11: Schedules and Tags


CHAPTER 11
Schedules and Tags


To begin, I want to clarify something specific for the people who have been using AutoCAD Architecture: you don’t need to tag an item in order for it to appear in a schedule in Revit Architecture. You can’t really just draft a schedule either. But this isn’t a bad situation to be in. Say, for example, that you have a typical door schedule. Wouldn’t it be nice to add a door to the model and have that door automatically show up in the schedule?



  • Creating schedules
  • Creating material takeoffs
  • Creating key legends and importing CAD legends
  • Adding tags
  • Creating custom tags
  • Keynoting

Creating Schedules


Revit allows you to instantly schedule an item based on a database. A door, for example, already has most of the information you need built into it. Didn’t it seem funny that when you placed a door in the model, it was automatically tagged with a sequential door number? This is the power of BIM. We’re now going beyond 3D.


Schedules don’t stop at doors and windows in Revit. You can schedule almost any item that goes into the model. Along with schedules comes the ability to quantify materials and areas. You can even create a schedule for the sole purpose of changing items in the model. In Revit, it’s always a two-way street.


The first topic we’ll tackle is creating the most common of the schedules in architecture: the door schedule. When you get this procedure down, you’ll be off and running.


The good news is, you have most of the information you need to create a multitude of schedules. The bad news is, the Revit-produced schedules aren’t going to look like your company’s schedules at all. Before we go further, it’s important to note that some of you will be able to get a perfect duplication of your companies’ standard schedules; some of you won’t. Those of you who don’t will have to get as close as possible to your standards and at that point know that sometimes the cost of doing BIM isn’t in the pocket but at the plotter.


Given that, let’s get started. I think you’ll find that creating and using schedules is a wonderful experience. You’re about to learn how to save hours upon hours of work, all the while maintaining 100 percent accuracy.


Adding Fields to a Schedule


To begin, open the file you’ve been following along with. If you didn’t complete the previous chapter, go to the book’s web page at www.sybex.com/go/revit2012ner. From there, you can browse to Chapter 11 and find the file called NER-22.rvt. The following procedure focuses on creating a door schedule. Grab a cup of coffee or a power drink, and follow along:



  1. 1. In the Project Browser, go to the Level 1 floor plan.
  2. 2. On the Create panel of the View tab, click the Schedules images Schedule/Quantities button, as shown in Figure 11.1.
  3. 3. The next dialog box, as shown in Figure 11.2, allows you to choose which item you would like to schedule. Select Doors, and click OK.
    f1101.tif

    FIGURE 11.1 Click the Schedule/Quantities button on the View tab.

    f1102.tif

    FIGURE 11.2 Select Doors, and click OK.


  4. 4. The next dialog lets you add the fields (parameters) required for your schedule. The first field you’ll add is Mark. To do this, find Mark in the area to the left, and click the Add button in the middle of the dialog, as shown in Figure 11.3.
  5. 5. When this field is added, add the following fields using the same method (see Figure 11.3):

    • Height
    • Width
    • Level
    • Finish
    • Frame Material
    • Frame Type
    • Comments
    f1103.tif

    FIGURE 11.3 Adding the fields to produce a door schedule


  6. 6. Click OK. Your schedule should be similar to Figure 11.4.
f1104.tif

FIGURE 11.4 The door schedule up to this point


The next step is to start organizing your data in your preferred display format. You have a long way to go, but when you’re finished, you can use this schedule over and over again.


Sorting and Grouping


Because Revit is a database, let’s think of building a schedule as creating a query in a database, because that’s exactly what you’re doing. By creating a sort, you can start to see your doors in groups and have a tangible understating of where you are. Let’s get started:



  1. 1. Because you never use lowercase lettering, click into the header and title rows, and change the names to all capital letters, as shown in Figure 11.5.
    f1105.tif

    FIGURE 11.5 Edit all the field names.


  2. 2. In the Properties dialog is a category called Other. Here you can return to the Schedule Properties dialog. Click the Edit button in the Sorting/Grouping row, as shown in Figure 11.6.
  3. 3. On the Sorting/Grouping tab of the Schedule Properties dialog, set Sort By to Level.
  4. 4. Select the Header option.
  5. 5. Select the Footer option.
  6. 6. Select Title, Count, And Totals from the Sort By drop-down list (see Figure 11.7).
    f1106.tif

    FIGURE 11.6 Click the Edit button in the Sorting/Grouping row.

    f1107.tif

    FIGURE 11.7 Sorting the schedule by level


  7. 7. Click OK.
  8. 8. Save the model.

The next step is to group the header information the way you would like it. Most schedules include groups such as Frame Material and Frame Type. You’ll create similar groupings.


Controlling Headers


Although this step isn’t crucial to producing an accurate, readable schedule, it’s important in the attempt to get this Revit-produced schedule to look like the schedule you’ve been using for years in CAD. The objective of this procedure is to combine the header content into smaller groups under their own header, similar to what you can do in a spreadsheet.


To begin controlling the schedule headers, follow these steps:



  1. 1. In the Project Browser, open DOOR SCHEDULE (if you don’t already have it open).

    At the top of the schedule are the title (DOOR SCHEDULE) and the headers (which include MARK, HEIGHT, WIDTH, and LEVEL, among others), as shown in Figure 11.8. Focus your attention here.

    f1108.eps

    FIGURE 11.8 Click and drag across the four cells to activate the Group button.


  2. 2. The goal is to combine MARK, HEIGHT, WIDTH, and LEVEL into a group under one header called DOOR INFORMATION. To do this, click the LEVEL cell, and drag your cursor to the left. You’re selecting all four cells.
  3. 3. When the cells are selected, click the Group button on the Headers panel.
  4. 4. Click into the new cell, and type DOOR INFORMATION.

It would be nice if the defaults in Revit were all caps, but they aren’t. The next procedure will rename some of the headers, but it won’t change any values:



  1. 1. Click in the MARK header, and change it to DOOR NUMBER (see Figure 11.9).
    f1109.tif

    FIGURE 11.9 Adding the new header and changing the descriptions


  2. 2. Change the LEVEL header to FLOOR.
  3. 3. Select the cells FRAME MATERIAL and FRAME TYPE.
  4. 4. On the Options bar, click Group in the Headers panel.
  5. 5. Call the new header FRAME INFORMATION (see Figure 11.10).
    f1110.tif

    FIGURE 11.10 The groups are complete.


Now it’s time to begin filling out some of the blank fields. This is where you can increase productivity by using schedules. Instead of going door by door in the model, you have a list of every door right in front of you!


Modifying Elements in a Schedule


In Revit, data flows in multiple directions. When you created a schedule, the data from the doors flowed into the schedule to populate it. Now, you’ll ask Revit to collect data that you input into the schedule to flow into the doors.


To learn how to populate the schedule, follow along with the procedure:



  1. 1. In the Project Browser, open DOOR SCHEDULE (if it isn’t opened already).
  2. 2. Click into the FINISH cell for door number 101.
  3. 3. Type PT (for paint).
  4. 4. Click in the DOOR FINISH cell below the one you just changed.
  5. 5. Click the menu arrow, and notice that PT is in the list. Click PT (see Figure 11.11).
    f1111.tif

    FIGURE 11.11 When you start filling out the fields in a schedule, the items become available in the list for future use.


  6. 6. Save the model.

Let’s see how this affected the actual doors in the model, and perhaps find a door that needs to be tagged with a WD (wood) finish:



  1. 1. In the Project Browser, open the Level 1 floor plan.
  2. 2. Zoom in on the door between the corridor and the east wing, as shown in Figure 11.12.
  3. 3. Select the door.
  4. 4. In the Properties dialog, scroll down to the Materials And Finishes category, and find Frame Material.
  5. 5. Click in the field and type WD, as shown in Figure 11.12.
  6. 6. Click the Apply button at the bottom of the Properties dialog.
    f1112.tif

    FIGURE 11.12 Changing the property of an element in the model does the same thing as changing the element in the schedule.


  7. 7. Open the door schedule. Notice that door number 100B has a WD finish.
  8. 8. Save the model.

In the interest of not getting carried away with the mundane process of filling out the entire schedule, note that this process is applicable for every field within this type of schedule. The main takeaway is that you can populate a schedule by either changing the data in the schedule itself or finding the scheduled component and changing it there.


The next step is to further modify the appearance of the schedule you’re working on. You can then begin using this schedule to focus in on a specific group of doors to change them based on a filter.


Modifying the Schedule’s Appearance


As it stands, not everyone uses the same fonts, headers, and linework around the border of the schedule. Although the usefulness of this next procedure won’t be evident until Chapter 14, “Creating Sheets and Printing,” it’s applicable at this point in the book.


The objective of this procedure is to examine what font this schedule is using as well as the line weights and spacing applied to the schedule. To learn how to adjust the appearance of a schedule, follow along:



  1. 1. In the Project Browser, open DOOR SCHEDULE (if it isn’t opened already).
  2. 2. In the Properties dialog, click the Edit button for Appearance.
  3. 3. On the Appearance tab of the Schedule Properties dialog, you’ll see two categories: Graphics and Text. In the Graphics category, click Outline and select Medium Lines, as shown in Figure 11.13.
  4. 4. In the Text category, make sure Show Title and Show Headers are selected (see Figure 11.13).
  5. 5. Click OK.
f1113.tif

FIGURE 11.13 Configuring the schedule’s appearance


Your schedule doesn’t change one bit! You’ve simply created a situation where the appearance of the schedule won’t be apparent until you literally drag it onto a drawing sheet.


Adding a Schedule to a Sheet


Although adding a schedule to a sheet is a topic for Chapter 14, the process is so easy that you’ll go ahead and do it right now. Not to let the cat out of the bag or anything, but you’ll enjoy how sheets come together in Revit. Perform the following steps:



  1. 1. In the Project Browser, find the Sheets (All) category, as shown in Figure 11.14. Coincidentally, it’s located directly below DOOR SCHEDULE.
  2. 2. Right-click Sheets.
  3. 3. Select New Sheet (see Figure 11.14).
    f1114.tif

    FIGURE 11.14 Creating a new sheet


  4. 4. Select E1 30 × 42 Horizontal, as shown in Figure 11.15, and click OK.
    f1115.tif

    FIGURE 11.15 Using a sample title block


  5. 5. You now have a new sheet containing a blank title block, as shown in Figure 11.16.
    f1116.tif

    FIGURE 11.16 A new sheet, ready to be populated


The next objective is to click and drag the schedule onto the sheet. If the schedule fits, this is literally the easiest thing to do in Revit:



  1. 1. In the Project Browser, find DOOR SCHEDULE.
  2. 2. Click it, but don’t double-click it. You want to pick it and hold down the left mouse button.
  3. 3. With the left mouse button pressed, drag the schedule onto the sheet. You can place it anywhere you see fit (see Figure 11.17).
    f1117.eps

    FIGURE 11.17 Clicking and dragging the schedule onto the sheet


  4. 4. When you’ve moved your cursor to the correct position, release the mouse button. If the bottom hangs over the sheet, that’s okay—you’ll fix it in a minute.
  5. 5. Notice the blue break grip located halfway up the schedule. This is the same type of grip that is used in grids, levels, and sections. Pick it, as shown in Figure 11.18.
    f1118.tif

    FIGURE 11.18 You can split the schedule into two (or more) sections.


  6. 6. With the schedule split in two, you can see that it will fit onto the sheet quite nicely. With the schedule still selected, notice the blue grip at the lower left, as shown in Figure 11.19. Pick the grip and drag. You can slide the schedule so the length of each side adjusts up and down evenly.
    f1119.tif

    FIGURE 11.19 You can make further adjustments to the schedule by picking the round blue grip.


  7. 7. Zoom in on the top of the schedule, as shown in Figure 11.20, and select the schedule.
    f1120.tif

    FIGURE 11.20 Pick the triangle grip to give the COMMENTS field some more room.


  8. 8. There are blue triangle-shaped icons at each cell in the title and the header. Pick the one on the COMMENTS column, and drag it to the right. The COMMENTS header will now be readable.

You can make two more adjustments to the schedule after you place it onto a sheet. This involves rotating and joining the two columns back together:



  1. 1. Select the schedule (if it isn’t already selected).

    On the Modify | Schedule Graphics tab, there is a Rotation On Sheet menu on the Options bar, as shown at the upper left in Figure 11.21. You don’t need to change the rotation—just note that it’s there.


  2. 2. Also notice the blue move grips at the upper-left corners of the schedules. If you pick one and drag the column back over the top of the other, the columns automatically join back together (see Figure 11.21).
  3. 3. Save the model.

To nail down the concept, let’s create a window schedule. If you like, go ahead on your own and make one. You can then compare it to the one in the book when you’ve finished, to see if you got it right. If you would rather go step by step, that’s fine too! Just follow along:



  1. 1. On the View tab, click the Schedules images Schedule/Quantities button. Note that you can also right-click Schedules in the Project Browser to create a new schedule.
    f1121.eps

    FIGURE 11.21 You can rotate the schedule on the sheet, and you can also join the columns back together if you need to.


  2. 2. In the next dialog, select Windows, and click OK.
  3. 3. In the Schedule Properties dialog, add the following fields (see Figure 11.22):

    • Type Mark
    • Type
    • Width
    • Height
    • Sill Height
    • Level

  4. 4. Go to the Sorting/Grouping tab, as shown in Figure 11.23.
  5. 5. Sort by Type Mark.
  6. 6. Add a footer, with Title, Count, And Totals selected.
  7. 7. Choose Level from the Then By drop-down list.
    f1122.tif

    FIGURE 11.22 Adding fields to the schedule


  8. 8. Select the Grand Totals option.
  9. 9. Select Title, Count, And Totals.
  10. 10. Select the Itemize Every Instance option. (It should be checked by default; see Figure 11.23.)
  11. 11. Click OK to get to the schedule and see the results.
    f1123.tif

    FIGURE 11.23 Specifying the settings for your window schedule


Sometimes, you may want to sort items based on a field but not actually display that field. You can do this as follows:



  1. 1. Select a cell in the Level column, as shown in Figure 11.24.
    f1124.tif

    FIGURE 11.24 You can hide a column but still have Revit sort the schedule based on the hidden information.


  2. 2. Click the Hide button. This will hide the column.
  3. 3. Save the model.

Phew! I think you get the picture. If you like, feel free to create a bunch of schedules on your own. Practice does make perfect.


Let’s venture now into creating a material takeoff. It would be a shame to have all these computations go unused!


Creating Material Takeoffs


Creating a material takeoff is similar to creating a schedule. The only difference is that you’re breaking components down and scheduling the smaller pieces. For example, as you know, you can make a schedule of all the doors in the model—you just did that. But with a material takeoff, you can quantify the square footage of door panels or glass within the doors. To take it a step further, you can do material takeoffs of walls, floors, and any other building components you want to quantify.


The objective of this procedure is to create three different material takeoffs: one for the walls, one for the floors, and one for the roofs. Let’s get started:



  1. 1. On the View tab, click Schedules images Material Takeoff, as shown in Figure 11.25.
    f1125.tif

    FIGURE 11.25 To add a new material takeoff, you can go to the View tab.


  2. 2. In the New Material Takeoff dialog, select Walls, as shown in Figure 11.26.
    f1126.tif

    FIGURE 11.26 Select Walls in the New Material Takeoff dialog.


  3. 3. Click OK.
  4. 4. In the next dialog, add the following fields (see Figure 11.27).

    • Material: Area
    • Material: Name
    • Count
    f1127.tif

    FIGURE 11.27 Adding the materials


  5. 5. Select the Sorting/Grouping tab.
  6. 6. Sort by Material: Name.
  7. 7. Add a footer.
  8. 8. Choose Title, Count, And Totals from the menu, as shown in Figure 11.28.
  9. 9. Select the Blank Line option.
  10. 10. At the bottom of the dialog box, select Grand Totals.
  11. 11. Choose Title, Count, And Totals from the menu.
  12. 12. Select the option Itemize Every Instance (see Figure 11.28).
  13. 13. Click OK.

The next step is to begin taking some totals on your own. The first thing you can do is have Revit automatically format a column to produce an independent total; then, you can break out this takeoff and drill in to more specific line-item totals:



  1. 1. In the Properties dialog, click the Edit button next to the Formatting row to bring up the Material Takeoff Properties dialog, shown in Figure 11.29.
  2. 2. In the field to the left, select Material: Area (see Figure 11.29).
  3. 3. At right, select Calculate Totals (see Figure 11.29).
  4. 4. Click OK.
f1128.tif

FIGURE 11.28 Configuring the parameters for the schedule

f1129.tif

FIGURE 11.29 On the Formatting tab, you can specify Calculate Totals for the Material: Area option.


You now have a total area at the bottom of your takeoff groups, as shown in Figure 11.30.


The next step is to break this takeoff into smaller, more specific takeoffs. When you do this, you can provide your own calculations based on almost any formula you need.

f1130.tif

FIGURE 11.30 The total area is being calculated.


Creating a Calculated Value Field


The objective here is to create separate schedules for Plywood and Gypsum by adding a new variable to the schedule that contains a formula you create. Yes, it’s as hard as it sounds; but after you get used to this procedure, it won’t be so bad! Perform the following steps:



  1. 1. In the Project Browser, right-click Wall Material Takeoff, and select Duplicate View images Duplicate, as shown in Figure 11.31.
  2. 2. Right-click the new view in the Project Browser, and select Rename.
  3. 3. Rename it Plywood Takeoff.
  4. 4. In the Properties dialog, click the Edit button in the Filter row.
  5. 5. For Filter By, choose Material: Name.
  6. 6. In the menu to the right, select Equals from the list.
  7. 7. In the field below Material: Name, select Wood – Sheathing – Plywood (see Figure 11.32).
  8. 8. Click OK.

Your takeoff should look like Figure 11.33.

f1131.tif

FIGURE 11.31 Duplicating the schedule

f1132.tif

FIGURE 11.32 Filtering based on material


The next step is to break down the plywood into 4×8 sheets. You’ll need to add a formula based on the square footage given by Revit divided by 32 square feet to come up with the plywood totals:



  1. 1. Open the Plywood Takeoff schedule in the Project Browser (if it isn’t already).
  2. 2. In the Properties dialog, click the Edit button in the Fields row.
  3. 3. On the Fields tab in the Material Takeoff Properties dialog, click the Calculated Value button, as shown in Figure 11.34.
  4. 4. For the name, enter Number of Sheets.
  5. 5. Make sure Discipline is set to Common.
  6. 6. Make sure Type is set to Number (see Figure 11.35).
    f1133.tif

    FIGURE 11.33 The takeoff is filtered based only on plywood.

    f1134.tif

    FIGURE 11.34 Click the Calculated Value button in the middle of the dialog.

    f1135.tif

    FIGURE 11.35 Changing the calculated values

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Aug 3, 2021 | Posted by in Building and Construction | Comments Off on 11: Schedules and Tags
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