Autodesk 256B1-05A761-1301 - AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite 2010, User Manual

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Selecting Face-Based Hosts from a Mass Instance
When updating face-based hosts (such as walls, floors, and roofs), you may find it easier to select the mass
instance or generic model with which the elements are associated first, and then select the face-based hosts.
1 In the drawing area, select any mass instance or generic model instance that has associated
face-based elements.
2 Click Modify <Element> tab
➤
Massing panel
➤
Related Hosts.
The selection changes from the mass instance or generic model instance to the selection of face-based hosts.
Controlling Visibility of Mass Instances
You can control the visibility of mass instances in the following ways:
■ Set view-specific mass category visibility. The view-specific setting determines whether the mass prints,
and whether it is visible when Show Mass is not turned on. To display a mass in a view, click View
tab
➤
Graphics panel
➤
Visibility/Graphics. On the Model Categories tab, select the mass category. If
Mass is selected, the subcategories Form and Mass Floor can be controlled independently.
Importing Massing Studies from Other Applications
You can use 3D design software (such as Autodesk 3ds Max
®
, Google
™
SketchUp
®
, or Form/Z
®
by AutoDesSys,
Inc.) to create large-scale massing studies, and then use Revit Architecture to associate host elements (walls,
roofs, and so on) to the mass faces.
In order for Revit Architecture to understand the exported geometry as a mass object, use the design software
to create a design, export the design to a supported file format (such as DWG or SAT), and import the file
into a mass family in Revit Architecture. Revit Architecture then treats the geometry as a mass, allowing the
faces of the mass component to be selected and associated to Revit host elements (such as walls, floors, and
roofs).
NOTE Exported objects are faceted, rather than smooth. When exported, curved elements may be triangulated.
Related topics
■ Importing or Linking CAD Formats on page 1387
■ Importing Files from SketchUp on page 1389
■ Referencing Imported Geometry on page 565
Considerations for Imported Geometry in Mass or Generic Model Families
You can import geometry from external CAD formats into a mass instance or mass family in the same way
that you import such geometry into other family definitions. However, in some cases, imported geometry
is not well suited to mass instances.
When imported geometry is not well suited to mass instances, it may be possible to use the generic model
category instead. There is overlap between the mass instance and generic model categories. Walls, roofs, and
curtain systems can be made from faces in a generic model family. Floors can be created from sketches that
reference the geometry in a generic model or a mass model. Mass models also support level-based mass
floors, which in turn support one-click parametric floor creation.
626 | Chapter 12 Massing Studies