In this lesson we’ll add floors to our building. To build a floor element, you simply enter a special mode that Revit calls “sketch mode” and sketch the outline of the floor shape.
Catch-up file completed to this point: 11_Medical Center_Floors.rvt
The simplest way to create a floor is to use the existing walls to create the sketch edges.
The drawing window grays out to indicate that you are in sketch mode. On the Modify tab, the Boundary Line and Pick Walls buttons are highlighted and active. On the Options Bar, the “Extend into wall” checkbox is checked. All these defaults will work well for most floors you create. Leave them all set this way for this example (see Figure 11–1).
Figure 11–1 The Create Floor Boundary ribbon and its default settings
A magenta line will appear near the middle of the wall. If it appears near the edge, click the small flip control at the midpoint of the line.
Some manual cleanup will be required in the areas indicated (see Figure 11–2).
Figure 11–2 In order to finish the sketch, all corners must be closed and no lines can overlap
Figure 11–3 Use Trim/Extend to Corner to clean up the two upper corners of the sketch
We will use Trim/Extend to Corner at the foyer area as well, but before doing so, we need to split the sketch line at Grid J.
Figure 11–4 Use the Split tool to break the line into two segments, then use Trim/Extend to finish cleanup
Figure 11–5 Click the Finish Edit Mode button to complete the sketch and create the floor element
To help us visualize the floor slab as we create it on the second floor, let’s make a section view through the building first.
Figure 11–6 The Section tool
Figure 11–7 Create a section through the main portion of the building
A new Sections branch will appear on Project Browser.
Figure 11–8 Tile the windows and zoom them to fit
Now let’s create a floor for Level 2
This floor will be confined to the middle portion of the building with a small extension to the right in the atrium space.
Figure 11–9 Click each of the six brick walls on Level 2
Figure 11–10 Activate the line tool
Figure 11–11 Add an extension to the floor using lines and dimensions
A message will appear asking if we want to attach the tops of the walls to the bottom of the floor. You can see this highlighted in both plan and section. For most of our walls this is a good idea. But for the two on the left portion of the building, we would not want this as they are exterior walls. Unfortunately, with this command you cannot adjust the selection. You can only answer Yes or No. In this case, let’s answer Yes and then come back and detach the two we don’t need attached.
Figure 11–12 We are given the option to attach the top of all intersecting walls to the underside of the floor
A second message will highlight just the exterior walls this time. This one is asking if we want to clean up the connection between the floor and exterior walls. Let’s also answer Yes here (see Figure 11–13).
Figure 11–13 A second question allows us to join the wall and floor geometry on the exterior perimeter
When finished, take a close look at the connections in the section view (see Figure 11–14).
Figure 11–14 Examine the connections between the floor and walls after completion
Now let’s detach the two exterior walls.
Note the two exterior walls that are now too low (see Figure 11–15).
Figure 11–15 Two of the walls attached to the underside of the floor must be detached
Figure 11–16 Detach the two walls from the floor
