Revit easy from AutoCAD

CONTENTS
1. Getting Started
2. Interface
3. Views and Visibility
4. Work-sharing environment - Collaborate
5. Project Units, Pin & Snaps
6. Lines, Visibility (VV)
7. Detailing
8. Annotate
9. Families
10. Link Files- Importing files
11. Connections
12. Schedules
13. Materials
14. Location - North
15. Toposurface
16. Print and PDFs
17. Dynamos
ANNEX A – KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
ANNEX B – WORK FASTER – TIPS FOR CAD’S USERS
ANEEX C – FOLDER STRUCTURES

1.GETTING STARTED - INTERFACE
The Revit Interface is designed to simplify your workflow.
See the basic to optimum use.
1st click in File, Options
A. General: A.1 where to save reminder interval, A.2 where
is your name ID identification (use or sharing document)
and A.3 the view options (to specify the elements display
in a view, coordinate ALL elements categories display in
the view).
B. User Interface: B.1 from here you can customize keyboard
shortcuts. B.2 Maybe it is a good idea unclick Enable
Recent Files page at startup to avoid that user open up an
old local model, in that way they don’t make the mistake.
B.3 Tab Switching Behavior after clearing a selection, of
after exit of finish Revit return to the previous tab or we
can stay on the modified tab, hit ESCAPE, and modify tab
goes away.
C. File location, here you might have some work to do. C.1
Find the company Templates to use. C.2 Places, this is
where details of libraries, FAMILIES, that your company
uses, f.e. Structural company: Steel, Timber, Connections,
Temporary work, Civil, etc.
Perhaps you are interesting to work with background in black
as in AutoCad, so in Graphics Option we can define the
Background colors, predefined is WHITE.

2.INTERFACE
The Revit Interface include the following
1. Application Menu
2. Quick Access Toolbar
3. InfoCenter
4. Project Browser
5. Properties (time selector with Option Bar)
6. View Control Bar
7. Status bar
8. Drawing area (View Cube, Steering Wheel,
Navigation Bar)
9. Tabs on the Ribbon that contains the tools
used to complete task with different
Panels:
- ARCHITECTURE
- STRUCTURE
- SYSTEMS
- INSERT
- ANNOTATE
- ANALYZE
- MASSING & SITE
- COLLABORATE
- VIEW
- MANAGE
- ADD-INS
- QUANTIFICATION
- SITE DESINGNER
- BENTLEY
- EXTENSION
- MODIFY
- PRECAST

2.INTERFACE
TOOLS PALETTES- Properties and Project Browser
How to located in the place do you want.
Usually you have a preview of the windows.
In View Ribbon, User Interface you have access to all the
windows available.
KEEP SAFE YOUR FILE, when you save your project select
in Options the maximum backups.

2.INTERFACE
The most common TABs to use in each project.
Modify Ribbon – only appear when an object of that type is
selected in the canvas window, and will be different with each
object (in green or different colour the specific Panel) without
colour the common panel with the tools to modify.
Draw panel will be show if you need to draw or create a drawing
to help with the characteristics needed. It would be very useful
pick lines, or the specific to each component. You will need to
click in the Finish Edit Mode, The green bottom in Mode to end
your drawing.
If you need to see in 3D usually in View click the bottom show in
the following panel and you will see this in 3d ( To come back to
the previous view press Ctrl+Tab, if you want to come back to
normal 3D view unclick Section Box in the Properties 3D View)
No Shortcut Description
1 AL Aling
2 OF Offset
3 MM Mirrow-Pick Axis
4 DM Draw Axis
5 SL Split element
6 Split with gap- NOT WORK IN FAMILY ENVIROMENT
7 AR Array
8 RE Scale
9
UP
Unpin- unpins or unlocks an element that has been locked by
the pin tool.
10 PN Pin- to lock an element
11 DE Delete
12 Trim/Extend Multiple Element
13 Trim/Extend Single Element
14 TR Trim/Extend to Corner
15 RO Rotate
16 CO Copy
17 MV Move

3. VIEWs & VISIBILITY
View Control and Object Display
THE VIEW CONTROL BAR – at the bottom of the view window. Functions:
 Scale –here change the scale of annotations and symbols,
 Detail level – allows you to view model at different qualities
(Coarse, Medium and Fine)
 Visual Style – see or not the hidden line, etc.
 Sun
 Shadows on – to turn on shadows
 Show Render Dialog button
 Crop Region – useful in details
 Lock Orintation
 Temporary Hide/ Isolate Elements – similar that AutoCAD
 Analytical model – description of the structural physical model.
SIMILAR TO AUTOCAD VPORT
• Click in VIEW RIBBON, 1st you have the sheet or add sheet that you
need, usually using the template of your company.
• Click in the sheet and add the views that you need to show there.
• Click in each sheet in properties and change the scale, and name or
line if you want.
If I don’t want to show some elements, click in viewport, click in the
elements (mouse right click) select hide in view, hide elements, (for
example – the north, south, east, west sign).

4.WORKSHARING ENVIRONMENT - COLLABORATE
Worksharing environment – multiple people can be in the
same model at once.
1. First is to create a collaborate file, a file that que can share
and update by multiple people. Go to Collaboratte TAB,
there if it is the first time click in collaborated Click in the
way you like to collaborate and OK, and a Central Model is
generated.
2. After you can access to Worksets where you can define is
the file is Editable (always say YES, and all the personal in
the company have access ).
3. You have access as weel to Synchronize and Modify
Setting in the Quick Bar.
4. If you will be working in a SHARE FILE, always OPEN to
create a new local (Overwrite existing file) and to
Synchronize by each person. (* If you want to use file for
other job or other aim, detach from central, and create
another file with other name)

5.PROJECT UNITS, PIN & SNAPS
• The Units it would be predefine usually in your
template, but if you want to change go to the
Manage Ribbon and there find the Project
Units.
• Pin is used to prevent to move elements in
REVIT. We can pin drawing and elements
cannot be moved, deleted or edited without
unpinning it.
• Unclick the select pinned elements or
unclick select links- so it is to be safe to
have only the cad file like a reference.
• Snaps is located in Manage Ribbon. Snaps are
specific geometrically defined points where the
cursor is pulled to when elements and
components are created, modified or
dimensioned. When snap points are detected,
they display in magenta.

Manage Ribbon, click Additional and
there Setting, Lynes Styles – the
COMPANY lines standards uses in your
company.
To draw lines, go to the Panel Model
and click in the Model Line
Visibility Graphic (VV), it is must be
performed in each view where you
wish to have specific views. To display
certain items or not. This is your
replacement for your layers.
6. LINES, VISIBILITY (VV)

7. DETAILING
Section and callouts- In the View Ribbon
or in the Quick Access Toolbar.
• Click twice and go inside of Section or
Callout.
• In the drawing it is possible to split
sections and hide the line around.
• In the VIEW Ribbon it is possible to Show
Hidden Lines
Revision is in the VIEW TAB- and from
here you can create the revision for your
project or per sheet.

8. ANNOTATE
DIMENSIONS
Dimensions at a glance.
In red are the STYLES.
In purple are the parts.
STYLES:
 Aligned dimension
 Angular dimension
 Radial dimension
 Diameter dimension
 Arch length dimension
 Baseline dimension
 Ordinate dimension
Users have the option to add new dimension types by duplicating an
existing dimension type, renaming it and then applying custom
properties to it. The new dimension type is then added to the type
selector of the Properties palette
PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY DIMENSIONS
• Permanent dimensions- appear in construction components, details
and illustration.
• Temporary dimensions- aid the sketching and modelling process.
They appears as guides
• CONVERTING A TEMPORARY DIMENSION TO A PERMANENT
DIMENSION-Click in the dimension narrow in blue.
HOW TO DELETE A SPECIFIC SEGMENT FROM A MULTI-SEGMENT
DIMENSION
1st-Click segment
2nd-Press Tab – in the segment you want to delete
3rd-Click Mouse
4th-Delete

All it is possible in Revit, so you need to know to check if somebody do it 
TIPS OVERRIDE A DIMENSION WITH A VALUE DIFFERENTE FROM THE ACTUAL
VALUE OR TO ADD PREFIX AND SUFIX AND ABOVE AND BELOW ELEMENT.
1st-Hover cursor on top the dimension until value a light-blue border appear.
2nd-Click mouse and this open the Dimension Text dialog box
3rd-Click in Replace With Text, them RIGHT CLICK, and select US- Unit Separator
4th-The Dimension Text dialog box appears again, TYPE a different value in the
Replace with text
5th-Click OK
CAUTION- Use this technique only as absolute needed.
KEYNOTE
Select your Keynoting Setting to add notes that company use regularly.
This will be very useful to use repeat notes in your drawings, it is possible to create a
file with the common note.
TAG BY CATEGORY OR ALL
It is possible to access from ANNOTATE Ribbon or from the Quick Bar.
8. ANNOTATE

9. FAMILIES
A Family is a block that your insert into a drawing, a bit
different that in AutoCAD. Families is the cornerstone of
BIM.
Family is a fully parametric model, 3D object that can adapt
to whatever is actually hosting the family. F.e if I insert a
windows family into a wall, I don’t have to tell the family the
wall’s size, and if a change the wall, the family automatically
adapt to the wall.
Types of families:
• System family- is inherent to the model, you can select,
duplicate it and change attributes to it and you can bring
them into another model by copying and pasting them.
Ex. Floor, Walls, Roofs
• Hosted family – are created outside of the model and
brought into it. Ex. Framing, columns, door.
• In-place families- is created like a hosted family only your
are doing in within the model. Ex. Footing steps, plates
and stiffeners, wall bevels.
Family Types- when you have a family to bring into a model
you have a family name, and within that family name, you
can have several types or variations of the actual family.
PARAMETRICT- means that family is adjustable, you can redefine, and you can put any
information you want in a family.

9. FAMILIES
Tips to create a family:
1. Reference planes- define your family (parametric part) the skeleton.
2. Dimensions- keep objects in place and aligned
3. Labels (parameters) – drive the flexibility of the family, to be able to
adjust the family.
4. 3D Massing – it is the physical component of the family
PARAMETERS – that pertain only that specific family, not to the type of
family.
- Instance parameters – if I change any one of these properties, it’ll affect
only the one I have in my model.
- Type parameters- click in Edit Type and that will change in all of your
project.
PROJECTS PARAMETERS- pertain to a family’s category, the use for scheduling
purposes. Ex. A weight of Steel in a Structural framing schedule.
SHARED PARAMETERS – uses an external text file, through the project and
predominately in title blocks.

10. LINK FILES (x-REF)
It is possible to IMPORT another REVIT,
CAD, IFC files, and other PDFs, as well
PDFs. It is accessible from INSERT or
MANAGE,
When you import check - Colors- import
Black and white, autodetect or meter
better. Positioning – origin to origin, or
use aling tool, and open the file.
Select file and delete layers that I will not
need it, for example when you import
ACAD files.
When work with synchronize with central
command, use the Reload lastest
command – RL ( ver si esto funciona?)
VG- Imported Categories unclick all and
acad don’t be show, or check halftone so
it will be in otherline.
Link- don’t move the like be careful.

11.CONNECTIONS
You can your Steell Connections
Program, it is a executable and
loading content in Revit. See the
Windows below as an example of
Steel Connections.
You can change any parameters of
your connections clicking in the
Modify Parameters when the
conection is selected.

12. SCHEDULES
Schedules are spreadsheets connected to your model, and they are
updated with every change in your file.
You can create a schedule for every model element, such as calculate cost,
plan notes, views list, etc.
SCHEDULES are located in the VIEW Ribbon.
TYPES OF SCHEDULES
 BASIC SCHEDULE – Most common List and Quantify all elements
 SHEET + VIEW LISTS – usually placed on the front page
 MATERIAL TAKEOFF- calculate materials, this can be used to estimated
cost.
 NOTE BLOCK – organize plan notes, used to list 2D generic annotation
families.
CREATE A BASIC SCHEDULE
1. Choose a model category, select phase and give a name.
2. Click Next, and Select the fields parameters to be part of your schedule,
depending on the Category you chose, it will be available different
parameters. (*)
3. Filters to exclude specific elements from the schedule.
4. Sort and Classify your Schedule- for example in alphabetical order.
Here check or uncheck Itemize every instance to be grouped together
by the Sort category or not. Here add header and footer, Header to add
a title of each Category, and with Footers has 3 options you can choose.
(If you don’t use Itemize Every Instance – elements are grouped and
don’t need a footer to get totals). Grand Totals active if you want the
total in the project.
5. Formatting menu to activate totals. Hide fields for example a field can be
required to filter or calculate value but you don’t need to be visible in the
actual schedule.

12. SCHEDULES
CREATE A BASIC SCHEDULE
6. Use vertical header for long titles – Long headers names can
make your schedule very wide so go to Formatting and set
heading orientation to Vertical for each field.
7. Group headers to organize your schedule
8. Highlight element in model – In the schedule, click in Highlight in
model and a view will open with the element appearing in blue.
9. Use Calculated Parameter to Get Price – with Material Takeoff
Schedule type, use Calculated Parameter to calculates values
together.
10. Appearance to change Font, and gridlines.
11. Print on the Sheet- you need to place on a sheet first to print them,
and there modify appearance on sheet as you need
* When you select the field parameters it is possible to combine
Parameters.

13. MATERIALS
You can control and change the properties of materials such as
colour, texture, pattern, bumps, highlights, reflectivity, transparency,
translucency and self-illumination.
You can specify the colour and surface patterns they display in
shaded views as well as how they appear in section cuts.
Materials can also contain various descriptive metadata.
This part, teach you how to apply materials to a component.
But first look at the Material Browser dialog box.
- It is accessed from the Setting panel in the MANAGE tab.
- It is a good idea to add to the Quick Access toolbar
When it opens the Material Browser dialog box, consist of 2 panels:
Project Materials and Material Editor.
Material Editor depending on the material selected, the panel
display 3 or 5 tabs.
A 3rd panel is also included but minimized until the Shows/Hides
library panel button is clicked.

13. MATERIALS
LIBRARY PANELS
This panels consist in two panels, Library list –C1 & Library Materials list-C2.
Library list (C1), Revit provides 3 material folders, namely:
1. Favourites- star symbol. Materials here are added by right-clicking a material from
Project materials or Library Materials.
Material can also be dragged on top of the Favourites folder. This creates a copy of the
material into the Favourites folder.
1. Autodesk Materials- this folder contains a categorized listing of standard Autodesk
materials.
2. AEC Material- contains a categorized listing of Autodesk materials specific to all Revit
flavour (architectural, MEP and structural).
Library (Panel) Materials list (C2), displays the materials of a selected category in
the Library list.
When a specific material is searched, the result is displayed here.
Material can be added to the Project Materials list by dragging it there or clicking the Adds
to document button.
At the bottom left of the library are 3 icons that:
a) b) c) Folder with a wrench icon – NEAT FEATURE, it lets you create a new library and
populate it with custom materials- can be shared over the network with other REVIT
user in your company. Drop-down menu and Create New Library, and save in a specified
location. After the new library is added to the Library List.

13. MATERIALS
METHODS OF APPLYING A MATERIAL TO A COMPONENT
Applying a material through the PAINT TOOL, in the Modify
tab.
It opens a version of the Material Browser than only displays
the Project Materials.
Click a surface of a component with the Paint Tool cursor, it
acquires the image of the selected material from the Material
Browser.
Also apply to any portion of a face created wit the split Face
tool.
Applying a material through the Properties palette. This is the
primary means of applying a material to a family component.
Select a component and then clin the Material button from
the Material field of the Properties Palette. This opens the
Material Browser dialog box where a material can be chosen
from the Project Material list.
If you have a component in Revit, your will have access to the
Material from the Edit Type in Material and Finishes.

Only in Site it is access, the Project Base Point.
If you can not see the Mass, go to Visual Graphics and
active Mass and Topography.
Go to Manage Ribbon, and Select Location of your
project.
After you can Relocate or Rotate if you need it and in
properties you can change the Orientation in the
Project North or in the True North.
Wint he Sun Path On you can see exactly the sun in
your location.
14. LOCATION NORTH

15. TOPOSURFACE
In Massing & Site Ribbon, it is the Toposurface,
when you click, you have access to select to
import an instance of specify points file.
If you have the toposurface in CAD, import the
file (in CAD put all the lines in the same layer
before to import). After import, go to Site and
there click right mouse bottom and Override
Graphics in View by Elements.
Go to Massing& Site, and click in Toposurface,
there click in Create from Import and Select
Import Instance and select the Import Cad File
in Site that que have before and we have there,
click in OK in the Add Points from Selected
Layers and click Ok and the green Done in
Surface, and your surface is done.
If you don’t know the layers where do you have
your line click in Querry and the lines you want
to export, to know in which layers they are.

Maybe easier and quicker than
in CAD, here directly create the
PDF of print, of the Selected
views or sheets that you
selected.
To save, follow the standards
of your company.
16. PRINT AND PDFs

17. DYNAMO
Visual programming in Autodesk Dynamo Studio that Connect workflows in various software.
Algorithm – a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem - solving operations, especially by a
computer.
ALGORITHMS ARE A PROCEDURE, PROCESS, OR A FORMULA THAT'S FOLLOWED EXACTLY IN ORDER TO SOLVE A
PROBLEM
INPUT– NODOS (PROCESS)– OUTPUT
Dynamo enables us to create Visual Programs in a Workspace by connecting Nodes with Wires to specify the logical flow of the resulting
Visual Program.
NODE (PROCESS) – Most Nodes in Dynamo are composed of the 5 parts, see next page.
PORTS- The Inputs and Outputs for Nodes are called Ports and act as the receptors for Wires. Data comes into the Node through Ports on the left
and flows out of the Node after it has executed its operation on the right.
WIRES -Wires connect between Nodes to create relationships and establish the Flow of our Visual Program. We can think of them literally as
electrical wires that carry pulses of data from one object to the next.
LINKS
DynamoBIM The best source for additional information, learning content, and forums is the DynamoBIM website.
http://dynamobim.org
Dynamo GitHub Dynamo is an open-source development project on GitHub. To contribute, check out DynamoDS.

17. DYNAMO
1. Name - The Name of the Node with a
Category.Name naming convention
2. Main - The main body of the Node - Right-clicking
here presents options at the level of the whole
Node
3. Ports (In and Out) - The receptors for Wires that
supply the input data to the Node as well as the
results of the Node's action
4. Lacing Icon - Indicates the Lacing option specified
for matching list inputs (more on that later)
5. Default Value - Right-click on an-input Port - some
Nodes have default values that can be used or
not used.
1. Active - Nodes with a Dark Grey Name background are well-connected and have all of their
inputs successfully connected
2. Freeze - A Transparent node has Freeze turned on, suspending the execution of the node
3. Inactive - Grey Nodes are inactive and need to be connected with Wires to be part of the
Program Flow in the active Workspace
4. Error State - Red indicates that the Node is in an-Error State
5. Selected - Currently selected Nodes have an-Aqua highlight on their border
6. Warning - Yellow Nodes are in an Warning state, meaning they may have incorrect data types
7. Background Preview - Dark Grey indicates that the geometry preview is turned of

Align AL
Aligned Dimension DI
Array AR
Cascade Windows WC
Copy CO/CC
Create Group GP
Edit Witness Lines EW
Graphic Display Options GD
Keyboard Shortcuts KS
Match Type Properties MA
Mirror - Draw Axis DM
Mirror - Pick Axis MM
Model Line LI
Move MV
Offset OF
Paint PT
Place a Component CM
Project Units UN
Properties PP
Reference Plane RP
Rotate RO
Scale RE
Snap Centers SC
Snap Endpoints SE
Snap Intersections SI
Snap Midpoints SM
Snap Nearest SN
Snap Off SO
Snap Perpendicular SP
Snap Tangents ST
Split Element SL
Split Face SF
Text TX
Thin Lines TL
Tile Windows WT (show all windows)
Trim/Extend to Corner TR
Visibility: Hide Element HH
Visibility: Isolate Element HI
Visibility/Graphics VG/VV
Visibility: Reset Temp. Hide/Isolate HR
Visual Style: Hidden Line HL
Visual Style: Shaded with Edges SD
Visual Style: Wireframe WF
Zoom in Region ZR/ZZ
Zoom: All to Fit ZA
Zoom: Previous ZP
1st- click KS, to see or change - DEFINE TO WORK QUICK AND EASY
Defined the following shortcuts to work quicker:
3D View: Default 3D View- 33
Temporary Hide Element- HH
Temporary Hide Category- HC
Isolate element- HI
Resert ALL HIDE- HR
Select all visibles- SA
Select last selection- Ctrl + left narrow
Cut profiles CX
CREATEA A GRID GR
Shift + Mouse – Rotate in 3D
The letter can be typed in lowercase or uppercase
Rules for assigning keyboard shortcuts:
• Up to five unique alphanumeric keys can be assigned
• Keyboard modifier keys (Shift, Ctrl and Alt) can be combined with one alphanumeric key
• The Alt key must be combined with Shift and/or Ctrl
• Reserved keys cannot be altered
• Multiple keyboard shortcuts can be assigned for each tool, and the same shortcuts can be
assigned to multiple tools
ANNEX A- KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

ANNEX B- WORK QUICK- TIPS FOR ACAD’S USERS
CLOSE HIDDEN WINDOWS
TRANSFERRING GRIDS TO OTHER LEVELS- for example overlapping grid. 1st Select the grid, 2nd Modify and Select Propagate
Extents, 3rd Select the levels where you want to transferring the levels modification where you are in your selection.
VIEW RANGE – Shortcuts VR– if you want to see depth in your view.
WT- all windows open, in the same screen and with TW only one, select what you want in open all windows, after click write
TW and after click in close all windows.
CTRL + TAB – The before view
HIDDEN LINE - To see the real situation of each part click in Hidden line, if something is not good connection, the lines shows
that mistake.
JOINT - To joint click in joint and the lines not overlap
X LINE - Symbolic line in an opening, when I create, click in the symbolic line and make the lines (X) and shows in all the
sections, or levels.

ANNEX C – FOLDER STRUCTURE
Develop a file structure that makes sense to your firm
Folder structure depend on each company, for example
a Revit project file and a folder with his backup, a folder
with the Import-Export files, and the Families needed.
If share files with outside company, keep the folder
structure on you file sharing site identical to your files
sharing system you have in your internal server. There
are many sharing sites out. For example A360 is
completely on the cloud.
In the file save options- there is an option about the maximum
backups, that adds a suffix of 001 to the end of the file-name.

Revit easy from AutoCAD

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