REVIT MEP TIPS AND SHORTCUTS

1. UNDERSTANDING SHEETS & VIEWS

Sheets are used for printing, while views are actual workspaces that can be placed onto sheets
for printing. A view can only be placed on one sheet, and cannot be used in multiple sheets at one
time. In order to have a similar 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:

• Duplicate 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 detail groups will now show up in the new
Duplicated View. Any new changes to the views won’t affect the other.
• Duplicate View with Detailing
Duplicates a view with all model items and detail items. Any new changes to either the old or new
view won’t affect the other.
• Duplicate as Dependent
Duplicates a view exactly as seen. Any changes in one view will affect the other.

2. VIEW RANGES

If your views are now displaying parts of a model, or models created are disappearing from the
modelling view, it is most likely because it is outside of your specified “View Range”. To fix this,
simply go to the Project Properties an adjusting the View Range to a more wider range. When
viewing floor plans, you can change the view range under the Properties window and adjust it
accordingly. Anything outside of this range will be clipped from the plan.

3. VISIBILITY SETTINGS

You can specify representational colors for your models categorically through your visibility
settings. Under View>Visibility Graphics, you can specify certain Revit families to be a certain color.
Simply select the necessary category and change the Lines/Patterns to your desired color. You can
be more specific by opening the tree down further and only specifying certain parts of the Family
be a certain color.

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 In the screenshot above, all ducts are set to show as red. This will only affect the view currently
opened. If you change views, this visibility needs to be set again. *Note: There is a difference
between Projection & Cut Lines & Patterns. Any views that cut through an object such as a wall
would show the Cut Lines and Cut Patterns. Any models that are visibly without being cut (such as
in 3D views) will show the Projection/Surface Lines and Patterns.

4. UTILIZING FORUMULAS IN YOUR FIELDS

When inputting certain fields of measures into different Revit fields, such as the length of a
wall, you can put away the calculator. Revit can read formulas in this fields, and will calculate this
formula for you. For example, if you have a wall set at 20’-0, but need to lower this wall height by
60%, you can simply write “=20’-0*.6” into the revit field, and Revit will do the rest. Note that in
order for Revit to recognize your input as a formula, you must put the “=” sign in front of the
formula.

5. Orient to View
Want to create a 3D view for a specific floor? Right click on view cube, then orient to view, floor
plans, and then click on the callout you want to show in your 3D view.

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 6. Create an Image of a View

To create an image of a view, right click on it in the Project Browser, select save as image, then
export it from the Application Menu.

7. Hard Enter
Ctrl + Enter. Use it to force a new line of text instead of waiting for text wrap to work.

8. SZ
SZ is the same as C for close in AutoCAD.

9. Delete unnecessary views

Your model will get more and more views, as if by magic. Chances are, you don’t need all of
them. New views won’t really impact a model size or performance, but they can definitely confuse
users and slow things down.

10. Detail Level by category

Your View has its own Detail Level that will start driving how things are drawn, but don’t forget that
you can override that setting per element category by getting into the view’s Visibility Graphics settings and
changing it in the far right column.

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