What's your forgotten but useful features in Revit

[Prvoime]

Do you notice people simply not using some features that you find very useful?

I'll start with "Temporary view properties".

I've watched a ton of tutorials and videos, and people don't seem to use this at all. I find it very helpful to skip a trip to VG. I set a keyboard shortcut for "Enable temporary view properties" which both turns it on and off.

Hit the shortcut, open VG, hide non core layers of walls (for example), do what I need to do, hit the shortcut again, and I saved myself opening VG and hunting down the checkbox that I need to check.

Any you want to share?

[ The subject line of this post has been edited for clarity by @handjonathan Original: Forgotten but useful features]

[MichaelWolff]

Another favourite forgotten (especially by AD!) feature is that you can preselect which cloud project to get into from the little menu on the left. Unfortunately this was deprecated in Revit 2020 where you now need to select Autodesk Docs, then choose which project you want (R always presents the first one alphabetically) and then go down the rabbit hole. Now every cloud file I open is at least one click further away.

[MichaelWolff]

While I really like being able to enter formulas wherever I need to quickly calculate something, it is still a drawback that the piece reminds me every other time that I am to introduce a formula by entering an equals symbol first when it had obviously fully understood what was at hand. I would have liked to only half-like this entry. The R3 shortcut was new to me and is even more comfy than RO when you have only one hand on the keys and the other on the mouse. Thx

[PDSF]

This isn't native to Revit, but I find the COINS Auto Section Box plugin invaluable for quickly creating 3d views of particular areas such as a stair.

[PDSF]

Love this thread! Create a fake dimension by clicking on the dimension text, select "Replace with text" and then entering the desired dimension followed by a right-click, "insert unicode control character" and select "zero width non joiner" (other special characters might work too). Of course this must be used judiciously.

[pieter1]

Two more small helpful features that are often overlooked:

- 'rightclick in a text field -> symbols' gets you a list of commonly used symbols in construction drawings

- in an uncropped perspective mode: hold your right mouse button down and drag the mouse around. This puts you in fly mode as long as you hold the right mouse button down. Similar to Enscape/Game engine style navigation. Very helpful.

[pst.angelo]

I would have to say temporary hide/isolate 3D objects in conjunction with the selection box (BX) shortcut/button for the default 3D view. Makes 3D modeling so much easier for me!

[jake_hagan3ULFD]

It's got to be the "Entire Walls" dimensions with associated options. Saves a lot of selection, especially if there are multiple reference plane options near the edge of opening that need tabbing through. Blown a few peoples mind showing them this tool.

[theslacollier]

In 2019, I crafted 250 mouse pads for my fellow Revit users in the studios I support, affectionately known as 'Reviteers.' Distributing them brought so much joy because it put essential tools at their fingertips. Even during the pandemic, many took the mouse pads home; to my delight, most still have them!

I still have mine to remind me of the shortcuts I don't use frequently; we all need reminders. 

🙂

[barthbradley]

Good idea. You should have trade-marked it. I think I will.  I'll send you a thank you card when the profits start rolling in. BTW: Does anyone use mouse pads any longer? I haven't in years.  Opticals are the best! 

[theslacollier]

@barthbradley, Just send me the card that will make my day

😉

btw they love it! 

[HVAC-Novice]

Haven't used a mouse pad since the time they switched from the actual rolling ball to Laser. Now I have the entire desk as needed and am not limited to the pad. 

The other day I talked to a colleague who still has a mouse pad. He said he has it since it has one of those soft cushions at the front for the wrist (I'm not explaining this well, it is a common feature on mouse pads...). YMMV

I still use cable mouse since I want the reliability over wireless (battery low etc.) and in BIOS etc. you need a wired device. 

[Sahay_R]

@HVAC-Novice - Agreed re the non preference for mouse pads - the super fancy one with the company logo that I was given at work makes my mouse stick - drives me crazy.  

@barthbradley Frankly I prefer the touchpad on my laptop- gives me better control especially when moving between multiple monitors.  

[nmarcelis]

@syman2000thank you I forgot about this one. 😉

[mylesXGYYA]

The join geometry tool. 

[MichaelWolff]

The navigation wheel as mentioned by @syman2000 is brilliant when you just sailed past the entity you were trying to zoom in on when dealing with 3rd party provided site dwgs or other references with off coordinates. The rewind button hit with CTRL held down got me back to my viewport's last version with something visible.

[Reed_Weinstock]

Renaming sub-object styles is great for batch editing families

[laura.johanssonPN37Y]

Can you give a screenshot example please? 🙂

[ravwood]

Revit 2024 is so cool. I like the Revit Insights feature where a user can understand the usage and ways to improve.

[laura.johanssonPN37Y]

This is also present in 2023 version

[Ciara_fittro]

I only recently learned about the displace element tool. Would be helpful not only for getting a better, holistic understanding of your building, but for quickly spying into a particular nook or cranny that you are having a hard time creating a view of.