The Dimension commands are located on the Dimension panel on the Annotate tab of the Ribbon. Clicking the panel label will display a drop-down with various dimension formatting options (see Figure 9.2). Once you choose the type of dimension you want, such as Aligned or Angular, the Place Dimensions tab is displayed. The Options bar will display other tools for you to use to aid in their placement (see Figure 9.2).

Figure 9.2. The Dimension panel with a drop-down list of formatting options

On the Place Dimensions tab on the Element panel in the Type Selector are different family types of dimension styles for you to use, or you can create your own new types corresponding to your needs. If you click the Element Properties button to the left of the Type Selector, you can then choose to open either the Instance or Type Properties dialog box. There you create or edit the graphical elements of the dimension styles, as well as the lines and tick or arrow marks. In addition to formatting, you can style the dimension text.

There are five basic forms of dimensions that you can use:

Figure 9.3 shows examples of these various dimension types that you can use in your project. Dimension styles can be created as baseline, linear, or ordinate styles. Notice that arrows, tick marks, and dots (as well as other symbols not shown) can be configured as dimension end point symbols depending on your preference.

Figure 9.3. Examples of various dimension types

The following sections will familiarize you with the usage of dimensions, how they function, how they are placed, and how the dimension text string can be adapted to show a note instead of the dimension value.

TEMPORARY, PERMANENT, AND LISTENING DIMENSIONS

As you place and locate your model elements, you will be using dimensions long before you need them for your documentation. As you place elements in your model, temporary dimensions begin appearing dynamically as you are working (see Figure 9.4) to help you place the element precisely. By clicking on the dimension control symbol next to the dimension, you can automatically add the dimension to your view and make it permanent.

Figure 9.4. Making temporary dimensions permanent

Another important concept is what is known as listening dimensions. As you start to add an element to your view, such as a line or an arc, after the initial click to place it, simply type in the value for the length you want in the temporary dimension that appears in order to place the second point.

DON'T FORGET YOUR DOCUMENTATION

It is easy to be caught up in building a fabulous virtual model when suddenly the boss requests a current document set of all the sheets of plans, elevations, and sections so he can show your progress to the client. You have been so absorbed in model building that you forgot to develop the views you needed for your documents. To your boss, it appears you have not done much work, even though you show him the cool 3D views of what you have been building on the computer.

The point here is that you need to start any job with this requirement in mind and document your model from the very beginning. Get the title block done and loaded into the project so sheets can be created. Begin importing your typical details into drafting views and placing them on sheets. Make a sheet of 3D views as a great source of information for the design team and client, even in schematics. As you cut working sections, keep in mind whether they might be worthy enough to be used in the documentation. If so, drag them onto a sheet.

Spot dimensions come in two forms: spot elevations and spot coordinates. Each one can be configured in a variety of ways, using leaders with or without shoulders (horizontal lines). There are also many leader end options to choose from. If space gets tight on your plan or section, you can drag the leader to a new position (see Figure 9.6). The leader symbol will also rotate with objects.

Figure 9.6. The many spot elevation and coordinate family types

Spot coordinates can display the top elevation, the bottom elevation, or both for a particular model element and are especially helpful in documenting concrete monolithic buildings. Once you place the spot dimension, you can use it to later change the position of the object simply by changing its value (see Figure 9.7). To edit the top of a footing, follow these steps:

Figure 9.7. Changing the wall footing elevation using a spot elevation

The spot coordinates cannot be edited in plan view once they are placed. The display is controlled by default through the Units Format setting, or it can be overridden (see Figure 9.8). Spot coordinates can be shown in a variety of formats, from metric to decimal to feet and inches, with various options to suit just about everyone.

Grids are an essential feature to understand. They are the basic horizontal constraint system in your model plan views. Model elements such as columns and girders can be anchored to them. When a gridline moves, those elements anchored to it also move, providing your model the ability to flex as design changes occur. Once created, they then automatically are generated in any view in which they intersect, saving you a lot of detailing time. That can be a two-edged sword, though, because managing them in the multitude of views that you use for your documents can be a frustrating task, though it is still better than in conventional CAD. Revit Structure has features to control the display in order to make managing them easier. And do not forget that the grid head can be configured as a circle, hexagon, or diamond shape, however you might prefer.

You will now examine the basic control features of grids, how to propagate grid layouts among various views, and how to use scope boxes to control their extents.

Basic Control Features

Figure 9.9 shows an existing gridline and bubble with the controls displayed. A check box allows you to turn the grid bubble off or on at each end depending on how you want it shown in your view. Clicking the elbow symbol jogs the gridline so that the grid head can be dragged to a new position without moving the gridline itself, an important capability when you have numerous gridlines close together. By clicking on the grid text, you can change it on the fly. As you place the grids, Revit Structure numbers or letters them sequentially to make their annotation more automatic.

Figure 9.8. Overriding the default spot coordinate format

Figure 9.9. A basic grid element with controls displayed

Notice in Figure 9.9 that the left grid head has a 2D control below it, while the right grid head has a 3D control above it. When you enable the 2D option, the grid length becomes specific to that view only. With the 3D bubble enabled, changing the gridline end in one view will also change it in every other view in which it intersects. As stated earlier, you can spend endless time moving grids back and forth on your views, so be aware of how this feature works. This is part of the frustration we were referring to when we said a user does not fully understand this feature and ends up spending too much time having to adjust the grid displays in other views.

Once you have placed grids on one view, say your first floor and foundation plan, and you have configured and located the grid bubbles to your liking, you will want to automatically duplicate that grid layout in other views. If you go to those other views, the grids will be there, but they may not be configured exactly like the foundation plan. To accomplish this goal, you use the Propagate Extents option, as follows:

1. Select an existing grid in a plan view, and then click the Propagate Extents button on the Options bar.

2. When the Propagate Datum Extent dialog box appears, check the views where you want to duplicate the grid display arrangement.

3. Click OK.

The Grid Does Not Show in All Views! What Now?

On quite a few occasions you may find that views are missing grids and levels that should be displayed. Grids and levels must intersect or extend into a view to display automatically, but even then they may not display. What do you do? Well, don't get flustered and start faking them with 2D centerlines. What you need to do is find a view where the grid or level is showing. Highlight the gridline and right-click. Select Maximize 3D Extents from the shortcut menu to ensure that the grid or level is shown in every view in which it intersects.

Scope Boxes

Scope boxes are another way to control the display of grids and other datum elements in your project. Say you have a three-story steel structure sitting on a one-story concrete parking level, and suppose that the parking-level column grid layout is different from the one for the steel structure. By enclosing the concrete level in a 3D scope box, you can limit the propagation of gridlines so that in your views of the steel structure you won't have a confusing overlay of two grid systems. You use the scope box to limit their appearance in views. To add a scope box, go to a plan view and do the following:

1. On the Create panel of the View tab click the Scope Box icon.

2. On the Options bar give the scope box a name and a vertical height.

3. Then draw a rectangular region that you want to control with the scope box.

4. After placement, select the box and use the blue shape handles to further refine its exact extents.

5. To make further vertical adjustments to the scope box, go to an elevation, section, or 3D view, and adjust the box using the handles.

6. To override the scope box's visibility and its associated references in a particular view, select the box and then click the Element Properties

   

7. Click Edit in the Views Visible parameter, which displays the Scope Box Views Visible dialog box (see Figure 9.10).

8. In the Override column, change the value from Visible to Invisible (or vice versa, depending on what you require).

9. Close the dialog boxes.

To enable the scope box in a view, follow these steps:

1. In the plan view right-click and select View Properties.

2. In the Scope Box parameter click the drop-down menu and select from any of the existing scope boxes.

3. Exit the dialog boxes.

Note that enabling the scope box will also limit the visibility of the entire view to that area and that the view crop region will become locked to it. One of the unsung benefits of scope boxes is that they are excellent for managing the size of partial plans for multifloor buildings. Each view will show the same part of the building consistently.

Figure 9.10. Scope boxes control the display of datum elements in your views.

Reference planes have numerous uses. They establish two-dimensional infinite work planes in the three-dimensional space of your virtual environment, to which you can then attach your model elements. If you move the reference plane, the attached objects will follow. They are also a vital part of the parametric family-creation process. For more on this subject, refer to Chapters 18 and 19.

In your model you can create reference planes and then set them as your current work plane. If you are working at an odd angle, you can work on elements on that plane while still in a straight plan view. You can then build your elements in a basic two-dimensional approach such as the way you attached roof framing to a sloping diaphragm or reference plane in Chapter 7. Even though you were drawing the members in a plan view, the objects were still drawn on the sloping reference plane. Figure 9.11 illustrates this point with a kicker brace attached to a sloping reference plane. Using the reference planes, you could add numerous braces to the model along the E grid line. Once you have created a reference plane, you should give it a name for easy use and for later identification in the project. To do that, simply select the reference plane and access its Instance Properties dialog box, where you can name it.

Figure 9.11 shows another use of reference planes that was explained in Chapter 7. In this case the reference planes are used to locate the cut of the ends of the angle kicker by using the Cut Geometry tool. This is very useful in detailing. Be careful, though, because if you delete the reference plane, the geometry reverts to its original shape.

Figure 9.11. Reference planes for framing and using the Cut Geometry tool

Another important use for reference planes is for the alignment of elements that are displayed in multiple views because reference planes are datum elements that can propagate across multiple views. For instance, you can create the reference plane in a plan view, and it will also be visible in your section view.

Now that you have learned about datum elements and how they are used to create your documents, let's look at annotation elements and see how you can put them to work in your project to create a good-looking, well-documented set of drawings.

Tags are element descriptors that are attached to and display parameter values for a individual modeled element (see Figure 9.12), such as a beam size or a footing mark. We cannot emphasize enough that you should always use tags, rather than writing text next to an object to describe it. By tagging elements instead, not only does the tag move with the element that needs to be relocated, but its value also updates automatically if you change the element type during the design process.

Figure 9.12. Typical annotated foundation plan

Three options exist for tagging a modeled element: By Category, Multi-Category, or Material. Of the three, By Category is the one you will most commonly use for structural projects. Tags can be found in the Annotations library installed with the software, with specific structural tags found in the Structural folder.

To add a tag to an element, do the following:

Figure 9.13. The Tags by Category options

As stated earlier, when you move a structural framing member in your project, any attached tag automatically moves with it to maintain its original position in relation to that element. This will allow you to place a structural beam tag at the end of a beam, which then automatically moves and repositions itself as the beam moves.

Revit Structure ships with basic tags for all structural categories. You can also edit and create your own, which inevitably you will need to do in order to adapt the default tags to ones more in conformity with your company standards and for special circumstances. For instance, the normal beam tag might read W12X26. But if you are working on an addition to an existing building, you might want to add an (E) in front of all existing framing to make it (E)W12X26. The wrong approach is to use the normal beam tag and then come back and add the (E) by using a text object in front of it. Instead, you can easily edit the tag and create a new type just for that purpose with the (E) embedded in the tag. Tags support the combination of parameters and text in one label.

Here's the general procedure for editing a structural tag:

These are the basics of how and why you add tags to elements in your model rather than adding a text note adjacent to an element. The next section shows you how to tag a whole plan at once.

Tag All Not Tagged

Use the Tag All Not Tagged feature to automatically add tags to multiple objects that do not already have tags in any particular view. It's a very quick way to annotate your views. For instance, sometimes you might find that you need to re-create a plan in your project. At first you may think it a daunting task to reapply all the beam tags to the new plan. Maybe you think it is easier to just edit the old plan. Well, with this option, you can tag all the beams in seconds, so don't worry about the time factor.

To use this feature, follow these steps:

1. Select the elements you want to tag in a view, or do not select any if you wish all to be tagged.

2. On the Tag panel of the Annotate tab click the Tag All icon.

3. Enable one of the radio buttons to either select all objects or select the objects that you previously made to be tagged.

4. In the Category section, select the type of object tag you wish to apply (see Figure 9.15).

5. Enable the Create Leader check box, and adjust the leader length if necessary.

   

   Figure 9.15. The Tag All Not Tagged dialog box

6. Choose the orientation of the tag(s).

7. Click OK to create the tags.

It's that easy, so give it a try. Even if some elements are tagged on the view, this function will find only those elements that have not been tagged and add tags to them. Revit Structure will not double-tag any element already tagged.

Exercise: Create a Structural Framing Tag

In this exercise, you will make a new tag for your project to adapt the basic Beam-Stud-Camber label. Your goal is to make the beam size tag display an (E) in front of it, the stud tag to have brackets, and the camber tag to display a c= in front of it, as shown here:

1. Start a new project.

2. Level 2 should be the default plan view. If not, double-click Level 2 to make it active.

3. On the Structure panel of the Home tab click the Beam icon and then draw a beam on the plan.

4. Select the Beam tool, and then click the Element Properties icon to access the Instance Properties dialog box.

5. Type 24 for the Number of Studs value and 1″ for the Camber Size value.

6. Click OK to exit.

   Note that the stud and camber values do not display in the tag because by default the Standard Beam tag does not contain labels for them.

7. Select the tag.

8. In the Type Selector drop-down list on the Modify Structural Framing Tags tab, choose Structural Framing Tag-w-Studs-Camber: Standard to change the tag type so that the values will display in the tag.

9. With the tag still selected, click Edit Family.

10. Click Yes to open and edit the Structural Framing tag family.

11. With the tag family open, select the text and click the Edit Label button on the Label panel.

12. In the Label parameters of the Edit Label dialog box, add (E) as a prefix to the type name.

13. In the Number of Studs parameter, type [ (left bracket) in the Prefix field and ] (right bracket) in the Suffix field.

14. In the Camber field, type c= in the Prefix box.

15. In the Spaces field, increase the distance between elements to 3 for a better display.

16. Increase the label width to accommodate the new parameters.

17. Click OK to exit.

18. On the Application menu click Save As

    

19. On the Family Editor panel of the Create tab, click Load into Project.

20. Select the tag again, and use the Type Selector to specify the new tag type you just loaded.

Beam System Tag

The Beam System tag (see Figure 9.16) covers a whole bay of in-fill beam elements and indicates the common beam size and spacing of members in the framing bay. This tag is especially useful for wood framing where members are closely spaced; typically at 16″ center-to-center and where tagging each individual member would totally clutter the plan. Click Beam on the Symbol panel of the Annotate tab, and then hover your cursor over the beam system until it becomes highlighted. Click to place the tag in an appropriate spot in the bay. Like most things in Revit Structure, this is a tag family, so you can create other types as you need them.

Figure 9.16. A Beam System tag applied to wood floor framing

Span Direction Tag

The Span Direction tag is applied to structural floors as they are created, or it can be added later. The filled half-arrow (see Figure 9.17) indicates the direction of the deck, while the open arrow represents the extent of the deck. The Span Direction indicator is important in steel details and sections because, once it is applied in plan, it will enable the display of the metal deck flutes correctly in section, making your sections much easier to generate.

To change the direction of the deck, highlight and rotate the tag 90 degrees. Once the tag is placed properly, you can erase it and the deck flute orientation will not change. Unfortunately, the tag works only for floor objects and not for roofs. The deck profile cannot be added to a roof type and must be drawn manually within sections using a metal deck repeating detail, which is much more time consuming to create and maintain.

Figure 9.17. The Span Direction tag

Path and Area Reinforcement Tags

Path and Area Reinforcement tags (see Figure 9.18) are added to concrete plans to indicate reinforcing patterns much like the Span Direction tag does for floors. For more information, refer to Chapter 10.

Figure 9.18. An example of area reinforcement in plan view

Tagging vs. Dumb Text

One of the most important concepts to grasp as you learn to use Revit Structure is that your modeled elements are tagged rather than having text next to an object that has no connection to it, also known as dumb text. Tags are more "intelligent" than dumb text placed next to an element. When you attach a tag to an object, the tag displays a value, such as an isolated footing mark or a beam size, and connects directly to the underlying database of information. The value shown represents one of the parameters of the graphical object, such as its type mark. For example, spread footings can be organized as a schedule on a typical details sheet and will most likely be sorted by their type mark.

The same type mark value that appears in the schedule will display for the tag in the plan view as well. The underlying database controls both of them. The tags and schedules display the information stored in the elements. The schedules are reports and the tags are mini-reports. That is the parametric nature of Revit Structure, which helps it to be a powerful BIM solution: a robust, computable database that centralizes all information about the modeled elements. Changes to the basic elements represented in the database are immediately reflected in all the views that the database controls. So avoid dumb text annotation whenever possible, and really unlock the power of Revit Structure.

The Beam Annotations tool is an advanced tool for adding beam tags, spot elevations, and text notes to all or selected beams in a plan view. For instance, you can add framing tags to the middle of the beam, and you can add beam end spot elevations to the start and end of the members—all automatically. Figure 9.19 shows the Beam Annotations dialog box and its related Placement Settings dialog box. Each dialog box contains many placement options that you can set to meet various conditions.

To add a beam annotation, use the following procedure:

Not every element can be tagged in your project, such as lines and filled regions, so you must add text notes on various views (see Figure 9.20). As with other families, the text family is populated with many text style types formatted for your particular company needs and uses.

To place a text note in one of your views, follow these steps:

Figure 9.21. Accessing text types on the Place Text tab of the Ribbon

To edit the text string in one of your views, use this process:

One important consideration for your text styles is whether the background of the text box will be transparent or opaque. An opaque text box will hide what is under it. You will need to decide which way you prefer to show your notes. Covering up what is beneath can lead to problems if it covers up something important. But sometimes that might be precisely what you want. There is a Type parameter that controls this value, and you can adjust each text type as you see fit.

What about special characters in text strings, such as the centerline, plate symbol, or round symbol? They are important to structural annotation, and there is no text equivalent that can be easily used for the centerline or plate symbol. A centerline family is available, but it does not work in a text string, so you will need a workaround for that one. Many times, you will want an annotation that says something like "Centerline W18x" or "Plate 3/8" (see Figure 9.22) that includes the symbol along with some descriptive text next to it. The best thing to do is make your own annotation symbol.

To make your own text annotation symbol for the plate text symbol, do the following:

For some special characters, such as the round symbol, you can use the Windows Character Map, found in the Windows Start menu, under Accessories

Revit Structure handles text notes efficiently and effectively, as you have just learned, but sometimes you need to add large sets of notes. The next section will show you how to approach that task.

General notes are text but require different attention than the notes we have been discussing. General notes usually take up a large part of your first sheet in a design set of documents, and they can be heavily formatted. They can be difficult to manipulate into rows and columns and to maintain on the sheet in the way you would like them displayed. But tools are available within Revit Structure that will help to greatly reduce your effort in managing your general notes.

If you are a subscription member, you will have access to the Revit Structure Extension Text Generator, and you will undoubtedly want to start using it immediately. When you activate the command, a dialog box opens that allows you to insert and format your notes and configure how the notes will be displayed in columns and rows on the sheet (see Figure 9.24). You can open Microsoft Word documents directly from the Extension Text Generator. This is just one of a whole set of excellent extensions that Revit Structure offers. If you've struggled with AutoCAD text for many years, you'll find this function to be a breath of fresh air!

The Extension Text Generator has a text import window where you can break notes into sections on the sheet and a style area where you can create and edit the text format.

Here's the general procedure for using the text editor to import a DOC file (you must have Revit Structure Extensions 2009 loaded on your computer):

You will most likely have to fine-tune the notes to fit precisely. To edit the notes, go to the drafting view and click the Extensions Modification toolbar.

Keynote legends report or summarize any keynotes that are present in the views that share the same sheet with the keynote legend.

Keynotes are a system of notes defined in an external text file that are applied to elements in your project and then displayed in a keynote legend or list on the side of the sheet. Keynote legends report or summarize any keynotes that are present in the views that share the same sheet with the keynote legend. This can be an effective way to annotate your details in that you can apply keynote tags to objects to display the element type, the material type, or references to a keynote in the keynote schedule. For a complete description of keynotes, refer to Chapter 11.

Figure 9.25. The sheet of general notes

Component symbols are used to provide a 2D graphic representation of an annotation or model element in your project such as a scale bar, a north arrow, or a wall type. They maintain their printed size regardless of view scale. As with other families, you can edit or make your own new symbols. It is important to build and manage a good symbol library as you transition into the Revit Structure environment. Moment frame connections (solid triangles) are an example of symbols, as are weld symbols and section marks. Figure 9.26 shows pile cap information in a legend.

Legend components are another especially useful type of symbol that you can use when you are preparing a legend (see Figure 9.27). These are not "symbols" in the same context as the Symbol tool discussed previously. They are tied to actual families in the project that will appear in the legend but not get counted in the database as a schedulable element. You can drag loaded components into your legend view. You can configure the symbols to display in any detail mode and either in plan or elevation view.

Creating a legend (see Figure 9.27) is an important task that most projects require. Model, line style, materials, annotation, and phasing symbols can all be added as well as any element that you can place in a drafting view such as lines and text. You can easily assemble a legend view by dragging the symbol and legend components into it, as well as detail and model groups. Legend views also have the unique capability that they can be dragged onto multiple sheets. No other views can do that except schedules. To create a legend for your project, do the following:

Weld Symbols

Weld symbols are loaded in from the structural annotation library. You access them for insertion in the Families area on the Project Browser or by choosing the Symbol command on the Annotate tab. Unfortunately, the Revit Structure weld symbol that ships with the product is a bit clumsy and awkward to use. The symbol itself is too big. And for some strange reason, there are 0″ values inserted for all the fields that must be cleared every time you use the symbol. You will probably find yourself trying to edit the family when you start working with it, or you will be looking on the Internet for better families that others might have shared. What is needed is a graphical dialog box that allows you to fully and easily configure the symbol before you place it. It is a bit astonishing that the developers have not found the time to improve such an important symbol for all who are documenting a steel structure.

Figure 9.27. A legend view displaying various components, groups, and symbols

To use the default symbol, follow these steps:

1. Choose Weld System Both, Bottom, or Top from the Family Annotation area in the Project Browser (or use the Symbol command).

2. Drag and place the weld symbol into the view.

3. Highlight the weld symbol.

4. On the Modify Generic Annotations tab, click the Element Properties icon, and then choose Instance Properties on the drop-down.

5. In the Instance Parameters area, edit the Top Symbol and Bottom Symbol values as required (see Figure 9.28).

6. Add tail notes, finishes, weld sizes, the field weld symbol, the all around symbol, and others as required for your detail.

7. Use the Symbol Left check box to orient the leader line to the left or right of the symbol.

8. Click OK when you have finished.

Many of the values can also be added or edited by highlighting the weld symbol after placement and clicking into the text fields.

That concludes our section on annotation. A well-annotated set of documents is vitally important in project preparation. As you have seen, Revit Structure offers lots of help for you in this area as you are creating your documents.

Now let's move on to adding 2D detail elements to your various views. You will do this in order to show those elements you did not want or could not model.

Figure 9.28. The Element Properties dialog box for weld symbols

Detail lines are the basic line drawing tools that you will use for 2D detailing. Use them to finish drafting views that are cut from the model and 2D drafting views as well. On the Manage tab click Settings, and then choose Line Styles from the drop-down to access the dialog box that enables you to edit existing line styles and create new line types (see Figure 9.29). These line styles are used not only for detailing lines but also for the Linework tool. With the Linework tool, you can change the line style of most model lines if they do not display as you prefer.

Figure 9.29. Line Styles dialog box

Detail lines can add important information that you might not want to model, such as piping through footings (see Figure 9.30).

Filled regions are sketch based and provide hatch patterns that you use for detailing purposes (see Figure 9.31). The patterns must be sketched as a continuous boundary of lines. You then select a hatch pattern to apply to the enclosed area. The boundary element can be invisible, or each segment can be visible and use a different line style.

To add a filled region to your view do the following:

Figure 9.30. Detail lines show piping run through a slab and grade beam.

Figure 9.31. Earth hatching added to detail

Repeating details are useful in a detail view when you're adding repetitive 2D elements such as punched steel studs, 2D concrete reinforcing in section, metal deck flutes in section for a roof, or masonry block wall coursing along a line (see Figure 9.32). They are another form of component symbol. You can easily space detail components at intervals of your choosing and apply them by specifying start and end locations.

To add a repeating detail to your project do the following:

Figure 9.32. A repeating CMU wall detail added to a section

Many times in your struggle to make model elements in a view display correctly, the best practice may be to cover a problem area and to finish in 2D. That is where the Masking Region function becomes useful (see Figure 9.33).

Figure 9.33. Masking region covering a portion of the detail

Detail components are 2D representations of model elements, such as wide-flange beams in section that can be used in detailing views. Detail groups are assemblies of detail components that you want to use more than once. You will be able to drag them into your views from the bottom of the Project Browser for easy insertion.

Embedding Detail Components in Modeling Families

When you are cutting a section on your model, you want the section to be as complete as possible without adding lots of detached 2D lines and detail components. When the model elements move during the design process, the detail components usually do not move with them. Therefore, it can be quite time consuming to continue editing and relocating these elements as the model flexes. One way to avoid this is to build the detail components right into your model family. That way, they are automatically added and can be easily displayed in your section work, and they will move with the model element in which they are embedded.

A good example of this approach is the creation of a standard 2 × 6 wood-bearing wall type. In a section view you add the top and bottom wood plates as 2D components to the wall representation (see Figure 9.34). You do that by creating a profile for the flat 2 × 6. Within that profile, you add a 2 × 6 detail component. That profile is then added to the wall type.

The following general procedure will lead you through this process. First you create the required profile for the 2 × 6 flat stud plate:

1. Start a new project.

2. On the Application menu click New

   

3. On the Insert tab in the profile file on the Load from Library panel, click the Load Family icon.

   

   Figure 9.34. Wood-bearing wall type with embedded profiles for plates and bolts

4. Next load in the component. In the Imperial Library section, select Detail Components and then Div 06-Wood and Plastic.

5. Select 061100 – Wood Framing, and then choose Nominal Cut Lumber – Section for the family.

6. Click Open and then specify 2 × 6. Click OK.

7. In the Ref. Level plan type ZE (keyboard shortcut for Zoom to Fit) if you do not see crossed reference planes.

8. On the Create tab on the Detail panel, click Detail Component, and place the 2 × 6 at the intersection of the reference planes.

9. On the Detail panel click Modify.

10. On the Detail panel click Line, and then draw and lock lines over the 2 × 6 exterior lines. (These are the actual profile lines.)

11. Select the 2 × 6 and rotate it 90°; then center the 2 × 6 on the vertical reference plane. Move the bottom line of the 2 × 6 up to the horizontal reference plane.

12. Select the detail component. Click Visibility Settings on the Visibility panel of the Modify Detail Items tab. Deselect Course and click OK.

13. The profile is now complete. On the Application menu click Save, and save the file as Wood – 2x6 profile.

14. On the Family Editor panel of the Create tab, click Load into Project. Then select the new project you started earlier in the exercise (open or start a new project first if necessary).

Now you add the profile with the embedded component to the wall family definition:

1. On the Structure panel of the Home tab click Wall; then choose Structural Wall from the pull-down.

2. Click the Element Properties icon, and then choose Type Properties on the Place Structural Wall tab.

3. Click Edit

   

4. Click the Edit button in the Structure Value field.

5. In the Edit Assembly dialog box, click the Preview button.

6. From the View list choose Section: Modify Type Attributes in order to get a sectional view of the wall.

7. Click Sweeps, and then click Add to insert a new profile.

8. In the Profile field, select the wood-2 × 6 pr profile.

9. In the Offset field, change the value to −3″. Click Apply. Notice that the profile is visible at the bottom of the wall in the section preview to the left.

10. Click OK until you exit all the dialog boxes.

Now draw a portion of the wall in plan view. Create a section view through the wall. When you open that section view, you will not see the flat stud plate at the bottom of the wall. That's because the view is using the Coarse detail level, and the Visibility option for that mode was turned off in the profile family. On the View Control bar, change the detail level of the section to Medium, and you will immediately see that the detail component appears at the bottom of the wall. For added practice go back, and using the same procedure add the two top plates to the wall definition. Notice that the From parameter offers options for Top and Base. This makes it easy to tell Revit the sweep should start at the top of the wall as a reference instead. When completed, your wall should display in section like Figure 9.35. And there you have it.

Figure 9.35. Adding the profiles to the wall type

Using embedded components is the best practice for detailing. Now if the wall moves, the embedded detail components go with it. A further refinement of this procedure would be to create a profile that uses the flat 2 × 6 stud we created and also adds a bolt detail component. That profile would then be specified at the bottom of the wall to indicate the connection of the wall to the floor concrete. Chapter 19 takes this wall family even further by creating a full wood shear wall that displays well in both plan view and section view without a lot of added 2D work to complete it.

Now that you have an idea of how to use detail elements, let's explore how to create and manage typical details.

You can save families, groups, and views from your project (see Figure 9.38) with this command. For instance, if you want to save views to a typical details library, do the following:

If you choose just the sheet view, it will be created as a file with all the drafting views included.

Views exported from other Revit Structure files, or whole sheets of views, can be inserted with the Insert from File command. The procedure to insert drafting views is as follows:

You can also insert 2D elements from a saved model view by using the Insert 2D Elements from File option. This option allows you to copy 2D detail components such as repeating details and filled regions from a view that contains model elements.

Figure 9.38. The Save to Library tool is found on the Application menu under Save As.

Figure 9.39. Insert from File options

That ends our discussion on documenting your model. It is a huge subject that could fill a whole book. With this introduction of some of the most vital factors of documentation, you now should have some direction on how to prepare your projects. Remember that documentation is half the battle and must be carefully planned and executed in order to maximize the use of your model.