13 November 2008

What you may not know about RST

As part of the advertising effort for the Mastering Revit Structure 2009 book coming out, my fellow author Jamie Richardson penned a list of 10 things you might not know. I know it may sound a little goofy but it actually is a pretty good list. To save you click time, here is the list:

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Working in Revit Structure

1. Structural Slab Properties: One of the instance properties of a slab is for it to be a structural slab. This is the default setting but can be set to be non-structural. If a slab’s layer function is set to display Structural Deck and its properties is set to be a Structural Slab, the flutes or profile of the deck will be visible in section views that are set to medium or fine detail levels. A slab with these characteristics can be copied into Revit Architecture which will take on the properties of a Structural Slab, thus displaying the flutes of the deck. This allows both structure and architecture to take advantage of the deck profile display.

2. Edit Structure Assembly Dialog: The bottom of slabs can be set to be flat while the top surface slopes. This can be done by setting the layer of the slab that is to be flat to be “Variable” in the Edit Structure Assembly dialog. The overall thickness must be as thick as the distance from the highest point of the top surface to the bottom of the slab.

3. Pressing the Spacebar: Pressing the spacebar while placing elements such as Structural Walls and Structural Columns will flip the wall about its location line or rotate the column about its insertion point prior to placing it in its final location. Pressing the spacebar after these elements are placed will perform similar behavior.

4. Selecting the Appropriate View: Dimension the outside face of an HSS Tube Steel member cannot be done when the view is set to a fine detail level. To place these dimensions, first set the view to a medium view, place the dimension by selecting the outside faces of the member, then set the view back to the fine detail level.

5. Callouts: Callouts can be placed to reference other views the same way Sections can be placed by selecting “Reference other view” from the Options bar prior to placing the Section or Callout. Callouts are a bit different in that views must be set to crop the view in order for them to display in the Reference other view pull down. If views are not showing up, check this setting.

6. Options Bar: When selecting the sketch lines while editing a slab shape, the Options bar displays additional information for adjusting the steel and concrete cantilever distance. Adjusting these settings allows for the steel deck to pull back from the concrete slab edge in a composite slab scenario.

7. Span Direction Tag: Rotating the direction of steel deck in a slab can only be done by using a Span Direction tag. If the slab is not tagged with a Span Direction, you must do so prior to rotating the steel deck direction. Once a Span Direction tag is in place the deck can be rotated by rotating the tag or by selecting the tag and choosing “Align Perpendicular” from the Options bar. Select the edge of slab to align the deck.

8. Breaking Stacked Walls: Stacked walls can be broken up into Basic walls by selecting them and right-clicking to select “Break up”.
9. Splitting Walls Horizontally: Walls can also be split horizontally. In a 3D or section view select “Split” from the Tool bar. Select the location for the wall to be split. When using this tool, the wall automatically creates a lock which locks the walls together vertically and horizontally. If one wall moves they will all move.

10. Reference Planes: Reference planes can be placed to attach elements to or used to cut elements by using the element attachment tools or the cut geometry tools on the Tool bars. After the reference planes are placed, it is recommended you give them a name so they are not mistakenly deleted. If they are deleted, the attachments or cut relationship to the elements are lost.

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