21 Becoming familiar with the Revit Interface

Figure 1.2 Revit Interface

Tab	organize the tools based on a main function such as Architecture, Views and Massing.
Ribbon	provides tools to create elements or components of a project or family along with other commands.
Tools	are the individual icons available to initiate a command.
Options Bar	displays options available through the selected tool or element.
Type Selector	identifies the currently selected family type and provides a drop-down menu from which a different type can be chosen such as a wall or roof material or construction.
Properties Palette	is used to view or modify the parameters that define the properties of elements or canvas.
Project Browser	provides access and organizes the views, schedules, and sheets of the project.
Status Bar	provides tips or hints on what to do with the selected element or component.
Info Center	provides searchable help options and the app store icon.
View Cube	available in 3D View, adjusts the view settings.
Navigation Bar	available in 3D and 2D, adjusts zoom and view settings.
View Control Bar	quick access functions that affect the current view.

 

Accessing Interface Components

• Above the ribbon, click the View tab
• Click the User Interface icon <Insert>
• One at a time uncheck and check each box to become familiar with the components. For help, reference Figure 1.3

<Insert>
Figure 1.3 Customizing the User Interface

Opening the Ribbon

• Above the ribbon, to the right of the tabs, click the icon <Insert> as shown in Figure 1.4
• Option 1: Click the drop-down arrow and click the option individually
• Option 2: Click the icon to cycle through the options

<Insert>
Figure 1.4 Ribbon display options

Opening the Properties Palette

• There are two ways of accessing the Properties Palette
• Option 1: shown in Figure 1.3
• Click the View tab
• Click the User Interface icon <Insert>
• Click Properties Palette
• Option 2: shown in Figure 1.5
• Right-click on the canvas
• Click Properties Palette

Figure 1.5 Accessing the Properties Palette

Opening the Project Browser

• There are two ways of accessing the Project Browser
• Option 1: shown in Figure 1.3
• Click the View tab
• Click the User Interface icon <Insert>
• Click Properties Palette
• Option 2: shown in Figure 1.6
• Right-click on the canvas
• Click Browsers
• Click Properties Palette

<Insert>
Figure 1.6 Accessing the Project Browser

Project Browser

Open Views

• Open the following views from the Project Browser by double-clicking the name as shown in Figure 1.7
• Floor Plan: Level 1
• 3D views: {3D}
• Elevation: West
• Schedule: Planting Schedule
• Sheet: A101 – Site Plan

<Insert>
Figure 1.7 Opening views from the Project Browser

Place family elements

• In the 3D view, scroll down the Project Browser to Families
• Click the + icon to expand the section
• Expand Planting
• Expand RPC Tree-Deciduous as shown in Figure 1.8
• Click and drag to place a Howthorne-25

(Tip: Press the Space bar to rotate an element)

• Place 5 more of any tree

<Insert>
Figure 1.8 Families in the Project Browser

Project Browser search bar

• Right click in the Project Browser
• Choose the option to Search
• Type Bathroom
• Toggle through the matches by clicking the Next and Previous buttons as shown in Figure 1.9

<Insert>
Figure 1.9 Project Browser Search

Properties Palette

Type Selector

• In the 3D view, select the roof
• Click the Type Selector
• Choose Warm Roof – Timber as shown in Figure 1.10

<Insert>
Figure 1.10 Type Selector: Warm Roof – Timber

Crop View

• In the West elevation view, go to the Properties Palette
• Scroll down to the Extents section
• Click to check the box next to Crop View
• Click to check the box next to Crop Region Visible
• Click and hold a blue dot <Insert> to adjust the boundary box
• Pull the blue dot over the elevation drawing and release the blue dot

<Insert>
Figure 1.11 Crop Box Extents

Section Box

• In the 3D view, go to the Properties Palette
• Scroll down to the Extents section
• Click to check the box next to Section Box

(Tip: If the Section Box does not show up, refer to the Trouble Shooting Chapter)

• Click on the Section box
• Use the double blue arrows to adjust the section box extents
• Pull in a side of the cube to cut through the building as shown in Figure 1.12

<Insert>
Figure 1.12 Section Box

Navigating the canvas

View Cube

The View Cube consists of two components; the Cube and the Compass as shown in Figure 1.13.

• The Cube is used to pivot around the 3D model using preset views by clicking the corners, edges and faces.
• Or click and hold the Cube while dragging the cursor around to pivot both horizontally and vertically.
• The Compass pivots around the 3D model without changing the view vertically. Click and hold on the compass and drag the cursor left and right

<Insert>
Figure 1.13 View Cube

Zoom

• In both 2D and 3D views, there are two methods for zooming
• Use the 2D wheel to zoom incrementally by options as shown in Figure 1.14
• Use the cursor scroll wheel to zoom in an out

<Insert>
Figure 1.14 2D Wheel

Panning

• Click the cursor scroll wheel anywhere on the canvas and hold it down
• Drag the cursor in any direction to move the around the canvas

Hidden Objects

• Select an element in either 2D or 3D
• Click the Temporary Hide/Isolate icon <Insert> from the View Control Bar
• Select one of the following
• Hide Element – will hide only the items selected
• Hide Category – will hide all items under the same category
• Click the Reveal Hidden Items icon <Insert> to see hidden elements
• Select the element to reveal
• Right-click on the canvas
• Click Unhide in View
• Click either Element or Category
• Click the Reveal Hidden Items icon <Insert> to close the reveal

Detail Level

• Click the Detail Level icon <Insert> on the View Control Bar to change the level of detail between Coarse, Medium and Fine

Visual Style

• Click the Visual Style icon <Insert> on the View Control Bar to change the project view between Wireframe, Hidden Line, Shaded, Consistent Colors, Realistic or Ray Trace.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Default Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Short Cut	Command
MV	Move
CO or CC	Copy
RO	Rotate
DE	Delete
SL	Split Element
SF	Split Surface
RE	Scale
GR	Group
FG	Finish group
SA	Selects all instances in project
AR	Array
RP	Reference Plane
LL	Level
ML	Model Line
TX	Text
PN	Pins/locks element in place
UP	Unpins/unlocks elements
MM	Mirror by Picking an Axis
DM	Mirror Draw Axis
AL	Align
OF	Offset
VV	Visibility Override
VG	Graphics Override
CTRL + 1	Show or hide the properties Pane
SB	Structural Floor
WA	Initiates drawing a Wall
DR	Initiates placing a Door
WN	Initiates placing a Window
CL	Initiates placing a Column
BM	Initiates placing a Beam
CM	Initiates placing a Component
TW	Switches view to Tab View
WT	Switches view to Tile View

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

Revit comes with a set of default keyboard shortcuts, but these are customizable

• Above the ribbon click the File tab
• Click Options button located in the bottom right corner of the menu
• 

Figure 1.15 File menu

• Go to the User Interface tab along the top.
• Next to Keyboard Shortcuts click ‘Customize…’
• Select/search for the Command
• Enter the new command in the box next to Press New Keys
• Enter two characters, for example: AA
• Or enter a combination of keys, for example: CTRL + 1
• CTRL[SPACE]+[SPACE]1
• Other key commands: SHIFT, ALT
• Click Assign
• Click OK to exit

Figure 1.16 Options Menu