SUPPLEMENTAL Revit Architecture 2010

FILES ON CD Basics:
from the Ground Up

Elise Moss

SDC
PUBLICATIONS

Schroff Development Corporation

www.schroff.com

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 Mass Elements

Lesson 3
Mass Elements
Mass Elements are used to give you a conceptual idea of the space and shape of a
building without having to take the time to put in a lot of detail. It allows you to create
alternative designs quickly and easily and get approval before you put in a lot of effort.

Massing Tools

Creates a solid shape

Controls the visibility of mass objects

Inserts a mass group into the active project

Model by Face:
Converts a face into a Roof, Curtain Wall System, Wall, or Floor.

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Exercise 3-1
Adding a Level
Drawing Name: default.rte [metric default.rte]
Estimated Time: 5 minutes

This exercise reinforces the following skills:

 Switching Elevation Views
 Basics
 Add a Level

This tutorial uses metric or Imperial units. Metric units will be designated in brackets.

Revit uses a level to define another floor or story in a building.

1. Go to New→Project.

2. Under the Template file: select

Browse.

3. Locate the Metric Templates folder under

ProgramData/Autodesk/RAC2010.

Locate the Imperial Templates folder under

ProgramData/Autodesk/RAC2010.

4. Select the DefaultMetric.rte template for metric units.

Select the default.rte template for Imperial units.

Press Open.

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5. Double click East under Elevations.

This activates the East view orientation.

6. Select the Home ribbon.

7. Select the Level tool. (This adds a floor elevation.)

8. Move your mouse to set an elevation of 12′ [3650 mm].

Pick to start the elevation line.

9.

In the Options bar located on the lower left of the screen, enable Make Plan View.
This should be enabled if you want Revit to automatically create a floor plan view of
this level. If you forget to check this box, you can create the floor plan view later
using the View Ribbon.

TIP: Double click on the blue elevation symbol to automatically switch to the
floor plan view for that elevation.

10. Pick to place the end point to position the level

indicator above the other indicators.

11. Basically, you place a new level by picking two points at the desired height.
Right click and select Cancel twice to exit the Level command.

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Revit is always looking for references even among

annotations. You will notice that your level tags snap
and lock together, so when you move one to the right
or left, all those in line with it will follow.
The jogged line allows the user to create a jog if
desired.

If you need to adjust the position of the tag, just click on the line, three blue grips
will appear. These can be clicked and dragged as needed. You can also right click
on a level tag and select ‘Hide annotation in view’ and the tag and level line will
disappear in that view only.
Hide Annotation in View is only enabled if an object is selected first.

12. Save the file as ex3-1.rvt.

Exercise 3-2
Adding Mass Elements
Drawing Name: ex3-1.rvt
Estimated Time: 10 minutes

This exercise reinforces the following skills:

 Switching Elevation Views

 Add Mass

1. Open or continue working in the file ex3-1.rvt.

2. Activate the Level 1 view.

3. Select the Site & Massing ribbon.

4. Select the In-Place Mass tool.

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5. Masses, by default, are invisible.

However, in order to create and edit
masses you need to see what you are
doing. Revit brings up a dialog to let
you know that the software is
switching the visibility of masses
to ON, so you can work.
Press Close.

If you don’t want to bugged by this dialog, enable the Don’t show me this message
again option.
6. Enter Level 1 in the Name field.
Press OK.

7. Select the Line tool.

8.

Enable Chain in the Options bar located on the bottom of the screen.
This allows you to draw lines without always having to pick the start point.

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9. Create the shape shown The top figure shows the units in Imperial units. The bottom
figure shows the units in millimeters.
10. Switch to a 3D view.
Activate the View ribbon and select 3D View.

11. Switch back to the Massing & Site ribbon.

12. Window around the entire figure so it is highlighted.

13. Select the Form tool under Create Form.

14. Select Finish Mass.

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The Mass is created.

15. Save the file as ex3-2.rvt.

TIP: Object tracking will only work if the sketch objects are active and available in
the current sketch. You can use Pick to copy entities into the current sketch.

Exercise 3-3
Modifying Mass Elements
Drawing Name: ex3-2.rvt
Estimated Time: 30 minutes

This exercise reinforces the following skills:

 Show Mass
 Align
 Modify Mass
 Mirror
 Create Form
 Save View

A short video of this exercise is available on my website to help users with this exercise.
Access at www.mossdesigns.com/ex3-3-revit.avi.

1. Open ex3-2.rvt.
If you don’t see the mass, click Show Mass on the Massing &
Site ribbon to turn mass visibility ON.

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2. Activate the East Elevation.

We see that top of the building

does not align with Level 3.

To adjust the horizontal position of the level lines, simply select the line and use the
grip to extend or shorten it.

3. Select the mass so the grips are activated.

4. Select Edit In-Place.

5. Make sure that Modify is enabled.

6. Select the Align tool.

7. Select the top level line (Level 3) then

select the top of the extrusion.
Right click and select Cancel to exit the
Align command.

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8. The top of the extrusion

now aligns to level 3.

9. Select the Finish Mass tool in the upper right of the Massing & Site
ribbon.

10. Activate Level 2 under Floor Plans.

11. Select In-Place Mass.

12. Name the new mass Tower.

Press OK.

13. You can use object tracking to locate the intersection between the
two corners.
To activate object tracking, enable the Pick Lines tool. Then select
the two lines you want to align with.
14. Select the two lines indicated to be used for object
tracking to locate the center of the circle.

15. Select the Circle tool.

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16. When you see the large X and the tooltip says Intersection,
you will have located the intersection.
Pick to locate the center of the circle at the intersection.

17. Enter a radius of 16′-0″ [4880].

When you used the Pick Line tool, you copied those lines into the current sketch.
You need to delete those two lines or you will get a warning error because they
create a self-intersecting profile.
18. Select the two copied lines. Right click and select Delete.
19. Select the circle sketch so it is highlighted.
20. Select the Draw Mirror Axis tool under the Mirror tool.

21. Locate the midpoint of the small horizontal

line and pick.

22.

Bring your mouse down in the Vertical direction and pick for the second point of
the mirror axis.

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23. The circle sketch is mirrored.

24. Switch to a 3D view using the Project Browser.

25. Select one of the circles so it is highlighted.

Select Create Form→Form.

26. The circle is extruded.

27. Select the remaining circle so it is highlighted.

Select Create Form→Form.

28. Both circles are now extruded.

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29. Select Finish Mass.

30. Select the Modify ribbon.

31. Select the Join tool.

Select the two masses to join them into a single mass.

32. The two masses are joined into a single mass.

33. Use the View Cube located in the upper right of the screen to orbit
the model.

34. To save the new orientation, right click

on the View Cube and select Save View.

35. Enter 3D Ortho 2 for the name of the view.

Press OK.

36. The Saved view is now listed in the Project browser under 3D
Views.

37. Save the file as ex3-3.rvt.

 Pick on a mass element to activate the element’s grips. You can use
the grips to change the element’s shape, size, and location.
 You can only use the View→Orient menu to activate 3D views when
you are already in 3D view mode.

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Exercise 3-4
Creating Wall by Face
Drawing Name: ex3-3.rvt
Estimated Time: 15 minutes

This exercise reinforces the following skills:

 Wall by Face
 Trim
 Show Mass

You can add doors and windows to your conceptual model to make it easier to visualize.

1. Open ex3-3.rvt.

2. Activate the SAVED view under 3D Views.

3. Activate the Massing & Site ribbon.

4. Select Model by Face→Wall.

5. Under Change Element Type, you can set the wall type.
Imperial:
Set the Default Wall Type to:
Basic Wall: Generic- 8 in.
Metric:
Set the Default Wall Type to:
Basic Wall: Generic- 200 mm.
6. Enable Pick Faces in the ribbon

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7. Select each wall and cylinder.

The cylinder will be halved
by the walls, so you will have
to select each half.
You will have to do some
cleanup work on the corners
where the towers are.

8. Activate Level 2 under Floor Plans.

9. Select the Trim tool from the Modify ribbon to clean up where the tower
joins with the walls.

When you select to trim, be sure to select the section you want to keep.

10.

Note that you have some instructions in the lower left of the screen to assist you.

11. Disable Show Mass so you only see the walls.

12. Trim the walls as shown on Level 2.

To erase any small sections of walls, simply select and

press the Delete key.

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13. On Level 1, you should only

see the walls with no towers.

14. Select the wall.

Select Element Properties→Instance Properties.

15. Create walls that have a Base

Constraint of Level 1 and a Top
Constraint of Level 2 at the
upper corners of the building.
This is only for the four walls
that are below the towers.
There will be small sections of
Towers will have a base constraint of Level 2 walls that will also have these
and top constraint of Level 3. constraints on the east and west
sides.
The remaining walls will have a base constraint
of Level 1 and Top Constraint of Level 3.

16. Save as ex3-4.rvt.

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Exercise 3-5
Adding Doors and Windows
Drawing Name: ex3-4.rvt
Estimated Time: 30 minutes

This exercise reinforces the following skills:

 Basics
 Door
 Load from Library
 Window
 Array
 Mirror
 Shading

You can add doors and windows to your conceptual model to make it easier to visualize.

1. Open ex3-4.rvt.
2. Activate Level 1 under Floor Plans.

3. Level 1 should appear like this.

4. Activate Home ribbon.

5.
Select the Door tool.

6. Select Load Family.

7. Browse to the Doors folder under the Imperial

or Metric library. Use Imperial if you are using
Imperial units or use Metric if you are using Metric
units.

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For Imperial Units:

Located the Double-:Panel2.rfa file.

8. For Metric Units:

Locate the M_Double-Panel 2.rfa file.
Press Open.
9.

Place the door so it is centered on the wall as shown.

10. If you press the space bar before you pick to
place, you can control the orientation of the
door.
After you have placed the door, you can flip the
door by picking on it then pick on the vertical or
horizontal arrows.
Return to the Home ribbon.

11. Pick the Window tool.

12. Select Load Family.

13. Browse to the Windows folder under the Imperial or

Metric library. Use Imperial if you are using Imperial
units or use Metric if you are using Metric units.

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14. For Imperial Units:

Locate the Casement with Trim.rfa file.

For Metric Units:

Locate the M_Casement with Trim.rfa file.
Press Open.
15. For Imperial Units:
From the drop-down list, select the
24″ x 48″ size for the Casement with Trim
window.

For Metric Units:

From the drop-down list, select the 0610 x 1830 mm size
for the M_Casement with Trim window.

16. Place the window 6′-6″ [3000 mm] from the inner left wall.

Dimensions in Revit work differently. Revit uses temporary dimensions and

permanent dimensions. Permanent dimensions are the parametric dimensions
attached to each object. You can modify these dimensions by clicking on the object.
Temporary dimensions are the dimensions you place using the Dimension tool or
typing ‘DI’. The dimension values of temporary dimensions can only be modified
by changing the permanent dimensions.

If you want to define the position of an object using a dimension that doesn’t appear
when you pick the object, you can apply a temporary dimension using the Dimension
tool. This will add a permanent dimension to the object that can then be used to
position the object.

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17. Pick the window so it is highlighted.

18. Select the Array tool.

19. Select the midpoint of the window as the basepoint for

the array.

20.

Set the array quantity to 5 on the options bar located on the bottom of the screen.
Set the distance for the array to 6′ 0″ [1300 mm].

21. You should see a preview of the array.

Press ENTER to accept.

22. Window around the entire array to

select all the windows.
The array count will display.

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23. Use the Mirror→Draw Mirror Axis tool to mirror the

windows to the other side of the wall opposite the door.

24. Select the center of the door as the start point of the
mirror axis.
Move the cursor upwards at a 90 degree angle and
pick a point above the door.

25. Left pick anywhere in the graphics window to complete the command.
26.

Switch to a 3D View.

27. Set the Model Graphics Style to Shading.

We have created a conceptual model to show
a client.

28. Save the file as ex3-5.rvt.

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