override all materials

[Bryan Thatcher]

I've asked a similar question before. I'm trying to find a way to basically turn the building to glass. I need to visually check for conflicts. I find it difficult to really see what’s going on inside a model. Any ideas? Thanks

[cliff collins]

One way would be:

Do a Save-As of your model, and Detach from Central.

Then, you will need to select all walls-and change them to a new wall type called "generic transparent wall"--give the new wall a transparent/glass material.

Same for roofs.

Another way would be to set up a 3d view, called "3d transparent"
Then, in your wall and roof categories, override the materials to a glass or transparent material?

Is this what you are after ?

cheers..........................

[Bryan Thatcher]

I'm trying your 2nd idea and i'm not sure how to override the textures in just one view.

[cporter.207875]

I'm trying your 2nd idea and i'm not sure how to override the textures in just one view.

There is a transparency option in your Visibility/Graphics dialogue. Check that box for wall, floor, and roof categories.

You can't edit the material for categories at the view level. This would be done through the object styles dialogue, which would affect categories project-wide.

[swalton240189]

You could use a phase filter to basically set the material override of new and existing to be some glass-like material then when you're done just set those back to whatever they were.

[jeffh]

You could use a phase filter to basically set the material override of new and existing to be some glass-like material then when you're done just set those back to whatever they were.

This was what I was going to suggest.

[cporter.207875]

You could use a phase filter to basically set the material override of new and existing to be some glass-like material then when you're done just set those back to whatever they were.

This would work, but it might be easier to set-up a filter that simply turns off surface patterns and makes selected categories transparent for the same effect. This way you could just "flip the switch" whenever you want to visually check for conflicts, without having to modify your project phase settings each time.

[cliff collins]

If you get this working, can you post an example, and describe how you did it?

Could be turned into a useful "x-ray view" view template or ( Jeff ? )
perhaps a new feature in future Revit releases?

BTW--the new conceptual massing tools have just this sort of x-ray view built in.

cheers.........

[twiceroadsfool]

You can "flip the switch" with a Phase Filter too... And it will be much safer.

If you "Flip the switch" to control VG settings by catagory, with a view template, then you have no guarantee to get that view back exactly how it was before, unless it was ENTIRELY driven by another existing view template. If youve made any VIEW specific changes to the VG, youre going to wipe them out using a VT that way.

If you "flip the switch" with a View Filter it works, but you have to add the Filter to every view that you want to see the "see through" mode in. Not a huge deal, but since Overrides by Filter are view specific you would have to go VG: Filter tab, add filter, select the filter, check the transparent box and wipe out patterns, and hit apply. You could make a VT to control the filters.... But see above paragraph.

Or, you can use Phase Filters to "flip the switch." This is (of course) assuming that you dont use any "Overridden" settings for New construction, in the Graphical Overrides. If you dont, then you make their "Overriden" setting the semi transparent material with no surface pattern. It wont effect your condocs since they typically use "Show previous and New" which is set to show New Construction by Catagory. Make a new phase filter and call it "Show new see through" and set that New Construction to overriden.

Now, in every view, you simply go to VP, leave the phase on its setting, and switch the phase filter to "Show new see through."

[cporter.207875]

You can "flip the switch" with a Phase Filter too... And it will be much safer.

If you "Flip the switch" to control VG settings by catagory, with a view template, then you have no guarantee to get that view back exactly how it was before, unless it was ENTIRELY driven by another existing view template. If youve made any VIEW specific changes to the VG, youre going to wipe them out using a VT that way.

If you "flip the switch" with a View Filter it works, but you have to add the Filter to every view that you want to see the "see through" mode in. Not a huge deal, but since Overrides by Filter are view specific you would have to go VG: Filter tab, add filter, select the filter, check the transparent box and wipe out patterns, and hit apply. You could make a VT to control the filters.... But see above paragraph.

Or, you can use Phase Filters to "flip the switch." This is (of course) assuming that you dont use any "Overridden" settings for New construction, in the Graphical Overrides. If you dont, then you make their "Overriden" setting the semi transparent material with no surface pattern. It wont effect your condocs since they typically use "Show previous and New" which is set to show New Construction by Catagory. Make a new phase filter and call it "Show new see through" and set that New Construction to overriden.

Now, in every view, you simply go to VP, leave the phase on its setting, and switch the phase filter to "Show new see through."

Point taken. I was assuming you would have a view designated for interference checking. I never use my con doc views for coordination, and I have view templates set-up for the most frequent coordination tasks I do during a project. For example, if I am cutting a section to check for duct clearance above a ceiling, I immediately apply a filter to the section so that the view only has to generate the necessary graphics for that task. This saves me a lot of thumb-twiddling on large projects. Obviously, this type of thing can get out of hand if you create a new view template for every minor v/g tweak. I only do it for common tasks. Interference checking is one of those tasks, so the view template works well for me in that regard.

[twiceroadsfool]

Understood... I use VT's much the same way. Sometimes you cant see everything in one view though. A project spanning a few hundred thousand SF, one 3D view is rarely enough to see it all.

Sometimes its nice during a meeting to set a camera somewhere, and want to talk about systems running through walls and whatnot. I suppose you can do it either way, i just light the one click of the Phase Filter to set it back and forth.

I suppose if you like the View template... You could view template the Phase Filter setting too. :)

[cporter.207875]

Sometimes its nice during a meeting to set a camera somewhere, and want to talk about systems running through walls and whatnot. I suppose you can do it either way, i just light the one click of the Phase Filter to set it back and forth.


In this case I would have to agree. When flipping back and forth in front of a client (or even a boss), it would be nice to have that phase filter option available. We don't use overrides for "New" status in any of our standard phase filters.

[twiceroadsfool]

We do not as well, so it works wonderfully.

When we WANT new stuff overridden, for things like presentations, we go your route of View Templates... Since for presentations a Phase wide override is too general (poche on toilets, LOL).

[jeffh]

Could be turned into a useful "x-ray view" view template or ( Jeff ? )
perhaps a new feature in future Revit releases?


I am a writer/Subject Matter Expert, NOT a product designer. I can pass it along though. ;-)

[cliff collins]

Thanks, Jeff---just trying to "improve the product" from down here in the Revit trenches,
any way we can get it!

cheers...........