Levels question

[jmedley]

I am working on my first major project. 3 story motel. I have progressed very well until I started on the third floor. When I created the first floor, I extended the walls dividing units and corridors to the finished ceiling on the third level. Walls that are common only to lobby, breakfast rooms etc. I stoped at the 2nd level floor. This has worked perfectly until I started filling in the blanks on the second level. When I enter the left out common walls and baths for guest rooms and extend walls only to the third level ceiling the baths, as well as the walls are duplicated on the third level. How can I separate the 2nd from the 3rd levels so that I can make handicap rooms (baths) on only one of the floors? Everything except the stairs and elevator shafts are identical.

[LRaiz]

Think construction and model your building accordingly. Exterior walls would typically be 3 stories high. Same for elevator shafts and stair wells. However walls separating various units would not go higher than the floor of a story above. If layouts of units is identical on two levels then copy walls on one level and paste them on different level (or sketch on top of underlayed level below). You can lock walls on two levels to move together if that is what you want. Thinking in terms of real building as opposed to drafted plan views usually helps to make Revit models that behave as you need.

[jmedley]

Thanks for your help. I will try to muddle thru. Can I copy the entire second floor plan to the third level and then eleminate walls that are not common to both floors? I can then change the bath rooms on that level individually by limiting the walls to just that level.

[Henry D]

Yes...
-pick all the walls on the Second Floor you want to copy
-use CTRL+C to copy to clipboard
-go to Third Floor View
-go to Edit and pick Paste Aligned and select Current View
-copied walls will appear on the Third Floor
-delete the walls you don't want

[jmedley]

I am still having major problems. First floor works perfectly. When I draw walls on the second level around baths I try to set them with 2nd floor bottom constraint and finished ceil top constrant. (finished ceiling of third floor)........I drew the first floor with finished ceiling as top constraint for all wall that went completely to the top......After I draw the walls and add fixtures for the baths everything looks good. I go to the third floor and it is identical to the second level. When I return to the second level and remove an idividual bath to convert it to handicap the problems start. It seems all wall are set to the third floor as base constraint. When I change this property to second level they disappear on the second level removing doors etc. If I simply change the configuration it effects both levels. HELP!

[aaronrumple]

"2nd floor bottom constraint and finished ceil top constrant. (finished ceiling of third floor)........"

You have made a wall that is a single object going from the 2nd floor - thru the third to the ceiling of the 3rd.

This is fine if the wall will be *exactly* the same on both floors as you have noticed.

For wall that are unique to each floor (and the recommended beginner approach) make the 2nd floor walls go from 2nd floor to 2nd floor ceiling.

Make the 3rd floor walls go from the 3rd floor to the third floor ceiling.

After all - that is how the contractor will build it.

[jmedley]

THANKS! That's all well and good, but I don't have any ceiling (yet) except the third floor. Can I go back now and add them and change the constraints?

[beegee]

All you need to do for now is to add the levels for the ceiling. You don't need to physically place the ceiling yet.

[aaronrumple]

Don't even need the ceilings if you want to give the wals on the 2nd floor an explicit height. My guess is that the height of these walls won't change during the project. Set them at the future ceiling hight and they should be fine.

[jmedley]

Thanks! I tried add the ceiling line this afternoon and so far, so good. Again thanks to you guys. Your are great.