Show Hidden Lines process

[JohnASB]

So what am I missing here?:?

Using the Show Hidden Lines tool for the first time.

So you pick the object that is hiding the object in question,
but then how do you pick the object to be displayed as hidden lines if it is behind the aforementioned object? Say a stair behind a wall in elevation view.

[Teresa.Martin]

Dear John;
You may find it easier to use the tool if you switch to wire frame vs. hidden line or shaded with edges in the model graphics on the view properties toolbar. You can also put your mouse over it and hit tab to tab through your selections.
I hope this helps!
Best regards and good evening.
Teresa Martin
Senior Application Specialist
Ideate Inc.

[Teresa.Martin]

Ps. John, I used to live in Santa Barbara! What a great city! Is the Sojourner restaurant still there?
Best regards,
Teresa

[JohnASB]

Teresa,

Thanks for the tip. Dumfounding how one can't make a connection sometimes. I just never use wireframe, finding I could do everthing with Hide Object; until now (couldn't tab to it in hidden line mode).

Santa Barbara and the Sojourner are still here, right were you left them. Our office is 2 blocks away so we go there often, always a favorite.

Were did you get off to? Did you work in an architectural office here?
(or PM if you want to hear more)

Regards,
John

[ford347]

Just a side note to this tool. If you are using this in a structural view, the tools aren't availiable in the 'tools' menu. But if you go to your view properties, change it to coordination or architectural, use the tool, then you can change it back to structural and it will retain the hidden lines that you just assigned to it. Just a tip as I ran into this for the first time and finally made the connection to the view type.


Josh

[ekneer]

I've been struggling with this process as well. Why in the world would they make the Hidden Lines command inaccessible in the Structural Discipline view? Do they think we don't use hidden lines?

Also, I cannot get a hidden line to show for an element under two layers of structure.

Example: I have a 12" concrete basement wall that runs north south. on the east side of the wall is a 12" thick slab. on the west is a 5" slab. The edges of both the 5" slab and 12" slab occur along the west side of the wall so that the 12" slab rests entirely on top of the wall below. In plan view, the east edge of the wall appears as hidden, but I cannot get the west edge of the wall below to appear dashed unless I move both slab edges to the centerline of the wall (then only putting one "layer" of structure between the plan view and the wall below). But if I do that, then my section looks wrong.

Very frustrating. Anyone else have this problem?

[bclarch]

Also, I cannot get a hidden line to show for an element under two layers of structure.
Erik,
I don't think the issue has to do with the fact that there are two slabs. If I understand the situation correctly, the edges of both slabs line up directly over the face of the foundation wall. The dashed hidden line is probably being covered up by the solid slab edge lines. Try using the linework tool to change the slab edges to the hidden line type. This might take a number of picks since there are 6 lines stacked on top of each other in that location.

[ekneer]

Hi Robert,

Thanks for responding to the question. Unfortunately, there is no solid line covering up the dashed line. In fact, there are no lines showing the edge of the slabs (unless you go into sketch mode and show them there). Even when you roll over the slab to select it, the edge that runs parallel with the wall below does not appear.

And after troubleshooting the problem, if I align the slabs at the centerline of the wall (so that there is only one layer of structure between the plan view and the wall below), then the wall below appears dashed correctly.

The problem with this is then the section is incorrect. So I figured this was the perfect application of the Show Hidden Lines command, (which again for whatever reason is disabled in the Structural Discipline view type) but I can't get it to work even after I change the view type to Architectural (the command is enabled, but it won't show the wall dashed below the two slab edges).

Any other ideas?

[bclarch]

Hi Robert,
The problem with this is then the section is incorrect.
Any other ideas?
You could adjust the slabs to the centerline of the wall and then change the slabs in section to align with the wall using the "edit cut profile" command. Not an elegant solution, but I think that it will allow you to get the look that you want. You just have to remember to make the same adjustment to any sections that cross through this area.

[ekneer]

You could adjust the slabs to the centerline of the wall and then change the slabs in section to align with the wall using the "edit cut profile" command. Not an elegant solution, but I think that it will allow you to get the look that you want. You just have to remember to make the same adjustment to any sections that cross through this area.

Thanks for the idea Robert. That could definitely work, but there already seem to be 1000 other work-arounds that I have to remember to do when using REVIT, and I think I was hoping for a true solution to the issue rather than another work around.

But it's a good idea, and we will certainly resort to doing that if we have too. I'm just reaching a pretty high frustration point with putting a set of drawings together using REVIT. I've done the training and have been using REVIT for almost a year now, feel like I'm fairly competent with the program, and am wondering when it is going to get easier? Seems like we just keep coming up with "tricks" to get the program to do what we need it to (sometimes with marginally passable results), and I'm questioning whether it's worth all the effort at this point.

Thanks for all the ideas. Keep them coming. Cheers,