Revit 2017 - Align Padlock and Wall Core Centerline

If you think you're going crazy because no padlock appears when you try to align and lock a Wall by its Core Centerline, you're not crazy (not about that anyway). Revit 2017 seems to have gotten distracted and doesn't turn on the padlock when using Align on that portion of a Wall. Damn that's subtle!! They are on it though. I imagine it'll be fixed once an Update Release (Service Pack) is made available.

Copy Monitor Wall Location Line Selection

I mentioned in a previous post that 2016 quietly introduced a parameter that lets us choose which Location Line is important to reference when we use the Copy part of the Copy/Monitor features.

Now that I've been trying to use it regularly I'm running into a quirky situation since installing R2 (I can't say for certain it doesn't happen in the previous version too). When I select a wall it works on the just the first wall. When I choose additional walls I get this warning.

Initially I thought it was happening because I thought it is important to assign the Location Line of the walls in the source linked file to be the same as intended in the host file, but then I don't remember having to worry about that earlier...pause...

Then it occurred to me that whatever Location Line setting I used for the last wall I sketched, in the host model, might somehow influence the process. I tried that and I don't think that matters at all; and it shouldn't in my opinion.

After experimenting a bit further it only works reliably when I use the Multiple selection option to choose all the walls I want to use Copy/Monitor on. I've repeated this using stock content (Imperial) and Architectural and Structural templates. If you'd like to corroborate my findings please try these steps:

• Start a project with the Architectural template
• Create six walls with: Basic Wall Exterior - EIFS on Mtl. Stud
• Use Location Line: Wall Centerline
• Save the file as Test CM

• Using the Structural template link Test CM
• Create a Stud 2x6 wall type (6" because the stud layer in the linked wall is 6")
• Start Copy/Monitor
• Map the linked wall type to the host's Stud 2x6 wall type (in Options)
• Choose Location Line: Core Face: Exterior (in Options too)
• Start Copy and select one wall (no message)
• Select another wall (Error message yes?)

I suspect the nature of wall joins is affecting whatever method they are using to evaluate the wall for the C/M process.

• Use Undo and Start again before using Copy/Monitor
• Set Options again, just to be sure
• Start Copy
• Select Multiple
• Select all six walls
• Click the little Finish button (no error?)
• Click the big Finish button

Earlier I mentioned being concerned about the Location Line setting of the walls in the linked model. I tested for that by starting with walls in the linked model assigned to Location Line: Core Face: Exterior. It didn't make any difference in my testing (see next image). Fwiw, when I first saw this new option appear I did think that was what they intended us to do but Revit just places our version of the wall according to the chosen Location Line position, not according to what the source wall is actually assigned to.

Thinking about it further I realized that if we really could influence this by changing the value in the linked model it should have already been easy for us to use C/M; if they just allowed us to swap wall types based on their setting. Revit was biased to only use Wall Centerline, ignoring the others.

I was nearly convinced that all I had to do was make sure to select the walls using the Multiple option but then in another file it didn't seem to matter or help regardless. Then I noticed any wall I was successful using C/M on (picking them individually) but was touching a wall that generated the error message also needed to be eliminated so I could start again clean. When I used Multiple after getting back to a clean slate I was able to use Copy/Monitor without an error message.

I conclude that the safest way to ensure Copy/Monitor doesn't generate a confusing warning is to isolate all the walls we want to use C/M on and choose the Multiple option. Remember the little Finish button before using the Big Finish button!

Also remember that anytime C/M gets ornery we can just use Stop Monitoring on the affected elements. Fix the problem elements and then use the Monitor part of C/M to let Revit start watching them again.

Revit 2016 - Copy Monitor - Wall Location Line

I don't recall any mention of this appearing in the What's New documentation or presentations. I stumbled into it the other day and meant to write about it but my aging Dell finally bit the dust and that distracted me. I find this new parameter and options appears when I examine the Walls tab in the Copy/Monitor Options dialog.

Interesting isn't it? I experimented with using the option. This image depicts a linked file with compound architectural walls being used to create Stud Only walls in a structural model.

I specified that C/M should create a Stud Only wall type instead of the compound wall type being used by the architectural model. I then used the Location Line: Core Face:Exterior.

I didn't find any help documentation to support this new feature. What I did find declares that C/M just uses the Wall Centerline for alignment, which was true until now!

Also, fwiw the openings created at the doors and windows are the correct sizes but only because the families don't have any additional geometry beyond the extent of their frames. I placed openings in the walls at the curtain walls manually using the Wall Opening tool (Architecture or Structure tab > Opening panel > Wall).

Location, Location and Location

The age old real estate advice this is not...

When you use separate site and building files to manage your project, it is possible to become confused between defining the Project Location (such as Wapakoneta, Ohio versus Amstelveen, Holland) and the Location related to Shared Coordinates. One is not the other. It is possible to also assume that setting the Project Location and then using Acquire Coordinates will pass along the location to the other project file (linked .rvt file). That is also not true, won't happen.

Project Location is unrelated to shared coordinates, at least as far as Revit is concerned. Location as defined in the Project Information dialog is used for solar/energy analysis (gbXML too), shadows and the like. Shared coordinates are used to align different files and information contained in potentially different file formats.

When "you" assign the location for a "site" file you are helping Revit understand that file's real world location but not the link. If you show shadows or render a view in the host file you'll get shadows based on that location, assuming the orientation of everything is correct (true north).

When you open the building file (linked) it understands the site coordinates for alignment purposes (accomplished through using acquire/publish coordinates) but it doesn't inherit the location setting because they are not truly connected together in Revit. The coordinates used do not necessarily define a "real world location" because of various methods (surveying requirements) that could be used to locate the building on site.

Short answer, assign the project location in both files or at least the building file if you want to show shadows and/or render there. Both if you want that option in both. The shared coordinate part is done once, from one or the other file.

Location Line - Walls

The Location Line Options for wall placement is important in two ways. Initially when you place a wall and later when you decide that wall needs to be replaced with a different wall. Here is an example of generic (single layer) walls used to define "the third pigs" house (from the story of "The Three Pigs").
I've selected one wall to show where the Location Line is or appears to be at least. It is on the "outside" edge of the wall. Closer examination, if you had the file, would show that it is really assigned to the Core Face: Exterior. What is the difference? In this next image the walls are swapped for a more complex type that has multiple layers.
Note that the dimensions I placed are intact, did not change. That's because I was careful to choose the Location Line first. Consider this image where I was not so careful and let Revit use Wall Centerline instead.
These walls did not change as nicely and I now have some rework to do, or Undo. If I was careless or ambivalent about the Location Line initially I still have a second chance, just change it before you swap the walls.

When you change the Location Line setting it doesn't actually do anything agressive to your wall, it doesn't move anywhere. Revit just adjusts its understanding of the wall's setting and when you swap it out it will abide by the new rule.