View depth vs. Bottom

[Wes Macaulay]

One question I'm often asked and don't seem to have answer is what the difference is between 'Bottom' in the primary range and the View Depth in a plan view.

They seem to do the same thing... so what is the difference? Why would you set them to vary values? So if I set the Bottom to 'Level Below', is it any different than doing the same thing with the View Depth?

Confused I am.

[beegee]

Elements within the boundaries of the primary range ( Top & Bottom clip planes ) are drawn according to their Object Styles category settings.
Objects that are cut display according to their Family Element Visibility settings.

Elements not within the primary range - yet within the View Depth - are drawn using the Beyond line style.

For example, there may be a balcony 2 levels below the current plan view. and below the bottom clip plane.
By setting the View Depth to that level, the balcony would appear using the Beyond line style.
You can change the Beyond line style by selecting Line Styles from the Settings menu.


One question I'm often asked and don't seem to have answer is what the difference is between 'Bottom' in the primary range and the View Depth in a plan view.

They seem to do the same thing... so what is the difference? Why would you set them to vary values? So if I set the Bottom to 'Level Below', is it any different than doing the same thing with the View Depth?

Confused I am.

[aaronrumple]

...also a small item is object selection.

Objects within the primary range will be selected with a window or crossing. Object outside will be ignored. However objects outside can be selected individually.

[Andre Baros]

Wow. That answer helps so much, but the questions was one of those little questions I never got around to asking.
Thanks.

[Tom Dorner]

beegee,

Do you have a similar answer for "ceiling plans"? I'm always fumbling around with settings to get them to display properly. It would be nice to get out of the trial and error mode.

Thanks,

Tom

[bclarch]

Thanks for the clear explanation beegee. Another thread to print and file. This was a murky area for me as well but now I feel that I have a handle on it. The help files never explained it very well (although I haven't checked the 6.1 help file on this issue). Pentheselia, if you are still monitoring this forum, this is an area where the documentation needs tweaking.

[Wes Macaulay]

Yes indeed - thanks beegee, Aaron. That info does need to be documented!

[Scott Hopkins]

Beegee,

Thanks! I think I finally have my arms around that. Prior to your explanation it always seemed like a bit of witchcraft was required to set the view range correctly.

[David Sammons]

View range has always been somewhat puzzling to me but, thanks to you beegee, I finally get it!!

Thank you very much for clearing this up!

Dave S.

[Arnel Aguel]

Beegee that was great explanation thanks.

[Scott D Davis]

An adjustable graphic representation of view range in section/elevation would still be the ultimate solution....

[narlee]

Thanks, Aaron. I never understood that one, either.

[Arnel Aguel]

An adjustable graphic representation of view range in section/elevation would still be the ultimate solution....

Yes please that would be very nice. I can just imagine something like the level line where you can just drag your limits up and down.

[Paul P.]

An adjustable graphic representation of view range in section/elevation would still be the ultimate solution....

Totally agree with this, it makes so much sense. Definitely wish list item.


Paul.

[sbrown]

As for the ceiling plan question, this is a tricky one I still can't figure out why everytime I create a new ceiling plan I see no walls until I change the cut plane from the stock setting 7'-2"? down to 6'8, then the view range set to unlimited or level above, then all is well.

Theres definately some sort of view bug in ceiling plans, I've always been able to get it worked out, but it is strange.

[Tom Dorner]

Scott,

Thanks for confirming that I'm not crazy when it comes to trying to figure out ceiling plans. I have applied beegee's cut plane logic to RCP views knowing that they are looking up from the cut plane and mirrored. I've had better luck recently, but a simpler more graphical way of determining view range and cut plane would be a welcome addition to Revit.

Tom

[SCShell]

Hi there,

Agreed! RCP's are one of Revit's 'little wonders'. No matter how many of these plans I do, I always end up guessing, trial and erroring, tweeking, messing with, yelling at, being surprised by and few other things which I can't say here on this board!!!

I WISH for a graphic method of setting visiibility ranges, much like Elevs and Sections. Heck, even camera perspective views have this kind of "friendlyness"!

That is my 2 cents USD.
Thanks
Steve Shell

[brittany.fortin]

Thanks for the clear explanation beegee. Another thread to print and file. This was a murky area for me as well but now I feel that I have a handle on it. The help files never explained it very well (although I haven't checked the 6.1 help file on this issue). Pentheselia, if you are still monitoring this forum, this is an area where the documentation needs tweaking.
Pentheselia here. We'll take a look at this help topic and try to clarify it a bit before the next release. Thanks for pointing it out to us!