topic Re: Rotating a box truss for incline - not working in Revit Structure Forum

Rotating a box truss for incline - not working

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 13:16:23 GMT

I've drawn a box truss and its support towers/bents.

I drew the truss flat and intended to rotate it into position.

When I go to elevation or a section it will not give me the option to rotate to create the incline if I pick everything?

What is the best way to do this?

Do I need to create the truss as a family and bring it back in as a family group so it will rotate?

I'm missing something.

I had thought I could simply rotate the finished truss without issues.

Re: Rotating a box truss for incline - not working

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 16:33:05 GMT

OK, so...

COLUMNS.

Change them to slanted, by ends, deselect top and bottom move with Grids. Then they will rotate correctly.

PLATES

(stiffeners or lift lugs) select them, filter out the holes. Then they will rotate correctly.

BRACES.

Some will, some will not rotate. their end points that are not locked onto a point of a beam or column will not rotate. This is a problem for ALL knee braces that don't connect to an end point, and some that do.

These will have to be redrawn.

Beams:

There is a setting the families about "Always vertical" that will effect this too.

At this point I'll need to ross section rotate them all 4.41 deg to get them to align correctly.

Think this needs a little more focus from Revit Development. Structure is often angled or sloped.

Many of your structure tools don't handle an angle well.

Re: Rotating a box truss for incline - not working

ToanDN — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 06:18:58 GMT

Maybe instead if using a truss, create a generic skeleton family with model lines, check work plane, uncheck always vertical, load it in project and host it on a slanted work plane, then place beams by pick 3d edges.

Re: Rotating a box truss for incline - not working

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 14:37:18 GMT

I didn't use the Truss tool, if that's what you meant. What I am making IS a box truss though.

Ws for the mains and 2Ls for the Braces, not TUBES.

I could try making the skeleton out of model lines, then placing that in the model, or I could just draw the box truss all in model lines, then redraw it all again in steel members. Is that really the best practice? Draw it twice?

When I did get it to rotate, the end points on the main beams held true (mostly), but the stretching part of the beam end hold backs ALL went random. A lot of the ends of the various components became very confused.

The knee braces inside the truss without end points locked to the ends of other elements all went wacky and needed replaced. (Conveyor and walkway inside of box truss)

IMHO there should be a way to draw a (FAMILY/BLOCK) as flat Revit happy methods, then bring that into another project and use that as a saved (FAMILY/BLOCK) and rotate and manipulate it as a MASS like a STP or IFC file. It still needs to allow you to lock onto the components though. Double clicking it to open edit family to update it would also be nice.

AutoCAD (As a standard) "can" do this in 3D... So should Revit.

The components should be able to draw based on the active work plane, in any event.

Evidently turning off "always vertical" is supposed to do that.

(SOAP BOX ALERT)

Frankly, Revit doesn't do angled or slanted well. It could use more development for these structurally NORMAL but outside the box applications.

Bridges, Trusses, Roofs, Conveyors, Parking Garages. ALL SLOPED structures.

Bad Example: Micro riser stairs for Concrete Ramps... Really?

A program is only as good as its programmers. Programmers are not all knowing and need feedback on areas that could use development. I'm just saying as an end user, I think this area needs some focus for Revit Evolution.

We shouldn't have to be manually cutting the square pegs to fit the round holes.

Because THATS another area Revit needs some rework.

"=13/16"/2" or pull out a table/calculator for "0.40625" to make it draw a 13/16" dia. hole, because diameter just isn't used... Revit is old enough... some, these should have been addressed instead of worked around still.

Anyone remember the OLD CAD users goals of "Reducing keystrokes" "Streamlining" "Work Flow".

When I have to start entering in a formula to draw a circle in ANY CAD/BIM program, there is some issues.

Revit IS one of the best BIM programs...

BUT Having used a number of them Like Tekla etc...

BEST is relative, to a pretty LOW standard BAR.

For as long as Revit has been out... it should have evolved a lot farther then it has.

Terms like Trickle-ware and Milking it come to mind.