109112272 Autodesk Revit MEP Official Training Guide Essentials Volume 2

Autodesk®

Revit®

MEP 2010

Autodesk Official Training Guide

Essentials

257B1-050000-CM03AJuly 2009

Learning Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2010, Volume 2Hands-on exercises demonstrate the concepts for building information modeling (BIM)and the tools for parametric engineering design and documentation.

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Contents ■ iii

Contents

Chapter 8: Piping Systems ................................................................................. 1Lesson: Creating System Piping ........................................................................... 2

About System Piping ................................................................................. 3Process of Creating a Piping System ......................................................... 7Guidelines for Creating a Piping System ................................................... 8Exercise: Create a Hydronic Return Piping System .................................... 9

Chapter Summary ............................................................................................. 14

Chapter 9: Plumbing Systems .......................................................................... 15Lesson: Creating Plumbing Systems .................................................................. 16

About Plumbing Systems ........................................................................ 17Process of Creating a Plumbing System .................................................. 22Guidelines for Creating a Plumbing System ............................................ 23Exercise: Create a Sanitary Plumbing System .......................................... 24

Chapter Summary ............................................................................................. 35

Chapter 10: Fire Protection Systems ............................................................... 37Lesson: Creating Fire Protection Systems ......................................................... 38

About Fire Protection Systems ................................................................ 39Process of Creating a Fire Protection System .......................................... 42Exercise: Create a Fire Protection System ............................................... 43

Chapter Summary ............................................................................................. 48

Chapter 11: Electrical Systems ......................................................................... 49Lesson: Creating Electrical Circuits .................................................................... 50

About Electrical Circuits .......................................................................... 51Tools for Working with Electrical Circuits ................................................ 53Process of Creating Electrical Circuits ..................................................... 55Guidelines for Creating Electrical Circuits ............................................... 56Exercise: Create an Electrical Lighting Circuit .......................................... 57

Lesson: Creating Wiring .................................................................................... 62About Electrical Wiring ........................................................................... 63Process of Creating a Wire Type ............................................................. 67Guidelines for Creating Wiring ................................................................ 68Exercise: Create Wiring ........................................................................... 69

Chapter Summary ............................................................................................. 75

iv ■ Contents

Chapter 12: Working with Architects and Engineers .................................... 77Lesson: Monitoring Changes in Linked Files .................................................. 78

About Project Sharing ......................................................................... 79Copy and Monitor Tools ...................................................................... 80Coordinating and Monitoring Changes in the Current Project ............ 82Coordination Review Tool ................................................................... 83Guidelines for Monitoring Changes in Linked Files ............................. 86Exercise: Monitor a Linked File of Another Discipline ......................... 87

Lesson: Checking and Fixing Interference Conditions ................................... 90About Interference Checks .................................................................. 91Guidelines for Checking and Fixing Interference Conditions ............... 93Exercise: Check and Fix Interference Conditions ................................. 94

Chapter Summary ......................................................................................... 98

Chapter 13: Detailing and Drafting .............................................................. 99Lesson: Creating Callout Views ................................................................... 100

About Callouts ................................................................................... 101Creating Reference Callouts .............................................................. 103Guidelines for Creating Callouts ....................................................... 104Exercise: Create a Callout View of a Section ..................................... 105

Lesson: Working with Detail Views ............................................................. 108About Detail Views ........................................................................... 109Creating Detail Views ........................................................................ 114Process of Saving and Reusing Detail Views ..................................... 115Guidelines for Saving and Reusing Detail Views ................................ 116Exercise: Create a Detail View .......................................................... 117

Lesson: Working with Drafting Views ......................................................... 123About Drafting Views ........................................................................ 124Process of Reusing Drafting Views .................................................... 125Guidelines for Reusing Drafting Views .............................................. 126Exercise: Create Drafting Views ........................................................ 127Exercise: Import a View and a CAD File ............................................ 134

Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 136

Chapter 14: Annotations and Schedules .................................................... 137Lesson: Working with Text and Tags ........................................................... 138

About Text ......................................................................................... 139About Tags ........................................................................................ 140Guidelines for Working with Text and Tags ....................................... 142Exercise: Work with Text and Tags .................................................... 143

Lesson: Working with Dimensions .............................................................. 148About Temporary Dimensions ........................................................... 149About Permanent Dimensions .......................................................... 153Guidelines for Working with Dimensions .......................................... 162Exercise: Work with Dimensions ....................................................... 163

Contents ■ v

Lesson: Creating Legends ............................................................................ 170About Legends .................................................................................. 171Guidelines for Creating Legends ....................................................... 176Exercise: Create a Legend ................................................................. 177

Lesson: Working with Schedules ................................................................. 181About Schedules ............................................................................... 182About Schedule Properties ............................................................... 184Exporting Schedules .......................................................................... 186Modifying Schedule Fields ................................................................ 187Guidelines for Working with Schedules ............................................ 187Exercise: Create and Modify a Lighting Fixture Schedule .................. 188

Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 191

Chapter 15: Construction Documentation ................................................. 193Lesson: Working with Titleblocks ................................................................ 194

About Titleblocks .............................................................................. 195Creating and Updating Titleblocks .................................................... 197Guidelines for Working with Titleblocks ........................................... 199Exercise: Work with Titleblocks ........................................................ 200

Lesson: Working with Sheets ...................................................................... 203About Sheets ..................................................................................... 204Process of Previewing and Printing Sheets and Views ...................... 206Guidelines for Working with Sheets .................................................. 207Exercise: Work with Sheets ............................................................... 209

Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 213

Chapter 16: The Family Editor (Optional) .................................................. 215Lesson: Creating and Modifying Families .................................................... 216

About Families .................................................................................. 217Connectors ........................................................................................ 220Process of Creating Families ............................................................. 223Guidelines for Creating and Modifying Families ............................... 224Exercise: Create an Air Terminal Family ............................................ 226

Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 232

Appendix .................................................................................................... 233

vi ■ Contents

1

Chapter

8

Piping Systems

A piping system associates two or more objects that are to be connected with piping and sharecommon piping characteristics. Revit® MEP provides tools to create supply and return piping, adjustthe sizing of piping, document piping, and check piping components for interferences with otherbuilding components.

Chapter Objective

After completing this chapter, you will be able to lay out and create system piping.

2 ■ Chapter 8: Piping Systems

Lesson: Creating System Piping

This lesson describes how to lay out and create system piping. You begin the lesson by learning aboutsystem piping. Next, you learn the process and some recommended practices for creating a pipingsystem. The lesson concludes with an exercise on creating a hydronic return piping system. You create supply and return piping for mechanical systems. Revit provides tools to create supplyand return piping, adjust the sizing of piping, document piping, and check piping components forinterferences with other building components.

Base-mounted pump connected to supply and return piping

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

■ Describe system piping.■ Identify the steps in the process of creating a piping system.■ State the recommended practices for creating a piping system.■ Create a hydronic return piping system.

Lesson: Creating System Piping ■ 3

About System Piping

Revit provides tools for the creation, layout, and sizing of piping. It also includes different types ofpiping and pipe fitting families. Each family is a 3D representation of a pipe or pipe fitting and hasthe same characteristics as the actual physical components in the building. You can check pipingmodeled using Revit piping components for interferences with other systems and schedule the pipingfor quantity and analysis purposes.

System piping

Definition of System Piping, Pipe Fittings, and Pipe Systems

System piping is a 3D representation of the sections of pipe to be used in the building mechanicalsystems. Pipe fittings are 3D representations of the connections and transitions among varioussections of a pipe.

Pipe systems are collections of piping and pipe fittings that are used to create piping of a particulartype or for a particular purpose. When placing the pipe of a given pipe system, the pipe fittings usedin the pipe type families specified in the type properties of that system are automatically inserted tocreate the piping run.


The following illustration shows the type properties of PVC pipes.

Piping Element Properties Used in Sizing

The pipe sizing tool uses certain piping element properties in sizing the pipe. The material of the pipedetermines roughness, and the pipe fittings used in the pipe type family determine the algorithm tobe used in sizing the pipe.

The settings used for determining these properties for a given pipe run are available in the Pipe Typesystem family.

Methods for Pipe Sizing

The pipe sizing methods are based on velocity, friction, or a combination of the two quantities. Thefollowing table describes the four pipe sizing methods.

Pipe Sizing Method

Description

Velocity A pipe is sized based on the velocity specified in the Pipe Sizing dialog box.

Friction A pipe is sized based on the allowable friction as specified in the PipeSizing dialog box.


Pipe Sizing Method

Description

Velocity and Friction A pipe is sized to meet both the velocity and allowable friction specified inthe Pipe Sizing dialog box.

Velocity or Friction A pipe is sized to meet velocity or allowable friction as specified in thePipe Sizing dialog box.

The following illustration shows the Pipe Sizing dialog box.

Piping Placement Tools

The Place Pipe tab provides tools for placing the mechanical equipment to be piped and for placingthe pipe, pipe fittings, and accessories such as the temperature gauge, flow meter, or air separator.When you activate the Pipe tool on the Plumbing & Piping panel of the Home tab, the Options Bardisplays various options that you can use to place the pipe. You can specify various settings, such asthe diameter, offset, elevation locking, level, and slope, prior to placing the piping in your Revit model.


Pipe Slope Tool

When inserting a pipe into your Revit model manually, you can specify a slope for that pipe on theOptions Bar. However, you can also use the Generate Layout tool on the Layout panel of the ModifyMechanical Equipment tab. When doing so, you can again use the Slope option on the Options Bar toslope a pipe based on a total rise and run or with a specified rise per specified length of the pipe.

Automatically Connect

The Automatically Connect option on the Placement Tools panel of the Place Pipe tab allows youto automatically connect to a run of pipe or a piping connector on mechanical equipment. To avoidconnection at a location nearby or directly above a pipe run or mechanical equipment, you mightneed to deactivate Automatically Connect.

Example of a Piping System

The following illustrations show various types of piping systems.

Floor plan view of a chilled water piping to the cooling coil of an air handling unit

Supply and return hot water piping for a series of perimeter radiation units


Flow information tracked for a length of pipe serving perimeter radiation units

Process of Creating a Piping System

A piping system associates two or more objects that are to be connected with piping and sharecommon piping characteristics. This association of objects to be piped to a piping system providesinformation that you can use to size the required pipe and mechanical equipment. Assigning objectsto a system also facilitates the use of the auto routing tools to quickly insert piping, connecting theobjects that make up the system. You can create different types of piping systems, such as hydronicsupply and return, sanitary, and domestic hot and cold water systems.

Process: Creating a Hydronic Supply Piping System

The process of creating a hydronic supply piping system is shown in the following illustration.


The following steps describe the process of creating a hydronic supply piping system.

1. Place the mechanical equipment in a view. Place mechanical equipment to be piped in a view. 2. Edit the mechanical equipment. Edit the mechanical equipment to be assigned to the piping system by first selecting the

mechanical equipment. Then, edit the new system by selecting Edit System on the System Toolspanel of the Piping Systems tab.

3. Automatically route system piping. Automatically route system piping by selecting Generate Layout on the Layout panel of the

Modify Mechanical Equipment tab. Specify pipe main routing for the system and use the arrowson the Options Bar to cycle through potential routing solutions.

4. Specify the liquid in the system. Specify the liquid in the system and the solution concentration, if appropriate, by selecting

System Properties on the System Tools panel of the Piping Systems tab. 5. Save the changes. Save the changes and finish creating the system.

Guidelines for Creating a Piping System

The following recommended practices help you effectively create a piping system.

Guidelines■ Select the appropriate pipe type for the pipe installation you have in mind. Using an incorrect pipe

type for a given installation may result in actually installing the incorrect pipe type.■ Create hydronic systems to automate the process of pipe routing and track system data for sizing

and analysis. This will improve the design, efficiency, and reliability of the overall mechanicalsystem.

■ Trim the pipes that intersect. The resultant pipes that terminate at the same location willinsert the appropriate fitting automatically. This saves time because the proper fitting is placedautomatically as a by-product of the trimming operation.

■ Verify that sloped pipe systems are pitched in the desired direction after automatic pipe routingis complete. This is a sound practice for creating a piping system as you should never accept anyautomatic operation at face value.


Exercise: Create a Hydronic Return Piping System In this exercise, you create a hydronic return piping system. You are placing an air-cooled chiller outside the basement of a building. This chiller will discharge to a base-mounted pump, which will circulate the chilled water throughout the building. You do the following: ■ Place mechanical equipment.■ Create the hydronic return system layout.■ Edit piping system properties.■ Size the piping system.

The completed exercise

Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter 8:Piping Systems. Click Exercise: Create aHydronic Return Piping System.

Place Mechanical Equipment

1. Open i_rmep_creating_a_piping_system.rvt or

m_rmep_creating_a_piping_system.rvt. The fileopens in the 1-Mech floor plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2. Click Home tab > Mechanical panel >

Mechanical Equipment. 3. Ensure that Air-Cooled Chiller : Standard

(M_Air-Cooled Chiller : M_Standard) is selectedin the Type Selector drop-down.


4.

In the view window:■ Press SPACEBAR three times to rotate the

chiller.■ Click to place the chiller on the right,

outside the pump room.

5. Select Base Mounted Pump : Model 4 x 6

(M_Base Mounted Pump : M_Model 100 x 150)from the Type Selector drop-down.

6.

In the view window:■ Press SPACEBAR three times to rotate the

pump.■ Move the cursor to the lower-right corner

of the pump room.■ Click to place the pump.

Note: You can select the pump after placing itand use the arrow keys to place it close to theinsertion point.

7. Exit the Mechanical Equipment tool.

Create the Hydronic Return System Layout 1.

In the view window, CTRL+select both AHUcoils.

2. Click Modify Mechanical Equipment tab >

Create Systems panel > Hydronic Return. 3. Click Modify Piping Systems tab > System Tools

panel > Edit System. 4. On the Options Bar, for System Name, enter

CHWR. 5. Click Edit Piping System tab > Edit Piping System

panel > Select Equipment. 6. In the view window, select the air-cooled chiller.

On selection, the air-cooled chiller turns black. 7. On the Edit System panel, click Finish Editing

System to complete the creation of thehydronic return system.

8. In the view window, select the upper AHU coil. 9. Click Modify Mechanical Equipment tab >

Layout panel > Generate Layout to create thelayout of the piping system.

10. In the Select a System dialog box:

■ Ensure that CHWR is selected from thedisplayed list.

■ Click OK.


11. On the Options Bar:

■ Verify that Network is selected in theSolution Type list.

■ Click Next Solution until you reach thesolution 4 of 5.

Note: You can continue clicking Next Solution tocycle through various potential solutions.

12. Click Generate Layout tab > Generate Layout

panel > Modify. 13.

In the view window:■ Select the vertical route path in green.■ Drag the move grip to the left, as shown.

14. On the Generate Layout panel, click Finish

Layout to insert the piping. 15. Click View tab > Graphics panel > Thin Lines to

view the plan using thin lines. Edit Piping System Properties 1.

In the view window, zoom in around the pumparea.

2. Click Modify tab > Edit panel > Split. 3. On the Options Bar, select the Delete Inner

Segment check box. 4.

In the view window, click the pipe on the left ofthe pump for the first split and the pipe insidethe pump on the right for the second split toremove a section of the pipe.

Note: You can select the pump, if necessary,and use the arrow keys to place it as shownabove.

5. Exit the Split tool. 6. Delete the couplings that are placed on the

ends of the split pipe. 7. In the view window:

■ Click the pump to select it.■ Right-click the grip in the bottom-left corner

of the selected pump. Click Draw Pipe. 8. On the Options Bar, change the Offset to 9' - 0"

(2400 mm).


9.

In the view window, draw a short segment ofpipe, as shown.

10. Exit the Draw Pipe tool. 11.

In the view window:■ Click the pump to select it.■ Right-click the grip on the left of the

selected pump. Click Draw Pipe.■ Draw a short segment of a pipe to the left

of the pump.

12. On the Options Bar, change the Offset to 9' - 0"

(2400 mm). 13.

In the view window, move the cursor to the leftto draw another short segment of a pipe to theleft of the pipe segment you sketched in step11.

14. Exit the Draw Pipe tool. 15. Click Modify tab > Edit panel > Align to align the

pipe segments. 16.

In the view window:■ Click the centerline of the pipe that you just

sketched.■ Click the centerline of the pipe on the left of

this pipe to align them, as shown.

17. Exit the Align tool. 18.

If you need to join the pipes, in the viewwindow:■ Click the right end of the pipe on the left.■ Click the end grip and drag it to the end grip

of the pipe on its right, as shown.

19.

In the view window, inside the pump:■ Click the left end of the pipe on the right.■ Click the end grip and drag it to the end grip

of the pipe on the left.

Note: If required, use the Align tool to align thepipe centerlines.

20. Click Modify. 21. Open the default 3D view. 22. Use the view cube to inspect the system you

just created. Size the Piping System 1. Open the 1-Mech floor plan view. 2. In the view window, enter ZF to zoom to fit in

the view. 3.

Zoom in to the chiller return pipe.


4.

Select the vertical riser pipe to move it.

5. Click Modify Pipe Fittings tab > Modify panel >

Move. 6.

In the view window:■ Click anywhere to establish a start point.■ Move the cursor to the left of the vertical

riser pipe.■ Click to place a point about 2' - 0" (1000

mm) from the start point.

7. Exit the Move tool. 8.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor over the pipe run to the

left of the vertical riser.■ Select the pipe run. The pipe run is

highlighted in red.

Note: You can select only one side of the piperun joined by a vertical riser at a time.

9. Click Modify Pipes tab > Analysis panel > Duct/

Pipe Sizing. 10. In the Pipe Sizing dialog box, under Sizing

Method:■ Ensure that the And option is selected.■ Verify that Velocity is set to 4 FPS (1.2 m/s).■ Verify that Friction is set to 2.50 FT/100ft

(250 Pa/m).■ Click OK to size the pipe.

11. Clear the selection. 12. Open the default 3D view.

13. Set Model Graphics Style for the view to

Shading with Edges. 14. Rotate the 3D model to properly view the

piping system. 15. Close the file without saving changes.


Chapter Summary

Now that you have learned to lay out and create system piping using Revit MEP tools, you can createeffective piping systems that can be checked for interferences against other systems and scheduled forquantity and analysis purposes. In this chapter, you learned to lay out and create system piping.

Chapter Overview ■ 15

Chapter

9

Plumbing Systems

A plumbing system shows the routing and connections between plumbing fixtures in a model. Usingtools provided by Revit® MEP, you can create a plumbing system by placing plumbing fixtures and thenassigning them to a particular system. Using layout tools, you can determine the best routing schemeto connect the system components.

Chapter Objective

After completing this chapter, you will be able to create plumbing systems.

16 ■ Chapter 9: Plumbing Systems

Lesson: Creating Plumbing Systems

This lesson describes how to create plumbing systems. You begin the lesson by learning aboutplumbing systems. Next, you learn about the process and some recommended practices for creating aplumbing system. The lesson concludes with an exercise on creating a sanitary plumbing system. You can use various tools in Revit MEP to create plumbing systems in bathrooms and other parts of abuilding. Using these tools, you can also size the plumbing systems based on fixture unit values andcheck the systems against other building components for interferences. The following illustration shows a typical bathroom plumbing system with components such as avanity lavatory and a flush tank water closet along with pipes and ducts.

Objectives


■ Describe plumbing systems.■ Identify the steps in the process of creating a plumbing system.■ State the recommended practices for creating a plumbing system.■ Create a sanitary plumbing system.

Lesson: Creating Plumbing Systems ■ 17

About Plumbing Systems

A plumbing system associates two or more fixtures that connect plumbing lines sharing commoncharacteristics. You can create plumbing systems in a building using plumbing lines and plumbingfixtures to facilitate calculations for flow and sizing of equipment.

Definition of Plumbing Systems

A plumbing system is a 3D representation of the sections of plumbing pipes that connect plumbingfixtures to hot and cold water and sanitary systems. A plumbing system shows the routing andconnections between plumbing fixtures.

Fixture Units

A plumbing system is sized using fixture units, which represent the numerical rating of flow within apipe. A fixture unit quantity is assigned to each fixture, and then the total connected fixture units areused to size each run of the plumbing line.

Mechanical parameters of a plumbing pipe, including fixture unit total


System Browser

The System Browser is a hierarchical list of all the plumbing elements and the systems to which theyare assigned in a project. It provides a quick and easy way to track plumbing fixtures and componentsthat are not assigned to any system.

Fixtures not assigned to a system appear in the Unassigned category in the SystemBrowser.

Expanded view of the System Browser showing domestic hot and cold water systems


Plumbing Fixture Libraries

You can use a number of plumbing fixtures by loading and placing the plumbing fixture families fromthe software library into your project. The library folders provide various plumbing fixtures that youcan use as required.

You can edit plumbing fixture settings by creating a copy of the fixture. A copied plumbing fixture canalso be used in other projects.

Partial listing of the available plumbing fixture families

Plumbing Pipe Slope

You can slope a plumbing pipe by individual pipe section or by pipe run using the Slope tool. Youaccess this tool by first selecting a section of piping and then selecting Slope on the Edit panel of theModify Pipes tab. When you activate the Slope tool, the Slope Editor on the Options Bar is activated.Using the Slope Editor, you can specify the slope measurements.


The following illustration shows the Slope Editor on the Options Bar.

You use the Generate Layout option on the Modify Plumbing Fixtures tab to activate the GenerateLayout tab. The options on the Generate Layout tab, along with the options on the Options Bar,enable you to specify the slope and routing parameters for piping, view different layout pathsolutions, and manually modify layout path solutions for the plumbing system. In the following illustration, the Slope field is activated on the Options Bar to set a slope for the entireplumbing system. This option is available on the Options Bar when the Solutions option is selected onthe Generate Layout tab.

Plumbing System Type Properties

You can specify the properties such as slope and material of the pipes used in a plumbing system. Youcan select a pipe and set its material and the associated pipe fittings, tees, elbows, transitions, andunions. These properties are then automatically placed when you place an instance of the pipe in theplumbing system.

Example of typical plumbing type parameters


Example of a Plumbing System

The following illustration shows a plan view of a typical bathroom layout connected to a plumbingsystem.


Process of Creating a Plumbing System

You can create a plumbing system that associates pipes and fixtures and allows for calculations thatcan be used to size plumbing lines. You can also assign plumbing elements to systems that help in theuse of auto routing tools. These tools enable you to insert plumbing lines, connecting the objects thatmake up the system.

Process: Creating a Plumbing System

The process of creating a plumbing system is shown in the following illustration.

The following steps describe the process of creating a plumbing system.

1. Select the plumbing fixtures. Select the plumbing fixtures that you need to assign to the plumbing system. 2. Set the properties for the fixtures. Specify properties such as the pipe type, the plumbing elevation for main and branch plumbing

pipes, and the slope using the Edit System and Settings options on the Piping Systems tab andthe Options Bar of the Generate Layout tab. Note: A downward-sloped pipe requires a negative value, such as -1/8".

3. Create a plumbing path. Create a plumbing path and route the system plumbing by selecting the Generate Layout tool

on the Modify Plumbing Fixtures tab. You can select any one of the routing solutions to specifythe main routing method and use the arrows on the Options Bar to cycle through potentialsolutions.

4. Save the changes. Save the changes after selecting the desired routing solution. To do this, select Finish Layout

on the Generate Layout tab. You can also select the Tee grips of the selected fittings to addconnections for vents and runouts, if required, after you finish creating the system.


Guidelines for Creating a Plumbing System

The following recommended practices help you create a plumbing system effectively.

Guidelines■ Select the appropriate pipe type for the plumbing system you are creating to ensure that the

proper fittings are placed and appropriate properties are assigned to the system. This ensures anaccurate representation of the plumbing system.

■ Create plumbing systems and schedules to automate the process of pipe routing and track systemdata for sizing and analysis.

■ Use the plus grips on plumbing fittings to change elbows to tees and tees to crosses for connectingvents and runouts. This saves the time and effort of manually changing the fittings.


Exercise: Create a Sanitary Plumbing System In this exercise, you create a sanitary plumbing system. You are laying out the bathroom plumbing for a conference center project. For this, you need to placeplumbing fixtures, create a sanitary plumbing system and a gray sanitary water system, and complete theplumbing run for the unit. You do the following: ■ Place plumbing fixtures.■ Create a sanitary plumbing system layout.■ Create a gray sanitary water system layout.■ Manually complete the plumbing run for the unit.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter9: Plumbing Systems. Click Exercise:Create a Sanitary Plumbing System.

Place Plumbing Fixtures

1. Open i_rmep_creating_plumbing_system.rvt

or m_rmep_creating_plumbing_system.rvt.The file opens in the Mechanical 2nd FloorPlumbing plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shownhere.


2.

In the view window, zoom in to the centerbathrooms for the Women 225 (WC H 41) andMen 226 (WC D 40) area in the lower-left of thebuilding model as shown.

3. Click Home tab > Plumbing & Piping panel >

Plumbing Fixture. 4. Select Lavatory - Wall Mounted 19"x14" -

Public (M_Lavatory - Wall Mounted485 mmx355 mm - Public) from the TypeSelector drop-down.

5. On the Place Plumbing Fixture tab, Placement

panel, ensure that Place on Vertical Face isselected.

6.

In the view window:■ Align the plumbing fixture to the first

reference line provided in the upper-rightcorner of the Women 225 (WC H 41) area.

■ Click to place the plumbing fixture. The

exact placement of the plumbing fixture isnot critical for completing this exercise.


7.

Place another plumbing fixture aligned to thesecond reference line in the Women 225(WC H 41) area.

8. Select Water Closet - Flush Valve - Wall

Mounted Public - 1.6 gpf (M_Water Closet -Flush Valve - Wall mounted Public - 6.1 Lpf)from the Type Selector drop-down.

9.

In the view window:■ Align the plumbing fixture to the reference

line under the previously placed lavatory.

■ Click to place the plumbing fixture. Again,

the exact placement of the plumbingfixture is not critical.


10.

Place plumbing fixtures at the remaining tworeference lines.

11. Exit the Plumbing Fixture tool. Create a Sanitary Plumbing System Layout 1. In the view window, CTRL+select all the

plumbing fixtures that you just placed. 2. Click Modify Plumbing Fixtures tab > Modify

panel > Mirror drop-down > Draw Mirror Axisto copy the plumbing fixtures from the Women225 (WC H 41) area to the Men 226 (WC D 40)area.

3.

To identify the start point for copying theplumbing fixtures, click the midpoint of thewall that is to the upper right of the plumbingfixtures.


4.

Move the cursor down and click again toestablish the endpoint. Notice that theplumbing fixtures have now been copied overthe plumbing chase into the Men 226(WC D 40) area.

5. With the copied plumbing fixtures in the Men

226 (WC D 40) area selected, on the CreateSystems panel, click Sanitary.

6. Click Modify Piping Systems tab > System Tools

panel > Edit System. 7. On the Options Bar, for System Name, enter

2nd Floor Sanitary. 8. On the Edit Piping System tab, Edit Piping

System panel, ensure that Add To System isselected.

9.

In the view window, click all the plumbingfixtures in the Women 225 (WC H 41) area toselect them.

10. On the Edit System panel, click Finish Editing

System. 11. To start creating the sanitary piping, in the view

window, select one of the fixtures that youhave placed.

12. Click Modify Plumbing Fixtures > Layout panel >

Generate Layout. 13. In the Select a System dialog box:

■ Ensure that 2nd Floor Sanitary is selected inthe list.

■ Click OK. 14. Click Generate Layout tab > Generate Layout

panel > Place Base.


15.

In the view window:■ Zoom in to the reference planes on the

wall between the two columns of plumbingfixtures.

■ Click to place the base on the cross closerto the wall as shown.


■ Change the Offset value to - 4' 0"(-1220 mm).

■ Select 4" (100 mm) from the Diameter list. 17.

On the Generate Layout panel, click Solutions.


■ Ensure that Solution Type is set to Network.■ Ensure that the solution is set to 1 of 5.■ Ensure that the value for Slope is specified

as 1/8" / 12" (1.00%).■ Click Settings.

19. In the left pane of the Pipe Conversion Settings

dialog box, ensure that Main is selected. 20. In the right pane of the Pipe Conversion

Settings dialog box:■ For Pipe Type, ensure that Pipe Types: PVC

is selected in the Value list.■ For Offset, ensure that the value is

specified as -0' 6" (-152 mm). 21. In the left pane of the Pipe Conversion Settings

dialog box, select Branch. 22. In the right pane of the Pipe Conversion

Settings dialog box:■ For Pipe Type, ensure that Pipe Types: PVC

is selected in the Value list.■ For Offset, ensure that the value is

specified as -0' 6" (-152 mm).■ Click OK.

23.

On the Generate Layout tab, click Finish Layout.

Create a Gray Sanitary Water System Layout 1. In the view window, select any one of the

plumbing fixtures. 2. Click Piping Systems tab > System Tools panel >

Edit System.


3. Click Edit Piping System tab > Edit Piping

System panel > Remove From System toremove the lavatories from the 2nd FloorSanitary System before creating a new sanitarysystem.

4.

In the view window, click the first two plumbingfixtures in both the Women 225 (WC H 41) andMen 226 (WC D 40) areas.

5. Click Finish Editing System. 6. CTRL+select the four sinks in the Women 225

(WC H 41) and Men 226 (WC D 40) areas. 7. Click Modify Plumbing Fixtures tab > Create

Systems panel > Sanitary to create a newsanitary system named gray water.

8. Click Modify Piping Systems tab > System Tools

> Edit System. 9. On the Options Bar, for System Name, enter

2nd Floor Gray Water. 10. Click Finish Editing System. Manually Complete the Plumbing Run for theUnit 1.

In the view window:

■ CTRL+select the two short sanitary teesthat join the sinks to the main piping asshown.

■ Right-click a selected sanitary tee. Click

Delete. 2. Click Modify tab > Edit panel > Trim. 3.

To join the sink branch piping with the mainpiping, in the view window:■ Click the lower sink branch piping.■ Click the main piping.


4.

Join the upper sink branch piping with the mainpiping.

5. Exit the Trim tool. 6.

To start moving the gray water piping closer tothe sinks, in the view window, select the pieceof pipe that is still in line with the sanitarywaste main piping.

7.

Use the Move tool to move the pipe about2' - 0" (610 mm) closer to the sinks. The exactposition is not important.

8. Clear the selection. 9.

To start resizing the 4" (102 mm) pipe to 2"(51 mm):■ Place the cursor on the 4" (102 mm) pipe

that you just moved.■ Press TAB two times to highlight the entire

piping.■ Click to select the pipes and fittings that are

highlighted.


10. On the Options Bar, select 2" (50 mm) from the

Diameter list. 11. Clear the selection. 12.

To create the piping to the riser for completingthe gray water system, in the view window,select the elbow that is closer to the sanitaryriser that has already been created. Notice theTee grips that are shown.

13.

Click the top Tee grip to change the elbow to ashort sanitary tee.

14.

To draw the remaining piping:■ Select the tee that was just created.■ Right-click the upper Drag control of the

selected tee. Click Draw Pipe.

The piping will automatically resize to the samesize and elevation as the existing piping.


■ For Edit Slope, enter 1/8" / 12" (1.00%).■ Click Toggle Slope Direction to ensure that

it is negative.


16.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor upward until it locks

on the horizontal reference plane thatindicates where the gray water riser will becreated.

■ Click to place the pipe.

17.

To draw the next piece of pipe at an angle of90 degrees:■ Move the cursor to the left.■ Click the vertical reference plane next to

the current sanitary riser.

Note: By clicking the reference line, you endthe creation of the piping string; however, thePiping tool is still active.


18.

To draw the vertical riser:■ Click the end of the pipe that has just been

created.

■ Press SPACEBAR to match the size and

elevation of the pipe. 19. On the Options Bar:

■ Change the Offset value to -4' 0"(-1220 mm).

■ Change the Edit Slope value to 0" / 12"(0%).

■ Click Apply. 20. Exit the Piping tool. 21. Activate the Trim tool.

22.

To reconnect the sanitary main piping, clickboth ends of the main piping.

23. Exit the Trim tool. 24. Open the 2nd Floor Plumbing 3D view. 25. In the view window, SHIFT+right-click to rotate

the 3D model and view the plumbing fixturesthat you have placed. Note: The completed image may differ slightlydepending on the placement of the fixturesand the rotation of the drawing.

26. Close the file without saving changes.

Chapter Summary ■ 35

Chapter Summary

You can now use various tools in Revit MEP to create plumbing systems in different parts of a building.You can also check the systems against other building components for interferences. In this chapter, you learned to create plumbing systems.



Chapter

10

Fire Protection Systems

In this chapter, you will learn how to create, lay out, and specify the size of various fire protectionsystems and their components. You will also learn how to ensure that the fire protection system andits components do not interference with other components in a building.

Chapter Objective

After completing this chapter, you will be able to create fire protection systems.

38 ■ Chapter 10: Fire Protection Systems

Lesson: Creating Fire Protection Systems

This lesson describes how to create a fire protection system. You begin the lesson by learning aboutfire protection systems. Next, you learn the process of creating these systems. The lesson concludeswith an exercise on creating a fire protection system. Fire protection systems are an essential component of modern buildings. Using Revit®, you can createvarious fire protection sprinkler systems and use layout tools to automatically generate sprinklerpiping. The following illustration shows an example of a fire protection system.

Objectives


■ Describe fire protection systems.■ Identify the steps in the process of creating a fire protection system.■ Create a fire protection system.

Lesson: Creating Fire Protection Systems ■ 39

About Fire Protection Systems

Using Revit, you can create, layout, and specify the size of a fire protection system and its components.

Definition of a Fire Protection System

A fire protection system is a group of sprinklers and the supporting piping and valves required tocreate the system. You can create a sprinkler system by placing sprinkler heads, such as upright andpendent, as elements hosted in the ceiling or as nonhosted elements. You can then generate thesprinkler piping using the auto-layout tools or by manually drawing it.

When using autolayout tools, you should set an elevation for the piping head. This is because thelayout tools do not find a solution for piping at an elevation above upright heads or below pendentsprinklers.

You can also check the fire protection system and its components for interferences with othercomponents in a building. The information stored within the system can be used for analysis orscheduling purposes.

Semi-recessed sprinkler pendent


Sprinkler Libraries

You can use a number of sprinkler families included in the sprinkler library folders by loading theminto your project.

Partial listing of the available sprinkler families

Hosted families require a ceiling for placement, and nonhosted families require anelevation to be specified.

Sprinkler Tools

You can use the various tools on the different panels of the Place Sprinkler tab to place sprinklerheads, sprinkler piping, and pipe accessories. When placing sprinklers, you should place the sprinklerpiping above the pendent type sprinkler heads and below the upright sprinkler heads. This is becausea piping run created in the opposite direction does not connect to the sprinkler as intended. The following illustration shows the panels on the Place Sprinkler tab.


Wet and Dry Fire Protection Systems

You can connect a sprinkler head to a wet or dry fire protection system. Sprinklers that are created foruse in a dry sprinkler system can only be assigned to dry sprinkler systems and the same is true for wetsprinkler systems. When you create a new system from a sprinkler placed in a model, only the system,wet or dry, that corresponds to the sprinkler type is available as an option.

Example of a Fire Protection System

The following illustration shows a 3D view of a typical run of sprinklers and associated piping.


Process of Creating a Fire Protection System

You can create a fire protection system by associating a number of sprinkler heads. To do this, youuse the auto-routing tools to assign sprinklers to a fire protection system and insert piping, whichconnects the system objects.

Process: Creating a Fire Protection System

The following illustration shows the process of creating a fire protection system.

The following steps describe the process of creating a fire protection system.

1. Select the sprinkler heads. Select the sprinkler heads to be piped together. Then, use Fire Protection Dry or Fire Protection

Wet on the Create Systems panel of the Modify Sprinklers tab to create a fire protection system. 2. Edit the sprinkler system. Edit the sprinkler system by using the tools available on the Edit Piping System tab. To activate

this tab, select Edit System on the System Tools panel of the Modify Piping Systems tab. 3. Create a layout path. Create a layout path by using the Generate Layout tool on the Layout panel of the Modify

Sprinklers tab. This tool automatically routes the system piping. You can browse through varioussolution types and select the most viable solution.

4. Save the changes. Save the changes to finalize the solution that you selected and finish drawing the fire protection

system.


Exercise: Create a Fire Protection System In this exercise, you create and lay out a wet and a dry fire protection system. You are creating a sprinkler layout and a fire protection piping plan for a small room area and a hallway in aconference center. You do the following: ■ Place sprinkler heads.■ Create a sprinkler system.■ Lay out the sprinkler piping.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter10: Fire Protection Systems. ClickExercise: Create a Fire ProtectionSystem.

Place Sprinkler Heads

1. Open i_rmep_fire_protection.rvt or

m_rmep_fire_protection.rvt. The file opens inthe 2nd Floor Fire Protection Ceiling Plan view. Ensure that the RME 2009 Imperial - Arch.rvtor RME 2009 Metric - Arch.rvt file is in thesame folder where you saved the coursewaredatasets. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.


2.

In the view window, zoom in to Hall 220 (43).

3. Click Home tab > Plumbing & Piping panel >

Sprinkler. 4. Ensure that Sprinkler - Dry - Pendent -

Semi-Recessed - Hosted : 1/2" Dry Pendent(M_Sprinkler - Dry - Pendant - Semi-Recessed -Hosted : 15 mm Dry Pendant) is selected in theType Selector drop-down.

5. Click Place Sprinkler tab > Placement panel >

Place on Face to place sprinklers on the face ofthe Hall ceiling.

6.

In the view window:■ Place an instance of the sprinkler head in

the upper-left corner of the Hall area.■ Align the sprinkler head to the center of the

two reference planes.

7. Exit the Sprinkler tool. 8. In the view window, click the sprinkler head

that you have just placed to select it. 9. Click Modify Sprinklers tab > Modify panel >

Copy.

10. On the Options Bar, ensure that the Multiple

check box is selected. 11.

In the view window, click at a point below thesprinkler head to specify the start point for theCopy tool.

12.

Move the cursor 9' 0" (2700 mm) to the rightand place an instance of the sprinkler head.

13.

Place another instance of the sprinkler head9' 0" (2700 mm) to the right of the sprinklerhead you just placed.

14. Exit the Copy tool.


15.

In the view window, CTRL+select the sprinklerheads you have placed in the extreme left andthe extreme right.

16. On the Modify panel, click Copy. 17. On the Options Bar, ensure that the Multiple

check box is selected. 18. In the view window, click at a point below the

sprinkler heads to specify the start point for theCopy tool.

19.

Place 11 instances of sprinkler heads, each9' 0" (2700 mm) apart.

20. Exit the Copy tool. 21. Activate the Sprinkler tool to create a fire

protection system in Room 213 (EDP II 52),which is to the left of the Hall area.

22. Select Sprinkler - Pendent - Hosted : 1/2"

Pendent (M_Sprinkler - Pendant - Hosted :15 mm Pendant) from the Type Selector drop-down.

23. On the Place Sprinkler tab, Placement panel,

ensure that Place on Face is selected to placesprinklers on the face of the Room 213(EDP II 52) ceiling.

24.

In the view window, place two instancesof sprinkler heads in the lower half of theRoom 213 (EDP II 52) area in the center of thereference planes. Tip: Align the sprinkler heads with the center ofthe lighting fixtures.

25. Exit the Sprinkler tool. 26.

In the view window, select both instances of thesprinkler heads that you have just placed.


27.

Use the Copy tool to place two instances ofsprinkler heads above the selected sprinklerheads, each 10' 0" (3000 mm) apart. Tip: Click at a point above the selected sprinklerheads to specify the start point for the Copytool.

28. Exit the Copy tool. Create a Sprinkler System 1. In the view window, select any sprinkler head in

the Hall area. 2. Click Modify Sprinklers tab > Create Systems

panel > Fire Protection Dry. 3. To associate all the sprinklers in the Hall area to

a dry fire protection system, click Modify PipingSystems tab > System Tools panel > Edit System. On the Options Bar, notice that Fire ProtectionDry 1 is displayed for System Name.

4. On the Edit Piping System tab, Edit Piping

System panel, ensure that Add To System isselected.

5. In the view window, click the remaining

sprinkler heads inside the Hall area to selectthem. The selected sprinkler heads turn black incolor to indicate selection.

6. Click Edit Piping System tab > Edit System panel

> Finish Editing System to complete associatingthe sprinklers in the Hall area to the dry fireprotection system.

7. In the view window, select any sprinkler head

inside the Room 213 (EDP II 52) area.

8. Click Modify Sprinklers tab > Create Systems

panel > Fire Protection Wet. 9. Associate all the sprinklers in the Room 213

(EDP II 52) area to the wet fire protectionsystem.

Lay Out the Sprinkler Piping 1. In the view window, select a sprinkler head in

the Hall area. 2. Click Modify Sprinklers tab > Layout panel >

Generate Layout. A network piping solutionfor the sprinkler heads is displayed in the viewwindow.


■ Select Perimeter from the Solution Type list.■ Verify that solution 2 of 5 is selected. Tip: Use the Previous Solution and the NextSolution arrows to select the required solution.

■ Click Settings. 4. To specify main piping settings, in the Pipe

Conversion Settings dialog box:■ In the left pane, ensure that Main is

selected.■ In the right pane, ensure that the Pipe Type

value is set to Pipe Types: Standard.■ For Offset, enter 11' 6" (3505 mm) in the

Value field. 5. To specify other piping settings, in the Pipe

Conversion Settings dialog box:■ In the left pane, select Branch.■ In the right pane, ensure that the Pipe Type


Value field.■ Click OK.

6. Click Generate Layout tab > Generate Layout

panel > Finish Layout to create the pipe layoutfor the sprinklers.


7.

Open the 2nd Floor Fire Protection view. Noticethe new sprinkler system that you have created.

8. Open the 2nd Floor Fire Protection Ceiling Plan

view. 9. In the view window, select a sprinkler head in

Room 213 (EDP II 52). 10. Activate the Generate Layout tool. 11. On the Options Bar:

■ Select Network from the Solution Type listto specify a layout solution that wraps thepipe around the perimeter of the sprinklerheads.

■ Verify that solution 1 of 2 is selected.■ Click Settings.

12. To verify main piping settings, in the Pipe

Conversion Settings dialog box:■ In the left pane, ensure that Main is

selected.■ In the right pane, ensure that the Pipe Type


Value field. 13. To verify other piping settings, in the Pipe

Conversion Settings dialog box:■ In the left pane, select Branch.■ In the right pane, ensure that the Pipe Type


Value field.■ Click OK.

14. Click Finish Layout. 15. Open the 2nd Floor Fire Protection view. You

can view both the sprinkler systems that youhave created from different directions.



Chapter Summary

You can now create fire protection systems in Revit MEP using various placement and layout tools. Youcan also use the information stored within the system for analysis or scheduling purposes. In this chapter, you learned to create fire protection systems.


Chapter

11

Electrical Systems

Electrical circuits connect similar electrical components to form an electrical system. Revit® MEPprovides tools for modeling electrical systems quickly and effectively. You can place devices and assignthem to electrical circuits and panels. You can create wiring to connect various electrical components.Using the Revit MEP tools, you can track lighting levels and balance panel loads.

Chapter Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

■ Create electrical circuits.■ Create wiring.

50 ■ Chapter 11: Electrical Systems

Lesson: Creating Electrical Circuits

This lesson describes how to create electrical circuits. You begin the lesson by learning aboutelectrical circuits and the tools used for working with them. Next, you learn the process and somerecommended practices for creating electrical circuits. The lesson concludes with an exercise oncreating an electrical lighting circuit. Revit provides tools for modeling electrical systems quickly and effectively. While creating electricalsystems, you define voltage definitions for connected components, place devices and assign them toelectrical circuits, and map circuits to an appropriate panel. Assigning circuits to a panel allows youto easily load tracking and automation of panel schedules. You can also track electrical loads and usevoltage drop information to automatically size circuited wires.

Light fixtures and switches placed in a classroom

Objectives


■ Describe electrical circuits.■ Identify the tools for working with electrical circuits.■ Identify the steps in the process of creating electrical circuits.■ State the recommended practices for creating electrical circuits.■ Create an electrical lighting circuit.

Lesson: Creating Electrical Circuits ■ 51

About Electrical Circuits

You create electrical circuits to place electrical components, such as devices, lighting fixtures, andelectrical equipment, in a project. You can connect components to a circuit using an available electricalconnector if the components have correct electrical settings, such as voltage, number of poles, andphase.

Definition of Electrical Circuits

Electrical circuits connect similar electrical components to form an electrical system. An electricalcircuit is associated with a circuit number on a panel.

You can define which components can connect to each other and track cumulative electrical loads asyou add components to the circuit. You can use the electrical properties of components to populate apanel schedule, size wiring based on voltage drop, and balance loads across the panel.

Voltage Definitions

Voltage definitions in Revit include a range of voltages that you can assign to the distribution systemsin a project. Each voltage definition is specified as a range of voltages to allow for differing voltageratings on devices from various manufacturers.

Distribution Systems

Distribution systems in Revit define the characteristics of connected panels and circuits. Phasing,configuration, number of wires, and voltage definition information are defined within the distributionsystem.

Depending on your project requirements, you can edit, add, or delete voltagedefinitions and distribution systems.


Example of Electrical Circuits

The following illustration shows electrical components assigned to a circuit and a panel.


Tools for Working with Electrical Circuits

You can use various Revit tools for loading, creating, and tracking electrical circuit information.

Family Libraries

Revit provides various electrical families that you can load and place in an MEP model. Whennecessary, you can copy a family from your library and edit the electrical connection and otherinformation, which allows you to utilize the family in different applications in the MEP model.

Some of the available electrical families

Electrical Panel of the Home Tab

The Electrical panel of the Home tab provides tools that contain options for adding electricalcomponents and wiring, check circuits in a project, and create panel schedules. The followingillustration shows the tools on the Electrical panel of the Home tab.

When you select a tool on the Electrical panel, various settings become active on the contextual tabbased on the selected tool. Families loaded into the project are available in the Type Selector drop-down.


The following illustration shows a contextual tab and some settings available on that tab.

System Browser

The System Browser contains a list of all electrical components in a model and the systems to whichthese are assigned. The electrical components that are not assigned to a system appear in theUnassigned category. Using the System Browser, you can easily track electrical components andensure that all components are assigned to a system.

System Browser displaying assigned and unassigned electrical components

Instance Properties Dialog Box

You can use the Instance Properties dialog box of a specific space to specify parameters for lighting.You can assign lighting intensity information to light fixtures in the Revit family or associate them witha specified IES photometric data file. Light fixtures placed in the volume defined by a space in Revitcontribute to the average estimated illumination of that space.


The following illustration shows the Electrical - Lighting parameters in the Instance Properties dialogbox.

Process of Creating Electrical Circuits

Creating an electrical circuit associates a group of electrical components in a model with a specificelectrical panel. Associating components with an electrical circuit allows you to automatically wirecircuits. Associating components with a circuit also assigns them to an electrical panel, which enablesyou to track the circuit and associated panel loads for scheduling and balancing.

Process: Creating Electrical Circuits

The following illustration shows the process of creating electrical circuits.

The following steps describe the process of creating electrical circuits.

1. Place electrical components. Place electrical components in a view. 2. Create power circuit. Select an electrical component to be assigned to an electrical circuit and then select Power on

the Create Systems panel of the contextual tab. 3. Activate the Edit Circuit tool. Activate Edit Circuit on the System Tools panel of the Electrical Circuits tab. You use the tools

provided on the Edit Circuit tab to add and remove components, view circuit properties, select apanel, and view the panel properties for a circuit.


4. Add components to the circuit. Add components to the circuit by first selecting Add To Circuit on the Edit Circuit panel of the

Edit Circuit tab and then selecting the component to be added to the circuit. The component youselected in Step 2 is already part of the circuit.

5. Finish and save changes to the circuit. Finish adding components to the circuit by selecting Finish Editing Circuit on the Edit Circuit panel

of the Edit Circuit tab. 6. Assign the electrical circuit to a panel. Activate the Panel list by selecting Select Panel on the System Tools panel of the Electrical Circuits

tab. Finally, select a panel or a transformer from the Panel list on the Options Bar and click in thefloor plan to accept the new circuit being added.

Guidelines for Creating Electrical Circuits

The following recommended practices help you create electrical circuits efficiently.

Guidelines■ In the initial stages of development, ensure that the distribution systems are defined

appropriately as part of Electrical Settings for the application you design.■ Assign a distribution system to panels as well so that you can connect devices only to panels of the

same distribution system.■ Include the light fixture ID, circuit number, and panel name in the tags for the light fixture. This

helps to maximize the use of tag properties and provide complete information about the lightfixture in the tags.

■ Take note of any connected load errors that may occur while placing the load on the panel. Thishelps you update the load of the correct configuration on a panel that cannot accept excess load.


Exercise: Create an Electrical Lighting Circuit In this exercise, you create an electrical lighting circuit by placing lighting fixtures, assigning them to anelectrical circuit, and editing the circuits in the panel. You are completing the lighting layout for a conference center. You need to create an electrical lighting circuitin one of the rooms of the conference center. You begin by placing the light fixtures and switches. Then, youassign the light fixtures to an electrical circuit and assign the circuit to a panel. You also tag light fixtures andedit circuits on the panel to balance the load between different circuits. You do the following: ■ Place light fixtures and switches.■ Observe space lighting calculations.■ Create an electrical circuit.■ Tag light fixtures.■ Edit circuits on the panel.



Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onlineexercise. In the online list of chaptersand exercises, click Chapter 11:Electrical Systems. Click Exercise:Create an Electrical Lighting Circuit.

Place Light Fixtures and Switches 1. Open i_rmep_elec_circuits.rvt or

m_rmep_elec_circuits.rvt. The file opens in the3rd Floor Ceiling Plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2. Click Home tab > Electrical panel > Lighting

Fixture to begin placing light fixtures in theview.

3. Select Plain Recessed Lighting Fixture : 2x4

- 277 (M_Plain Recessed Lighting Fixture :600x1200 - 277) from the Type Selector drop-down.

4. Click Place Fixture tab > Placement panel >

Place on Face. 5.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor over room 307.■ Press SPACEBAR to rotate the fixture

vertically.■ Click to place the light fixture at the

intersection of the ceiling grid lines in theupper-left area of the room, as shown.

Tip: Zoom in to the view, if required.

6. Click Modify.

7.

In the view window, select the light fixture youjust placed.

8. Click Modify Lighting Fixtures tab > Modify

panel > Copy to create a copy of the lightfixture.

9.

To place the copy of the light fixture, in theview window:■ Click near the selected light fixture to

specify a start point. The exact location isnot critical.

■ Move the cursor 8' (2400 mm) to the rightof the selected light fixture.

■ Click to place the copy of the light fixture. Note: Alternatively, you can enter 8' (2400 mm)as the distance while moving the cursor andpress ENTER.


10.

Place another copy of the light fixture 8'(2400 mm) to the right of the first copy youplaced.

11. Exit the Copy tool. 12. In the view window, CTRL+select the three light

fixtures you just placed. 13.

Place copies of the selected light fixtures8' (2400 mm) below them.

14.

Create another row of light fixtures 8' (2400mm) below the row you placed in the previousstep.

15. Open the 3rd Floor Lighting Plan view. 16. Click Home tab > Electrical panel > Device drop-

down > Lighting to place switches in the planview.

17. Select Lighting Switches : Three Way

(M_Lighting Switches : Three Way) from theType Selector drop-down.

18. Ensure that Place on Vertical Face is selected

on the Placement panel of the Place LightingDevice tab.


19.

In the view window:■ Click to place a switch on the walls near

each door as shown. The exact location isnot critical.

■ Press ESC two times to end the currentlyactive tool.

Observe Space Lighting Calculations 1.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor over the edges of room

307 to highlight the room space.■ Click to select the space.

2. Click Modify Spaces tab > Element panel >

Element Properties to view lighting calculations.

3. In the Instance Properties dialog box:

■ Under Electrical - Lighting, notice that theAverage Estimated Illumination value is67.30 fc (744.83 lx), based on the lightfixtures you just added.

■ Click OK. Create an Electrical Circuit 1. In the view window, select a light fixture that

you placed in room 307. 2. Click Modify Lighting Fixtures tab > Create

Systems panel > Power. 3. Click Modify Electrical Circuits tab > System

Tools panel > Edit Circuit. 4. Click Edit Circuit tab > Edit Circuit panel > Add

To Circuit to add the selected light fixture to anelectrical circuit.

5.

In the view window, select the remaining lightfixtures in the room.

6. To assign the circuit to a panel:

■ On the Edit Circuit panel, click Select Panel.■ On the Options Bar, select LP-3 from the

Panel list. 7. On the Edit Circuit panel, click Circuit

Properties. 8. In the Instance Properties dialog box, under

Instance Parameters, Electrical - Loads:■ Notice the voltages and current information

that are extracted from the electricalproperties of the light fixtures you placed.

■ Click OK. 9. On the Edit Circuit panel, click Finish Editing

Circuit to save changes to the circuit.


Tag Light Fixtures 1. Click Annotate tab > Tag panel > Tag By

Category to add tags to the light fixtures. 2. On the Options Bar, ensure that the Leader

check box is cleared to avoid adding a leader onthe tag.

3.

In the view window:■ Select each light fixture in succession to tag

it.

■ Press ESC to exit the Tag tool.

Edit Circuits on the Panel 1.

In the view window:■ Zoom in to the electrical room to the right

of room 307.■ Select the panel LP-3.

2. Click Modify Electrical Equipment tab >

Electrical panel > Circuits.

3. In the Edit Circuits dialog box, under Circuits:

■ Notice that circuit 11 is listed with the loadname Lighting Classroom 5 307.

Tip: Click and drag the load name to the right sothat you can see the complete load name.

■ Notice the loads for A, B, and C buses.■ Click Rebalance Loads. Notice that the

loads are adjusted to minimize the voltagedifference across buses.

■ Click OK. 4. Clear the selection. 5. Close the file without saving changes.


Lesson: Creating Wiring

This lesson describes how to create wiring. You begin the lesson by learning about electrical wiring.Next, you learn the process of creating a wire type and some recommended practices for creatingwiring. The lesson concludes with an exercise on creating wiring. Wiring depicts the connections between various electrical components, such as electrical devices,lighting fixtures, and electrical equipment. To create wiring connections among electrical componentsin a project, use the tools available on the Electrical panel of the Home tab.

In Revit, you can create both automatic and manual wiring. The following illustration shows theelectrical devices wired in a plan view.

Objectives


■ Describe electrical wiring.■ Identify the steps in the process of creating a wire type.■ State the recommended practices for creating wiring.■ Create wiring.

Lesson: Creating Wiring ■ 63

About Electrical Wiring

In Revit, you can graphically represent circuit information using wiring. Wiring can be displayed withor without graphical symbols and tick marks. You can also customize the display of these tick marks.Wiring can be automatically generated using the circuit information in a project. You can also manuallyplace the wiring in a view.

Definition

Electrical wiring is the physical wiring that connects all electrical components in a building. In Revit,you can display electrical wiring using wire components that contain sizing and circuit information.

Electrical Wire Settings

In Revit, you can specify settings to define electrical wiring properties using the Electrical Settingsdialog box. To open this dialog box, select Electrical Settings from the MEP Settings drop-down on theProject Settings panel of the Manage tab.

In the Electrical Settings dialog box, you can specify settings for ambient temperature, wire crossinggap size, and hot wire, ground wire, and neutral wire tick marks. The Slanted Line Across Tick Marksoption enables you to display the tick mark for the ground conductor as a diagonal line across the tickmarks for the other conductors. In addition, you can specify whether tick marks should be shown on allwires or only on home runs or should not be shown at all. The following illustration shows the wire settings in the Electrical Settings dialog box.

Wire Tick Marks

Wire tick marks are defined under the Wiring category in the Electrical Settings dialog box. You canassign the tick mark style for each type of conductor, such as hot, ground, and neutral. If the wire tickmarks are set to be always shown, tick marks appear when wires are created.

After wire tick marks are created, you can select them to display control grips for modifying the tickmarks. For example, you can increase or decrease the number of hot conductors by clicking the plusor minus control grips of the selected tick marks. If you want to move the location of a tick mark alongthe wire, use the Moving Tick Marks control grip.


The following illustration shows an example of a wire tick mark modification in a project.

Home Runs

You can create home runs by manually drawing wires using the Wire tool on the Electrical panel ofthe Home tab. If you are using the Wire tool and have not selected an electrical component as theendpoint of a wire, Revit creates a home run symbol. After you create symbols, you can select them todisplay the grips that help move or adjust the arc of a home run.

Using the Wire tool, you can also create multiple home runs by wiring electrical components frommultiple circuits. The following illustration shows an example of a multiple home run in a project.

Electrical Wire Sizes

In Revit, a library of wire sizes is available for the currently selected combination of wire material,temperature rating, and insulation type. Each wire size is assigned ampacity, size, and physicaldiameter. You can also define whether wire sizing tools should use a given wire size.

In the Electrical Settings dialog box, under Wire Sizes, you can specify wire sizing information based

on conductor temperature ratings of 60 o C, 75 o C, and 90 o C. Under Correction Factor, you canspecify a value for the current-carrying ability of the wire material at specific temperatures. Alongwith correction factor settings, you can specify ground conductor sizes.


The following illustration shows the Electrical Settings dialog box with aluminum wire sizes available ina project.

Wire Types

You define wire types by selecting materials and specifying properties such as temperature rating,insulation, maximum size, and neutral wire settings for a given type of wire. Using differentcombinations of these properties, you can create standard sets of wire types to be used in Revit. Youspecify these properties of a wire type under the Wiring Types category in the Electrical Settings dialogbox. The following illustration shows the wire types for a project.


Electrical Circuits and Automatic Wire Generation

Electrical circuits connect similar electrical components to form an electrical system. When a circuitis selected in a view, you add permanent wiring to the circuit by either selecting the generate wiringcontrols in the view or using tools on the Modify Electrical Circuits tab. To create permanent wiring,you can highlight a component in the circuit, press TAB to highlight the circuit, and then select thecircuit. This automatically generates the wiring. You can then select arced or chamfered wiring tospecify the type of wiring for the circuit.

Example

The following illustration shows an example of temporary wiring being converted to permanentelectrical wiring in a project.


Process of Creating a Wire Type

Creating a new wire type allows you to connect electrical objects with wires and track the appropriatewire sizes and materials for use. This allows Revit to track ampacity rating information to appropriatelysize wires based on use.

Process: Creating a Wire Type

The following illustration shows the process of creating a wire type.

The following steps describe the process of creating a wire type.

1. Specify wire type settings. Specify the wire type settings in the Electrical Settings dialog box. To access this dialog box, select

Electrical Settings from the MEP Settings drop-down on the Project Settings panel of the Managetab. Then, select Wiring Types in the left pane of the Electrical Settings dialog box to display thewire type settings in the right pane.

2. Add a new wire type. Add a new wire type by selecting Add in the Electrical Settings dialog box. Then, you can provide

an appropriate name for the new wire type. 3. Specify properties for the wire type. Specify properties for the wire type in the Electrical Settings dialog box. You can specify

properties, such as material, temperature rating, insulation, max size, and neutral, for the newwire type.

4. Save changes. Save the changes for the wire type by clicking OK in the Electrical Settings dialog box.


Guidelines for Creating Wiring

The following recommended practices help you create wiring effectively.

Guidelines■ Specify wire settings with available wire sizes to define the wire types that you can use in a Revit

model. This allows you to create different wire sizes for the same wire type.■ Specify wire settings in project template files to save time and maintain consistency across

projects. To save even more time, you can specify wire settings in the templates used by yourcompany so that the settings are consistent across projects.

■ Transfer wire settings from one project to another using the Transfer Project Standards tool on theProject Settings panel of the Manage tab. This will expedite the design process and keep companystandards consistent across projects.

■ Turn off wire tick marks universally to ensure consistency across all project views by selectingNever for the wiring settings in the Electrical Settings dialog box. You can also turn these settingsoff in a given view by controlling the settings in the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box in theview.

■ Apply tags to circuits to indicate circuit numbers. When you create circuits, Revit automaticallyassigns circuit numbers. Applying tags to these circuit numbers helps you save time by removingthe numbering system from the process.

■ Manually wire together devices from different circuits. This helps in creating multiple circuit homeruns.


Exercise: Create Wiring In this exercise, you create and work with electrical wiring in a project. You need to complete the lighting layout in your design. To do this, you will place lighting fixtures, generatewiring, and create home run wires. You do the following: ■ Place electrical devices.■ Generate automatic circuit wiring.■ Create wiring manually for receptacles.■ Display wire tick marks.■ Create a home run wire.■ Create a multiple circuit home run wire.



Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter11: Electrical Systems. Click Exercise:Create Wiring.

Place Electrical Devices 1. Open i_rmep_wiring.rvt or m_rmep_wiring.rvt.

The file opens in the Level 1 Power Plan view.Notice the linked architectural model. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2. Click Home tab > Electrical panel > Device drop-

down > Electrical Fixture to place receptacles. 3. Ensure that Duplex Receptacle : Standard

(M_Duplex Receptacle : Standard) is selected inthe Type Selector drop-down.

4.

In the view window, click the walls in rooms104 (30), 107 (28), and 108 (27) to place tworeceptacles in each room, as shown. The exactlocation of the receptacles is not critical.

5. Exit the Device tool.

6.

In the view window, select a receptacle thatwas placed in room 104 (30).

7.

Click Modify Electrical Fixtures tab > CreateSystems panel > Power to create an electricalcircuit.

8. Click Modify Electrical Circuits tab > System

Tools panel > Edit Circuit. 9. Click Edit Circuit tab > Edit Circuit panel > Add

To Circuit. 10.

In the view window, select the remaining threereceptacles placed in rooms 104 (30) and 107(28).

11. On the Edit Circuit panel, click Select Panel

to indicate the panel from which a circuitoriginates.


12. On the Options Bar, select PP-1N from the Panel

list. 13. On the Edit Circuit panel, click Finish Editing

Circuit. Generate Automatic Circuit Wiring 1.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor over one of the duplex

receptacles in room 104 (30).■ Press TAB so that dashed lines appear,

indicating the intended wiring of the newcircuit.

■ Click the receptacle to establish the wiringof the new circuit.

2.

To generate arced wiring, select the arced iconthat appears with the dashed wire preview.

3.

Select the home run wire in room 107 (28) todisplay the grips, as shown.


4.

Select the square grip at the end of the homerun wire and drag it to reposition the wire for aclear view, as shown.

5. Click Annotate tab > Tag panel > Tag By

Category to add a tag to the home run wire. 6. On the Options Bar, clear the Leader check box

to remove the display of a leader. 7.

Click the home run wire in room 107 (28) to adda circuit number tag.

Note: In the metric dataset, the tag numberthat appears is 5.

Create Wiring Manually for Receptacles 1. Click Home tab > Electrical panel > Wire to

manually start creating the wiring. 2. Ensure that Wire Types : THWN (Wire Types :

XHHW) is selected in the Type Selector drop-down.

3.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor in room 103 (25) over

the area where the duplex receptacle ismounted on the left wall until the wiringconnection point appears.

■ Click the connection point to establish the

first point for the arced wiring. 4.

To create wiring:■ Click inside room 103 (25) to establish a

second point for the wiring arc. The exactlocation is not critical.

■ Click the electrical connection point at the

base of the receptacle on the right wall inroom 103 (25).


5.

Connect the two receptacles in room 105 (26),as shown.

6. Exit the Wire tool. Display Wire Tick Marks 1. Click Insert tab > Load from Library panel >

Load Family. 2. To load a tick mark type in the project, in the

Load Family dialog box:■ Browse to the Imperial (Metric) Library >

Electrical Components >TickMarks folder.■ Select Long Wire Tick Mark.rfa (M_Long

Wire Tick Mark.rfa).■ Click Open.

3. Click Manage tab > Project Settings panel >

MEP Settings drop-down > Electrical Settings. 4. In the Electrical Settings dialog box, select

Wiring in the left pane. 5. To specify wire tick marks settings, in the right

pane of the Electrical Settings dialog box:■ For Hot Wire Tick Mark, Ground Wire Tick

Mark, and Neutral Wire Tick Mark, selectLong Wire Tick Mark (M_Long Wire TickMark) from the Value list.

■ Ensure that Show Tick Marks is specified asAlways.

■ Click OK to close the dialog box. Create a Home Run Wire 1. Click Home tab > Electrical panel > Wire. 2. Ensure that Wire Types : THWN (Wire Types :

XHHW) is selected in the Type Selector drop-down.

3.

To create a home run, in the view window:■ Click the electrical connection point for the

duplex receptacle on the right wall of room103 (25).

■ Place two points in room 104 (30) towardthe right of room 103 (25) to define the arcfor the home run to the panel, as shown.The exact location of the points is notcritical.

4. Exit the Wire tool.


Create a Multiple Circuit Home Run Wire 1.

To create a multiple circuit home run, in theview window:■ Select the home run you manually created.■ Drag the square grip at the end of the

home run arrow to place it at the nearestreceptacle connection point in room 104(30).

Notice that the arrow for the home run andthe tag placed in the earlier section update toindicate the two circuits now included in thisrun. In the metric dataset, the tag appearsas 4, 5.

■ Press ESC to end the selection of the home

run. 2. Close the file without saving changes.


Chapter Summary

Now that you have learned to create electrical circuits and wiring, you can effectively connectelectrical components with wires and track the appropriate electrical load, wire sizes, and materials foruse. In this chapter, you learned to:

■ Create electrical circuits.■ Create wiring.



Chapter

12

Working with Architects andEngineers

In many projects, you will collaborate with other design and engineering professionals to facilitate yourdesign. In this chapter, you will learn about some of collaboration techniques provided by Revit® MEP.These tools will help you work efficiently and accurately.

Chapter Objectives


■ Monitor changes in files of other disciplines linked to Revit MEP.■ Check and fix interference conditions.

78 ■ Chapter 12: Working with Architects and Engineers

Lesson: Monitoring Changes in Linked Files

This lesson describes how to monitor changes in files of other disciplines linked to Revit MEP. Youbegin the lesson by learning about project sharing and the Copy and Monitor tools. Next, you learnthe steps to coordinate and monitor changes in the current project. Then, you learn about theCoordination Review tool and some recommended practices for monitoring changes in linked files.The lesson concludes with an exercise on monitoring changes in a linked file of another discipline. In most building projects, you need to collaborate on the building design. For example, a mechanicalengineer uses an architect's preliminary building model to devise the initial mechanical design layoutof the building. Therefore, proper coordination and monitoring helps ensure that the mechanicalmodel is synchronized with the changes that the architect made to the building model. Effectivechange monitoring reduces errors and expensive rework during construction.

Structural model linked to a Revit MEP project

Objectives


■ Describe project sharing.■ Describe the Copy and Monitor tools.■ Coordinate and monitor changes in the current project.■ Describe the Coordination Review tool.■ State the recommended practices for monitoring changes in linked files.■ Monitor changes in a linked file of another discipline.

Lesson: Monitoring Changes in Linked Files ■ 79

About Project Sharing

You can share project information across disciplines to create a robust project design. You can linkprojects and insert elements from one project into another. For example, a mechanical engineer canuse an architectural model for creating and analyzing the HVAC design or a structural model for ductcoordination.

Definition of Project Sharing

Project sharing is the process of linking projects across disciplines. For example, you can share anAutodesk® Revit® Structure model with an MEP engineer. Using Revit MEP, the engineer can create anMEP model on the same design. You can then link the MEP model with the original structural model.

Project sharing is effective only when you coordinate and monitor the shared information for updates.

Linking Projects

You link a project file using the Import/Link RVT dialog box. While linking, use shared coordinates,origin-to-origin, or center-to-center positioning to specify the location of the linked model in the hostproject.

When you link an Autodesk® Revit® Architecture or Revit Structure project file, its path is saved inthe host Revit MEP project file. After linking, if the linked project file changes, you can reload it in thehost project file to view the updated linked project file. If the path of the linked project file changes,you can update its path in the host project file using the Manage Links dialog box. You can access theManage Links dialog box by selecting Manage Links on the Manage Project panel of the Manage tab oron the Link panel of the Insert tab.

You can select a linked project file and bind it with the host. Binding converts thelinked file to a group in the host file. Then, you can edit the grouped or ungroupedobjects. You can also convert a model group into a link, which saves the group asan external file. However, you must exercise caution because if an architecturalor structural link is bound to a host Revit MEP file, future updates will not bepropagated.

Inserting Elements

You can insert 2D elements or drafting views created in a Revit MEP project into a Revit Architectureproject by selecting the relevant option from the Insert from File drop-down on the Import panel ofthe Insert tab. You can also insert Revit Architecture schedules into a Revit MEP project and vice versa.The inserted Revit Architecture or MEP schedules retain the formatting of the original Revit project.


Example of Project Sharing

The following illustrations show the different views of host MEP models displaying elements from thelinked structural models.

Section view Plan view

Copy and Monitor Tools

You use the Copy and Monitor tools on the Copy/Monitor tab to coordinate and monitor the changesin the building and structural models. To access this tab, activate the Copy/Monitor mode using theSelect Link option from the Copy/Monitor drop-down on the Coordinate panel of the Collaborate tab.

Copy/Monitor tools

Copy Tool

Using the Copy tool, you can copy elements within a current project or from a linked project to ahost project. This establishes a relationship between the copied and original elements, which helpsmonitor changes to the original element and report differences. After copying elements, you can seethe copy/monitor icon displayed next to the copied elements, which indicates that a relationship isestablished with the original elements and that the copied elements are monitored. If you modifya copied element, a warning message is displayed, indicating that an element has changed. Forexample, you can copy grid lines from a linked building model to an MEP model using the Copy tool.Later, if you move one of the copied grid lines, a warning message appears.


The following illustration shows a warning message box for grid line displacement.

Based on the impact a change has on the MEP model, you can accept or reject the change. You canalso accept or reject the change later by performing a coordination review using the CoordinationReview tool.

A coordination review lists all the changes made to copied elements.

Monitor Tool

You can monitor the elements created in the current project using the Monitor tool. The Monitor toolestablishes a relationship between the corresponding elements, for example, between two grid lines.

You cannot monitor unlike pairs, such as a grid line and a wall, which are contained in the linked fileto the elements that are native to the host file. To do this, you select a pair of similar elements andestablish a relationship between them using the Monitor tool. The copy/monitor icon is displayed nearthe first element you select to indicate that it has a relationship with another element.


Coordinating and Monitoring Changes in the Current Project

Elements in the current project can be accidentally modified by members of the same team. To avoidinconsistency, monitor the elements so that you get a notification when they are modified.

Procedure: Coordinating and Monitoring Changes in a Current Project

The following steps describe how to coordinate and monitor changes in a current project.

1. In the view window, draw two instances of an element. Note: Perform this step if the elements to be monitored do not exist in the project.

2. To activate Copy/Monitor mode, click Collaborate tab > Coordinate panel > Copy/Monitor drop-

down > Use Current Project. 3. To monitor the relationship between elements in the current project, click Copy/Monitor tab >

Tools panel > Monitor. 4. In the view window, select two elements, one after the other, to establish a relationship

between them. Notice that the Copy/Monitor icon displays near the first element you select,which indicates that the element has a relationship with the second element. This symbol alsoindicates that the first element is monitored.


Coordination Review Tool

You use the Coordination Review tool when monitored elements are modified. For example, if astructural project is linked to an MEP project and you are monitoring the level lines in the structuralproject, Revit MEP notifies you to perform a coordination review when level lines are modified.

Coordination Monitor Warning

You can monitor the elements within a Revit MEP model. However, when the elements beingmonitored are not synchronized, warning messages appear that notify you of any violations. Thevarious violations that lead to the generation of warning messages are as follows:

■ An original monitored element from the linked project has changed.■ A copied monitored element in the host project has changed.■ Both the original monitored and copied elements have changed.■ The original element in the linked file is deleted.■ The copied element in the host file is deleted.

Coordination monitor warning


Coordination Review Warning

If the monitored elements within a linked file are modified and the file is reloaded, a warning messagenotifies you that you must perform a coordination review. This occurs either when the linked file isreloaded using the Manage Links dialog box, or when the file is reopened and the modified linked fileis reloaded. When the warning message box appears, close the warning and perform a coordinationreview.

Coordination Review warning

Coordination Review Dialog Box

You can access the Coordination Review tool on the Coordinate panel of the Collaborate tab. If youwant to check warning messages between elements in the current project, select the Use CurrentProject option from the Coordination Review drop-down. You can also check warning messagesbetween linked and host projects by selecting the Select Link option from the Coordination Reviewdrop-down.

After you select an option, the Coordination Review dialog box opens. It displays an expandable treeof all warnings between monitored elements. You can expand element warning groups until a valueunder the Action column is displayed.


Coordination Review dialog box When you select an element listed in the Coordination Review dialog box, the element is highlighted

in the view window.

Action

In the Coordination Review dialog box, you can select from a set of options available under the Actioncolumn for each warning. The following table describes these options.

Option

Description

Do nothing This option takes no action on the element. This changes the messagestatus so that the warning can be filtered out or considered later.

Reject This option is used when there is a difference between an element in thehost file and its associated monitored element. The difference is becausethe change made to the element in the host file is incorrect, and a changemust be made to the associated monitored element. Note: This command is available only on the In Host Project tab.

Accept difference This option accepts the change made to the element and updates therelationship. For example, if a pair of grids were 8 inches apart, and onewas moved away by 12 inches, the change would be accepted, and therelationship will be set to 12 inches. Note: This command is available only on the In Host Project tab.


Option

Description

Modify, Rename,Move

This option name changes based on the action. If the name of themonitored element has changed, the option is Rename. If a column ora level is moved, the option is Move. If a grid is changed or moved, theoption is Modify.

If you select one of these options on the In-a-Linked-Project tab, the element will bechanged in the current project, not the linked project.

Comment

After you select the appropriate option for each warning, add comments on the action taken. Thishelps you communicate with other cross-functional team members. For example, as an architect, youcan communicate to the structural engineer. Your comments are visible when the link is reloaded.

Guidelines for Monitoring Changes in Linked Files

The following recommended practices help you effectively monitor changes in linked files.

Guidelines■ Use the Copy and Monitor tools in MEP projects to monitor level lines. This ensures that floor-to-

floor heights remain coordinated. In addition, it ensures that no elements are placed at incorrectlevels that may lead to problems in future analysis, such as calculation of mechanical load, andscheduling, such as electrical scheduling or scheduling to a specific level.

■ Use the Coordination Review tool to perform coordination reviews and generate reports for thechanges made to the model. Reviews and reports provide a documented trail for tracking thechanges made by team members and the decisions taken for those changes. The reviews andreports also help you ensure that all team members are using the latest version of the design data.

■ Use the Add Comment option in the warning message box to add comments that explain thereasons for changes. These comments become visible to other team members when the linkis reloaded. As a result, these changes enhance communication among team members. Thecomments are also exported to the report for future reference.

■ Select the Use Current Project option of the Coordination Review tool when checking for changesin the monitored elements in the current project. This ensures that a coordination review is donefor the entire project.

■ Reload the linked file periodically to check for coordination review warnings instead of keeping italways loaded. You should unload the linked file after performing the coordination review becausekeeping many links loaded simultaneously affects the software performance.


Exercise: Monitor a Linked File of Another Discipline In this exercise, you monitor a linked file of another discipline. As an MEP engineer, you want to take advantage of project sharing by linking a Revit Structure file in your MEPproject. You then coordinate the two disciplines. You also want to monitor structural levels so that Revit MEPdisplays a warning when the floor-to-floor height changes. This ensures that you are aware of space changeswhile creating the MEP design. You do the following: ■ Link the Revit Structure file.■ Monitor the levels in the linked file.■ Reload the modified Revit Structure file.■ Perform coordination review.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter12: Working with Architects andEngineers. Click Exercise: Monitor aLinked File of Another Discipline.

Link the Revit Structure File 1. Open i_rmep_multiple_disciplines.rvt or

m_rmep_multiple_disciplines.rvt. The fileopens in the Section 1 view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2. Click Insert tab > Link panel > Link Revit. 3. In the Import/Link RVT dialog box:

■ Browse to the folder where you saved thecourseware datasets.

■ Select i_struct.rvt (m_struct.rvt).■ Select Auto - Origin to Origin from the

Positioning list.■ Click Open.


Monitor the Levels in the Linked File 1.

In the view window, zoom in around the levelhead markers. Notice that there are two sets oflevel lines. One set is part of the original MEPmodel, and the other set is the linked RevitStructure file.

2. Click Collaborate tab > Coordinate panel >

Copy/Monitor drop-down > Select Link. 3.

In the view window, select the linked RevitStructure file. Tip: Use the status bar to confirm the selection.

Note: The Copy/Monitor tab is activated. 4. Click Copy/Monitor tab > Tools panel >

Monitor.

5.

To monitor level 1 of the linked structuralmodel with level 1 of the MEP model, in theview window:■ Click the 1st Floor level line of the MEP

model.■ Click the Level 1 level line of the linked

model. Note: Both level lines overlap in the view.

■ Zoom out to view the copy/monitor icon onthe left of the Level 1 level line.

6.

Monitor Level 2 of the linked structural modelwith 2nd Floor of the MEP model.

7.

Monitor Level 3 of the linked structural modelwith 3rd Floor of the MEP model.

8. On the Copy/Monitor panel, click Finish. Reload the Modified Revit Structure File 1. Click Manage tab > Manage Project panel >

Manage Links. 2. In the Manage Links dialog box:

■ Click the Revit tab.■ Under Linked File, select the i_struct.rvt

(m_struct.rvt) row.■ Click Reload From.


3. In the Add Link dialog box:

■ Browse to the folder where you saved thecourseware datasets.

■ Select i_struct_revised.rvt(m_struct_revised.rvt).

■ Click Open. 4. Click OK in the Revit MEP warning box that

informs you that the instance of the linked .rvtfile needs a coordination review.

5. Click OK to close the Manage Links dialog box. Perform Coordination Review 1. Click Collaborate tab > Coordinate panel >

Coordination Review drop-down > Select Link. 2. In the view window, select the linked Revit

Structure file. The Coordination Review dialogbox is displayed, and it lists the two monitoredelements that have been modified.

3.

In the Coordination Review dialog box:■ Click Elements to expand the tree to view

the individual elements.

■ Click Levels : Level : 3rd Floor : id 467205

(381026). Notice that the 3rd Floor levelline in the view window is highlighted.

■ Click other elements to view them in theview window.

4. In the Coordination Review dialog box, for the

first branch under Maintain Position, under theAction column:■ Double-click Postpone.■ Select Move Level '3rd Floor' from the list.

5.

For the second branch under Maintain Position,under the Action column, select Move Level'2nd Floor' from the list.

6. Click OK to close the Coordination Review

dialog box. 7. For the Imperial users, close the warning box, if

it appears. For the Metric users, in any warning box thatappears, click Delete Element(s).

8. In the view window, notice that the level lines

move and the distance between them is thesame as that before the file was reloaded.



Lesson: Checking and Fixing InterferenceLesson: Conditions

This lesson describes how to check and fix interference conditions. You begin the lesson by learningabout interference checks. Next, you learn about some recommended practices for checkingand fixing interference conditions. The lesson concludes with an exercise on checking and fixinginterference conditions. You run an interference check to detect instances where elements in a building model overlap orinterfere with each other. These instances are shown in an interference report. You can use this reportas a guide to fix the inference conditions.

You detect and resolve interference conditions in the design phase to limit cost overruns and thenumber of design changes required during construction.

Interference report

Objectives


■ Describe interference checks.■ State the recommended practices for checking and fixing interference conditions.■ Check and fix interference conditions in a building model.

Lesson: Checking and Fixing Interference Conditions ■ 91

About Interference Checks

When you create a building design, you can run an interference check on 3D models to ensure that theelements in the building model are properly placed and do not overlap.

Definition of Interference Checks

Interference checks detect overlapping geometry between elements of selected categories. Basedon the selection made, the check scans a building model to identify pairs of elements that overlapor interfere with each other. You can perform these checks within a Revit project or between linkedprojects.

Interference checks are performed on a building model database and not on any one view. The checkscans all the 3D properties of an element. For example, an interference check recognizes wherecomponents of the ducted mechanical systems are in conflict with particular structural elements suchas beams or columns.

The check generates an interference report that alerts you about the number of interferences causeddue to overlapping elements, which may lead to construction errors. For example, an alert occurswhen you place a light fixture against an air terminal. On receiving these alerts, you can correct theerrors.

Viewing Interference

Interferences are not always visible in the existing views. You may need to create new sections orlevels that cut through the interfering elements to make the interference visible.

For example, in the following illustration, the sprinkler pipes are placed too high and, as a result, theyinterfere with the ducts. The plan view shows the sprinkler pipe and duct but does not provide anydetails about the interference. A new section placed through the duct shows the interference.

Plan view

Section view


Example of Interference Checks

The following illustrations show examples of interference checks.

Interference between plumbing fixtures and walls in a floor plan

Interference between ducts and pipes in a 3D view

Interference between air terminals and light fixtures in a ceiling plan


Guidelines for Checking and Fixing Interference Conditions

The following recommended practices help you check and fix interference conditions efficiently.

Guidelines■ Check for interferences frequently and in the early stages of design development. Correcting

interference conditions is much easier when the design contains fewer elements.■ Select a limited set of elements or number of categories to reduce interference check processing

time. In large building models, checking all categories against each other can take a lot of time andeffort.

■ Create separate 3D views that have been sectioned to certain levels. This helps in coordinationby enabling you to view only one floor at a time as opposed to the entire model, where it can bedifficult to find a small collision.

■ Refresh an interference report after correcting the existing interference conditions. This helps youcheck whether the interference has been corrected properly. Refreshing the report checks only forinterferences in the current report and does not identify new interference conditions that may beintroduced when correcting existing interferences. To correct new interferences, run a new check.

■ Generate and circulate an HTML version of the interference report if you cannot resolve allconflicts without additional input from team members.


Exercise: Check and Fix Interference Conditions In this exercise, you run an interference check on a building model to identify and fix interference conditions. You have created the MEP design for a multistory conference center and you want to identify and fixinterference conditions. For this, you run the interference check, export the report, and fix some interferenceconditions. You then run an interference check and select different elements. You do the following: ■ Fix interferences between air terminals and lighting fixtures.■ Fix interferences between ducts and pipes.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter12: Working with Architects andEngineers. Click Exercise: Check and FixInterference Conditions.

Fix Interferences Between Air Terminals andLighting Fixtures

1. Open i_rmep_interference_checking.rvt orm_rmep_interference_checking.rvt. The fileopens in the Level 2 ceiling plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shownhere.

2. Click Collaborate tab > Coordinate panel

> Interference Check drop-down > RunInterference Check.


3. To select the element categories on which the

interference check needs to be performed, inthe Interference Check dialog box:■ Select the Air Terminals check box from the

list of categories on the left.■ Select the Lighting Fixtures check box from

the list of categories on the right.■ Click OK to run the interference check.

4. In the Interference Report dialog box:

■ Ensure that Category 1, Category 2 isselected in the Group By list.

■ Click Export. 5. In the Export an Interference Report to a File

dialog box:■ Select Desktop from the Save In list.■ Click Save.

6. In the Interference Report dialog box, click

Close. 7. On the Desktop, double-click the

i_interference_checking.html(m_interference_checking.html) file to view theinterference report in a browser window. Note: Windows Vista users may need torename the file saved on the desktop,from i_rmep_interference_checkinghtml(m_rmep_interference_checkinghtml)to i_rmep_interference_checking.html(m_rmep_interference_checking.html).

8. Close the browser window after viewing the

interference conditions. 9. In the Revit MEP application window,

click Collaborate tab > Coordinate panel >Interference Check drop-down > Show LastReport.

10.

In the Interference Report dialog box, underMessage:■ Expand Lighting Fixtures, if necessary.■ Under the first Lighting Fixtures parent row,

select the air terminals row with ID 728098(536984).The two interfering elements arehighlighted in the Level 2 ceiling plan view.

Tip: Zoom in to the upper-right corner of thedrawing for a better view.

11. To highlight the overlapping elements in the

ceiling plan view, in the Interference Reportdialog box, under Message, first LightingFixtures parent row, select the lighting fixturerow with ID 803364 (585440).

12. To highlight the interference of the air terminal

with the lighting fixture with ID 803367(585279), in the Interference Report dialog box,under Message, second Lighting Fixtures parentrow, select the air terminal row with ID 728040(536867).

13. To start removing the interference from an

overlapping air terminal and a lighting fixture,in the Interference Report dialog box, underMessage, first Lighting Fixtures parent row,select the air terminal row with ID 728098(536984). This highlights the interference ofthe air terminal with the lighting fixture with ID8083364 (585440).

14. Click anywhere in the view window.


15.

In the view window:■ Zoom in to the upper-right corner of the

drawing, if required.■ Move the cursor over the lighting fixture

that overlaps with the air terminal, asshown.

■ Click to select the lighting fixture.

16. Activate the Move tool. 17.

In the view window, click the upper-rightcorner of the lighting fixture.

18.

Click the right corner of the ceiling grid abovethe lighting fixture, as shown, to move it up.

19. Exit the Move tool.


Refresh. Notice that the interference between the airterminal with ID 728098 (536984) and thelighting fixture with ID 803364 (585440) is nolonger reported. Note: When you click Refresh, the interferencetool does not rescan the building model fornew interferences. It scans only the previouslyfound interference pairs to check whether theinterference was corrected.

21. In the Interference Report dialog box, under

Message, select the air terminal row with ID728040 (536867) to highlight the element inthe ceiling plan view.

22.

Remove the interference from the selected airterminal and the corresponding overlappinglighting fixture.


Refresh. Notice that the interference between the airterminal with the ID 728040 (536867) and thelighting fixture with the ID 803367 (585279)is no longer reported and the Message list isempty.


Close.


Fix Interferences Between Ducts and Pipes 1. Open the Room 214 3D Fire Protection

(Room 53 3D Fire Protection) view. 2.

Draw a selection box around all the elements tohighlight the ducts, duct fittings, air terminals,flex ducts, mechanical equipment, pipes, pipefittings, and sprinklers.

3. Open the Interference Check dialog box to run

another interference check. 4. In the Interference Check dialog box:

■ Under Categories From on the left andright, ensure that Current Selection isselected from both the lists.

■ Clear all check boxes except Duct Fittings,Ducts, and Flex Ducts from the categorieslist on the left.

■ Clear all check boxes except Pipes from thecategories list on the right.

■ Click OK. 5. In the Interference Report dialog box:

■ Ensure that Category 2, Category 1 isselected in the Group By list.

■ Expand the tree, if required.■ Notice that only interferences involving the

selected ducts and pipes are reported. Youcan fix the interferences, as required.

For Metric users, notice that interferencesinvolving the selected ducts, duct fittings, andpipes are reported.

■ Close the dialog box. 6. Close all files without saving changes.


Chapter Summary

You have learned to coordinate and monitor changes in files linked to Revit MEP and create a robustproject design. In addition, you can perform interference checks to detect and resolve conditionsduring the design phase to limit cost overruns and the number of design changes during construction. In this chapter, you learned to:

■ Monitor changes in files of other disciplines linked to Revit MEP.■ Check and fix interference conditions.


Chapter

13

Detailing and Drafting

In this chapter, you learn about callouts and callout views. You learn how to provide information tobuilders and contractors on how a design should be built using detail views. You also learn how tocreate and use drafting views to provide specific information that clarifies design requirements in yourproject.

Chapter Objectives


■ Create callout views.■ Work with detail views.■ Work with drafting views.

100 ■ Chapter 13: Detailing and Drafting

Lesson: Creating Callout Views

This lesson describes how to create callout views. You begin the lesson by learning about calloutsand the steps to create reference callouts. Next, you learn some recommended practices for creatingcallouts. The lesson concludes with an exercise on creating a callout view of a section. A callout view defines portions of a view as separate views. These separate views are at differentscales. Using callout views, you provide an orderly progression of labeled views at increasing levels ofdetail.

Callout view

Objectives


■ Describe callouts.■ Create reference callouts.■ State the recommended practices for creating callouts.■ Create a callout view of a section.

Lesson: Creating Callout Views ■ 101

About Callouts

Callouts act as tools to make coherent document sets. They are designed to enable a user to easilynavigate from a detail on one page to a detail on another page in the document.

Callout views are used to generate separate views of parts of existing views. You use the callout tagand clip planes to resize callout views. Reference callouts enable you to generate reference calloutviews that refer to existing views, instead of creating new views.

Definition of Callouts

A callout is a view that you place in a plan, section, detail, or elevation view to create a more detailedview of part of a building model from the parent view.

The area enclosed within the callout boundary is the callout bubble. A callout bubble is connected toa symbol called the callout head, which shows the detail number and sheet number when the calloutis placed on a sheet. A callout bubble and callout head are connected by a leader line. The calloutbubble, callout head, and leader are together referred to as a callout tag.

Callout Views

When you create a callout, a new view called a callout view is created. A callout view is a separate,large-scaled view of a defined area in a parent view. If the parent view is deleted, the callout view isalso deleted. The following table describes the two types of callout views.

Callout View Type

Description

Callout in parent view If you want a callout to share the properties of the parent view, you createthe callout view using the same view type as the parent. For example, ifyou create a callout in a floor plan view using a Floor Plan view type, thecallout view is displayed under Floor Plans in the Project Browser.

Callout in detail view If you create a callout in any plan, section, or elevation view using theDetail View type, the callout view is displayed under Detail Views in theProject Browser. Detail views have the properties of being hidden in theparent view at certain scales and can be made visible in intersecting views.


The following illustrations show the two types of callout views.

Parent view callout view Detail view callout view

Reference Callouts

Reference callouts reference an existing view and do not create a new view. You can place referencecallouts in plan, elevation, section, callout, and drafting views. You should consider the followingpoints when creating reference callouts:

■ Reference callouts in section, plan, elevation, or callout views can reference cropped views of the

same type as the view in which the reference callout is placed. For example, if you place a calloutin Level 2 floor plan and Level 3 floor plan is cropped to show an area that provides the requiredinformation, you choose Level 3 floor plan as a reference for the callout.

■ Reference callouts in drafting views can reference any plan, section, elevation, or callout view ifthe crop region is displayed in these views.

There is no parametric relationship between the reference callout and the referenced view, somodifications or resizing performed in a reference callout do not affect the original reference view.For example, resizing the clip planes of a reference callout does not affect the crop region of theoriginal referenced view.

Callout Tags

Callout tags are annotation objects that mark the location of callouts. You set the callout head andcorner radius parameters for callout tags to define the appearance of the callout tags.

Callout tags in both parent and detail callout views appear similar. However, they have distinctproperties that determine how and when they are displayed.

Clip Planes

The boundaries of a callout bubble define clip planes for the extents of the callout view. You can resizethe callout view by selecting the callout bubble and dragging the clip planes, which are represented bycontrol dots. Resizing the crop region of a callout view resizes the callout bubble in the parent view.


Example of Callouts

The following illustration shows a callout in a plan view.

Creating Reference Callouts

You create a reference callout to point the callout view to an existing view.

Procedure: Creating Reference Callouts

The following steps describe how to create a reference callout.

1. Open the view in which you want to create a callout to an existing drafting view. 2. Click View tab > Create panel > Callout. 3. On the Options Bar, select the Reference Other View check box. 4. Select the view name that you want to reference from the Reference Other View list. You need to

create a new drafting view if there are no existing views to reference. Note: If a view in the Reference Other View list is on a drawing sheet, the detail number andsheet number are displayed next to the view name.

5.

To place one corner of a callout, click the area of the view where you want to place the callout.Drag the cursor and click again to create a callout bubble.

6. Double-click the callout head to set the referenced view as the active view.

Note: The reference callout head includes a label. To change the label text, you edit theReference Label type parameter of the callout family.


Guidelines for Creating Callouts

The following recommended practices help you work effectively while creating callouts.

Guidelines■ Plan the use of views and callouts to provide a logical sequence that directs users to move from

views providing little detail to views providing greater levels of detail.■ Place callouts on the same sheet as the parent view or place details on sheets by category, such

as panel elevations or duct details. In both cases, the sequence should direct the user throughthe sheet set easily, preferably in one direction. This makes the documents easy to read andenables you to avoid requests for additional information about the created document sets. It alsodecreases the time required to gather information about the construction documentation set.

■ Use standard details in drafting views as references in document sets for multiple calloutsthat detail the same condition. This saves time and enables you to leverage previously drafteddocument sets.

■ Set the callout head and corner radius parameters for callout tags by selecting the Callout Tagsoption from the Settings drop-down on the Project Settings panel of the Manage tab. If anorganization uses round callouts, set the radius to a large value. This enables you to quicklystandardize the appearance of callouts.

Example

The following example shows a round callout used in a drawing.


Exercise: Create a Callout View of a Section In this exercise, you create a callout view of a section to display more detail. You are designing electrical plans for a multistory building. You need to create a callout view to show wall-mounted electrical panels in more detail than is shown by the building section.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter13: Detailing and Drafting. ClickExercise: Create a Callout View of aSection.

1. Open i_rmep_callout_views.rvt or

m_rmep_callout_views.rvt. The file opens inthe default 3D view. Note: The illustrations may look slightlydifferent in the metric dataset.

2. Open the Section 18 view. 3. Click View tab > Create panel > Callout. 4. Select Detail View : Detail from the Type

Selector drop-down.


5. On the Options Bar, select 3/4" = 1'-0" (1 : 50)from the Scale list.

6.

On the left side in the view window, where theleft crop line meets Level 2:■ Click to place the upper-left corner of the

callout.■ Drag the cursor diagonally down to the right

of the view.■ Click to place the lower-right corner of the

callout, as shown.

7. Click the callout boundary to select the callout. 8.

Drag the four Move Clip Plane control dotsof the callout inwards, one after other, todecrease the size of the callout, as shown.

9.

Drag the Drag Head control dot down to movethe callout head below the Level 1 line, asshown.

10.

Drag the Drag control dot of the callout tomodify the position of the leader.

11.

Right-click the callout head. Click Go to View toopen the callout view showing a more detailedview of the electrical panels. The view displayednow is ready for detailing.

12. In the Project Browser, under Sheets (All),

double-click E601 - Panel Schedules to open thesheet.


13.

In the Project Browser, under Views (Discipline),Electrical, Lighting:■ Expand Detail Views (Detail).■ Drag Detail 0 on to the sheet and click to

place the viewport. The placement of thenew viewport on the sheet is not critical.

14. Open the Section 18 view. 15. In the view window, verify that the callout tag is

updated to show the detail number and sheetnumber.



Lesson: Working with Detail Views

This lesson describes how to work with detail views by creating and using them for displaying theconstruction details of a building model. You begin the lesson by learning about detail views and thesteps to create them. Next, you learn the process and some recommended practices for saving andreusing detail views. The lesson concludes with an exercise on creating a detail view. Construction details provide specific information to builders, fabricators, or installers on how toconstruct a building design. You display this information in detail views.

Detail view

Objectives


■ Describe detail views.■ Identify the steps to create detail views.■ Identify the steps in the process of saving and reusing detail views.■ State the recommended practices for saving and reusing detail views.■ Create a detail view.

Lesson: Working with Detail Views ■ 109

About Detail Views

You create detail views to provide information on how a building should be constructed. A detail viewrepresents a building model with finer details in terms of construction and fabrication than large-scale views. Using the detail view, you can add more information to your building model in the form ofannotations and 2D lines on specific parts of the model.

Definition of Detail Views

A detail view is a view of all or a specific portion of a plan, elevation, or section view. This viewprovides a greater level of detail at a different scale from its parent view.

You can create detail views and access them from Detail Views in the Project Browser. You can create adetail view quickly by using the Callout tool. You can also duplicate a view, crop it, and change the scaleto make a detail view. Detail view types are available for sections and callouts in the default templates. The following illustration shows a callout of a plan view listed as a detail view in the Project Browser.

Detail Levels

You can view a building model in three levels of detail: coarse, medium, and fine. These detail levelsare available on the View Control Bar.


Changing the detail level affects the display of the elements in a building model. For example, in theillustration on the left, the pipes are at the coarse detail level and appear as single line pipes. In theillustration on the right, the pipes are at the fine detail level and appear as double line pipes.

Coarse detail level Fine detail level

Detail Level Option

To set the detail level based on the view scale for new views that you create, you use the View Scale-to-Detail Level Correspondence dialog box. You can access this dialog box by selecting Detail Levelfrom the Settings drop-down on the Project Settings panel of the Manage tab.

Additionally, depending on a view, you can override the detail level by setting the Detail Levelparameter in the View Properties dialog box.

Detailing Tools

You can use the detail view of part of a building model as background to specify additionalinformation. This process of adding more information is known as detailing. For example, considera section of a building model where the pipe vent penetrates the roof. In this section, you can addinformation such as text notes, dimensions, and symbols.

You use 2D detailing tools for detailing. These tools are available on the Annotate and View tabs. The following table describes the detailing tools.

Tool

Description

Callouts Creates a callout to display a close-up view of a plan, section, or elevationview. Details are added to the callout view.

Detail Lines Places 2D lines in the detail view. These lines can trace over modelcomponents or add lines that are not shown in the model.

Dimensions Applies specific dimensions to the detail for specifying exact distances orplacement instructions.

Text Notes Specifies construction methods and materials.

Detail Components Creates and loads custom detail components to place the details. Detailcomponents may be actual construction components, such as floor drains,p-traps, and roof drains.


Tool

Description

Symbols Places a symbol such as a direction arrow or a break mark to indicateomitted information.

Masking Region Creates masking regions to obscure elements in a view.

Filled Regions Creates detail regions and gives them a fill pattern to represent surfacessuch as concrete or compacted earth.

Insulation Places a detail component to represent insulation. You do this in a sectiondetail that shows the structure of a roof or wall.

Detail Groups Places pre-existing groups or combines detail elements into groups thatyou can reuse within a project or in other projects.

You use detailing tools, such as Detail Lines, Detail Components, and Filled Regions, more frequentlythan other tools.

Detail Lines

The Detail Lines tool used for creating 2D detail lines has the same drawing options as the Lines tool.You use the Lines tool when creating ducts, pipes, or wires. Detail lines are specific to a view and areused in drafting views, which have no reference to the building model.

Detail Components

You use the Detail Component tool to place 2D detail components, such as fasteners and connections,in a detail view. Detail components are similar to annotation elements and are visible only in the viewin which you place them. You can use these detail components and create custom detail componentswhen you fill details for construction documents.

You load detail components into a file from the Detail Component libraries that are installed withRevit®. These detail components are stored in the library according to the CSI MasterFormat. The following illustrations show 2D detail component families.

2D family of a sink section 2D family of a floor drain section


Filled Regions

Filled regions are detail elements that consist of repeated line patterns within a border. You placea filled region by sketching its border and specifying a pattern. Filled regions can be opaque ortransparent. Opaque regions hide the surface on which they are placed.

White and opaque filled regions are known as masking regions. You can set the edge lines of the filledand masking regions to the invisible linetype, which hides the edge lines.

Hidden Line

The graphics display mode that Revit most commonly uses is known as Hidden Line. This mode showsonly surfaces and edges, and objects behind other objects are hidden. You can show the edges ofhidden objects in a detail view. To do this, you either add detail lines or override the display of edgesby using the Linework tool on the Edit Linework panel of the Modify tab.

Standard drafting convention in plans and sections includes linework that indicates when a linerepresenting an object edge is hidden. At times, when you want to indicate that an item is not reallyvisible, you use the dashed linetype known as Hidden. Revit also provides a linetype named HiddenLine that is green and has a slightly different pattern. The following illustrations show a hidden line view and the hidden linetype.

Hidden line view of a model Detail lines using the hidden linetypein a detail view of a model

Draw Order of Elements

The draw order of elements in a detail or drafting view determines which 2D elements, such as filledregions, hide other elements. You can set the draw order for detail items in a detail view. By default,elements that are added later hide those placed earlier.

Detail Groups

You can assemble detail objects, such as detail lines, filled regions, and text to create detail groups.You can group model and detail elements and combinations of both. Creating detail groups minimizesrepetition of elements. You can place detail groups in many views, save them as library files, andaccess them from the Project Browser.


Draw Order of Detail Groups

The draw order of a detail group is the sequence in which you group the detail elements. The draworder of a detail group does not change when the group is moved, copied, or inserted.

You can change the draw order of individual group members. To do this, you need to edit the group.After you edit the draw order of the members of a detail group, all instances of that detail group areupdated with the new draw order.

Sorting Detail Element Display Depth

You sort the display depth of selected detail elements in a view using Bring to Front and Send to Backon the Arrange panel of the Modify Detail Items contextual tab. These options are available when youplace or select detail elements in the view. The following table describes the display depth sorting options.

Option

Description

Bring to Front Places a detail element in front of all detail elements in the view.

Send to Back Places a detail element behind all detail elements in the view.

Bring Forward Moves a detail element incrementally closer to the front of all detailelements in the view.

Send Backward Moves a detail element incrementally closer to the back of all other detailelements in the view.

Example of Detail Views

The following illustrations show examples of detail views.

Section detail view before detailing.


Section detail view with the detail level changed to fine, and notes added to the view.

Creating Detail Views

You can create a new detail view or change the type of an existing section or callout view. When youcreate a detail view from an existing view, you can resize the crop region and rename it.

Procedure: Creating a Detail View from an Existing View

The following steps describe the procedure to create a detail view from an existing view.

1. Open a view that contains a section or callout that you wish to detail. 2. Open the Instance Properties dialog box. 3. In the Instance Properties dialog box:

■ Select Detail from the Type list.■ Under Graphics, select a view scale from the View Scale list.

4. In the view window, resize the crop region, if required. 5. In the Project Browser, rename the new detail view.

You can change any section view that has not been created with a Detail View typeto a detail view by selecting the section symbol in the parent view and selecting aDetail View type from the Type Selector drop-down. The view will then move to theappropriate Detail View category in the Project Browser. You can also change theview type of callouts placed in section views. However, you cannot change the viewtype of callouts placed in plan views.

Procedure: Creating a New Detail View

The following steps describe the procedure to create a new detail view.

1. In the Project Browser, open an existing plan, section, or elevation view. 2. Activate the Callout tool.


3. Select Detail View : Detail from the Type Selector drop-down. 4. On the Options Bar, select a scale view from the Scale list. 5. In the view window:

■ Click the starting point of the new detail view and drag it through the building model.■ Click when you reach the end point of the detail.

6. Exit the Callout tool. 7. Select the callout view. 8. Drag the blue controls to resize the crop region if required. The depth of the detail view changes

accordingly. 9. In the Project Browser, rename the new detail view.

Process of Saving and Reusing Detail Views

Saving a detail view increases its usability across projects. You can save views with view-specificelements, such as text, dimensions, detail lines, and detail components, as library content and reusethem in different projects.

Process: Saving and Reusing a Detail View

The following illustration shows the process of saving and reusing a detail view.

The following steps describe the process of saving and reusing a detail view.

1. Select a view. Select a view in the Project Browser that you want to save to a separate file. Select Save to New

File from the shortcut menu. 2. Save the view. Save the view as an RVT file in a selected library folder. 3. Insert the view. Insert the view in another project, as required. You can insert schedules, drafting views, reports,

sheets, or 2D content from one project to another using Insert from File on the Import panel ofthe Insert tab.

4. Open the view. Open the inserted view to reuse it. You need to ensure that when you open a view for reuse, its

properties are also transferred to the project. You can also select a view scale for the view thatyou want to reuse.


Guidelines for Saving and Reusing Detail Views

You should identify the views, if any, that you can save in a project to reuse later. The followingrecommended practices help you save and reuse detail views.

Guidelines■ When you export a sheet, the placement of views on the sheet is maintained. This enables you

to create and reuse standard detail sheets. When you import a sheet, the titleblock on the sheetis updated with project information and the sheet name is incremented according to your sheetnaming convention.

■ To import 2D elements from a saved model detail view, you must activate a drafting view. Thisresults in a successful import of the 2D elements. However, model elements are not imported.

■ When you import a drafting view, a new drafting view is automatically created to retain theimported view. This enables you to quickly create detail sheets that reuse standard details butvary in layout.

■ You can use detailing in Revit to make good use of predrawn detail components. After you createdetails, particularly standard details that do not reference a specific model, save them to build alibrary of detail components in the Revit format. This helps you to insert details quickly in futureprojects and avoids having to recreate detail blocks.


Exercise: Create a Detail View In this exercise, you create a detail view. You need to create an electrical riser diagram to indicate how the electrical panels are connected. You use abuilding model to create a detail view of the electrical panels. You tag the electrical panels, add detail lines,text notes, and callouts. You do the following: ■ Create a section view.■ Add tags to electrical panels.■ Add detail lines to connect the electrical panels.■ Add text notes and callouts.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter13: Detailing and Drafting. ClickExercise: Create a Detail View.

Create a Section View 1. Open i_rmep_views_detail.rvt or

m_rmep_views_detail.rvt. The file opens in theLevel 2 Power Plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.


2.

In the view window, zoom in to the electricalpanels in the upper-right corner of the model asshown.

3. Click View tab > Create panel > Section. 4. Ensure that Detail View : Detail is selected in

the Type Selector drop-down. 5.

In the view window, draw a section as shown.

6. Exit the Section tool. 7. In the Project Browser, under Detail Views

(Detail), rename Detail 0 to Electrical RiserDiagram.

8.

In the view window, double-click the sectionhead of the newly created section to open thesection view.

9.

Select the section view boundary to activatethe grips.


10.

Drag the grips at the top and bottom of theview to align them as shown. Tip: Move the top grip up until the upperpanels appear. Move the bottom grip up to justbelow the lower panels.

Add Tags to Electrical Panels 1. Click Annotate tab > Tag panel > Tag By

Category. 2. On the Options Bar, clear the Leader check box. 3.

In the view window, click the upper-left panelto place the tag.

4.

Click the remaining panels to place the tags asshown.

Add Detail Lines to Connect the ElectricalPanels 1. Click Annotate tab > Detail panel > Detail Line. 2. On the Element panel, ensure that Wide Lines

is selected in the Line Style list. 3.

In the view window, draw detail lines thatconnect the panel EP-2 to T-2 as shown. Theexact location of the detail line is not critical forcompleting the exercise. Tip: Press ESC after you finish drawing detaillines between two panels.


4.

Draw detail lines to show all the panelconnections as shown.

5. Click Place Detail Lines tab > Draw panel >

Rectangle to add another element to theelectrical riser diagram.

6.

In the view window, draw a rectangle next tothe panel LP-1 of an approximate size as shown.

7. On the Draw panel, click Line to switch back to

drawing lines. 8.

In the view window, draw lines connecting LP-1to the rectangle and lines connecting the loweredge of the rectangle to the left of the view, asshown.

9.

Draw lines to represent the ground rod comingoff the LP-1 panel, as shown.

Add Text Notes and Callouts 1. Click Annotate tab > Text panel > Text to begin

adding a text note to the detail view. 2. On the Place Text tab, Leader panel, ensure that

No Leader is selected.


3.

In the view window:■ Click in the rectangle to begin adding text.■ In the text box, enter UTILITY TRANSOCKET.

■ Click outside the text box to finish adding

text. 4. Exit the Text tool. 5.

In the view window:■ Select the text note and resize it using

the grips so that the text fits inside therectangle.

■ Clear the selection, if any.

6. Activate the Text tool to add another piece of

text. 7.

In the view window:■ Click near the left line at the bottom of the

rectangle to begin adding text.■ In the text box, enter TO PADMOUNT

TRANSFORMER.

■ Click outside the text box to finish adding

text. 8. Exit the Text tool. 9.

In the view window:■ Select the text note and resize it using the

grips to fit the text on the left of the line asshown.

Tip: You can drag the selected text box to moveit to the desired position.

■ Clear the selection, if any.

10. Activate the Text tool.


11. Click the Place Text tab > Leader panel > Two

Segments. 12.

In the view window:■ Click the middle line of the LP-1 panel

representing the ground rod.■ Draw the two-segment leader.■ In the text box, enter GROUND ROD.

13. Click outside the text box to finish adding text. 14. Exit the Text tool. 15. Close the file without saving changes.

Lesson: Working with Drafting Views ■ 123

Lesson: Working with Drafting Views

This lesson describes how to work with drafting views. You begin the lesson by learning about draftingviews. Next, you learn the process and some recommended practices of reusing these views. Thelesson concludes with exercises on creating drafting views and importing a view and a CAD file.

When you create and document a building model, you may want to create a detail that is notassociated with the building model. Instead of creating a callout and then detailing it, you can usedrafting views to create these details. You can also save drafting views and reuse them across projects.

Drafting view of a kitchen sink section

Objectives


■ Describe drafting views.■ Identify the steps in the process of reusing drafting views.■ State the recommended practices for reusing drafting views.■ Create drafting views.■ Import a view and a CAD file.


About Drafting Views

You create drafting views when a project contains drafted details.

During design, if you change a building model, the drafted details do not change; therefore, the detailsrequire no adjustment. However, in model views, you may need to adjust the 2D detail components ifthe model changes.

Definition of Drafting Views

Drafting views provide a 2D detail drawing of a specific part of a building model. In a drafting view,you can use 2D detailing tools such as detail lines, detail regions, detail components, insulation,reference planes, dimensions, symbols, and text. Drafting views are drawn and not modeled. Forexample, a drafting view of a typical diffuser connection does not include the diffuser and ductelements, but shows only the lines that represent the diffuser and the duct.

In drafting views, you include only the elements that you either create using 2D detailing tools orimport from the standard CAD detail library. You can create drafting views at different view scales anddetail levels. You can also save drafting views and reuse them across projects.

You place a drafting view on a drawing sheet by dragging the view to the sheet, which is similar toplacing a floor plan. Drafting views are saved with the project and are listed under Drafting Views inthe Project Browser.

Example of Drafting Views

The following illustration shows detail components with dimensions and text notes in a drafting view.


Process of Reusing Drafting Views

You can save the drafting views that you create as separate files in the detail drawing library. You canthen reuse these drafting views in other building models.

Process: Reusing Drafting Views

The following illustration shows the process of reusing drafting views.

The following steps describe the process of reusing drafting views.

1. Create drafting views. You create a drafting view using the Drafting View tool on the Create panel of the View tab.

You can create different types of drafting views based on the type of application that you wantto display in a specific drafting view, depending on disciplines such as HVAC or electrical. Thisorganizes the different views in the Project Browser.

2. Annotate in drafting views. You annotate drafting views by using various detailing tools on the Detail panel of the Annotate

tab. These tools include Detail Line, Region, Component, Revision Cloud, Symbol, Detail Group,and Insulation.

3. Save drafting views. You can save drafting views as external files by using the Save to New File option on the shortcut

menu of the drafting view. 4. Import drafting views. You can reuse an existing drafting view by importing it into the current project using the Insert

From File option on the Import panel of the Insert tab.


Guidelines for Reusing Drafting Views

Following these recommended practices, you can reuse drafting views effectively.

Guidelines■ Save drafting views to external files so that members of other teams can reuse them. This practice

helps you build a detail library.■ Save drafting views to the existing file system with relevant file names, which can be easily

identified, so that the files are visible to other team members. This makes the commonly usedfiles available to other team members, facilitating better work coordination.

■ Ensure that you post revised versions of views if any details change in the drafting views so thatthe latest design information is available. This practice increases the efficiency of the designprocess and reduces errors.

■ Export views to CAD formats so that detailers, who are proficient in CAD programs, can alsocontribute in a Revit project. After the detailers have worked on the CAD files, you can importthem as drafting views. This enables detailers who are proficient in programs other than Revit toparticipate in a Revit project.


Exercise: Create Drafting Views In this exercise, you create a drafting view. You need to provide a detailed drawing of the roof drains on a multistory building. To do so, you create adrafting view. You do the following: ■ Place a detail component representing a roof drain.■ Add filled regions and detail lines to represent roof construction.■ Mirror detail components in the view.■ Modify an instance of the roof drain component.■ Add dimensions to the detail components.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter13: Detailing and Drafting. ClickExercise: Create Drafting Views.

Place a Detail Component Representing aRoof Drain 1. Open i_rmep_draftingviews.rvt or

m_rmep_draftingviews.rvt. The file opens inthe default 3D view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2. Click View tab > Create Panel > Drafting View to

begin creating a drafting view. 3. To specify a name and a scale for the new

drafting view, in the New Drafting View dialogbox:■ For Name, enter Roof & Overflow Drain.■ Ensure that 1 1/2" = 1'-0" (1:10) is selected

in the Scale list.■ Click OK. A blank drafting view is added to the ProjectBrowser and it becomes the active view.

4. To place a detail component representing a

roof drain, you first need to set up the drawingspace. Click Home tab > Work Plane panel > RefPlane drop-down > Draw Reference Plane.


5.

Draw a vertical reference plain in the middle ofthe view window. You use this reference planeas a construction line in the subsequent steps.

6. Click Annotate tab > Detail panel > Component

drop-down > Detail Component. 7. Select Roof Drain : Roof Drain (m_Roof Drain :

m_Roof Drain) from the Type Selector drop-down.

8.

Place an instance of the roof drain to the left ofthe reference plane to begin creating a detaileddrawing of the roof drains. The exact positionof the roof drain is not critical. You will adjustthe position of the roof drain in the subsequentstep.

9. Exit the Detail Component tool after placing the

component. 10. To adjust the position of the drain:

■ Select the drain.■ Click the temporary dimension of the drain.■ Enter 1' 3" (380 mm).■ Press ENTER.

Add Filled Regions and Detail Lines toRepresent Roof Construction 1. To begin drafting various parts of the roof

construction, click Annotate tab > Detail panel> Region drop-down > Region. The Create FilledRegion Boundary tab opens, and the detailcomponent in the view window appears gray.

2. In the view window, zoom in to view the roof

drain clearly. 3.

To draw the roof insulation, in the viewwindow, sketch a rectangular outline that isapproximately 2" (50 mm) thick, as shown. Therectangular outline represents the outline ofthe rigid insulation layer. The distance betweenthe lines representing the roof insulation andthe flange of the roof drain is not critical forcompleting this exercise. Tip: Use horizontal shape handles at the upperand lower ends of the flange of the roof drainas reference for drawing the sketch lines.

4. Click Modify.


5.

Zoom in to the flange of the roof drain toensure that the roof insulation sketch matchesthe illustration, as shown. Select lines and movethem, if required.

6. In the view window, select the upper-horizontal

line of the insulation that you just sketched. 7. On the Element panel, select <Invisible Lines>

from the Line Style list to ensure that the line isinvisible when the filled region is completed.

8. On the Element panel, click Region Properties

to specify a fill pattern for the roof insulation. 9. In the Instance Properties dialog box:

■ Select Ortho Crosshatch - Small from theType list.

■ Click OK. 10. On the Region panel, click Finish Region. Notice

the change in the roof insulation layer. 11. Activate the Region tool to begin drafting the

region that represents bedding for the roofingmembrane above the insulation.

12.

To create a roof membrane layer, in the viewwindow:■ Zoom in to the upper-horizontal line that

was made invisible.■ Draw a rectangular chain of thin lines with

a thickness of 0' 1/4" (7 mm) above theinsulation to represent a roof membranelayer. The rectangle extends from thereference plane to the drain.

13. Click Modify. 14.

In the view window, select the right vertical lineof the rectangle you just sketched. Tip: Zoom in to the right edge of the rectangleto select the line with ease.

15. On the Element panel, select <Invisible Lines>

from the Line Style list. 16. On the Element panel, click Region Properties

to specify a fill pattern for the roof membranelayer.


■ Select Sand - Very Dense from the Type list.■ Click OK.


18. On the Region panel, click Finish Region. Notice

the change in the rectangle above the filledregion. Note: The illustration for metric dataset willdiffer slightly.

19. To draw the roof membrane surface, click

Annotate tab > Detail panel > Detail Line. 20. Ensure that Thin Lines is selected from the Type

Selector drop-down. 21.

In the view window, zoom in to the upper endof the flange on the drain.

22.

Draw the top surface of the roof as two linesstarting from within the flange to the referenceplane, as shown. Ensure that the horizontal lineextends up to the reference plane.

23. Exit the Detail Line tool. 24. In the view window:

■ Zoom in to the two new lines you justsketched.

■ CTRL+select the two lines. 25.

On the Modify panel, click Copy. Notice that adotted region surrounds the two lines that youselected.

26.

Click anywhere in the view window and movethe cursor straight down.

Tip: Selecting away from the existing lines canmake editing easier because snaps are notactivated.

27.

For the listening dimension of the lines, enter1/8" (2 mm). Press ENTER. This places a copyof the two lines that you have drawn at thespecified distance. The distance between theroof membrane and sand layer is not critical forcompleting this exercise.

28.

Click Modify to clear the selection.


Mirror Detail Components in the View 1.

To begin reusing what you have drawn, selectthe detail lines and filled regions using aselection box.

2. Click Multi-Select tab > Modify panel > Mirror

drop-down > Pick Mirror Axis. 3.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor over the drain to highlight

the vertical centerline of the drain.■ Click the vertical centerline of the roof drain

as mirror axis. The detail lines and filledregions you created are copied to the left ofthe drain.

4. To finish one side of the drawing, activate the

Detail Component tool. 5. Select Break Line : Break Line from the Type

Selector drop-down. 6. In the view window:

■ Position the cursor to the left of the drain.■ Press SPACEBAR until the break line rotates

to 90 degrees.■ Click to place the break line at the left end

of the drain. The exact placement of thebreak line is not critical.

7.

Click Modify.

8.

To use the reference plane and duplicate thedetails in the view window, draw a selectionbox to select all elements except the referenceplane.

9. Activate the Pick Mirror Axis tool. 10.

In the view window, click the reference planeas the mirror axis to place a second drain to theright of the roof drain.

11. Clear the selection.


Modify an Instance of the Roof DrainComponent 1. Right-click the drain on the right of the

reference plane. Click Element Properties. Thisenables you to use the parametric properties oflibrary detail components for changing one ofthe roof drains.

2. To change the ring height, in the Instance

Properties dialog box:■ Under Instance Parameters, Other, for Ring

Height, enter 0' 2" (50 mm).■ Click OK. The representation of the drain

collar updates. 3. Click Modify. Add Dimensions to the Detail Components 1. To add a dimension for defining the collar

height on the right drain in the view window,zoom in to the drain.

2. Click Annotate tab > Dimension panel > Aligned

to place a dimension for the ring element ofthe right drain.

3.

In the view window, to start placing adimension for the ring element of the rightdrain:■ Move the cursor to the bottom of the ring.■ Click when the horizontal shape handle of

the roof drain highlights to begin placingthe dimension.

4.

To finish placing the dimension:■ Move the cursor to the top of the ring.■ Click when the upper-horizontal shape

handle is highlighted. Note: If you have difficulty selecting the shapehandle, use the TAB key to toggle through theselection options. You can refer the status barto see the name of the selected component.

■ Move the cursor to the left and click tofinish placing the dimension.

5.

Select the Drag Text handle of the dimensionand move the dimension up, so that it is clearlyvisible, as shown.


6.

In the view window, to place a horizontaldimension between the two drains:■ Click the vertical centerlines of both the

drains in succession.■ Click above the drains to place the

dimension.

7. Click Modify. 8. In the view window, select the dimension

between the drains. 9. Open the Type Properties dialog box. 10. In the Type Properties dialog box:

■ Under Type Parameters, Graphics, forCenterline Symbol, select Centerline(M_Centreline) from the Value list.

■ Click OK. 11.

Notice that the dimension display updates toshow the centerline symbols.

Note: You can practice placing text noteson various components of the roof drain asdesired.

12. Click Modify. 13. In the Project Browser, under Drafting Views

(Detail), right-click Roof & Overflow Drain. ClickSave to New File to save the drafting view.

14. In the Save As dialog box:

■ Select Desktop from the Save In list.■ Click Save.



Exercise: Import a View and a CAD File In this exercise, you import a saved view into a drafting view and a CAD file into another drafting view. You are preparing the construction documents for a building project. You know that drafted details fromanother Revit project and an AutoCAD® project are useful in your work. Therefore, you import the draftingdetails of those projects rather than spend time re-creating those details. You do the following: ■ Insert a drafting view from another file.■ Import a CAD file into a drafting view.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter13: Detailing and Drafting. ClickExercise: Import a View and a CAD File.

Insert a Drafting View from another File 1. Open i_rmep_importview.rvt or

m_rmep_importview.rvt. The file opens in thedefault 3D view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shownhere.

2. To import a Revit drafting view for use in this

project file, click Insert tab > Import panel >Insert from File drop-down > Insert Views fromFile.

3. In the Open dialog box:

■ Navigate to the location where you savedthe courseware datasets.

■ Select i_rmep_view_to_import.rvt(m_rmep_view_to_import.rvt).

■ Click Open.


4.

In the Insert Views dialog box:■ Under Views, ensure that the Drafting

View: Roof and Drain (Drafting View: Roofand Overflow Drain) check box is selected.

■ Click OK.

5. In the Duplicate Types message box, click

OK. The new drafting view opens and is nowavailable in the project.

6. Close the warning box that is displayed. Import a CAD File into a Drafting View 1. To import a CAD file for use in a drafting view,

create a new drafting view with the name RoofDrain Detail from CAD.

2. Click Insert tab > Import panel > Import CAD. 3. In the Import CAD Formats dialog box:

■ Navigate to the location where you savedthe courseware datasets.

■ Select Roof and Two Drains Imperial.dwg(Roof and Two Drains Metric.dwg).

■ Ensure that Black and White is selected inthe Colors list.

■ Click Open. The CAD import is displayed in the draftingview and available in the project. You canchange the appearance of layers in thiscomponent or explode it to change individuallines or text.

4. In the view window, enter ZF to zoom to fit.

5. In the view window:

■ Select the drawing.■ Notice that the Modify Roof and Two

Drains Imperial.dwg (Modify Roof and TwoDrains Metric.dwg) tab is displayed.

Note: You can use the Import Instance panel ofthis tab to change the appearance of layers inthe CAD import or explode the CAD import intoindividual lines and text. You can then edit thelines and text to make the drawing fit to use asa drafting view in your project.



Chapter Summary

Now that you have learned how to create and use callouts and callout views, detail views, and draftingviews, you can supplement your designs with detailed information on how to build your designs. In this chapter, you learned to:

■ Create callout views.■ Work with detail views.■ Work with drafting views.


Chapter

14

Annotations and Schedules

Revit® MEP provides tools to quickly annotate a model with text and tags. You use annotations todocument a design and transform conceptual designs into construction document sets. You can usedimensions to show and control object positioning in your design.

In this chapter, you learn how to work with text, tags, and dimensions in a building model. You alsolearn how to create a legend and work with different types of schedules.

Chapter Objectives


■ Work with text and tags.■ Work with dimensions in a building model.■ Create legends with notes, annotation symbols, and model elements.■ Work with schedules.

138 ■ Chapter 14: Annotations and Schedules

Lesson: Working with Text and Tags

This lesson describes how to work with text and tags. You begin the lesson by learning about text andtags. Next, you learn some recommended practices for working with them. The lesson concludes withan exercise on working with text and tags. Annotations, such as text and tags, are an important part of construction documents. Annotationsprovide specific instructions that are necessary for fabricators and constructors to understand abuilding design. You use text to provide descriptive information about building elements. Tags areused to label building elements. The following illustration shows a plan view with tags and a text note.

Objectives


■ Describe text.■ Describe tags.■ State the recommended practices for working with text and tags.■ Work with text and tags.

Lesson: Working with Text and Tags ■ 139

About Text

A building design goes through various stages before being implemented. At each stage, differentpeople are involved who may want to add explanations and instructions to the design using textannotations. You can add text to views or sheets in your project to make the building design easy tounderstand for the people next in the cycle.

Definition of Text

Text is the information added to a view to label or provide descriptions about the building elements. Itis a view-specific component and therefore automatically changes in size along with the view scale.

You can use the default text types or create custom text types based on font or size, as required. Textcan have leaders that point to specific elements, areas, or conditions in a view.

You add text to a view as a text note using the Text tool. When you add text, the text and the leadersautomatically snap into alignment with the other text and leaders in the view. After adding text, youcan format it for various parameters, such as size, font, justification, width, underlining, lineweight,background, and color. To keep the building elements in a view clear and readable, you can move textto different positions. You can also edit and wrap text. In addition, you can copy or paste text fromother applications, such as Microsoft Word. You can also add or remove leaders of a text note at anytime, if required.

Model Text

For special instances, such as putting a representation of signage on a building, you can add modeltext. Model text is a model component and is therefore visible in all the relevant model views. It doesnot change when the view scale is changed.

Example of Text

The following illustration shows a drafting view with text notes.


About Tags

You use tags to label building elements. Tags use unique symbols to represent each building element.Unlike text, the values displayed in tags are automatically updated when a building design is updated.

Definition of Tags

Tags are annotations that display parametric information about the elements with which they areassociated. Tags are view-specific and therefore scale with the view. When you place tags, theyautomatically align with the other tags in the view.

Revit provides predefined tag families for all building elements. Some tags such as air terminal andduct are preloaded into the default project templates. The preloaded tags are automatically placedin a view when you add a corresponding building element. For building elements that do not havecorresponding preloaded tags, you need to load the tags from the software library.

You can create custom tags by editing the predefined tag family files according to the required graphicstandards. Tags can be added with or without leaders and can be oriented horizontally or vertically.You can modify tags by changing their position in a view, turning their leaders on or off, and changingtheir orientation.

You can tag a building element with more than one tag if multiple tag types areloaded for that element.

Types of Predefined Tags

The following table describes the various types of predefined tags.

Type

Description

Air terminal Displays the Type Mark property of air terminals and the specified amount of CFM.Air terminals are numbered and scheduled by type, not individually.

Light fixture Displays the Type Mark property of light fixtures. Light fixtures are numbered andscheduled by type, not individually.

Space Displays the name and number of spaces by default.

Duct Displays the size property of ducts. Ducts are sized by diameter or by width andheight.


Tag Tool Options

You can add tags in a view using the tools available on the Tag panel of the Annotate tab. The Tag panelprovides five tools: Tag by Category, Tag All, Multi-Category, Material, and View Reference.

Tag tools on the Tag panel of the Annotate tab

The following table describes the various tag tools available on the Tag panel.

Option

Description

Tag by Category Identifies building elements, such as air terminals, piping, and plumbingfixtures, in a drawing. When you tag building elements by category, Revitrecognizes the element type and provides an appropriate tag type.

Tag All Places tags by category on all or selected building elements in a view.

Multi-Category Identifies building elements across element categories based on thepredefined filters.

Material Identifies materials, such as studs and drywall in walls, as specified in abuilding design.

View Reference Indicates the sheet number and detail number of a view that has beensplit with a Matchline. This tool is active only in views with dependencyrelationships.

Example of Tags

The following illustrations show the various types of predefined tags.

Air terminal tags Light fixture tags


Space tag Duct tags

Guidelines for Working with Text and Tags

The following recommended practices help you work efficiently with text and tags.

Guidelines■ Place text and tags after a view is created and made ready for annotation if you anticipate changes

to the view scale. Following this practice helps you save the time spent in coordinating the viewsfor printing.

■ Create copies of the main model views and name them appropriately so that you can quicklyadd text and tags to create specific views. For example, a floor plan view can be duplicatedwith detailing repeatedly to set up the mechanical, electrical, piping, and plumbing plans. Eachduplicate plan view can contain the required text and tags. If you work on similar building designs,you can save these plan views in a project template to reduce the setup time and speed up thedocumentation phase.

■ Plan and crop the documentation views to make placing text notes easier and more efficient.■ Ensure that text notes and their associated leaders do not obscure the graphic display of building

elements. Also check that notes are aligned. These measures will enable users to read text noteseasily.

■ Create different types of text by adding leaders with different end symbols, such as dots and largearrows. You can then use different text symbols for specific situations or conditions.

■ Load more than one tag type for building elements when you want to tag an element for differentpurposes across views. Following this practice provides flexibility to views and improves thequality of documents.

■ Use the spelling checker available on the Text panel of the Annotate tab to ensure correct spellingsare used in text and tags.


Exercise: Work with Text and Tags In this exercise, you add text in a drafting view to illustrate a standard piping detail. In addition, you add textand tags in a plan view to annotate the building elements. You also modify a tag type. You are documenting a building project. To complete a drafted detail, you add text notes to a view andprepare a plan view by adding tags to air terminals, ducts, and spaces. Next, you modify the air terminal tagsby changing the tag type. You do the following: ■ Add text to a detail view.■ Add text and tags to a model view.■ Modify a tag type.



Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter14: Annotations and Schedules. ClickExercise: Work with Text and Tags.

Add Text to a Detail View 1. Open i_rmep_text_and_tags.rvt or

m_rmep_text_and_tags.rvt. The file opens inthe Condensate Drain drafting view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2. Click Annotate tab > Text panel > Text to label

the drawing elements. 3. Ensure that Text : 3/32" Arial (Text : 2.5mm

Arial) is selected from the Type Selector drop-down.

4. On the Place Text tab:

■ On the Alignment panel, click Center toplace centrally aligned text.

■ On the Leader panel, click Two Segments tocreate a leader with two segments.

5.

In the view window:■ Click the pipe to start placing a leader for

the text.■ Move the cursor to the northeast direction,

as shown.

■ Click to place the leader elbow.


6.

To annotate the pipe:■ Move the cursor to the right such that it is

placed at the center of the views.■ Click to add text.■ In the text box, enter PIPE.

7. Exit the Text tool. 8. Select the text you just added. 9. Click Modify Text Notes tab > Leader panel >

Right Straight. 10.

In the view window, use the Drag controls toadjust the position of the leaders and the textbox as shown.

11. On the Create panel, click Create Similar.

12.

Add text and leaders to various buildingelements as shown. You need to add thefollowing text in the text boxes:■ SUPPORT-SEE SPECIFICATIONS■ ROOF MEMBRANE■ INSTALLATION SHALL BE PER ROOF

MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS

13.

Add text and leaders on the right as shown. Youneed to add the following text in the text box: PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LAYER OF ROOFMEMBRANE AT PIPE SUPPORT LOCATIONS PERMANUFACTURER’S RECOMMENDATIONS

14. Clear the selection. 15. Zoom to fit the view.


Add Text and Tags to a Model View 1. Open the Level 2 HVAC Plan view. 2.

Zoom in to the room in the upper-left corner ofthe drawing.

3. Click Annotate tab > Tag panel > Tag By

Category. 4. On the Options Bar, ensure that the Leader

check box is clear. 5.

In the view widow:■ Place the cursor over the air terminal as

shown.

■ Click to add a tag.

6.

Add tags on the other two air terminals asshown.

7. Click Annotate tab > Tag panel > Tag All.

8. To add tags to all the ducts and spaces, in the

Tag All Not Tagged dialog box:■ CTRL+select the Duct Tags and Space Tags

categories.■ Under Leader, ensure that the Create check

box is clear.■ Click OK.■ Click OK in the Revit message box if it

appears. Notice that in the view window,tags are added to all the ducts and spaces.

9. Activate the Text tool. 10. On the Place Text tab:

■ On the Alignment panel, click Left to placeleft-aligned text.

■ On the Leader panel, click One Segment. 11. In the view window:

■ Click the duct endcap.■ Move the cursor in the northwest direction.■ Click to add text.■ In the text box, enter RECTANGULAR

ENDCAP. 12.

Click Modify.


13.

To adjust the position of the text box:■ Select the text that you just added.■ Use the left Drag control to place the text

box as shown.

14. Click anywhere in the view window to clear the

selection. Modify a Tag Type 1. To change the type of tags from one loaded

type to another, right-click an air terminal tag.Click Select All Instances to select all the airterminal tags in the view.

2. Select Diffuser Tag - TYPE NAME from the Type

Selector drop-down. Notice that all the airterminal tags update to the new type.

3. Clear the selection. 4. Close the file without saving changes.


Lesson: Working with Dimensions

This lesson describes how to work with dimensions in a building model. You begin the lesson bylearning about temporary and permanent dimensions. Next, you learn about some recommendedpractices for working with dimensions. The lesson concludes with an exercise on working withdimensions in a building model. You place dimensions to set and modify the distance between elements in a building model. You usetemporary dimensions to quickly and accurately populate a design and permanent dimensions toannotate the design. The following illustration shows a dimension associated with a duct element.

Objectives


■ Describe temporary dimensions.■ Describe permanent dimensions.■ State the recommended practices for working with dimensions.■ Work with dimensions in a building model.

Lesson: Working with Dimensions ■ 149

About Temporary Dimensions

Dimensions are system families that have type and instance properties. You can customize theseproperties to create new dimension types that better suit your requirements. For example, you canchange the tick mark, line weight, and color of dimensions. In addition, you can control the witnesslines for dimensions. You can also set the font, height, and unit format for dimension text.

Dimensions can be of two types, temporary and permanent. Temporary dimensions are automaticallydisplayed when you select an element in a building model. They enable you to place and moveelements accurately in a building model.

Definition of Temporary Dimensions

Temporary dimensions are the dimensions displayed in reference to the nearest element that isperpendicular or parallel to the element that you are creating or have selected. The following illustrations show the temporary dimensions of various elements.

Temporary dimensions for a duct beingcreated

Temporary dimensions for a selectedelement

Temporary dimensions disappear when you add another element to the building design, reducingdimension clutter. To edit a temporary dimension, you need to select the element and change thedimension value.


Listening Dimensions

Temporary dimensions that appear when you create elements are called listening dimensions.Listening dimensions appear in bold and change as you create an element, such as a duct. You uselistening dimensions to adjust the length or placement of elements. The following illustration shows the listening dimension that displays while you are drawing a duct.Notice that the listening dimension is displayed from the start to the endpoint of the duct.

You can modify the listening dimension while creating or after placing an element in a drawing bytyping the required dimension directly.


The following illustrations show the listening dimension of a duct modified by typing the newdimension.

Dimension modified to place a duct at 7 feet 6inches from the center of an adjacent duct

Modified dimension of the duct

When you enter dimension values using imperial units, you can enter either the feetand inch symbols, such as 10' 6 3/4", or just the feet and inch numbers separated bya space, such as 10 6 3/4. If you enter a value without specifying a unit, such as 10, itis interpreted as 10 feet (10').

Creating Elements with Temporary Dimensions

While creating elements with temporary dimensions, you can specify temporary dimension settingsand dimension increment values.

Specifying Temporary Dimension Settings

You can specify settings such as snapping points for temporary dimensions. For example, you canspecify that temporary dimensions snap to the centerlines or to the faces of a wall. To specify suchpreferences, you use the Temporary Dimension Properties dialog box, which can be accessed from theSettings drop-down on the Project Settings panel of the Manage tab. You can set separate preferencesfor walls, ducts, and pipes.

Dimension Increments

When you create an element, its temporary dimension value is incremented based on the amount youzoom in the view. The increment also depends on the dimension snap increment settings specifiedin the Snaps dialog box, which is also accessible from the Settings drop-down. You can set incrementvalues for length and angular dimensions separately using the Snaps dialog box.


Viewing Temporary Dimensions

You view the temporary dimensions of an element by using the Modify option on the Quick Accesstoolbar or on contextual tabs that appear during specific operations. When you click Modify, othercommands end and you can select the desired element.

The temporary dimensions for an element might differ from those that were originally displayed whilecreating the element. This is because when you create an element, its temporary dimensions aredisplayed in reference to the nearest element, which might have changed.

Modifying Temporary Dimensions

You can resize or move elements by modifying their temporary dimensions. You can move the witnesslines of temporary dimensions to reference specific elements. To do this, you use the blue squarecontrol on the witness line. Selecting the square enables you to cycle its position, such as from wallcenterline to alternate faces. The changes made to the witness lines are not saved. The following illustrations show a duct being repositioned by having its temporary dimensionsmodified.

Before modifying the temporary dimensions After modifying the temporary dimensions


Example of Temporary Dimensions

The following illustration shows the temporary dimensions of a selected pipe. The temporarydimensions indicate the length of the pipe, the end offset from the finished floor, and its positionrelative to the other walls in the drawing.

About Permanent Dimensions

You use permanent dimensions if you want to continuously display the dimensions of the elementsin a building model view. Dimensions adjust to the scale of the view. You do not need to createdimension styles for standard view scales. There are two methods by which you can associatepermanent dimensions with an element. You can make temporary dimensions permanent by using thedimension symbol, or you can add permanent dimensions using the Dimension tools on the Dimensionpanel of the Annotate tab.

Definition of Permanent Dimensions

Permanent dimensions are the dimensions that you add to elements after placing them in a buildingmodel. Unlike temporary dimensions, permanent dimensions are visible even if the elements are notselected.

Permanent dimensions occur in two states, modifiable and nonmodifiable. Permanent dimensionsfor an element can be modified individually only when the element is selected. In the nonmodifiablestate, you cannot edit the values of permanent dimensions because the element with which they areassociated is not selected. You can select dimensions and change their properties, lock or unlock them,and apply equality constraints.


The following illustrations show the two states of permanent dimensions.

Modifiable state Nonmodifiable state


Using the Dimension Symbol

A dimension symbol appears near the temporary dimension of an element. You need to select thissymbol to change a temporary dimension to permanent. The following illustrations show how to use a dimension symbol.

Before clicking the dimension symbol After clicking the dimension symbol

Using Dimension Tools

You can add five types of permanent dimensions using the Dimension tools. You can add dimensionsfor chains and for an entire wall with one click. The following table describes the permanent dimension types that you can use.

Types

Description

Aligned Placed between selected references and aligned to the references.

Linear Placed between selected references and aligned either to the horizontal or verticalaxis of the view.

Angular Placed on multiple reference points that share a common intersection.

Radial Placed in the radial dimension of an arc.

Arc Length Placed on an arc object.


Specifying Wall Dimension Preferences

You can specify the way the pointer snaps when you assign permanent dimensions to a wall. Forexample, you can specify the reference line that should be highlighted first. You can also specify theplace where the pointer snaps first when you move it over a wall. You can make these specificationsby selecting appropriate options from the Place Dimensions list on the Options Bar. The following illustration shows the Place Dimensions list on the Options Bar.

The Place Dimensions list is activated for all dimension types, except the lineardimension.

Wall Centerlines

Using this option, you can make a wall measurable from the centerline.


Wall Faces

Using this option, you can set the dimension of a wall based on the inner or outer faces of the wall.

Center of Core

Using this option, you can make a wall measurable between the centerline of the core boundaries. Thisis applicable for walls with more than one layer, such as compound walls.


Faces of Core

Using this option, you can make a wall measurable between the inner or outer faces of the coreboundaries.

Point Dimensions

When you add a permanent dimension to wall elements, you can create dimension references fromcorner points on walls. To cycle through available dimension references for reaching points and wallfaces, use the TAB key. The following illustrations show aligned dimensions placed by corner points.

Aligned dimensions placed onexposed wall points

Aligned dimensions placed betweentwo wall points


Locking Permanent Dimensions

When you add a permanent dimension to an element, an unlocked padlock appears near thedimension line. The padlock indicates that you can modify the length of a wall and the distancebetween walls. For example, you can drag the wall ends on either side to increase the wall length.You can also drag the wall upward or downward to adjust the distance between two walls. Aftermaking the required modifications, to prevent the dimensions of a wall from changing, you can lockthe permanent dimensions by using the padlock. If required, you can unlock dimensions that you havelocked. The following illustrations show locked and unlocked permanent dimensions for a wall.

Locked permanent dimensions Unlocked permanent dimensions


Overriding Permanent Dimensions

You can change the text display of permanent dimensions by using the Dimension Text dialog box. Youcan replace the numeric value with text, and specify the text position above, before, after, or belowthe actual value.

Dimension Text dialog box

Editing Witness Lines

You can add witness lines to a permanent dimension using the Edit Witness Lines tool. This tool isavailable on the Witness Lines panel of the Modify Dimensions contextual tab that appears whenyou select a dimension. You can also right-click a dimension and select Edit Witness Lines from theshortcut menu. You click additional objects to include them in the dimension string. The resultingdimension string is a single object. You can remove witness lines from a dimension string by selectingthe permanent dimension and right-clicking the blue square control in the middle of the witness line.Then, select Delete Witness Line from the shortcut menu.


The following illustrations show the use of the Edit Witness Lines tool to extend a dimension string toother objects.

Single dimension selected Adding witness lines with the Edit Witness Linesoption

Examples of Permanent Dimensions

The following illustration shows two vertical pipes with a third vertical pipe connected to the top. Thetwo lower vertical pipes are 7 feet apart from each other. The 3' - 0" dimension to the upper verticalpipe is locked.

The following illustration shows the two lower vertical pipes moved 8 feet 6 inches apart from eachother. The upper vertical pipe remains at 3 feet from the lower-left vertical pipe.


Guidelines for Working with Dimensions

The following recommended practices help you work efficiently with dimensions.

Guidelines■ Change temporary dimensions to permanent when you need to refer to the distance between

various elements frequently while working. Using permanent dimensions is quicker than selectingthe same element repeatedly to find out its distance from other elements. You can deletepermanent dimensions at any time if they clutter a view and re-create them later.

■ Click the EQ symbol when creating a dimension string to quickly make objects equidistant.■ Add parallel reference planes or model lines in the corners of a room when you want to quickly

place dimensions across the corners. This is recommended because Revit does not easily adddimensions to nonparallel objects. After adding parallel reference planes, you can place thedimensions between these planes and then hide the planes. You can add dimensions to certainwall endpoints and corners by using select+TAB.Note: Alternatively, you can use the Tape Measure tool to determine the distance betweencorners.

■ Add dimension styles to project templates to avoid having to create dimension styles for eachproject.

■ Use the Duplicate View option to create a copy of a view that does not display the dimensions andnotes you placed while working on a building model. This helps you show a neat view to the clientwithout losing the details.Note: You can hide individual dimensions as well.

■ Adjust view scale before placing dimensions and text. Dimensions and text automatically adjustsize to the view scale of the view they are placed in. If you change the scale of a view after placingdimensions and notes, you may need to check the placement of dimension text and notes tomaintain clarity.


Exercise: Work with Dimensions In this exercise, you use temporary dimensions tolocate lavatories, change the temporary dimensionsto permanent dimensions, lock dimensions, andmodify the dimension string to include additionalfixtures. You have to reposition fixtures in a building model.To do this, you place dimensions for the fixtures andthen change the dimensions to modify the position ofthe fixtures. You do the following:■ Place dimensions for fixtures.■ Change dimensions.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter14: Annotations and Schedules. ClickExercise: Work with Dimensions.

Place Dimensions for Fixtures 1. Open i_rmep_dimensions.rvt or

m_rmep_dimensions.rvt. The file opens in theCallout of Level 2 Plumbing Plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2.

In the view window, select the upper lavatory inthe men's restroom. The temporary dimensionsare displayed.

3. To change the value of the temporary

dimension, in the view window:■ Click the temporary dimension.■ In the text box, enter 2' 0" (600 mm).■ Press ENTER.


4.

To change the temporary dimension to apermanent dimension, in the view window:■ Position the cursor over the dimension

symbol as shown.

■ Click the dimension symbol.■ Clear the selection.

5.

In the view window:■ Drag the permanent dimension to the left

as shown.

■ Click the padlock to lock the dimension.

6. On the Options Bar, ensure that Wall Faces is

selected in the Prefer list. 7. Click Modify Dimensions tab > Witness Lines

panel > Edit Witness Lines.

8.

To add a lavatory to the dimension string, in theview window:■ Place the cursor over the center of the

next lavatory in the women’s restroom asshown.

■ Click to add a witness line to the permanent

dimension. 9.

In the view window, place the cursor betweenthe witness lines as shown.


10.

Click to place the dimension.

11.

Add the remaining three fixtures in thewomen's restroom to the dimension string.

12. Activate the Edit Witness Lines tool again

to add the dimension between the lower-left water closet and the wall below it to thedimension string.

13.

In the view window:■ Place the cursor over the wall as shown.

■ Click to place a dimension between the

lower-left water closet and the wall. 14.

In the view window, place the cursor betweenthe lower-left water closet and the wall belowit.


15.

Click to finish adding dimensions to thedimension string.

16. Clear the selection. Change Dimensions 1.

In the view window, select the lower-left watercloset.

2.

In the view window:■ Click the permanent dimension between

the lower-left water closet and the wall.

■ In the text box, enter 1' 6" (450 mm) to

change the dimension value. Press ENTER. 3.

In the view window, select the water closetabove the lower-left water closet in thewomen's restroom.

4.

In the view window:■ Click the permanent dimension between

the two lower-left water closets.

■ In the text box, enter 5' 0" (1500 mm) to

change the dimension value. Press ENTER.


5. Change the dimensions between the remaining

fixtures in the women's restroom movingfrom bottom to top, except the uppermostfixture, to 3' 0" (900 mm) and 3' 6" (1000 mm),respectively.

6.

Click anywhere in the view window.

7. In the view window, select the permanent

dimension string. 8.

Click all padlocks except the padlock betweenthe second lavatory on the left and the watercloset below it. Note: The top padlock was already locked.

9. On the Create panel, click Create Similar to

begin placing a dimension between the lowerand upper walls.

10. On the Options Bar, verify that Wall Faces is

selected in the Dimension list. 11.

In the view window:■ Position the cursor over the wall below the

lower-left fixture as shown.

■ Click to specify the start point for placing

the dimension. 12.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor upward to the wall as

shown.

■ Click to specify the endpoint for placing the

dimension.


13.

In the view window:■ Move the cursor to the left of the earlier

dimension.

■ Click to place the new dimension next to

the previous dimension string. 14. Click Modify to finish placing the dimension

between the lower and upper walls.

15.

In the view window, select the upper wall thatis adjacent to the lavatories. Note: You may need to press TAB to highlightthe upper wall for selection. For Metric users,the entire upper wall appears highlighted.

16.

To edit the new dimension length, in the viewwindow:■ Click the 18' - 0" (5350 mm) dimension.

■ In the text box, enter 19' 0" (5700 mm).

Press ENTER.


17.

In the view window, verify that all thedimensions are updated. Notice that theupdated new dimension length 19' - 0"(5700 mm) is added to the restroom. All otherdimensions that were locked remain fixed whilethe dimension between the second lavatoryon the left and the water closet below it hasincreased in length because it was not locked.


selection. 19. Close the file without saving changes.


Lesson: Creating Legends

This lesson describes how to create legends with notes, annotation symbols, and model elements. Youbegin the lesson by learning about legends. Next, you learn some recommended practices for creatinglegends. The lesson concludes with an exercise on creating a legend with annotation symbols, notes,and model elements. Construction documents consist of drawings and specifications that define the intent of a projectdesign. You use legends in construction documents to display lists of various building components andannotations used in a project. This helps team members and clients to interpret drawings correctly.

Standard information such as explanations of symbols or generic notes is typically the same fordifferent projects and is repeated on multiple drawing sheets. To avoid the errors that can occurwhen duplicating information on multiple sheets, you create legends and place them on the requiredsheets.

Legend showing a list of symbols used in a drawing

Objectives


■ Describe legends.■ State the recommended practices for creating legends.■ Create a legend with annotation symbols, notes, and model elements.

Lesson: Creating Legends ■ 171

About Legends

When documenting a design or project, you can create legends to explain the symbols, materials, andelements used in a project instead of adding notes repeatedly to views.

Definition of Legends

A legend is a view containing two-dimensional annotation elements, including text, dimensions,symbols, tags, filled regions, and detail lines. Typically, legends appear as tables that contain onecolumn for graphic symbols and another for explanatory text to define the symbols used in a particularview or for the entire project. You can use the same legend on multiple drawing sheets. In addition,you can add different components to a legend using standard Revit tools.

Legend Components

Legend components are two-dimensional representations of model elements in the plan or sectionview that you can add to a legend view. Some examples of legend components are types of columns,beams, floors, and walls. You can add these components to a legend by using the Legend Componenttool available in the Component drop-down on the Detail panel of the Annotate tab. Legendcomponents are available only for the model elements currently loaded into the project.

Legend components have detail level properties that you can control independent of the detail levelof the legend. In addition, you can use the legend visibility settings to control the display of thesubcategories of the component families in a legend.

Tools for Creating Legends

You use annotation tools to add information to the legend components in a legend view. Text andDimension are two commonly used annotation tools. Using the Text tool, you can specify the name orany other information for a legend component. Using the Dimension tool, you can add dimensions to alegend component to specify its size and the distance between two points within the component.

You can also add lines and filled regions to legend components.


Annotation Symbol Legends

Annotation symbols in a legend represent sheet annotations, such as section heads and elevationsymbols. To place annotation symbols in a legend, you use the Symbol tool on the Detail panel of theAnnotate tab. After adding the annotation symbols, you add text to the legend to describe them.

Annotation symbols


Model Element Legends

Model element legends are symbolic representations of model elements with some descriptivetext. You create a model element legend by creating a legend view and then adding model elementsusing the Legend Component tool available in the Component drop-down on the Detail panel of theAnnotate tab.

Model elements and notes added to a legend

You can use legend views to create typical details that are parametrically linked toa model view. When the type parameters for a model element change, the modelelement in the legend view also changes.


Examples of Legends

The following illustrations show examples of legends.

Legend with HVAC symbols


Legend with electrical symbols


Legend with plumbing symbols

Guidelines for Creating Legends

The following recommended practices help you create legends effectively.

Guidelines■ Set up legends based on the standard documentation of your organization and load them in the

project templates. Then, you can place legends on the required sheets from the templates. Thispractice saves time when you are creating construction documents of a project.

■ Import CAD files with legends to reuse the previously developed legend content. This helps youavoid rework and errors, and allows you to use the same legend content in different project files.

■ Copy and paste legend information from one project file to another because you cannot savelegend views as separate files. This helps you save time and increase efficiency when duplicatinginformation across multiple project files.


Exercise: Create a Legend In this exercise, you create a legend to show the HVACsymbols used in a project. You also add annotationsymbols, notes, and model elements to the legend. You are working on a project that is about to enterinto the construction documentation phase. You wantto prepare a legend to describe the symbols used inthe HVAC plans. This legend should appear on all theHVAC plan sheets. You do the following:■ Create a legend view.■ Add annotation symbols, notes, and model

elements.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter14: Annotations and Schedules. ClickExercise: Create a Legend.

Create a Legend View 1. Open i_rmep_legends.rvt or

m_rmep_legends.rvt. The file opens in theLevel 2 HVAC Plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2. To create a legend, click View tab > Create panel

> Legends drop-down > Legend. 3. In the New Legend View dialog box:

■ For Name, enter HVAC Legend.■ Click OK.

4. Click Annotate tab > Text panel > Text to add

text notes to the legend. 5. Open the Type Properties dialog box. 6. In the Type Properties dialog box, click

Duplicate to create a new text type. 7. In the Name dialog box:

■ For Name, enter 3/16" Arial (5mm Arial).■ Click OK.

8. In the Type Properties dialog box, under Type

Parameters, Text:■ For Text Size, enter 3/16" (5 mm).■ Click OK.

9. On the Leader panel of the Place Text tab,

ensure No Leader is selected. 10. In the upper part of the view window, click to

place a text box. 11. On the Format panel:

■ Click Bold.■ Click Underline.


■ In the text box you just placed, enter HVACLEGEND.

■ Click outside the text box.■ Clear the selection.


Add Annotation Symbols, Notes, and ModelElements 1. Click Annotate tab > Detail panel > Component

drop-down > Legend Component to add thefirst legend component.


■ Verify that Air Terminals : Supply Diffuser -Rectangular Face Round Neck : 24x24 - 10Neck (Air Terminals : M_Supply Diffuser -Rectangular Face Round Neck : 600x600 -250 Neck) is selected from the Family list.

■ Verify that Floor Plan is selected from theView list.

3.

In the view window, click below and to theleft of the text box containing the text HVACLEGEND to place the symbol.

4. On the Options Bar, select Air Terminals :

Return Diffuser : 24 x 24 Face 12 x 12Connection (Air Terminals : M_Return Diffuser :600 x 600 Face 300 x 300 Connection) fromthe Family list to add the second legendcomponent.

5.

In the view window, click to place the returndiffuser symbol below the supply diffusersymbol.

6.

Add two more legend components with thefollowing family types below the previouslyplaced components:■ Air Terminals : Exhaust Grill : 24 x 24

Face 12 x 12 Connection (Air Terminals :M_Exhaust Grill : 600 x 600 Face 300 x 300Connection).

■ Air Terminals : Supply Diffuser - Sidewall :18 x 8 (Air Terminals : M_Supply Diffuser -Sidewall : 450 x 200).

7. Click Modify. 8. Click Annotate tab > Detail panel > Symbol to

add an annotation symbol. 9. Ensure that Diffuser Tag - TYPE NAME

(M_Diffuser Tag - TYPE NAME) is selected in theType Selector drop-down.


10.

In the view window, place the diffuser tagbelow the sidewall diffuser component asshown.

11. Click Modify. 12. Activate the Text tool to add descriptions for

the components and symbols. 13. Select Text : 3/32" Arial (Text : 2.5mm Arial)

from the Type Selector drop-down to changethe text type.

14.

To add text for the description of the supplydiffuser, in the view window:■ Click to the right of the supply diffuser to

place the text.■ In the text box, enter SUPPLY DIFFUSER.■ Click outside the text box.

15.

Add the following text for the descriptions ofthe remaining components as shown:■ RETURN DIFFUSER■ EXHAUST GRILL■ SIDEWALL SUPPLY DIFFUSER■ DIFFUSER TAG


16. On the Leader panel, click Two Segments to add

a leader note to the symbol. 17.

In the view window:■ Place the leader as shown.■ Enter DIFFUSER TYPE DESIGNATION for the

text note.■ Click outside the text box. Tip: Drag the blue dots on the sides of the textbox to adjust its size.

18.

Add two more text notes with the following textas shown:■ DIFFUSER SIZE EXAMPLE: 24X24 DIFFUSER

WITH A 10" DIAMETER NECK■ AIR QUANTITY

19. Click Annotate tab > Detail panel > Detail Line. 20. Ensure that Wide Lines is selected in the Line

Style list.

21.

In the view window, draw lines around thelegend for defining the outside frame as shown.

22. Select Medium Lines from the Line Style list. 23.

To sketch the lines inside the legend:■ In the view window, draw the remaining

lines in the legend as shown.■ Click Modify.


Lesson: Working with Schedules ■ 181

Lesson: Working with Schedules

This lesson describes how to work with schedules. You begin the lesson by learning about the types,characteristics, and properties of schedules. Next, you learn steps to export schedules and modify thefields in a schedule. Then, you learn some recommended practices for working with schedules. Thelesson concludes with an exercise on creating and modifying a lighting fixture schedule. Schedules provide information about building elements in a project, such as lights and mechanicalequipment, which can be exported to other applications for cost lists, estimates, and other quantitytallies. You use schedules to display the properties of selected building elements in a tabular format.In Revit, the schedules update automatically and therefore eliminate the errors that can occur in amanually compiled list.

Electrical circuit schedule

Objectives


■ Describe the types and characteristics of schedules.■ Describe the properties of schedules.■ Export schedules.■ Modify the fields that appear in schedules.■ State the recommended practices for working with schedules.■ Create and modify a lighting fixture schedule.


About Schedules

You can view a building model in different ways. One way is to create a schedule that displaysinformation about elements in a tabular format. A schedule updates automatically as the buildingmodel develops. You can format, view, and export schedules. You can also place them on drawingsheets to be used in documentation sets.

Definition of Schedules

A schedule is a formatted view of a building model based on the criteria you provide. It is a tabulardisplay of information extracted from the properties of elements in a building model. Each property ofan element is represented as a field in the schedule. Schedules can list every instance of a particulartype of element in different rows or condense information about multiple instances of an elementinto a single row.

Types of Schedules

You can create three types of schedules using the Schedule/Quantities tool from the Schedules drop-down on the Create panel of the View tab. The three types of schedules are component schedules,multi-category schedules, and key schedules. You can also create specialized schedules, such asmaterial takeoffs, view lists, drawing lists, note blocks, and revision schedules, from the Schedulesdrop-down. The following table describes the various types of Schedule/Quantities.

Schedule/Quantities Type

Description

Component Lists the selected component properties in a tabular format. Forexample, you can create a lighting fixture schedule that lists theproperties of lighting fixtures, such as type, wattage, lamps, andcount. Component schedules can be instance or type schedules.Instance schedules list each component as a separate line item,whereas type schedules group components of the same type intoa single line item.

Multi-category Lists the components that hold shared parameters. Sharedparameters span more than one project. The available fields forthis type of schedule include the shared parameters.


Schedule/Quantities Type

Description

Key Lists the keys that you define for elements that consist of multipleitems with the same characteristics. The keys act as a groupingmechanism, like style definitions. Key schedules are automaticallypopulated with information about the element properties inthe schedule fields. For example, an air terminal schedule mighthave 100 diffusers with the same width and depth. Instead ofmanually entering the information for each of the 100 diffusers inthe schedule, you can define keys that fill in the information. You define key schedules according to project specifications.When you define a key, it becomes part of the instance propertiesof the scheduled element. If you display the properties of thatelement, you see the new key name. When you apply a value tothe key, the attributes of the key are applied to the element.

Material Takeoffs

A material takeoff is a specific type of component schedule. It lists the subcomponents or materialsof any Revit family. Material takeoffs have all the functionality and characteristics of other schedules.They help you display details of the assembly of a component. Any material that is used in an elementwithin Revit can be scheduled.

View Lists

A view list is a schedule of all views that show view parameters. You use view parameters for groupingand filtering the Project Browser organization. You can view and modify various view parameters formultiple views at a time.

Drawing Lists

A drawing list is a schedule of all drawing sheets in a project. It functions as a table of contents for theproject and is typically placed on the first sheet of a documentation set.

Keynote Legends

A keynote parameter is available for all model elements, detail components, and materials. Keynotelegends group common types of keynotes and can be placed on multiple sheet views. You createkeynote legends using the Legends drop-down on the Create panel of the View tab.

Note Blocks

Note blocks are schedules that list the instances of annotations that you apply using the Symbol toolon the Detail panel of the Annotate tab. Note blocks are useful for listing notes that are applied toelements in a project. For example, you can provide building descriptions for walls by attaching a noteto each wall.

Revision Schedules

Revision schedules are included with most Revit titleblocks. After you create a drawing sheet with adefault titleblock, you can begin recording revision information on that sheet. You can add a revisionschedule to a custom titleblock.


Embedded Schedules

In Revit, after you create a schedule for rooms and the electrical, air, piping, plumbing, or fireprotection system, you can create an embedded schedule to show information about the componentsthat are members of these systems.

Schedule Management

After you create a schedule, you can perform various operations on it, such as viewing and updatingthe schedule.

When you create a schedule, it is added to the Project Browser listing. You can display the schedule inthe view window by double-clicking the schedule name. You can also add the schedule to a drawingsheet by dragging the schedule to the drawing sheet in the view window.

A schedule is a view of the model that updates automatically when you make changes to thoseparts of the project that affect it. For example, if you move a wall, the floor area of the room in theroom schedule updates accordingly. Schedules are associated with an entire project, including thebuilding model. Therefore, when you change the properties of building components in a project, theassociated schedule is also updated. For example, you can select a lighting fixture in a project andchange its manufacturer property. As a result, the lighting fixture schedule also updates. You canalso edit a property of a building model by selecting the field corresponding to the property in theschedule and entering a new value for the property. Consequently, the schedule and the element typechange.

Example of Schedules

The following illustration shows a lighting fixture schedule.

About Schedule Properties

Schedules contain a list of fields that display element properties, such as the areas of rooms orthe levels of plumbing fixtures. The properties of a schedule include the fields to be included, thesequence of the fields, and the way the fields are presented.

You define the properties of schedules by using the tabs in the Schedule Properties dialog box. Basedon project requirements, you can add, filter, sort, format, and change the appearance of the fields forproperties in a schedule.

Definition of Schedule Properties

Schedule properties define the structure and presentation of a schedule. These properties help youmodify the information types that you want to include in a schedule and the appearance of thatinformation.


Schedule Properties Tabs

You use the six tabs available in the Schedule Properties dialog box to control the display of scheduleviews and the content contained in a schedule. The following illustration shows the Schedule Properties dialog box.

The following table describes the functions of the tabs in the Schedule Properties dialog box.

Tab

Functions

Fields Places parameters as fields in a schedule and sets the order in which thefields are displayed. You use the Fields tab to add user-input and calculatedfields to a schedule. Material, finish, and type mark are examples of user-input fields. Area and cost are examples of calculated fields.

Filter Controls the display of elements in single and multi-category schedules,view lists, drawing lists, and note blocks.

Sorting/Grouping Sorts and groups the rows of a schedule. You can sort a schedule based ona field, such as the cost of lighting fixtures. You can use grouping to grouprows based on the element type. For example, you can show the total costof wall-mounted lights and ceiling-mounted lights separately. You can alsouse this tab to add blank lines between groups and group totals.

Formatting Controls the layout, such as column headings, text alignment, andorientation, of the schedule view and the way numerical data is displayed.For example, you can specify the number of decimal places in a numericalfield.


Tab

Functions

Appearance Controls the appearance of a schedule on a drawing sheet. For example,you can modify the appearance of a schedule by changing the font typesand sizes and hiding the schedule title and column headers.

Embedded Schedule Creates an embedded schedule to show information about componentsfor systems, such as rooms and the electrical, air, piping, plumbing, or fireprotection system, whenever you create a schedule for these systems.

Example of Schedule Properties

The following illustration shows an airflow schedule displaying Calculated Supply Airflow and ActualSupply Airflow.

Exporting Schedules

You can export a schedule to spreadsheet applications. When you export a schedule, you save it asa delimited text file so that it can be opened in other applications. If you repeatedly export scheduleinformation to the same file location, you can update the spreadsheet as desired while building aproject.

Procedure: Exporting Schedules

The following steps describe how to export schedules.

1. In the Project Browser, under Schedules/Quantities, open the schedule. 2. On the application menu, click Export > Reports > Schedule. 3. In the Export Schedule dialog box:

■ Specify a name and a directory for the schedule.■ Click Save.


4.

In the Export Schedule dialog box, under Schedule Appearance, specify the display options forthe schedule in a spreadsheet.

5. Under Output options, specify values of the parameters for the text file. The text file can be

opened in a spreadsheet application.

Modifying Schedule Fields

You can add new fields to a schedule using the Add Parameter option. You can also modify the existingfields in a schedule. For example, you may need to change a schedule from an instance list to a typelist, or calculate totals of the cost information.

Procedure: Modifying Fields in Schedules

The following steps describe how to modify the fields in a schedule.

1. In the Project Browser, under Schedules/Quantities, open the schedule. 2. In the Project Browser, right-click the schedule view. Click Properties. 3. In the Instance Properties dialog box, under Other, for Fields, click Edit. 4. In the Schedule Properties dialog box, on the Fields tab, add fields, create custom fields, calculate

a value based on other fields, or change the order of fields. Note: You can specify the calculation criteria in the Calculated Value dialog box.

Guidelines for Working with Schedules

The following recommended practices help you effectively work with schedules.

Guidelines■ Create schedules that display only important or critical fields so that the schedules are easy to

understand. Use the Hidden Field check box on the Formatting tab in the Schedule Propertiesdialog box to hide the fields that you want to retain but not show in the schedule view.

■ Use headers, footers, and blank lines to identify and separate groups of similar information in aschedule to improve readability. You can create these headers, footers, and blank lines using theSorting/Grouping tab in the Schedule Properties dialog box.

■ Click Show repeatedly in the Show Elements in View dialog box to open all the model views thatdisplay the element selected in the schedule table. This helps you easily check and modify theselected element in all views.


Exercise: Create and Modify a Lighting Fixture Schedule In this exercise, you create and modify a lighting fixture schedule. You need to create a lighting fixture schedule that shows descriptions for the different lighting fixture types.To do this, you first create a standard lighting fixture schedule using the available parameters. To improve theusefulness of this schedule, you rename and filter the schedule by level, so that only Level 2 lighting fixturesare included. You further improve the schedule by adding a Count column to calculate the total of the lightingfixtures by Type Mark. To complete the schedule, you add a description for the lighting fixtures. You do the following: ■ Create a lighting fixture schedule.■ Filter the schedule.■ Add and edit text descriptions.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter14: Annotations and Schedules. ClickExercise: Create and Modify a LightingFixture Schedule.

Create a Lighting Fixture Schedule 1. Open i_rmep_schedules.rvt or

m_rmep_schedules.rvt. The file opens in theLevel 2 Lighting Plan view. Note: The illustrations in the metric dataset willbe slightly different from those shown here.

2. Click Analyze tab > Reports & Schedules panel >

Schedule/Quantities to create a new schedule. 3. In the New Schedule dialog box:

■ In the left pane, select Lighting Fixturesfrom the Category list.

■ In the right pane, verify that ScheduleBuilding Components is selected.

■ Click OK.

4. In the Schedule Properties dialog box, Fieldstab:■ Select Type Mark from the Available Fields

list.■ Click Add to add the Type Mark field to the

Scheduled Fields list. 5.

Add the following fields to the Scheduled Fieldslist:■ Manufacturer■ Model■ Lamp■ Electrical Data■ Description


Note: You can also add fields by double-clickingthem in the Available Fields list. To reorder theScheduled Fields list, you can use the Move Upand Move Down options.

6.

In the Schedule Properties dialog box, Sorting/Grouping tab:■ Select Type Mark from the Sort By list.■ Clear the Itemize Every Instance check box.■ Click OK to create the lighting fixture

schedule.

Filter the Schedule 1. In the Project Browser, under Schedules/

Quantities, rename Lighting Fixture Schedule toLevel 2 - Lighting Fixture Schedule.

2. Right-click Level 2 - Lighting Fixture Schedule.

Click Properties. 3. In the Instance Properties dialog box, under

Other, for Fields, click Edit. 4. In the Schedule Properties dialog box, Fields

tab, under Available Fields, double-click thefollowing fields to add them in the ScheduledFields list.■ Count■ Level

5. In the Schedule Properties dialog box, Filter

tab:■ Select Level from the Filter By list.■ Verify that Level is set to Equals.■ Select Level 2 from the list that appears

below the Filter By list. 6. In the Schedule Properties dialog box,

Formatting tab:■ In the left pane, select Level from the Fields

list.■ In the right pane, select the Hidden Field

check box.■ Click OK.

7. Click OK to close the Instance Properties dialog

box.

8.

In the view window, notice that the Count fieldis added to the schedule. The hidden Level fieldhas filtered the schedule so that only lightingfixtures located on level 2 are displayed.

Note: After you apply the filter in the metricdataset, the Type Mark A, B, C, D, and E lightingfixtures are displayed in the schedule.

Add and Edit Text Descriptions 1.

To add a description for a lighting fixture, in theLevel 2 - Lighting Fixture Schedule:■ Drag the Description column edge to

increase the column width.■ Under Description, for Type Mark A, enter

2x2 Recessed Parabolic.■ Press ENTER.

The descriptions of all Type Mark A lightingfixtures in the MEP model are automaticallyupdated.

2. Open the Level 2 Lighting Plan view.


3.

In the view window:■ Zoom in to the lower-left part of the model.■ Select any Type Mark A lighting fixture.

4. Open the Instance Properties dialog box to

update the description of Type Mark A lightingfixtures.

5. In the Instance Properties dialog box, click Edit

Type. 6. In the Type Properties dialog box, under

Identity Data, for Description:■ Notice that 2x2 Recessed Parabolic is

specified.■ Enter 2x2 Parabolic Troffer.■ Click OK.


box. Note: If you open the drawing in a floor planand then open the Type Properties dialog boxfor one of the Type Mark A lighting fixtures,you can view the automatically updateddescription of the lighting fixtures in the MEPmodel.

8. Open the Level 2 - Lighting Fixture Schedule

view.

9.

In the Level 2 - Lighting Fixture Schedule, verifythat for Type Mark A, description has beenautomatically updated to 2x2 Parabolic Troffer.



Chapter Summary

Now that you have learned how to work with text, tags, and dimensions, and create legends withnotes, annotation symbols, and model elements, you can supplement project designs with detailedinformation. You can also create schedules to help you define the structural requirements for thevarious components of a project in an organized manner. In this chapter, you learned to:

■ Work with text and tags.■ Work with dimensions in a building model.■ Create legends with notes, annotation symbols, and model elements.■ Work with schedules.



Chapter

15

Construction Documentation

In this chapter, you will learn how to create and work with titleblocks. You will also learn how to createconstruction document sets by creating sheets and adding titleblocks to the sheets. Finally, you willlearn how to print sheets to paper or save them to electronic files to deliver documentation sets.

Chapter Objectives


■ Add titleblocks to a sheet and update the project information displayed in a titleblock.■ Create and modify sheets and specify print options for them.

194 ■ Chapter 15: Construction Documentation

Lesson: Working with Titleblocks

This lesson describes how to add titleblocks to a sheet and update the project information displayedin a titleblock. You begin the lesson by learning about titleblocks and the steps for creating andupdating them. Next, you learn some recommended practices for working with titleblocks. The lessonconcludes with an exercise on adding and updating titleblocks and editing titleblock families. You use titleblocks when you want to place views of a building model on a sheet in a specific format.Titleblocks define the size and appearance of a drawing sheet and include borders, company logos,and project and sheet information.

Building model views added to a sheet with a titleblock

Objectives


■ Describe titleblocks.■ Create and update titleblocks.■ State the recommended practices for working with titleblocks.■ Add and update titleblocks and edit titleblock families.

Lesson: Working with Titleblocks ■ 195

About Titleblocks

A titleblock defines a printed page. It holds space for view information that helps you to identify abuilding model for construction purposes. It also provides technical information about a project, suchas the name and location of the project and the sheet issue date.

Definition of Titleblocks

Titleblocks are templates for sheets. You can load standard titleblocks into a project or create customtitleblocks using the Family Editor and save them on a network. When you load a titleblock, Revitsearches for the titleblocks in the Titleblocks folder in the default Imperial and Metric libraries.However, you can change this location based on your requirements.

You can create custom titleblocks by specifying the required sheet size and then adding borders,company logo, and other information on the sheet. After loading or creating a titleblock, you canimport JPEG or BMP images in a titleblock. You can also import existing drawing formats from othersoftware packages by exporting a titleblock page in the DXF™ or DWG™ format and then importingthe titleblock page to a Revit titleblock file. You can save the titleblock as a family file with a Revit .rfaextension.

Elements of Titleblocks

You can create different elements of a titleblock, such as family types, dimensions, lines, and maskingregions, by using various tools available in the Family Editor. Titleblock elements contain all theinformation that needs to be placed in a sheet. The following illustration shows the Create tab in the Family Editor.

The following table describes some basic tools on the Create tab in the Family Editor.

Tool

Icon

Description

Family Types

Allows you to specify and manage predefined propertieswithin a family using the Family Types dialog box. Themost common use of titleblock family types is for creatingtitleblocks of different sizes.

Dimension

Shows and controls distances between borders or linesplaced in a titleblock.


Tool

Icon

Description

Line

Draws borders around titleblocks. You also use the Linetool to draw lines and shapes to divide the drawing sheetinto two areas, one that holds views and another thatholds project and company information.

ReferenceLine

Creates a parametric family skeleton. The elements ofa titleblock can align with or attach to reference lines.Reference lines are invisible when a titleblock is loadedinto a project and do not highlight when a titleblockinstance is selected.

MaskingRegion

Applies a white-filled region as a mask to hide a region ofa family.

Filled Region

Creates a view-specific, 2D graphic. Filled regions areareas that are parallel to the sketch plane of a view andcontain a pattern that can be edited.

Symbol

Places 2D annotation drawing symbols, such as a Northarrow, into a titleblock.

Text

Adds text to a titleblock. You need to use the FamilyEditor to add or modify titleblock text. You cannot modifythe text in a titleblock directly when it has been loadedinto a project because the text is static.

Label

Places a data field in text format that specifies variousparameters when a titleblock is loaded into a project. Thestandard titleblock label parameters are Project Name,Project Number, Scale, Sheet Name, and Sheet Number.Unlike text, labels change as their parameters change.


Example of Titleblocks

The following illustration shows a titleblock with labels displaying project information.

Creating and Updating Titleblocks

You change a view of a model in a construction document by placing the model view on a sheet witha titleblock. To add a customized titleblock to a sheet, you create the titleblock as a separate file andthen save the customized titleblock in your company library. After creating a titleblock, you can edit itand specify project information.

Procedure: Creating Titleblocks

The following steps describe how to create a titleblock.

1. On the application menu, click New > Title Block. 2. In the New Title Block - Select Template File dialog box, specify the sheet size to be used as a

template and click Open. 3. In the Family Editor, sketch the border and dividing lines. 4. In the titleblock, include labels such as project issue date, project status, and client name. 5. Save the titleblock as an .rfa family file.


Procedure: Editing Titleblocks

The following steps describe how to edit a titleblock.

1. In the sheet view, select the titleblock you want to edit. 2. Click Modify Title Blocks tab > Family panel > Edit Family.

Tip: If Edit Family is not displayed, you need to reload the titleblock family. 3. In the Revit dialog box, click Yes to open the selected titleblock for editing. 4. In the Family Editor, make the necessary changes to the titleblock. 5. Click Create tab > Family Editor panel > Load into Project to reload the edited titleblock in the

project. 6. Save the file to retain the changes in the library copy, if required.

You cannot edit titleblock families that are created using earlier versions of thesoftware even if the project is updated to a later version in which these titleblockfamilies are present.

Procedure: Replacing Titleblocks on Sheets

The following steps describe how to replace one titleblock with another on a sheet.

1. Open an existing sheet. 2. Ensure that the titleblock you want to add is loaded.

Tip: If you need to load a titleblock, click Insert tab > Load from Library panel > Load Family. 3. In the view window, select the titleblock that you want to replace. 4. Select the titleblock that you want as a replacement from the Type Selector drop-down. The new

titleblock replaces the original.

Procedure: Specifying Project Information

The following steps describe how to specify project information that appears on labels in a titleblock.

1. Click Manage tab > Project Settings panel > Project Information. 2. In the Instance Properties dialog box, enter values for fields, such as Project Issue Date and

Client Name. 3. Create or open a sheet with a titleblock to view the updated information.


Guidelines for Working with Titleblocks

Following the recommended practices, you can work effectively with titleblocks.

Guidelines■ Create a titleblock for each size of paper that your company uses when plotting document sets.

For example, you can include a letter-size titleblock for use as a fax page or a quick single-pageprintout. You can load each titleblock size into your company project template files so that theyare readily available. Using preloaded titleblocks saves considerable time for the design teammembers.

■ Create titleblock styles that visually represent each phase of the design development process andswitch between styles as the project develops. This practice helps in maintaining better workflow.You should follow this guideline if your company differentiates between the phases of a project,such as Schematic Design, Design Development, and Construction Documentation.

■ Load an alternate titleblock into a project that is not included in the default project template byusing the Load Family option. This practice saves time because you do not need to re-create thetitleblock each time.

■ Place a titleblock on a sheet by dragging it from the Project Browser. You can also place a view ona sheet in this way. Dragging titleblocks and views onto sheets speeds up the process of creatingsheet sets.

■ Create custom labels if you know how to set up and use shared parameters. Custom labels maketitleblocks more informative and well-organized.


Exercise: Work with Titleblocks In this exercise, you add a titleblock to a sheet and then update the project information of the titleblock. Youalso edit the titleblock family. You have completed your design work on the office building. Now, you need to create a sheet for modelviews, such as the second floor lighting plan, north level lighting plan, and power plan views. In addition, youwant to specify the project-related information in the sheet. You do the following: ■ Create and update a titleblock.■ Edit the titleblock family.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter15: Construction Documentation. ClickExercise: Work with Titleblocks.

Create and Update a Titleblock

1. Open i_rmep_titleblocks.rvt or

m_rmep_titleblocks.rvt. The file opens in theLevel 2 Lighting Plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shownhere.


double-click E201 - Unnamed to open the sheetand the titleblock. The Level 2 Lighting Plan view has been placedon this sheet by dragging it from the ProjectBrowser.



■ Zoom in to the lower-right corner of thesheet.

■ Click the titleblock to highlight theparameters that you can edit.

4.

In the view window, to edit the highlightedparameters:■ Click Unnamed and enter 2nd Floor Lighting

Plan. Press ENTER.■ Click Owner and enter River City. Press

ENTER.■ Click Project Name and enter Office

Building. Press ENTER.


double-click E301 - NORTH LEVEL 1 LIGHTINGPLAN.

6.

In the view window:■ Zoom in to the lower-right corner of the

sheet.■ Notice the updated values for the Owner

and Project Name parameters.

7. Click View tab > Sheet Composition panel >

New Sheet. 8. In the Select a Titleblock dialog box:

■ Ensure that E1 30 x 42 Horizontal : E130x42 Horizontal (A0 Metric) is selected.

■ Click OK. 9. In the view window, zoom in to the lower-right

corner of the new sheet. 10. Click Manage tab > Project Settings panel

> Project Information to open the InstanceProperties dialog box.


■ Under Instance Parameters, Other, noticethat the client name is River City, and theproject name is Office Building.

■ For Project Issue Date, enter the currentdate.

■ For Project Status, ensure that ClientReview is specified.

■ For Project Number, enter 2009-67.■ Click OK. The project issue date and

project number values are updated in thetitleblock. The titleblocks for the otherviews have now been updated as well.

12. In the view window, click the titleblock to select

it. 13. Open the Instance Properties dialog box.


14. In the Instance Properties dialog box:■ Notice the titleblock properties.■ Click OK.

15.

To update the titleblock labels, in the viewwindow:■ Click Unnamed and enter 1st Floor Power

Plan. Press ENTER.■ Click E302 and enter E4.01. Press ENTER.

16. In the view window, enter ZF to zoom to fit. 17.

In the view window:■ Drag Level 1 Power Plan to the titleblock

sheet.■ Click to place Level 1 Power Plan on the

titleblock sheet.■ Click to select the titleblock.

Edit the Titleblock Family 1. Click Modify Title Blocks tab > Family panel >

Edit Family to edit the titleblock.

2. In the Revit dialog box, click Yes to open the

titleblock for editing. 3.

In the view window:■ Zoom in to the upper-right corner of the

titleblock.■ Double-click the first consultant address

block.■ Enter the address as shown. Tip: Use the Drag dot at the right side of thetext block to resize it, as required.

4. Select and delete the remaining consultant

address text blocks. 5. Click Create tab > Family Editor panel > Load

into Project to reload the updated titleblock inthe project. Note: If you have opened multiple projects inthe software, the Load into Projects dialog boxis displayed. Select the current project and clickOK.

6. In the Family Already Exists dialog box, click

Overwrite the Existing Version. The titleblockupdates on every sheet.

7. Open all the other sheets to verify the changes. 8. Close all files without saving changes.

Lesson: Working with Sheets ■ 203

Lesson: Working with Sheets

This lesson describes how to create and modify sheets and how to specify print options for them.You begin the lesson by learning about sheets and the process of previewing and printing sheets andviews. Next, you learn some recommended practices for working with sheets. The lesson concludeswith an exercise on creating, modifying, and specifying print options for sheets. Sheets are the basis for construction document sets. A sheet enables you to place different views sideby side on a page with titleblock information about your organization and the project. You can printsheets to paper or electronic files to deliver document sets to clients, collaborators, or governmentorganizations.

Sheet with views

Objectives


■ Describe sheets.■ Identify the steps in the process of previewing and printing sheets and views.■ State the recommended practices for working with sheets.■ Create and modify sheets and specify print options for them.


About Sheets

Revit enables you to create sheets to hold model views. You place model views on a sheet to create adocument set. After placing model views, you can modify the view or edit the model in the viewportson the sheet according to your requirements.

Definition of Sheets

Sheets are project views on which you place building model views, such as plan, elevation, section, 3Dviews, schedules, and legends. The views placed on a sheet are instances of the views in the ProjectBrowser. Therefore, when you modify a view on a sheet, the changes are automatically applied to theoriginal view in the Project Browser.

Sheet views listed under Sheets (All) in the Project Browser

Viewport Properties

A viewport is a rectangular boundary around a view placed on a sheet. Each viewport has anidentifying title below the rectangular boundary that displays the view name, view scale, and a detailnumber. After placing a viewport on a sheet, you can align its title by dragging it to an appropriateposition. By default, the viewport titles stay aligned with the viewport when the viewport sizechanges. You can control the display of viewport titles and create viewport types without titles.

In addition to moving a viewport title, you can set the viewport type properties of the title, such ashorizontal line weight, pattern, and color. You can also modify viewport instance properties to changethe appearance of a view on a sheet.


The following table describes the viewport instance properties that you can modify.

Property

Description

Rotation on Sheet Rotates a view by 90 degrees either in the clockwise or counterclockwisedirection.

View Scale Specifies the scale or appearance of a view.

Detail Level Controls the level of detail in the model view.

Detail Number Controls the number inside the view title bubble.

Model Graphics Style Specifies the display style of a view to hidden line, wireframe, shading, orshading with edges.

Underlay Controls the display of an underlay in a plan view.

View Name Controls the name of the model view in the Project Browser.

Title on Sheet Controls the name of the viewport that appears on the viewport title bar.

Activating and Deactivating Viewports

You can activate a viewport placed on a sheet and work on the building model in that view while thesheet is inactive and visible in the background. Activating a viewport is necessary for modifying aview directly from the sheet. You can activate a viewport by selecting it and using the Activate Viewoption on the Sheet Composition panel of the View tab. You can also activate a view from the viewportshortcut menu.

You can activate only one view at a time on a sheet. To deactivate an active view after making therequired changes, you can use the Deactivate View option on the Sheet Composition panel of the Viewtab. You can also deactivate a view from the viewport shortcut menu.

Example of Sheets

The following illustrations show various sheets.

Sheet with a lighting plan view Sheet with a mechanical plan view


Sheet with a viewport selected

Process of Previewing and Printing Sheets and Views

You can print a sheet or a view in the desired format by specifying the print options and view settings.In addition, you can preview a sheet or a view before printing and create a sheet or view list to printmultiple sheets or views.

Process: Previewing and Printing Sheets and Views

The following illustration shows the process of previewing and printing sheets and views.


The following steps describe the process of previewing and printing sheets and views.

1. Open the Print dialog box. To open the Print dialog box, on the application menu, click Print > Print. 2. Select an available printer. Select a standalone or a networked printer and specify the print options, such as paper size,

orientation, and print quality. You can also print the sheet to a file by selecting an electronicoutput format listed in the printer list.

3. Specify the print settings. Specify the print settings, such as zoom and hidden lines, in the Print Setup dialog box. You use

these settings to highlight specific aspects of a building model. 4. Preview or print the sheet. Preview the sheet after specifying the print range as the current window or the visible area of

the current window. You can also specify a selection of views or sheets to print using the View/Sheet Set dialog box. Then, print the selected sheet or view. You can also save the print setup tobe used later in a project. Note: The Preview option is disabled when you select the Selected Views/Sheets option in thePrint dialog box.

Guidelines for Working with Sheets

Following the recommended practices, you can work effectively with sheets in a project.

Guidelines■ Create and carefully name several copies of views for different design and documentation

purposes, for example, Ground Floor HVAC Plan and Ground Floor Electrical Plan. Naming eachcopy of the view carefully is necessary because you can place a view, other than legends, only onceon a sheet set. Moreover, a viewport name on a sheet can be different from the view name in theProject Browser. Creating and meaningfully naming views enables your project team members toeasily locate design views both on sheets and in the Project Browser.

■ Create viewport types that do not display the title or extension line or use custom line types.For example, if you place a 3D view or a rendered image on a sheet as an illustration, the viewdoes not typically need a detail number; therefore, you set that viewport type not to show a titlesymbol. Controlling the title status enables you to quickly build complex pages.

■ Create sheet views without titleblocks by deleting the titleblock after creating a sheet. Sheetviews without titleblocks can be used to place illustration views for printing or exporting to imageformats.

■ Create sheets using your organization’s project templates and place views on the sheets at an earlystage in a project. The sheets and viewports update automatically as a model develops, and youcan print sheets at any time. Predefined sheet sets in project files save time and promote designaccuracy.

■ Save multipage print setups as part of project templates. These setups can be calibrated todifferent project stages. For example, when a project is in a design development stage, the conceptdesign setup might only print 3D views. The use of print setups saves time and reduces wastebecause it ensures that prints match your organization standards.


Example

The following illustration shows a sheet view with an untitled viewport.


Exercise: Work with Sheets In this exercise, you create a sheet and modify its view properties. Then, you place a plan view and a sectionview on a sheet and specify print options for selected sheets and views. You are in the documentation phase in your design process during which you want to create a sheet and thenplace a plan view on it. You will also need to modify the view properties of the sheet to display a plan view andthe section views of the building model and specify various print options for the selected sheets and views. You do the following: ■ Create a sheet and modify its view properties.■ Place section views on a sheet.■ Specify print options for selected sheets and views.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter15: Construction Documentation. ClickExercise: Work with Sheets.

Create a Sheet and Modify its View Properties

1. Open i_rmep_sheets.rvt or m_rmep_sheets.rvt.

The file opens in the Level 2 HVAC Plan view. Note: The illustrations for the metric datasetwill be slightly different from those shown here.

2. To add a new sheet, click View tab > Sheet

Composition panel > New Sheet. 3. In the Select a Titleblock dialog box:

■ Ensure that E1 30 x 42 Horizontal : E1 30x42Horizontal (A0 metric) is selected.

■ Click OK. The new sheet is added to theProject Browser and becomes the activeview.


4. In the Project Browser:

■ Right-click Level 2 HVAC Plan. ClickDuplicate View > Duplicate with Detailing tocreate a copy of the floor plan view.

■ Right-click Copy of Level 2 HVAC Plan. ClickProperties to set the properties of the floorplan.

5. To display a crop region around the view, in the

Instance Properties dialog box:■ Under Identity Data, for View Name, enter

North Level 2 HVAC Plan in the Value field.■ Under Extents, ensure that the Crop View,

Crop Region Visible, and Annotation Cropcheck boxes are selected.

■ Click OK. 6. Activate the M101 - Unnamed sheet view. 7. Click View tab > Sheet Composition panel >

View. 8. To add a view to the sheet, in the Views dialog

box:■ Select Floor Plan: North Level 2 HVAC Plan

from the list of views.■ Click Add View to Sheet.

9.

In the view window:■ Position the viewport in the center of the

sheet.■ Click to place the viewport.

Note: You can also place the view by dragging itfrom the Project Browser to the sheet.

10. Click Modify Viewports tab > Viewport panel >

Activate View. By activating the view, you canwork on the building model through the sheet. Note: You can also activate the view using theView shortcut menu.

11. Click View tab > Graphics panel > View

Properties.

12. To modify the view properties, in the Instance

Properties dialog box:■ Under Graphics, for View Scale, ensure that

1/4" = 1'-0" (1 : 50) is selected in the Valuelist.

■ For Visibility/Graphics Overrides, click Edit. 13. In the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box,

Annotation Categories tab, clear the Elevationscheck box to hide the elevation symbols.

14. Click OK to close all dialog boxes. 15.

In the view window:■ Zoom out in the drawing.■ Move the cursor over the viewport border.■ Click to select the viewport when it

highlights.

16.

Drag the Control grips to include only theupper part of the building in the border of theviewport. Drag the left and right Control gripsto show the area of interest in the viewport.

17. On the View Control Bar, click Hide Crop Region. 18. Right-click in the view window. Click Deactivate

View to prevent the view from beingaccidentally modified.


19.

In the view window:■ Select the viewport.■ Drag the viewport to the sheet and position

it as shown. Note: The dimensions of the viewport may bedifferent depending on how you dragged theControl grips earlier.

20.

In the view window:■ Click a blank area to clear the selection.■ Click the viewport title below the sheet to

select it.■ Drag the viewport title to the lower left of

the viewport, as shown.

21.

In the view window:■ Click the viewport to display the drag dots

at the ends of the viewport title.■ Adjust the length of the viewport title by

dragging the right dot, if required.

Place Section Views on a Sheet 1. Add a new sheet to place section views.

The sheet gets added to the Project Browserwith the name M102 - Unnamed and becomesthe active view.

2. In the Project Browser, right-click M102 -

Unnamed. Click Rename. 3. In the Sheet Title dialog box:

■ For Number, ensure that M102 is displayed.■ For Name, enter Sections & Details.■ Click OK.

4.

In the view window:■ From the Project Browser, drag the Section

4 view onto the sheet.■ Click to place the Section 4 view in the

upper-left corner of the sheet.


5.

Drag the Callout of Section 4 view from theProject Browser and place it to the right of theSection 4 view.

6. Click anywhere in the view window except in

either viewport to clear the selection. 7. Activate the Level 2 view. 8.

Zoom in to the upper-left corner of thebuilding.

9. Verify that the section head shows the detail

number as 1 and sheet number as M102 for theadded view.

Specify Print Options for Selected Sheets andViews 1. On the application menu, click Print > Print. 2. In the Print dialog box, under Print Range:

■ Ensure that Selected Views/Sheets isselected.

■ Click Select to specify the view and sheetsto be printed.

3. In the View/Sheet Set dialog box:

■ Select the 3D View: {3D}, Sheet: M101 -Unnamed, and Sheet: M102 - Sections &Details check boxes.

■ Click OK. 4. In the Save Settings dialog box, click No for not

saving the settings.

5. In the Print dialog box, you can click OK to printthe 3D view and the sheets or save them to afile using the Print to File option.



Chapter Summary

Now that you have learned about titleblocks and sheets, you can create sheets with titleblocks toidentify and present project-specific information in the building design. In this chapter, you learned to:

■ Add titleblocks to a sheet and update the project information displayed in a titleblock.■ Create and modify sheets and specify print options for them.



Chapter

16

The Family Editor (Optional)

In this chapter, you will learn how to create and modify families, the building blocks of Revit®. Then,you will learn about connectors and their properties. You will also learn about some recommendedpractices for creating and modifying families.

Chapter Objective

After completing this chapter, you will be able to create and modify families.

216 ■ Chapter 16: The Family Editor (Optional)

Lesson: Creating and Modifying Families

This lesson describes how to create and modify families. You begin the lesson by learning aboutfamilies and connectors. Next, you learn the process of creating families and some recommendedpractices for creating and modifying families. The lesson concludes with an exercise on creating an airterminal family. Families are the basic building blocks of Revit. They include elements and components ranging fromdiffusers to diesel generators.

The appropriate family and its content are essential for creating a design in Revit MEP. With multiplemanufacturers creating specific content with usable connectors and parameters, it is now possible tocreate a complete MEP building information model.

Mechanical floor plan with Mechanical and Fire Protection families

Objectives


■ Describe families.■ Identify the types of connectors and system types.■ Identify the steps in the process of creating families.■ State the recommended practices for creating and modifying families.■ Create an air terminal family.

Lesson: Creating and Modifying Families ■ 217

About Families

Revit MEP provides different methods of geometry creation that you can use when you define families.You can combine these methods to create a family. The geometry forms available are lines, extrusions,sweeps, blends, swept blends, revolves, and regions. You can also add text and tags to families.

VAV Unit - Fan Powered - Series Flow family

Definition of Families

A family groups elements with a common set of parameters, identical use, and similar graphicalrepresentation.

You use the Family Editor to create families. The settings in the Family Editor affect a family in a projectbased on the family category and subcategory. For Revit MEP, the content in the families requiresconnectors to be intelligent Revit MEP components. If you create families with components withoutconnectors, you cannot use the families in system creation.


In Revit, there are three types of families: Loadable, System, and In-place. The following tabledescribes these types.

Family

Description

Loadable These families are created in the Family Editor and can be loaded into a projectfile.

System These families cannot be opened in the Family Editor. However, these families havespecified parameters that can be manipulated in a project. You can transfer thesefamilies between projects. Examples of System families are duct, pipe, and walls.

In-place These families are created in a project in the context of a custom element withunique geometry that is not intended for reuse.

References Planes

Reference planes are used to define relationships among the geometric components within the FamilyEditor. Reference planes are not displayed when a family is used in a building model, unless a definedrelationship between a reference plane and geometry exists, for example, in the centerline of a hotwater heater.

Template Properties

Family templates are preset groupings of parameters and views that aid in the creation of system-specific families. After you select a template, Revit MEP starts the Family Editor and opens thecommonly used views for that family creation. The template also includes common references thatare required to create a family. The common references include reference planes to define the originand sketching references, common dimensions to help capture design intent, and any solid geometryneeded or commonly used to complete the family. The family template files are available in theImperial Templates (Metric Templates) folder. The following table describes the different types of family templates.

Family Template

Description

Wall-based The wall-based template is used for components inserted into walls. Wallcomponents can include openings so that when you place the componenton a wall, it also cuts an opening in the wall. Some examples of wall-basedcomponents include doors, windows, and lighting fixtures. Each templateincludes a wall; the wall is necessary for showing how the component fitsin a wall.

Ceiling-based The ceiling-based template is used for components inserted into ceilings.Ceiling components can include openings so that when you place thecomponent on a ceiling, it also cuts an opening in the ceiling. Examples ofceiling-based families include sprinklers and recessed lighting fixtures.

Floor-based The floor-based template is used for components inserted into floors.Floor components can include openings so that when you place thecomponent on a floor, it also cuts an opening in the floor. An example of afloor-based family is a heating register.


Family Template

Description

Roof-based The roof-based template is used for components inserted into roofs. Roofcomponents can include openings so that when you place the componenton a roof, it also cuts an opening in the roof. Examples of roof-basedfamilies include soffits and fans.

Non-hosted The non-hosted template is used for components that are not hostdependent. A non-hosted component can appear anywhere in a modeland can be dimensioned to other non-hosted or host-based components.Examples of non-hosted families include VAV boxes, columns, and valves.

Face-based The face-based template is used for creating workplane-based familiesthat can modify their hosts. Families created from the template canmake complex cuts in hosts. Instances of these families can be placedon any surface, regardless of its orientation. It is recommended that allfamilies be created using the face-based template for working in a linkedenvironment so that when there is an architectural design change, theplumbing fixtures that are hosted to the wall move with the wall.

Hosting Behavior

When creating a family using a template, it is important to consider the type of hosting behavior youwant for the family. For example, you may want that a new lighting fixture be hosted on the ceiling.However, there may be cases where you want to use that family in wall mount configuration or asa freely suspended family. You cannot change the hosting of a family after it is created. The hostingsetting is predefined based on the template from which the family originated.

Plane hosting enables the family to be hosted by walls, floors, or ceilings and provides a high level offlexibility. Plane hosted elements move with their hosting elements through linked models.

Non-hosted families are hosted by the level they are inserted in and enable the element to be placedanywhere. Their height is defined relative to their level, but there is no association established withelements, linked models, or otherwise.

When using linked files, only face-hosted families can be hosted by the linked file’s geometry.

When using linked files, wall-, ceiling-, floor-, and roof-hosted elements are not usedbecause these elements do not recognize the host from the link.


Example of Families

The following illustrations show various types of families.

Face-based pendant light fixture Non-hosted metering switchboard

Non-hosted cooling tower

Connectors

Connectors are an important part of Revit MEP because they allow data to flow between elements.The discipline assigned to a connector determines the types of systems with which it can interact andhow it interacts with other system components.

Types of Connectors

There are three basic types of connectors, also known as domains, that can be added to a family.These types are the HVAC, piping, and electrical connectors.


The following table describes the three types of connectors.

Type

Description

HVAC These connectors are associated with ductwork, duct fittings, and other elementsthat are part of the air handling systems for a building.

Piping These connectors are used for piping, pipe fittings, and other elements that arerequired for transmitting liquids, steam, gases, and other fluids within a building.

Electrical These connectors are used for any type of electrical connections within a building.Electrical connectors are considered to be logical connectors rather than physicalconnectors. This is because even though the software does not support elementssuch as conduit or cable tray, these elements can still be added but not physicallyconnected to the electrical elements.

Selecting the correct connector is critical to the content working correctly. This isbecause after a selection is made, it cannot be changed. Any connector that is placedmust be deleted and re-added to change the domain or the placement method.

Electrical

When a component with an electrical connector is selected, a contextual tab for that category of thatfamily displays. This tab contains tools that allow you to create a specific electrical system such asPower, Data, Telephone, Fire Alarm, Nurse Call, and Communications.

Tools for creating different types of electrical systems

Duct

When a component with a duct connector is selected, a contextual tab displays tools that allow you tocreate a specific HVAC system, such as Supply Air, Return Air, and Exhaust Air.

Tools for creating different types of duct systems


Hydronic

When a component with a hydronic pipe connector is selected, a contextual tab displays tools thatallow you to create a specific hyrdonic piping system, such as Supply, Return, and Other.

Tools for creating different types of hydronic piping systems

Plumbing

When a component with a plumbing pipe connector is selected, a contextual tab displays tools thatallow you to create a specific plumbing system, such as Domestic Hot Water, Domestic Cold Water,and Sanitary.

Tools for creating different types of plumbing systems

Fire Protection

When a component with a fire protection pipe connector is selected, a contextual tab displays toolsthat allow you to create a specific fire protection system, such as Fire Protection Wet, Fire ProtectionDry, Fire Protection Pre-Action, and Fire Protection Other.

Tools for creating different types of fire protection systems


Options for Placing Connectors

You can place connectors using two options, Place on Face and Place on Work Plane. The following table describes the two options for placing connectors.

Option

Description

Place on Face This option maintains a point at the center of the extrusion. Typically, the Placeon Face option is easier to use and is suitable for most cases. Using this option,you specify a plane and use dimensions to constrain the connector to the desiredlocation.

Place onWork Plane

This option allows placement of the connector on a selected plane. This optionrequires additional parameters and constraints to be used effectively.

Process of Creating Families

Creating families is a critical task because after the template has been selected and the geometrycreated, the basic options in the family are programmed into the family and cannot be changed.

Process: Creating Families

The following illustration shows the process of creating families.

The following steps describe the process of creating families.

1. Open a new family. Open a new family by selecting New > Family from the applications menu. 2. Select a template. By default, Revit opens the Imperial Templates (Metric Templates) folder. Select a template to

define the hosting of a component. Templates also define the type of family, such as annotation,model, titleblock, or profile.


3. Create reference planes. Create the reference planes using the Reference Plane tool on the Datum panel of the Create tab

in the Family Editor. Specifying the reference planes with properly labeled dimensions to createparametric families is the key to creating reusable families. Reference planes are also used asalignment points.

4. Create extrusions. Create extrusions or the geometry of a component that will be part of the family. The options for

creating geometry include sweep, sweep blend, revolve, blend, and basic extrusion. Note: Associate the geometry that is being created with the reference planes so that when thefamily is flexed, the geometry is updated.

5. Place connectors. Place connectors, keeping in mind the flow of information through the system. Create separate

extrusions for duct and piping connectors. Note: Electrical connectors are not physical connectors with the ability to draw conduit; theseconductors can simply be placed on any face of an extrusion.

Guidelines for Creating and Modifying Families

Following the recommended practices, you can work effectively with families.

Guidelines■ Avoid creating all details in 3D. Adding too much geometry to a family reduces the performance of

the Revit project.■ Utilize the resources at Autodesk® Seek, which is an online collaboration of multiple

manufacturers and Autodesk® that hosts free manufacturer-specific content that is approvedand authorized by both the manufacturers and Autodesk. The website for Autodesk Seek iswww.seek.autodesk.com. It is also possible to search Autodesk Seek from within the Revit sessionby selecting the Insert tab and entering the search string.

■ Create a keyboard shortcut to automatically open the Load Family dialog box. Alternatively, clickLoad on the Options Bar for most component types such as Mechanical and Electrical Equipmentwhen the discipline-specific equipment tool is selected in the Model panel of the Home tab.Creating a shortcut to load families increases the speed at which they can be placed, modified,and scheduled.

■ Duplicate and modify a similar existing family to suit the custom design requirements instead ofcreating a new family using a template. This saves you time and effort on a project.

■ Lock all extrusion ends to any surface that they must move with. Test this by varying the surfaceposition or host dimensions. Locking extrusion ends ensures that when a family is flexed, theextrusions automatically flex with the reference planes. This helps to create parametric geometrythat can be manipulated and reused.

■ Dimension the depth of extrusion for all extrusions that must maintain constant depth or wheredepth is to be parametrically controlled. This enables you to change the appearance of parametricgeometry without editing the family in the Family Editor. The appearance is updated immediatelyin the project.


Example

The following illustration shows a typical lavatory.


Exercise: Create an Air Terminal Family In this exercise, you create an air terminal family by creating reference planes and parametric geometry. You need an air terminal that has specific design criteria associated with it so that it is possible to forward themechanical design. You will need to create parametric geometry and add a connector to the air terminal. You do the following: ■ Create reference planes and add dimensions.■ Create a blend and add a connector.


Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow thesteps in this book or in the onscreenexercise. In the onscreen list ofchapters and exercises, click Chapter16: The Family Editor. Click Exercise:Create an Air Terminal Family.

Create Reference Planes and Add Dimensions 1. On the application menu, click New > Family.

Note: This exercise uses a common datasetfile. Imperial units are used in the model toteach the concepts of the lesson. These unitsdo not affect this exercise being run using themetric version of the software. The exerciseillustrations may vary slightly from those shownhere.

2. In the New Family - Select Template File dialog

box:■ Navigate to the folder where you saved the

exercise dataset.■ Select c_rmep_air_terminal_template.rft.■ Click Open.

3. Enter WT to tile the windows. 4. To begin drafting reference planes, maximize

the Floor Plan: Ref. Level view window. 5. Zoom to fit the view. 6. Click Create tab > Datum panel > Reference

Plane.


7.

In the view window, on either side of thevertical centerline, draw reference planes asshown. The exact location is not critical.

8. Exit the Reference Plane tool. 9. To keep the reference planes equidistant,

you need to create an equal dimension.You can then use this dimension to controlthe geometry. To do this, click Detail tab >Dimension panel > Aligned.

10.

In the view window:■ Click the three vertical reference planes in

succession.■ Click to place the dimension string above

the planes. Notice that an EQ symbol with aslash appears on the dimension string.

■ Click the EQ symbol to make the planesequidistant.

11. Exit the Aligned dimension tool. 12. To add a dimension to control the two outer

planes, activate the Aligned dimension tool.

13.

In the view window:■ Click to select the vertical centerline.■ Click one of the outer planes.■ Move the dimension string up and click to

place it.

14. Exit the Aligned dimension tool. 15. In the view window, select the dimension you

just placed. 16.

To map this dimension, on the Options Bar,select Half Width from the Label list.


selection. 18. You have set up two of the outer reference

planes for the air terminal. Next, you needto create the inner reference planes for theconnector segment of the air terminal. Selectthe right reference plane.


19. Click Modify Reference Planes tab > Modify

panel > Copy. 20.

Create a copy of the reference plane betweenthe centerline and the right reference plane.The exact placement is not critical.

21.

Create a copy of the left reference planebetween the centerline and the left referenceplane.

22.

Add dimensions to the two inner referenceplanes and the centerline and make thedimensions equidistant.

23.

Add dimensions to the inner reference planeon the left and the centerline and place thedimension above the other dimension strings.


24.

Label the dimension that you just created HalfConnector.

25.

Similar to the vertical reference planes anddimensions, create horizontal reference planesand dimensions as shown.

Note: You can change the view scale so thatyou can view the reference planes easily.

Create a Blend and Add a Connector 1. Click Create tab > Forms panel > Solid drop-

down > Blend. 2. Click Create Blend Base Boundary > Draw panel

> Rectangle.

3.

In the view window, draw a rectangular outlinefrom the upper-left corner to the lower-rightcorner created by the intersection of thereference planes.

4.

To associate the lines with the referenceplanes, click all open padlocks.

5. On the Mode panel, click Edit Top. 6. Activate the Rectangle tool.


7.

In the view window, draw a rectangle on theinner square as shown. This will be the topextrusion of the air terminal connector.

8.

Lock all four padlocks to associate these linesto the reference planes.

9. On the Element panel, click Blend Properties.

10.

To control the height of the air terminal, inthe Instance Properties dialog box, underConstraints, for Second End, click the graybutton next to 1' 0" in the Value column.

11.

In the Associate Family Parameter dialog box:■ Under Existing Family Parameters of

Compatible Type, select Height.

■ Click OK.


box. 13. On the Blend panel, click Finish Blend. 14.

Open the default 3D view.

15. Click Create tab > Connectors panel > Duct

Connector. 16. On the Options Bar, verify that Supply Air is

selected in the list.


17.

In the view window, click the top face of the airterminal to place the connector on the top ofthe terminal. Tip: Use the TAB key to locate the top face ofthe air terminal.

18. Exit the Duct Connector tool. 19. Select the connector you just placed. 20. Open the Instance Properties dialog box to

adjust the settings in the connector so that itconnects to the system properly.

21. In the Instance Properties dialog box, under

Mechanical:■ For Flow Configuration, select Preset from

the Value list.■ For Flow Direction, ensure that In is

selected in the Value list.■ For Loss Method, select Specific Loss from

the Value list. 22. In the Instance Properties dialog box, under

Mechanical - Airflow:■ Map Pressure Drop to the Static Pressure

parameter.■ Map Flow to the Flow parameter. Tip: Click the gray button next to the Valuecolumn to map the parameters.

23.

In the Instance Properties dialog box, underDimensions:■ Map Height and Width to the Connector

parameter.

■ Click OK.

24.

Clear the selection. You can now load the airterminal family into a project and use it asrequired.



Chapter Summary

Now that you have learned to create and modify families using the Family Editor, you can developappropriate families and their content for creating designs in Revit MEP. In this chapter, you learned to create and modify families.

Appendix: Additional Resources ■ 233

Appendix

A

Additional Resources

A variety of resources are available to help you get the most from your Autodesk® software. Whetheryou prefer instructor-led, self-paced, or online training, Autodesk has you covered.

For additional information, please refer to the disc that accompanies this training guide.

■ Learning Tools from Autodesk■ Autodesk Certification■ Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATC®)■ Autodesk Subscription■ Autodesk Communities

Learning Tools from Autodesk

Use your Autodesk software to its full potential. Whether you are a novice or an advanced user,Autodesk offers a robust portfolio of learning tools to help you perform ahead of the curve.

■ Get hands-on experience with job-related exercises based on industry scenarios from Autodesk

Official Training Guides, e-books, self-paced learning, and training videos.■ All materials are developed by Autodesk subject matter experts.■ Get exactly the training you need with learning tools designed to fit a wide range of skill levels and

subject matter—from basic essentials to specialized, in-depth training on the capabilities of thelatest Autodesk products.

■ Access the most comprehensive set of Autodesk learning tools available anywhere: from yourauthorized partner, online, or at your local bookstore.

■ To find out more, visit http://www.autodesk.com/learningtools.

Autodesk Certification

Demonstrate your experience with Autodesk software. Autodesk certifications are a reliable validationof your skills and knowledge. Demonstrate your software skills to prospective employers, accelerateyour professional development, and enhance your reputation in your field.

234 ■ Appendix

Certification Benefits■ Rapid diagnostic feedback to assess your strengths and identify areas for improvement.■ An electronic certificate with a unique serial number.■ The right to use an official Autodesk Certification logo.■ The option to display your certification status in the Autodesk Certified Professionals database.

For more information:

Visit www.autodesk.com/certification to learn more and to take the next steps to get certified.

Autodesk Authorized Training Centers

Enhance your productivity and learn how to realize your ideas faster with Autodesk software. Gettrained at an Autodesk Authorized Training Center (ATC) with hands-on, instructor-led classes tohelp you get the most from your Autodesk products. Autodesk has a global network of AuthorizedTraining Centers that are carefully selected and monitored to ensure you receive high-quality, results-oriented learning. ATCs provide the best way for beginners and experts alike to get up to speed. Thetraining helps you get the greatest return on your investment, faster, by building your knowledgein the areas you need the most. Many organizations provide training on our software, but only theeducational institutions and private training providers recognized as ATC sites have met Autodesk'srigorous standards of excellence.

Find an Authorized Training Center

With over 2,000 ATCs in more than 90 countries around the world, there is probably one close to you.Visit the ATC locator at www.autodesk.com/atc to find an Autodesk Authorized Training Center nearyou. Look for ATC courses offered at www.autodesk.com/atcevents.

Many ATCs also offer end-user Certification testing. Locate a testing center near you atwww.autodesk.starttest.com.

Autodesk Subscription

Autodesk® Subscription is a maintenance and support program that helps you minimize costs,increase productivity, and make the most of your Autodesk software investment. For an attractiveannual fee, you receive any upgrades released during your Subscription term, as well as early accessto product enhancements. Subscription also gives you flexible license terms, so you can run bothcurrent and previous versions (under certain conditions) and use the software on both home andoffice computers. In addition, Subscription gives you access to a variety of tools and information thatsave time and increase productivity, including web support direct from Autodesk, self-paced learning,and online license management.

■ Autodesk Subscription offers a way to make software costs predictable. Whether a customer opts

for a one-year subscription or a multiyear contract, the costs are known for the entire term of thecontract.

■ A complete library of interactive learning tools and high-quality, self-paced lessons help usersincrease their productivity and master new skills. These short lessons are available on demandand complement more in-depth training provided through Autodesk Authorized Training Centers.

■ Autodesk Subscription makes managing software licenses easier. Customers have added flexibilityto allow their employees to use their Subscription software—in the office or at home. Better yet,designers are entitled to run previous versions of the software concurrently with the latest releaseunder certain conditions.

Appendix: Additional Resources ■ 235

■ Get what you need to stay productive. With web support, Autodesk support technicians provideanswers to your installation, configuration, and troubleshooting questions. Web and emailcommunications deliver support straight to your desktop.

■ For more information, visit www.autodesk.com/subscription.

Autodesk User Communities

Autodesk customers can take advantage of free Autodesk software, self-paced tutorials, worldwidediscussion groups and forums, job postings, and more. Become a member of an Autodesk Communitytoday!

Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user licenseagreement that accompanies download of the software.

Feedback

Autodesk understands the importance of offering you the best learning experience possible. If youhave comments, suggestions, or general inquiries about Autodesk Learning, please contact us [email protected].

As a result of the feedback we receive from you, we hope to validate and append to our currentresearch on how to create a better learning experience for our customers.

Useful Links Learning Tools

www.autodesk.com/learningtools

Communitieswww.autodesk.com/community

Certificationwww.autodesk.com/certification

Student Communitywww.students.autodesk.com

Find an Authorized Training Centerwww.autodesk.com/atc

Blogswww.autodesk.com/blogs

Find an Authorized Training Center Coursewww.autodesk.com/atcevents

Discussion Groupswww.discussion.autodesk.com

Autodesk Storewww.store.autodesk.com

236 ■ Appendix

Documents

109112272 Autodesk Revit MEP Official Training Guide Essentials Volume 2