Creating walls

[RJK42]

I have started an Revit Architecture project by going to my elevations and creating 4 levels. 00 Foundation = -10', 01 - Main Floor = 0', 02 - Second Floor = 8', and 03 - Roof=16'.  I then double click 00 Foundation under Floor Plans, go to wall, select 12' foundation concrete, select height to 01 - Main Floor and try to start drawings walls.  But instead I get an error saying the visibility settings are off, and notice that my walls are below the foundation which I defined.  Is it because "foundation walls" have properties assigned to be below grade and whichever level you select, it will be below?

Also, I selected exterior finished face when drawing the walls but when it’s all said and done everything is off by 6" and the dimensions are displayed from the core.  I want to be able to draw walls from the exterior face and keep it that way.  How do I only display dimensions automatically from the exterior face.

Thanks in advance

[Alfredo_Medina · Accepted solution]

About your first question:

Walls have a parameter called "function". When that parameter is set to "Foundation", as in the wall type that you are using, the base level and top level constraints work in a different way, kind of reverse, which causes some confusion. To avoid this, you could use, temporarily, another wall type whose function is not set to "Foundation", such as "Generic - 8", draw your walls normaly at the Foundation plan, from Base constraint = "Foundation" to Top Constraint = "Level 1". This won't give you any issues. Then, change all the walls to be "Foundation 12" Concrete".

Another way to do the same is to change the value of "function" of the "Foundation 12" Concrete" wall to "exterior" before creating the walls. Then use the normal base and top constraints, create the walls, then, change the function parameter back to "Foundation". The value might be useful to clasify walls in a shedule of walls or quantities.

About your second question:

The finish face exterior / finish face interior is related to the direction in which you provide the two points that define a wll. If the two points are clicked "left from right" vs "right from left" the results are different.