Filter Annotation visability?

[Jim Merritt]

It appears Revit does not allow the filtering of annotation and styles on annotations under Visibility/Graphics Overrides?

Coming from AutoCAD and layers, I would set room names to a particular layer then turn them on/off in various views. I would also have multiple layers for dimensions so I could, say turn on overall dimensions and turn off dimensions to windows/doors/interior walls.

It doesn't make sense to me to copy a plan without detailing, then duplicate the effort of adding room names and overall dimensions. Ideally, I would like to be able to control the viability of annotations not only by family name but also family types.

Has anyone found ways to do the above without recreating annotations? Thanks for any help!

--Jim

[dhurtubise]

Use Duplicate with Detailing, that will copy the annotation

[Jim Merritt]

Right, but I only want to see some of the detailing; not all of it. And I can't just turn off a catagory like dimensions because I need to add dimensions to other object in the new plan.

--Jim

[iru69]

You've hit on an interesting topic that has been discussed a number of times over the years.

Revit doesn't exactly allow you to do what you want to do. This is by design.

The good news is that this is one of those issues that in my experience hits users transitioning from AutoCAD the hardest... that is to say that this is more of a work-flow issue as a result of being used to AutoCAD. I can understand if that's not very satisfying at the moment, but give it time. You'll become comfortable with duplicating views with detailing and simply erasing the notes, tags and dimensions you don't need.

Also, you can "hide" individual elements in a view (including text and dimensions) by selecting them and right-click > Hide in View > Elements. There's unfortunately no easy way to flip select elements on and off that I'm aware of - maybe that's one for the wishlist.


It appears Revit does not allow the filtering of annotation and styles on annotations under Visibility/Graphics Overrides?

[Dimitri Harvalias]

You have two choices when duplicating views. If the number of view specific elements you need in the new view outnumbers the ones you don't need you can duplicate with detailing and then erase what's unecessary. If you need fewer you can always duplicate and then copy the required elements from one view to another.
With window selection and filtering of selected elements it is very quick to choose what you need and what you don't and simply copy/paste aligned to the new view. This works even if the new views are a different scale.

[Jim Merritt]

I didn't realize I could duplicate with detailing and delete items; I was thinking the detailing was linked to the other view and if you deleted it in the copy, it would delete in the original. I guess this would only be the case for dependent views then.

I have been liking everything I've been discovering about Revit as we implement it, until now. I can't imagine it is by design that you don't have filters for annotations. It seems like a big lack in control in the program. I don't mind loosing layers as long as I have the tools to replace them based on objects. I think I read filters (under VV) were just added on the version 9 release. I will hope 2009 has some improvements to it.

Now that I think of it, this may be a good test for the Revit API to write a program that copies room names and overall dimensions from a floor plan to electrical, low-voltage, plumbing, and other plan views.

--Jim

[aaronrumple]

...I can't imagine it is by design that you don't have filters for annotations. It seems like a big lack in control in the program. I don't mind loosing layers as long as I have the tools to replace them based on objects. I think I read filters (under VV) were just added on the version 9 release. I will hope 2009 has some improvements to it.

Now that I think of it, this may be a good test for the Revit API to write a program that copies room names and overall dimensions from a floor plan to electrical, low-voltage, plumbing, and other plan views.

--Jim

It is by design. Since all detail and annotation is specific to one view, there is no need to ever turn on or off this information. What you see is what you get. If you are turning things off, plotting, then turning things on and plotting - you just ain't using Revit in the most efficient way.

You don't need the API to copy room tags from one plan to another. Revit has that covered. Simply find a view with the tags. Select all the tags (use the filter tool to make this quick of course.) Edit > Copy > Edit Paste Aligned > Select Views by Name. Done. Adjust the position of the tags to make the drawing pretty if desired.

The same works for dimensions and all other detail information.

The only annotation objects or details you should ever need to turn off or hide are grids, levels, maybe some model lines - but not often. And if they clutter your screen - ref. planes - but they don't print. Otherwise anotation and detail is always on everywhere. If it shouldn't be in a particular view you simply delete it. This makes QA/QC a lot faster. Yuo just don't need those old fashion tools that AutoCAD had.

[iru69]

Just to make sure there isn't too much confusion to others following along, "Filters" was introduced in v9. I don't believe Filters allows for text/dimensions/tags. The "Filter Selection" tool (on the toolbar) is a totally separate and different tool.

The drawback of the Filter Selection tool (as it applies in this discussion) is that, as far as I know, it doesn't distinguish between different text styles and dimension styles. It would be nice if there was a checkbox in the Filter Selection dialog box that allowed for separating these out.

[aaronrumple]

The drawback of the Filter Selection tool (as it applies in this discussion) is that, as far as I know, it doesn't distinguish between different text styles and dimension styles. It would be nice if there was a checkbox in the Filter Selection dialog box that allowed for separating these out.

It doesn't. But you can easily do this sort of selection. Right click over the style you want. Select All Instances. (Note that this will get all things of that sort in the whole project - not just this view.) Temporary Isolate. Window Items. Copy. Reset Temporary Isolate.

[Jim Merritt]

It is by design. Since all detail and annotation is specific to one view, there is no need to ever turn on or off this information. What you see is what you get. If you are turning things off, plotting, then turning things on and plotting - you just ain't using Revit in the most efficient way.

You don't need the API to copy room tags from one plan to another. Revit has that covered. Simply find a view with the tags. Select all the tags (use the filter tool to make this quick of course.) Edit > Copy > Edit Paste Aligned > Select Views by Name. Done. Adjust the position of the tags to make the drawing pretty if desired.

I don't disagree that it is how things are currently done with Revit, though I can't accept the duplication of effort. I need some detail items to show up on multiple sheets. In the world I work, the production facility that builds the houses (when at max capacity) can burn through a 6000 square foot house in less than a week and are asking for the next house before they even start this one. That is one facility. Automation in detailing is key to not having a Architecture/Design/Drafting/Mechanical/Engineering team larger than the production facility employees.

Revit is just starting (in the last number of years) to move beyond the world of just Architecture and the only reason I'm implementing it is because they are beginning to have the tools I need to automate and produce in a timely fashion. I expect more of Autodesk.

Regards,
--Jim

[twiceroadsfool]

Jim-

the more you get in to Revit, you find that "automation in detailing" is extremely mutually exclusive with simply copying annotations from one view to another. Intelligent objects with data, Live updating annotations that you dont have to chase throughout a project, schedules you never have to touch, Fire rating and life safety plans you dont even have to draft, etc... There are hundreds of ways revit completely OWNS standard CAD in terms of automating the industry... basically its the reason i use it.

And thats before you even get in to all the detailing and tagging and notating that you can do to components in your library to cut down on production time... months before they ever have to get in to a project.

Believe me, once you see and really get comfortable with what it will do to automate your process, youll laugh at the frustration of wanting to "copy annotations..."

[Jim Merritt]

I do understand much of what you said that Revit just does for you, and that certainly was a key factor in switching applications. For some folks like me, automation is still necessary to detail every single framing member in a structure along with the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical components. I have bought into Revit hook line and sinker, but that doesn't mean it can't be better through additional automation and Autodesk's continual improvements.

--Jim Merritt,
Director of Engineering and Information Systems