The world is not parallel !!!!!

[WolffG]

It is an unending source of frustration that Revit can't dimension except parallel objects. Dimensioning a building to a property line is the most glaring problem. I usually end up drawing a little intersecting line through the P.L. and dimension to that. What a pain.

While I'm on a rant.......rooms and buildings are not the only areas we need to measure. Is there any way to unlink the area tool from building components to measure the area of other things?

[David Haynes]

Have you used the aligned option of dimensioning that is available in Revit 8.1? This has solved most of my problems with dimensioning.

What are you trying to measure the area of? This may help us give you a workaround.

Hope this helps.

[WolffG]

Area measurements of almost anything: Parking lots, detention ponds, project sites, playgrounds, roof areas, ....just about anything that takes up space and needs a take-off.

Thanks for the pointer on aligned dimensions..

[sfaust]

You can make area plans and just draw lines anywhere you want instead of picking area boundaries. This will let you do anything in plan.

For actual elements, walls, floors, and roofs have an area parameter that can be scheduled, or you can pick the object, go to properties, and get the area of it. For things like doors and windows, you can make another parameter called "area" that is "widthxheight" or whatever. Not an idea solution, but it works.

It would be nice to have something like the tape measure tool for areas, though...

[dfriesen]

It is an unending source of frustration that Revit can't dimension except parallel objects. Dimensioning a building to a property line is the most glaring problem. I usually end up drawing a little intersecting line through the P.L. and dimension to that. What a pain.
By definition, the distance between a building and a non-parallel property line is constantly varying. You can, however, dimension between a wall and the end point of the property line. Place the dimension line on the wall first, then hover over the endpoint of the P.L., and you'll see a little grip that you can select.

[Joef]

Revit has no tool for getting an area in elevation. I wish someone at the factory would explain how they imagined getting this information using the tools they have provided. If I didn't have AutoCAD I would not be able to produce an unprotected opening calculation. Since this is mainly a requirement of residential designers I have a feeling that the factory is unlikely to provide such a tool in the near future. The 100 seat architectural offices have the clout to get the tools they need.

[patricks]

The Area field under Element Properties takes into account the openings in the wall.

I drew a wall 12 ft. long and 12 ft. high. In properties it listed the area as 144 s.f. When I inserted a door, the area of the wall updated to reflect the area subtracted by the door. For a 3-0 x 7-0 door w/ 2" frame and 4" head, the wall area updated to 119.xx s.f.

[Joef]

Unprotected opening calcs require the area of the face of a building from grade to highest ceiling. How does your wall know where the grade is?