Hints and Hacks: Reference Planes
Did you know that all Reference Planes in Revit have a front and a back to them? Knowing this makes a difference when attaching something to a Reference plane. The front side is the positive side, and the back is the negative. When a name is placed on a Reference Plane it will appear on the back side.
In a project file should a face-based object be placed on a Reference Plane instead of a wall the object will appear on the positive or front of the Reference Plane. In a family when doing an extrusion, for example, a Reference Plane is considered the Work Plane for the extrusion. The Extrusion End and Extrusion Start positions are based on the positive side of the Reference Plane referred to as the Work Plane for that extrusion.
So, how do you draw a Reference Plane to determine where the front and the back are located? Counterclockwise is the key. Drawing from the right to the left puts the front of a Reference Plane towards screen bottom. Drawing left to right puts the front on screen top. The real key, the name always appears on the back.
Keeping with the thought of drawing counterclockwise, drawing bottom screen to top puts the name on the left side where drawing bottom to top puts the name on the right.
Knowing these rules helps tremendously in building families. Hopes this helps you understand your Reference Planes a little better.
For more information on Reference Planes and making them work for you, check out this event in Community Conversations.
Donnia Tabor-Hanson aka CADMama
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