CHAPTER 3
Creating Views

One of the strongest points of the Autodesk® Revit® platform is that it is one single model. This single model, however, has to be broken down into a tangible format that allows the user to navigate through a project. Chapter 1, “The Autodesk Revit World,” and Chapter 2, “Creating a Model,” featured the Project Browser (which is included in this chapter as well), but what is the Project Browser managing? Well, it's simply managing views of the model. The browser also handles sheets, families, groups, and links, and it can be customized, but you'll use it to open and work with the properties of views more than anything else.

Here's an example: In the Project Browser, under Floor Plans, you'll usually see Level 1. This is a view of the model that just so happens to be a floor plan. Under Elevations (Building Elevation), you'll see East, North, South, and West elevations. These are exactly the same as the floor plans in the sense that they're just views of the model.

This chapter covers the following topics:

Creating and managing levels
Adding sectional and elevation views
Controlling your views for aesthetic values

Creating Levels

This chapter focuses on the creation of views and their relationship to the model. You'll start with possibly the most important function in Revit: creating levels. The power of Revit comes with the single‐model concept. By adding levels to a model, you also add floor plans. This two‐way interaction is what makes Revit the BIM choice for many users.

As you wander through the floor plans in the Project Browser, you'll see Level 1 and Level 2. Not every job you'll work on will have only a Level 1 and a Level 2. Your task in this section is to create new levels that are appended to floor plans.

To follow along, open the model you've been working on, or go to www.wiley.com/go/revit2020ner and browse to the Chapter 3 folder. Open the file called NER‐03.rvt. If you wish, you can use an actual project you're working on. You'll just have to replace any names and specific dimensions with ones that are applicable to your project. Perform these steps:

In the Project Browser, double‐click the South elevation. It's located under Elevations (Building Elevation), as shown in Figure 3.1.

FIGURE 3.1 Finding an elevation in the Project Browser

Notice that at the right side of the building there are two symbols with a datum at the end. These are elevation markers. Unfortunately, right now they're somewhat obscured by the exterior wall. Zoom into this area, as shown in Figure 3.2.

TIP

As you progress through the next few steps, if you don't see what is shown in the next two figures, try zooming in more and repeating the instructions.
Pick (left‐click) Level 1. Note that you get several blue icons and a lock.
Where the actual level line intersects the datum bubble, there is a hollow blue circle (grip), as shown in Figure 3.3, except that your view is slightly obscured by the wall. Move the bubble so that you can see the grip clearly.

FIGURE 3.2 When dealing with levels, it's a good idea to zoom in close so you can manipulate them.

FIGURE 3.3 Picking the grip to drag the level out of the way
Left‐click (pick) the grip, and hold the pick button on the mouse. You can now drag the bubble to the right.

TIP

If you hover over any item in Revit and pause for a second, you'll see a tooltip. This will help you verify that you're selecting the correct item.
When you get to a point where the level marker is outside the building, pick a spot to place the bubble and the annotation.
Press Esc.

Now that the levels are physically in a position where you can work on them, you can start building on them.

Adding Levels

Adding an entirely new level in Revit is quite simple. However, you need to adhere to certain procedures in order to ensure that you add the levels correctly.

When you use the Level feature in Revit, you should follow two procedures. The first is to look at the Options bar after you start the command. The second is to click the Modify button or press Esc when you've finished. It's easy to get confused as to how Revit wants you to proceed with adding a level, and it's also easy to create multiple levels inadvertently. Remember, in Revit you're always in a command.

To add a level, follow along:

Change the height of Level 2 from 10′‐0″ (3000 mm) to 12′‐0″ (3658 mm).
On the Datum panel of the Architecture tab, click the Level button, as shown in Figure 3.4.

FIGURE 3.4 Adding a level from the Datum panel on the Architecture tab
On the Draw panel on the Modify | Place Level tab, you see that you can either draw a line or pick a line, as shown in Figure 3.5. Make sure Pick Lines is selected.

FIGURE 3.5 Choosing the options for the Level command
On the Options bar, make sure the Make Plan View option is selected.
At the end of the Options bar is the Offset field. Type 12′ (3658 mm), and press Enter. Basically the approach here is to pick Level 2 and create a new level that is offset 12′ (3658 mm) above (see Figure 3.5).
With the options set, hover your cursor over Level 2.
When you come into contact with Level 2, a blue dotted line appears. If you move your cursor slightly above the Level 2 line, the blue alignment line appears above Level 2. If you inch your cursor slightly below Level 2, the blue alignment line appears below Level 2.
When you see the blue line appear above Level 2, pick the Level 2 line, as shown in Figure 3.6.

FIGURE 3.6 Waiting for the alignment to appear

TIP

You may notice that speeding through the commands as you may have done in Autodesk® AutoCAD® isn't helping you at all in Revit. In Revit, you may need to slow down a bit and let Revit “do its thing.” After you get the hang of the Revit behavior, you can speed up again.

You should now have a Level 3 at 24′ (7315 mm), as shown in Figure 3.7.

WARNING

Just because you've created a new level, this doesn't tell Revit to shut down the command. Notice that the Options bar is still active and the Pick Lines icon still has the focus. If you start clicking around in the view area, you'll create levels. Every time you pick a point on the screen, a new level will appear. Also, Revit doesn't care if you have a level on top of another level. This situation can get ugly fast.

FIGURE 3.7 The completed Level 3. Remember, you're still in the Level command until you tell Revit to stop by hitting Esc.
With the Level command still running, create Levels 4, 5, 6, and 7. Your elevation should now look like Figure 3.8. Also, look at your Project Browser. It shouldn't have any levels other than Levels 1 through 7 and Site. You also have new levels under the Ceiling Plans category.
On the Select panel of the Ribbon, click the Modify button. You've safely terminated the Level command. (You could also press the Esc key on your keyboard to end the command.)

Now that you have some experience adding levels, it's time to investigate the physical level to see how it can be manipulated and modified.

**FIGURE 3.8 Levels 1 through 7 are complete.**

Understanding the Composition of a Level

Levels have controls that enable the user to adjust the level's appearance. As stated throughout the book, when you select a family, multiple items turn blue. The blue color indicates that these items can be modified. Also, if the level bubbles are blue, that means there is a plan with which the level is associated. If the bubble is black, then no plan is associated. When you select a level, a few additional items will appear.

To investigate further, follow along:

Zoom in on Level 7.
Select Level 7 by picking (left‐clicking) either the text or the level line. This puts the focus on the level line. Notice that the text turns blue. You know that any blue item can be modified (see Figure 3.9).

FIGURE 3.9 The selected level
Click the blue Level 7 text field. This enables you to edit the name of the level.
Type PARAPET, as shown in Figure 3.10, and press Enter.

FIGURE 3.10 Renaming the level
Revit asks whether you want to rename any corresponding views. Click Yes (see Figure 3.11). Level 7 is now the Parapet level, as shown in Figure 3.12.

▶

By renaming corresponding views, you tell Revit to keep the level and its corresponding view named accordingly.

FIGURE 3.11 Click Yes to rename corresponding views.

FIGURE 3.12 The renamed level
With the Parapet level still selected, click the 72′–0″ (21946 mm) field.
Type 62′ (18898 mm), and press Enter. This physically drops the level to the true elevation.

You now have two slightly overlapping levels. This can be fixed by manipulating some of the controls that appear when you select the level.

Press the Esc key a few times to clear any commands that may be active, and then follow along:

Select the Parapet level (if it isn't still selected from the previous exercise).
The blue items light up. One of them is the choice to add an elbow, as shown in Figure 3.13. Click it, and Revit bends the level.
Now that you've added the elbow, you need to move it. Notice the blue grip at each bend point. Pick the blue grip, as shown in Figure 3.14, and drag the Parapet level out of the level below.

FIGURE 3.13 You can add an elbow to the elevation marker.

FIGURE 3.14 Dragging the level to a new position by using the grips provided
The line of the level is still in the way. The two blue grips are still available: pick and drag the horizontal line out of the way of the Parapet text, as shown in Figure 3.15.

FIGURE 3.15 Making the final adjustments to the level

Now that you've established the Parapet level, let's make modifications to Level 6. Luckily, the procedures are the same as when you made the modifications to the Parapet level:

Press Esc to clear any commands.
Select Level 6.
Pick the blue text that reads Level 6.
Rename it to ROOF.
Press Enter.
Click Yes to rename the corresponding views.
Press Esc. Your levels should look like Figure 3.16.

FIGURE 3.16 The Roof and Parapet levels

Making Other Level Adjustments

Any time we have a building with three distinct sections, levels can start to get muddled and confusing. Before we go making more levels, I'd like to slide the ends down to keep these levels from showing up in other views.

Let's do a couple simple things to pull these levels over.

Select the Parapet level. Notice the level is selected as well as a lock that constrains all of the levels below it.
Select the blue grip at the left end of the level and drag it to the right so it is about 12″ (305 mm) to the right of the wall that meets the corridor. See Figure 3.17

FIGURE 3.17 Dragging the levels to the right

With the two upper levels established, you can constrain some walls up to these levels. Sometimes the best way to do this is to look at the model from a 3D view:

Click the Default 3D View icon on the Quick Access toolbar at the top of your screen, as shown in Figure 3.18.

FIGURE 3.18 Clicking the Default 3D View icon
The next step is to select all the walls you want to be extended to the Parapet level. In this case, only the east building will go all the way up to this level. Select the exterior and the elevator shaft walls, as shown in Figure 3.19. (Be sure to select all of the elevator shaft walls as well.) You must hold the Ctrl key to add to the selection. The walls turn blue when they're selected. You can also hover over one of the walls and press the Tab key. Once the walls are highlighted, pick a wall. All of the walls will be selected.

FIGURE 3.19 Selecting the walls that extend to the Parapet level
In the Properties dialog, under the Constraints category change Top Constraint to Up To Level: Parapet, as shown in Figure 3.20. Click Apply or move your cursor into the drawing window to set the property change. The walls should now extend to the Parapet level, as shown in Figure 3.21.

FIGURE 3.20 Setting the top constraint to Up To Level: Parapet

FIGURE 3.21 The walls on the east side of the building are now constrained to the Parapet level.
In the Project Browser, double‐click the South elevation under Elevations (Building Elevation).
Start the Level command again.
Offset Level 4 up 4′ (1200 mm). Remember, you're in the Level command. You must choose Pick Lines on the Draw panel. Also, you must specify an Offset value of 4′–0″ (1200 mm) on the Options bar.
Rename the 4′–0″ (1200 mm) offset level WEST ROOF. Click Yes to rename corresponding views. (See Figure 3.22).

FIGURE 3.22 Adding a new level for the west side of the building
Select the West Roof level. Notice there is a lock icon just below it.
Click the lock icon to unlock it.
Drag the end of the level all the way to the left of the building, as shown in Figure 3.23.
Repeat this for the other end so that the entire level is to the west side of the building.

FIGURE 3.23 Unlocking the level

See? Adding levels isn't all that hard. You just need to know how Revit wants you to do it. Now that you've added some levels, you can go back and configure how they're displayed:

For the level, uncheck the Show Bubble check box to the right of the level lines by clicking the Hide Bubble check box.
Display the bubbles to the left side of the level line by selecting the Show Bubble check box. The level should now look like Figure 3.24.

FIGURE 3.24 Using the display bubble toggles to switch the display to the appropriate side of the building
Add another level 2′ (600 mm) above Level 3, and call it CORRIDOR ROOF. Click Yes to rename corresponding views.
Turn on the level information on the left side.
Turn off the level information on the right side.
Unlock both ends and drag the level to the position shown in Figure 3.25.

WARNING

On most projects, you'll have to adjust a level's display in different views. Keep in mind that if the 3D button is left on, moving the level in the current view will also move it in other views—sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Switching to 2D can eliminate aggravation.
On the left side, turn on the 2D extents.
Drag the left side of the line to an area approximately as shown in Figure 3.25.

FIGURE 3.25 All the levels are in place for now.

Let's move these walls to their proper levels. Again, in this case it may be a little easier to go to a 3D view so that you can get a good perspective on the results of constraining the tops of the walls. Perform the following steps:

Click the Default 3D icon on the Quick Access toolbar.
In the 3D view, select the west side of the building, excluding the corridor and the three walls to the south, as shown in Figure 3.26. You should have seven walls selected. To check this, look in the lower‐right corner of the Revit window. You see a filter icon with the number 7 next to it. (You need to press and hold the Ctrl key for multiple selections.)

FIGURE 3.26 Selecting the west part of the building
In the Properties dialog, set Top Constraint to Up To Level: WEST ROOF. Click Apply or move your cursor into the view window.
In the 3D view, your walls should grow to meet the new constraints.
Press Esc.
Select the corridor walls as well as the three south walls whose tops remain unconstrained. (You may need to rotate the view to see everything.)
In the Constraints category of the Properties dialog, set Top Constraint to Up To Level: CORRIDOR ROOF (see Figure 3.27).

FIGURE 3.27 The three different levels
Save the model.

Creating and Modifying Building Sections

As your model starts to develop, you'll begin to see areas that need further attention. (Certainly the area where the corridor hits the west building needs to be fixed.) This brings us to a good point. Sections in Revit, when placed into the model, not only help you build a set of construction documents but also help you work physically on the model. For example, you need to fix the east wall of the west wing. However, you don't have any good views established that focus directly on this area. This is the perfect place to add a section!

Adding a Building Section

To add a section and some important wall‐modify commands, follow along:

Go to Level 1 Floor Plan, and zoom in on the area where the corridor meets the west wing of the building.
On the Create panel of the View tab, select Section, as shown in Figure 3.28.

FIGURE 3.28 The Section command is found on the Create panel of the View tab.
A section takes two picks to place into the model. You must first pick the point for the head; then you pick a point for the tail. To place the section as shown in Figure 3.29, first pick a point below the corridor and to the right of the vertical wall.
After you pick the first point, move your cursor straight up the view. When you're positioned directly above the top corridor wall, pick the second point (see Figure 3.29).

FIGURE 3.29 Placing the section into the model

WARNING

I may be jumping ahead, but here's a word of caution: If you cut a section in Revit and then place detail components and draft over the top of that section, you're stuck. Don't flip or move the section after you've drafted over the top of it. The results will be bad. The walls will move, but your line work won't, leaving you with a mess.

With the section placed, a dashed line forms a box around part of the model, as shown in Figure 3.30. This forms the view extents of the section. Anything outside this box won't be shown.

FIGURE 3.30 You can control how deep into the building you want the section to appear.
You don't need to make an adjustment. I just wanted you to know.

NOTE

If the section isn't selected, you need to select it. You must pick the line of the section, not the bubble. When you pick the line, the section is selected.
With the section still selected, notice the small, blue break icon in the middle of the section (see Figure 3.31). Pick the break line (it's called the Gaps In Segments icon). The section is now broken, and you have grips controlling the ends of the break lines (see Figure 3.31).

FIGURE 3.31 Adding a gap in the section. You can move your grips to be the same as the figure.
At each end of the section is a blue icon that resembles a recycle symbol. This controls what the section head displays. By selecting this icon, you can choose to have a section head, a tail, or nothing. At the tail of the section, cycle through until you get a section head (see Figure 3.32).

With the section cut, it's time to open the view you've created. In the Project Browser, you now see a new category called Sections (Building Section). In this category is a view called Section 1. When you cut the section, you added a view to the project. This view carries its own properties and can be drafted over (see Figure 3.33).

**FIGURE 3.32 Cycling through the display choices**

**FIGURE 3.33 The Project Browser with the new section**

At this point, you need to name the section and open the view. You can also fix the gap in the wall while you're at it. Perform the following steps:

In the Project Browser, select Section 1.
Pause a second and click it again. This should allow you to edit the text.
Rename the view WEST CORRIDOR SECTION. Press Enter.
Double‐click the West Corridor Section in the Project Browser. Doing so opens the section. You can see the two corridor walls and the west wing beyond.
Notice that you can see the levels for only the west roof and the corridor roof. This is deliberate. The reason is, Revit will display only levels and grids that physically pass through the extents of the section.
Go to the South elevation.
Select Level 1.
Unlock the left side of the level.
Select the grip and drag it all the way to the left so that it aligns with the other levels, as shown in Figure 3.34.

FIGURE 3.34 Drag Level 1 to align with the west side level.
Go back to the West Corridor Section, and notice that Level 1 now shows up. Do the same for Level 2.
Select one of the levels and notice there is a small blue icon that says 2D. Click the blue grip and slide the levels to the right, as shown in Figure 3.35.

NOTE

Notice that when you're adjusting the levels in the section, the 2D icon appears. This means any adjustments made here won't affect any other views. In a sectional view, Revit automatically makes the levels 2D. In an elevation view, however, Revit makes the levels 3D. If you want to make adjustments in an elevation, it's a good idea to turn these into 2D extents.

FIGURE 3.35 Slide the level text to the right.

NOTE

In Revit, you can also double‐click the annotation that refers to the view you wish to open. For example, if you want to open the West Corridor Section and you're in a plan, all you have to do is double‐click the section bubble, and the view will open. If you're in the section and you want to go back to a floor plan, you can double‐click a datum bubble, and Revit will open that view.

Cutting a section is immensely helpful in terms of viewing the model from any perspective you want. To go even further, when you cut a section, you can also work on your model by modifying any item in the section.

Making Building Modifications in a Section

Now that you've had a good look at this side of the west wing, it's obvious that this wall needs to be repaired. In Revit, you can make a modification to a building in any view. This is good and bad. Just remember that everything you do has a downstream effect on the entire model.

The following procedure will guide you through making a modification to a wall's profile while in a section view:

In the Project Browser, find the West Corridor Section and open it by double‐clicking the name West Corridor Section (if it isn't open already).
In this section, select the east wall of the west wing, as shown in Figure 3.36.

FIGURE 3.36 Selecting the wall to be modified and clicking Edit Profile
After you select the wall, click the Edit Profile button in the Modify | Walls tab.
You're presented with a magenta outline of the wall. This magenta outline can be modified to alter the wall's profile. On the Ribbon, Edit Profile has been added to the title of the Modify | Walls tab. This enables you to focus on the modification at hand.

◀

After you select a wall, you can access options to modify that wall. Edit Profile is one of those options.
On the Draw panel of the Modify | Walls ➣ Edit Profile tab, select the Pick Lines button, and set the offset to 2′‐0″ (610 mm), as shown in Figure 3.37.

FIGURE 3.37 Pick Lines and offset 2′‐0″ (610 mm)
Hover over the Corridor Roof level and off set it down 2′‐0″ (610 mm), as shown in Figure 3.38.

FIGURE 3.38 Placing the offset line
With the Pick Lines choice still active, change the offset to 0′.
Pick the edge of the wall to the right, as shown in Figure 3.39.

FIGURE 3.39 Select the inside edge of the wall to the right
Go to the Modify tab and click the Trim button (or type TR).
Pick the spots on the lines as shown. Remember, click the lines you want to keep. See Figure 3.40.

FIGURE 3.40 Trim it up!

You now have a closed loop, as shown in Figure 3.41.

FIGURE 3.41 Closing the wall by using the trim command

WARNING

If you don't have a perfectly closed, continuous loop with your magenta lines, Revit won't allow you to proceed to finish altering the profile of this wall. Make sure you have no gaps, overlaps, or extra line segments aside from the six lines you need to form the wall's outline.
On the Wall panel of the Modify | Walls ➣ Edit Profile tab, click Finish Edit Mode, as shown in Figure 3.42. Your finished wall profile should look like Figure 3.43.

FIGURE 3.42 Clicking Finish Edit Mode

FIGURE 3.43 The finished wall profile
My wall overlapped a bit, so we have to fix it. Select the wall you just edited and click Edit Profile again.
Type AL (for Align).
Select the inside face of the wall to the right first.
Select the magenta line in the wall profile.
Click the green Finish Edit Mode button. (See Figure 3.44).

FIGURE 3.44 Sometimes it takes two tries.

There is one thing left to do before you leave this section: select the two‐hour fire‐rated partition wall that is constrained only to Level 2. Now that you've opened up this area, the wall can go up to Level 3. To constrain the top of this wall to Corridor Parapet, follow along:

Select the internal (white) wall with the arched opening, as shown in Figure 3.45.
In the Properties dialog, change Top Constraint to Up To Level: CORRIDOR ROOF, as shown in Figure 3.46.
Set the Top Offset to –2′‐0″ (–610 mm).
The partition wall now meets the brick exterior wall.
In the Project Browser, double‐click Level 3 Floor Plan view.
Change the detail level to Fine. (Remember, this option is on the View Control bar at the bottom of the screen.)
On the View tab, click the Section button.
Place a section as shown in Figure 3.46. Make sure the extents are similar to the figure.
In the Project Browser, right‐click the new section and rename it WEST WING SOUTH WALL SECTION. You'll use this section in Chapter 4, “Working with the Autodesk Revit Tools.”

**FIGURE 3.45 Choosing the properties to change a wall's constraints is becoming old hat!**

**FIGURE 3.46 Adding another section to modify another wall**

Adding entire building sections is a great way to break down the model quickly into large segments. Another type of section, a wall section, enables you to view smaller portions of the item being detailed.

Adding Wall Sections

A wall section is basically the same as a building section. The only difference is that when you place a wall section, Revit holds the extents to a much smaller area. When you add a building section, Revit wants to extend to the farthest geometry. That being said, a wall section is usually placed to show only the item being cut but not the geometry beyond.

To place a wall section, follow this procedure:

Go to Level 1 in the Project Browser.
On the View tab, pick the Section button (the same one you picked for the building section).
In the Properties dialog box, select Wall Section, as shown in Figure 3.47.

FIGURE 3.47 Changing the type of section from Building Section to Wall Section

WARNING

If you're directed to go to a specific floor plan and your view looks nothing like the one shown in the book, you need to make sure you aren't in a ceiling plan. Notice in the Project Browser that you have floor plans and ceiling plans. The two are quite different. Make sure you're in a floor plan.
Add the section through the corridor wall that was modified in the previous section of this chapter, as shown in Figure 3.48.

FIGURE 3.48 The wall section in the plan
Click on the section in the Project Browser; pause and click again to edit the text. It's in a category called Sections (Wall Section).
Call the new section CORRIDOR ENTRY SECTION. Click OK.
Open the Corridor Entry Section.
Change the scale to 1/2″ = 1′–0″ (1:20 mm).
Change the detail level to Fine. Your section should look like Figure 3.49.
Zoom in on the top of the section.
Select the West Roof level.
Click the small 3D piece of text that is appended to the end of the line and change it to 2D. This ensures that any adjustments you make here will not affect other views.

FIGURE 3.49 The corridor entry section
Adjust it so it looks like Figure 3.50.

FIGURE 3.50 Fixing the level
Save the model.

You're narrowing down the types of sections you can use, and it's time to venture into a specific type of section that can enable you to create a plan‐section detail.

Creating Detail Sections

There is a third type of section we need to discuss: the detail section. Revit refers to this type of section as a detail view, so that's how we'll start addressing it.

To add a detail section, perform the following steps:

Open the view called Corridor Entry Section (if you don't have it open already).
On the View tab, select Section (yes, the same section you've been using all along.)
In the Properties dialog box, select Detail View: Detail.
Place a section horizontally below the head of the opening, as shown in Figure 3.51. Make sure the section is flipped so it's looking downward.

FIGURE 3.51 Creating a plan section detail
In the Project Browser is a new category called Detail Views (Detail). Expand the tree, and you see your new detail. It's usually called Detail 0, depending on the number of details that have been added to the model previously.
Rename the detail PLAN DETAIL AT CORRIDOR OPENING, and click OK.
Open the Plan Detail at Corridor Opening view.
Change the scale to 1 1/2″ = 1′–0″ (1:5 mm). (See Figure 3.52).

**FIGURE 3.52 Viewing and naming the detail**

With the detail open, you may be able to see only two dashed lines. This is because the crop region needs to be expanded, as explained in the next section.

Using Crop Regions

The border that surrounds the detail is called a crop region. It dictates the extents of the specific view you're in. You can adjust this crop region and use it to your advantage. To learn how to make adjustments to the crop region, follow these steps:

Select the window surrounding the detail, as shown in Figure 3.53.
You see four blue dot grips at the midpoint of each line. Pick the top grips, and stretch the top region up until you can see the opening jamb (see Figure 3.54).
Repeat the process for the bottom so that you can see the entire opening.

FIGURE 3.53 Stretching the crop region to view the detail

FIGURE 3.54 Keep stretching the crop region to view the detail.
With the crop region still selected, notice the break icons similar to the make‐elbow icons in the level markers. Pick the break icon, as shown in Figure 3.55. Slice part of the section away, resulting in two separate cropped regions.
Within the cropped regions are blue move icons. If you don't see blue icons, as shown in Figure 3.55, you need to select the crop region again.

FIGURE 3.55 Splitting the section
Slide the sections closer together by clicking the top icon and moving the section down. See Figure 3.56. (Be careful; if you slide them too close together, you'll get a warning telling you that the two regions are being joined back to one.)
Save the model.

FIGURE 3.56 Sliding the view regions tighter together

You now have nice control over how the details are shown. Let's go back and see how to make the section marker more aesthetically pleasing.

Splitting a Section Segment

One more section item, and then you're finished! Sometimes you need to split (or jog) a section. You do this to show items that aren't necessarily in line with one another. You can accomplish this in Revit as follows:

Open the Level 1 floor plan.
On the View tab, click the Section button. (You can also grab a section from the Quick Access toolbar.)
In the Type Selector, select Building Section.
Pick a point above the corridor that connects to the east wing of the building for the section head, and then pick a point well below the bottom of the corridor, as shown in Figure 3.57.

FIGURE 3.57 Adding another section to the model
In the Project Browser, find the section you just made and rename it EAST CORRIDOR SECTION.
Select the new section marker.
On the Section panel of the Modify | Views tab, click the Split Segment button.
Pick a point along the section line just below the corridor, as shown in Figure 3.58.
Move your cursor to the right. A jog appears in the section; place the jog into the building. The section is now jogged into the building. Press Esc twice to clear the command.

Finally! You're finished with sections. Just remember that by adding a section to the model, not only are you preparing to build your construction documents, but you're also enabling access to specific elements, thus allowing you to make modifications you otherwise could not have made.

**FIGURE 3.58 Jogging a section calls for splitting the segment.**

Creating Callouts

Creating an enlarged area of your model will be a task on every project you tackle. Luckily, in Revit, not only are callouts easy to add to your model, but they also directly link to the view to which they refer. This is crucial for project coordination. Another nice thing about callouts is that you can make modifications to the callout view independently of the host view from which you pull the information. The biggest change you make is the scale. Yes, your callout can be at a different scale from the main floor plan.

Here's the procedure for adding callouts:

In the Project Browser, under Sections (Wall Section), open the CORRIDOR ENTRY SECTION.
Find the View tab on the Ribbon.
On the View tab, click the Callout button, as shown in Figure 3.59.
Pick a window around the area where the corridor firewall meets the exterior wall with the brick façade, as shown in Figure 3.60. Make sure you get at least part of the Level designating CORRIDOR ROOF, as shown in Figure 3.60.

FIGURE 3.59 The Callout button is located on the View tab.

FIGURE 3.60 The callout area is directly related to the view it's calling out.
In the Project Browser, there is a new Sections (Building Section) item. Its name is Callout of Corridor Entry Section—Rename it to DETAIL AT ENTRY LINTEL.
Select the callout you just added by picking any point along the line. A bunch of blue grips appear. These grips enable you to stretch the shape of the callout.
Pick the grip that connects the callout bubble to the leader coming from the callout window.
Drag the bubble to the location shown in Figure 3.61.
Pick the blue midpoint grip on the leader and create an elbow, as shown in Figure 3.61. Once completed, hit Esc a couple times.

FIGURE 3.61 Adjusting callouts will be a common task.
In the Project Browser, find Detail At Entry Lintel under the Sections (Building Section) category, and open the view. (You can also double‐click the callout bubble to open the view.)
With the section open, select the Corridor Roof level, as shown in Figure 3.62.
Click the blue grip on the left end point of the elevation, and drag the line through the wall, as shown in Figure 3.62. Figure 3.63 shows an isometric view of the opening.

FIGURE 3.62 Adjusting the level
On the View control Toolbar at the bottom of the view, change the scale to 1 1/2″ = 1′– 0″ (1:5 mm). See Figure 3.64.

FIGURE 3.63 Getting a look at the opening in the wall
Now, select the crop region that surrounds the detail, as shown in Figure 3.65.
After you select the crop region, you see an additional region that consists of a dotted line. This is called an annotation region, and it gives you a gutter in which to place text outside the area that is physically being cropped.
Type WT. This tiles the windows you have open.
The callout window is selected in the Corridor Entry Section along with the crop region in your callout. That's because the two objects are one and the same (see Figure 3.65).
Stretch the crop region closer to the actual wall, as shown in Figure 3.65.

FIGURE 3.64 Changing the scale

FIGURE 3.65 Modify the crop region by selecting it and stretching the grip.
Save the model. You'll use this detail in future chapters to get the model ready for construction documents.

◀

The crop region and the callout outline are the same. If you modify one, the other changes accordingly.

Now that you've created a callout for a detail, let's go to the plan and create some callouts there. It would be nice to have some typical lavatory callouts as well as a typical elevator callout:

In the Project Browser, go to Floor Plan Level 1. (It may need to be maximized because you tiled the windows in the previous exercise.) Make sure it's a floor plan, not a ceiling plan.
Zoom in on the area shown in Figure 3.66.

FIGURE 3.66 Creating a plan callout
On the View tab, select Callout.
Pick a window around the lavatory, as shown in Figure 3.66.
In the Project Browser, under the Floor Plans category, is Level 1 – Callout 1. Right‐click Level 1 – Callout 1, and select Rename.
Rename it TYPICAL MEN'S LAVATORY.
If you see remnants of the corridor section, select it, right‐click, and select Hide In View, then Elements, as shown in Figure 3.67.

FIGURE 3.67 Hiding the section
The detail level is set to Coarse. Change it to Fine. Note that the callout is placed in the Project Browser under the category where it was created; you won't see a “callouts” category.
Save the model.
Open the Level 1 floor plan.
Create a callout for the women's room below the corridor (directly below the men's room).
Name the new callout TYPICAL WOMEN'S LAVATORY.
Create one more callout around the elevator shaft in the east wing, as shown in Figure 3.68.
Name the new callout TYPICAL ELEVATOR SHAFT.

The boring views are out of the way! Let's create some perspective views of the model. Creating these views is just as easy but requires a specific procedure in which you'll take advantage of the camera function.

**FIGURE 3.68 The plan showing the three typical callouts**

Creating and Modifying a Camera View

The camera view is the view with which you'll have by far the most fun. Revit seems to lend itself naturally to this type of view.

Taking a camera view essentially tells Revit to look at a certain area from a perspective vantage point. Like a section or a callout, such a view may never see the light of day in terms of going on a drawing sheet, but camera views are perfect to see how a model is coming along from a realistic point of view.

Adding a Camera View

To create a camera view, follow these steps:

Go to the Level 1 floor plan.
On the View tab, click the drop‐down arrow in the 3D View button and select Camera, as shown in Figure 3.69. (You can also access this on the Quick Access toolbar.)
Pick a point in the main corridor of the east wing, and move your cursor to the left—down the hallway. You want to take a perspective view as if you were standing in the intersection of the two main corridors, as shown in Figure 3.70.

FIGURE 3.69 Adding a camera view

FIGURE 3.70 Placing the camera view in the main corridor
The second point you pick will specify how far the camera reaches into the building. Pick a point past the corridor doors, as shown in Figure 3.71.
Unlike when you're placing a section or a callout, Revit automatically opens the new 3D view. This doesn't mean it automatically has a useful name. In the Project Browser, you see a new view in the 3D Views category. It's called 3D View 1. Right‐click 3D View 1, and name it EAST WING CORRIDOR PERSPECTIVE.
On the View Control bar located at the bottom of the view, change the Detail Level to Fine.
Next, click Visual Style, and on the flyout select Graphic Display Options at the top of the menu, as shown in Figure 3.72.

FIGURE 3.71 The perspective view down the east wing corridor
Click into the Shadows category and turn on Ambient Shadows, as shown in Figure 3.72.

FIGURE 3.72 Setting the View Control of our new perspective view

When the camera is in place, you may find it difficult to modify at first. You can do quite a bit to the view, but the following section focuses on modifying the actual camera in the plan.

Modifying the Camera

After you place the camera in the model, Revit doesn't leave behind any evidence that the camera is there. If you need to make adjustments or see the location from which the view is being taken, perform the following steps:

Open the Level 1 floor plan.
In the Project Browser, right‐click the East Wing Corridor Perspective view in the 3D Views category, and select Show Camera, as shown in Figure 3.73.

FIGURE 3.73 By finding the view in the Project Browser, you can tell Revit to show the camera in the plan.

The camera appears in the plan temporarily so you can see it. In the view, the camera icon is a triangle and a straight line. You can physically move the camera, and you can also adjust the grip on the midpoint of the triangle to swivel and to look farther into the model. Figure 3.74 shows the perspective view. You can also adjust the Perspective Mode, the Eye, and the Target Elevation.

**FIGURE 3.74 The perspective view settings.**

Creating an Elevation

I saved the best view—or at least, the most popular—for last. Elevations are essential for any project—so essential, in fact, that Revit provides four of them before you place a single wall into the model. The four shapes that represent houses that were in the model at the beginning of the book are elevation markers, as shown in Figure 3.75. These markers are typically handy but are most certainly now in the way. The first thing you need to do is to move one of them out of the way. The second thing you need to do is to create a few new ones!

To start manipulating elevations, follow along:

Go to the Level 1 floor plan. In the eastern part of the corridor is an elevation. Yours may be in a slightly different location than the book's example, but it needs to be moved nonetheless (see Figure 3.75).
You're about to move the elevation marker. To do so, however, you need to break down what an elevation marker comprises. It's actually two separate items: the square box is the elevation, and the triangle is the part of the marker that activates the view, as shown in Figure 3.76. To move this elevation marker, you must pick a window around both items and move them together. If you don't, the view will stay in its original location, leaving you wondering what is wrong with your elevation.

FIGURE 3.75 The elevation marker is right in the way!
Pick a window around the elevation marker. Make sure you aren't picking any other items along with it.

FIGURE 3.76 The elevation marker is broken down into two pieces. You need to move both together by picking a window around the entire symbol.
Move your mouse over the selection. Your cursor turns into a move icon with four move arrows, as shown in Figure 3.77.

FIGURE 3.77 You can drag the elevation marker when the entire item is selected.
Drag the elevation marker to the west side of the building (see Figure 3.77).

Now that the elevation marker is out of the corridor, it's time to make a new one. To do so, make sure you're in the Level 1 floor plan and follow along:

On the View tab, click the Elevation button, as shown in Figure 3.78.
In the Type Selector, make sure Building Elevation is current.

FIGURE 3.78 The Elevation button on the View tab
Move your cursor around the perimeter of the building. Notice that the elevation marker follows the profile of the exterior walls. This is a great thing!

WARNING

When you're creating an elevation of a radial wall or nonlinear item, be sure you know the exact angle at which you're placing the elevation marker. When you're in the elevation view, you may get a false sense of the true dimensions based on the view's perspective. Draw a reference plane if you need to, and then place the elevation on that plane.
Pick a place for the elevation, as shown in Figure 3.79, and press Esc to terminate the command.

FIGURE 3.79 The elevation is placed. You can select the view arrow and move the extents of the elevation into the building.
When the elevation is placed, select the triangle. You see the same extents window that you saw in the previous section (see Figure 3.79). This controls how deep into the model you're viewing, and it also shows you the length of the section. Because you placed this elevation up against a wall, Revit stops the extents of the elevation at that wall.
Pick the top grip, and stretch the elevation past the wall, as shown in Figure 3.79.
In the Project Browser under Elevations (Building Elevation) is a new elevation, rename it WEST WING SOUTHEAST ELEVATION.
Open the elevation.
On the View Control bar, change the scale to 1/4″ = 1′–0″ (1:50 mm).
On the View Control bar, set the detail level to Fine. (You can also set these in the Properties dialog at any time.)
Save the model.

You've added a new exterior elevation. You can add an interior elevation as well. It's just as easy and much more fun!

Interior Elevations

The difference between an exterior elevation and an interior elevation is the same as the difference between a building section and a wall section. Both interior and exterior elevations are executed the same way: by selecting the View tab on the Design bar. The only difference is that you can make a choice between the two in the Type Selector in the Options bar. To add an interior elevation, perform these steps:

Go to the Level 1 floor plan.
On the View tab, click the Elevation button.
In the Type Selector, choose Elevation: Interior Elevation, and place it in the area shown in Figure 3.80.

FIGURE 3.80 Adding an interior elevation and making the adjustments
Hover your cursor in the corridor near a point shown in the middle of Figure 3.80. Notice that when you move your cursor up, the arrow flips up. When you move your pointer down, the arrow flips down.
Make sure the arrow in the elevation target is pointing up, and then pick a point along the horizontal corridor, as shown at the right of Figure 3.80, to place the elevation. Once it's placed, press Esc to terminate the command.
After you place the elevation, select the arrow. Notice that the extents are outside the building. (This occurs in most cases. If it doesn't, you're good to go.) Select the elevation again and, on the left side, pick the blue grip and drag the left extent to the point shown at the left in Figure 3.80. Repeat the process for the right side as well.
In the Project Browser, there's a new elevation under the Elevations (Interior Elevation) category. Right‐click the new elevation (Revit will call it Elevation 1 ‐ a or something similar), and call it EAST WING CORRIDOR NORTH ELEVATION.
Open the new view called East Wing Corridor North Elevation.
Notice that the crop region extends all the way up to the parapet. Select the crop region, and drag the top down to Level 2, as shown in Figure 3.81.

FIGURE 3.81 Stretching the grip down to crop the view

▶

In the elevation's view, you can drag the crop region down to show only that floor. If you would rather see all of the floors, perhaps you should use a section rather than an elevation.

NOTE

If you had floors already placed in the model, Revit would create the interior elevation so that it extended only to this geometry. Because you don't have floors, Revit doesn't know where to stop. If you happen to place an elevation without floors and put them in later, Revit won't make the adjustment. You'll have to adjust the interior elevation manually for the new floors.

Let's create some more elevations:

Go to Floor Plan Level 1. Zoom into the east wing entry area, as shown in Figure 3.82.
On the View tab, click the Elevation button.
Place an elevation marker in an area similar to the one shown in Figure 3.82, and then move it to the center of the lobby.

TIP

Notice that when you're trying to place the elevation in the entry area, it seems to wander all over the place. This is because the elevation is trying to locate the radial geometry. The safest bet in this situation is to find a straight wall and aim the elevation at that wall. In this case, you should aim the elevation at the bottom of the elevator shaft. When the elevation marker is in place, you can then move it to where you need it to be.

FIGURE 3.82 Add the elevation marker as shown here, and then move it to a new location.
With the elevation marker centered in the lobby, select the round bubble. Four blue boxes appear, as shown in Figure 3.83. These boxes let you turn on multiple views. Turn on all four views, as shown in Figure 3.83.

With the four elevations turned on, you have some naming to do! Up to this point, you have been going to the Project Browser to rename the elevations. Let's explore another way to rename an elevation and to view its properties as well.

Elevation Properties

With each view comes a new set of properties. For example, when you made the perspective view of the corridor, you turned on ambient shadows. Normally, in an interior elevation, you don't want to do this. Revit allows you to have separate view properties on a view‐by‐view basis.

**FIGURE 3.83 Turn on all four views in the lobby.**

To access the View Properties dialog, follow these steps:

On the interior elevation with the four arrows, select only the arrow facing up (north).
The Properties dialog provides a wealth of information about that view. You have a multitude of options as well. Find the View Name option under the Identity Data heading, and change it to EAST WING ENTRY NORTH ELEVATION, as shown in Figure 3.84.

▶

By changing the value in the Properties dialog, you are, in effect, changing the name in the Project Browser. Again, change something in one place, and it changes in another.
Select the East Wing Entry North Elevation again. Notice that the view's extents are stretching past the entry atrium. Pick the blue grips at the end of the elevations, and bring them into the atrium area, as shown in Figure 3.85. Also, drag the view limit up to show the radial exterior wall (see Figure 3.85).
Click the elevation arrow facing left (west).
Change View Name to EAST WING ENTRY WEST ELEVATION.

FIGURE 3.84 Changing the View Name setting to East Wing Entry North Elevation
Click the arrow facing down (south).
Change View Name to EAST WING ENTRY SOUTH ELEVATION.
Click the arrow facing right (east).
Change View Name to EAST WING ENTRY EAST ELEVATION.

FIGURE 3.85 Making the adjustments to bring the view back into a reasonable range
Select each elevation, and adjust the view's extents as you did for the north elevation.
Save the model.

The actual view names appear in the plan. This is nice, but unfortunately it leaves no room for anything else other than the view. Plus, no construction documents have these names right in the plan (at least, none that I have ever seen). You can turn off this feature.

Now that you can place and modify annotations, let's delve into their physical properties.

Annotation Properties

Annotations all have properties you can modify. To change the elevation symbol properties, follow along:

On the Manage tab, select Additional Settings ➣ Elevation Tags.
At the top of the Type Properties dialog, you see Family: System Family: Elevation Tag. Below that is Type. Change Type from 1/2″ (13 mm) Square to 1/2″ (13 mm) Circle (see Figure 3.86).
In Type Parameters, under Graphics, change Elevation Mark to Elevation Mark Body_Circle : Detail Number.
Click OK.
Save your work.
Zoom back in on the elevation markers. They should look like Figure 3.87.

The ability to add elevations is a must. As you can see, physically adding an elevation is simple. It does, however, take practice to manipulate elevations to look the way you want.

**FIGURE 3.86 Modifying the properties for the elevation markers**

Are You Experienced?

Now you can…

create levels and constrain walls to stretch or shrink if the level's elevation information changes in any way
cut wall sections and building sections through the model
create detail views, allowing you to add plan sections through a wall or a building section
create a callout view and control the crop region
add a camera to the model, giving the user a nice perspective of a certain area
create interior and exterior elevations within the model