Family Revit Greyed Out and Can't Be Deleted

Autodesk Revit is an indispensable tool for architects, engineers, designers, and contractors. Its employ equally a Building Information Modeling (BIM) software is critical for those involved in Virtual Design and Construction (VDC). But, a tool is only as good every bit its user, and the full ability of Revit tin merely exist unleashed with a better understanding of its various functions.

Hither are some of import tips and shortcuts to help you make the virtually of Revit that are brought to you by the team at VIATechnik.

Demand help in using Revit to your reward? Our squad of Revit modeling experts tin do the work for you lot. See how our Revit modeling services can benefit y'all.

i PINNING

If you lot are referencing or overlaying an external dwg, rvt, or other types of drawings files, make sure they are pinned down to ensure that these reference files do not shift and cause inaccuracies in modeling. You lot can pin objects by selecting the pin object icon under the Change Tab, or by typing PN while the object is selected. Pinned objects can also be set to non select or highlight when the cursor highlights over the pinned object. This is helpful when an extremely large external Revit model is linked to the working Revit model. Revit tries to visually highlight any elements that your cursor hovers over, and may have upward some processing time when highlighting an extremely detailed element. Only toggle the "Select Pinned Element" push at the lesser right corner of your Revit model to disable, and your pinned chemical element will no longer be selectable. Toggle it back on when you need to make adjustments to the pinned element.

Pinned objects will prove a thumbtack when selected. Clicking the thumbtack will unpin the object.

2 USE SPLASH SCREEN

Sometimes when experiencing a hard time opening a projection, make it easier by utilizing a splash screen. Go to Manage tab >> Manage Project panel >> Starting View Tool. The default view to be opened is the Last Viewed. You tin can change this to a set up view. To ameliorate the boot up of Revit, create a new view or choose an existing view that does not brandish a lot of detail. This reduces the processing time of the Revit file and lets you start working on the project much more than chop-chop.

3 USING FILTERS TO FIND OBJECTS

Oft times, y'all may demand to find a specific object in the model, or select multiple of a similar object in the model. Use the Filter function to your advantage. Drag Select a region that volition select all the elements yous wish to select. Click the Filter button under the Modify Tab and uncheck all irrelevant objects. Click OK and the objects that were left checked volition be selected.

This play tricks is peculiarly useful in locating imported CAD Drawings that did not import to a correct scale. Only blazon ZE to Frame all objects in the model infinite inside the window and select all objects in the view. Filter and only check the box for the externally referenced CAD File. Click OK and your imported CAD File will be highlighted. Usually a line with a Pin will indicate the location of the CAD file. Zoom in closer and you lot'll find an underscaled CAD plan that y'all can rescale.

4 UNDERSTANDING SHEETS & VIEWS

Sheets are used for press, while views are actual workspaces that can exist placed onto sheets for printing. A view tin can only exist placed on one canvass, and cannot be used in multiple sheets at one time. In order to have a like view placed in multiple sheets, you must duplicate the Views as Dependents and place the new view onto the sheet:

Here is a break down of the differences within duplicating a view:

• Indistinguishable View
  Duplicates a view, and all objects that are considered part of the "model". Things that are detail items, such as detail lines, hatches, text annotations, and item groups will now prove upwardly in the new Duplicated View. Whatever new changes to the views won't bear upon the other.
• Duplicate View with Detailing
  Duplicates a view with all model items and detail items. Any new changes to either the quondam or new view won't affect the other.
• Duplicate as Dependent
  Duplicates a view exactly as seen. Any changes in i view will affect the other.

5 SNAPPING

Control where your line ends with greater precision by using the snap office. Ofttimes, in that location volition be lines that do not run into at corners or over-extend due to the default motorcar-snap that Revit uses. When clicking sure points, input snap shortcuts such equally SE (Snap to Endpoint), SI (Snap to Intersection), SP (Snap to Perpendicular), SN (Snap to Nearest), SM (Snap to Midpoint), before clicking the point to have it snap precisely to the point yous need it to be in. If you are working in an area where a lot of linework is occurring, it is all-time to employ the snapping characteristic and the TAB primal to wheel through the available snap points in the area that your cursor is hovering over. Revit volition signal which lines are beingness used equally references to the snap by highlighting the lines.

6 CONSTRAINING MODELS

When building models, there are often times that changes to a model require one to shift multiple objects at in one case. Constraining certain elements of a model can help in adjustments speedily. Simply dimension ii elements you desire to be constrained and input the dimension yous want to lock in. In the example below, I want the middle of the door to always be 2 feet abroad from the wall to the right. Lock in the dimension cord and the object is now constrained. If you desire the object to remain constrained simply non show whatever dimension strings, simply delete the dimension cord and click "OK" on the warning message. Clicking "Unconstrain" will remove the constraint forth with the dimension cord. Now, every time the right wall shifts, the door volition shift along with it to maintain the 2 anxiety distance.

*Annotation: Over-constraining elements will cause the model to create fault messages, which volition require you to remove sure constraints.

7 OVERRIDE GRAPHICS IN VIEW

If yous want a temporary override of lineweights or surface texture in a view, simply click the element, click "Override Graphics in View", then too click "By Element". This is useful when overlaying CAD drawings to a floor programme view to draft every bit a reference. When linking CAD files with different colored layers, it may be visually difficult to draft over these drawings. Override project lines to a dull greyness or even a single easily recognizable color to differentiate what a CAD drawing is and what a Revit model is.

*Note: Override Graphics only works on the view in which it was turned on in. If you want to change an element throughout the Revit model, alter the Visibility Settings instead. Additionally, exist enlightened of what elements are being overridden. All overrides take precedence over visibility settings, then y'all will demand to turn off the override to have it have on the Visibility Setting'due south characteristics again.

8 ROOM AREAS VS AREA

It is important to differentiate betwixt Room Expanse tags and Expanse tags. Use Area tags to calculate overall footage of a building, or areas that are not distinguished every bit a "space". Utilise Room Surface area tags when defining rooms, such as whatsoever infinite enclosed by walls. Use the walls to frame the surface area, and use Room Separation lines to divide spaces with openings. Practise Non apply Area to summate areas of rooms, as it will non populate in-room schedules correctly.

9 Agreement FAMILIES & TYPES

Knowing when to create new Families and when to create new Types tin brand a globe of a departure to how long Revit modeling will take. You tin can view Families and Types like to that of animal kingdoms. Families are like to a species of Beast (Canis familiaris, Cat, Parrot, etc.) and there are specific Family Types (Mammals, Amphibians, etc.). Types are similar to the breed of an beast (Gilded Retriever, Chihuahua, Bulldog). If you are going to model an object that will change in dimensions, or take certain elements that are visible and not visible in sure instances, then this should exist differentiated by Blazon. If the Family is going to be 2 completely unlike models (i.e. a model of a tabular array & a model of a chair), they should be two different Furniture Families.

01.

Families are broken down into sure sub-categories of Families.

02.

Within these sub-categories rests individual Families. I.E. Basic Wall Family.

03.

Within an individual Family rests Types, which are unlike configurations of a Family. I.East. Brick on CMU is a Family Blazon inside a basic wall Family unit.

Example: If I demand a box in Revit with the dimensions (2'x2', 4'x4', and viii'x8'), simply make a Family with a rectangular extrusion. Set the Length, Width, and Height as dimension parameters in the Family. Load the Family unit into the model and create 3 different Types. Within the Type settings, input the necessary dimensions and click "OK". Create another Family unit Blazon past clicking "Indistinguishable" and renaming the Blazon to something else.

10 Choice LINES

If you are converting line piece of work from a CAD file, instead of drawing the lines individually, you tin utilise "Pick Lines" to automatically re-create the CAD lines onto Revit. If the line is drawn as a Polyline in CAD, you can press "Tab" while hovering over the line to potentially select an entire Polyline versus a single segment. There is the possibility that yous can convert an entire CAD cartoon into Revit linework by exploding the imported CAD file, only this is not recommended for drawings containing large amounts of linework, 3D elements, hatches, etc.

By choosing Selection Line and hovering over a specific line and tabbing through the selections, y'all tin draw single Polylines from existing CAD drawings chop-chop.

xi CUSTOMIZE DOUBLE CLICKING Family unit SHORTCUT

If you are modeling space with a lot of families in the model infinite, oftentimes you may accidentally double click families and enter the edit family unit window. This tin can take up some of your time, especially when this mistake happens often during modeling. To avoid this issue, customize your double-click shortcut fundamental by clicking on the Revit icon on the top left and clicking on Options. Under the User Interface tab, Click Customize under the Double Click Options section. You can alter the option from Edit Family unit to "Exercise Null". Hit OK and Apply these settings. Now whenever you double click a Family, it won't automatically open up the Edit Family window. Instead, you'll have to click the Edit Family button at the acme toolbar ribbon.

12 VIEW RANGES

If your views are at present displaying parts of a model, or models created are disappearing from the modeling view, it is most likely because information technology is exterior of your specified "View Range". To set up this, only go to the Projection Properties and adjust the View Range to a wider range.

When viewing floor plans, you can modify the view range under the Properties window and adjust information technology accordingly. Anything outside of this range will exist clipped from the plan.

13 Particular LEVELS TO OPTIMIZE WORKABILITY

When building Revit Families, creating dissimilar models for different Levels of Details can assistance in how fast the Revit Model tin function later on. When edifice a family, build a generic geometry such as a Box, Circle, or Linework to represent the Object and have it sit down on tiptop of the Detailed Model. Select the Detailed Model and Grouping it as one object. Under the Properties window, click "Edit…" for Visibility and Graphics Overrides. Uncheck Coarse and Medium and click OK. Now the Family will only prove the detailed model when the Revit View is set up to Fine Particular. Similarly, select the Basic Geometric model mentioned earlier and edit its Visibility and then that simply Coarse and Medium are checked. Now a simplified geometric model will be used in identify of the detailed model when Revit Views are set to Coarse or Medium. This can allow users to work on the Model Space quickly without the need for the computer to procedure the detailed family unit model constantly.

fourteen ALIGNING PLANS ON REVIT SHEETS

01.

Adding two reference lines that intersect can deed as a indicate of reference when placing views on sheets.

02.

Draw detail lines on the sheets for the views to snap to when placed on the sheet. In this instance, we are snapping the floor plan's reference line intersection indicate onto the detail line's intersection. Detail lines tin be copied and pasted between sheets "aligned to current view".

15 VISIBILITY SETTINGS

You lot can specify representational colors for your models categorically through your visibility settings. Under View>Visibility Graphics, you tin can specify sure Revit families to be a sure color. But select the necessary category and change the Lines/Patterns to your desired color. You can exist more specific by opening the tree downwardly farther and just specifying certain parts of the Family exist a sure color.

In the screenshot higher up, all ducts are fix to show every bit red. This will but affect the view currently opened. If you change views, this visibility needs to be prepare once more.*Note: There is a difference between Projection & Cut Lines & Patterns. Any views that cutting through an object such every bit a wall would bear witness the Cutting Lines and Cutting Patterns. Any models that are visible without being cut (such every bit in 3D views) will show the Project/Surface Lines and Patterns.

sixteen LINKED REVIT FILES

Linking Revit Files is essential in using external models as references in order to detect clashes between models. Brand sure these Linked Revit Files are placed in the correct locations and are pinned down to ensure correct referencing.

The difference between Linking and Importing is the power to update. Linking a CAD or Revit file will permit the Revit file to check the file and update if the reference file is inverse at all. Imported files will non update and volition stay the same as when it was imported.

17 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Make an effort to acquire the keyboard shortcuts for mutual commands in Revit. You may customize the shortcuts to your preference, but information technology is suggested yous larn the existing shortcut layouts so y'all can work interchangeably with others easily.

18 WORKING BETWEEN VIEWS

Frequently, you may not be able to fully comprehend a model in merely a single view. You can view the model sectionally past creating a section cut on the floor programme, or in 3D by going to View> 3D View. Utilize View>Switch Windows to swap between views and use View>Close Hidden to close all the views when you're washed. Annotation: Whatever department cuts made will create a "view" under the Project Browser. Keep the Projection Browser clean by deleting these views later on if you do not intend to apply them in the time to come.

01.

When you create a section view, you can correct-click the section line and click Become To View to directly open up the respective section view.

02.

Adjusting the depth of view for the section using the drag-bar tin can control what is being cropped out of the section.03.

Adjusting the drag bar on the left and correct will adjust what is beingness cropped in the section view.

Creating sections (and 3D Views) will create these views under the Projection Browser. If yous're only doing this to view parts of the model and navigate around, please delete these sections or 3D views afterward to avert clutter. If you are going to utilize this view in the future, do not delete it.

Take advantage of the ViewCube
The ViewCube is a great manner of viewing your models in whatsoever plan, peak, department, or 3D view in the project without switching to unlike views on Revit'south project browser. The advantage to these views over the typical floor program, elevation, and department views is that it enables the users to quickly encounter the model in different views without creating new sections, floor plans, or elevations that may clutter your project browser. To view detail sections of the model, enable the department box within the properties window and adjust the box to section the model in the desired location. Apply the ViewCube in combination with this section box to meet sections of the model quickly.

You lot can too orient the view to a direction that corresponds to the project coordinates, eastward.k., where "North" corresponds to true due north. The selected objects in one view will remain selected in other views, helping yous locate these objects in the different views.

To orient a 3D view in another view, right-click the ViewCube and select Orient to View, so select the view type and name.

To orient a 3D view in a specific management, right-click the ViewCube and select Orient to a Direction, so select a direction.

xix INPUT NUMBERS; Practice NOT DRAG & ESTIMATE!

When working with families such as ducts, it is important to brand certain these dimensions are as precise as possible. If they are estimations, they should still exist fix to a whole integer.

In the example seen in a higher place, the initial duct was set with dimensions that are not rounded. Change these numbers to whole integers by selecting the duct, and so clicking on the dimension number. This will allow you to alter the dimension to a set number. Press enter and this dimension volition be adjusted.

20 UTILIZING FORMULAS IN YOUR FIELDS

When inputting certain fields of measures into different Revit fields, such as the length of a wall, you lot can put away the computer. Revit can read formulas in these fields and volition summate this formula for yous. For example, if you take a wall set at xx'-0, just demand to lower this wall summit past threescore%, you can simply write "=20'-0*.6" into the Revit field, and Revit will exercise the rest. Note that in order for Revit to recognize your input as a formula, you must put the "=" sign in front end of the formula.

21 CREATE A WALL

Creating a wall or axle y'all can utilize the choice line if at that place's a given 2nd CAD dwg'southward instead of drawing/dragging it up to the length required. Prior to selecting the line for the wall, set the location line to either exterior or interior to ensure the walls created line up to the border of the linework. Create the wall and trim, align, or extend appropriately.

22 Cheque YOUR ROOM HEIGHTS

Rooms are essential for scheduling, particularly in a multi-discipline squad. Unfortunately, rooms created in Revit often don't go full height. Make sure they are the right meridian by turning on a cut section and looking for the room fill. Otherwise, you can click on the room and set its summit in the backdrop. This ensures all fixtures are correctly assigned to the room and that the room is the right size for MEP calculations.

23 NUDGING OBJECTS

If you need objects to motion in a certain direction ever then slightly, but cede precision, yous can nudge them by using the arrow keys with the object selected. The closer you zoom into the object, the effectively the nudge volition get. Vice versa, equally you lot zoom out, the nudge is greater. Property Shift while nudging volition increase the corporeality of nudge also.

24 IMPORTING CAD & REVIT FILES TO THE RIGHT LOCATION

There are a variety of ways to import or link a Revit or CAD Drawing to a Revit model. 1 purpose for this is to overlay different models on pinnacle of 1 some other as a reference. You accept to, nevertheless, import to the correct location, or else models won't overlay correctly. When importing a Revit or CAD file, information technology is best to apply the "Link Revit/CAD" or "Import CAD" commands found under the Insert Category of the top ribbon. Avoid Dragging and dropping, every bit this will prompt you to manually specify the location where the referenced file volition sit.

Once you accept clicked ane of these commands, you lot will be asked to select a reference file. Earlier really importing the file into the space, you will detect that there is a choice as to where to place this referenced file.

The selections do the following:

• Auto-Heart to Eye
  Based off the boilerplate centerpoint of everything in the referenced file, this point volition be placed on the average centre point of the Revit model infinite. The center point changes every bit models are changed, so it is not a reliable positioning to utilize for overlaying files.
• Car-Origin to Origin
  The referenced file will place its ain origin point at the origin indicate of the revit file. This is useful in overlaying referenced files if all of the models are located at the same location in relations to the origin signal.
• Auto-By Shared Coordinates
  If you assign a coordinate to each model, the model will be placed exactly within its specified coordinates. This is useful if the project has been set initially to employ a shared coordinate system.
• Manual
  All manual pick involved you manually specifying a betoken to place the referenced file. Manual-Origin will ask you to manually place the referenced file's origin point, while manual base point will ask you to manually place the referenced file based off a selected based point. Transmission-Heart will inquire you to manually place the referenced file based off it's centre point.

In the end, it is all-time to use either Origin to Origin or Past Shared Coordinates to overlay referenced files for collaboration.

25 Copy MULTIPLE ITEMS TO MULTIPLE LEVELS

When you lot need to copy multiple items to multiple levels, just just highlight the items, click the Copy to Clipboard button, and so under the Paste Driblet-Downward select the option.

By using "Aligned to Selected Levels", y'all tin can paste them into one or more than levels. In the dialog that displays, choose the levels by name. To select more one, press Ctrl while selecting the names.

By using "Aligned to Selected Views", you can re-create view-specific elements (such as dimensions) or model and view-specific elements, y'all tin paste them into similar types of views.

Past using "Aligned to Current View", you tin can paste the elements to the current view. For case, you tin paste elements from a plan view to a callout view. The view must exist different from the view where the elements were cut or copied.

By using "Aligned to Same Identify", you tin paste the elements into the same place from where you cut or copied them. This choice is useful for pasting elements between worksets or design options. Also, y'all can use it to paste betwixt ii files that take shared coordinates. Keep in mind that this pick is just bachelor if the active view you are pasting your object on is the same type of view as the view from which you lot copied the original element. For example, y'all tin paste objects aligned to the aforementioned place betwixt two-floor plan views, but non from a flooring plan to a department view.

By using "Aligned to Picked Level", you tin paste the elements in an elevation view. You must be in an top view to use this tool because information technology requires that y'all select a level line on which to paste the elements.

26 USE VIEW LIST SCHEDULE TO Check VIEW SETTING

In a project, under the View tab and Schedules drop-downwardly list, yous can create a View List schedule to check all the view settings.

On the Fields tab of the View List Properties dialog, select the fields to be included in the view listing. If you want to create user-defined fields, click Add Parameter. By using the Filter, Sorting/Group, Formatting, and Advent tabs, you can simplify the schedule.

Near of the fields can modify directly in the schedule. Remember about that project where yous have hundreds of views, and maybe dozens of floor plans, direct editing fields in the schedule can save
you a lot of time of going through each and every field.

27 COPY SCHEDULE BETWEEN Different PROJECTS

Sometimes we want to use the aforementioned schedule in another project that can assist to evaluate sure design decisions, but we don't want to create a similar schedule from scratch especially subsequently y'all created some custom schedules and included provisional formatting & formulas.

Choice ane:
The easiest thing to practise is to really just right-click on the schedule and copy information technology to the clipboard. And then hold down the Command primal and press Tab and it will cycle back to the other open window. At present each fourth dimension Control + Tab it will cycle to the adjacent open up window. If you go Control + Shift + Tab it will go in reverse and you tin can cycle between any windows y'all have open up.

After you get the projection window you want to paste the schedule to, y'all can employ the Paste Button or Command + V to paste the schedule. Note, the schedule cannot be pasted in the perspective view window.

Choice two:
You can likewise select all the schedules you desire to use in another projection and right-click salve to a new file. This volition prompt you for the proper name and location. Then, yous need to go to the Insert tab to bring the schedule dorsum to the projection and it will listing out all of the views that are eligible to be imported from the file.

28 DIMENSIONING USING Culling UNITS

Sometimes when you are working on a project, you may need the dimensions in different formats, such equally both metric and royal units.

To define alternating dimension units, on the Dimension panel of the Comment tab, click the type of dimension for which yous wish to define alternate units.

On the Properties palette, click Edit Type. In the Type Properties dialog, for Alternate Units, select i of the following options:

Right – alternate units display in-line to the right of the primary units.

Below – alternate units display below the primary units.

For Alternating Units Format, click the button to open the Format dialog, change the settings as desired, and click OK, then articulate Use project settings (if selected) and from the Units menu, select an appropriate unit of measurement.

29 IMPORT CAD FILE LINEWEIGHT

The line weight of lines and layers that are set to Default in AutoCAD will be assigned according to the import settings accessed by clicking File menu > Import/Export Settings > Import Line Weights DWG/DXF.
If y'all modify the line weights in the DWG/DXF file in AutoCAD from Default to set line weight, then the lines and layers volition be imported according to the line weight that you lot gear up.

30 CONVERT REVIT GROUPS INTO LINKS

A linked Revit file is an externally referenced Revit projection loaded into your current model. This link maintains a connectedness to the linked file, so though you may not directly alter this linked model directly in the hosting Revit model, whatever changes that y'all make directly in the linked model tin exist reloaded into the host Revit model.

If somebody modifies the original file and saves it, you tin reload that link here and see those changes within your file. It allows you lot a way of segregating work into different project teams, and information technology'south often used for managing various disciplines, such as splitting up between architectural shell, interior, and structure. If your Revit model contains all of these elements within one model, but you need these different disciplines to exist dissever into linked models, you can simply do this by converting grouped elements into links.

In the drawing surface area, select the group then click Modify | Model Groups tab Group panel (Link). Then in the Convert to Link dialog, select either supervene upon with a new project file or, replace with an existing projection file.

31 REVEAL THE CONSTRAINTS

Constraints offer a really powerful way for us to build our design intent into our models and keep it from accidentally being modified, but there can be times when you try and make a modification to your model and it generates a warning or an fault, indicating that the constraints aren't satisfied, or perhaps yous aren't allowed to make a particular modification.

The Reveal Constraints display mode makes information technology easy to temporarily highlight (in ruby-red) all constraints in the active view. This makes it easy to distinguish a locked dimension (constraint) from a regular dimension. Later creating constraints, you lot can highlight them by enabling this brandish mode from the View Control Bar's dimension lock icon.

Revit Shortcuts

A

AA Align

AL Align

AP Group Objects

AS Marshal

C

CC Copy

CS Create Like

D

DD Align Dimension

DE Delete

DI Dimension

DL Item Line

DM Mirror From Drawn Line

DR Door

L

LC Link CAD

LI Marshal

LR Line Model

One thousand

MA Match Type Backdrop

MI Mirror

MM Mirror From Axis

MN Manage Link

MV Move

P

Pb Project Browser

PI Align

PN Pin

R

RE Scale

RG Remove Object from Grouping

RM Room

RO Rotate

RP Reference Airplane

Southward

SA Select All Instances

SC Snap Center

SE Snap Cease

SI Snap Intersection

SL Splits an Chemical element

SM Snap Middle

SN Snap Nearest

SP Snap Perpendicular

SS Splice

5

VG Adjust Visibility Graphics

VP View Properties

VV View Manager

Z

ZE Zoom Extents

ZO Zoom Out

ZX Zoom to Fit

ZZ Zoom in Region

Contact The states

We would dearest to learn more than about your needs and notice out how our firm can work with you. You tin reach us via the form below, email u.s.a. at [electronic mail protected] or call usa at our various offices.

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