Dimension in Revit MEP

[Happyunited]

Hi,

I have drew a tank as a family and imported it into a project. I have set up my sheet etc and now I want to add dimensions but I'm having problems. I am try to dim up the thickness at the top of a wall but it will only let me snap to one side of the wall (attached image).

This happens in a number of places. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

[Jrobker]

The two sides being dimensioned must be parallel.

[Happyunited]

The two sides being dimensioned must be parallel.

Sorry for sounding stupid but what do you mean? I have drew this on my family its a pretty straight forward wall that tapers from 750 at the base up to 300 at the top. the 300 at the top wont let me dim but the 750 base will. How does that work?

Thanks for your reply.

[Jrobker]

The sides of your tapered wall aren't parallel. Once you initiate the dimension tool it sees the angle of the initial side picked and then takes that angle. When you go to the other side of the wall the Revit dimension doesn't even see that as a plane, so you can't pick it.

If you can dimension the one side (750) but not the other Revit must see the intersection as a point, rather than the face or you have a small portion of that wall that is parallel.

See if you can tab over the intersections while in dimension and get a point rather than a face.

Bottom line is if they're not parallel than you won't be able to dim.

[Happyunited]

The sides of your tapered wall aren't parallel. Once you initiate the dimension tool it sees the angle of the initial side picked and then takes that angle. When you go to the other side of the wall the Revit dimension doesn't even see that as a plane, so you can't pick it.

If you can dimension the one side (750) but not the other Revit must see the intersection as a point, rather than the face or you have a small portion of that wall that is parallel.

See if you can tab over the intersections while in dimension and get a point rather than a face.

Bottom line is if they're not parallel than you won't be able to dim.

Thank you for your post.

I tried the tab option but that didn't work either.

In the Family when I have drew this structure I can draw a section line and dimension everything with no problems at all but once this family is imported into my project the problems start.

There is one wall which is 500 wide I have checked it several times in the family but when I go to dimension it up in the project it comes out at 502 :( Is there something in my project that would be causing this?

Also if I draw a pipe the edges are all rough (see attached image) but it prints OK (thankfully). If I draw some pipes in a new project they are perfect with no rough edges.

Again is there something I am doing wrong in my project that is causing this to happen? it's very frustrating.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[Happyunited]

Oh I'm having aq nightmare here. I never thought that in Revit drawing up the sturtures would be the easy part and dims would prove so much difficulty.

I have just drawn a new section perpendictular to a tank. The top of the wall is 300mm wide - I have checked this several times in the family and have even re-drew it but yet when I come to dimension it up (see attached) it is coming out as 323!!!!! :shock:

What on earth is causing this??

Also if I select the outside wall (to the left) thats a 300 thick wall with no tapers but yet when selected it is showing some other lines in the background?

The worst of it is I have to export these files to dwg to send as an issue and these dims are all over the place :cry::cry:

If it helps I will upload the project/Family for you.

Thanks again.

[Jrobker]

About 99.9% of using revit is tricking it with workarounds. You might have to use dimensioned detail lines.
Try this...
In section draw 2 detail lines from the intersection of the 300mm wall and dimension those details lines. Do you get the same 323 result?

[Happyunited]

About 99.9% of using revit is tricking it with workarounds. You might have to use dimensioned detail lines.
Try this...
In section draw 2 detail lines from the intersection of the 300mm wall and dimension those details lines. Do you get the same 323 result?

Thank you so much for your quick reply.

I have self taugh myself Revit MEP in the last 2 months and at times I have had to use detail lines to draw over structures and then dim up from them - surly I don't have to do that everytime do I?

Anyway here is what you asked me to do and it still comes out at 323......

[Jrobker]

It doesn't look like either the detail lines or the the dimensions are picking the correct points on your family, like they're shifted to the right.

Why don't you upload the family and I'll take a look and try dimensioning myself.

[Happyunited]

It doesn't look like either the detail lines or the the dimensions are picking the correct points on your family, like they're shifted to the right.

Why don't you upload the family and I'll take a look and try dimensioning myself.

Could it be something to do with my section line or the plan view that its drawn on?

The family is attached.

Thanks again for your effort.

[Jrobker]

Well..
I opened the family everything checks out.
I loaded it into a project, looked at a section and was able to dimension the two ends.
I opened an elevation and was able to dimension as well <see image>
I could dimension the top with just the intersection points but the bottom I had to draw detail lines.

Not sure what to tell you.
Make sure that everything is square in relationship to your views.

[Happyunited]

Well..
I opened the family everything checks out.
I loaded it into a project, looked at a section and was able to dimension the two ends.
I opened an elevation and was able to dimension as well <see image>
I could dimension the top with just the intersection points but the bottom I had to draw detail lines.

Not sure what to tell you.
Make sure that everything is square in relationship to your views.

That last bit - could you take a look at the project (attached - edit it zipps at 16.1mb so I cant upload) and see if I have it square or not as I'm not 100% sure what you mean.

The tank had to be positioned at the correct co-ords so it had to be rotated.

So is it perfectly normal to use detail lines to 'cheat' for dims in Revit?

Once again thanks very much for your help.

[Jrobker]

So is it perfectly normal to use detail lines to 'cheat' for dims in Revit?

Mastering Revit requires cheats.



The tank had to be positioned at the correct co-ords so it had to be rotated.

Your section needs to be at the EXACT SAME angle as your tank even if it's to the thousandth decimal...exact. The view MUST be parallel to what your working on.

[Happyunited]

Here is the Project.

The problem section is the one titled 162 DETAIL 'WEIR'.

I'm pretty sure the secton is aligned to the view but could you check please?

[Jrobker]

Well that is the strangest thing (well strange in Revit is normal).
I can dimension fine in plan. I can dimension fine in the family.
I cannot dimension at all in that section or a newly created section.
If i create a detail line from the intersections and draw it up, they bounce (http://screencast.com/t/c1ibJBt3) around left to right if I zoom in and out, so there is no defining point of that intersection.
It has to do with non-coplanar planes. Those 2 sides of your walls are at different angles and on top of that you said you've rotated the family.

You're going to have to fake it in instances such as that.

Another interesting test I checked was the category. You've modeled this in the generic template. If I change the category to mechanical equipment I can move the dimensions and create new ones and it will work--->watch this (http://screencast.com/t/h453uex7cDJh).
I cannot do this if it is on the generic category.

It's just another Revit oddity.

[Happyunited]

Well that is the strangest thing (well strange in Revit is normal).
I can dimension fine in plan. I can dimension fine in the family.
I cannot dimension at all in that section or a newly created section.
If i create a detail line from the intersections and draw it up, they bounce (http://screencast.com/t/c1ibJBt3) around left to right if I zoom in and out, so there is no defining point of that intersection.
It has to do with non-coplanar planes. Those 2 sides of your walls are at different angles and on top of that you said you've rotated the family.

You're going to have to fake it in instances such as that.

Another interesting test I checked was the category. You've modeled this in the generic template. If I change the category to mechanical equipment I can move the dimensions and create new ones and it will work--->watch this (http://screencast.com/t/h453uex7cDJh).
I cannot do this if it is on the generic category.

It's just another Revit oddity.

You're a superstar.

So was I wrong to draw them in the 'generic model'? are you saying switching them to mechanical and re-loading them into my project solves the problem?

Just one other thing how does the pipes display for you in the views especially 3D view? I posted a print screen of a 3D view where it showed all the pipes a bit odd like they were jagged.

I'm home for the weekend but will have a look at this tomorrow as I have the model saved locally.

I like your video - very smart :)

[Jrobker]

So was I wrong to draw them in the 'generic model'? are you saying switching them to mechanical and re-loading them into my project solves the problem?

Yes that's what I'm saying and no you're not wrong about the category. Revit is. There are FAR too many glitches and bugs in this software and dealing with problems such as yours, lets us find them by trying to figure out whats going on.


Just one other thing how does the pipes display for you in the views especially 3D view? I posted a print screen of a 3D view where it showed all the pipes a bit odd like they were jagged.

It's looks exactly the same (See image).
Pretty pathetic for a 3D environment software huh?

[Happyunited]

Changing from Generic to Mech seems to have done the trick - thanks very much.

But that in trun has created a few issues....

My sections no longer display as true sections - they all display as an elevation and are showing stuff that isn't even in the section view. This has only happened since I switched to Mech. What am I doing wrong?

Secondly my tank has now turned green in my project. How do I change that colour?

Thanks again.

[Jrobker]

My sections no longer display as true sections - they all display as an elevation and are showing stuff that isn't even in the section view. This has only happened since I switched to Mech. What am I doing wrong?

As long as your far clip offset in your section is correct than I have no idea why your sections would show through the entire tank. Make sure you check the box "cut with voids" when you change the category to Mechanical. maybe you're seeing the void lines. I don't know. I just looked at it and it looks fine on my machine.


Secondly my tank has now turned green in my project. How do I change that colour?

You need to start with Object styles. See if the Mechanical Equipment category has green applied to it.... No, go to the model categories of the view does it have green for mechanical equipment...No, go to the filters dialog. Is there a filter in there that is changing it to green.... No


What am I doing wrong?

You....Nothing, it's the fact you're using revit:)

[Happyunited]

As long as your far clip offset in your section is correct than I have no idea why your sections would show through the entire tank. Make sure you check the box "cut with voids" when you change the category to Mechanical. maybe you're seeing the void lines. I don't know. I just looked at it and it looks fine on my machine.



You need to start with Object styles. See if the Mechanical Equipment category has green applied to it.... No, go to the model categories of the view does it have green for mechanical equipment...No, go to the filters dialog. Is there a filter in there that is changing it to green.... No



You....Nothing, it's the fact you're using revit:)

The highlighted bit - where do I find that?

Thanks once again for your reply.

[Happyunited]

This is a tank I can demonstrate the problem with.

The section I have drawn is straight through the middle of the tank. If I put family cat. as anything but Mechanical Equipment the section displays as it should. When I change it to Mech Equipment (which I want it to be to dimension etc) it just shows all the sections no matter where I draw them as elevations.

:(

[Happyunited]

Update**

I just had a play with a new family and changing the type from generic to Mechanical and the problem is the same. I don't know if it's some setting I'm not using but I can't get a mechanical element to cut the section - the section always displays as an elevation.