COLUMN GUIDELINES

Revit Architecture (which is what we use) has two categories of columns:

Architectural Columns (sometimes referred to as Columns) and Structural Columns. These behave differently so think about which one to use.

Architectural Column:

• • can be room bounding

  • can embed itself within a wall (take on material of adjoining wall)

Family parameter Automatically joins geometry to walls will embed the column into a wall it touches. The column takes on the material of the wall, and removes lines between the wall and column in plan (effectively Joins the column to the wall).

Structural Column:

• • can NOT be room bounding.

  • can be sloped vertically.

  • can have to Structural Framing (e.g. Beams) attached.

  • can use settings in Family for symbolic (plan) representation rather than settings in the project.

Structural Columns are designed to look like columns in a structural engineer's documentation, which is not likely to suit Architectural documentation.

Therefore if you do use Structural Columns you should change the settings above.

Family parameter Symbolic Representation will set whether symbolic representation (usually a thick dashed line) is set in the family or in the project.

Set Symbolic Representation to From Project Settings unless you have a reason to use it.

Beam cutback in plan sets how beams connected to the column will display in plan.

For architectural drawings use From Geometry.

There is an additional family parameter in Structural Columns that have a Structural Material Type of Concrete or Precast Concrete; Display in Hidden Views. This sets how edges of the column will be displayed when the Show Hidden Lines command is used on the column.

Leave as Edges Hidden by Other Members unless you have a specific reason to change it (if you have only some situations where you need it you may need to create a new family with this paramter set).

Both have a Family parameter, Show family pre-cut in plan, that uses the Cut Plane in the family rather than the project to show them in plan.

This is useful for columns that don't have the same profile through the height of the column, so you can choose where the cross section will cut in plan.

But for regular columns it can be confusing to users. I've seen columns where the Cut Plane has been set to 6000mm, way above above the top of the column, so it didn't appear in plans no matter what setting were changed in the project.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Generally use Architectural Columns unless you have a good reason to use Structural Columns, like when the column slopes or you want it to connect to other Structural Framing (e.g. steel columns).

If you require columns to be room bounding (e.g. if they are attached to walls) you have to use Architectural columns.

Untick Show family pre-cut in plan views unless you have a reason to use it.