Locking lines to ref planes when many - ex muntin bars

[3dway]

I'm making a window family with a muntin grid on the lite. I've laid out the ref plane pattern and drawn lines in. The muntin bars are made from an extrusion with the sketch in the exterior elevation view.

I am going nuts locking these to the ref planes. I have to drag each off then back on and press the lock icon. The lock icons get all superimposed. If I pick one line I see lock icons for all of the other lines in the sketch all over each other.

I tried erasing all the lines and locking them as I draw them down. Using this method, I have to go in after and split all of the interections. I really don't like the split tool; and when I do this not all of the remaining segments are locked to the RP.

Is there a faster way to do work like this? I keep finding Revit weak on things like this; like trimming several lines to the same lenght. You have to drag each end of each line, instead of something like an ACAD trim command.

I would really appreciate any help on this.

Thanks.

[Scott Womack]

I'm making a window family with a muntin grid on the lite. I've laid out the ref plane pattern and drawn lines in. The muntin bars are made from an extrusion with the sketch in the exterior elevation view.

I am going nuts locking these to the ref planes. I have to drag each off then back on and press the lock icon. The lock icons get all superimposed. If I pick one line I see lock icons for all of the other lines in the sketch all over each other.

I tried erasing all the lines and locking them as I draw them down. Using this method, I have to go in after and split all of the intersections. I really don't like the split tool; and when I do this not all of the remaining segments are locked to the RP.

Is there a faster way to do work like this? I keep finding Revit weak on things like this; like trimming several lines to the same lenght. You have to drag each end of each line, instead of something like an ACAD trim command.

First, the "trim" command in Revit has the options you want. You may have to draw a piece of line to use some of them. Personally, the mutins would be a family itself, then nested into the window family. It runs faster. I would also actually model the mutins to avoide the issues you are describing. I assume that when you are locking the lines, you are tabbing through until the end sqaure appears on each line to lck that to the reference plans.

[3dway]

Sorry for not being clear.

The muntins are an extrusion drawn in the exterior elevation. The lines that I was referring to are the sketch lines.

The window is a family.

You would nest a muntin family in the window family? How would you allow the muntin pattern to flex with the window family?

[Andre Carvalho]

Sorry for not being clear.

The muntins are an extrusion drawn in the exterior elevation. The lines that I was referring to are the sketch lines.

The window is a family.

You would nest a muntin family in the window family? How would you allow the muntin pattern to flex with the window family?

Well you will have to first make sure the muntin family has all the necessary parameters and it flex properly on its own. Then when you nest it into the main window family, you can lock the center of the muntin family with the center of the window panel and link the muntin parameters with parameters in the window family.

Andre Carvalho

[twiceroadsfool]

I third what Scott and Andre said. Make the muntin a flexible family, with the Center L/R reference place down the center of it. Now when you load it in the window, you can constrain it to that Centerline. Use a parametric array and constraints if you need the muntin pattern to change to fit the windows own flexibility. Its much easier to constrain Nested families than it is sketchlines and individual geometries... Especially where all the muntins are the same thing...

[patricks]

Just a tip, though, I use the Align tool when I want to lock lines to a ref plane. Using the align tool, pick the ref plane, then pick the line, and a lock symbol should appear for that line only.

Of course, make sure you're locking all the lines to reference planes and not to each other.

[3dway]

Just a tip, though, I use the Align tool when I want to lock lines to a ref plane. Using the align tool, pick the ref plane, then pick the line, and a lock symbol should appear for that line only.

Of course, make sure you're locking all the lines to reference planes and not to each other.

This is the quick tip that I was looking for.

I think that the advice above should be the evolution of my Revit skills. I don't know how to link parameters, or do parametric arrays. Know I have heard the terms and an application, I'll know to look into it. This is the major benefit of forums like this.