MASSES FOR FEASIBILITY

Revit has built-in tools for creating overall building masses that can contain floors. Area, volumes, perimeters etc can be scheduled. and being Revit, change the mass, or number of floors, and the schedule instantly updates. You can also place tags on floors that show the same information, and of course update instantly.

Masses can also have actual walls (including curtain walls), roofs and floors applied to them creating a quick representation of an actual building.

HOW TO CREATE MASSES

Refer TIPS & TRICKS > MASSING > HOW TO CREATE MASSES

MASSING GUIDELINES

Create separate masses for different functional parts of the building.

e.g. Basement, Podium, Tower, Core, Plant

Use the Cut command (Modify > Cut) to separate intersecting masses from each other.

e.g. cut the Core from all other masses.

Refer TIPS & TRICKS > MASSES > JOINING & OVERLAPPING MASSES

MATERIALS AND APPEARANCE

When creating Mass families the forms created can be given a subcategory.

A material parameter can also be associated with a form's material. When creating a material parameter make sure it is Instance rather than type based.

Note that some built-in subcategories are used by Revit for particular purposes. It is best to create new ones for custom use.

OPTIONS

Masses can be in Options, on particular Worksets and on different Phases, just like other elements.

These can be used to control visibility of different options, alternatives etc. when doing studies.

Separate Revit Model files can also be used (they can be linked into one file if you want multiple options on sheets).

If different options have different levels - different number, different floor to floor - the best method is separate model files.

You could manage multiple options for levels by clever naming and worksets, but it may get very confusing.

Some things to keep in mind:

• Levels can be placed on different Worksets, so you CAN hide Levels using Worksets.

• Levels can NOT be placed in different Options, so you can not hide Levels using Options.

• Levels can NOT be placed in different Phases, so you can not hide Levels using Phases.

• You can only ever show the immediate previous Phase. For example if you have 3 phases a single view can only show 2 of them.

BEST PRACTICE

• Create each option in a separate Revit project file.

• Create a separate Revit file for sheets and schedules, link in all the option files.

Tips:

• Don't put any options in the file for sheets and schedules. You can't have a linked file and the file it is linked in to open at the same time.

• You can copy and paste between open Revit files, including Levels. Even schedules can be copied.

• Use Save As to create new similar options.

PRINTING

The Mass category is turned off by default in views. If masses are not appearing when you print it is because they are turned off in Visibility/Graphics in the view.

Note that hitting the Show Mass Form and Floors under the Massing & Site tab doesn't actually permanently turn masses on.

TAGGING

Mass floors can be tagged in plans, sections 3D views.

In the view you want the tag use Annotate > Tag by Category.

If there are no tags in the file use one of the tagMASSFL . . . tags from .../Annotation/Tags library folder.

Note that you may have to use the tab key to select the Mass Floor, Revit will tend to find the Mass first.

SCHEDULES

Refer GUIDELINES > SCHEDULING GUIDELINES > CREATE MASS FLOOR AREA SCHEDULE