How to show rough openings for windows/doors in plan view?

[justinbourne.design]

I'm newer to revit, in autocad we would always draw the rough opening lines and dimension our floor plans/walls  to every rough opening. Revit has the rough openings in the family properties but how do you actually display it?

[ToanDN]

Sure.  How do you want to present them exactly?

[justinbourne.design]

Just by a solid line in the wall, maybe a bit lighter than the rest of the wall core. If the window has a 1/2" rough opening gap then I think ideally the wall family could just display a 3.5" line (2x4 wall) that is offset by 1/2" from the window frame. So if the window moves, the rough opening lines move with it.

Quick sketch of what I mean-

[ToanDN]

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@justinbourne.design wrote:

Just by a solid line in the wall, maybe a bit lighter than the rest of the wall core. If the window has a 1/2" rough opening gap then I think ideally the wall family could just display a 3.5" line (2x4 wall) that is offset by 1/2" from the window frame. So if the window moves, the rough opening lines move with it.

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 Then edit the family :

- add symbolic lines to present the rough opening, maybe assign them to a subcategory so that you can turn off when you don't want to see then in the project

- add dimension from finish opening ref plane to rough opening line, associate it with a parameter incase you have different deltas based on wall types

- load it back in project and you can see the rough opening lines

[justinbourne.design]

this is foreign territory for me and I appreciate any help- So I am in the family editor, plan view, and made a reference plane 1/4" from the window frame edge reference plane. I dimensioned it and locked it to that frame-edge ref plane. Now in properties>family types, there is a value for rough opening  that is the window width +1". Because my rough opening is only 1/4" on either side I only want this to be Window width +1/2". So I can manually change that value, but it seems like that value should somehow be tied to my new "rough opening" reference plane, no? Is there a way to link the two so I'm not defining it in two different places?

[mhiserZFHXS]

There are several ways. The easiest would be to dimension both of those rough opening reference planes to the center (left/right) reference plane (one dimension, 3 clicks), and set them to EQ. Then, dimension just the two rough opening reference planes, and in the modify|Dimensions tool bar, set the label to your rough opening parameter. You can then change the equation for the rough opening parameter to Window Width + 1/2".

This combination of two reference planes with one in the middle, with the outer dimensions set to equal, and then a parametered dimension between the two outer planes, is one of the most common things you will do in family creation.

Welcome to the big leagues!

[barthbradley]

If you want the actual openings that are made in the Walls, by the Doors/Windows, to be equal to the Rough Opening dimensions, then edit and enlarge the Opening/Void Cut in the Door/Window Family.   This is not a typical Architectural practice in my neck of the woods though.     

[ToanDN]

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@justinbourne.design wrote:

this is foreign territory for me and I appreciate any help- So I am in the family editor, plan view, and made a reference plane 1/4" from the window frame edge reference plane. I dimensioned it and locked it to that frame-edge ref plane. Now in properties>family types, there is a value for rough opening  that is the window width +1". Because my rough opening is only 1/4" on either side I only want this to be Window width +1/2". So I can manually change that value, but it seems like that value should somehow be tied to my new "rough opening" reference plane, no? Is there a way to link the two so I'm not defining it in two different places?

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Share your family here.

[justinbourne.design]

I dont want the actual openings of the window to be increased to the rough opening. I want the window size to be correct, but to just have some symbolic lines for the R.O. In CAD we used to make our window plan details into blocks and would just have a lighter line for the rough opening so we could dimension the framing correctly for the builders.

[justinbourne.design]

It's just an edited marvin window family, you can see where I added the 1/4" offset dimension on the left side already. Thanks for taking a look

[barthbradley]

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@justinbourne.design wrote:

I want the window size to be correct

I'm not talking about changing the Door/Window dimensions. I'm talking only about changing the Opening that the Door/Window makes in the Wall.  

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

See the revised family for an idea hoe to do it.

[barthbradley]

Why don't you just include RO Ref Planes in the Family Plan View? Make those RPs the "Right" and "Left", and change the original "Right" and "Left" to "Weak Reference".   That might make you happy.  Give it a try and place a few Windows on one Wall in the Project, press Aligned Dimension, set to Entire Walls and Opening Widths, and then pick the Wall with all the Windows.   Watch the magic happen.