how to use
the Align tool to preserve a dimensional relationship between two model elements. The Align tool can be used in
just about any situation in Revit and is therefore a valuable addition to your common toolbox.
To begin this exercise, you will use temporary dimensions to place a wall segment. Elements in Revit can be
initially placed in specific places using temporary dimensions or you can place them and then modify their
positions using temporary or permanent dimensions as you learned in the previous exercise.
Before you begin this exercise, you will need to adjust the settings for temporary dimensions. Switch to the
Manage tab in the ribbon and click Other Settings and then Temporary Dimensions. Change the setting for Walls to
Faces and the setting for Doors And Windows to Openings, as shown in Figure 1-26.

Figure 1-26: Modifying the settings for temporary dimensions

 1. Add a wall using Interior - Partition Type A2 to the main layout area. Continue to use the Finish Face: Interior
location line option; however, use a temporary dimension to place each wall exactly 8´-0˝ [2.5 m] from the
nearest wall intersection, as shown in Figure 1-27. Repeat this process for the opposite side.
2. Press the Esc key or click the Modify button in the ribbon to exit the Wall command. Select one of the walls
you created in step 1. You will see a string of temporary dimensions appear. Drag the grip on the far left of the
dimension string so that it aligns with the outside edge of the other wall, as shown in Figure 1-28.
3. Click the dimension icon just below the length shown in the temporary dimension to convert it into a regular
dimension string. Select the dimension string and click the lock symbol to establish a constraint, as shown in
Figure 1-29.

4. Zoom out so you can see both new interior wall segments. From the Modify tab in the ribbon, select the Align
tool.

Figure 1-27:

Place an interior wall using temporary dimensions.

Figure 1-28:

Adjust references of temporary dimensions by dragging grips.

Figure 1-29:

A temporary dimension has been converted and locked.

5. As illustrated in Figure 1-30, click the face of the wall that has been constrained in step 3 (a), click the
corresponding face of the other new wall (b), and then click the lock to constrain the alignment (c).

Figure 1-30: Use the Align tool to create an alignment and constrain the relationship.
 Once you have completed this exercise, try moving the central interior wall to see how the two flanking walls
maintain their dimensional and aligned relationships. Note that the constrained dimension can be deleted while
preserving the constraint, as shown in Figure 1-31.

Figure 1-31: Try moving the main wall to observe how the flanking walls behave.
 5. Use the Component tool again and choose Chair-Desk from the Type Selector. Press the spacebar until the
chair orients properly with the desk (Figure 1-33).

Figure 1-33:

Place a chair with the desk in the main space.

6. Repeat this process for the desk in the east wing, but add two additional chairs on the opposite side of the
desk (Figure 1-34).
7. Select the desk and chair in the main space and click the Create Group command in the Create panel of the
contextual ribbon. Name the group Desk-Chair-1.

Figure 1-34:

Place three chairs with the desk in the east wing.

 8. Repeat the process for the desk and chairs in the east wing. Name the group Desk-Chair-3.
9. Select the group Desk-Chair-3 and click the Copy command in the ribbon. Set the Constrain and Multiple
options in the Options Bar and begin to copy the group into each of the three spaces in the east wing.
10. With the Copy command still active, uncheck the Constrain option and place a copy of the group in the
space at the north side of the layout. Your copied furniture should look like the image in Figure 1-35.

Figure 1-35:

Create copies of the group with multiple chairs.

 In this exercise, you created a simple group of furniture elements. Groups can be a powerful tool for managing
repeatable layouts within a design, but they can cause adverse performance if they are abused. There are far too
many opinions and best practices for using groups to be listed in this chapter; however, there are just a few
important tips to be aware of. Groups should be kept as simple as possible and they shouldn’t be mirrored. You
should also avoid putting hosted elements in groups—but you’ll learn more about these types of elements
throughout this book.

Aligned Copying and Group Editing

One powerful and essential tool in Revit is the copy-to-clipboard command known as Paste Aligned. As you’ve seen
throughout this chapter so far, this is yet another tool that can be used on just about any kind of model or drafting
element. In the following exercises, you will take the interior content you developed in the previous exercises and
replicate it on other levels within the building.
1. Activate the Level 1 Furniture floor plan from the Project Browser.
2. Select all the interior walls, doors, and furniture seen in the floor plan.
3. In the Clipboard panel of the ribbon, click the Copy To Clipboard tool. You could also press Ctrl+C on your
keyboard.

4. Also in the Clipboard panel of the ribbon, click the Paste drop-down button and select Aligned To Selected
Views. You will be prompted with a dialog box to select levels to which the selected content will be copied in
exactly the same position (Figure 1-38). Select Level 2 and Level 3 using the Ctrl key to make multiple selections.

Figure 1-38:

Use Paste Aligned To Selected Levels to create duplicate floor layouts.

 5. Activate the view 3D Cutaway from the Project Browser to view the results of the aligned copying (Figure 1-
39).

Figure 1-39: The 3D Cutaway view uses a section box to display the inside of a building.

Now that you have created many copies of the furniture group on several levels, you can harness the power of
the group by making changes to the group and observing how the overall design is updated.
1. Activate the Level 2 floor plan from the Project Browser.
2. Select one of the Desk-Chair-1 furniture groups in the main space. Click on the Edit Group button from the
contextual ribbon. The view window will turn a light shade of yellow and a temporary toolbar will appear at the
upper left of the view area.
3. Select the chair in the group and from the Type Selector, change it to Chair-Executive.
4. Rotate the chair 20 degrees using the Rotate tool (Figure 1-40).

Figure 1-40:

The view window will enter a temporary group editing mode.