Self-sizing Beam

I was wondering several times about Self-Sizing components, to avoid stability problems in the Conceptual Design Phase. In Revit it is absolutelly possible. With adding many-many parameters, you can apply Code-Based sizing methods, but in my current example I just added an easy geometrical rule to my Beam.

First of all we need a good Template

To simlify this task, I edit the built-in Extrusion in the Template:

For this, please step into an Elevation View in the appearing list:

b for Width as a Type parameter and h for Heigth as an Instance parameter

The keypoint is the Formula of param h above.

Just load your Beam to the project and enjoy!

Object Styles

During my presentations I frequently meet dismay on architect's faces, when I tell them Revit do NOT contains Layers. The reason is that we do not need them at all, and this is a fact.
Objects (Components) know their kind (Category) and the appeas as they should in all Views.

Not only the Components, but all of their 2D and 3D sub-elements, lines and forms (Sub-Categories) have clear look. To every Category you can add sub-categories, if necessary.
In the row of the table above you can set the exact face of every Category in Cut and Projecion. The Material defines the cut-fill of the 3D components in plan and section views.
These setting are valid in the whole project and can be saved to templates. This global setting can be overwritten by Views in the Visibility/Graphics dialog.

Curtain Wall by temper #5

When you have a "clear vision of the dividing lines, or want to design a climbing wall" case. 

Let's start form Lesson #4. You can divide the Faces of a Mass by Planes. These could be Levels and/or Grids, if you want to make it easily constructable, or Reference Planes with no limitation of directions. Just select the Intersects command on the Ribbon, and follow the guidance on the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen. 

You can see the division in different view options. Surface / Pattern / Component

I have seen this problem before, that time we solved the problem, with a non-Revit way. That time, we had to Import a divided face to Revit. Unfortunatelly from the final design it was obliterated...

Sorry János, the image is from Google...

We tried to plot it in 3D, but this is another story: 

11.11.2011 @ Varinex Inc. 

 If you have any further question about Curtain Walls, do not hesitate, ask. That could be the 6^th chapter ;)