You can dimension in 3D, as long as you pick a plane before you try and use the dimension tool... you don't even have to lock the view aspect... its pretty cool...
pick a floor or a wall face or the face of almost anything... saves lots of time
Anonymous
05-19-201602:55 AM
05-19-201602:55 AM
Hi Keldar, yes I know this method for dimensions. My Idea was submitted for the 'Measure' tool, not dimensions. I am not sure if you are familiar with sketchUp, but this is the useability I am referring to. We can snap in 3D, so it seems strange we can't use the measure tool. Thanks for your input.
Anonymous
05-19-201605:27 AM
05-19-201605:27 AM
Create your own 3d measure tool!, create a 2 point adaptive component family with a spline between the points, make it a reference line and select one of the planes defined by the line make it your current work plane, add a reporting parameter between the 2 adaptive points callled measure or somthing else, load this into the project and add the component between the 2 points that you want to measure, read the information by selecting the component, then delete. A fully working 3D measure tool to measure between 2 points. An in built one would be nice as well.
Anonymous
06-29-201610:21 AM
06-29-201610:21 AM
Ideally, Revit should allow the mouse hover to control the plane(s) we're measuring to/from. So I mouse over a wall, tab until I get the plane I want (ala Align), have a Constraint button to check (or constrain with the shift key), then mouse over to a new plane/edge/corner/snap. Basically, what Sketchup and ArchiCAD can already do.
I would still keep the Pick-a-Plane tool, it's nice to lock down 2D production in a 3D view.
I would bundle this idea with another suggestion here:
Thanks for your submission and votes on this idea! We are evaluating where this request falls into our roadmap and will provide an update when we have made a decision.
Reference and spot dimensions are great, and I like the thought of the spline object used for this function, however more critically is the ability to quickly, easily, and precisely dimension 3D views for isometric/orthographic drawings. I'm trying to do a 3D view with dimensions for a VRF system so the pipe size can be calculated and I'm spending hours placing and setting work planes the adding a dimension or two, then starting again. It's a rather time consuming and cumbersome process. I know SysQue had a way of automatically adding reference planes for each spool that is created. At least it removed the process of creating the work planes, but doesn't help with anything else. It sounds like the SketchUp 3D dimensioning style would be preferred.
This is a basic functionality. It should have been bulit in 17 years ago...
Anonymous
10-07-201710:19 PM - editado 10-07-201710:20 PM
10-07-201710:19 PM - editado 10-07-201710:20 PM
Based on some of the comments from the factory lately and "idea splitting" going on (without any polling), my idea about measuring in 3D was measurement including angles, not just point to point.
Please add a tool for identifying distances between two points.
I know we're not supposed to compare this software package to autocad, but I'm pretty sure this functionality was available in 3d AutoCAD while it was still in DOS, using the "distance" command.
without an easy way to check distances, the usefulness of a 3d view is limited.
This thinking makes using Revit so unproduktive. You have to take hours to solve problems by yourself instead of letting this done by the manufacturer. And all other users have to struggle with that problem continuously. If everybody should write the solving code by himselve it’s a massive waste of time. Let’s assume 1 user does this for 10-20 other users in his own company. How many users does Revit have by now? Assume further it takes him/her 1-2 hours. How many hours is this worldwide?
Why should I, as an user, get into programming. We earn money by building things (in my case harbour and bridge structures). We are not software developers.
We are not supposed to do fundamental functions instead of the comapany which get paid for this. Fundamental things like: Measure in 3D, real boolean operations on volumetric bodies, cut volumes along multiple planes to create construction stages, and even more.
Revit is now 19+ years old and lacks of fundamental tools… IMO it’s a shame that users or third-party developers have to fix the problems. Even if it has to be done by a Dynamo script.
It’s just not my business to do their work. Our company paid money for their software. Users can and should expect fundamental functions within their software, especially in such an matured program.
I heard a spoke from an old engineer: „Be a recalcitrant user!“. He meant: Just this way software gets better.
Revit Ideas is a nice platform. But all of my „ideas“ where not even voted. Line types from autocad got over 150 votes. So you can see what ist hat worth. Things needed for working with soil, soil movement, trences, and so on is nothing worth.
And I dislike to move between programs. This is unproductive, too. You have to learn multiple programs. In our case there are Revit, Advance Steel, Civil3D, SOFiCAD and Inventor what should be learned to be productive.
Why this is unproductive? Each program has ist own User Interface, it’s own learning curve. And I even do not want to think over data exchange…
When you want to get rid of other programs you have to bent Revit a lot to get the informations into your model you need to have. And sometimes this does not even work.
I have fun with programming, but it’s not my business and this is not what I get paid for. So this is not a solution. In your case it might be a quick solution, but not for a lot of other people.
Did you wrote it in C#?
Bye Lukas
Anonymous
04-20-201809:22 AM - editado 04-20-201809:23 AM
04-20-201809:22 AM - editado 04-20-201809:23 AM
Madness. How is measuring in 3D (point to point with snap and angles with snap) not a standard feature in Revit already?? It may not have got support of the community (and most likely because the voting system is clunky and good ideas just disappear onto the next page before they can gain traction) but how is being able to measure in 3D anything other than an essential workflow element that shouldn't even need voting for. It should have been there from the start. Setting the work plane then having to do it just slows you down....and it's almost an impossible task with tubular railings. There are a just few things that SketchUp has and which that Revit absolutely needs, and this is one of them.
I absolutely agree with you. It’s a standard working tool.
Setting a plane is a workaround. Workarounds are needed in several use cases to use revit. When you hear other user experiences this is usual to think about workarounds to get revit doing the things you need.
I’m a friend of K.I.S.S. (keep it simple and stupid) for the user. If you have to think about it, it’s not simple fort he user and the function is bad.
Happy software bending…
Bye
Steffan
Anonymous
04-23-201801:57 AM - editado 04-23-201801:59 AM
04-23-201801:57 AM - editado 04-23-201801:59 AM
"If you have to think about it, it’s not simple for the user and the function is bad".....agree 100%. Software idiosyncrasies are not a good thing and having to find a 'workaround' in any software package is just crazy in 2018. When SketchUp came out it was a revelation (after years of AutoCAD workarounds) and it felt like a game changer in it's simplicity and ease of use. I thought at the time that Autodesk simply had to grasp that nettle and make everything they create from that point forward a breeze to use. Then came the Revit tsunami.
I've made the leap though and now know many of these (unnecessary) workarounds so I can use the software commercially but it took me so long to remember them all I've spent literally months of my life searching the net for workarounds. Now the Revit core is sorted let's hope Autodesk now spend time making it a much more user friendly piece of software to use which will allow many more to make the leap to Revit who've been put off in the past.
@Anonymous unfortunately this won't be the case. Now that Autodesk has expanded Revit from it's original intent of architecture, to include MEP design, structure design, MEP fabrication, fire protection, rendering, etc., etc., etc., it has decided to take a hard look at the core programming of it's programs to streamline them. Hopefully in this years-long detangling of the bird's nest that is code for any program that has been changed as much as Revit and AutoCAD have, I'm HOPING they will make many processes easier and add some fundamental functionality such as 3D dimensions, however my hopes are not high. My hopes are never high when it comes to Autodesk making the lives of users easier. I'm sure there is a reason for the changes they make, and on many things they seem to listen to their users. But on the whole, they are a large corporation with a mandate to deliver profits to the shareholders, regardless of what that means for their clients. They have the design and fabrication industries by the short and curlies, so I don't expect that to change any time soon.
Anonymous
04-24-201807:04 AM
04-24-201807:04 AM
Robert, can't disagree with a word. Maybe I was hoping for a miracle.
Anonymous
06-13-201804:25 AM
06-13-201804:25 AM
I think we need a New 3D Measure tool that will allow taking measurements between any faces, edges or Points in a 3D view without needing to set the Current Work Plane prior to this. Like Solibri, for instance.
In addition, it would be interesting to allow the measuring of angles using the measure tool.
Click 3 points and voila.
Anonymous
02-04-201905:06 AM
02-04-201905:06 AM
During modelling phase, we may sometimes need to a specific edge to edge spacing/ distance between to two elements ( such as supports, ducts, sockets, lights, switches, cable trays or equipments) , if we can measure them in Revit 3D view directly same as like it is possible in navisworks..then it is helpful for modelling phases.
Checking a measure in 3D views is a very basic functionality ... it's incredible is still missing...
As a developer, I can say, yes, there is a simple 'solution' dated back in 2011 showing it's possible to mimic something similar, but the problem is you must select a plane before taking the points, and if the two points (or three for an angle) are not on the same (easy selectable) plane, the procedure is quite clumsy... pick plane, pick point, pick plane, pick point...
So, to Autodesk API developers: it'd be great if you could add an option to the PickPoint() method or add a new PickGlobalPoint() method that will allow user to select a point on a 3d view using snaps and returning its absolute global position.
This will come handy for a number of uses, while the need to select a plane will obviously remain for the functions that need to place planar objects, like dims.
I'll add my 53 cents. Yes! A measuring tool is needed in 3D views. I understand dimensioning not being available, but a simple measure tool would be extremely helpful. I'm constantly going up to that measure tool only to see it greyed out. Very frustrating.
Congratulations! We are updating this thread to Gathering Support. We are continuing to evaluate where this request falls into our roadmap and will provide an update when we have made a decision.
@Anonymous I came across this post today searching for something else. I was curious to see if you have used the now-implemented Path of Travel tool for your scenario?
Just started using Revit 2021 (!). So, you are kidding I cannot check the distance between two faces in 3D, right?! (Maybe I accidentally bought Revit '99 or something....)
For everyone suggesting to use sketch-up or navisworks as a reference of a 'good 3d measuring tool'.... Autodesk SHOULD just base the tool upon the latest Autodesk Inventor measuring tool which is by far the easiest to use.
Now its 2021 and measure tool in 3D is still nowhere to be found? I'm sure Autodesk and the Revit dev team has a lot on their plates - but just wanted to check in and let you know that users still wants this feature
Now its 2021 and measure tool in 3D is still nowhere to be found? I'm sure Autodesk and the Revit dev team has a lot on their plates - but just wanted to check in and let you know that users still wants this feature
This seems to be such a basic thing-why can't you sort it Autodesk? The only solution seems to be to buy a plug in. If I did that every time I wanted a basic thing I would spend double on Revit that we already do. At nearly £3K a year it is cripplingly expensive as it is..
Give us "measure in 3d" please! It should be as simple as pressing one key.
When I started using Revit the lack of this feature just blew my mind. I still can't wrap my head around that Autodesk built a 3D collaborative modelling environment without giving users the ability to check the relative position of objects in 3D space at a glance. I mean, Revit must know where the objects are already, right?
This functionality is super useful, not just for fluffy conceptual design modelling, but also for checking the location of 3D models from consultants which otherwise are more time consuming to get to display correctly in plan or section views.