Reference Planes do not move with EQ

[mmiles]

Imagine this plan view: on top of page is a horizontal line, and bottom is a wall running parallel; in between there is a reference plane, also parallel to line.

I dimension from the wall to the ref. plane to the line, and then select the EQ constraint. Thinking my ref plane will move I prepare to move to next task. But, the ref plane did not re-position to the middle point between the line and the wall. Instead, the line moved down the page.

So there must be some way to control this plane with dims, but I do not understand what priorities the ref planes and dimensions cycle through when being set to EQ. Can anyone please explain?

thanks. :?

[patricks]

I think it depends on the types of elements being equally constrained. If you have a wall on both sides of the reference plane, with equal dimensions, then moving one wall will leave the other wall in place and the reference plane will move to remain equally between the 2 walls.

However if you have a wall and just a line (model or detail) on each side of the reference plane, then moving the wall will move the line, and the reference plane will stay in place. If you try to move the line, it will break the equality constraint altogether.

[mmiles]

I often use Ref planes to demarcate centerlines. But, to get the ref plane in the correct location I sometimes rely on already established geometry. So, i have tended to simply draw the RP and then the DIM and then EQ. What was supposed to be a quick wasn't a method that worked.


See, I want to reference that datum in multiple views, but not necessarily print, or show up in 3D views, so Drafting lines and Model lines are not the best option- though they behave how I would like them...

I guess I have to keep playing around with how the dims are working. Thanks for your input, Patricks.

[DoTheBIM]

When I first started learning Revit, I thought similar things would happen when I tried some things like that, but through trial and error and being on AUGI, I learned that Revit only thinks a certain way... the way somebody taught it to. I think you will find that you might have better luck by dimensioning to reference planes rather than all three object types. place three reference planes and hit the equality contraint and the middle one moves. Just lock your end ref planes to the objects you want to maintain the centerline of prior to dimensioning and setting equal. I know you don't want to have do draw in more entities, nor would I but unfortunately there is a certain methodology that Revit needs in order to behave as expected. Ref Planes come before walls and lines. and I suspect model lines come before detail lines. So if you experiment you'll find that detail lines will move before model lines, model lines will move before walls, walls will move before ref planes... and so on. Once a person learns how Revit is thinking in this respect it's much easier to avoid "breaking" a model/family.

[DoTheBIM]

patriks, I got your reply notification email but don't see your post for some reason.


Actually both model and detail lines behave the same way in the scenario described by the OP above. I agree if you talking about swapping one for the other. but if you have a wall, model line, and detail line. When you click the equal contraint, the detail line will always be the first to move no matter what the order.

[patricks]

Yeah I wasn't sure about that so I deleted the post. ;)