topic Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item? in Revit Architecture Forum

Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:17:58 GMT

Having a hard time finding constraints to item like a wall and getting rid of all the constraints without erasing the wall and adding it back.

People in my office are constraining in a sorts of views and if I try to move something you either remove the constraint not always will it SHOW you what that constaint is. I just want a REMOVE ALL option would be nice!

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:29:19 GMT

#1 - train users to not constrain (lock) while modeling until they know what
they are doing.
#2 - most walls should have a controlling top and base level constraint.
#3 - ideally a general best practice for basic modeling and basic editing
the model should be established by your firm - we are still working on this.

--
Brian Earsley
www.arete3.com
18645 West Creek Drive
Tinley Park, Il 60477
708.342.1250 x.225
wrote in message news:5787351@discussion.autodesk.com...
Having a hard time finding constraints to item like a wall and getting rid
of all the constraints without erasing the wall and adding it back.

People in my office are constraining in a sorts of views and if I try to
move something you either remove the constraint not always will it SHOW you
what that constaint is. I just want a REMOVE ALL option would be nice!

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:38:17 GMT

We have this project Locked wall Core to the grid line that make up the exterior of the building. Problem is some walls have changed and someone locking them to the upper wall and not the grid so tring to fix there lock to the wrong wall component is very dificult to find them in.

Everybody Wishes everybody would FOLLOW a STANDARD but reality is less than half do follow a standard because would require them to do an extra step.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

gsucci — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:46:19 GMT

Billy, I don't think there is a way, yet.

Cut the element (CTRL+X), then paste it in place.
This removes most constraints.

This works pretty well also inside sketch modes, where you can select the whole sketch lines, cut and paste back.
Sometimes it is the only way to "clean" up complex constraint relationships.

Ideally, one day, Revit will have a "display constraints" feature, where it will accurately show constraintsbetween elements, maybe it will work with a selection, and will show the chain of constraints from theat selection to a certain number of linked/constraints elements...Maybe it will be color coded, to indicate different types of costraints...

Regards

gio

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:54:57 GMT

I always forget about cut and paste! We use it all the time with furniture from one phase to another and other items too but always forget.

It would be nice to be able to add explaination text to the lock so others would understand what you are tring to acomplish by this constraint! Then when you scroll thru the 11 messages about remove the constraint over and over that you could read what the constraint is there doing?

Thanks

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:56:31 GMT

unfortunately an "unconstrain all" button would probably create more issues
than it helps. i would agree Revit could use a much more descriptive and
clear interface to identify and control something as powerful and currently
subtle as constraints.

i like to think standards are easier to control in revit than they were in
the DWG world. it may never be perfect but we shouldn't let the weakest
link drive the chain;)

--
Brian Earsley
www.arete3.com
18645 West Creek Drive
Tinley Park, Il 60477
708.342.1250 x.225
wrote in message news:5787379@discussion.autodesk.com...
We have this project Locked wall Core to the grid line that make up the
exterior of the building. Problem is some walls have changed and someone
locking them to the upper wall and not the grid so tring to fix there lock
to the wrong wall component is very dificult to find them in.

Everybody Wishes everybody would FOLLOW a STANDARD but reality is less than
half do follow a standard because would require them to do an extra step.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:00:23 GMT

Nice quote! My standards are toooo high and everybody else just thinks they are Revit Masters! LOL

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:13:37 GMT

Note that the cut and paste will delete associated dimensions for the
object - in all views. this may be an issue late in CD's.

wrote in message news:5787433@discussion.autodesk.com...
I always forget about cut and paste! We use it all the time with furniture
from one phase to another and other items too but always forget.

It would be nice to be able to add explaination text to the lock so others
would understand what you are tring to acomplish by this constraint! Then
when you scroll thru the 11 messages about remove the constraint over and
over that you could read what the constraint is there doing?

Thanks

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

saad.fakhoury — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 12:44:59 GMT

Thanks a LOT for the solution provided by you.

It is really an intelligent and tricky solution that have served me.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

barthbradley — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 18:51:57 GMT

If you are talking about hidden constraints (e.g. the constraints you reveal by toggling the "Reveal Constraints" button), cutting & pasting will be of little value. Those constraints will copy & paste with the element.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

SteveKStafford — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 19:23:48 GMT

Hey @barthbradley deep history here, traveling back a decade. It's a thread that started and ended in 2007, until the most recent reply. It's certainly good to know and helpful now yet Reveal Constraints didn't exist back then.

FWIW it's been my observation that align/lock and lock dimension constraints applied to elements that are Cut to Clipboard and Paste Aligned to Same Place will remove those constraints.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

barthbradley — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 19:39:15 GMT

Hiya @SteveKStafford! Hey, what do you mean here? Did I misread something, or misstate something?

...FWIW: My hidden constraints copy&paste with the wall.

...WTF! I see what you mean now! This thread was originally posted in 2007! I'll need to use the Delorean to answer this thread. HA!

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

SteveKStafford — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 19:45:01 GMT

Simple comparison: I aligned and locked two walls and then added a dimension between walls, locked. Cut to Clipboard and then Paste Aligned to Same Place. Reveal Hidden constraints doesn't show any remaining constraints. That's what I see in Revit 2018.2 (latest updates applied).

Unless I also included the element they are constrained too. I'm assuming that the desire to break a constraint will only require removing and placing one or some of the elements in question.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

ToanDN — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 19:47:55 GMT

My guess is constraints between the cut elements and OTHER elements will be gone after cut and paste. But the constraints WITHIN the cut elements will remain after cut and paste.

No I am not going go test it.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

barthbradley — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 20:10:42 GMT

...I'm talking about the wall itself, Steve. However, if you want to include a second wall in the cut & paste action; then any hidden constraints between the two walls will also be cut & pasted. What a beautiful thing too!

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

SteveKStafford — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 20:31:33 GMT

What sort of constraints exists within a wall itself? The constraint relationship (what Reveal Hidden Constraints shows) is dependent on other elements. The original post asks how to break that, well "all" constraints. Cut and paste that one element and all constraints related to it are eliminated. If we also cut/paste elements that are constrained to it then that doesn't remove them.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

barthbradley — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 22:46:26 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

What sort of constraints exists within a wall itself?

A locked hidden constraint may be a dimension pulled from wall end to wall end, or pulled from wall end to an element it's hosting, such as a door or window.

The constraint relationship (what Reveal Hidden Constraints shows) is dependent on other elements.

"Dependent on on other elements"? Not true. Hidden constraint(s) can be applied to a single element, such as one wall (e.g. length and height).

The original post asks how to break that, well "all" constraints. Cut and paste that one element and all constraints related to it are eliminated. If we also cut/paste elements that are constrained to it then that doesn't remove them.

I think we both know that 2007 functionality was not what I was referencing, and therefore my comments were obviously out of place, especially since I was talking about a feature ("Reveal Constraints") that was non-existent in 2007. Still, the point I made, was that cutting and pasting (in today's Revit) doesn't necessarily guarantee the elimination of hidden constraints. This is evidenced by the fact that I can cut wall(s) with hidden constraints attached, and paste those wall(s) - with hidden constraints intact - back into the project (or any project for that matter). And, I can do this all year long, and twice on Christmas.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

SteveKStafford — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 23:38:00 GMT

Ah, that's a good example. It didn't come to mind while reading your reply earlier. Also I don't think I'd ever be inclined to do that, fwiw.

I generally only think constraints are worth using when there are relationships between elements that are important. I can see how a wall extending out from a building, like a flying buttress of sorts might motivate someone to lock a length. I'd approach that with a reference plane so it could constrain all such buttresses...if they existed.

@ToanDN's comment is good advice with your example in mind, with Cut/Paste constraints: internal retained, external lost.

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

koolinour — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:19:17 GMT

Thank you very much, it works great

Re: Is there a way to REMOVE ALL CONSTRAINTS on an item?

rmc9WR3X — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 13:33:34 GMT

It feels like constraints should be a common tool, though, not something you use rarely. They could make models bulletproof if the interface wasn't so clunky. The lock symbols need to show up consistently (the Make Editable and Pin icons never have any trouble populating right in front of where you're trying to click!). There should at least be a panel like the Properties panel where Revit lists all the constraints affecting the current selection with a little 3D viewer next to it where you can quickly rotate the selection to examine how any constraint you highlight in the list is affecting the model.