Using Revit Tutorials To Learn How To Use The Software

By Author: Dan Korman
Total Articles: 3
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Revit is one of the most utilized Building Information Modeling software around the world. Since it is quite popular, it is not surprising that there are plenty of Revit tutorials online https://www.revitcourse.com.au/. These tutorials can help you get started, especially if it is your first time to work with such a tool.

Whether you simply want to be familiar with Revit’s interface or you wish to use it with AutoCAD and other software applications, you will learn everything through a suitable tutorial. These lessons are typically short and focus on one area, such as basic rendering or even mass building.

More often than not, the tutorials are aimed toward beginner users. Of course, you can find one many that cater to a more advanced user. As long as you specify what you want to know more about, these lessons exist, especially on the Internet.

Autodesk Revit Lessons in Mass Building

If you search for introductory courses, most of them would involve mass building. An important part of the process is to learn the interface of the software. You use many of the tools present when you design a basic building.

Modeling a mass in Revit’s project environment should be easy when the steps are outlined for you. Revit provides users with a fast method of creating conceptual volumes. Basically, you have two options here:

Create a Conceptual Mass Family. In this option, you will use a mass that already exists outside the project environment.
Create an In Place Mass. This second way is to create the mass within the project.

In this tutorial, the focus is the second option. You will first have to set up the guidelines, which include the Grids and Levels. These two provide you the opportunity to define the dimensions of the geometry. In the Project Browser, create the desired levels after you have opened an elevation view. Adjust the levels until you reach the correct height and give it a name.

As for the grids, you will need to create the grid lines by switching to a floor plan view first. Once you are done with the guidelines, the next step is to create an In Place Mass. Here are the important steps to follow:

Choose the Floor Plan where the mass will be created.
Select the tab Massing & Site in the Ribbon and then click In Place Mass. A popup should appear if it is the first mass in the project you are working on. Close it after making sure Show Mass if enabled.
Another popup will appear where you will have to provide the name for the mass.
To create the mass outline, the first option is to draw Model Lines, which will disappear once you have finished creating the mass. The other method is to use Reference Lines. Unlike Model Lines, Reference Lines will stay in the project. They can be useful if you need to add more masses.
You will also need to create a construction plane or you can choose one as well. Use the Set button, which you can find on the Work Plane tab.
Draw different lines to get a 3D form. The next few steps will depend on your design. You can use Create Form to have the software show you the possibilities when combining the lines into a closed shape that do not intersect.
If you select a straight line and a curve, which are both on the same plane, the software will turn it into a “revolve.” The form, therefore, rotates around the line, such as in pottery.
On the other hand, selecting the work plane, which is placed at the end of a curve, will have a varied result. Revit will make a “sweep” or use the first curve as the path. The second curve that you have created will be repeated.

Upon using the software during a mass building project, you will notice that you can utilize the 3D snapping option, which you can find in the options bar. This function lets you go outside the plane. Revit also lets the users mirror and align (among others) the profile elements. Using the Modify tab, you can cut and copy the elements in the project. The aligned dimension has several uses, including moving a cut to the center of an element.

If you need to stack masses on top of one another, it should be easy when you go to the Floor Plan option of the level at the top. From there, you can create a new mass. Once you are happy with the shape of all the masses that you have combined, you are through with this part of your project. The last step here is to click Finish Mass.

Learning More about the Interface

To navigate without problems, it is helpful to start with a tutorial that provides details about the interface of the software. If you have already used Revit or even other similar software applications, it should not be a tough challenge. However, beginners will typically have a hard time understanding more than the basics. Therefore, it is best to start with the simplest tutorial that will help you discover how to use Revit properly.

Users find it effective when they know the Launch Screen and its entire elements. From the main components of the interface, it should become much easier to find your way around once you understand how the Launch Screen works. These elements should include the key options found in the Application Menu and the Ribbon Menu as well.

The Properties Palette is also a crucial element to focus on. If you have used Revit before, you are aware that parameters are right at the center of the program. The Properties Palette is the initial interface in which you will deal with them.

To gain even greater benefits with the tutorials, take and complete a Revit course that will help you get a much deeper understanding of the software.

Dan Korman is a registered architect and Revit trainer. In 2014, he founded RevitCourse, a Revit dedicated training facility. Over the years Dan has trained over 700 students and with Revit dedicated campuses in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.