The Revit Clinic

Revit 2016 – Render Coarse Poche Material

Revit 2016 added a second rendering engine - Autodesk Raytracer.  When rendering with this option, you can use the Coarse Poche Material (and have it use the color for the rendered image).  Previously when using the NVIDIA® mental ray engine the poche cut pattern color would not be displayed.  Example process below:

• Open a 3D view > click Edit Type from the Properties
• Locate the Coarse Poche Material parameter > click in the cell … button to open the material browser and modify the material Graphics > Cut Pattern settings for Pattern and Color (pattern needs to be set to Solid Fill) > OK
• Set your 3D view to Detail Level > Coarse
• Enable the 3D Section Box > adjust so it cuts some model geometry > you should see the color and solid fill pattern you specified
• View > Render.  For Engine, specify Autodesk Raytracer
• Click Render.  For the elements cut by the section box (and displaying the poche pattern / color) they should be rendered that way.  The realistic visual style should also show the coarse poche material

For this example when the view is cut by the section box and rendered, the color \ solid fill pattern still displays:

Revisions & Keynotes & Worksets & Revit 2014

I want to update and elaborate on our previous post:

When Adding a Keynote Tag the User Borrows a Sheet Workset

For Revit 2013 or earlier there are 2 common scenarios where sheet view worksets can be borrowed working with keynotes or revisions.  The first was mentioned in the original post:

1. There is a sheet in the project A101.
2. Several project views have been placed on this sheet.
3. UserA is in one of the views that appear on sheet A101.  UserA has not opened or edited sheet A101 directly.
4. In this view UserA adds a keynote.
5. Because this view appears on sheet A101, Revit needs to borrow the view workset for sheet A101 to update keynote data.  There could also be a keynote legend on this sheet for example.
6. If UserB attempts to add a keynote to one of these views before UserA syncs with central & relinquishes they would receive the expected “Can’t edit the element until UserA…” message.

The second is applicable only for Revit 2012 \ 2013, where tagging linked model geometry with keynotes is possible:

1. There is a host model containing a Revit link.
2. Keynotes are added (in the host) attached to link geometry.
3. At some point the link geometry changes (such as deleting a wall) causing the keynote tag to become orphaned.
4. When a keynote tag is orphaned, it is removed from keynote legends when filtering by sheet.
5. The next user to create a new local file, or reload the link will load those changes (which orphans the keynote tag).  This in turn borrows every sheet view workset that tag previously appeared in.

For Revit 2013 or earlier the original post provides some additional information around this behavior.

For Revit 2014 keynote and revision functionality has been improved.  Sheet view worksets are no longer borrowed during the same process, which should give larger project teams additional flexibility (especially during documentation-heavy project phases).

Model Elements on View Worksets

Revit has 4 main categories for worksets:

User-Created
Families
Project Standards
Views

The only category directly accessible to users (to change the workset assignment) is User-Created.

In Revit 2013 or earlier you may occasionally notice a model element (such as a wall, door, family, etc.) on a View workset.  View worksets are not user selectable and are instead managed by Revit internally.  So how did this happen?  This could occur under the following scenario: 

1. The user selects and enters an edit mode for an element on a view workset.  Some examples include plan regions, detail groups, or filled regions
2. Instead of using ‘Finish Edit Mode’ or ‘Cancel Edit Mode’ the user instead clicks Undo to exit edit mode
3. Now back in the project, the user starts adding model elements, such as walls.  The walls are placed on the current View workset instead of the active User-Created workset (until the user opens the workset dialog or changes the active workset):

This behavior was improved in Revit 2014.  Using Undo to exit edit mode will correctly reset the active workset.

For earlier releases you can easily isolate elements that may be on an incorrect View workset and assign them to a specific User-Created workset.

First to isolate model elements on view worksets:

1. Create a new 3D View and turn on all categories in Visibility / Graphic Overrides
2. Set the view ‘Discipline’ to ‘Coordination’
3. In Visibility/Graphic Overrides > 'Worksets' tab, set every workset ‘Visibility Setting’ to ‘Hide’ > OK to close the dialog
4. Any element that is visible should be on view workset.  This makes it easy to identify inconsistencies in workset assignment

To move the elements to the desired User-Created workset:

1. Set the Active Workset to the workset you wish the model element onto
2. Cut to Clipboard
3. Paste Aligned to Same Place.  The model element should now be on the active workset.  If it worked correctly you should not see the element again until you adjust the Visibility / Graphic Overrides > Worksets tab, and set ‘Visibility Setting’ back to not use ‘Hide’

Annotation in Revit Link has Shifted Location in Host Model

We have a previous post that discusses some troubleshooting approaches for missing annotation (from a linked model, in the host model):

Using Annotation from Linked Views & Troubleshooting Missing Annotation

In a related scenario you could potentially see the annotation from the linked model, but it appears at a slightly shifted location.  Similar to this example image:

By default the view (in the linked model) needs to be parallel to the host view, in order for the annotation to display.  However depending on your model size, placement, angle, etc. there could be a slight threshold where Revit will still display the annotation even if it is not technically parallel.  Usually this is very small (under 3/32” variance in the angle between the link and host view).

If this is the case you could potentially see the model geometry correctly but the annotation may display as shifted slightly in the view.  If so the following should help:

1. Use the Wall tool > ‘Pick Lines’ option to add a wall temporarily on the link (so there is a perpendicular reference in the host project).
2. Select the elevation > use the ‘Rotate’ option to rotate the elevation.  Ideally you want to rotate it away to the opposite side and then back so it will clearly snap perpendicular to the wall reference.
3. If the elevation still doesn’t appear correctly, try adding a new elevation to the same area.  The elevation should detect the temporary parallel wall you added.  After the elevation is created the reference wall can be deleted.

Multi-Segment Grids – Multiple Segments Visible in an Elevation \ Section View

For multi-segment grids you could potentially have several grid segments [of the same gridline] perpendicular to an elevation \ section view.  As with standard grids, when a datum element is perpendicular to the view by default it will display.

For example, if you have a multi-segment grid in plan similar to this shape the elevation view would display the following:

If you run into this scenario and do not want to show both grid segments you can utilize the View Properties > Far Clipping.  If the elevation \ section far clipping point terminates before the second perpendicular gridline it would not display in the view:

Datum Extents and Visibility

Revit Visibility Hierarchy

Revit gives the user a number of ways to override the display of an element.  It may not always be clear which method “wins” over another method, but there is a visibility hierarchy.  This list may not cover every possible scenario but does include common overrides.  

10 being the lowest and 1 being the highest using walls as an example:

1. Line Work Tool
2. Override Graphics in View > By Element > Halftone
3. Graphic Display Options – Silhouette Edges
4. Override Graphics in View > By Element
5. View Filters
6. View Depth – “Beyond” Line Style
7. Phasing Graphic Overrides
8. Visibility / Graphic Overrides > Override Host Layers > Cut Line Styles
9. Visibility / Graphic Overrides > Projection \ Cut Lines
10. Project Object Styles

Here is a graphical example using walls:

Another example to this:

• There is a Visibility/Graphic Override for the wall category in the view
• The wall has an override by element
• The view uses a phase graphic override
• There is a view filter applied overriding the graphics of walls over a specific thickness

When all 4 of these overrides are in place, by default the Override Graphics in View > By Element is visible since it is highest up the chain at #4:

Remove that override and I now see my view filter:

Remove the view filter and I see the phasing graphic override:

And lastly, change the phase filter of the view and I will see my Visibility/Graphic Override:

You want to update a revision/issue title block label globally in multiple sheet views

A user who recently migrated from AutoCAD to the Revit Architecture Program and wanted to know how to update a revision/issue title block label globally in multiple sheet views without the need to edit every single individual sheet view contained within the project. When the user used to issue drawings using AutoCad, every drawing has a revision consisting of an xref with the revision data attached to every drawing.

Following these simple steps set out in this link below to our Technical Solution contained within our Knowledge Base to explain how to add a label to a titleblock, which can be updated globally in multiple sheet views in Revit Architecture 2012.

You want to update a revision/issue title block label globally in multiple sheet views

Using Annotation from Linked Views & Troubleshooting Missing Annotation

By default you can utilize annotation, such as dimensions \ room tags \ text \ etc, from a linked model view in the host model view.  Under Visibility \ Graphic Overrides > Revit Links, you can set the link to By Linked View or Custom:

 

When you select a linked view that contains annotation, it should display in the host model:

However if you find the annotation missing from the linked view, there are a few common items to confirm which I have organized below:

1.  Is the Linked View Parallel to the Host View?

One of the most common causes of this behavior.  Say you have a section view in the host model, which cuts through the linked model.  In the host section view, you set the link to use a view containing annotation.  However the host section view is not parallel to the linked section view:

2.  Linked Model Rotated?

Similar to #1, is the linked model slightly skewed in the host model?  For example if the host and link should both be horizontal, zoom in to confirm they are parallel.  If this were the case the annotation would not display:

3.  Visibility \ Graphic Overrides Set Visible?

If set to By Linked View or Custom, the linked model geometry will not be using the host visibility settings by default.  In this case it is important to open Visibility / Graphic Overrides, and confirm the specific annotation categories are visible:

4.  Element in Link Hidden in Host?

This one is easy to overlook; let’s take the following example:

-You tab-select annotation in a linked model [from the host model view]
-Right-click > Hide in View > Category
-This hides the specific annotation category from the link
-You later check the V/G > Revit Links > Display Settings and confirm the category is visible but does not appear in the model

When you hide categories in this manner Revit creates custom display settings for the link instance.

You can confirm this under Visibility / Graphic Overrides  > Revit Links > Display Settings.  When you tab-select and hide a category in the link, the link name should be expanded to show that link instance and it should read Custom:

Let me know if you can add any additional examples!

Revit Schedule Survey

Our friends over at Inside the Factory have posted a new survey about Revit schedules.  They are conducting some research and would love to hear from you.

I can relate to Dave's story about how cool Revit schedules were when you first saw what they could do.

To give them a hand in their efforts, check out the post over at:

http://insidethefactory.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/01/revit-schedules-a-love-hate-relationship.html

Interior Elevations and Large Coordinates in the Project

Let’s look at a quick troubleshooting scenario around interior elevations, which appear distorted.

You have an interior elevation of a room which looks like this in 3D:

However the interior elevation is displaying the cabinets as transparent:

This type of display inconsistency is often related to large coordinates in the model.

Once the distance range passes outside the 20 mile “box” you could potentially run into this behavior.

Revit 20 mile origin limit for imported and model geometry

Walls which appear transparent, or are displaying elements behind them, is often the same underlying issue.

The process below should help better determine if a stray element is creating large coordinates in the model:

1. Open a 3D View > Enable every Visibility \ Graphic Overrides Category for all Disciplines
2. Set the View Phase Filter to None
3. Verify all Worksets are visible in the 3D View
4. Reveal Hidden Elements
5. Set Discipline > Coordination
6. Zoom to Fit

If the view appears blank on zoom this indicates there are 2 or more elements a far distance from each other.

For example, the model may be in one location where a stray plumbing fixture was inadvertently moved further away, causing coordinates well over 20 miles.  Cross select portions of the view to see if any stray elements are selected.

Hopefully, if you can isolate and delete the element [or correct the location] the interior elevation appearance should return to an expected state.