topic Re: locking detail elements in Revit Architecture Forum

locking detail elements

jfjacques — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 03:28:00 GMT

I am filling in a cross section with detail elements for studs and some insulation elements.

Inevitably, at some point I will move walls.

Is there any way of locking these detail items to the centerline of the wall?

I know I can group them, but then I end up dealing with groups in plan instead of walls.

I always have to move these around to follow the wall. This is worst than cad.

Re: locking detail elements

_Vijay — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 04:16:56 GMT

you can add dimension and lock it.

Re: locking detail elements

barthbradley — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 04:30:57 GMT

Yes. You may need to add a Ref. Plane to the Family to facilitate alignment in the Project. Do you know what I mean?

...about defining priorities for Ref. Planes:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2018/ENU/Revit-Customize/files/GUID-63E81ED4-1538-486C-BD38-D06207B910F5-htm.html

...you can just align and lock them.

Re: locking detail elements

jfjacques — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 15:13:43 GMT

Thanks those are 2 good answers. Will have to familiarize myself with reference planes a bit more. Locking the dimension does work though it is an extra little step.

Re: locking detail elements

barthbradley — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 15:20:44 GMT

It's still all about REF PLANES, dude -- even with Dimensions. You need to pull the Dimension from SOMETHING! That something IS a Reference Plane. You're using them everyday is Revit, whether you are aware of it or not.

It wasn't just a good answer. It was THE answer.

Re: locking detail elements

barthbradley — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 15:25:18 GMT

I can't align and lock -- or Dimension and lock the OOTB 2x4 Section Detail to the center of a Wall in the Project without adding 2 intersecting RPs to the Family.

Re: locking detail elements

jfjacques — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 15:12:46 GMT

I haven't added any reference planes.

I can dimension lock the insulation and the plates without issue - probably because the planes are in place.

I'm wondering then, if I can lock these guys without the dimensions. Even though I've added ref planes, how do I make the locking option show up?

Re: locking detail elements

jfjacques — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 20:49:11 GMT

I have what I think it is the exact same setup for the plate in terms of strong references, but I don't get an option to lock anything when I move the plate up against the wall.

Re: locking detail elements

David_W_Koch — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:33:18 GMT

Do not use the Move tool, use the Align tool. You should be offered lock icons when using Align.

Re: locking detail elements

AMadariaga100 — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 07:19:46 GMT

What he is saying by the words "whether you know it or not", is that ref planes are the primary component that makes revit families/components/groups and their associated constraints/parameters (the ones relevant to this conversation that is. There are , of course, other types of parameters.) work.

So when you are using any sort of element in your project and subsequently locking it, you are able to do so because it has been defined by dimensioned or aligned ref planes.

If you have ref planes but can't lock them, it's because you have not dimensioned them or aligned them yet in some way.

If you open up one of the revit family templates, you will see a bunch of ref planes , probably some notes (though not all have these), lock pads, and basically anything that defines that revit family template. This sort of illustrates just how definitive those ref planes are.

He was right to say "THE" answer. Because it is.

I think the "accepted answer" in this thread , while not wrong per se, is not the complete answer. I think barthbradley gave a much more complete and correct answer .. but I digress:)