Shaft "X" annotation automation

[patricks]

SOLVED! The attached family creates an array of model lines in the shaft. Specify L,W,H of shaft and the density of the array and you're done

Also won't work if you have varying floor-to-floor heights.

[Steve_Stafford]

Also don't need an array of model lines. If there are model lines (or symbolic/detail) and an invisible line that can extend however high the shaft space extends Revit will show the lines as long as the invisible line passes through the level's cut plane.

Regardless the symbolic lines in a shaft are the intended, built on purpose for it route.

[damon.sidel]

Just a follow up since I started this thread over a year ago: we used the shaft tool with symbolic lines very successfully. Locking the ends of symbolic lines to the corners of the shaft outline worked most of the time (you and your team have to be diligent to not break this restraint). We didn't happen to need rooms for calculations, so just the graphic "X" was enough. That worked on vertical shafts that don't change sizes. We had a number of shafts that shifted every few floors (the tower slopes) that we had to just draw detail lines on the plans. Yuck. As for Steve's invisible line trick in families...

Also don't need an array of model lines. If there are model lines (or symbolic/detail) and an invisible line that can extend however high the shaft space extends Revit will show the lines as long as the invisible line passes through the level's cut plane.

I've used this trick for two purposes and it works very well:

1. Elevators in order to have a consistent instance Mark tag all the way up. I created a family with a vertical, invisible line that has a height parameter (and could have an "X" of symbolic lines or the "X" can show up in the shaft that cuts the floors).
2. Balconies in order to show overhead lines on plans. On a high-rise we had hundreds of balconies with only a few balcony types but the shifted position all over the facade. I created a family of the whole balcony and had a vertical invisible line going down one level. Then I could have the outline of the balcony as symbolic hidden lines so they showed up as overhead on the plans.

I'm sure there are other good uses for this trick. I've considered creating canopies as families for the automatic overhead lines in plan, but each seems to be unique, so it is easier to use Revit system families like roofs and structural framing.

That's the update!

[Steve_Stafford]

...We had a number of shafts that shifted every few floors (the tower slopes) that we had to just draw detail lines on the plans. Yuck...

A shaft doesn't have to span multiple floors (just adjust the limits) so you can use one for a single floor and use symbolic lines within the sketch. The advantage is that you create and put the "X" in once...it'll show up everywhere it is visible. No need to do the detail line bit in more than one view.

[damon.sidel]

A shaft doesn't have to span multiple floors (just adjust the limits) so you can use one for a single floor and use symbolic lines within the sketch. The advantage is that you create and put the "X" in once...it'll show up everywhere it is visible. No need to do the detail line bit in more than one view.

True, but it is a 70 story tower and the it was different on every two floors! It seemed easier just to draw it on the appropriate plans. Maybe that was short-sighted.

[Steve_Stafford]

Well if you had to draw the detail lines more than once for a given floor...the shaft would have saved you a few clicks. I'm sure you might not have noticed getting those clicks "back" given the complexity of a 70 storey building though.