How to Setup a Revit Model
Either you are working alone or with a team of drafters having an organized Revit model and drawings will build a consistent workflow and efficiency as the project progresses. Below are some simple examples to help you get started on setting a standard for your future projects:
Working View & Coordination View
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Its good practice to have a separate coordination set of plans and sections. With one plan showing an overlay of architectural, mechanical or electrical model and the other set without. It is much easier to go through a drawing where all the text, dimensions and reinforcing are not visible and you can just focus strictly on the main super structure coordination.
A sample photo below comparing the two views:
Coordination View
Working View
Defining your Worksets
When using worksets it is ideal to divide different structures within one model, for example existing structure and new expansion or modification. Another way is to use worksets to separate interior core components with exterior shell components. Its a good rule of thumb for each individual that is responsible for a certain component or structure to have their own individual workset when working with one central model. It gives everyone the option to isolate their own task, while having the option to monitor each others work.
Using Templates & Filters
Templates and Filters are another good way to set specific overrides per drawing view. If you are working on a existing structure or showing different phasing this is one way to isolate each stage of construction within your drawings.
This view shows an existing floor plan with walls below shown dotted and to be removed, existing structure not filtered or over-written.
However in this view shows an existing floor plan, with walls already removed with new beams and shoring. The existing structure which is in its own workset is filtered and over-written to show as grayed out.
Invisible grids for drawing layouts
This is a pretty simple work around from having to eyeball where your plans should be within your title block. Drawing invisible line in your title block family will create consistent aligning when snapping plan views in place.
This can also be applied to blow up or partial plans, but a separate grid system with on and off switch properties/parameters within the title block family should be created.
View or Template naming convention
Organizing your plans, framing elevations, sections and details in will easily let you navigate through your Revit project. Below are some ideas as to how to label your drafting views based on title or drawing location.
Drafting views and Schedule shown in red naming convention shall match the schedule title.
Section or Callout views shown in green naming convention as per section/detail sequence number and drawing number.
Structural Plan views shown in purple naming convention shall be titled per level plus type of phase if applicable
View Templates are used for example when you have a sequence of construction. Here is a sample of Existing Structure template vs New Structure Template for plans and sections.
Naming convention as follows:
[type of view_scale_phase of construction]
For further understanding of Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be found in the external link below;