Workplanes vs. Levels

[jeddafish]

When do you draw the line with levels? I am thinking (since our current project has too many levels) that a named workplane will work in lieu of some levels, e.g. stair landings, parapets, minor deviations in floor elevation.
How many levels is too many?
Is offsetting walls from a level limiting instead of setting them to an exact level?

--jeff

[Dimitri Harvalias]

I try to avoid too many levels and use them only for 'real' floor levels or structural datums that you want shown on elevetions and sections.
Several methods of organizing levels and avoiding overload.
1 - When creating a level be sure to look at the options bar and check/uncheck the Make Plan View option - only create a floor plan/RCP or other plan view if it is required
2 - I prefer to use offsets from levels for things like landings - fewer levels to keep track of and easier (IMHO) to manage if floor levels change later
3 - use named ref planes for things like parapets where you might have numerous walls relating to that one datum line - that way you can set the top/bottom of wall contraint to the level and control all occurances at once rather than using align and lock or dimensions
4 - if you want to use levels or named ref planes to manage datum lines in your project, create a separate workset for them and make sure the visible by default in all views option is unchecked
5 - levels can only be horizontal, ref planes can be angled so if you want to easily control top of wall locations on sloped walls then use ref planes

[jbalding48677]

I agree with Dimitri, with one exception. When I am doing type V construction (wood framing for those outside the US), I like to have a level that represents the plate line at each level. This is due to that fact that often you are using it as a reference datum and dimensioning to it.

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[jeddafish]

Thanks, I did not realize you could attach walls to ref planes. I see you can use the attach option after the wall is drawn. Is this the only way?
--jeff

[aaronrumple]

Thanks, I did not realize you could attach walls to ref planes. I see you can use the attach option after the wall is drawn. Is this the only way?
--jeff
That is correct - only after the wall is drawn. You can attach to other walls, floors, roofs, levels, ref. planes (I think that's a complete list.)

[jeddafish]

What about columns? Offset from a level only?
--jeff

[Dimitri Harvalias]

One of my pet peeves.. that columns can't be 'attached' to the underside of a slab like walls can. I will generally make columns as continuous elements, from their start level to their finish level and set the top as an offset from the uppermost level. If required I then do a join geometry to clean them up.

You can also create a datum line that is U/S of slab and set the top constraint to that.

[jeddafish]

Thats what I figured. Except we have a sloping roof, so each column has to be calculated to the correct length. Thanks.

[Arnel Aguel]

Thats what I figured. Except we have a sloping roof, so each column has to be calculated to the correct length. Thanks.


This problem can be easily solved if only revit building capability is the same as in revit structure wherein you can trim a column using reference plane. You will just have to create a reference plane along the slope of your roof and trim the column but sadly this is not implemented in revit building.