Autodesk Revit 2019
Autodesk Revit 2019
Autodesk Revit 2019
Architecture Basics
From the Ground Up
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Lesson 2
Mass Elements
Mass Elements are used to give you a conceptual idea of the space and shape of a
building without having to take the time to put in a lot of detail. It allows you to create
alternative designs quickly and easily and get approval before you put in a lot of effort.
Massing Tools
Model by Face:
Converts a face into a Roof, Curtain Wall System, Wall, or Floor.
Masses can be used to create a component that will be used in a project, such as a
column, casework, or lighting fixture, or they can be used to create a conceptual building.
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Revit Architecture Basics
Exercise 2-1
Shapes
Drawing Name: shapes.rfa
Estimated Time: 5 minutes
Revit knows
what type of
shape you want
to create based
on what you
select. It’s all in
the ingredients!
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You won’t see the Create Form tool on the ribbon unless a sketch
is selected.
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9. Switch to a 3D view.
10.
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13. Hold down the CONTROL key and select the Axis Line
(this is a reference line) and the sketch.
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The most common error when creating a sweep is to make the profile too big for the
path. If the profile self-intersects as it travels along the path, you will get an error
message. Try making the profile smaller to create a successful sweep. Sweeps are
useful for creating gutters, railings, piping, and lighting fixtures.
19. Our final shape will be a BLEND or LOFT.
A blend is created using two or more open
or closed sketches. Each sketch must be
placed on a different reference plane or
level.
Hold down the CONTROL key and select
the three arcs.
Challenge Task:
Can you create the four basic shapes from scratch?
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Create an extrude, revolve, sweep and blend using New→Conceptual Mass from the
Applications menu.
Steps to make an Extrude:
1. Set your active plane using the Set Work Plane tool.
2. Create a single polygonal sketch with no gaps or self-intersecting lines.
3. Select the sketch.
4. Create Form→Solid Form.
5. Green Check to finish the mass.
Steps to make a Revolve:
1. Set your active plane using the Set Work Plane tool.
2. Switch to a 3D view.
3. Draw a reference line to be used as the axis of revolution.
4. Pick one of the planes defined by the reference line as the active plane to place
your sketch.
5. Create a single polygonal sketch – no gaps, overlapping or self-intersecting lines
– for the revolve shape.
6. Hold down the CONTROL key and select BOTH the sketch and reference line. If
the reference line is not selected, you will get an extrude.
7. Create Form→Solid Form.
8. Green Check to finish the mass.
Steps to make a Sweep:
1. Activate Level 1 floor plan view. You need to select one reference plane for the
profile and one reference plane for the path. The reference planes must be
perpendicular to each other. Set Level 1 for the path’s reference plane.
2. Draw a path on Level 1. The path can be a closed or open sketch.
3. Create a reference plane to use for the profile. Draw a reference plane on Level 1
– name it profile plane. Make this the active plane for the profile sketch.
4. Switch to a 3D view. Create a single polygonal sketch – no gaps, overlapping or
self-intersecting lines. The profile sketch should be close to the path or intersect it
so it can follow the path easily. If it is too far away from the path, it will not
sweep properly or you will get an error.
5. Hold down the CONTROL key and select BOTH the path and the profile. If only
one object is selected, you will get an extrude.
6. Create Form→Solid Form.
7. Green Check to finish the mass.
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Mass Elements
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Revit Architecture Basics
Exercise 2-2
Create a Conceptual Model
Drawing Name: default.rte [m_default.rte]
Estimated Time: 5 minutes
This tutorial uses metric or Imperial units. Metric units will be designated in brackets.
3.
Locate the Imperial Templates folder
under ProgramData/Autodesk/RVT 2019.
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10.
In the Options bar, enable Make Plan View.
The Options bar can be located below the ribbon or at the bottom of the screen.
11. Pick to place the end point to position the level indicator
above the other indicators.
12. Basically, you place a new level by picking two points at the desired height.
Right click and select Cancel to exit the Level command.
Revit is always looking for references even among annotations; you will notice that
your level tags snap and lock together so when you move one to the right or left, all
those in line with it will follow.
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Mass Elements
Exercise 2-3
Adding an In-Place Mass
Drawing Name: ex2-2.rvt
Estimated Time: 10 minutes
Revit uses three different family categories. System families are families which are
defined inside the project, such as floors, walls, and ceilings. Loadable families are
external files which can be loaded into the project, such as doors, windows, and
furniture. The third family category is in-place masses, which are families created
on-the-fly. In-place masses are only available inside the project where they are
created and are usually unique to the project since they aren’t loadable. However,
you can use the Copy and Paste function to copy in-place masses from one project
to another, if you decide to re-use it. That can be a hassle because you need to
remember which project is storing the desired in-place mass.
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If you don’t want to be bugged by this dialog, enable the Don’t show me this
message again option.
6. Enter Mass 1 in the Name field.
Press OK.
Next, we create the boundary sketch to define our mass. This is the footprint for the
conceptual building.
7. Select the Line tool located under the Draw
panel.
8.
You can draw using listening dimensions or enter the dimension values as you draw.
For feet and inches, you do not need to enter the ‘ or “ symbols. Just place a space
between the numbers.
Revit doesn’t have a CLOSE command for the LINE tool unlike AutoCAD, so you do
have to draw that last line.
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10. Exit out of drawing mode by right clicking and selecting Cancel twice, selecting
ESC on the keyboard or by selecting the Modify button on the ribbon.
11. Switch to a 3D view.
Activate the View ribbon and select 3D View.
You can also switch to a 3D view from the Quick Access toolbar by
selecting the house icon.
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Object tracking will only work if the sketch objects are active and
available in the current sketch. You can use Pick to copy entities into the
current sketch.
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Exercise 2-4
Modifying Mass Elements
Drawing Name: ex2-3.rvt
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Show Mass
Align
Modify Mass
Mirror
Create Form
Save View
1. Open ex2-3.rvt.
2. If you don’t see the mass, Show Mass on the Massing & Site ribbon
to turn mass visibility ON.
Some students may experience this issue if they close the file and then re-open it for
a later class.
3. Activate the East Elevation.
4. We see that top of the building does not align with Level 3.
To adjust the horizontal position of the level lines, simply select the line and use the
grip to extend or shorten it.
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When using Align, the first element selected acts as the source, and the second
element selected shifts position to align with the first element.
7. Select the top level line (Level 3)
then select the top of the extrusion.
Right click and select Cancel twice
to exit the Align command.
10. Select In-Place Mass from the Massing & Site ribbon.
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Mass Elements
15.
Uncheck Make surface from closed loops on the Options bar. Enable Chain.
16. When you see the large X and the tooltip says Intersection, you
will have located the intersection.
Pick to locate the center of the circle at the intersection.
17. Enter a radius of 16′-0″ [4880].
Cancel out of the command.
When you used the Pick Line tool, you copied those lines into the current sketch.
Once the lines were part of the current sketch, they could be used for object
tracking.
18. Select the circle sketch so it is highlighted.
19. Select the Draw Mirror Axis tool on the Modify panel.
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25. A small toolbar will appear with two options for extruding
the circle.
Select the option that looks like a cylinder.
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29. A small toolbar will appear with two options for extruding
the circle.
Select the option that looks like a cylinder.
If you press ENTER more than once, you will keep adding
cylinders.
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You can also press the Delete key on the keyboard or use the Delete tool on the
Modify panel.
33. Select Finish Mass.
If you do not delete the lines before you finish the mass, you will get an
error message.
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39. Select the top of the two towers as the edges to be shifted.
Right click and select CANCEL twice to exit the command or press ESC.
41. Use the ViewCube located in the upper right of the screen to orbit
the model.
Pick a mass element to activate the element’s grips. You can use the
grips to change the element’s shape, size, and location.
You can only use the View→Orient menu to activate 3D views
when you are already in 3D view mode.
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Exercise 2-5
Create Wall by Face
Drawing Name: ex2-4.rvt
Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Wall by Face
Trim
Show Mass
You can add doors and windows to your conceptual model to make it easier to visualize.
1. Open ex2-4.rvt.
2. Activate the 3D Ortho view under 3D Views.
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Some students will accidentally pick the same face more than once. You will see an
error message that you have overlapping/duplicate walls. Simply delete the extra
walls.
8. Select any visible mass.
Right click and select Hide in
View→ Category.
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18. On the ribbon: Toggle the Show Mass by View Settings tool to
turn the visibility of masses OFF.
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21. When you select to trim, be sure to select the section you want to keep.
22. Select the arc and wall indicated.
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Exercise 2-6
Adding Doors and Windows
Drawing Name: ex2-5.rvt
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Basics
Door
Load from Library
Window
Array
Mirror
Shading
You can add doors and windows to your conceptual model to make it easier to visualize.
1. Open ex2-5.rvt.
2. Activate Level 1 under Floor Plans.
7.
Browse to the Doors folder under the Imperial or Metric library – use Imperial if
you are using Imperial units or use Metric if you are using Metric units.
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As you highlight each file in the folder, you can see a preview of the
family.
9.
For Imperial Units: Highlight the 84” x 80” type and press OK.
For Metric Units: Highlight 2100 x 2000m type and press OK.
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10.
14.
Browse to the Windows folder under the Imperial or Metric library – use Imperial if
you are using Imperial units or use Metric if you are using Metric units.
15. For Imperial Units:
Locate the Window-Casement-Double.rfa file.
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18. Place the window 6′-6″ [3000 mm] from the inner left wall.
Right click and select Cancel to exit the command.
22. Select the midpoint of the window as the basepoint for the array.
23.
Enable Group and Associate. This assigns the windows placed to a group and allows
you to edit the array.
Set the array quantity to 5 on the options bar located on the bottom of the screen.
Enable Last.
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Pick a point 49′-0″ [14,935.20] from the first selected point to the right.
25.
You will see a preview of how the windows will fill the space.
Press ENTER to accept.
Cancel out of the command.
26. Select the Measure tool on the Quick Access toolbar.
27. Check the distance between the windows and you will
see that they are all spaced equally.
28.
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31. Left pick anywhere in the graphics window to complete the command.
You will get an error message, and the windows will not array properly if you do not
have the angle set to 90 degrees or your walls are different lengths.
32. Switch to a 3D View.
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Mass Elements
Exercise 2-7
Creating a Conceptual Mass
Drawing Name: New Conceptual Mass
Estimated Time: 60 minutes
Masses
Levels
Load from Library
Aligned Dimension
Flip Orientation
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Remember the permanent dimensions are driven by the values of the temporary
dimensions. To set the temporary dimension values, select the reference planes.
11. Activate the Insert ribbon.
Select Load Family from Library→Load Family.
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If you don’t set the underlay correctly, you won’t see the
box that was placed on Level 1.
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Exercise 2-8
Using a Conceptual Mass in a Project
Drawing Name: New
Estimated Time: 20 minutes
Masses
Load from Library
Visibility/Graphics
6. Activate Level 1.
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17. Select the Roof by Face tool on the Build panel on the
Architecture ribbon.
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Mass Elements - Additional Projects
Additional Projects
2) Make the shape shown using a Blend. The base is a rectangle and the top is a
circle located at the center of the rectangle.
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Revit Architecture Basics
AP2-2
Lesson 2 Quiz
Lesson 2 Quiz
True or False
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Revit Architecture Basics
12. Revit comes with many pre-made mass shapes. Select the mass shape NOT
available in the Revit mass library:
A. BOX
B. ARC
C. CONE
D. TRIANGLE-RIGHT
ANSWERS:
1) T; 2) T; 3) T; 4) T; 5) T; 6) E; 7) E; 8) B; 9) B; 10) A; 11) A; 12) B
Q2-2