topic Re: Lines Too Short in Revit Structure Forum

Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:37:41 GMT

Can anyone explain what the deal is with lines being too short in REVIT? I've run into a lot of issues with exploding CAD imports and also just creating details with lines that need to be very short and it's surprising that this has become such a problem for us. Is there a specific reason I can't draw a line that is only 1/256" long? Any help is very much appreciated. Thanks.

Re: Lines Too Short

rodney.page — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:00:09 GMT

Unfortunately it is not possible to have detail lines as fine and as small as 0.1mm or 1/256inches in Revit.

Such fine and precise tolerances are far better detailed using Inventor.

Inventor is far better suited to this type of design detailing.

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Re: Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:57:50 GMT

Kirby, this makes my head scream, "NOOoooo!"

Attaching CAD files and exploding them can make for a lot of junk in your Revit project and a lot of possible headaches down the road. A better method is to Link the CAD file and recreate the detail using Revit components, Filled and masking Regions and very few actual lines. You may still get the "Line Too Short" error and will have to come up with something else creative, however it will keep your Revit Projects cleaner. After your detail is re-created in Revit, you can remove the CAD link from your project (under Manage> Manage Links> CAD Formats.)

Sorry for the thread jack, but just needed to get that out there. Hoping others will learn from predecessor's mistakes. 😉

Re: Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:26:18 GMT

Couldn't agree with you more.

Let me explain the situation:

It's an isometric view of floor sheathing on wood joists. It's a detail, so we want it to be "revit-ized" for future changes and whatnot. First, I tried exploding the cad import so that the objects were all lines that could be easily manipulated, unfortunately, this got rid of all of my nail symbols because the arcs that made up these components became too short for REVIT to use. Then, I tried, as you suggest, to create the same nail symbols using a detail component. But obviously, there is a minimum size that needed to make them. Essentially, my compliant is that now all of my nails look like really big holes instead of nice neat little round dots (See the image below). Not the end of the world, but just wanted to get the thought out there in case something can be done about it.

Re: Lines Too Short

rodney.page — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:52:12 GMT

I understand your fustration, however Revit is behaving as designed, however I can recommend submitting an enhancement request.

There are currently two online forms for customers to submit enhancement requests.
Please note that these web pages are in English only.

Suggest a Feature & Product Feedback

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Re: Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:09:17 GMT

Hmmm...not to sound frustrated still, but why are there 2 places to submit feedback? Which one is better? Which one will get a response faster?

Also, the "Suggest a Feature" site appears to be broken. I guess that answers my question about which one is better.

See what I'm saying?

Re: Lines Too Short

rodney.page — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:39:48 GMT

My apologies for that. Please use the Product Feedback link.

Re: Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:04:26 GMT

It is not possible to draw a line shorter than 1/32", but such a line may be modified down to 1/128" ; Draw the line long, select the line, change the length. At that level of precision, moving the line accurately is not reliable.

Re: Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 19:01:38 GMT

I get this error on lines much longer than .1mm.

Re: Lines Too Short

L.Maas — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 19:18:01 GMT

I think the limit is around 0.8 mm.

Re: Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 19:33:39 GMT

why is there a limit?

Re: Lines Too Short

L.Maas — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 10:06:23 GMT

I can only speculate....

I think it has to do with the internal calculations and memory. The more extremer the numbers (large or small) the more memory you will need to store them and the more calculations you have to do. To keep the program run (relatively) smoothly they might have decide to set limits.

Also take into account that the first Revit release was around 1997 or so. Computers were much slower then. Because this part is the core of the program making modifications to it is a difficult process without breaking backward compatibility.

Something similar is happening with the larger numbers. Revit used to have a maximum radius of 2 miles. Later they managed to increase this to 20 miles.

If you start to work around these maximums you will start to see odd behaviour.

But maybe something form Autodesk can chime in.

Re: Lines Too Short

buchanan — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 23:17:26 GMT

There is no backward compatibility in Revit so that can't be the reason. There are even default Revit families that if you try to copy and paste it says the lines are too small. How were these even created?

Re: Lines Too Short

L.Maas — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 08:23:14 GMT

Maybe should have used the term forward compatibility. What I mean is that this touches the core of the program. Modifying this code will take a big effort, certainly while being able to open older files.

While computers have 'evolved' it still remains true that when values get more extremer it requires more memory and more processing power to handle this.

It is correct you can create lines smaller than 0.8 mm (in a family).

-Start a new family

-Draw a line of 10 mm.

-Use the scale tool and scale it 1/200th. Now you have a line of 0.5 mm and Revit does not complain.

-Now try to copy this line. Now you will get a line too short error.

So yes, you can create lines shorter than 0.8 mm in a family. However I would not use this 'trick' as it is uncertain for me if this will not cause issues in a project or in future Revit versions.

Re: Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 07:15:01 GMT

I'm getting the message with voids that are 2cm /2m/2m

What's the reason then that i get the message ?

show button doesn't work, more info doens't work only "delete elements"...

Somethimes it would be so great to have a new revit version with NO new features but only excisting features enhancements

Re: Lines Too Short

Anonymous — Fri, 04 May 2018 06:49:29 GMT

It appears they fixed that problem in version 2018: I can no longer scale any line to below about 0.8mm in length. Really handy when you're trying to trace over a manufacturer's detail...

This thread was first posted by the OP in early 2011. It is now approaching mid 2018 and this is still an unresolved issue. The thing is, I can remember earlier versions when this wasn't an issue - when you could draw things in accordance with reality...

Re: Lines Too Short

Seychellian — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 07:00:03 GMT

Can you please advise if this has been implement. I am going crazy with the line is too short error?

Thanks.

Re: Lines Too Short

ToanDN — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 07:10:42 GMT

Revit was created for building design and construction, not jewelry design. It is not an universal drafting program like AutoCAD.

Re: Lines Too Short

Seychellian — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 07:12:25 GMT

How about detailing. Is it interested in that?

Re: Lines Too Short

ToanDN — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 07:20:57 GMT

What construction details require less than 0.8 mm precision?