Consistant View Placement

[Jshaver]

I have been working on a method to consistantly place views on sheets natively within Revit without the aid of a custom program and finally have resolved this issue. I had to dig deep into a bag of tricks but once setup it works like a charm. Please see the attached zip file for a simple vid showing this in action. Let me know if anyone is interested in how this works I can post a bit of info when I have more time.

If I can post the specifics this thread should probobly be moved to the "known issues/workaround " area but I think a moderator must do it.

Cheers,
Jeff S.

[sfaust]

I give up, how did you do that?

[niki_funky]

Tell us your secret.

best regards

[priitl22047477]

Share your knowledge... Please

[Jshaver]

My appologies for the delayed response.
With a slightly different approach to sheet setups and a few family modifications we can work around this limitation. The concept is quite simple in nature but requires understanding of the procedure and careful planning to implement correctly.

The key factor that allows this method to work is while live views share one coordinate system, there are also coordinate systems within drafting views and sheet views. Regardless of the view type when drag and dropping it on the sheet Revit will auto-snap the view’s origin (x=0, y=0) to the sheet space origin (x=0, y=0). When you “hover” over the origin during the placement process Revit will display reference planes along the x and y coordinates near origin (x=0, y=0).
Typically this isn’t apparent because the out of the box title blocks are located far from the family’s origin (x=0, y=0).

Even though we cannot see the coordinate system in Revit it is possible to locate it with a little help from a program that can. Create an AutoCad .dwg file that has lines intersecting the origin (x=0, y=0). This file can then be imported into any view type to locate that views origin (x=0, y=0).:

Plans Concept
All views are placed in sheet space at origin (x=0, y=0) using the drag and drop method described above.
The title block family is then modified to include type parameters that move the title block family around within sheet space relative to the sheet space’s origin (x=0, y=0).
A new type is set up for the varying plan conditions such as Overall, Area A, Area B, Area C, etc along with an independent detail sheet (drafting views).

Detail Sheet Concept (Drafting Views)
All views are placed in sheet space origin (x=0, y=0) using the method described above.
The content within the detail is located at coordinates that correspond to its location in sheet space.
These coordinates can be determined quickly by creating a detail box family with instance parameters (similar to the modified title block family) that relocate the box based on the assumed detail number.

Notes:
It is necessary to constrain the title block family such that the elements/constraints within it are not recognizable during the printing process, otherwise the sheet will not print properly.

Let me know if any of this needs clarification.

[Kevin Janik]

Looks great! I don't get it exactly. Could you do a video setting up the titleblock and views the way you are talking about?

It looks like a great work around to layout everything in exactly the same place on each sheet for plans etc.

Kevin

[priitl22047477]

I will definitely try this one... But yes some help would be needed

The title block family is then modified to include type parameters that move the title block family around within sheet space relative to the sheet space’s origin (x=0, y=0).

[Kevin Janik]

Does anyone have additional input on this? I really don't understand everything but I think it is a very good concept.

Kevin

[sfaust]

I just re-read this and played with it a little, and I now understand where this is coming from. Basically:

1. Create a dwg file that just contains crosshairs at the origin
2. Link dwg in origin to origin into your titleblock
3. Link dwg into a floor plan origin to origin
4. Drag the view onto the sheet and you will see that the two crosshairs will snap directly over each other.

The trick, then, is making parameters that move your entire titleblock around so that it is in the correct place around the plan. That way you can make new sheets with the titleblock in the same place, and since the origin of plans will snap into the same place, they will all line up.

One large caveat that I found out with this is that it only seems to work on initial placement. If you place the view randomly on the sheet and then try to drag it into place it won't snap for some reason, so you have to get it right the first time.

Good to know, though, and interesting concept. Deserves a little bit closer look...

[Kevin Janik]

Steve,

Thanks for the time you took to get into it a bit! I will have to look at it and will the placement issue go away if you delete the view and then drag it onto the sheet?

What about the drafting views? At those about the same? Just create a template one to copy and from there just adjust the scale?

Kevin