Wall patterns

[gsteffen642486]

I need to create a 12"x12" tile pattern on a wall as the exterior surface. I figure it would be easier to 'draw' the lines on an EIFS face rather then creating a tile family member since I don't know how to do that. If I did know how to create a tile, I don't know how to put it on a wall either. (Just giving some indication of where my revit skills are.) Is there a simple way of doing this?

[jessica.146534]

Without knowing how complex your project is, you could use Model Lines to draw the lines on each wall surface (Model Lines are Work Plane based and therefore will show up in all views including 3D views, unlike Detail Lines that are NOT Work Plane based and only show up in the view you draw them in).

If you want to create a new surface pattern for the wall properties, that's pretty easy too. In the Materials Editor, create a new material (or just edit your EIFS material if you want) and under Surface Pattern (click on "Pattern") you can create a new pattern. First click on "Model" under pattern type so it shows up in 3D views. Then click on "new" and another window will open. Click on "crosshatch" at the bottom, set the angle at 90 degrees, and then put in your line spacing (in this case it would be 12" for both Line 1 and Line 2). Name your new pattern and you're good to go. Once the pattern appears on the wall(s), you can select the lines (keep hitting tab until you select one of the grid lines) and then align it however you want.

Either of these methods will work fine as long as you're not looking to render the view, then it gets a little messy and that's beyond on my experience so someone else might need to chime in if you need to render any views.

Hope this helps and if you need any more clarification on any of this, let me know!

[cdatechguy]

Another option is to use wall sweeps (voids)....then besides them showing up in elevations they show in sections and plans too....

EDIT: Nevermind....saw 12' x 12' not 12" x 12"....I would just create a model pattern of 12" x 12" (use the same for ceilings and floor tiles)

[Dimitri Harvalias]

PLEASE save yourself a ton of grief and do not use model lines or any manual 'drafted' solution!
As Jessica suggested, create a new material with a surface pattern that is your 12'' x 12'' grid. Be sure when this pattern is created that it is a MODEL pattern. (Minor correction to your comment Jessica: even if the pattern is not a model pattern it will appear in 3D views it will just be a 'hatch' i.e. it will have the same graphic representation regardless of view scale) Model patterns represent real world units and will allow you to align and move the lines in elevation to place the pattern where you want.
The surface pattern lines will not appear in renderings but when you define your material the image map of your tile should take care of that.