Draw Order in Section Views

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a workaround for obtaining a draw order for elements in a section view?... perhaps something less cumbersome of creating two views and overlaying them on top of each other.

Is it just me, or does Revit always seem to pick the wrong item to put in front.

Section views should be an obvious place to have draw order.

[Ahmed_Muharram]

could you share screenshots for the problem to be clear 

[Anonymous]

You will need to elaborate on your problem.  Section views show elements in the correct order according to what is closest.  Why would you want to re-arrange these in section?

[Anonymous]

Yes, here's a section illustrating a ramp/railing in relation to the 'demolition' (via Phase Demolished) of existing earth (grey dashed). 

For whatever reason, it puts the earth in the foreground.

[Anonymous]

Try changing your Phase to 'Show Complete'.

[Anonymous]

...removes the earth

Where the essence of a 'section' is to slice all elements on the same plane, and with the reality of needing to illustrate elements in the same space, I can't see a more appropriate place to incorporate 'draw order'.

[Anonymous]

A section shows the order in which they are seen.  The elements cannot be rearranged in the view.

Your view is doing what it's supposed to do - its showing the ramp and the topo that is demolished.  Use a pad beneath the ramp to control the extents of the topo, or have a second topo that represents the modified topo.  The change to 'Show Complete'.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your response Tim, much appreciated.

1. "A section shows the order in which they are seen."

Are you implying this is done in a chronological sense?  If so, then conceptually it's the opposite direction it should be for reality.

2. "Use a pad"

Please elaborate on what element you are referring for this as I'm unfamiliar with one achieving the results we are seeking.

I don't think you're understanding the value in communicating a visual comparison of 'what is' versus 'what is proposed' simultaneously. In moving forward, we have utilized an age-old, 2D drafting solution/workaround in this specific case using an annotative line to represent the top of existing earth and notated it as such.  In the era that Revit is striving towards (in advancing BIM from 2D CAD), there are fundamental concepts for sections that have been overlooked and could be improved.

[RobDraw]

Not chronologically, visually. From the point of view of the section, the earth is first in line of sight or so it appears. What you are seeing and what the others are saying is fundamentally correct if this is the case.

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't think you're understanding the value in communicating a visual comparison of 'what is' versus 'what is proposed' simultaneously. 

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Not everyone is required to have drawings represented this way and I don't think it holds any weight in this thread. It's kind of rude of you to be so presumptuous of people trying to help.

BTW, have you tried printing this? Sometimes, what you see on the screen isn't necessarily what you get with this kind of thing. The darker lines may block out the lighter ones when printed.

[Anonymous]

Hello Rob,

re. "the earth is first in line of sight...", again, in what context?  You've identified not chronological amongst the phasing of elements; so are you suggesting top-down in physical space?

/ I'm assuming we both will agree that a section line slices vertically without discrimination.

[RobDraw]

I thought my previous post explained it pretty well. It's the definition of a section view. The order of the objects in line of sight from the section. It's the assumption here that the earth extends beyond the section to behind the point of view and gets cut at the section line in the section view. 

[Anonymous]

I also I thought my previous posts explained it pretty well. 😉  I hope you're not misunderstanding that I'm illustrating more than one object that "extend[s] beyond the section".

Are you saying that it's the extent of the distance of the element behind the section line that gives it hierarchy in view order? So if one element extends further away, it will be illustrated in front of the other objects?

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Are you saying that it's the extent of the distance of the element behind the section line that gives it hierarchy in view order? So if one element extends further away, it will be illustrated in front of the other objects?

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I said no such thing as that would be incorrect.

Your section looks like the section line does not cut the pad. Without the plan to show where the section line is, the earth in front of the concrete can be correct. I guess I was wrong.

Your coments:

"Is it just me, or does Revit always seem to pick the wrong item to put in front.

Section views should be an obvious place to have draw order."

are throwing me off because Revit's draw order does follow the rules. It does, however struggle with annotation type things such as patterns. They tend to take priority over the rules.

Again, have you tried printing it? If it prints correctly, it may be a non-issue. If not, it might be possible to solve with print settings.

[Anonymous]

Ok Rob; glad you're on board now with the issue and realize there's a "struggle".

No, it does not print correctly... hence my initial post in this thread.

[ToanDN]

The section cut both the topo and the floor so you see teh cut patterns overlapping each others. Are you expecting the floor will mask the topo completely?

[Anonymous]

Yes Toan, we understand why the cut patterns are overlapping each other. What we don't know is how the display order is established, nor do we understand why 'draw order' isn't provided in such a fundamental application for it.

[ToanDN]

Half toned elements always cover full toned elements. Change the cut pattern of the topo to black and see.

[Anonymous]

That doesn't seem to be the case Toan, and that would be the opposite logic as well.

[barthbradley]

Just wandering by.  Has anybody mentioned the Visual Style? Looks like your screenshot is capturing a Wireframe View? Wouldn't changing the View to Hidden Line make everything right as rain?  

[Anonymous]

(welcome @barthbradley )

If only it was that simple!  The 'visual style' is "Hidden Line".