Column Grids--no show in elevations

[cliff collins]

We have a building which is curved in plan--a simple arc-shaped footprint.
Column grids are placed parallel to the radius of the curve, and also in a radial pattern from the centerpoint of the arc which defines the curve, at 13' on center.

The grids all show up in 1st floor plan--both curved and radial.

However, after trying to propogate extents, none of the grids show in exterior elevations.
We have checked to make sure they are set to 3D extents, and they are not associated to any scope boxes.

We suspect this is because the building is curved, and that the elevation tags are not
perpendicular to the view, so the grids do not show in elevation?

If this is true--can anyone confirm, and better yet have a solution?

Any help appreciated .........

[Andre Carvalho]

You are right. Because the grids aren't perpendicular to the view, Revit won't show them.

Andre Carvalho

[psteel]

This has been around for a while now !!!!!!!

Are the factory ever going to fix it in the near future ?

[Scott Womack]

This has been around for a while now !!!!!!!

Are the factory ever going to fix it in the near future ?

OK, Agreed I'd like to see it fixed, somehow, but ask yourself this question, if the grid line is curved, and your section/elevation has any depth to it, Does the column line show up black at one place and smeared gray as it is curving across the depth of field in the view?

Also, you would not be able to dimension to, or from it in your view, because it would not be parallel to anything else in the view.

Just something to think about.

[jeffh]

This has been around for a while now !!!!!!!

Are the factory ever going to fix it in the near future ?

As Scott pointed out I think this is a tough one to fix "correctly". Revit would have to make some kind of assumption as to where exactly to place the grid line when it is not perpendicular to the projection plane. The gridline could appear in literally an infinite number of positions. None of them would be technically "wrong", but I am willing to bet whereever it was chosen to be depicted (where grid touches the building in the front, where the grid touches the projection plane, where the grid touches the back clipping plane, somewhere in-between, etc...) someone would think it should be shown somewhere else. Even giving the user a few options might not get the specific position a user might want it shown.

Tough problem to solve from a user experience standpoint, because every position of the gridline is both right and wrong at the same time (for different users).

[cliff collins]

Jeff,

Agreed--tough problem. But, I'm looking for some way to show grids, other than drawing
lines, which is very anti-BIM. Not all buildings/designs are rectilinear! We have curved shapes on almost all of our projects.

It seems there should be a way for programmers to come up with a solution for this.

For example, if the "blue line" in the elevation tag could be curved? Then grids would show
where cut by it. Or a curved reference/work plane? (Just thinking outloud here, which is usually not a good idea!)

But the point is, I have a $80 Million project, the "best software in the business",
but it can't show grids in my sections and elevations!!

This sounds like a challenge for the Factory--I don't know how much effort has really been given to this, and it has been a known issue for several years--even back before release 4?

Just some feedback form the trenches!

cheers.......

[mrice.47661]

My 2 cents on the subject ...

I was initially frustrated by this "behavior" that Revit exhibits - not showing any column grid lines that are not perpendicular to the view plane, because everyone is so used to seeing things this way from years of CAD drawings. However, once I was forced to deal with the reality of what Revit can do on a particular project with a lot of curved elevations - I actually came to appreciate the "behavior", as it really wasn't a behavior at all, but simply the reality of the physical situation.

When you think about it - you only open up the drawings to confusion and mis-information by implying a grid line exists in a particular view when it doesn't (doesn't matter if the wall is curved in plan, or angled away from the elevation you're representing - the situation is the same in both cases.) Elements that are curved in plan need to be dimensioned in plan, and laid out in plan in the field. Showing a grid line on a curved elevation just for way-finding purposes is likely more trouble than its worth. Granted - I need to make this argument to quite a few people who look at curved elevations and complain that there are no grid lines - so I certainly understand where you're coming from.

Its actually an instance where I thank Revit for making me a little smarter about how we produce documents. I'd suggest the factory focus on more substantial improvements than trying to jury-rig up something that easily can (and arguably should) be gotten by without.

As you suggested, if you really want to show some random grid line on a particular elevation, you could just go ahead and make a simple detail component family that looks like the grid lines.

[Steve_Stafford]

For sections the grid could/should be placed at the cutting plane, keeping in mind the cutting plane isn't placed precisely usually.

For curved situations perhaps a true projection based on the cut plane's "view" of the model.

In either case the grid is either completely arbitrary or relatively arbitrary. In the case of a section of a curved building that is aligned with the center of the arc it isn't arbitrary at all as long as the grid is only displayed at the cutting plane. It gets more difficult when the section cuts portions of the building that don't use the same arc, opposing arcs, offset arcs etc...

The current solution to "do nothing" was probably the most "elegant" solution that could resolve the problems associated with doing "something".

Perhaps another look at the issue would yield new ideas considering most of the time the grids are only being used for "wayfinding".

[cliff collins]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

We will just live with no grids--it is a nebulous issue--admittedly.

I'll let this one go now--we just always seem to have one of these seemingly
"unsolvable" Revit problems!!!

Cheers.....

[mthurnauer]

essentially, what you need is to have a line in elevation that represents the intersection of two grid lines. The line is then representing a point rather than a plane. There is a tutorial at the following link that you might find useful:
http://designreform.net/category/revit-tutorials/

As stated previously, it makes sense that a grid line that is not parallel to the view would not show up. What I would like to see would be the ability to show the intersection of two grid lines and have it 'grid reference' be something like '2-R1' where grid line 2 crosses grid line R1.