topic Re: Creating relatively complex facade. in Revit Architecture Forum

Creating relatively complex facade.

nPoika — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:58:20 GMT

Hi All!

I've literally only started using Revit over the last two days and feel fairly comfortable with the overall standard functions after what must be close to a billion tutorials! I'm currently studying and as such, am no architectural genius yet, however I apparently have an insatiable need for ridiculous design.

In summary, my design is of a single story public library which will have a green roof. Access to said roof is provided by a ramp. As this is a design project I am trying to go all out with the design (what my construction teachers would call 'fluffy'). This is where you guys (hopefully my new friends) will come into play.

Pleaaaaase see the attatched PDF before reading further

I want to have a relatively angular facade, hypothetically made from precast or even insitu concrete. The fun part is trying to model it in Revit. I won't lie, I am used to sketch up. I love sketchup. We are bros. However I want to know how to do this in Revit, or what the most appropriate process would be.

In this picture the blue is the standard building facade, the yellow is the ramp. The red is the angular affect which would either be attached to the wall or cast as part of (admittedly that is some less than fun form-work). The green I would like to make a feature on both the internal and external sides of the wall, with it being relatively hollow on the internal face.

I have tried modeling as a component in place and as in place conceptual mass (with the intent of creating faces on walls) however I can't seem to get any where with the extrusion form factor. I find it very difficult in that I can't just put edges wherever I want and then manipulate the points.

Is it standard practice to model something like this in Revit? Or to start off in Autocad/Sketchup and import it in?

If anyone could provide help and feed back I would be incredibly grateful

Re: Creating relatively complex facade.

LisaDrago — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:50:39 GMT

Hello and Welcome to the discussion!

I would start with a mass model - once you have that created to be the shape you want - you can apply walls to the faces - it works great!

Re: Creating relatively complex facade.

nPoika — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:14:12 GMT

Thanks for the reply! That's what I've been trying to do, but I'm having trouble modelling mass in the right shape. For instance, why are there some faces I can add edges/profiles to and others I can't? I'm used to sketch up (as indicated by the concept).

Re: Creating relatively complex facade.

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:18:45 GMT

Can you post a 3D image of your SU model?

It's a bit hard to tell from only an elevation.

Re: Creating relatively complex facade.

LisaDrago — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:26:24 GMT

You should be able to bring your skp model into revit and use that.

Re: Creating relatively complex facade.

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:13:30 GMT

Yes--you COULD....

But I think the OP wants to know how to model it from scratch in Revit, with either Walls, Floors, Roofs, etc

or the Conceptual Massing Tools and then Wall by Face, Roof by Face etc.

Re: Creating relatively complex facade.

constantin.stroescu — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:22:39 GMT

in place Mass elements using free points:

First make some preparations: In one of the Floor Plans (can be Site Plan) :Architecture>Work Plane> Ref Plane..draw two or more horizontal reference planes on wich to place the points...name them so to can be choose ..
Now, open the South view and go to:
Massing and Site > In Place Mass> Name >Draw >Point ...place points ...when you click on point button a window will pop up asking you to choose a Work Plane on wich to be placed...Name and choose one of the reference planes you have created in first step...place points that you want to have there....
Repeat the process on other planes....anyway the point can be moved freely later by there tripod...
After placing all the points :Draw> Reference Lines> using 3 d snap checked...conect the points
Select reference lines so to have closed contour ( triangulation) and click Create Form...a preview image will show you two options...volume and surface...choose surface...continue the proces untill you cover all the space
you have obtained a mesh that can be edited by selecting the points ..click on them , activate the tripod and moving them along the tripod axes...
at last : Finish Masses ...and apply Wall by Face to the faces ....apply to exterior face in order not to have gaps

Re: Creating relatively complex facade.

nPoika — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:43:31 GMT

Thanks for the responses guys!

Yeah, for the record I'm looking for accepted practice more than anything. I've seen many posts floating around pretty much implying sketchup is bad voodoo. Which is a shame, because I love that program. Aaaanywho. I've attatched model it is just the elevation (I literally whipped it up in less than 5 minutes), but hopefully it'll shed light on any further questions.( I had to .zip it as I couldn't attatch the sketchup file) If you need it in a different format lemme know, and I'll see what I can do 🙂

Also the picture attatch is my attempt thus far. One of the main things I had to become acustomed to is drawing it from working planes (almost like a contour system!). That is what I achieved, I'll still delete it, because it's curved (I want more angular).

Constantin thank you for that info, I'll give that a whirl tomorrow morning and see how I go! Looks very helpful.

Thanks again guys, I seriously appreciate it! 🙂