attaching beams to the underside of an architectural roof?

[Anonymous]

i've created an architectural roof and want to pin the tops of my support beams to its underside.

at the moment i have to draw a named reference plane on the plan view, draw a section view along that

reference plane, activate the view. Unfortunately you can't draw a reference plane or select the roof soffit line so I then place a truss on that named reference plane, then pin the top chord

to the underside of the roof. then i can draw another reference plane on the top chord, delete the truss and then place a beam in on the  sloped reference plane. rather a convoluted process. surely if you can pin a trusses' top chord to the underside you should be able to do the same with a framing member.

also i can't fathom why some horizontal framing members won't alter their slope to a new sloping reference plane using the edit work plane tool, it states "select the plane" but won't recognise the sloping plane when you try and select using the cursor??? if you name the plane it doesn't appear in the named drop down menu either. all very frustrating

thanks for any light you can share on this

Pete

[Anonymous]

If I'm understanding correctly you're trying to place a beam in a roof and have it match a sloped diaphragm / roof? I typically place the individual beams in the 3-D view. I select, or set, the work plane that I want the beam to attach to (typicaly the underside of the roof diaphragm). Still in this view, I switch to the plan view or "Top" view. Go into the beam command and draw your beam. I'm not sure if it's a Revit thing, but I often lose the work plane I select if I switch out of the 3-D view and go into a framing plan view to place the beam. Your beam should be "attached" to the roof in that if you change the elevation of the roof or change its slope, the beam will follow. Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Peter,
Not sure why you can't create a ref plane?

I'm doing exactly the same. Cut a section, create a ref plane by select a line from architect's roof. Name it. Then switch to plan view, set ref plane to the relevant one. Drawing all kind of framing members included beam system. etc....

Have same problem with horizontal framing members. But if you can change working plane by follow process:
set ref plane on plan view to desired ref plane / select members to change / on modify tab "pick new work plane/ work plane" / align it back to correct direction.

[Anonymous]

gguevarra,
Yes we can do that. But thing is, if you update linked model, you will lost the restraint. So create ref plane is suggested then your members are independent from Arch's model. You only need to adjust ref plane rather than re-attach the whole lot of framing members.