Hello there, welcome to this video! Let's get a general overview on
Autodesk Revit 2019, with everything you need to start as a beginner.
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Autodesk Revit is a professional software used to realize architectural
and structural 2D and 3D projects, design houses, buildings and also
basic floor plans. In this video, we will touch on the most important
features to start for the first time, but you may need practice and
experience to create more complex projects.
When Revit opens, its start page shows up, with the Resources panel
on the right, used to get updates, news and information from Autodesk;
several ready templates to use in the center; and everything you need
to start with a new or existing Project or Family on the left. These
two are different: the standard Project is used to design your whole
building with several objects and a general environment; whereas
Families are single objects used as ready templates to be imported on
Revit Projects.
In order to see how Revit works, let's design a very basic and simple
house from a new empty Project. Just go to New..., and then choose an
Architectural Template.
The Revit workspace is very simple: on top you have the Menu bar,
collecting all the main features and tools; on the left you have
several useful panels describing your project; in the center you get a
big preview on your project in progress.
All the drawing tools are collected inside the first tabs of the Menu
bar. The Architecture tab is used to drop basic objects, such as walls,
doors, and windows. Under Structure, everything regarding basic
structures, such as beams, columns or structural floors for tables and
surfaces. With Systems, you can realize tubes, conductors and terminals.
You can hover over each button to get additional information and tips
on how to use it, and also to find other related tools by clicking on
the down arrow and choosing it from the list. As for this beginner
tutorial, we will just see and use architectural objects.
A very simple house is usually designed from the bottom to the top,
dropping a floor, then its walls, doors and windows, and then covered
with a roof.
Click on the Floor button to start drawing a basic floor. When the
tool gets enabled, the Modify tab open on top, with everything you
need to change, apply or cancel your drawing in progress.
Inside the Draw section, use Line, Arc or Spline to draw your floor by
dropping each of its straight or curved sides. Just make sure to close
the shape, or the floor won't be created when you apply it.
Use Rectangle, Polygon, Circle or Ellipse to create a floor with a
defined shape, by fixing two or three nodes on the workspace.
You can get tips on how to use the current tool by waiting with your
cursor.
If you make any mistake with your current drawing in progress, just
use the Escape key to undo.
While drawing and editing, Revit shows useful measurements on the
current object side, radius, or angle in respect to the horizontal
(or X axis) direction. You also type length and degrees directly
from your keyboard. To check and change the units used, just go to the
Manage tab and then go to Project Units.
You also have snappings to object endpoints, midpoints, intersections
and also perpendicular or parallel directions and extensions. You can
adjust the snap option by going to the Manage tab and then to Snaps.
While dropping and editing drawings, Revit stays in Edit Mode, where
your objects are shown as sketches in pink color. Once these are OK,
you can apply and render them with Finish Edit Mode, or undo all by
using Cancel Edit Mode. All applied drawings will get filling and
volume on the workspace.
Remember to save your project by going to File, Save As, and then
Project. Revit projects are saved as .rvt files, complete with drawings,
options and customized views inside.
Revit also has several tools to edit your objects made.
To edit an object, you have to select it first. Just enable the Modify
tool under the Modify tab, and click on the object to select it. This
will be highlighted in blue color, and will be ready for your next
modification.
Use CTRL+X, CTRL+C and CTRL+V to cut, copy and paste the objects
selected. Use the Delete key to remove it.
If you make any mistake, use CTRL+Z to undo your last actions.
You have several editing tools under the Modify tab. Use the Move tool
to move the object by fixing the starting and the ending point on the
workspace; use the Copy tool to make a quick copy of the object; use the
Rotate tool to rotate the object, fixing the axis and the rotation
angle. You can also change the anchor point by clicking and dragging
its central node.
Use the Mirror tool to create a copy by flipping the object through
an axis. With Pick Axis, you flip by using a selected side direction;
with Draw Axis you can define the axis direction by fixing two points.
As long as you select an object, these editing tools will act on it
entirely, keeping the basic object shape and boundaries. To apply
modifications on the object subcomponents such as edges and vertices,
just select the object and then go to Edit Boundary. In this way, you
return to the Edit Mode, and select each object side and node to edit
with the tools inside the Modify tab. You can also click and drag
these to move, and use the drawing tool on top to change the overall
object shape.
To modify multiple objects or subcomponents together, you have to
select these first and then edit them. To make multiple selections,
just hold down the CTRL key and select each element, or just click and
drag on the workspace to select all the objects within the selection
area. To remove any selection, just use the Escape key.
Once the floor is made, you can start dropping walls. These are
different than floors, since they have their base on the ground plane
(or any plane parallel to it) and spread in height according to the
value set in the top left corner.
To drop walls, just enable the Wall tool, and click along the floor
contours. The walls will merge automatically where they intersect near
the vertices. The drawing aids, and the way to manage and edit walls
is identical to what we have seen for the floors.
By default, you start drawing by watching your project from the top to
the bottom, in a 2D view called Level 1, as you can see from the tab on
top. This view is useful to place the walls base, but it is not the
right one to check height and depth.
You can get a 3D preview by clicking on the 3D preview button, under the
View tab. In this way you can adjust the height of the walls by
clicking and dragging the blue arrows on them.
You can change the point of view by using the navigation tools on the
right, such as the 3D ViewCube, or the Full Navigation Wheel, in order
to move with Pan, zoom in and out with Zoom, or 3D rotate with Orbit.
You can customize the walls by selecting them and using Edit
Profile. At this point, you can use drawing tools to add and change
the shape of the contours as seen for other objects.
On the left, the Project browser lists all the 2D and the 3D views
available, that you can open on a tab by double-clicking on them.
By default, you have a single 3D view with two kinds of 2D views: the
Floor Plans and the Elevations.
The Elevations allow you to see your project from direct 2D points of
view, such as East, West, North and South, useful to check the objects
height and the Floor Plan levels. Elevations are also present on any
Floor Plan view as small objects, indicating where their points of view
are placed.
You can create custom Elevations by opening a Floor Plan view, and then
using the Elevation button under the View tab. Place the new Elevation
object and use the Escape key. Then, click on the square to rotate its
direction, and click on the arrow to adjust the view range and depth.
Floor Plans are 2D views with a fixed height (or level) from the ground.
By default, you start drawing from the Floor Plan called Level 1, which
is the ground level.
Floor Plans are also used to define objects height. For example,
when dropping a wall while using a Level 1 Floor Plan, its height
spreads from Level 1 to the following Level 2 Floor Plan.
In both Elevations and 3D views, Floor Plans are represented as dashed
lines, complete with name and height level from the ground.
You can create new Floor Plans by opening an Elevation view, and then
going to Level inside the Architecture tab. At this point, fix two
points on the workspace and use the Escape key to apply. To rename the
Floor Plan, just right-click on it from the Project browser.
After designing walls, you can start adding doors and windows. These
lay on the walls directly, so you have to use any Elevation view or 3D
view.
Use the Door tool to add doors on the wall. The door base snaps to any
Floor Plan level inside the project.
Use the Window tool to place windows on the walls where you like most.
These tools use ready-made objects called Families. You can change the
template to use from the Properties panel on the left, and customize
the shape of the template by going to Edit Family on top.
Check out our video description to get additional Revit templates for
your projects!
Now, let's add the roof. Objects laying on planes, such as floors and
roofs, are dropped on a reference plane called Work Plane. By default,
this is fixed to the Floor Plan called Level 1, but this is not the
right one for the roof.
Inside the Work Plane section, click on Set to choose another Floor
Plan to be taken as reference, and use Show to check where the Work
Plane is set.
Once the reference is ready, you can use the drawing tool to create
the roof.
When the roof is applied this is completely flat by default, but you
can customize its shape by using the tools inside Shape Editing.
Use Add Point and Add Split Line to add nodes and lines on the roof.
Then use the Escape key, and click and drag each of these to move and
customize the shape of the roof. Use the Escape key again to apply.
If you make the roof by enabling Defines slope, Revit will define height
and depth on the roof automatically without setting any point or line
manually.
When the roof is made, you can edit its boundaries by using Edit
Footprint, and its depth and shape with Modify Sub Elements, in case
you have defined these manually. To undo all the points and lines
applied, just use Reset Shape.
You can adjust the project preview by using the Visual Styles button
at the bottom. For more realistic preview, use the Render button
under the View tab.
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