Host Sweep - Wall Sweep

I recently had a conversation with a colleague in the office about how to create a wall with a particular shape to the surface. My first question to this person was why would you want to do this? I mean it is possible to do it, but is it worth weighing down the model when you can show the shape of the wall in a detail view with detail lines? So, if you’re trying to use this shape to cover the entire wall, stop thinking about it. All you have to do is use lines to represent the shape and pattern to create the look you’re after. Now, if you need to create this affect for a portion of the wall you can always use a Host Sweep. This is nothing more than a profile you create and place on the wall while in a 3D, section or elevation view. This allows you to add the profile to any wall you want vertically or horizontally. Here’s how you do it. First open a new family template by clicking File → New → Family and selecting Profile.rft from the list of template files. Once in the Family Editor you’ll notice vertical and horizontal reference planes. Think of the vertical reference plane as the wall surface. The horizontal reference plane will either be the top or bottom of the sweep. In my experience if you draw you profile to the right of the vertical plane the profile will end up on the surface of the wall, not inside the wall. Now all you have to do is draw the profile you want to see on the wall. Remember it has to be a closed loop. This means no intersecting lines or gaps. Once you’ve drawn the profile, save it and load it into your project. In the project, navigate to the Modeling tab on the Design Bar and click the Host Sweep button. Choose the profile you’ve just loaded from the Type Selector. Place your cursor over the wall you want to add the profile, and it should appear on the wall. Notice on the Options Bar you can choose horizontal or vertical. Once you’ve placed it you will have to go to the Options Bar and click the Start Next button to continue with the next placement of your profile. This is an easy way to get a pop out or whatever shape you want on your wall without too much trouble.

Unlocking Wall Layers

As many of you know walls consist of several layers. These layers make up the total width of the wall assembly. The layers are made up of different materials assembled by you or whoever has constructed the walls you use. Often times we need to extend a portion of these walls without extending the entire wall. Luckily Revit allows you to do this. Here’s how: Select the wall you wish to change. Right click and choose the Element Properties or simply select the Element Properties button on the Options Bar. Click the Edit/New button to open the Type Parameters. Then click the Edit button for the Structure parameter. This takes you to the Edit Assemblies dialog. Make sure you click the preview button located at the bottom left hand corner of the dialog. The preview shows you a plan or section view of the wall. Below the preview window click the view drop down window and choose Section: Modify Type from the list. In the Modify Vertical Structure (Section Preview Only) area located at the bottom of the dialog, select Modify. In the preview window zoom in on the top of the wall, and select the top Outer Boundary of the layer in which you want to move. Once selected a padlock will appear, click to unlock it. This will allow you to move that particular layer independently of all the others. Note: To achieve the desired look you must unlock all the layers you want to move. In this case I unlocked all the layers except the CMU to represent a furring wall that doesn’t extend all the way up. Your wall may be different. You may need to unlock the layers from the bottom for example. When you have unlocked all the layers needed to achieve the desired look click OK three times to exit the Element Properties dialog box to return to the project. Now when you select the wall in an elevation or 3D view you will notice an extra Shape Handle (grip). This represents the layer or layers you unlocked in the Edit Assembly dialog. You can now pull it up or down independent of the other layers in the wall. Also if you go into the Element Properties under the Instance Parameters you’ll notice a parameter that was previously un-editable, (Top Extension Distance), is now editable. You can change the height of the unlocked layers from here as well. Go ahead, give it a try.

Split Face Tool

The Split Face tool is a tool everyone should understand. Its function is to allow you to select the face of an element and change its material with the paint bucket. Here’s how it works: Let’s say you have a wall that has a particular material assigned to it. This particular wall is being used in a restroom where part of it will be ceramic tile and part of it will remain the original material but the tile doesn’t always maintain the same elevation. To accomplish this you would have to use two different walls of the same wall type. Wall type A with the tile at X height, and wall type B with the tile at Y height. This may result in confusion and difficulty in keeping the walls together. The Split Face tool allows you to accomplish this much faster and easier. First of all if you don’t have the material for the wall, you need to create one. Click here for instructions on how to create new materials. Next go to an elevation, section or 3D view so you can see the wall you wish to change. Once you’re in the view select the Split Face tool on the lower tool bar. You cursor now has a razor knife next to it. You must select the wall in which you intend to split. Once you’ve selected it you are in sketch mode. Now you can sketch a line wherever you want the new material to go. Remember it has to be a closed loop, no intersecting lines. Finish the sketch. Now select the Paint Bucket on the lower tool bar next to the Split Face tool. On the Type Selector choose the material created for the area you wish to change. Hover the Paint Bucket over one of the sketched lines and left click to add the material. The sketched area changes to the designated material. Note: This is not view specific, so it will be visible in all views.

Parallel Opening in a Curved Wall

When creating an opening in a curved wall, the Opening – Wall Opening tool cuts an opening that is perpendicular to the radius of the curved wall.

This post will discuss how to create and opening in a curved wall when you want the sides of the opening to be parallel. In – Place Void Family Select the CREATE button under the Modeling tab on the Design Bar. Choose Walls for the Family Category and Parameters so the void works with the V.G.

Name the in – place family logically. Once you click OK, you will be in sketch mode where you will build the Void.

Make sure the settings on the Options Bar are set so the void creates the correct size of opening. The length and width of the opening only need to be big enough to cut the wall completely.

Cut Geometry After sketching the void shape you can click Finish Sketch on the Design Bar to complete the void. The orange color of the void indicates the position of the void. Because the void is an in – place family, it will not automatically cut the object it comes in contact with. For this to occur you have to select the Cut Geometry button on the lower Tool Bar.

It doesn’t matter which object you choose first to cut the void out of the wall. After you’ve cut the void out of the wall you can select the Finish Family button on the Design Bar. You should have a section cut out of the wall with the sides parallel to each other. If you don’t get the desired affect, go back and check the height of the void you created. If that looks ok, you might want to check the View Range for the view.