Closed loop

[cccm1863]

I am finding it hard to find examples of how to turn 4 walls (a basic rectangle) into a closed loop so I can do a roof by footprint. The help sections mention closed loop all the time but really don't explain how to go about doing it in detail form

[aaronrumple]

It is not the 4 walls that need to be a closed loop, but the magenta sketch lines you are drawing to create the footprint. Look at the corners - you'll probably find that one of the corners is not closed.

If you used pick walls, then you probably have one sketch line on the outside of the structural core and another on the inside of the structural core.

[cccm1863]

I used pick walls.
How do you close the corners when creating a foot print. Please explain procedure as I am inexperienced.

[gregcashen]

Look in the help under the trim command. This should help you. Even better, when picking your walls, hold the tab key and it will pick all walls at the same time, leaving no gaps.

[Scott D Davis]

Once you pick the four walls, the intersections of the sketch lines should clean up automatically, and should close automatically. If for some reason they don't, use the Trim tool to trim the lines at their intersections.

Here's the fast way:

1. Draw the four walls either with the Rectangle tool, or the Line tool with Chain selected.

2. Select the Roof tool, and then the Roof by Footprint option.

3. Hoover over one of the walls (it will pre-highlight), and hit the Tab key. The four connected walls will pre-highlight. Select all four highlighted walls at once by left-clicking.

4. Four magenta Sketch lines will appear on the walls. No futher clean up or 'closing' of the lines is necessary. You can now Finish the Sketch to create your roof.

[cccm1863]

The last trick worked ok for a hip roof but I need to pick two walls to do a gable and it keeps saying that the ends of the two walls must be in closed loops. I dont think I am getting this concept to well

[aaronrumple]

A loop is a series of lines that:

1. Do not cross.
2. Do not overlap.
3. Touch end-to-end.

You can't always use just pick walls for more complex shapes. Sometimes you have to draw and edit the drafting. Use the trim tool to edit existing magenta sketch lines. Or use the lines too to draw new ones.

This type of sketching in Revit is fundamental to many of its tools. I suggest you look at the help files and get a solid understanding of this.

[gregcashen]

could you post file and/or screen shot please...?

[Scott D Davis]

When you pick the four walls (which you must do to create the closed loop) each magenta sketch line will have an angle symbol next to them. This shows that the roof sketch lines are Slope Defining. If you leave all four lines as slope defining, and finish the sketch, you will get a hip roof. If you select the two opposing sketch lines and either 1) uncheck the Defines Slope checkbox in the options bar or 2) select both lines, go to Properties, uncheck Defines Slope, and then finish the sketch, you will get a gable roof.

I hope this makes sense. I would like to suggest that you run through all of the tutorials that come with Revit, and they will really help you to understand the program and how it works.

[cccm1863]

I went through the metric roof tutorial in Revit 6.0. I got it know.

Thanks to everyone

[cccm1863]

Can the tails of the rafters be omitted in a partial section of a wall. Eg. The tails go through the house over a bearing wall. Does this situation clear itself up when joining roofs together.