Chapter 2

Creating an Effective Project Template

A lot of work goes into putting together a building design project. It takes not only the coordination of design intent but also the coordination of the means to communicate the design intent. Anyone interested in saving time and money to achieve the goals required by a project will immediately begin to ask how they can simplify or automate the numerous tasks.

Project templates are the cornerstone to improving efficiency when working on an Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2013 project. Revit MEP is a design and documentation tool, and those who are paid to do design work should not have to spend time on anything other than achieving their design goals. A well-developed project template will enable you to focus more on design without having to spend time developing and defining settings or standards each time a task is required, because they'll already be created for you.

The first consideration for creating a Revit project template should be the requirements for the delivery of the design. There is no need for certain settings or features in a template if they are not used on a project-to-project basis. Some clients may have certain standards that require a unique template altogether. Because project templates are the culmination of company or client standards, they should be managed by one person or by a small group of people. Project templates are fluid documents that require updates; so allowing global access to them will make them difficult to manage. However, input as to what should be included in a template can be made by anyone who works on projects and understands the need for features or functionality.

Revit MEP 2013 comes with template files that can be used for starting a project right away. You may choose to use these templates for a project or as a starting point for building your own template.

Whatever their use, project templates are the starting points that allow you to work seamlessly without breaking the momentum of collaboration and coordination efforts of your projects. The goal of creating a template is not to include every single item or standard that you use, but to determine what is most often needed.

In this chapter, you will learn to do the following:

• Set up views and visibility
• Establish project settings
• Define preloaded content and its behavior
• Create sheet standards

Understanding Templates

The reason for setting standards is so that project documents will look the same within a construction document set, and so that different sets of documents will appear to have come from the same place. Some companies care more about how their drawings look than others, but there should be uniformity regardless. This applies not only to the content that makes up a model but also to the organization of model views, the naming of views and schedules, and the overall drafting conventions used.

Once it has been determined how views should be displayed for each type and each discipline, you can establish those settings in your project template so that each project will begin from the same starting point. Because every project is unique in some way, it is possible to modify the default settings as needed, but that does not eliminate the need for baseline settings.

You want to be able to begin working on a project without having to spend time setting up how the project displays in your views. Having preset views and visibility settings will increase productivity on your projects by eliminating the need to do repetitive tasks just to get started.

Understanding the Project Browser Organization

How you keep your project organized within the Project Browser in Revit will go a long way toward efficiency in the workflow of a project. Having a consistent Project Browser organization will make working on several projects at once easier. You always want to know where to find specific types of views, and also what a view is by its name.

The first area of organization in the Project Browser consists of the views within the project. When transitioning from a traditional CAD program, it can be difficult at first to comprehend that each view is not a separate file. The views are created to determine how you are looking at the model. Views have many properties that determine their appearance and to what discipline or system they belong. You can organize your views based on any of these properties in order to group like views together. Figure 2.1 shows the different types of view organizations available by default. You access this dialog box by right-clicking the Views heading in the Project Browser and selecting Properties.

Notice that the organization of views in the Project Browser is a system family. This means that you can create additional types by duplicating one of the default types—except for the type All, which cannot be changed, duplicated, or deleted—and then changing how the views are grouped and listed.

When you click the Edit button for the Folders parameter in the Type Properties dialog box of the Browser - Views family, you can modify how the views are organized and listed in the Project Browser. You can choose up to three levels of grouping for your views and one sorting option. Each grouping option is determined by a view property. Once a property is chosen, you can select another level of grouping by using a different property and then another if necessary. When all the grouping options have been established, you can select the sorting option for the views. Thus, creating grouping options is similar to creating a folder structure for files, and the sorting option determines how the views will be listed in the “folder.”

Figure 2.1 Default view organization types

Determining Which Views Are Grouped Together

Every view within a project belongs to a design discipline. The discipline property of a view is the most common property used for the first level of grouping. Revit MEP uses only three disciplines for MEP engineering: Mechanical, Electrical, and new to Revit 2013—Plumbing. Although the architectural and structural model components display in a sort of wireframe, the objects are still in front of the object you are trying to select, and you will still need to hide them or change the view mode in order to select anything. The disciplines Architectural and Structural display the model differently and are generally used when you want to view linked files as originally intended, while the Coordination discipline is great for viewing all disciplines together.

The SubDiscipline parameter can be used as the second level of grouping to further distinguish views used for fire protection, plumbing, or other types of engineering systems. This parameter exists in the default templates that can be installed with Revit MEP 2012. If you choose to create a template or project without starting with one of the default templates, you will have to create a parameter for this type of use.

Using a SubDiscipline type parameter makes it possible to separate views into their specific engineering systems. You can have all your electrical views listed under the Electrical discipline, but that may make it difficult to find views you want quickly. Having a second-level grouping that puts all the lighting, power, communications, and other systems views in their own group will create a more organized environment in the Project Browser.

The Family And Type property of a view is another commonly used level of grouping. This is what defines your views as plan views, sections, elevations, 3D views, or ceiling plans. When you begin to annotate your views in order to place them on construction documents, it is important to place the annotation in the views that will be used on your sheets, so being able to locate the proper view for annotation easily is important. Each grouping option can be set to utilize all the characters of the parameter value or only a specific number of leading characters.

Sorting Views within Groups

Once you have established what types of views will be grouped together, you can determine how the views will be sorted in their respective groups. View Name is most often used, because ultimately you have to find the view you are looking for in the Project Browser. Views can be sorted in either ascending or descending order, alphabetically or numerically.

Figure 2.2 shows the setup of a view organization that utilizes the Discipline, SubDiscipline, and Family And Type properties as a grouping structure, with the views sorted by View Name. Notice how the views are shown in the Project Browser because of this organization.

Figure 2.2 Sample view organization structure

Schedule views and legends are organized separately from model views. The only control you have over how they are listed is by your naming convention, because they will be listed alphabetically. The sheets used in your project are the only other project element that you can sort and group in the Project Browser. Sheet organization options are discussed later in this chapter.

Determining the Number and Types of Views Needed

From a production standpoint, the purpose of a project template is to eliminate or reduce the need for repetitive tasks, such as setting the scale of a view or turning off the visibility of certain model objects each time a new view is created. The ability to create a view and begin working without spending time setting it up can help reduce the time it takes to complete a project. It is also helpful in reducing drafting errors, and maintaining a consistent look among construction documents.

We know that certain elements should be displayed in certain types of views, and that some elements should display differently depending on the type of view. For example, you may want to show plumbing fixtures as halftone in a mechanical heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) plan but display them normally in a plumbing plan.

The way that objects are displayed by default is set up in the object styles of a project. We'll discuss object styles later in this chapter. The way that a view displays the model and specific objects within the model is controlled by the properties of the view.

When you select a view in the Project Browser, its properties are displayed in the Properties palette; if you are not using the Properties palette, you can right-click a view and select Properties. Another common method for accessing the properties of a view is to right-click in the drawing area and select Properties.

Some properties of a view are a result of the type of view that has been created. View types include floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, sections, elevations, and 3D views. These are all views used for displaying the model. There are also drafting and detail views that are used for displaying 2D details or diagrams. Some detail views are a combination of model display and detail components.

When building a project template, you should consider what types of views will be necessary. As with any component of a template, there is no need to create every type of view imaginable just because it might be used. Choose to create only those views that you know will be used on nearly every project. Otherwise, you might end up creating more work for each project by having to clean out all the unused items. The types of views you create will also depend on your workflow for a Revit project. If all the design disciplines share a common Revit model, you will want to have the views that each discipline requires. Obviously, if you create a separate project file for each discipline, there is no need for all the discipline views in each template.

Number of Levels

Another important consideration is the number of levels to include in a template. A view should be created for each level, so it is important to decide on how many to start a project with. If you work primarily on two- or three-story buildings, it may be best to have only three or four levels established in your template, including one for the roof. More levels can be added to a project as needed. The architect typically determines the number of levels, so it is possible to not include any levels in your template and copy/monitor the architectural levels after the project file has been created. However, you must have levels in your template if you want to create views.

Plan Types

Views should be created in your template for each of the types of views to be used. These are generally determined by the SubDiscipline property of the views. Whether your template is single discipline or multidiscipline, a floor plan should be created at each level for each subdiscipline type.

When creating reflected ceiling plan views, it is a good idea to create only one ceiling plan view for each level. This promotes coordination among disciplines because everyone will be viewing the same ceiling plan, and because all components of the model that occupy the ceiling can be made visible. Because this type of view does not belong to any one specific discipline, you may want to assign it to the Coordination discipline to distinguish it as unique.

Reflected ceiling plan views that are needed for construction documents can be created for the specific discipline that requires them after the project has been created.

Creating a Working View

A very useful type of view to create is typically called a working view. This type of view is the same as the views that will be used on construction documents, but the settings are different so that more or less of the model can be seen. Working views also allow for different graphic representations without having to constantly change back and forth within the view that goes on a sheet. For example, ductwork plans are typically shown in Hidden Line style, which can be difficult to navigate because of performance. A working view can be created that is set to Wireframe, which is easily navigable, and the modeling can be done there.

One thing to note about using working views is that it may cause problems with keeping your project coordinated. If you are used to working in this type of view during the course of a project, you may place tags, dimensions, or other annotation elements in the working views, which will not show up in the view that actually gets placed on a sheet.

Choosing How to Display Each View

Once you have established the types and number of views to include in your template, you can set the properties that determine the display characteristics of the view. These settings will be the default, or baseline, settings because the need to change them occurs regularly while working in a project. In fact, the need is so common that a set of tools is available on the View Control Bar of the user interface for quick access to changing these settings. It may not seem necessary to set these properties because they can be easily changed, but it is good to start with the best options for these settings.

You can choose the default settings by editing these parameters:

• View Scale
• Detail Level
• Visual Style

For the most part, model plan views are set to 1/8″ = 1′–0″ (1:100) scale and are displayed at Medium detail with a Hidden Line visual style. Consider using the Shaded visual style with the Show Edges option at a Fine level of detail for 3D views. This gives the viewer a better sense of the model and will display any pipes or conduit in full 3D.

When creating views that will include piping, setting the detail level to Fine enables you to see the actual pipe, pipe fittings, and accessories instead of their single-line representation. Many users prefer to model their piping systems in Fine detail, because it is easier to see where connections are made and to discern differences in pipe sizes. For piping plans that are set to Fine detail, the Visual Style option should be set to Wireframe, because this will help improve performance when zooming or panning in the view. The visual style should be set to Hidden Line when these views are printed, so that it can be easily determined which pipes are crossing.

Some other parameters you may want to edit include the following:

• Underlay
• Underlay Orientation
• Phase properties

You can use the Underlay and Underlay Orientation parameters to display other levels of the model as an underlay to the current view. Doing so will cause the underlay to display as halftone, while any detail or annotation graphics display normally. You can choose which level to underlay by using the Underlay parameter, while the Underlay Orientation parameter determines how the model is being viewed. Any level of the model can be used in any other view. Although these are useful settings for seeing how things line up in your model, it is not necessary to set an underlay in your default view settings.

Phase properties of a view are important when working in phased projects. They add another level of visibility that can cause frustration if not set properly. Although these are instance parameters, they really should be used to determine the types of views you create. If you do a lot of renovation work, it is good to have default existing and demolition phase views in your template. Items placed into your model will take on the phase of view in which they are placed.

Plan views have type parameters only for setting what family to use for callout tags within the view and for setting what reference label is used when other callouts reference the view. Drafting views have the same type parameters as well as one for the section tag. Once you have determined what families will be used for your sections and callouts, you can assign them to the appropriate views.

Section and elevation model views have a unique parameter that allows you not to display the section or elevation marker at specified view scales. This eliminates the need for controlling the visibility of these markers with Visibility/Graphic Overrides settings. Figure 2.3 shows the parameter for hiding a section view marker at a specified scale.

Figure 2.3 Parameter for hiding a section view

Visibility Settings for Template Views

There are many parameters for view properties that can be set by default. It is best to keep things simple by setting the most common parameters that will determine the general style of the view. Visibility settings are the most important to any view because you want to see what you expect to see in a particular type of plan. It can be frustrating and time consuming to have to turn off unwanted model elements every time you open or create a new view.

There are two primary areas of visibility control within a view: the Visibility/Graphic Overrides settings, which allow for turning categories of elements on or off, and the View Range settings, which determine the field of view when looking at the model. Setting default values for these parameters is a key element of a good project template. Because working in a Revit project is a collaborative exercise, it is good to have the objects in your views display as expected or not to have objects showing up from other disciplines as they are placed in the model.

View Range

The three major components of View Range settings are the Top, Bottom, and Cut Plane of a view. For a floor plan, Top defines the elevation from which the model is being viewed. Bottom is the extent to which the model is being viewed from the Top setting. In other words, it is how far you are looking. Cut Plane is an imaginary plane that cuts through the architectural and structural elements. The portions of these elements that are above the Cut Plane elevation are not visible.

Although you may have levels established in your template, there is no way of knowing what their actual dimensions will be until the building is modeled. However, there is a way to set default View Range settings that ensures the initial view of the model will correctly show the building elements. For example, to establish a view range that ensures visibility of objects for a first-floor plan view, follow these steps:

Adjustments may be required depending on the construction of the building, but these settings are a good starting point because they will display all the visible model components from floor to floor. Because the Cut Plane setting is what determines the visible architectural and structural components, you don't need to worry that the actual floor object of the level above will interfere with visibility.

Figure 2.4 shows the View Range dialog box with the settings described in the previous steps for a first-floor plan view.

Figure 2.4 Typical View Range settings for a plan view

For a ceiling plan view, do the following:

These settings ensure that, for your ceiling plans, you will see all visible model elements from the cut plane up to the top of the view range. So, if there are ceilings with varied elevations on a level, they will all display, and any items you want to see above the ceiling for coordination will also be visible.

The View Depth setting can be used to extend the range of view beyond the Top or Bottom. However, any elements that fall within that range will not react to any overrides assigned to their category in the view. In other words, if you override the color of pipes to be blue in a view, only pipes that are between the Top and Bottom settings of the view range will be blue. Any pipes that fit within the range of the View Depth will simply display with the style assigned to the <Beyond> Line style, which can also be adjusted per view. Of course, you can manually override elements using graphic overrides or the linework tool once they have been created.

Visibility/Graphic Overrides

In the Visibility/Graphic Overrides settings of a view, not only can you turn components on or off, but you can also change their color, linetype, or transparency. Items that might ordinarily display with normal lines can be set to Halftone. You can apply settings to the subcategories of components as well.

One of the ideas behind establishing default visibility settings is that you do not want certain items showing up in specific views. For example, lighting fixtures are typically shown on a separate plan from receptacles and power devices, but because all of these components are being placed into one model, they will show up in every view (depending on the View Range settings) unless they are turned off.

It is a good practice to make a list of all model components that you would like to see in a particular type of plan and then turn off all others. If you are not quite sure about some components, it is best to leave them on because seeing items encourages coordination, whereas not seeing them may lead to a design conflict in the model. Be sure to select the Show Categories From All Disciplines check box in the lower-left corner of the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box.

Annotation components are specific to the view in which they are placed, so it is not crucial to set up default visibility for them. After all, it is not likely that you will be placing air terminal tags in your lighting plan, for example, so there is no need to turn them off. However, there are some annotation categories that you may want to adjust, such as setting the Space Tags category to Halftone. Many families contain nested annotations, so you should also check the subcategories of Generic Annotations to set any necessary visibility.

If your workflow consists of using linked files from other disciplines or consultants, those links will react to whatever visibility settings you apply to the view. This usually works well when a project begins, but as the model is more fully developed, you will find that you are constantly managing the visibility of the linked files in views. Consider linking files into your template that will act as placeholders for the actual project files to be linked. Doing so will enable you to establish default visibility settings for the links, reducing time spent managing visibility after the project is in design.

Worksharing cannot be enabled in a Revit template (RTE) file, so if you want to establish default worksets and visibility settings for them, you will need to create a Revit project (RVT) file that is to be used as a project template. The file can then be copied to establish the central file for a new project.

This scenario requires careful management of the file because of the nature of a worksharing environment. Some companies have written applications to make it easy for their users to set up a project this way without damaging or misplacing the project “template” file. You should set up your template this way only if you are absolutely certain that personnel who have extensive Revit experience will manage it.

If you choose to create a worksharing-enabled file for your project template, you can establish settings for worksharing visibility. This new feature allows you to display elements as a specific color based on worksharing conditions such as ownership, model changes, or simply by workset name. These settings can be preset in your project template to provide consistency between projects. Settings for the display color of specific worksets will be the same from project to project, provided that your projects use the same worksets. Any new worksets added to a project will automatically be given a color.

View Filters

View filters are useful for distinguishing similar components by linetype or color. If you have a standard for the color or linetype of certain elements, you can create the necessary view filters and apply them to the appropriate views. With view filters already established, you will see the components as expected as soon as you begin to model them.

If there is a variance in how filtered items are displayed from project to project, you may not want to apply the filters to your views, but having them established in your template will still save you some time. Be sure to name your filters in a manner that clearly indicates what the filter does so that they will be easy to find and use.

Visibility Settings Shortcut: View Templates

Revit allows you to create a template within your template to expedite the process of establishing the visibility settings of your views. View templates enable you to define preset properties of view types that can be applied to any view in one simple step. These properties are not just for visibility but also for any of the main properties of a view.

You can create a view template by clicking the View Templates button on the View tab of the ribbon and then selecting the View Template Settings option. On the left side of the dialog box is a list of any view templates that exist. You can sort the list by view type by using the drop-down list in the upper-left corner. The right side of the dialog box lists the commonly used view parameters. Here you can set the default values for these parameters to establish the view template.

There are also Edit buttons for the various tabs within the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box. The Graphic Display Options have been separated into specific access to Model Display, Shadows, and Lighting settings. Any project parameters that you create that apply to views will also be available for editing.

The buttons in the lower-left corner of the dialog box are for duplicating, renaming, or deleting a view template. There is no button to create a new template, so you must duplicate an existing one before you can begin. In fact, if no view templates exist in your file, you cannot access the View Templates dialog box from the ribbon.

A more common method for creating a view template is first to create a view and then to establish its desired properties, including the visibility settings. This is a preferable method because you can see what the view will look like as you make adjustments to the properties. Creating a view template this way in your project template will require you to load a model temporarily to be used as the visual reference. Once you have the properties of a view established, you can right-click the view in the Project Browser and create a view template based on that view. You can also use the View Templates button on the View tab and select the Create Template From Current View option, as shown in Figure 2.5.

Figure 2.5 View Templates button

View templates are useful while creating your project template, but they are also useful after the project has been created. One of the properties of views is Default View Template. You can assign a default template so that, as changes are made to a view, you can revert to the default settings at any time. Additionally, and new to Revit MEP 2013, is the ability to assign a view template to any given set of views, and those views will update if the view template is changed. You can also apply any view template to any view, especially newly created ones, and quickly have the desired settings. When you work on a large project that has many levels or many dependent views, having view templates can save a significant amount of time.

In the View Templates dialog box, there is a check box next to each property that you can use to determine whether the settings of the template for that property will be applied to the view. This enables you to apply only the desired portions of a view template if necessary.

Schedule Views

Preset schedules in a project template are another feature that can increase productivity and coordination. This topic is included here because, by displaying the data within the components that make up the model, schedule views are actually views of the model components.

Schedule views can be saved as their own project file that can be loaded into a project as needed, so it is not necessary to have every schedule that you might use in your project template. The types of schedules you should include are ones that you know will be in every project. If you are going to create a schedule in your template, you must use parameters that are available in the template file. The parameters will be available either because they exist in components that are loaded into your template, or because they are set up as project parameters. This is most easily achieved by using shared parameters, because it is important that the parameters in your content are the same as those in the schedule. Careful consideration should be taken as to what parameters need to be in the template prior to setting up a schedule. For more information on creating schedules, see Chapter 7, “Schedules”; for more about creating and managing parameters, see Chapter 6, “Parameters.”

Some types of schedules can be included in your template that are useful for managing the project. Consider adding a View List schedule to your template. This enables you to see information about your views quickly to determine whether you have all the views required for a project, or whether a view has not yet been placed onto a sheet. This also is a good way to change the parameters of views without having to locate them in the Project Browser. Figure 2.6 shows a small sample of a View List schedule as it would look in a project file. There is much more information that can be added to a View List schedule, including any custom parameters that you create for views.

Figure 2.6 Sample View List schedule

Other types of schedules you should consider for your template are any schedules that are used for analysis or schedule keys for applying values to parameters. These types of schedules are usually Space schedules, because spaces hold much of the analytical information. Even if you do not use Revit for energy or engineering analysis, there is a type of Space schedule that can be useful for managing names and numbers.

The ability of Revit to generate spaces automatically is a great feature; however, it will generate spaces where there is no room object in the linked model. It can be tedious and time-consuming to search through a large floor plan looking for any spaces that should not be in the model. When these spaces are found in a plan view, deleting them removes them only from the model and not from the project. A simple Space schedule can be used to find all the spaces that should not exist and gives you the ability to delete all of them from the project with one click.

Figure 2.7 shows a sample Space schedule that reports the room name and room number of each space. The blank rows indicate spaces that have been placed where there is no room object. These rows can be highlighted in the schedule and removed from the project by clicking the Delete button on the ribbon.

Figure 2.7 Space schedule

If you are using the Panel Schedule feature within Revit MEP 2013, you can create templates for panel schedules and store them in your project template. Click the Panel Schedule Templates button on the Manage tab, and select Manage Templates. In the dialog box, you will see a list of any templates in your file. You can create a new one by clicking the Duplicate button at the bottom of the dialog box. See Chapter 7 for more information on creating and editing panel schedule templates.

Establishing Project Settings

Many settings can be preset in a project template to make it easier to begin a project. Some settings relate to how system families will behave, while others determine things such as how objects will print or what text will look like. There are also settings for values that Revit will use in calculations. Having these set properly in your project template ensures that when you begin a project, you will see the model and data correctly and according to your standards.

Object Styles

The Object Styles settings within Revit determine how elements will display by default if no overrides are applied to them in a view. You can set the defaults for model and annotation components as well as for the layers of any linked or imported CAD files. Settings can be applied to subcategories as well.

Even though the Visibility/Graphic Overrides settings are often used in views, it is important to set the standards for how elements will display. The need for overrides comes from having several types of an element within one category. For example, you can set the style for the Ducts category, but if you want to display different types of ducts in unique ways, you will have to use overrides.

You can access the Object Styles settings for your template from the Manage tab of the ribbon. The Object Styles dialog box lists all the model, annotation, and imported categories on separate tabs for easy access. These are the types of settings you can apply to a category:

With duct and pipe systems as system families, you can define properties for specific engineering systems and apply graphic overrides for unique display of the components that make up the system. The display of these systems is not established in the Object Styles dialog box, but rather in the type properties of the system families, as shown in Figure 2.8.

Figure 2.8 Duct System Graphic Overrides

The display of the new placeholder categories can be defined in the Object Styles dialog box, along with the lining and insulation categories that have been added for both pipes and ducts.

Drafting Line Settings

In the same way that the Object Styles settings define how model, annotation, and imported objects are displayed and printed, it is necessary in a template file to define the various line styles that will be used for any drafting or detailing that may be done in your projects. A line style is defined by its weight, color, and pattern. You can create different combinations of these settings to define lines that are used for specific drafting purposes or that match your standards.

Line Weights

The first settings to consider when creating line styles are the available line weights in your template file. You can access the Line Weights settings by clicking the Additional Settings button on the Manage tab of the ribbon.

With Revit, you can establish 16 line weights. Typically, line weight 1 is the thinnest line, and line weight 16 is the thickest. The Line Weights dialog box has three tabs that give you access to the settings for lines depending on what type of view or to what objects the line weights are applied. The first tab is for model objects. Model line weights are dependent on the scale of the view in which they appear. You can define a thickness for each of the 16 line weights as they appear in a specific view scale. This gives you the freedom to show lines that are usually very thick as much thinner when the view scale is larger. Figure 2.9 shows the Model Line Weights tab of the Line Weights dialog box. Notice that line weight 14 is half as thick in a 1/16″-scale view as it is in a 1/8″-scale view. This keeps items from printing as blobs when using larger scale views, without having to adjust the line weights of objects manually using Visibility/Graphic Overrides.

You can add or delete view scales for line weight settings by using the buttons on the right side of the dialog box.

Figure 2.9 Model Line Weights tab

The Perspective Line Weights tab lists the thickness settings for the 16 line weights as they would appear in a perspective view. These settings do not apply to the default 3D view types, but only apply to views that are generated from an explicit camera position. There is only one setting for each line weight because these line weights are consistent at any view scale.

The Annotation Line Weights tab is used for defining the thickness of annotation objects. These settings are also independent of view scale. Another way to think of this is that the settings you apply determine how thick the lines will print. This is the easiest place to start when establishing your line weights for your template. Most people use only about six or seven different line weights, so it is not necessary to come up with a thickness for all 16 line weight options.

Once you have established the settings for your line weights on the Annotation Line Weights tab, you can then apply the same settings to the Model Line Weights and Perspective Line Weights tabs. For the Model Line Weights tab, you will need to decide how to reduce the thickness of your heavier line weights at larger scales. The line weights that you define will be available for use in your template and subsequent project files for setting object styles or overriding the visibility of categories in views.

Line Colors

The next consideration for a line style is the color of the lines. The main thing to remember when setting the color for objects or for lines is that the color has no bearing on how thick the lines will print. You can have a red line with a line weight of 3 next to a blue line with a line weight of 3, and they will both print the same thickness.

Color can be useful for distinguishing systems or objects in a crowded engineering plan or detail. If you have a set of standards for the color of specific types of components, you can set the color for line styles that you create to represent those objects in the same way as you would set the color for model objects in the Object Styles settings. Be aware that using colors in Revit may cause printing issues. If your print settings are set to print color, then all colored lines and objects will print as expected. However, if you are printing to a black-and-white printer and your settings are set to grayscale, any colored objects or lines will print at the grayscale equivalent of that color, which could produce unexpected results. This relates to managing your print settings, but it is important to consider when deciding to apply colors to line and object styles.

Line Patterns

The final consideration for creating a line style is the pattern of the lines. To access the line patterns available in a Revit file, click the Additional Settings button on the Manage tab and select Line Patterns. Revit line patterns consist of dashes, dots, and spaces.

The line patterns in Revit are independent from the view scale in which they are drawn, and there is no setting to apply a scale to an individual line. Because of this, you will need to create multiple line patterns for the same kind of line at different scales. This will allow for various lengths of the dashes and the spaces between dashes and dots as needed to display the line pattern properly. In Figure 2.10, you can see the Line Patterns dialog box and that additional Center line patterns have been created at 1/4″, 3/8″, and 5/8″ scales to be used in different view scales.

Figure 2.10 Line Patterns dialog box

You can modify the settings for a line pattern by clicking the Edit button on the right side of the dialog box. In the Line Pattern Properties dialog box, you will see the components that make up the line pattern. In the Type column, you can select a dash, dot, or space. Spaces can be used only after a dot or a dash. In the Value column, you assign the length of the dashes or spaces. Dots have a static length value that cannot be changed. You can enter up to 20 of these components, and when you reach the point where the pattern will repeat, you are finished.

Variations of a line pattern for different view scales can be made by first looking at the settings for a line pattern. Figure 2.11 shows the settings for a Dash Dot Dot line pattern that is used in 1/8″-scale views. To create the same pattern for use in 1/4″-scale views, you would click the New button on the right side of the Line Patterns dialog box, give the pattern a name such as Dash Dot Dot 1/4″, and then put in the dashes and dots with values that are half of those in the Dash Dot Dot 1/8″ pattern.

Figure 2.11 Line Pattern Properties dialog box

It is a good practice to test your line patterns as you create them. You can do so by creating a drafting view and drawing some parallel lines. As you create new patterns, you can assign them to the lines to see how the variations display and make adjustments to dash or space values as necessary. Figure 2.12 shows the multiple variations of a Center line pattern. The variations you create do not have to match the view scales. You can create variations that slightly modify the lengths of dashes and spaces so that the line pattern is more usable in certain situations. The 3/8″ and 5/8″ patterns in Figure 2.12 are examples of line patterns that may be used at any view scale, depending on the length of the line.

Figure 2.12 Line pattern variations

Line Styles

With line weights and patterns defined in your template file, you can create line styles that can be used for model or detail lines in your projects. Line styles are separate from object styles because they apply only to lines created by using the Detail Lines or Model Lines tools or when creating the boundary of a region. The line styles you create will appear under the Lines category on the Model Categories tab of the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box when changing the appearance of a view. You can access the Line Styles settings by clicking the Additional Settings button on the Manage tab and selecting Line Styles. Revit comes with some line styles that are coded into the program and cannot be removed or renamed, although you can change the settings for these lines. Figure 2.13 shows these lines and their default settings.

Figure 2.13 Line Styles dialog box

To create a line style, simply click the New button at the lower-right side of the dialog box and enter a name. You can then assign a weight, color, and pattern to the line style. In some cases, it is useful to create line styles that match line patterns you have created to ensure consistency between model objects and drafting items. For example, if you create a line pattern that will be used for a domestic hot water pipe, you may want to create a line style called Domestic Hot Water that uses that pattern. That way, the domestic hot water pipe in your model can be given the pattern using a filter, and your diagrams and details can use the Domestic Hot Water linetype that matches. Otherwise, you would have to override each line in your diagram to the appropriate pattern.

Line styles are useful, and having a good set of line styles can save time when drafting in a project. You can change a line from one style to another by using the Type Selector that appears in the Properties palette when you select a line. This is useful for creating details, because you can draw all the line work with the most common line style and then easily change any lines that need to be different.

Export Settings

To share your project with consultants, it is often necessary to export your Revit views to CAD. Once you establish line weights and styles, it is a good time to consider your settings for exporting views. This task can be a bit tedious and time consuming, but the settings you define can be saved and used anytime. The settings you establish for exporting do not need to be applied to your template, but it is a good idea during your template creation to consider your export settings.

You can access the Export settings from the Application menu, as shown in Figure 2.14. You can create settings for various types of CAD file formats and also for IFC export.

Figure 2.14 Export settings

When you click the Export Setups DWG/DXF option, a dialog box will appear with options for defining Revit categories and styles in Autodesk® AutoCAD® software. This dialog box shows tabs across the top that are organized for specific settings. The buttons in the lower-left corner can be used to create a new setup or to manage existing setups.

The Layers tab is where you can assign Revit categories and subcategories to layers within the exported DWG file. Alongside the list of categories are columns that allow you to assign an associated AutoCAD layer name and color ID to each category and subcategory. The color ID is as it is defined in AutoCAD: 1 is for red, 2 is for yellow, and so on. There are also columns for assigning layers and colors to objects that are cut by the cut plane of a view. The Layer Modifiers column allows you to assign modifiers to the layer names depending on the category being exported. Clicking a cell in the column reveals the Add/Edit button for that category. Click the button to apply modifiers, as shown in Figure 2.15. Modifiers are useful for adding additional information to layer names, such as EXST or DEMO for existing and demolished work, respectively.

Figure 2.15 Adding a layer modifier to a Revit category

The Export Layer Options drop-down list has options for BYLAYER and how overrides are exported, as shown in Figure 2.16.

Figure 2.16 Export Layer properties

You can choose an industry standard for export settings from the drop-down list over the columns, as shown in Figure 2.17.

Figure 2.17 Layering standards

The Lines tab allows you to associate Revit line styles with linetypes within a specified linetype file. You can browse to any linetype file by using the ellipsis button. Once you have selected a linetype file, you can associate Revit line styles by clicking in the Linetypes In DWG column and choosing a linetype, as shown in Figure 2.18. If no linetype is chosen, one will automatically be created on export. Notice that there is a drop-down list for the Set Linetype Scale behavior near the top of the tab.

Figure 2.18 Selecting a linetype for a Revit line style

The Patterns tab is for associating Revit fill patterns to hatch patterns in the exported .dwg file. The same process for associating linetypes with line styles is used. The Text & Fonts tab is for mapping text in Revit to text in the exported drawing file. Formatting options are available in the drop-down list at the top of the tab, shown in Figure 2.19.

Figure 2.19 Text & Fonts properties

The Colors tab lets you choose between two color options, as shown in Figure 2.20.

Figure 2.20 Color Options

The Solids tab is for determining how solid objects will be exported to the .dwg file. This applies only when exporting a 3D view. The drawing units and coordinate system can be set on the Units & Coordinates tab. The General tab has settings for room and area boundaries along with an option to define which layers will not be plottable.

Once you have established export settings, they can be used in other projects by using the Transfer Project Standards feature and transferring DWG/DXF Export Setup Settings. Consider creating these settings in a separate file and transferring them into your projects or templates as needed. This will give you a single file location to manage any changes or updates.

The process for creating export settings for .dgn files has been greatly enhanced in this version of Revit MEP; instead of Layer selection, you have Levels. Possibly this biggest option here is the ability to specify a “seed” file, giving the translate process more accuracy and definition—this could be provided by your collaborating partner. File formats supported are v8 and v7 .dgn.

Annotation Styles

The goal of most Revit projects is to create a set of coordinated construction documents. Annotation that is consistent from drawing to drawing and from discipline to discipline is a major part of that coordination. One of the benefits of using computers to do drafting is that it makes it easier to apply drafting standards. In the days of manual drawing, there was no guarantee that one person's lettering would look exactly like another's. Some may argue that you still don't have that guarantee by using computers. That is why it is important to establish your annotation standards in your Revit project template.

Text

Text is a Revit system family, and the various text styles that you need can be created as types of that family. There is no dialog box for text settings so, to create the styles you want, you should start by accessing the properties of the default type and duplicating it for each type. This is done by clicking the small arrow located on the Text panel of the Annotate tab, as shown in Figure 2.21.

Figure 2.21 Accessing the Type Properties of the Text system family

To create a new text type, duplicate an existing type and provide a name for the text type you are creating. It is a common practice to name text types by using the size and name of the font applied to the type. The type properties of a text type allow you to set the behavior and general appearance of the text type.

It is important to understand how Revit handles text types before choosing how to set up your text family types. Each text family type that is created is unique to the file in which it was created. Figure 2.22 shows an example of a text type called STYLE 1 that was created in a project, and a text type called STYLE 1 that was created in an annotation family. When the annotation family is used in the project, the text within the annotation family maintains its settings as defined in the family file. It does not take on the settings for STYLE 1 as they are defined in the project, even though both family types have the same name.

Figure 2.22 Text types with the same name

The easiest way to manage this behavior is to use the default font, which is Arial. Although this may be a deviation from your normal CAD standards, it provides a huge return in time savings. If you choose to use a different font, you will have to change the text and labels in every family or detail that you bring into your Revit project in order to maintain consistency in your construction documents. This includes all the preloaded content that comes with your Revit MEP installation.

By setting the properties of a text style, you can create several variations of text for use in your projects. Remember that these are type properties, so you will need to create a new text type for each variation in settings. The most common types are based on text height, background, and leader arrowhead style. You can also create types based on other properties, which are usually variations of your standard text types. For example, you can create a standard 3/32″ Arial text type for normal use and then create another type that is 3/32″ Arial - Underlined for use where underlined text is required. This will save you time in having to edit text to make it underlined by giving you the option to switch from one type to the other.

The Show Border and Leader/Border parameters allow you to create a text type that has a border automatically placed around the text that is offset a certain distance from the text. Even if you do not show the border, the Leader/Border parameter determines the distance between where the leader starts and the text. The thickness of the leader and the border are determined by the Line Weight parameter. The Color parameter determines not only the color of the text but also the border and leader. Figure 2.23 shows some sample text types, the names of which are based on the settings used for each type.

Figure 2.23 Sample text types

Arrowhead Styles

One of the key considerations for setting the text standards in your template is the type of arrowhead your text types will use. You have the ability to modify the look of arrowhead types to suit your needs if necessary. You can find the settings for arrowheads by clicking the Additional Settings button on the Manage tab and selecting Arrowheads. Arrowheads are a Revit system family, and although you can create different types, the Arrow Style parameter determines the shape of the arrowhead. You cannot create your own arrow styles, although there has been an addition to these in Revit 2013—the loop arrowhead style.

By adjusting the settings, you can control the size of an arrowhead type. The Tick Size parameter controls the overall length of the arrowhead, while Arrow Width Angle determines the angle of the arrow from its point, which ultimately sets the width of the arrow. The dimension styles you establish will use these same arrowhead styles.

Dimension Styles

Dimension styles are another key factor in creating consistently annotated construction documents. To establish the settings for your dimension styles, click the small arrow on the Dimension panel of the Annotate tab, as shown in Figure 2.24. Each type of dimension can have its own unique settings. If you do not use dimensions very often in your projects, you may want to consider leaving the default settings. When the need arises to show dimensions, you could establish the settings or transfer the dimension settings from a file in which they have already been established, such as a linked consultant's file or a previous project.

Figure 2.24 Accessing dimension types settings

Each dimension style is a system family, and you can create types within that family in the same way that text types are created. Dimension styles have more parameters than text, however. Many of these parameters are for controlling how the graphics of the dimension will display. One of the key parameters in determining a dimension family type is the Dimension String Type parameter. This defines how the dimension will behave when a string of dimensions is placed. You have options for creating a Continuous, Baseline, or Ordinate dimension string. If you use all or some of these types, you will need to create a separate dimension type for each one.

The Tick Mark parameter determines which arrowhead style will be used. There is a drop-down list when editing this parameter that lists all the arrowhead styles defined in the file. The line weight of the dimension can be controlled independently from the line weight of the tick mark used by setting the parameters for each. The line weight for tick marks in dimensions should match the line weight for leader arrowheads in your text types for consistency. Because of their relatively small size, using a heavy line weight may cause your arrowheads to look like blobs, so choose wisely. The Interior Tick Mark parameter is available only when you have set the dimension Tick Mark to an arrow type. This determines the style of arrowhead to be used when adjacent dimension lines are too close together to fit the default tick marks.

Other parameters control the lengths of witness line components and gaps and also the text used in the dimension style. Some of the settings for text within a dimension style are the same as those in a text style, such as font and text height. The Read Convention parameter allows you to set the direction in which the text will be read for vertically-oriented dimensions. With the Units Format parameter, you can set the rounding accuracy of dimension types independently from the default project settings.

Project Units

Whether you are creating a template with metric or imperial units, you will need to establish which units of measurement are used and their precision. These settings will determine the default reporting of data, not only in views but also in schedules and parameters. Click the Project Units button located on the Manage tab to access the settings for units.

You can set the default units for any graphical or engineering measurements. Figure 2.25 shows the Project Units dialog box. The drop-down list at the top contains the different discipline-specific groups of units, with the Common discipline containing units that are used by all regardless of discipline.

Figure 2.25 Project Units dialog box

Clicking the button in the Format column next to a unit will activate the Format dialog box for that unit. Here, you have a drop-down list for the different unit options for that unit type. Once you have chosen a unit of measurement, you can determine the accuracy by selecting a Rounding option. The rounding increment will display to the right of the drop-down as an example of the option chosen. If you are using a decimal measurement, you can select Custom from the Rounding drop-down and designate the rounding increment manually. The Unit symbol drop-down offers the option of displaying the measurement unit next to the value if desired. There are check boxes in the bottom half of the dialog box for suppressing zeros or spaces, or for digit grouping depending on the type of unit you are formatting. When you click OK to finish formatting a unit type, you will see a sample in the button in the Format column next to the unit.

Setting the accuracy of certain unit types is important not only for how units display but also for the availability of model elements. For example, if you set the rounding of the Pipe Size unit to the nearest inch, then when you go to place a pipe in the model, only pipe sizes of 1″ increments will be available, even if you have pipe sizes defined at smaller increments in your project.

Project Phases

Although each project is different, you may want to establish phases in your project template if you are required to use them on many of your projects. The most common use of phasing is for renovation projects in which the existing portion of the project is modeled. Phasing can be difficult to manage, so having the settings established in your template can be beneficial.

Click the Phases button on the Manage tab to access the settings for phases in your template. The Phasing dialog box has three tabs for setting up the phases and their behavior. The Project Phases tab is where you establish what phases exist in your file. Revit starts each file with an Existing phase and a New Construction phase by default.

You can add phases by using the buttons on the upper-right side of the dialog box, inserting new phases before or after the phase selected in the list. The list of phases starts from the earliest and ends with the latest. So if you were to insert a Demolition phase between Existing and New Construction, you could either select New Construction and use the Insert Before button or select Existing and use the Insert After button. The order of phases is important because when views are set up, you will establish what phase they belong to. Any items placed into the model will be part of the phase that is set for the view in which they are placed.

During the course of a project, it may be decided that a phase is no longer necessary. You can use the Combine With buttons at the right side of the dialog box to transfer the items from one phase to another.

The Phase Filters tab of the dialog box lists the different viewing options that can be applied to any view in order to display items from various phases, as shown in Figure 2.26.

Figure 2.26 Phasing dialog box

The filter names describe what will be shown in the view to which they are applied. The New, Existing, Demolished, and Temporary columns define how the items that belong to the phases will be displayed. If you create a custom phase, the New column controls how the items are displayed in a view set to that phase. Any items placed in a phase prior to that are considered Existing. When you demolish an item, you can assign the phase in which the demolition occurs; otherwise, the item is considered to be demolished in the phase that is applied to the view in which you are working. You can create custom settings by using the New button at the bottom of the dialog box to create a new filter. It is a good practice to name the filter so that it is evident what will be shown when the filter is applied to a view.

The options for the display of a phase are defined on the Graphic Overrides tab of the Phasing dialog box. Overrides to each phase status will affect only the objects when they are shown via a phase filter. They do not override the object styles defined in your project in views in which the objects are created. In other words, if you apply an override to the existing status, the overrides will not apply when you are working in an existing view, only when the existing phase is displayed in a view of another phase.

Figure 2.27 shows two pipes in a view that is set to the New Construction phase. The pipe on the bottom was modeled in a view that is set to the Existing phase. The Phasing dialog box shows the overrides for existing items. Notice in the properties of the view that the Phase Filter property applied to the view is Show Previous + New. These settings result in the existing pipe being displayed as dashed and halftone in the New Construction view.

Figure 2.27 Existing and New pipes shown to demonstrate phase display

If you establish phases in your template file, it is helpful to create views for each phase with the proper Phase and Phase Filter properties to maintain consistency throughout the project and to ensure expected results when modeling.

Defining Preloaded Content and Its Behavior

When you begin a project by using a template file, you want to be able to start modeling right away without taking the time to load components and set up system families up front or having to stop periodically during the design and modeling process. Determining what content is loaded or defined in the template will give you more time to focus on the model and design decisions and will ensure consistency of standards between projects.

Annotation Families

Loading annotation families is especially important for consistent standards when working in a project that is shared by multiple disciplines. Even if you are creating a template for just one discipline, there are many annotations that are used on every project and should be included in your template(s).

The symbols used for sections, callouts, and elevations should all be defined in your template file. To set up these standards, click the Additional Settings button on the Manage tab. For section tags, you can define what annotation family is used for the head of the section as well as the tail. There is also a setting for how the section tag will display when broken by using the Gaps In Segments grip on a section line. These settings apply to the Section Tag system family. You can then create different types of sections by defining what section tag is used in the type properties of a section.

Elevation marks are created in a similar fashion. You first define the different types within the Elevation Tag system family by indicating which annotation symbol is used and then applying the Elevation Tag types to their respective elevation mark types within the Elevation system family. For callout tags, you can define what annotation is used and also the radius of the corners of the callout box that is drawn around a room or area of the model. The type properties of a callout define the callout tag and label to use when a callout references another view.

View titles are another type of annotation that should be defined in your template to match your drafting standards. To create custom viewport types, you will need first to establish the annotation family to be used as a view title. These annotations do not require a line for the title line, because title lines are part of the Viewport system family and are generated automatically when the viewport is placed on a sheet. You also do not need to include a callout tag within the view title annotation because the tag to be used is defined in the type properties of a view. When creating the label that will be the view title, be sure to extend the limits of the label to accommodate a string of text; otherwise, your view titles will become multiple lines with only a few words. You can load several annotations into your template file in order to create multiple types of viewports.

To access the properties of a viewport, you need to place one on a sheet. Once placed, you can click the viewport and access its type properties. There, you can duplicate the selected type and give it a descriptive name. In the type properties of a viewport, you can define the annotation used for the title as well as the color, line weight, and pattern of the title line. There are also options for displaying the title or the title line, giving you the ability to create viewport types that do not display a title.

Another type of annotation to consider for your template is any tag that is commonly used. Pipe and duct size tags, wire tags, and equipment tags should all be loaded into their respective templates or into a template shared by MEP disciplines. In some cases, you may have more than one tag for a category, such as a pipe size tag and a pipe invert elevation tag. For categories with multiple tags, it is helpful when working in a project to have the default tag set. Click the small arrow on the Tag panel of the Annotate tab, and select Loaded Tags to access the Tags dialog box. In the Tags dialog box, you can define which tag will be used by default for each category. You can change this at any time during the project, but it is nice to start with the most commonly used option.

General annotations such as graphic scales or north arrows should also be included in your project template. You may choose to include a north arrow in your view title annotation, but keeping it separate gives you the freedom to rotate and place it anywhere on a sheet.

The same annotation families that are used in your model components can also be loaded into your template for use in creating legends. Legend components are limited in their placement options, so it may be easier to use annotation symbols; however, this method also results in having numerous annotation families loaded into your project that are only there for the legend view.

If you use a generic tag for plan notes, it should be loaded into your template. If you use the keynoting feature within Revit, you should have a keynote tag loaded as well as a keynote data file location defined. You access the Keynoting settings by clicking the small arrow on the Tags panel of the Annotate tab. In this dialog box, you can browse to the keynote data file to be used and set the path options. You can also define the numbering method to display either the specification section number and text from the data file or the By Sheet option, which numbers the notes sequentially as they are placed.

Component Families

The types of component families that you load into your project template really depend on the discipline for which you are creating the template. If your template is used for a single MEP discipline, then there is no need for components that are used by other disciplines, unless you use those types of components regularly in your projects.

The most effective use of preloaded components is to have components loaded that are used on every, or nearly every, project. The following are examples of the types of components to consider for each discipline:

Figure 2.28 Sample HVAC components in a template

Figure 2.29 Sample plumbing components in a template

Figure 2.30 Sample electrical components in a template

The basic idea is to keep it simple. Your template will be a fluid document that will change as your needs change or as you discover new requirements. If you find that you have to load a particular component on many projects, you should consider adding that component to your project template file.

Other components that you will need in your template are all of the duct, pipe, cable tray, and conduit fittings that will be used by their respective system families.

System Families

Along with having components preloaded into your project, it is important to define your system families. This will establish the default behavior for any types of system families that you define. If you start your template from scratch without using another template as a basis for your file, you will need to attempt to draw a duct, pipe, cable tray, or conduit before the system family will appear in the Project Browser.

Once you have the desired system family in the Project Browser, you can right-click it to access its properties. The properties for MEP system families are primarily the same for each system. The idea is that you need to define what types of fittings are used. You can create variations of a system family to utilize different fittings. System family types should be named descriptively to indicate their use. Additional fittings can be added at any time to create new family types, but it is best to start with the basics for your project template.

An MEP system family will not be usable without fittings defined. To establish the fittings for a system family, right-click the family in the Project Browser. In the Type Properties dialog box, you will see options for assigning fitting component families to the system family. The fitting components you have loaded into your project will be available in the drop-down of the Fitting parameter for each specific type of fitting. Use the Duplicate button to create a new type of system family with its own unique fittings. Figure 2.31 shows an example of the settings for an Oval Duct system family. Notice that the family type has been named to indicate the elbows and preferred junction types defined in the family type.

Figure 2.31 Oval Duct settings

With system families available in Revit MEP 2013, these are families that define duct and piping systems within your project. The properties of a duct or piping system allow you to control the graphical display of components that belong to the system. This is independent of the object styles settings for the components. However, view filter settings take precedence over the graphical settings for these systems, so if you use a filter to turn a supply duct blue, for example, it will be blue regardless of the settings defined in the supply duct system family. You can also determine whether calculations are performed within the system, as shown in Figure 2.32.

Figure 2.32 Type Properties of a Supply Air duct system family

Now that we have covered the importance of settings in your project template, practice setting the properties of both views and model objects by completing the following exercise:

MEP Settings

You can use another group of settings to establish standards in your project template. The MEP settings of a Revit project file are used to determine some of the graphical representations of systems as well as the available sizes and materials of system families used. Click the MEP Settings button on the Manage tab to access the settings for a discipline. The settings you establish may determine the type of template you are creating. Some of the standards defined for the MEP settings may be unique to a project type or client's requirements, which would result in a unique template for those settings.

Figure 2.33 Mechanical Settings dialog box

Figure 2.34 Slope settings for a project

Other MEP settings include Load Classifications, Demand Factors, and Building/Space Type Settings, and the ability to designate the label to be used for spares and spaces in panel schedules, as shown in Figure 2.35. You can also merge multipole circuits into a single cell. These settings are applied to all panel schedules in your projects. All of these should be established in your template to the extent that they are used in your projects.

Figure 2.35 Panel Schedules settings

Creating Sheet Standards

Drawing sheets are a key element of your project template. Because these are often the delivered product, it is important that they are put together in a consistent manner. The ability to easily manage the information included in your sheet views is one of the benefits of establishing sheet standards in a project template.

Titleblocks

The sheet border of a construction document is called many things by many different people and organizations. In this chapter and throughout this book, the graphics and information that make up the border of a construction document, or sheet, are referred to as a titleblock.

If you generally work as a consultant to the primary design discipline, you might not need a titleblock family for use in your template. In this type of environment, you would normally acquire the titleblock to be used from the primary design discipline and load it into your project file(s).

If you work in the project's primary design discipline and have a titleblock that is unique to your standards, it should be included in your project template. You can have multiple titleblocks loaded into your template. Your clients may require their own standards for a titleblock. This is another reason why you might create multiple templates. If you incorporate all the titleblocks that you work with into one template, it is possible that the wrong one could be applied to a sheet. This is not to say that you need a separate template file for each variation of titleblock you may have. For example, if you have a company standard titleblock that comes in two sizes, including both sizes in your template would be reasonable. When a project begins and the size of the sheets is determined, the unused titleblock should be removed to avoid confusion or having it mistakenly being used.

For more information on the creation of titleblocks and how to include the desired information within them, see Chapter 23, “Sheets.”

Sheet Organization

Whether you are creating a single-discipline template or one for use by multiple disciplines, it is important to establish the organization of your drawing sheets in order to make sheet management consistent from project to project.

Setting up sheet organization is similar to setting up the organization of views. You can set up the Browser - Sheets system family with different types to organize your sheets in any manner desired. To access this system family, right-click Sheets in the Project Browser and select Properties. Use the Duplicate button in the type properties of the system family to create a new organization method. It is helpful to name the type based on how it organizes the sheets so that what the type is used for is clear to all users. Once you have created a new family type, you can click the Edit button of the Folders parameter to set the organization settings. Figure 2.36 shows a sample of the settings for an organization type that is based on the discipline of sheets. In this example, the sheets are numbered using a discipline prefix and then organized by the first character in order to group each discipline's sheets together.

Figure 2.36 Sample sheet organization settings

Additional parameters can be applied to sheets that can be used as a basis for organization. These parameters can be included as project parameters in your template so that when a new sheet is created, it will have the parameters applied to it. If you create a drawing list that appears on your construction documents, you can use these parameters to organize the order of the list, which may not always match the order in the Project Browser. For more information on creating a drawing list or adding parameters, see Chapter 6 and Chapter 7.

Preset Sheets

You know that some types of sheets will be included in every project that you do. These sheets can be created in your template file to ensure that they are properly set up for each project. Any views that are required for those sheets can also be applied to the sheets. So when a project has begun, any modeling done in the views will be shown on the sheets, streamlining the process of creating construction documents.

Having multiple titleblocks in your template can complicate this slightly. Unless you want to set up each type of sheet with each available titleblock, it is best to use the most commonly used titleblock for your preset sheets. If the project requires a different titleblock, the default one can be switched by using the Type Selector.

With preset sheets, you can establish consistent locations of sheet-specific items such as plan notes, key plans, and graphic scales. Preset detail sheets give you a place to put drafting and detail views as they are loaded or created. General notes or legends that are used on every project can already be in place when a project begins.

Having a set of sheets is also useful for determining how views will be organized and how many sheets will be required for a project. Once a project begins, you can print the sheets to create a mock-up set, sometimes referred to as a cartoon set, to better determine the number of sheets that need to be added to or removed from the project, as well as how the building model will fit onto plan view sheets. With this available at the start of a project, decisions can be made early on to increase efficiency and improve workflow.

As with any element or standard you create in your project template(s), it is important to recognize how much is needed on a project-to-project basis. Consult with the people who work on projects daily to determine the types of things they would like to have in their projects from the start to improve their workflow.

We hope that throughout this book you will find many ways or ideas to improve your processes. Any one of these can be considered for use in your project templates. Remember that your project templates are the foundation for your success with Revit MEP 2013 when it comes to an efficient and effective workflow.

Going Hardcore with Your Family Templates

During the implementation of Revit MEP, Sunita decided at an early stage to introduce several custom features into all the company families, including the specific shared parameters and company standard linetypes that matched the current CAD standards.

Some, but not all, of this could have been managed with Transfer Project Standards, especially the shared parameters. There are programs available that will automate this; however, at the time of implementation, they were not available.

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The following is a short exercise on managing your Revit family template files by using journal scripting. The aim is to rename the file extension of your template files from to .rft to .rfa. This enables the user to treat the files as Revit families and then open subsequent family files, add the shared parameters MyCo Type Mark and MyCo Url and also the linetypes MyCo Hidden and MyCo Center. Once the process is complete, you must rename your files back to .rft, and of course, this can be applied to existing family files.

Do not attempt this exercise with other Revit files open.

If done carefully, this process does work very well. The reward is the ability to manipulate many files at once, adding and changing families to suit your own purpose.

The Bottom Line