AR16698-L

Revit + FormIt 360 + Dynamo Studio = Awesome! – V1.1

Carl Storms – Senior Applications Expert
IMAGINiT Technologies

Learning Objectives
• Gain an overview of what’s new with FormIt 360

• Learn how to use FormIt 360 as a team collaboration and design tool in real time

• Learn about the process to move from FormIt 360 into Revit

• Learn about the Dynamo Studio plus FormIt 360 Workflow

Description
This lab session will focus on some of the newer features of FormIt 360 mobile and web app, as well as
tips and tricks to help with your Revit software and FormIt 360 workflow. With FormIt 360, you can
create conceptual designs and massing studies right on your iPad, Android tablet, and phone (if you are
daring), and on any computer with a web browser, or you can use FormIt 360 for Windows. You will
learn tips and tricks to help with this design process, using some similar commands and processes you
may already use in Revit software. This session will also look at what the cool and useful FormIt 360 Pro
features enable, like real-time team collaboration on a design, whole-building energy analysis, and solar
analysis. We will also explore the new Dynamo Studio software workflow within FormIt 360 for
Windows. And we will spend some time focusing on taking your project from conceptual design all the
way to construction documents with these 2 connected products (Revit software and FormIt 360 mobile
and web app) without having to leave the RVT file format. This session features Revit and Dynamo
Studio.
Your AU Expert:
Carl Storms

Drawing on his nearly 20 years of experience in architecture, engineering, and construction, Carl Storms
provides a practical and well-rounded understanding of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to clients.
He’s worked in residential and commercial architecture, as well as in construction, and he has over 5
years of teaching experience at the collegiate and industry levels. Beyond that, he’s also done a bit of
sales and marketing, which aid him in providing the business case for BIM to clients as well as helping
them make the most of their collaboration, coordination, and design tools and processes.

Through implementations, instruction, mentoring, seminar presentations,

whitepapers and more, Carl assists clients with the adoption of design technology
and BIM processes. As someone who truly enjoys the process of building information
modeling, Carl spreads his love of all things BIM via Twitter @theBIMsider, on his
Blog www.thebimsider.com , or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theBIMsider

Session Handout and Presentation

Get the most current PDF version of this handout and presentation using the Dropbox link below:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zg323ls3pi19tmw/AAAYpZbPiuGlHZeRS-cDqw3ra?dl=0
Table of Contents
FormIt 360 ................................................................................................................ 4
What is FormIt 360 ....................................................................................................... 4
How to get FormIt 360 .................................................................................................. 5
FormIt 360 vs FormIt 360 Pro ....................................................................................... 5
Mobile vs. Web (Battle of the Free) .............................................................................. 6
FormIt 360 Overview..................................................................................................... 7
Exercises................................................................................................................. 11
Ex 1) Location .............................................................................................................. 11
Ex 2) Building............................................................................................................... 18
Ex 3) Revit.................................................................................................................... 35
Ex 4) Dynamo .............................................................................................................. 40
Ex 5) Building Update.................................................................................................. 53
Ex 6) Revit Update ....................................................................................................... 62
Appendix A – The Basics ......................................................................................... 68
FormIt 360 Web ...................................................................................................... 68
User Interface .............................................................................................................. 68
Creating Masses and Forms ........................................................................................ 72
Properties .................................................................................................................... 85
Materials ..................................................................................................................... 86
Layers .......................................................................................................................... 91
Scenes.......................................................................................................................... 93
Levels ........................................................................................................................... 96
Content Library ........................................................................................................... 97
FormIt 360 Pro Features ....................................................................................... 100
Collaboration............................................................................................................. 100
Autodesk Material Library ........................................................................................ 104
Solar Analysis ............................................................................................................ 105
Energy Analysis ......................................................................................................... 106
FormIt for Windows .................................................................................................. 108
Dynamo ..................................................................................................................... 109
FormIt 360 Converter Add-in for Revit .................................................................. 112
How it Works ............................................................................................................. 112
Appendix B ........................................................................................................... 114
FormIt 360 Keyboard Shortcuts ................................................................................ 114
FormIt 360

What is FormIt 360

Autodesk FormIt 360 can be used on the web, as a mobile app, or on your computer to help you capture
building design concepts digitally anytime, anywhere ideas strike. Use real-world site information to
help create forms in context and support early design decisions with real building data. Experience a
continuous Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflow by synchronizing designs in the cloud for
further refinement using Revit.

FormIt 360 Web

Running on Chrome Browser

FormIt 360 Mobile

Running iOS (iPad)

FormIt 360 Windows

Running on Windows 10
Laptop

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How to get FormIt 360
• FormIt 360 comes for 3 platforms
o Web
o Mobile (iOS & Android)
o Windows (Pro only)
FormIt 360 Web
• You can access FormIt 360 Web by browsing to the following web address:
http://formit360.autodesk.com/
o You can also find it by “Googling” FormIt 360
It should always be the top result
o Works on the following Browsers:
Recommended for Chrome (33+) or Firefox (27+)
• Is OK on Safari and Edge (new IE)
o Does NOT work on Internet explorer (IE)
FormIt 360 Mobile
iOS
• This can be downloaded from the Apple App Store on your device, or from iTunes online
o Autodesk FormIt 360
o Requires iOS 8.0 or later

Android
• This can be downloaded from the Google Play App Store on your device, or from Google Play
online
o Autodesk FormIt 360
o Requires Android 4.0 or later

FormIt 360 vs FormIt 360 Pro

• FormIt 360 comes in two pricing versions
o Free (FormIt 360)
o Paid (FormIt 360 Pro)
FormIt 360 Pro can be bought as a standalone subscription or is now available
as part of the Autodesk AEC Industry Collection
• Both versions offer access to the web as well as both mobile apps (iOS and Android), however,
the windows version can only be accessed with FormIt 360 Pro
FormIt 360
• The free version of FormIt 360 offers the following features
o FormIt 360 for Web, iOS, and Android
o 3D sketching, advanced geometry
o Materials, layers, scenes

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 o Levels, area, location
o Revit import and export
o SketchUp import

FormIt 360 Pro

• The Paid version of FormIt 360 offers the same features as the free version, plus the bottom
four additional features
o FormIt 360 for Web, iOS, and Android
o 3D sketching, advanced geometry
o Materials, layers, scenes
o Levels, area, location
o Revit import and export
o SketchUp import
o FormIt 360 for Windows
o Dynamo Studio integration
o Insight 360 analysis
o Autodesk material library
o Real-time collaboration
• The cost depends on the subscription length you choose
o Monthly = $40 USD
Paid Monthly
o Quarterly = $115 USD (works out to about $38.33 per month)
Paid Quarterly
o Yearly = $300 USD (works out to about $25 per month)
Paid Yearly
NOTE: pricing current as of Oct. 10th, 2016.

Mobile vs. Web (Battle of the Free)

• The FormIt 360 web version is the most powerful version of the two
o It has the most features
o It is also generally where new features appear first
• The FormIt 360 Mobile app for iOS is not as powerful as the web, but getting closer with each
update
o Missing some features and toolbars from the web
Does have most of the context menu options
o New features for the Mobile platform appear on iOS before Android
• The FormIt 360 Mobile app for Android is the newest of the 3 options, and also the least
powerful, however, frequent updates are making improvements
o Missing some of the mobile features that are available on iOS
Does have most of the context menu options, that are available on the iOS
version
NOTE: The Windows version is the most powerful overall, but also only available as a Pro feature

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FormIt 360 Overview
• Website: http://formit360.autodesk.com/
o Can also just “Google” FormIt 360
o Works on the following Browsers:
Recommended for Chrome (33+) or Firefox (27+)
• Is OK on Safari and Edge (new IE)
o Does NOT work on Internet explorer (IE)
o You can launch the web version right from the landing page for the website

o The webpage has 6 tabs across the top, as well as 3 social media icons for Twitter,
Instagram & YouTube.

Blog
• Takes you to the FormIt360 Blog

Gallery
• This gives you access to the global gallery of FormIt 360 projects upload
by users to the website

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Forums
• This is a dedicated forum for all thing FormIt moderated by Autodesk

Learn (this tab has 5 sub-categories)

1. Video Tutorials
o This will launch a series of 22 FormIt Snippets video direct in your
browser

2. Help Content
o This is the help site for FormIt 360
o It also has links to the FormIt 360 YouTube and Twitter sites.

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 3. FormIt 360 + Revit
o Your one stop location for all you need to know about FormIt 360 +
Revit, includes workflows and downloads
4. FormIt 360 + Dynamo (Pro Feature)
o Your one stop location for all you need to know about FormIt 360 +
Dynamo, includes How to tips, and downloads
5. FormIt Friday Webinars
o Where you can sign up for upcoming FormIt Fridays, as well as view
past FormIt Friday videos
Free or Pro
• Information about the two purchase options for FormIt 360

Download
• This is your one stop shop for all your FormIt 360 Download needs
o FormIt 360 For Windows
o FormIt 360 For Web (launch not download)

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 o FormIt 360 for iPad
o FormIt 360 for Android
o FormIt 360 for Revit (FormIt 360 Converter add-in)

A360 Login
• This logs you into your A360 Account
o You need an A360 Account to use any version of FormIt 360
because your files are stored in the cloud in your A360 Drive
account
• The files from FormIt 360 are automatically saved in your A360 Drive
account in 2 formats
o .axm – this is the native FormIt 360 file format
o .rvt – it also saves a converted version that can be opened in Revit

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Exercises

Ex 1) Location
In this exercise, we will begin the process of creating a project in FormIt 360. For this exercise, we will be
using FormIt 360 Web.
Task 1
1. Begin by opening the Google Chrome web browser, and typing in “FormIt 360” in the search bar and
hit enter. Then select the Autodesk FormIt 360 site (which is normally at the top of the list). You can
also enter the web address: http://formit360.autodesk.com/ to reach the FormIt 360 Site.

2. To launch FormIt 360 select the “Launch FormIt 360 Web” button from the landing page.

3. Accept the Terms of Service, and close the “What’s new” & “Try FormIt 360 Pro” pop-ups.

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4. If you have an Autodesk ID, then you can sign in to save your work to your A360 Account. If you
don’t have an Autodesk ID that is fine, you can save your work locally on the computer desktop.

5. The first thing we will do is save the project using the name “AU_Location”.

6. Select the menu icon

7. Then choose “Save Sketch As” and select your choice. If you don’t have an Autodesk ID you will have
to select “Locally”.

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8. Enter the name “AU_Location” in the Save As dialog box.

Task 2
In this part of the exercise, we will set the project location. You can continue using your project from the
previous task, or you can open “AU_Location_T2_Start” from the Ex 1 folder in the lab data set.

1. To set the project location we can “Click to set location” in the Properties tab on the right side of
the screen.

2. Next, we will enter the project address in the “Search…” window, then select “Import Satellite
Image”.
• The address to enter is: 10702, 18th Street SE, Calgary, AB, T2Z-3S8
Note: If you are not signed in with an Autodesk ID you won’t get any weather data.

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3. Once the satellite image is visible you will need to resize the square around it to make sure the
correct about of the image is visible. We want the image to show the complete building as well as
the line of the fence at the top and right of the image. Once the image is cropped correctly select
“Finish Importing” to bring the image into the project.

Once the image is on your project you should have something that looks like the image below.

4. Now save the project locally.

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Task 3
In this part of the exercise, we will prep our project by setting levels and adding layers. You can continue
using your project from the previous task, or you can open “AU_Location_T3_Start” from the Ex 1
folder in the lab data set.
1. We will begin by adding levels to our project, these levels will be carried over to Revit with the
FormIt 360 model later one. Select the “Levels” tab on the right side of the screen, and choose Add
Multiple Levels.

2. Create 5 levels that are 10’ apart.

3. Now that the levels are created we can change the name and height of each level as needed by
clicking on it. Update the level names and heights to match the image below.

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4. Next, we will add some layers to our project. Layers give you the ability to turn the objects that are
part of a layer on and off in the project. We can begin by selecting the “Layers” tab on the right of
the screen and choosing Add Layer.

5. Name the first layer “Site”

6. Next, using the “select” icon from the ribbon, we will select the background image. You can also
select the image by double-clicking on it. Sometimes selecting an image can be difficult, using a
window selection or picking an edge can help with this issue.
7. Once the image is selected go to the “Properties” tab and choose the Site layer from the Layer drop-
down menu.

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8. Now we will create some additional Layers that will be used during the project. Please add all of the
following layers after “Site” in the image below.

9. Save the project locally.

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Ex 2) Building
In this exercise, we will continue with our FormIt 360 project by creating the forms that will become our
building. For this exercise, we will keep using FormIt 360 Web.
Task 1
We will begin this task by using the imported Satellite image to trace and start creating our project
building. You can continue using your project from the previous exercise, or you can open
“AU_Building_T1_Start” from the Ex 2 folder in the lab data set.

1. We will begin by making sure our project units are correct for this project. Select the “Settings” icon
from the ribbon and confirm the Units are Imperial. While in ‘Settings” you may also want to
turn off the Display Axes to make your view a little cleaner (you can also use the Keyboard shortcut
DZ).

2. Now while still in the Settings tab also make sure the Snap to Grid is off, this can also be done by the
keyboard shortcut SG. We will turn the Snap to Grid back on after we make our first shape.

3. Let’s begin by drawing a square for the bottom left corner of the building. Select the “Create Sketch”
icon to open up the drop-down menu. From the drop-down menu pick the “Rectangle” icon or
us the keyboard shortcut R.

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4. Start the rectangle in the corner as shown below.

5. Click on your starting location, and then move your cursor straight right. You will see a dimension
displayed as well as a red line to let you know you are on the X-axis. Once you know you are on the
X-axis hit the “Tab” key to bring up the Set Length dialog box, set the length to 68’.

6. Continue creating the rectangle by moving your cursor straight down. You will see a dimension
displayed as well as a green line to let you know you are on the Y-axis. Once you start moving the
cursor down you can hit the “Tab” key again to enter a length of 56’. When you are finished you will
see a solid white rectangle.

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7. At this point we want to turn the “Snap to Grid” feature back on, to do this use the keyboard
shortcut SG.

8. What we created is going to become the part of the building that goes on our “P1” layer from
earlier. However, this section is not a rectangle so we still need to add two more areas to our
rectangle before it is finished.

9. First, we will add the bottom area to the rectangle we just created. Select the “Create Sketch” icon
to open up the drop-down menu. From the drop-down menu pick the “Line” icon or use the
keyboard shortcut L.

10. Pick the bottom right corner of the shape we just created, and draw a line straight down the Y-axis
10’. Note the red square you see when you pick on the corner vertex of the existing rectangle.

11. Finish drawing the shape by going 38’ straight left on the X- axis. Then 10’ straight up on the Y-axis
again to finish the shape.

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12. Now we will use a rectangle and a triangle (made with the line command) to finish our “P1” area in
the top corner. Begin by using the rectangle command (from the ribbon or type R) to create a 10’9”
square.

13. Then using the line command to draw a 2’9” line from the bottom right corner of the square we just
made moving right along the X-axis. Then finish the triangle by connecting the end of the line to the
top right corner of our square.

14. We now have all the parts of “P1” as four flat shapes. Now we need to give our shapes height and
turn them into a single shape.

15. If you have been working from a top-down view, it would be helpful now to rotate your project view
as it will be easier to view/work with 3D objects. You can do this by selecting the Orbit icon on
the navigation bar, or by holding down your right mouse button while moving the mouse.

16. Once you have a view you like, then select the largest piece of “P1” with a single click, it will turn
blue. Now by holding down the left mouse button and dragging upwards you can add height to the
shape. The high of this and all pieces of “P1” should be 15’, remember after you start moving the
mouse to get the height you can hit the “Tab” key to enter the height in the pop-up.

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17. Next, we can select the bottom rectangle with a single click and begin to drag it up. Because we
know we want this to be the same height as the previous piece, we can pick on the nearest corner
and FormIt 360 will automatically make the pieces the same height as well as joining them.

18. Repeat these steps with the last two pieces so we end up with one single 15’ high object as “P1”.

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19. Save the project locally.
Task 2
In this task, we will work with groups and layers. You can continue using your project from the previous
task, or you can open “AU_Building_T2_Start” from the Ex 2 folder in the lab data set.
1. Before we put our “P1” piece of the building on the “P1” layer we need to group it. By grouping each
“piece” of the building, they will not all morph together into one piece as we saw happen in task 1.
To begin we can double-click on our “P1” building piece. You will see the entire object is highlighted
(not just a face).

2. While the group is still selected, right-click your mouse to display the contextual menu. Then select
the Group icon from the menu, or you could use the keyboard shortcut G.

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3. You will now see dots on the object as well as a dashed box around the group. While still in this state
open the Properties tab if not already open. Here you can give the object a name (P1) as well as
assign it a layer in the “Layer” pull-down menu. The last thing we need to do is put a check in the
“Use levels” box, then make sure all levels are selected. Hit Esc to get out of the group command.

4. Now if you double click on the “P1” group you will see it opens the “Group Editor”, this is how you
can edit your groups. This is also where we can add a name to the group (not instance). Along with a
name, we can also assign the group a Revit Category, which will become useful when the FormIt 360
content is imported into Revit. Please name the group “P1” and choice the Category default, Mass
from the “Category” drop-down menu. You must be in the Properties tab to see the Group
Properties.

5. To finish editing the group you need to pick the checkmark in the circle in the top left corner.

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6. Next to make sure the layer works properly go to the Layers tab and uncheck and then re-check the
P1 layer. The building should disappear and re-appear.

7. Save the Project locally.

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Task 3
In this task, we continue adding to our project building. You can continue using your project from the
previous task, or you can open “AU_Building_T3_Start” from the Ex 2 folder in the lab data set.

1. We will continue by adding three more pieces to our building, “R1” “P2” & “Y1”

2. Start with the “Y1” piece. Using the Line command start at the bottom angled corner and draw a line
30’ south parallel to the angled portion of “P1”. You will know when you are parallel when you see a
magenta line appear.

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3. Next, you will draw a 1’ perpendicular line. Perpendicular lines are also shown as a magenta line.

4. Hit the Esc key. Now we will draw a parallel line from the other angled corner, 70’ to the north.

5. Again like last time, draw a 1’ perpendicular line at the end of the 70’ line you just created. Then
connect the two ends to make the solid face that will become “Y1”. If you don’t get a solid, draw a
line connecting your two starting points (the angled part of “P1”).

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6. Single click on the solid surface and begin dragging it up to add its height, which will be 35’.

7. Now we will make the object we just created a group, and add it to a layer, and make sure all levels
are checked. The instance and group name will be Y1, and it will be put in layer Y1. To create the
group, double-click on the object, and then right-click to be able to pick the group icon from the
contextual menu. Also remember to have the Properties tab open.

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8. After creating the group “Y1” and adding it to later “Y1” you will need to edit the group (double-
click) to give the group the “Y1” name and put in in the Mass category. Then finish by hitting the
finish icon (circle with a checkmark in it).

9. Using the same method create the “R1” and “P2” Building pieces using the information provided in
the chart below:

Building Piece Height Layer Name Object Name Group Name Category
R1 26’ R1 R1 R1 Mass
P2 15’ P2 P2 P2 Mass

10. As well as the dimensions on the following page

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11. When you are finished your project should look something like the picture below. If you don’t see
the blueish purple level lines, use the keyboard shortcut DL to turn them on. Sometimes you need to
turn them off and back on again for them to show.

12. Save the Project.

Bonus Task
This is an optional bonus task for those ahead or wishing for some more practice after the session. In
this task, we will finish our project building. You can continue using your project from the previous task,
or you can open “AU_Building_BT_Start” from the Ex 2 folder in the lab data set.
1. In this bonus task, you can use any method you wish to add the final 5 pieces to our building, as well
as grouping them each individual and adding them to the proper layer.
2. The information on the final 5 pieces is listed in the chart below:

Building Piece Height Layer Name Object Name Group Name Category
R2 26’ R2 R2 R2 Mass
P3 15’ P3 P3 P3 Mass
G1 33’ G1 G1 G1 Mass
R3 26’ R3 R3 R3 Mass
P4 15’ P4 P4 P4 Mass

3. The following 3 pages will provide dimensions, as well as clarity on the height of each piece and the
layer it belongs to.

4. When you are finished save your project locally.

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Ex 3) Revit
In this exercise, we will import our FormIt 360 project into Revit 2017. For this exercise, we will keep
using FormIt 360 Web, and Revit 2017.
Task 1
For this task open “AU_Revit_T1_Start” from the Ex 3 folder in the lab data set.
1. Once you have “AU_Revit_T1_Start” open in FormIt 360 Web, you will need to export the project

locally to the computer so it can be imported into Revit. Select the “Menu” icon , then choose
Export > Locally.

2. In the Export dialog box enter the following Name: AU_Revit_T1_Export. Next, choose “AXM” under
the Options (this is the file format to be exported). Then for Objects to export we want to select “All
Objects”, then hit the Export button.

3. The AXM file will be downloaded to your computer with the name we gave it
“AU_Revit_T1_Export”.

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4. Now you will need to start Revit 2017. Once started, open up the Revit project called
“AU_Revit_T1_Start” from the Ex 3 folder in the lab data set.
5. Now from the “Add-Ins” Tab locate the FormIt 360 Converter and from the pull-down menu pick
Import FormIt 360 to RVT.

6. Navigate to where you stored the AU_Revit_T1_Export FormIt 360 file (.axm) and select it as the file
to import. Begin the import process by hitting the Open button.

7. During the import process, you may see a warning that lets you know the Revit file is being
upgraded from 2016 to 2017. This is fine just let it do its thing, it may appear 9 times, once for each
group that is imported. When finished importing you may need to hit ZA to zoom out and see
everything. Depending on the version of the FormIt 360 Converter you have you may not see the
warnings.

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8. Once the FormIt 360 content is imported if you go to one of the existing elevations you will see that
it created the levels at the heights we created them in the FormIt 360 project.

9. Now open up the default 3D view and you will notice that mass floors have automatically been
created where they would exist based on the levels that came in with the FormIt 360 model.

10. We can now start adding Revit walls to our imported model using the Wall tool in the Model by Face
panel found in the “Massing & Site” tab.

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11. Make sure you are still in the 3D view, then select the Wall tool in the Model by Face panel found in
the “Massing & Site” tab. Now you will need to pick a wall type, for this exercise, we will us the
“Exterior – Brick on Mtl. Stud” which is a Basic Wall.

12. Next, pick each of the walls that make up the “P1” group and they will become brick walls. There are
7 walls in total in the “P1” group.

13. Save the Revit project locally.

Bonus Task
This is an optional bonus task for those ahead or wishing for some more practice after the session. In
this task, we will finish adding walls, as well as roofs and floors to our Revit file. You can continue using
your project from the previous task, or you can open “AU_Revit_BT_Start” from the Ex 3 folder in the
lab data set.
1. In this bonus task, you will finish adding walls, roofs, and floors to the rest of the groups that we
imported in task 1.

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Note: The levels were created as heights for roofs, not as floor level heights. Because of this only add
floors to level 1 (ground level), not to any of the other mass floors.
2. Use the chart below for information on which wall, roof, and floor types to use:

Group Wall Type Roof Type Floor Type

G1 Basic Wall – Exterior – CMU Insulated Generic – 9” Wood Joist 10” – Ceramic Tile
P1 Basic Wall - Exterior – Brick on Mtl. Stud Generic – 9” Wood Joist 10” – Ceramic Tile
P2 Basic Wall - Exterior – Brick on Mtl. Stud Generic – 9” Wood Joist 10” – Ceramic Tile
P3 Basic Wall - Exterior – Brick on Mtl. Stud Generic – 9” Wood Joist 10” – Ceramic Tile
P4 Basic Wall - Exterior – Brick on Mtl. Stud Generic – 9” Wood Joist 10” – Ceramic Tile
R1 Curtain Wall – Exterior Glazing Generic – 9” Wood Joist 10” – Ceramic Tile
R2 Curtain Wall – Exterior Glazing Generic – 9” Wood Joist 10” – Ceramic Tile
R3 Curtain Wall – Exterior Glazing Generic – 9” Wood Joist 10” – Ceramic Tile
Y1 Basic Wall – Generic – 6” No Roof No Floor

Note: You may receive warnings that some lines are not straight or off axis. For this exercise, it is okay to
just ignore them and carry on. For a real project, you may want to fix those before moving forward with
the Revit model.
3. When you are finished save your Revit project.

With Masses on With Masses off

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Ex 4) Dynamo
In this exercise, we will use a Dynamo script (graph) in FormIt 360 Windows that was been published to
the web. For this exercise, we will be using FormIt 360 Windows, Dynamo Web, and Dynamo Studio.
Task 1
For this task open “AU_Dynamo_T1_Start” from the Ex 4 folder in the lab data set.
1. Begin by opening FormIt 360 Windows, you can do this by clicking on the FormIt 360 icon on the
desktop.

2. FormIt 360 Windows looks, and functions similar to FormIt 360 Web, but because it is computer
based it has more power and allows you to do some additional things. One of those additional
things is working with Dynamo. You need to have a paid license of FormIt 360 Pro to have access to
the Windows version.

3. Once you have FormIt 360 Windows open, you will need to load “AU_Dynamo_T1_Start” from the
Ex 4 folder in the lab data set. You can do this by selecting the “Menu” icon in the top left
corner of the ribbon. Choose Open Sketch > Locally. Then navigate to the lab data set to find the
file, and click “Open”.

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4. Now we are going to open Dynamo Studio to review the script (graph) we will be using in our FormIt
360 project. You can do this by clicking on the Dynamo Studio icon on the desktop.

5. Click on the “Open” icon under FILES on the start page, then navigate to the Ex 4 folder in the lab
data set and pick “AU_Dynamo_Wall”. The file extension for Dynamo graphs is .dyn.

6. Now you will see the script or graph, which is a bunch of nodes connected with wires, that we will
use in FormIt 360 Windows. At first glance, these scripts (graphs) can seem complicated and
confusing. This is what makes working with Dynamo inside FormIt 360 so nice, you don’t have to
worry about trying to figure any of it out.

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7. If you zoom into the blue group called inputs, just scroll your wheel on the mouse forward to zoom
in. These are the inputs that we can be given access to within FormIt 360 Windows to control the
shape. If you notice there are 6 inputs, however only 5 will be visible in FormIt 360 Windows. That is
because we don’t want the “Wall Depth Bottom” to be changed inside FormIt 360 Windows. If you
right-click on this node you will see that “Is Input” is not checked (like the Preview and Preview
Upstream is).

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8. This dynamo graph is all ready to be sent to Dynamo Web so we can use in inside FormIt 360
Windows. To do this we select Send to Web… in the File menu on the top left corner of the ribbon.
You will need to be signed into your A360 account for this to work.

9. You will need to hit “Yes” on the Confirmation pop-up first.

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10. The last thing before the graph is published is to give it a name, we will use “AU_Dynamo_Wall”.
You can add a description as well if you wish. Then to finish hit the Publish button. Once published
you will be able to share the link using the Copy Link button.

11. If you hit the Visit button it will take you to the Dynamo Web, website. You can also reach that site
using this URL: http://dynamoreach.com/manager.html

12. You will need to sign into your A360 Account to access Dynamo Web.

13. Depending on how you got to Dynamo Web you may see the “Manage” page which will show all
your published graphs.

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 Or you may see the graph you just published (if you hit the Visit button after publishing).

Task 2
For this task open “AU_Dynamo_T2_Start” from the Ex 4 folder in the lab data set.
1. You can close Dynamo Web, and Dynamo Studio now, if they are not already closed. Then return to
the model we opened in FormIt 360 Windows in task 1. If you don’t have that open, then you can
open “AU_Dynamo_T2_Start” from the Ex 4 folder in the lab data set.

2. At this point, if you have not already you will need to sign into your A360 account so that FormIt
360 Windows can access the Dynamo graph we just published. You can also use the following link
to access a public version of the graph:
https://dynamoreach.com/share/58140fbc612c030206a9ac3c

3. Open the Dynamo tab on the right side within FormIt 360 Windows and hit the “Refresh” icon
and see if the graph that we just publish appears (if it’s not already visible).

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4. If this doesn’t work you can hit the “Add” icon and enter the URL of the Dynamo Workspace,
which is: https://dynamoreach.com/share/58140fbc612c030206a9ac3c then hit OK.

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5. Once the graph is available you will see “AU_Dynamo_Wall” in your Dynamo tab list of graphs.

6. Now click on the graph and wait for it to load, you will see 3 grey dashes flashing during the loading
process.

7. When the grey dashes go away you will have the wall we created on the end of your cursor to be
placed in the model.

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8. You will want to select the bottom right corner of the “Y1” group.

9. While still selected right click and pick the “Rotate” command from the contextual menu.

10. Move the Rotate circle to the same point you used to insert the wall.

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11. If you click on the 0 degrees or hit the tab key the Dimension Value box will pop up and you can put
in the value of 104.35.

12. When you hit “OK” the wall should rotate to be aligned (or somewhat close to aligned) with the
original “Y1” wall.

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13. Now we will add a new layer to our project to put the wall on, we will call the layer “Y2”. While in
the layer tab we can also turn off “Y1”.

14. The wall came in as a group, so if we single click on the wall we can add it to layer “Y2” as well as
name it “Y2”. Don’t forget to all check “Use levels” and make sure Check All is checked. You need
to be in the Properties tab to do this.

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15. Now save the model locally.

Task 3
In this task, we will do the fun stuff and start playing with the Dynamo graph we imported. You can
continue using your project from the previous task, or you can open “AU_Dynamo_T3_Start” from the
Ex 3 folder in the lab data set.
1. The wall (Y2) that came in from Dynamo is a group inside FormIt 360 Windows. To access the
inputs, we need to edit the group, which means we need to double-click on “Y2” (the wall). You
need to be in the Properties tab to see the inputs after you have double-clicked on the wall
(opened the group editor).

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2. If you look closely you will see that there are only 5 of the 6 dynamo inputs displayed.

3. Now experiment with the sliders and number inputs to see how it changes the wall and overall look
of the model. While the changes are being computed you will see the 3 grey dashes again.

4. When you are finished experimenting, you will need to close the group editor by hitting the circle
with the checkmark in it up in the top left corner.

5. Now save the model locally.

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Ex 5) Building Update
In this exercise, we will continue the development of our FormIt 360 Building. For this exercise, we will
be using FormIt 360 Windows.
Task 1
You can continue using your FormIt 360 Model from the previous exercise, or you can open
“AU_Building_Update_T1_Start” from the Ex 5 folder in the lab data set.
1. Once the model is open we will begin by making some changes to the size and shape of our
building. Start by double-clicking on the group “P1” (the first piece of the building we made) this
will allow us to edit the group.

2. Now single click on the wall highlighted in blue above and pull it out 10’, remember you can hit the
“Tab” key to open out the Dimension Value box.

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3. Click Esc to exit the command and then close the group editor by hitting the circle with the
checkmark in it in the top left corner.

4. Next, we will edit the “G1” group, navigate to this part of the building and double-click to open the
group editor.

5. With the top of the group selected we can right-click to see the contextual menu, from which we
will pick the Offset face tool.

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6. Next we enter an offset of 2’ using the tab key, and finally, we select the new inside area and push
it down 2’ to create a parapet.

7. We will continue to work in group “G1” but now on the face shown below. For this we will use a
command found in the “Advanced Modeling Tool” drop-down menu, you can find these tools

under this icon . We will be using the Shell Solid(s) tool .

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8. After selecting the Shell Solid(s) tool you will be prompted to “Enter Shell Offset Value” use a value
of -4’, then click OK.

9. After hitting OK you will see a new menu pop up in the top left corner.

10. Now you can select the front face and it will turn blue, then hit the circle with the check mark in it
to finish the command.

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11. You should now see something like what is shown below.

12. We are going to do one more thing with this group. Go back to the “Advanced Modeling Tool”

drop-down menu, you can find these tool under this icon . This time we are going to use the

Cover tool .

13. After picking the “Cover” tool you will see a new menu appear in the top left.

14. Now you will select the 4 edges of the opening in the face we just made.

15. After the edges are selected pick the circle with the checkmark in it to finish the command.

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16. The last thing we will do with the group is change the material of the “Cover” we just created to be
a glazing that is see-thru. To do this we need to be in the Materials tab, then select the “Import
Material from Library” button.

17. From the Material Library choose Glazing from the “Category” drop-down menu. The pick the Blue
Reflective material, then hit OK.

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18. Now the “Blue Reflective” material will appear in the Materials tab. Next, you need to pick the new

material which will now give you access to the “Apply Material” icon .

19. Once you selected the “Apply Material” icon all you need to do is paint the cover we created
earlier.

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 20. The result will be a see-thru “window”. To view it better use the keyboard shortcut DL to turn off
the levels.

21. Finish by hitting the circle with the checkmark in it to close the group editor, and then save the
model locally.

Bonus Task
This is an optional bonus task for those ahead or wishing for some more practice after the session. In
this task, we will add materials to all of the groups in the project. You can continue using your project
from the previous task, or you can open “AU_Building_Update_BT_Start” from the Ex 5 folder in the lab
data set.
1. In this bonus task, we are going to be applying materials (painting) all the groups in our project. We
will need to import the following 4 materials from the Wall Paint “Category”, using the same
process we just did in task 1 above.

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2. Now go ahead and Apply Material or paint all of the groups in the project using the chart below to
know which material to apply to which group.
Group Material
G1 Dark Green
P1 Violet
P2 Violet
P3 Violet
P4 Violet
R1 Red
R2 Red
R3 Red
Y1 Yellow

3. When you are finished your model should look something like the picture below.

4. Save your model locally.

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Ex 6) Revit Update
In this exercise, we will import our updated building from FormIt 360 into Revit 2017, then use that to
update our existing Revit file. For this exercise, we will keep using FormIt 360 Windows, and Revit 2017.
Task 1
For this task open “AU_Revit_Update_T1_Start” from the Ex 6 folder in the lab data set.
1. Once you have “AU_Revit_Update_T1_Start” open in FormIt 360 Windows, we will need to export
the project.

2. This time when we export we want to select “Visible Only” so we don’t bring in the original “Y1”
wall, just the new Dynamo “Y2” wall. Once “Visible Only” and “AXM” are selected hit Export.

3. Save the file as: AU_Revit_Update_T1_Export.

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4. If not already open, open Revit 2017. Once Revit is open you will need to load
“AU_Revit_Update_T1_Existing” from the Ex 6 folder in the lab data set, then also open
“AU_Revit_Update_T1_New” from in the same folder. This Revit file already contains the FormIt
360 AXM file we just exported.

5. Make sure you are currently in the “AU_Revit_Update_T1_New” Revit model. Once in that model
select the “P1” mass group. Then from the Modify | Mass contextual tab select “Edit Family”.

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6. This will open the Family Editor, and all we need to do now is pick the “Load into Project and Close”
button.

7. When the “Load into Project” box appears select AU_Revit_Update_T1_Existing.rvt and hit OK. At
this point, the Revit model AU_Revit_Update_T1_Existing will open and a “Family Already Exists”
box will appear, in this box pick Overwrite the existing version.

8. The new mass will replace the old original mass, and you will be able to see that the new mass is
bigger. You will also notice that the Revit walls, roof, and floor did not automatically update with the
new mass.

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9. To update these Revit elements, you need to select them one at a time and use the “Update to
Face” tool, which appears in the Model by Face panel of the element type you choose. Let’s start
with updating the roof.

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10. What the updated Roof looks like in the Revit model after being updated.

11. Continue the process with the Floor and 3 Walls.

12. You may notice when doing the walls that you get a warning that pops up like the one shown below.
This method of updating the Revit model is more of a workaround than an exact science, and
sometimes it is just easier to delete the old element and create a new one.
Note: if you delete an element, like a wall that has dimensions or other annotation attached to it you
will lose that dimension and/or annotation.

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13. If you want to keep the element (and any annotation associated with it) check the box beside the
element you want to keep to exclude it. Then you will have to update the element, in this case, a
wall, manually within Revit using a method of your choice. In the example below I just dragged the
wall to align with the floor edge below.

14. When the Revit floor, roof and 3 walls for Group “P1” have been updated save your project.

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Appendix A – The Basics
In this appendix we will cover some of the basic features and how to use them in FormIt 360. The
examples will be done using the web version.

FormIt 360 Web

User Interface
Action Bar
• The action bar is found at the top of your screen. The tools in the action bar will help you create,
edit, and share content (shortcuts in brackets)

o = Open/Save

o = Current model name

o = Undo (Ctrl+Z) and Redo (Ctrl+Y)

o = Selection

o = Measure

o = Create Sketch

= 3D Sketch (L), Arc (A), Spline (S), Rectangle (R),

Circle (C)

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o = Create Primitives

= Create Cube (Alt+B), Create Dome

(Alt+D), Create Pyramid (Alt+P), Create Cylinder (Alt+C), Create Roof (Alt+R)

o = Advanced Modeling Tools

= Join two solids into

one, Cut a solid from another, Sweep (SW) a profile along a path, Cover (CV)
open geometry by selecting edges, Loft (LO) connect multiple Profiles or edges,
Offset Solids, Shell Solids, Fillet

o = Groups

= Create Group (Alt+G), Edit Group

(EG) Make unique (Alt+U), Ungroup (Alt+U), Ungroup All (Alt+A), Ungroup
Model (UM)

o = Sun and Shadows (DS)

= Turn shadows on or off

= Date and Time

= Solar Analysis (Pro Feature)

o = Settings

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 o = Location

o = Energy Analysis (Pro Feature)

• At the far right end, you will find the User Identity, Help Bar

o = Obtain access to Solar Analysis, Energy Analysis, Autodesk Material Library, and
Collaboration features

o = Login to A360 to store and share your sketches

o = FormIt 360 Help

Navigation
• You can use the Navigation tools on the navigation bar, normally docked on the right side of the
screen (shortcuts in brackets)

= Top View (ZT)

= View 3D (ZD)

= Fly-through Mode (FT)

= Orbit (Right Click Mouse Drag)

= Pan (Middle Mouse Drag)

= Zoom (Middle Mouse Scroll)

= Zoom to Fit (ZZ)

= Zoom to Selection (ZS)

Palette Bar
• The Palette Bar appears on the right side of the screen. Click one of these icons to open a side
palette to display building properties, materials, layers, scenes, levels, a content library, and
collaboration tools.

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 = Properties

= Materials

= Layers

= Scenes

= Levels

= Content Library

= Share (Collaboration – Pro Feature)

Selection
• Once you have a solid if you single click on a face you will select the face
o You will also see the area of the face in Properties
• If you double click on the face you will select the solid
o You will also see the volume of the solid in Properties
• If you single click on an edge you will select the edge
o This will also tell you the length of that edge in Properties
• You can also select a vertex by single clicking on it (a corner point)
• If you draw a line, you can also hover over it and the select it with a single click
How to save
• Create a project
• Give it a name
o Open the “Open/Save” button and choose your save option

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 o You have two save options
to A360 Drive
Locally

o By default, all files are saved to your A360 Drive account

These files are available to you on all versions of FormIt 360
• Web
• iOS
• Android
• Windows (Pro Feature)
A360 Drive accounts are free
• To open a file, you repeat the same process as saving
o You have options for opening a fail
to A360 Drive
Locally

Creating Masses and Forms

3d Sketching and Snapping
• A red circle lets you know you are ground snapping to the grid snap intervals
• Axis Colors
o Red Axis = X
o Green Axis = Y
o Blue Axis = Z

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 • A Purple dashed line will let you know you are aligned with origin point and can close your
shape
• “Shift locking” is when you hold down the shift key and the axis line you are on gets dark. Then
your mouse can wonder and remote snap to a point, whiteout losing your location on the axis
line you made dark
• You can also get a remote snap similar to Snap Tracking in ACAD by moving your mouse to the
snap location and wait for the tooltip to be displayed.
o Once it has been displayed you will see a purple dashed line along the axis you are
traveling back to your remote snap location (90 degrees only).
3d Sketching and Snapping
• You can draw on faces using any of the tools from the “Create Sketch” menu
o You can even draw across openings with a face if required
• If you have snapped on an edge you will see a green circle
• When you are on a midpoint you will see the red triangle midpoint symbol
• Drawing Parallel and Perpendicular Lines if off Axis
o If you want to draw off grid you can do so, and still be able to have parallel and
perpendicular line
After drawing the first line of your rectangle as you start moving in the
perpendicular direction you will see a solid purple line when you are
perpendicular

• You should also get a tool tip that pops up to say you are perpendicular
Parallel lines will work the same way as the perpendicular above, just on a
parallel line.

o If you want you can also force FormIt to draw a line as parallel or perpendicular
Start drawing your line
• Then hover over the line you want to be parallel or perpendicular

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 o After you have hovered over the line, you will see the Purple
solid line as your guide for a line that is either parallel or
perpendicular
Dimensions
• When you see a dimension while drawing you can click on it to enter a number
• If you don’t want to click on it, you can also hit the Tab key and the same dialog box opens to
enter the line length

• If you want to turn off the dimensions you can hit “DD” to turn them off
o The same shortcut will turn them back on “DD”
• You can also control the visibility of the dimensions under the settings tab on the ribbon
o Uncheck “Display Dimensions”

Drag Face and Snapping

• You can drag a face by selecting it (single click) and pulling (up/out) or pushing (down/in) to
where you want.
o You can edit the dimension to assign the face its end location
o You can also hover over another parallel face and assign the face you are pulling the
same dimension

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 This hover trick (remote snapping) can also work with other points (not just
parallel faces, midpoints are a good example
This also works with lines you draw as a reference to have an exact dimension

o Another trick is to “push” a face until it disappears from the model

Drag Edge
• If you select an edge you can drag it to change your geometry
o It is a good idea to use the “Shift Lock” command when doing it
Drag Vertex
• Click once to select vertex, click again to start dragging it
• You can also drag a corner to drag it up
o At a certain point, you will see a facet after dragging a corner
If you don’t see the facet you can hover over the face and a dashed line will
show where a facet would go
Right click and select the facet option and the facet will now be visible and you
can select the new faceted face and drag it

Move Tool
• The move tool is the default tool after you select something in FormIt
• Once you have selected the object you wish to move (by double clicking it)

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 o Then click again at the point you wish to use to start the move and you will see a red
square.
o Now move the object in the direction you wish, and click again to complete the
command
Use shift lock to stay on an axis
• After you have moved your object you can define the move distance by editing the dimension
• You can also move multiple objects at the same time by holding down Shift as you select
Copy and Paste
• These commands are found on the context menu
o When you select an object and right click you have the copy option

o After an object has been copied to the clipboard when you right click you will see the
paste option

• These commands can also be done use CTRL + C and CTRL + V

• A 3rd way to copy and paste is a “Quick Copy” which is useful because you can specify the start
and insertion points of your object
o Once you have selected the object click to start the move command
o Then while in the move command hold down CTRL
This will allow you to make a copy of the object, which will have an insertion
point the same as the point you clicked on to start the move command
• Note: You can copy and paste faces and edges as well as objects on FormIt
Array Tool
• After selecting the object to be arrayed, right click to select “Array” from the context menu

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 • After selecting the array from the context menu a dialog box will appear with your choices for
the array command

• Once you have made your choices, click to begin the array
o You can array in the X, Y, Z Axis or Diagonal
o When happy with the array click again the end the command

• Note: You can array faces and edges as well as objects in FormIt
Rotate Tool
• Select the object you want to rotate, once selected right click and choose “rotate” from the
context menu

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• Once in rotate mode you will see a protector on your cursor
o The first click will set the center of the rotation

o Then you can move the rotation by moving the blue arrows
If you move outside of the protractor you snap only at axis lines

If you move inside the protector you snap in 15 degree increments

o You can also set one of the blue circles which sets a reference angle for the rotation

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 • You can click on the dimension at any point during the rotation to enter an exact angle
• Note: You can rotate faces as well as objects in FormIt
Scale Tool
• The scale tool in FormIt is a grip tool, with a red grip at the bottom center of the object and a
blue grip at the center top of the object
o You can begin the command by selecting an object, then right clicking and selecting the
scale option in the context menu

o If the default center location is fine, you can select the blue grip and as you drag it the
object will scale

o You can also move the location of the grips so that you can scale based on a reference
object or line

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 • Note: You can scale faces as well as objects in FormIt
Groups
• There are 2 ways to create groups in FormIt
o Option 1: Double click to select one object
Hold down shift and double-click to select the 2nd object
Then right click and select “Group” from the context menu

When the objects are grouped then now move as a group

You can ungroup by right-clicking on the group and select the “Ungroup” option
from the context menu

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• Option 2: Ribbon menu

o When you select the “Create Group” you are put into a selection mode

o When you are done selecting click the check mark to create the group
• When you need to edit the group you can right click and select the “edit group” option from the
context menu
o This will put you into group edit mode and you can only edit objects that are part of the
group.

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 o When you are done editing click the check mark
• Note: You can also edit the group by double-clicking on it, and finish editing the group by
double-clicking
• Note: There are also 3 keyboard shortcuts for groups
o Group = G
o Edit Group = E
o Finish Group = F
Groups and Sketching
• Grouping is one the most important parts of using FormIt
o 2 reasons why
Grouping separates objects
• If you sketch on the face of an object and then pull that sketch into a
new object the two objects become one

• If you grouped the original object first, then doing the same sketch and
pull action will keep the two objects separate

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 o Note when sketching on the face of a grouped object you may
see some distortion in the sketch area, this is normal

Groups and Repeating Units

• Grouping is one the most important parts of using FormIt
o 2 reasons why
Grouping separates objects
Groups can allow you to repeat objects
• If you copy an object that has been grouped it becomes an instance of
that group
o FormIt automatically groups objects that are arrayed
If you hover over an instance of a group and hit the Tab key you will then select
all instances of that group
Making Groups Unique
• If after creating several instances of a group, you then want one (or more) to be different you
can do this by making the object you want to be different “Unique”
o You do this by selecting the object and right click to select “Make Unique”

o Once you have made the object unique in remain a group, but it can now be edited
independently from the other group it was originally part of
Nested Groups
• Once you have at least 2 different groups, you can start “nesting” groups inside other groups

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 o You do this by copying a group to the clipboard (CTRL + C)
o Then you edit another different group (double click)
Once inside edit mode for the copy you can paste (CTRL +V) the first group from
the clipboard
Click finish to end editing the group and you now have a nested group

• The neat thing about nested groups is even though they are all part of a single nested group the
still update with their original group instances

• Note: if you edit the nested group from the ribbon option you can choice which group within
the nested group you want to edit

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Undo
• When working with groups there are 2 separate undo commands

o The first undo is the normal undo from the ribbon

o The other undo is for when you are editing things inside group edit mode

• Note: Each different undo only undoes operations done within the mode where it is located,
meaning if you made a change in group edit more you can only undo it in group edit mode
• Note: CTRL + Z will work as a keyboard shortcut for both types of undo

Properties
Click on the palette handle to reveal, or hide the “Properties Palette”
Using the “Properties Palette” you can manage things like the object’s
o Location
o Name
o Level Settings
o Layer it is on
o View Information
Gross Area
Target Area
Face Area
Area by Level
Floor Area Ratio
Site Area
Volume

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Materials
• Use the “Material Editor” to create new materials to use in your scene. The “Material Editor”
can make materials appear the way you want them to appear. The texture, color, and other
properties of materials can be modified to your specification. You can create your own materials
based on custom bitmap files.

Create a Material
• To create a material, you need to click the Add Material Button

o Then From the “Edit Material” window, make the necessary changes to the material
properties.

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 • Click OK to save the changes to the material.
Edit a Material
• To edit a material, begin by selecting the material you wish to edit.
o The pick the “Edit” icon.

o This will open up the “Edit Material” window

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o From this window, you have 9 properties which you can change and update
Name: To help identify the material
Texture: Textures are images loaded from your local drive. Once imported, you
can crop, and edit the horizontal and vertical scale of the texture.
• You can access the “Edit Image” window by clicking on the edit icon on
the texture.

Color: When a material has both texture and color, the two are manipulated
together.
• You can access the “Color” window by clicking on the color box.

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 Bump: Load a texture to apply bumpiness based on the image.
Cutout: Load a black and white bitmap. The white areas will appear solid and
the black areas will be transparent.
Opacity: A higher value means the material will be more transparent.
Gloss: A higher value will add a shiny gloss effect to the material.
Reflection Direct: A higher value will increase the amount of reflectivity visible
when looking directly at a face.
• like looking at your reflection in a pool of water
Reflection: Oblique: A higher value will increase the amount of reflectivity
visible when looking at a face from an oblique angle.
• like seeing a reflection in a TV screen when viewing from an angle
o You can see your updates and changes to the material in the preview window to the
right
You can see the preview image in 5 different forms
You can also see the preview animated or still

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Apply a Material
A material can be applied to a face, an entire object, or a group
o Click the tab on the right side of the screen and click the icon for the Material Editor.
o Hover the mouse pointer over the material you wish to apply.
o Select the Paintbrush icon.

o Click on the face to apply the material to a single face. Double-click to apply the material
to an entire object.

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 You can apply material to a group the same way you would apply it to a non-grouped object.
However, there are 2 ways you can apply it to a group:
o Group Instance: If you want to apply a material to an entire group AND you do not want
that material to be applied to other instances of the group, you can paint the group
instance the normal way
o Group Definition: If you want the material to be applied to ALL instances of the group,
first edit the group and then apply the material the normal way. The material will then
appear under a heading with the name of the group.

Layers
Don’t think of layers in FormIt 360 like you would layers in ACAD, but more like layers in
Photoshop.
o You will use the layers to control the visibility of individual objects.
Creating Layers
Begin by clicking “Add Layer” in the Layer palette to create a new layer

o Then double click on the name to rename the layer.

o Now to add objects to the layer, select one or more objects in the scene and then
choose the desired layer from the “Selection on” drop down list.

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How to use Layers
You can turn the layer visibility off by unchecking the checkbox next to the layer name.

You can also select all objects on the layer by clicking the selection icon next to the layer name

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 If you want to delete a layer you can click the trash icon next to the layer name.
o Only the layer, not the objects assigned to the layer, will be deleted.

Scenes
• The “Scenes” feature allows you to create scenes and then be able to navigate back to them as
saved viewpoints.

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Create a Scene
• Start by clicking the “Add Scene” button in the Scenes palette.
o This saves 4 features of the current view
Camera Position
Layer State,
Sun Position
Visual Styles

• Double-click on the scene name to rename the scene.

o Click the “Update” button to update the scene based on the currently visible viewpoint
and settings.

o You can create a copy of the scene by hitting the “Duplicate” button

o Click the Delete button to delete the current scene.

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 o You can use the check boxes under each scene to determine whether or not camera
position, layer state, sun position, or visual styles will be applied to the scene.

Play Scenes
• To view a scene, click on a scene to navigate to it.

• You can create a “Slide Show” by clicking “Play Scenes” to automatically play through each
scene.

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 o The scenes are played in order from top to bottom in a continuous loop until you click
“Stop Scenes”.
o The “Scenes” can be dragged up or down in the order as needed

Levels
To set the level datum’s for the entire sketch, click on the Levels tab on the right-side palette.

o You can add levels 1 at a time, or multiple levels at once

o Hover over the level text and click the blue dimension value to specify the elevations of
each level.

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 o Then, control the levels that are applied to each object in the Properties tab.

Content Library
• Use a personal library of frequently used elements like furniture, building elements, or material
base files.
o You can store previous projects, site files, or even Revit families or SketchUp files you
have converted using the FormIt 360 Converter Add-in.
o Your content library can be stored and linked to from a local folder (in a DropBox Sync
folder for instance), or an A360 Drive.
Link a Content Library
• You begin the linking process by clicking on the “Link Library” button
o This can be found in the “Content Library” button on the Palette Bar.

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o Choose your library location - either on your local drive or on an A360 Drive.

o Browse with the file navigation dialog to your top-level content library folder.

o Choose a Content File

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 If the content is a converted Revit Family you may see a number in the top right
corner, this number is the amount of family types in the family

• Note: If you have linked your library locally, and then start a new FormIt 360 Web session, you
will need to re-link the Content Library.
Place Content
• Use the data from a content library file in a design.
o Hover your mouse over a thumbnail image

o Drag and drop the content onto the canvas, or click the thumbnail, move the mouse
onto the canvas, and then click again to place.

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FormIt 360 Pro Features

Collaboration
• With the Collaboration feature, you can work simultaneously with others on the same sketch
o There are no worksets, or element locking in FormIt so people can be working on the
same element in the model at the same time (however, this is not the best workflow)
o You begin the collaboration process by starting a “Sharing Session”
This can be found inside the “Share” button on the Palette Bar.

o Once you have started the session you can invite others to join
This can be found inside the “Share” button on the Palette Bar after a session
has been started

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 This will bring up a dialog box that will allow you to share a session ID, a link to
the session, or send an email or invite someone to join the session.

o To become part of a “Sharing Session” you need to accept an invitation, by clicking the
link or input the Session ID on your iPad

o During a “Sharing Session” each participant will have their own color which will be used
to represent them during the session in interaction with others.

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 This color will be around their profile/avatar in the Collaboration palette
It will also show up on any face or element they select in the model

o You can also “Follow” someone’s camera during a sharing session

This allows you to see what is happening in the model from that person's
camera view
This is also a useful way to take someone on a walk through of your model
• To activate this feature simply select the camera icon beside the
person’s name you wish to follow.
• You can stop following the camera by selecting the “X”

• You can also continue to work in the model even if you are following
someone’s camera

o There is also a built-in “Messages” feature that allows you to chat real-time while you
are collaborating in the model

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 The “Messages” dialog box is in the bottom left corner and will tell you how
many new messages you have when you don’t have it open.

o You can end the collaboration process by hitting “End Sharing Session”
This can be found inside the “Share” button on the Palette Bar.

You will be asked to confirm you wish to end the session

Then you will get a message confirming the session has been ended

• Note: You must be a FormIt 360 pro subscriber to start a “Sharing Session”, however, you don’t
need to be a subscriber to join a session.

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 • Note: When you join a session you are added as a “collaborator” when you leave a session as a
guest collaborator, a copy of the sketch will NOT be saved to your A360 account.

Autodesk Material Library

• As a Pro subscriber, you will be able to import materials from the Autodesk Materials library.
o Click the Import Material button.
This can be found in the “Materials” tab on the Palette Bar.

o From the Import Material, browse or search by name to select a material to import into
the scene and click OK.
Note: these materials are stored on the Autodesk cloud, so you don’t have to
“import” them from your local Revit material library.
o Once Imported the material can be applied and edited like any other material in your
Model

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Solar Analysis
• With Solar Analysis you can visualize the amount of solar radiation that your model receives.
o Begin by selecting the “Sun and Shadow” icon

o Then click on the Solar Analysis button

The first time you do a Solar Analysis on a site the program will download the
weather data for that site (sometimes this happens so fast you don’t see the
pop-up)

o Now select an object or face

o Click Analyze

o View the results

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 o Click the “Month Peak” symbol to toggle between Month Peak or Year Cumulative.

Change between Month Peak, which gives the peak solar insolation value in
BTU/sq ft (or Wh/sq m) for each month, and Year Cumulative, which gives the
total insolation in kw/Sq m. Month Peak is useful for developing a shading
strategy for the building façade. Year Cumulative is useful for determining the
potential for photovoltaic cells.
o Move the Slider to vary the time of year

o When done reviewing select the circled checkmark to finish

Energy Analysis
• Evaluate factors that affect building performance, such a wall insulation and HVAC efficiency.
The FormIt 360 Pro Energy Analysis feature allows you to better understand how your design
will perform based on a number of factors.
o To get started, you must first set a Location for your project and have at least one solid
object with Levels applied
o Click the Energy Analysis button to start the analysis process.

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o The model will be converted and sent to the Green Building Studio for analysis. When
the results are ready, you will receive an email. Open the Energy Analysis Dashboard by
clicking View Results

You will also get a pop-up to agree to the Green Building Studio terms

o The Energy Analysis Dashboard now contains a 3D view of the energy model, a history
of previous runs, and the Energy Cost Range (ECR). The range shows the mean,
minimum, and maximum energy cost from batch runs of whole building energy
simulations for a range of typical design and operational factors. The ECR also includes
the Architecture 2030 benchmark for your project. This benchmark provides a way to
understand the relative performance of your project by comparing to this popular
target. The Architecture 2030 benchmark is calculated as a percentage (currently 60%)
of real historical building energy use gathered from extensive surveys. The ECR contains
and is ultimately driven by individual factors, each of which relates to different aspects
of building features that influence building energy use.

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 o When you open a Factor Widget, you can vary the factors to see how it affects the
Energy Cost Mean

FormIt for Windows

• With a FormIt 360 Pro subscription you have access to the Windows app where you can:

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 o Work with bigger, more complex models.
o Connect to A360 Drive and web services - or work without an internet connection.
o Collaborate in real-time, customize toolbars, palettes, and shortcuts.
o Windows touch-enabled devices use your finger, stylus, mouse, and keyboard as inputs.
o Import SKP and SAT directly, link a Content Library from A360, local, and network drives.

Dynamo
• With a FormIt 360 Pro subscription you can connect a Dynamo Studio script to the Windows
app:
o Create a parametric model in Dynamo Studio and send it to the web for viewing.
o Connect the Dynamo script's URL to FormIt 360 for Windows.
o Drag and drop the Dynamo content into your FormIt model and access the same
Dynamo parameters.
o Save your FormIt file with the Dynamo content in it and continue editing it in the future.
o The Dynamo content is treated as FormIt content and can be painted with materials,
copied, deleted.

Things you should know about Dynamo & FormIt 360

Inputs
• To work with Dynamo Studio, Dynamo Web, and Dynamo in FormIt 360 you need to be aware of
a few basics.
o Legal inputs for use in FormIt 360 are the basic visual scripting inputs like
Number input
String input
Number Slider with value range
Boolean (True / False toggle)

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Outputs
• The output of Dynamo for use in FormIt 360 is different from the output of Dynamo for use in
Revit. You’re basically creating raw geometry. In the future, this will be expanded, but for now –
What you see is what you get.
o What appears in FormIt 360 is raw Dynamo geometry
Solid, Surface, Cuboid, etc…
o Right click on an input node and find “Is Input”
If you DON’T want this to appear in FormIt 360, then uncheck “Is Input”
Minimize inputs for clarity in FormIt 360 – so uncheck a lot of these

o To keep the graph clean – hide construction geometry

Window select everything behind your output nodes
Right click off into space
Click “Hide all geometry preview”

o When you are finished with your Dynamo graph you need to “Send to Web…” to be able
to use it in FormIt 360
“Send to Web…” is the basic publishing step to share your Dynamo graphs
• File menus > Send to Web…

Dynamo Web
The Dynamo web app is a web viewer where the Dynamo parameters are visible and editable, but the
overall graph and nodes are not.

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Preview
• When you send your Dynamo graph to the web, it automatically appears in your Dynamo Reach
manager, which is tied to your A360 account. Now you can open and view your graphs. You can
share your graphs out to a wider audience by sending a URL. The recipient needs an A360
account to view your parameters.
o Open Chrome and navigate to http://dynamoreach.com/manager.html
o Click on the graph you wish to open
o The script (graph), once published, lives in your manager until you delete it.

Options
• Advantages of this interface are to include others into the process, explore options, and access
your graphs from any web browser (including your phone!)
o No creating, or adding nodes here, just previewing results
o Changes to the underlying script (graph) require you to republish to the web
At that point, you can either give a new name or version
Or republish with the same name to overwrite
o Find desired states or most relevant parameters to edit in FormIt 360

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FormIt 360 Converter Add-in for Revit

How it Works
• The FormIt 360 Converter Add-in for Revit will let you do the following:
o Convert RFA files for use in FormIt
These maintain their Revit category and identity, this means they can be
converted back to an RFA later
Only the following Revit categories are currently supported
• Casework
• Entourage
• Furniture
• Furniture Systems
• Generic Models
• Parking
• Site
• Specialty Equipment
• Mass
o Convert FormIt 360 Sketch to RVT file
This will convert the FormIt 360 Sketch (AXM) geometry in an RVT format and
place it into the currently open RVT file
Groups that are assigned a category in FormIt 360 will be placed as a family
(RFA) within the RVT file with the same category
• You can change theses new families with any other family from the
same category using the type selector
o Convert SKP files to make them usable in FormIt 360
o Replace FormIt 360 Content with Revit Families
This will replace a “family” (think of it as a placeholder) you made in FormIt 360
with an RFA from Revit
• This will replace all of the FormIt 360 families of the type you selected

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 o You can also launch the FormIt 360 website directly from the add-in by selecting the
“FormIt 360” Button

How to install the FormIt 360 Converter Add-in for Revit

• Navigate to the FormIt 360 Download page on the website (Download)
o Pre-requisites
A windows PC with Revit 2015, Revit 2016, or Revit 2017
Windows 7,8 and 10 are supported
o Download comes as a Zip file
Click “Keep” when the download is finished
Unzip to a single directory
o Double click the “FormIt360ConverterSetupForRevit2015.exe” (or 2016, 2017 version)
Open the folder “FormIt360ConverterSetupForRevit2015” (or 2016, 2017
version)
For best results use “Run as Administrator” option (right click menu)
• Note: The FormIt 360 Converter Add-in for Revit come pre-installed with Revit 2017.

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Appendix B

FormIt 360 Keyboard Shortcuts

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