Creating and using detail components

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After completing this lesson, you'll be able to understand 2D detailing,

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load a detail component, create a repeating detail, add repeating details, and create detail groups.

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The objective domains covered are: 1.1g, understand the functions and limitations of model and detail groups.

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And 3.2c, define a repeating detail.

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When creating a Revit model, the level of detail needs to be carefully considered.

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For example, you may choose not to model small items such as bolts, fixings, and other elements such as grout and membranes.

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If these items are modeled in a large project, the file size and model performance may suffer.

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Instead, you can represent items such as these with 2D details.

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The image on the left shows an original section from the 3D model.

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The image on the right hand side is the same view, but it's been 2D detailed to convey full construction details.

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Repeating details are detail components that are configured to pattern along a path.

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For example, a roof tile can be repeated along the slope of a roof or a shear stud can be patterned along a composite floor deck.

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Revit contains a library of repeating details.

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However, it's prudent to know how to create your own repeating details.

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Go ahead and open up the model 025-Creating and using detail components.

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The model opens up in the Section, Composite slab edge detail.

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In this view, you can see that we have some 3D model elements such as structural framing, floors, and columns.

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Other elements such as this casting channel and bolt detail are detailed with 2D detail components and field regions and masking regions.

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These elements would only appear in this view.

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Let's go ahead and load a 2D detail component, and then place that down on the view.

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To do this, select the Annotate ribbon, select the Component tool, and then select Detail Component.

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In the Properties palette, in the type selector, you can see the detail components that are loaded in our current project.

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To complete our detail, we need to load a shear stud.

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On the context ribbon, you'll note we can load family.

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We can now navigate through the folders to find a specific family we're interested in.

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So this is Division 05-Metals.

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And here we're going to open up the first folder, and then Metal Fastenings.

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And in the list here, we will find we have Shear Connectors-Side. Let's go ahead and open this.

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In the Properties palette, we can now navigate to our Shear Connector, and here we have different sizes available.

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In this example, we're going to select the 1/2 inch shear connector.

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And we can then go ahead and place that down on the view.

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To improve the process, we can make use of a repeating detail.

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We may require a shear stud at every second position on our metal deck.

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To achieve this, we can use a repeating detail.

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On the Annotate ribbon, you'll note here under Detail Component, we have Repeating Detail Component.

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This is simply a 2D detail component that is designed to repeat or instance.

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So you'll notice by default here, I have a concrete masonry unit that I can produce just by pointing the mouse and clicking.

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In this example here, we're required to create a new repeating detail for our shear stud.

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So here, I'm going to click "Edit Type".

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And we'll duplicate the style.

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So here, we'll have a shear stud with a 16-inch spacing.

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We can then go ahead and choose our shear stud, so we want the 1/2 inch shear stud.

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We're utilizing a Fixed Distance in here but, of course, we could use Maximum Spacing or we could have Fixed Number.

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And then we have to declare our spacing, which we've said is going to be 16 inches.

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And then generally here, we'll need to rotate our detail component.

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In this case, it will be 90 degrees clockwise.

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Let's go ahead and select "OK".

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We can now test our repeating detail out in space over here, and we can see that it appears to be working correctly.

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So now we can go ahead and place our repeating detail.

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And you can now see we've placed a shear stud every second position.

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Next, we place two 3/4 inch bolts on this connection here.

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On the Annotate ribbon, select the Component pull-down and then select "Detail Component".

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In the Properties palette, in the type selector, we can search.

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So here I'm going to do a search for 3/4 inch,

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and you can see in this example that it's found our 3/4 inch bolt, but also found the shear connector 3/4 inch.

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Let's select the 3/4 inch bolt.

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Note that you can press the "Space bar" to orientate and rotate the detail component.

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So we'll now place our first bolt down.

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We need to change the length of the bolt, so we can select the Detail Component and we can use the shape handle here to change the length of the bolt.

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Also, we need to ensure that it's set out in the correct position from the top of the beam.

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So in this case here, we're going to set this to 2.5 inches.

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We can now mirror the bolt around the central axis of our beam.

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Let's go ahead and select the bolt.

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And on the context ribbon, we can select Mirror-Pick Axis.

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We can then select the central axis of our beam and the bolt is mirrored.

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You'll notice that this particular detail component is showing us the shank of the bolt.

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What I might want to do is have the option of removing the visibility of the shank.

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For example, if I select the bolt, you'll notice in the instance properties, the only thing I can change here is the length.

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So what we're going to do now is edit this detail component and add in some functionality to control the visibility of the shank.

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On the context ribbon, select "Edit Family".

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The detail component opens up in the Family Editor.

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For clarity, the annotations category has been removed from this particular detail component family.

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To see this, let's select the View ribbon and select "Visibility/Graphics".

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In the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog, let's select Annotation Categories and Select show annotation categories in this view.

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You'll now notice that the reference planes, annotations and dimensions are now displayed.

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Now here, we have two detail lines representing the bolt shank.

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I'm going to hold the Ctrl key down and select both of these detail lines.

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Note in the Properties palette, we have the option of removing the visibility of these items.

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If I did this, this would permanently remove these items from the family.

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I want to control this with a parameter.

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So just to the right of this, I have Associate Family Parameter.

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Let's go ahead and select this.

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Currently, there are no parameters to associate this to.

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So what I'm going to do here is create a new parameter.

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Here, we'll call this one Bolt Shank Visibility.

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And here, we're going to make this an instance parameter.

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You'll notice that the type of parameter is a yes/no, that's because we've selected the visibility option that can only be yes or no.

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And we'll group parameters under Dimensions.

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Let's go ahead and select "OK".

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We can then select "OK" again to the Associate Family Parameter dialog box.

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Now you may notice in the project environment when we use this particular detail component,

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the shank of the bolt masks out other elements underneath it.

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To do that, it must have a masking region underneath.

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Let's check this. If we move over the shank and then press the "Tab" key, you'll notice here that we can cycle our selection.

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And in fact here, you'll see that we have a masking region.

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Let's go ahead and select the masking region.

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And once again in the Properties palette, we'll associate the family parameter.

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Here, we can click the same parameter, Bolt Shank Visibility, and then select "OK".

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It's now time to go ahead and test this.

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Again, to declutter the display here, we will now remove our annotation categories again.

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So I'm just going to right mouse here and repeat the visibility graphics.

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Select Annotation Categories and then remove Show annotation categories in this view.

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We can test the operation of a family by using this tool on the view control toolbar, Preview Visibility.

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Currently, it's set to off, let's set it to on.

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On the Modify ribbon, select "Family Types".

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In the dialogue box, you'll now note that we have a new control for Bolt Shank Visibility.

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Let's uncheck this and then select "Apply".

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You should now notice that the shank disappears.

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If we recheck the option and then select "Apply" again, the shank reappears.

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We'll go ahead head and switch the preview visibility off.

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Of course, I could do Save As, but in this case, I'm just going to go ahead and Load this Into Project and Close.

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So here, I'll say "No" to save changes.

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And, of course, in a project environment, I want to overwrite the existing bolt.

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So that's now complete. We can go ahead and select the two bolts.

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And in the Properties palette, I can now select Bolt Shank Visibility and remove that.

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And, of course, you'll now see that those lines of masking region are suppressed for these two bolts that I've selected.

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Because this is an instance parameter, each bolt will have the option of showing or removing the shank.

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So in this example, of course, I do want to see the shank.

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I might want to save our detail components and line work so I can apply it to another slab edge.

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To do this, I would create a detail group.

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I can window select everything in the view, and then on the context ribbon, I'll go ahead and select "Filter".

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I'll check None, and here I'm going to select Detail items and also my line work.

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Let's select "OK".

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On the context ribbon, you'll note that we can now create a group.

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For the group name, we'll call this one Slab Edge Detail, and then select "OK".

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So the detail has now been saved.

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In the Project Browser, you'll note that we have a folder for groups, and here we have our detail group.

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If I'd like to use this in another view, I can simply drag and drop it and place it down.

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Very much like other groups, if I want to edit it or change it, I can select the group and on the context ribbon, I could click Edit Group.

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Here, we could add new components or items, or remove components and items.

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Once we've done that, when we select "Finish", it will update all the other groups in the project.

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It may be the case that we have a slightly different detail on a slab edge.

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What we can then do is select the group and we can ungroup.

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And that essentially explodes the group back down into detail items, line work, and detail components.

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And, of course, then we can make changes without affecting the other groups.

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Ok, there's our composite slab edge detail complete.