Learn how to manage and assign unattended items in your system browser while using Revit. This guide explains the simple process of assigning items to their appropriate circuits to ensure a tidy and organized system browser.
Key Insights
- Revit has tools that allow you to select and view unassigned items in your system. You can highlight and identify the location of these items within the plans.
- Once an item is highlighted and located, you can access its properties to assign a load name and set its panel. The process can be repeated for all unassigned items to ensure they are properly assigned and organized.
- It's important to note that while assigning all unmanaged items can make for a neater system browser, it's okay to leave a few items unassigned if you are unsure of their placement.
This lesson is a preview from our Revit MEP Certification Course Online (includes software & exam). Enroll in this course for detailed lessons, live instructor support, and project-based training.
As we wrap up our Level 1 and Level 2 power plans, we might notice that we still have some unattended items in our system browser. For example, I have an unnamed circuit and some unassigned items, but that's not a problem. Revit has some tools to help me assign these items and figure out where they’re located in the plans.
First, if I simply click one of the unnamed circuits, it will highlight in the plan. But let’s say I’m zoomed in somewhere over here and can’t see it. I can select it, right-click, and select Show.
It might open up another view, but that’s okay. We can click Show. For example, this time it opened up the Electrical Analysis, and each time I click the Show button, it takes me to a different plan.
So, I click Show again. Now, I’m back on the L1 Power Plan. Once I’m happy knowing where it is and what it is, I can click Close.
I don’t have to keep clicking Show, and I have it selected here.
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What’s weird, though, is I don’t get all of the properties, and that’s okay. Sometimes, I’ll click off of it.
Once I know where it is, I hover over one of the outlets, hit TAB, and click. Now, I have all of the properties.
For example, I can give it a load name, ‘Receptacle, ’ and I can set its panel to PB.
We’re on Level 1, so this is PB3 in this case. There we go.
Now, I have all of my circuits assigned.
I still have my 17 items up here, so let’s open that up.
They’re Electrical Power, and here they are. Many things are not assigned. I can follow the same process.
If I click on them, they will highlight in the plan, but they can be hard to see.
So, I can right-click and go to Show. It’ll open up in a view.
This one’s on Level 2. So, this one is not assigned. I haven’t done my bathroom yet.
I just missed it.
I can go ahead and grab these items.
In my restroom, I see that I just forgot to assign these.
I can click the Power button. We’re on Level 2 now.
I’ll set this to PB4 and the load name to ‘Receptacle, ’ and I’m good to go.
But I still have some others here.
Now, I don’t want to assign the Main Distribution.
Remember, that’s where we’re starting from, but I can keep looking for the other items.
Right-click Show.
Okay, here’s this one.
It’s in Periodicals. I forgot to add this to a circuit.
I can simply go through and assign it to a circuit.
I actually noticed in my handout that I didn’t put a circuit line here. That’s my bad.
I’ll hold Control, grab all of these office ones, and add them to a circuit.
We’ll hit the Power button.
We’re on Level 1.
We’ll go back to Panel Board 3 (PB3), call it Receptacle, and we’re good.
We have just a couple more to go.
Here’s one in the gym, and let’s add that to a circuit.
So, I’ll hit the Power button right here.
Actually, I don’t want to hit the Power button. That’ll create a whole new circuit.
What I want to do is grab the existing circuit, hit TAB.
It’s right here. I know it wants to connect.
I’ll simply click Edit Circuit, Add to Circuit, click on that one, and I’m good.
Okay, let’s see what else we have.
Right-click Show, then Close once I find it.
Okay, that’s in the Counselor Office.
I have this one here.
I’m on Level 2 right now.
Let’s see what else is not selected.
This one right here looks like these three.
These two are part of the Counselor Reception area.
I’ll hit TAB right here, select, and if I’d like, I can simply add, Edit the Circuit, Add to Circuit, add these two, and we’re good there.
I’ve got one more.
It’s a floor outlet.
Let’s right-click and Show.
Okay, that’s right there.
This reception area just wasn’t added in.
I can hover over, click Select on my mouse, and I can Edit the Circuit, then click Finish Editing.
Now, everything is assigned except for the Main Distribution Board, which I want to leave unassigned.
Everything’s good.
We can see how nice and tidy the System Browser looks.
Now, I would say, don’t let this drive you crazy.
If there’s something you’re unsure of, it’s okay to leave a couple of things or a few things unassigned.
But that’s the process we go through to ensure everything possible is assigned to a circuit board and circuit.
