This article provides a detailed guide on creating and using detail sheets in Revit Structure, specifically focusing on foundation details. It takes you through the entire process, from creating a new sheet and title block, to importing AutoCAD details, creating a grid, manipulating line thickness, and categorizing details.
Key Insights
- The process of creating detail sheets in Revit Structure involves creating a new sheet and title block, renaming the title block, and creating a grid to place details in.
- It is possible to import AutoCAD details into Revit Structure for more precise and detailed work. You can adjust parameters like line thickness to suit your needs.
- Revit Structure allows for effective categorization and organization of details, making it easier to manage and locate specific details when needed.
Note: These materials offer prospective students a preview of how our classes are structured. Students enrolled in this course will receive access to the full set of materials, including video lectures, project-based assignments, and instructor feedback.
Hello, welcome to Revit Structure. Let's get started. Now that we've made our plan sheets, let's move forward and make our detail sheets.
The first thing we want to do is go to our View tab. Let's go to Sheet Composition and create a new sheet. Let's pick it.
Here we have our defaulted title block. Let's hit OK. Here we have our new title block.
Let's rename our new sheet. There are two ways we can go about this. We can right-click and go to Rename, or we can select the sheet and rename it in the Properties panel. Let's do it here. We want to rename this "Foundation Details" and assign it a new sheet number.
We'll call it S7.1. As you'll notice in your title block, you now have "Foundation Details" and sheet "S7.1."
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Okay, let's create a grid to place our details in. First, go to the Annotate tab. Let's go to Detail Lines.
Let's pick that. Let's check our parameters: "Thin Lines" is selected, and "Draw Line" is active.
Let's get started. Let's randomly place two lines in the horizontal direction on our drawing. Now go to the Dimension tool on the Quick Access Toolbar.
Let's dimension this quickly to equally space our lines. We see the "EQ" icon appear. Let's click it.
Now we have equal spacing. One thing that happens with a dimension line when equalized is that clicking it again displays the actual equal dimension values. Okay, press Escape to exit the command.
Select the dimension line and delete it. Zoom out, and let's place three more lines. Go to Annotate > Detail Lines > Start Line. We need three lines in the vertical direction.
Again, quickly dimension them. You can use the Dimension tool from the Annotate tab.
Once again, apply the "EQ" setting to equally space the lines.
And we have equally spaced lines at 7 3/8 inches. Press Escape to exit the command. Let's delete this dimension.
Now we have our grid set up. Before we start placing details on our detail sheet, we need to create a detail view. Let's go to the View tab.
Select Drafting View. Click that. Now we set the parameters for our drafting view.
First is the drafting view name. Let’s call our first detail “Wall at Foundation” since it’s a foundation detail. Set the scale to 3/4".
Click OK.
Next, go to the Insert tab, select Import CAD, and browse to the C drive where we have our BIM folder with the downloaded details.
We see “Foundation 1” and “Foundation 2.” Select the first one: Wall at Foundation (Exterior).
Now make sure the import settings are correct. Choose black and white for colors.
Set the positioning to Center to Center (manual alignment) so we can control placement. All other settings look good.
Click Open. Now that the detail is loaded into the drafting view, click to place it. Zoom in on the detail.
Use Zoom All (ZA). Here we have it. When you import an AutoCAD detail into Revit, it initially displays all lines as a single, thin monolithic line style.
You can change lineweights to improve readability. Press VG or go to Visibility/Graphics. Under Imported Categories, locate the imported CAD layer here.
Select the layer. You can override the lineweights for better hierarchy.
Let’s override the weight for heavy lines. Set those to weight 5. Click OK.
Now override the weight for light lines. Set those to weight 1. Click OK.
And our medium lines we want to set to weight 3. Click OK. You can see it gives us an example of what the lines will look like when we’re finished.
Click Apply. Click OK and take a look at our detail. And there you have it.
Now, we have some definition to our AutoCAD detail. Over in the Properties panel, it tells us we’re in a detail view.
What we want to do now is create a category. Go to Edit Type and create a category for our details. Click Duplicate.
Name this category “Foundation.” Click OK. Click OK again.
Now, in our Drafting Views under Project Browser, we see “Wall at Foundation.” Very good. Close that view.
Next, drag our new detail into the first block on the sheet. You’ll see it gives us a rectangular placeholder representing the detail size and its title line. This title line isn’t exactly what we want.
We want a title with the bubble on the right, the name, and no scale. We have preloaded options like “Title w/ Line” and “Title Only.” Select “Title Only.”
It does show a scale, and that’s okay for now. Later, we’ll upload a custom title family that provides the correct identification for our details. For now, let’s continue importing CAD details.
Go to the next one. Again, go to the View tab.
Select Drafting View to create a new drafting view. Name this one “Wall – Block Wall at Foundation (Interior).” Set the scale to 3/4".
Click OK. Go to Insert > Import CAD. Pick the second detail. All the import parameters are preset.
Click Open. Place the detail as needed. Then go to VG (or VV) again.
Reset our Imported Categories overrides. Set line weights: 5 for heavy, 1 for light, and 3 for medium.
Click OK. There we have it. Exit the view.
Before continuing, assign this view to the correct category. Since it’s a foundation detail, select “Foundation” as the view subcategory.
Close the drafting view. Now place the second detail on the sheet in the appropriate location. Set the title type to “Title Only.”
Adjust the title into position. You’ll notice the title aligns with the one above.
There you have it. Zoom All. We’ve successfully placed and imported two AutoCAD details.
Now, create Sheet S7.2 and name it “Framing Details.” In the next video, we’ll start populating that sheet with framing details.
That’s it for this video. We’ll see you in the next one.