Odd-shaped columns and beams

[FSiedschlag]

Hello everyone, 

I'm fairly new to Professional Revit and one of my projects involves somewhat complicated geometry and odd-shaped columns and beams.

I'm posting what I have modelled using Sketchup but I'm trying to run away from that software and I really want to use Revit exclusively for that. 

I've been trying to get information from the internet but haven't been much successful. Maybe I'm looking for the wrong terms or keywords. 

How should I proceed with this project? 

I know how to create a new beam family but can't seem to be able to edit the "left tip" of that beam. One of my beam corners should have an internal angle of 71º instead of the normal 90º.

How about the columns what is the logical creating process here?

[barthbradley]

You can use the Cut Geometry tool on the Modify Tab cut the Beam back to a Ref. Plane.  

Is this what you mean?

Regarding Columns; you can model those with Extrusions fairly easily.  

[ToanDN]

- For the beam angled end, you can Cut geometry it using a reference plane or use Opening by Face tool and draw the cut.

- For the column, you can place a larger slanted column and similarly, use Opening by Face tool to cut it to shape; or model it as an unique column family to that shape (as an extrusion draw on the elevation view).

[FSiedschlag]

Hey barthbradley,

You are the man. Thank you so much for your response.

I'm done with the glulam beam. Now I can put all the dimensions I want, edit it, if need be, and all that.

I'm now starting the columns. Regarding that, would you make a new family or create an In-Place Mass?

[barthbradley]

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@FSiedschlag wrote:

I'm now starting the columns. Regarding that, would you make a new family or create an In-Place Mass?

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Given the choice myself, I would do the column as Loadable Family. If I were to model it the Project, I would use In-Place Component - not Mass.  

[FSiedschlag]

Hey barthbradley, Thank you again for your response. Hopefully, this will be my last question on this subject. 

So this morning I was messing around trying to create a column family as you suggested, but with no success. I'm sure what I will ask is very simple but I just can't get it to work. 

So I create a new column family and make the extrusion on the plan view. That is as easy as it gets since the plan view is just a rectangle. I know how to create a few parameters if I need to edit them on my project later, but I just can't edit the profile on the elevation view. It keeps telling me to pick a different Work Plan.

Is there a video explaining how work-planes work? How to edit the profile I just created on an Elevation View? What am I missing here? 

[barthbradley]

Draw a Ref. Plane running West to East in Plan View. Name it something. Now change the view to North or South Elevation, press "Set" on the "Work Plane" Panel of the Architectural tab Ribbon, then select that named Work Plane in the "Name" drop-down list showing in the "Work Plane" dialog box.  Now you can draw on that Work Plane in North/South Elevation View. 

[FSiedschlag]

Hello again barthbradley,

I came back to this project today and I've been trying to do what you told me. Again, there is a little something relating Work Planes that I don't seem to understand the logic yet. 

I tried a little bit of everything. I created new Work Planes named them and all and the results I'm getting are the same.

1 - For this particular case, I created a new Work Plane from left to right and called it "MY WORK PLANE".

2 - Then I went to my Front Elevation

3 - Set my Work Plane to the one I created

4 - Created the extrusion and a few parameters to help me adjust it once I load it into my project. 

Now when I go back to the PLan View "Lower Ref. Level" I want to adjust the base of the column to match the bottom parameters.

The logical way for me to do that is to set the Work Plane back to the Floor Plan "Lower Ref. Level". 

Then click the column and finally "EDIT EXTRUSION". But obviously that is not correct because again it tells me that in order to edit the sketch I must open a different view.

To me, it seems that Revit only allows me to edit my extrusion in the plane that it was originally created. 

What am I doing wrong? 

[barthbradley]

It might be easier to follow along if I had your family in front of me.  Wash it with soap and water and post it. 😉 

[FSiedschlag]

Of course. 

I completely disinfected with boiling water as well as soap and alcohol. 

You can access the family here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mhxkMltO9D7psqoDmFScuHqQNk7E7gmq/view?usp=sharing 

[barthbradley]

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@FSiedschlag wrote:

To me, it seems that Revit only allows me to edit my extrusion in the plane that it was originally created. 

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Yes, that's correct -- or a 3D View. 

...So, I'm looking at your Family and it seems you have done a pretty good job here. Nothing is sticking out as being "wrong".  Where are you having difficulty? 

[FSiedschlag]

The problem here are actually two.

1 - How would I be able to create a project constraint determining the width of my column then?  

2 - How can I center my column to the center of the plan view?

[barthbradley]

you mean like this?

[barthbradley]

...or this? 

[FSiedschlag]

Yes.

If I create the extrusion from the floor plan I easily center it. In this case, I cannot edit the extrusion lines on another plane. 

If I create the extrusion lines from my own plane I cannot center them on the floor plan because, again, I cannot edit them on the floor plan. 

It's weird. 

How did you center it on your model?

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

A lot here to explain. Maybe you can reverse-engineer this one and see how I got there with Reference LINES, Parameter Formulas and Reference Plane Priorities.  

The big change is that the "Top Width" is controlled by user - not by the Angles.  The other way is problematic at best.

 

[barthbradley]

If it were me, I make the "Overall Width" controlled by the user too.   Right now, "Left Angle" determines that.   

[FSiedschlag]

Alright, thank you so much. 

I'll carefully look at what you posted here and see if I can reverse engineer it. 

I'll finally flag this post as solved because I think my next questions won't be about this particular column or beams. 

If I do have further questions they will probably be about, as you said, 

Reference LINES, Parameter Formulas and Reference Plane Priorities. 

This was quite a ride. Thank you so much for your careful explanations. They all pointed me in the right directions. 

[barthbradley]

You're welcome. Anytime. 

[barthbradley]

You know, stacking a couple of Sweep Blends might be an easier way to built this parametric column.  Just a thought.