Spot Slope annotation offset in sections

[jennifer]

Hi all,

Has anyone run across the issue of spot slopes not offsetting properly from their references?

Typically when I place a spot slope I'm able to move it off the element I'm dimensioning (i.e., roof or floor) so that you can read it- but Revit currently will not let me do that at all, when I move the arrow it loses its slope annotation and I get an error message - see attached images.

Doesn't seem to pay any attention to how I'm setting the 'offset from reference' value, either, I've tried changing that- it places the spot slope directly on the element and won't let me move it without forcing me to delete it.

Also- I've been using spot slopes all over this project, with no issues until today. Already tried restarting, etc. to no avail. Any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated, I'm tearing my hair out over here!this is where revit wants to put the slope...and what happens when I try to move the slope annotation. 😞 

[ToanDN]

Sheet 5.0 - the main roof.  I didn't get to fix the garage roof.  It still has a negative slope so obvious you get the error.

[barthbradley]

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@ToanDN wrote:

Sheet 5.0 - the main roof.  I didn't get to fix the garage roof.  It still has a negative slope so obvious you get the error.

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Well, let us know how you do with elements that don't have negative slopes.  

[ToanDN]

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@barthbradley wrote:

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@ToanDN wrote:

Sheet 5.0 - the main roof.  I didn't get to fix the garage roof.  It still has a negative slope so obvious you get the error.

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Well, let us know how you do with elements that don't have negative slopes.  

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I wouldn't have to do anything if elements have positive slopes.

[barthbradley]

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@ToanDN wrote:

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I wouldn't have to do anything if elements have positive slopes.

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So, what are you saying?  The roof in my Section 17 screenshot is beyond repair?  

Look it: the issue exists for a reason.  That information cannot be computed in those cut views.  It analogous to pulling a dimension between 2 angled walls in a section view.  That distance between them is relative to the exact location the Section Marker is intersecting with the walls.  Are we to start Geo-locating our Section Marks now so that our contractors can figure where to measure from?   Bottom line: leave that information off the plans; it's just confusing.        

[ToanDN]

[barthbradley]

Are we just miming now? 

[barthbradley]

@jennifer: If you gotta show spot slopes in your section, isolate element in View and play with your Far Clip settings until you find the "sweet spot" your annotation likes, and then reset the Far Clip back to where you want it.  Annos will remain.  Still, I think it will be difficult to find the  "sweet spot" in some of the Views.  

[jennifer]

@barthbradley and @ToanDN, thank you both for digging into this with me- the most likely culprit (or at least the explanation that makes the most sense to me, given how  Revit tends to do some odd graphic things with section cuts at angles, i.e., no grid lines unless they're intersected at 90*) seems like the angle/shape editing of the roof relative to the angle of the section cut, which is frustrating because it's not something I can change at this point. I tried the workaround of changing the slope from negative to positive, which helped in one case but not another (also not 100% sure why this would matter- we set the roof slope based on where we knew we needed the high point to be, which doesn't seem that strange to me...but hey, I'll try anything at this point.) For now, I'm just leaving slopes off the sections that I can't get to annotate properly. File this one under the department of wasting time...

[ToanDN]

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@jennifer wrote:

@barthbradley and @ToanDN, thank you both for digging into this with me- the most likely culprit (or at least the explanation that makes the most sense to me, given how  Revit tends to do some odd graphic things with section cuts at angles, i.e., no grid lines unless they're intersected at 90*) seems like the angle/shape editing of the roof relative to the angle of the section cut, which is frustrating because it's not something I can change at this point. I tried the workaround of changing the slope from negative to positive, which helped in one case but not another (also not 100% sure why this would matter- we set the roof slope based on where we knew we needed the high point to be, which doesn't seem that strange to me...but hey, I'll try anything at this point.) For now, I'm just leaving slopes off the sections that I can't get to annotate properly. File this one under the department of wasting time...

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Even without reversing the slope I can still place a non-corrupted spot slope on any of your details by TAB select the second line from the top.  It is strange that you are not able to do the same.  Anyhow, it may not be the best practice showing the same slope on every detail.  We only show them on the roof plans and typical detail(s), other details can refer to the plans or the typical details.

[jennifer]

@ToanDN I can place them just fine- they just won't allow me to move them...and tabbing to select a different part of the assembly was the first thing I tried, it was super finicky for me and would only allow me to select one spot (usually at the bottom) for the slope in some cases. I'm at a loss as to why it works for you but not for me...gremlins I suppose.

I generally agree with you that it's not necessary to show slope in all details, but for a smallish house project it's nice to show in multiple locations. We generally like to show slope graphically in both roof plans and overall building sections. Since, in theory, you're just tagging a property of the assembly, I'm not sure what the downside is to having it called out in multiple places (not a coordination issue or something similar, imo).

[ToanDN]

I will admit that not repeating typical information matters more in CAD than in BIM.  The reason is that you only need to revise things once.

So I just re-downloaded your model.  Which detail that you cannot TAB to create a normal spot slope (movable and with the tail)?  I'd like to try on that detail.

[barthbradley]

I didn't have a problem tagging slopes (with a "non-disabled" Spot Slopes) after maximizing the Far Clip range.  The only problem is, I have no idea what slope the Spot Slope is referencing within that Far Clip Range.  But, clearly it ain't the slope that is at the detail plane of the view (the plane that is closest to you as you look at the view).    

[jennifer]

Let me know if you have any luck in sections 3/A4.0 or 4/A4.0- I just tried those again and no luck- although section 1/A4.0 worked fine, oddly enough...

[barthbradley]

I can grab something in that view...and place a non-disabled Spot Slope.  Far Clip=No Clip (temporarily).  

BTW: No 4/A4.0.

[ToanDN]

I can TAB the second line from the top and place a movable spot slope on the roof, detail 2 and 3/A4.0.  The only thing doesn't work is the garage floor slab.

[jennifer]

Interesting- I couldn't get it to work with any amount of tabbing in my file...the roof worked fine in 1 and 2. Kinda makes me think there's something slightly skewed with how the section is cut in those views vs the rotation/slope of the elements I'm trying to tag.

In any event...I've now issued the permit set for this, so I'm letting sleeping dogs lie.

Thanks y'all!

[barthbradley]

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@ToanDN wrote:

 The only thing doesn't work is the garage floor slab.

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I got it to work.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

...could be a fluke too.  Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket tonight. I might be "sitting on a beach earning 20%"  tomorrow.

(Refr: Hans Gruber's line in Die Hard).  

[jennifer]

bonus points for Die Hard references on a Friday afternoon.

[Anonymous]

@jennifer was this resolved?  I am reading the post between @barthbradley and @ToanDN and both seem correct, although i do not see how a skewed elements still would not report a spot elevation.  Or how a negative roof slope dictates a spot elevation issue.  Curious to see what the solution was on this one 🙂