Just Getting Started

[paulmarshall]

Hello All:

I'm an architect, just getting started with Revit - I mean really *just* getting started. All the information in the "Getting Started" exercise that came with 9.1 went down just fine. :-)

Now I'm trying to move on to some simple projects of my own. I don't seem to be able to rotate anything about the X or Y axis, though. Let's say for example, that we had a beam element with a rectangular section that was to be positioned on a 2:12 pitch. How would one go about creating that?

Thanks very much for any assistance!

Paul

[neb1998]

Paul
Create a reference plane in section parallel to the beam direction.
goto plan, select the ref plane as your new workplane (top left corner) and then draw your beam.

[sbrown]

create your roof first, then use the bottom of it as the workplane. You may want to use the structural tools later in your learning. I would suggest drafting your framing plans on your first revit project, unless you have plenty of time.

[paulmarshall]

Thanks.

By "reference plane" you mean the work plane, correct? I'm not having a problem re-setting the work plane to a vertical axis, but that seems to have no effect on my ability to rotate the beam.

When I go to the plan view, the work plane automatically re-sets to X-Y, so there would be no way to select a vertical work plane in plan - I think (?).

The procedure I was trying to use was to do all of this in the 3D view. First drawing the beam as a "mass", then selecting the work plane as a surface parallel to the desired direction of rotation, then rotating the beam, but it fails to rotate. It will only rotate in the X-Y plane.

Could this be a function of processor speed? I'm working on a laptop.

[paulmarshall]

Also, is the "mass" tool the best way to create the beam itself? I can't seem to figure out how to define a rectangular solid with this tool.

[Scott D Davis]

The Mass tool is used for Building Massing, not for creating building components such as a Beam. To create a component, use Component, then click Create in Place in the Options bar.

But most likely for your case, the beam can be loaded and used from the library, rather than you creating one from scratch. Revit comes with the AISC library included.