topic Re: Draw in Foreground in Revit Architecture Forum

Draw in Foreground

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 04:34:56 GMT

I have read several posts about how to get an object to "draw in foreground". I have done it before, but for some reason this model won't give me the option. I am trying to get my chairs to go under the table and not show on top. I have read other help articles that say to use the arrange tool, but that isn't even a tool under my modify tab. I have recently switched to Revit 2015 (it is also a student version). Maybe this version does not allow for those features?

If anyone has any advice, that'd be great!

Re: Draw in Foreground

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 12:17:49 GMT

Make sure you havent got an elevation/offset on the chair or hte chair is a facebased family. Also check your Visual Style if its set to Hidden.

If im not mistaken the arrange tool only works with DWG imports.

Re: Draw in Foreground

chrisplyler — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 15:42:34 GMT

Revit doesn't "draw" physical 3D objects in front of or behind other objects. It places them, just as in real life, relative to each other. They when you view it looking down from above (as in a floor plan view) you will see those objects nearest you obscuring those object further away.

Well, presuming you are not in the Wireframe view mode and presuming objects are not set to be transparent and depending upon what your view range and overlay settings are.

If you're seeing a chair above a table in plan view, and all the settings are as should be expected, then the chair is physically ABOVE the table.

Re: Draw in Foreground

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:45:15 GMT

I checked the furniture in elevation view, and the chairs are under the tables. In the floor plan view, they appear on top of the tables. I still cannot figure out why.

Re: Draw in Foreground

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:49:15 GMT

There isn't any offset for either the chairs or tables. All of the chairs in my model are appearing on top of my tables or desks. Could there be something wrong in my settings? I am working from a shell that was given to me.

Here are my settings for my floor plan.

Re: Draw in Foreground

chrisplyler — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 18:20:17 GMT

I wonder if perhaps the table family uses only a symbolic line circle in coarse view? I'm running out of guesses. Can you attach a file with only the table and chair families that exhibits your problem?

Re: Draw in Foreground

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 18:43:15 GMT

Since I am having problems with all of my chairs and tables, I have attached a few different examples.

The Amoeba table and the Risom Child chair go together.

Re: Draw in Foreground

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 18:44:21 GMT

The Troy chair and the Everywhere Table go together.

I am having issues with all of these tables and chairs.

Re: Draw in Foreground

chrisplyler — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 20:31:53 GMT

All three of those chair families are done poorly in my opinion. It's not the 3D geometry that's showing above your table tops. It's detail lines and/or masking regions which are all (if you ask me) useless. Edit those chair families. Use the floor plan reference level views. Draw a box around everything to select everything. Filter the selection to only detail items and lines. Delete all that crap. Load them back into your project. Problem solved.

The Risom chair in particular needs a bit of cleanup with regard to what bits of geometry are visible at what view detail level and what view type, but that's a separate problem.

And the Troy chair needs the visibility of the seat extrusion turned on for plan view at all detail levels, or it isn't going to show up at all after you delete the detail items and masking region.

Re: Draw in Foreground

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 21:01:03 GMT

It worked! Thank you for your help!

Re: Draw in Foreground

chrisplyler — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 21:10:23 GMT

Glad to help when I am able.

Re: Draw in Foreground

nick997QM — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 22:07:42 GMT

this is actually not true

Re: Draw in Foreground

m_delp — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:56:11 GMT

This is a quick way of solving the issue, but it isn't the ideal way.

Masks within a families are used to illustrate complex furniture in a leaner / cleaner manner without affecting the 3D geometry. For instance, all the geometry lines of the chair on the right just clutter the drawing. All you need to see in plan are the outlines of the seat, the armrests, the backrest, and the feet.

Often times, those masks are not properly hosted which cause issues like these. If properly hosted within their families (proper levels or reference planes), they would not create graphical conflicts like the one you posted.

Keep in mind, when you use a mask to illustrate parts of your furniture, it's best to toggle off the geometry's visibility in that view. (Visibility/Graphics Overrides after selecting the geometry in the family editor.)