CHAPTER 5
Dimensioning and Annotating

The focus of this chapter is to give you the ability to dimension and annotate a model. After the novelty of having a really cool model in 3D wears off, you need to buckle down and produce some bid documents. This is where Revit must prove its functionality. You should ask yourself, “Can Revit produce drawings consistent with what is acceptable to national standards, and more important, my company’s standards? And if so, how do I get to this point?” These are the questions that owners and managers will ask you. (If you are, in fact, an owner or a manager, I suppose you can ask yourself these questions.)

Dimensioning
Using dimensions as a layout tool
Placing text and annotations

Dimensioning

The answers to these questions begin right here with dimensioning and annotations. This is where you can start to make Revit your own. Also, when it comes to dimensioning, you will find in this chapter that dimensions take on an entirely new role in the design process.

I think you will like dimensioning in Revit. It is almost fun. Almost. Before you get started, let’s get one thing out of the way: you cannot alter a dimension to display an increment that is not true. Hooray! As you go through this chapter, you will quickly learn that when you place a dimension, it becomes not only an annotation but a layout tool as well.

The Dimension command has five separate types: Aligned, Linear, Angular, Radial, and Arc Length. Each has its importance in adding dimensions to a model, and each is covered separately in this section.

Let’s get started. To begin, open the file you have been following along with. If you did not complete Chapter 4, “Working with the Revit Tools,” go to the book’s website at www.sybex.com/go/revit2012ner. From there you can browse to Chapter 5 and find the file called NER-15.rvt.

Aligned Dimensions

The most popular of all the Revit Architecture dimensions is the Aligned dimension. This type of dimension will be used 75 percent of the time.

An Aligned dimension in Revit enables you to place a dimension along an object at any angle. The resulting dimension will align with the object being dimensioned. A Linear dimension, in contrast, will add a dimension only at 0, 90, 180, or 270 degrees, regardless of the item’s angle.

To add an Aligned dimension, perform these steps:

1. Go to the Level 1 floor plan.
2. Zoom in on the east wing of the building.
3. On the Annotate tab, click the Aligned button, as shown in Figure 5.1.
4. On the Options bar, you will see two drop-down menus with some choices, as shown in Figure 5.2. Make sure that you have Wall Faces selected.
5. The next menu lets you pick individual references or entire walls. Select Entire Walls from the menu.

FIGURE 5.1 Starting the Dimension command from the Annotate tab

FIGURE 5.2 The Options bar for the Dimension command. Notice the Options button.
6. On the far right of the Options bar is an Options button, which allows you to make further choices when selecting the entire wall. Click the Options button.
7. In the Auto Dimension Options dialog box, select Intersecting Walls. Do not select any other item (see Figure 5.3), and then click OK.
8. Zoom in on the north wall, as shown in Figure 5.4.
9. Pick (left-click) the north exterior wall. Notice that the dimensions are completely filled out.

FIGURE 5.3 The Auto Dimension Options dialog box
10. Pick a point (to place the dimension) approximately 8´ (2400mm) above the north wall (see Figure 5.4).

FIGURE 5.4 By choosing the Entire Walls option, you can add an entire string of dimensions in one click.
11. In true Revit form, you are still in the command unless you tell Revit you do not want to be. In this case, click the Options button on the Options bar (the same one you clicked before).
12. Deselect the Intersecting Walls option in the Auto Dimension Options dialog box and click OK.
13. Pick (left-click) the same wall. You now have a dimension traveling the entire length of the building.
14. Move your cursor above the first dimension string you added. Notice that the dimension will “click” when it gets directly above the first string.
15. When you see the dimension snap, pick that point (see Figure 5.5).

In many cases, you will need the ability to pick two points to create the dimension. What a world it would be if everything was as easy as the dimension string you just added. Unfortunately, it is not.

f0505.tif — **FIGURE 5.5** Adding a major dimension by turning off the Intersecting Walls choice in the Auto Dimension Options dialog box

Creating Aligned Dimensions by Picking Points

Nine times out of 10, you will be picking two points to create the dimension. Usually in Revit this is quite simple—until you get into a situation where the walls are at an angle that is not 90 degrees. In a moment you will explore that issue, but for now, let’s add some straight dimensions:

1. Zoom in on the northeast portion of the east wing, as shown in Figure 5.6.
2. On the Annotate tab, click the Aligned button.
3. On the Options bar, choose Individual References from the Pick menu, as shown in Figure 5.6, and do the following:
1. a. Pick the north wall marked 1 in Figure 5.6.
2. b. Pick the horizontal wall that ties into the radial wall, illustrated as 2 in Figure 5.6.
3. c. Place the dimension about 8´ (2400mm) to the right of the vertical wall, marked as 3 as shown in Figure 5.6.
4. With the Aligned Dimension command still running, pick the north wall again and do the following:
1. a. Pick the outside face of the northern wall.
2. b. Pick the centerline of the door, as shown in Figure 5.7, but do not press Esc or terminate the command.
3. c. Pick the horizontal wall that ties into the radial wall, illustrated as 3 in Figure 5.7.
4. d. Pick a point inside (to the left of) the first dimension illustrated as 4, as shown in Figure 5.7. This places the dimension string and finalizes the session.
FIGURE 5.6 Placing the dimension by picking two objects

WARNING

When you add a string of dimensions, you must not stop and then resume the dimension string in the middle of the command. As you will see in a moment, when you add dimensions in a continuous line, there is a lot you can do in terms of making adjustments to the objects you are dimensioning.

You will now see that the actual dimension values are blue. Also, you will see a blue EQ icon with a dash through it (refer to Figure 5.7).
5. Click the blue EQ button, as shown in Figure 5.8. If the door was not exactly centered, this will force the door to move to an equal distance between the two walls.
6. Press Esc twice or click Modify.

f0507.eps — **FIGURE 5.7** Adding a dimension string manually

f0508.eps — **FIGURE 5.8** You can use the dimension string to move the door by clicking the EQ button.

Sometimes you may want to display the dimensions rather than the EQ that Revit shows as a default. To do so, follow along:

1. Select the dimension.
2. Right-click.
3. Choose EQ Display, as shown in Figure 5.9.

The dimensions will now show an increment.

Pretty cool. There is one last item involving Aligned dimensions that we should address: how do you dimension along an angle?

f0509.tif — **FIGURE 5.9** Toggle off the EQ display.

Dimensioning an Angle

No, not an angel, an angle. Adding this type of Aligned dimension is not the easiest thing to do in Revit. This is why we need to address the process as a separate item in this book. Here are the steps:

1. Zoom in on the corridor area (the link area between the east and west wings).
2. On the Annotate tab, click the Aligned button on the Dimension panel.
3. On the Options bar, be sure Pick is set to Individual References.
4. Zoom in close to the intersection of the two walls, shown in Figure 5.10.
5. Hover your pointer over the core intersection, as shown in Figure 5.10.
6. Tap the Tab key until you see the square grip appear.

NOTE

By tapping the Tab key, you tell Revit to filter through different points. When you arrive at the square grip, Revit can dimension the angled wall.
7. When the square grip appears, pick it (left-click), as shown in Figure 5.10.

FIGURE 5.10 Press the Tab key to select the point shown.
8. Move to the other intersection of the angled wall.
9. Hover your cursor over this core intersection, as shown in Figure 5.11.
10. Tap the Tab key until you see the same square grip.
11. Pick the square grip.
12. Now the dimension is following your pointer. Pick a third point about 8´ (2438mm) away from the angled wall, as shown in Figure 5.11.
13. On the left end of the Ribbon, select the Modify button. This ends the command.

Unfortunately, you had to dimension to the core of the wall. This is the last place you would ever need to take a dimension from. At this point, the dimension needs to be “stretched” to the outside, finished face of the brick, as you’ll see next.

Editing the Witness Line

Every dimension in Revit Architecture has its own grip points when selected. This is similar to most CAD applications. Two of these grips control the witness line. The witness line is the line “attached” to the item being dimensioned. Because you had to take this dimension from the core of the wall, the witness lines need to be dragged to the outside face of the brick:

1. Select the angled dimension. Notice the blue grips appear.
2. On the left side of the dimension, pick and hold the grip in the middle of the dimension line, as shown in Figure 5.12.
3. Drag the blue grip to the outside face of the brick. You will know you are in the right spot because you will see a small dot appear, as shown in the magnified segment of Figure 5.12.
4. Repeat the procedure for the other side.

Trust me—this is worth practicing now, before you get into a live situation. If you have already run into this situation, you know exactly what I mean.

You need to look at one more procedure for tweaking an Aligned dimension: overriding a dimension’s precision.

f0511.eps — **FIGURE 5.11** Picking the second point along the wall and placing the dimension

f0512.eps — **FIGURE 5.12** Dragging the witness line’s grip

Overriding the Precision

When you dimension a wall at an angle such as this, the dimension usually comes out at an uneven increment. In most cases, you do not want to override every dimension’s precision just for this one, lone dimension to read properly. In this situation, you want to turn to the dimension’s Type Properties:

1. Select the angled dimension.
2. In the Properties dialog, click the Edit Type button, as shown in Figure 5.13.
3. Click the Duplicate button, as shown in Figure 5.14.
4. In the Name dialog box that opens, name the new dimension style Linear – 3/32˝ Arial – 1/4˝ precision. For the metric users, it is Linear – 2mm Arial 10mm precision. Click OK.

FIGURE 5.13 Clicking the Edit Type button to begin creating a new dimension style
5. Scroll down to the Text category. There, near the bottom, you will see a row for Units Format. Next to the Units Format row is a button that displays a sample increment. Click it (see Figure 5.14).
6. In the Format dialog box, deselect the Use Project Settings option.

FIGURE 5.14 Select the button in the Text category to access the dimension’s precision.
7. Choose To The Nearest 1/4˝ (To The Nearest 10) from the Rounding drop-down menu (see Figure 5.15).

FIGURE 5.15 Changing the dimension’s precision. Notice some of the other available choices.
8. Click OK twice.
9. Notice that the dimension is now rounded to the nearest 1/4˝ (10mm). In this case, it is rounded to a whole number.

Although Aligned dimensions will bear the brunt of your dimensioning, there are still plenty of other dimension types waiting for you to use.

Linear Dimensions

Linear dimensions are used less frequently than most of the other dimensions. Unlike in AutoCAD, in which Linear dimensions are the go-to dimension, they are put on the bench for most of the game in Revit. The best use for a Linear dimension is when you want to put a straight dimension across nonlinear (angled) geometry, as follows:

1. Zoom back in on the corridor area.
2. On the Annotate tab, select the Linear Dimension button. Notice that you cannot select the entire wall. That option has been taken away. Instead, Revit requires you to pick a point.
3. Move your cursor over the inside corner, at the bottom intersection of the corridor. Make sure you are exactly over the exterior intersection of the brick. You will know you are there by the blue dot that shows up, as shown in Figure 5.16.

FIGURE 5.16 Selecting the finished exterior corner of the brick. You will see a small blue dot appear, indicating you can pick the start of the dimension.
4. When you see the dot, pick the corner.
5. Pick the same spot on the other end of the wall, as shown in Figure 5.17. When you pick the second corner, the dimension will follow your cursor in a straight direction.
6. Move your cursor to the left approximately 8´ (2400mm) past the first point that you picked, and pick the third point to place the dimension (see Figure 5.17).
7. Press Esc. See Figure 5.18 for the completed dimension.

f0517.eps — **FIGURE 5.17** When you add a Linear dimension to an angled wall, you will get a straight dimension.

f0518.tif — **FIGURE 5.18** Changing the dimension to reflect the new rounded dimension

Aligned and Linear dimensions are the two dimension styles that pertain to straight dimensioning. The next three dimension procedures add dimensions to angled and radial geometry.

Angular Dimensions

Angular dimensioning comes close to needing no introduction at all. But I will introduce it anyway. Angular dimensions are used to calculate and record the angle between two items. These two items are usually walls. Of course, you will add an Angular dimension to your lovely corridor walls:

1. Zoom back in on the corridor if you are not there already.
2. On the Annotate tab, select the Angular Dimension button, as shown in Figure 5.19.
3. For the first wall, pick the finished, inside face of the upper-left corridor wall, which is marked 1 in Figure 5.19.
4. Pick the finished, inside face of the angled corridor wall, which is marked 2 in Figure 5.19.
5. Move your cursor to the left about 8´ (2400mm), and place the dimension that is marked 3 in Figure 5.19.
6. Press Esc.
7. Repeat the steps for the bottom of the corridor.
8. Add the rest of the dimensions, as shown in Figure 5.20. This completes the dimensioning of the corridor area.

f0519.eps — **FIGURE 5.19** Placing an Angular dimension means picking two walls and then a point to place the dimension.

f0520.tif — **FIGURE 5.20** Finish placing the corridor dimensions.

If you would like to place the dimensions in different locations, feel free to do so.

The next set of dimensions pertains to radial geometry. You can finally get out of this corridor!

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Aug 3, 2021 | Posted by admin in Building and Construction | Comments Off

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5: Dimensioning and Annotating