Autodesk Revit Architecture 2016 Essentials

Autodesk Official Press

Ryan Duell, Tobias Hathorn, Tessa Reist Hathorn

• Publisher: Sybex
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781119059561
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: CAD-CAM
• Index: Computer Science

Put Autodesk Revit Architecture 2016 to work for you with this real-world focused guide

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2016Essentials helps you get acquainted and quickly become productive with the leading Building Information Modeling software. With a real-world focus and a tutorial-based approach, this invaluable guide features concise, straightforward explanations and hands-on exercises that walk you through the entire design process. Each chapter opens with a quick discussion of concepts and learning goals, and then briskly moves into step-by-step instruction illustrated by compelling full-color screen shots. This new edition includes expanded information on rendering and visualization, and a new discussion surrounding effective work sharing, details and annotations, drawing sets, and professional workflows. The companion website features additional tutorials, plus downloadable data sets that allow you to jump in at any point and compare your work to the pros.

Revit Architecture 2016 is a powerful, sophisticated BIM application designed to boost productivity with automated documentation for every design and update. This guide takes you through the entire design process, and shows you how to get the most out of Revit every step of the way.

• Design walls, floors, roofs, ceilings, stairs, ramps, railings, and more
• Work with families, groups, and phasing, and add color fills and rendering
• Create compelling drawing sets with details and annotations
• Learn the tips and tricks experts use to get the most out of Revit

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2016Essentials gets you up to speed quickly, so you can win more bids and expedite the project approval process.

Chapter 1
Introducing the Autodesk Revit Architecture Interface

After more than a decade of use in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, Autodesk^® Revit^® Architecture software continues to be unique in its holistic building information modeling (BIM) approach to design. There are other tools that allow you to design in 3D, and 10 years ago 3D might have been a differentiator, but today 3D is the standard. BIM is quickly becoming the standard as well.

Revit Architecture provides the unique ability to design, update, and document your project information from within a single file — something no other BIM tool allows you to do. Because all of your data resides in a single project file, you can work in any view to edit your model—plan, section, elevation, 3D, sheets, details, even a schedule—and then watch as your file updates in all views automatically. To begin your journey of learning Revit Architecture, we'll help you become comfortable with the user interface and the basic steps of the Revit Architecture workflow.

In this chapter, you'll learn to:

• Use the Properties palette
• Use the Project Browser
• Use the View Control Bar
• Navigate with the ViewCube^®
• Create floors, walls, and levels
• Change a wall type
• Place doors and windows
• Space elements equally

Understanding the User Interface

The user interface (UI) of Revit Architecture is similar to other Autodesk products, such as the Autodesk^® AutoCAD^®, Autodesk^® Inventor, and Autodesk^® 3ds Max^® products. You might also notice that it's similar to Windows-based applications such as Microsoft Word. All of these applications are based on the “ribbon” concept: tools are placed on panels organized on tabs in a ribbon across the top of the screen. The ribbon is contextually updated based on the elements you have selected. We'll cover the most critical aspects of the UI in this section, but we won't provide an exhaustive review of all tools and commands. You'll gain experience with a variety of tools as you read the chapters and go through the exercises in this book.

Figure 1.1 shows the Revit Architecture UI with labels illustrating the major UI elements. Four project views are tiled to display at the same time: plan, elevation, 3D, and perspective camera.

Figure 1.1 Revit Architecture user interface

Exercise 1.1 Use the Properties Palette to See Dynamic Updates of Properties

The Properties palette is a floating palette that remains open while you work in the model. The palette dynamically updates to show the properties of the element you have selected. If you have nothing selected, then the view's properties are displayed.

To begin, go to the book's web page at www.sybex.com/go/revit2016essentials, download the files for Chapter 1, and open the file c01-ex-01.1start.rvt. You can open a Revit Architecture project file by dragging it directly into the application or by using the Open command from the Application menu (also known as the App menu).

1. Go to the Modify tab of the ribbon, find the Properties panel on the far left side of the ribbon, and click the Properties button. This button will open or close the Properties palette. Leave the Properties palette open.
   
   
2. Go to the View tab of the ribbon, find the Windows panel to the far right, click the User Interface button, and uncheck or check the Properties option. This will also open or close the Properties palette. Leave the Properties palette open. This is how to turn on UI elements that you accidentally turn off!
   
   
3. Move your mouse into the drawing area, or canvas, and then right-click with the mouse; this will bring up a context menu. Click the word Properties near the bottom of the list. This will also open or close the Properties palette.
   
   
4. You can also toggle the visibility of the Properties palette by pressing Ctrl+1 on your keyboard.
5. The palette can be docked on either side of your screen or it can float in your canvas. To move the palette, just click the Properties palette header and drag it with your mouse. You will see an outline preview of the palette to aid you in placement; release the mouse button to place the palette.
6. To dock the palette back to the lef...