In many projects, especially those involving complex buildings with multiple wings and building blocks following different road directions, working in a strictly aligned 90° orientation can be challenging. While scope boxes have served as a useful workaround by temporarily aligning the view, they require extra steps and might not cater optimally to every design phase—particularly during fast-paced drafting tasks. Proposal: I propose the implementation of a quick temporary view rotation tool in Revit. This feature would allow users to rotate the current view temporarily by aligning it with a selected axis or drawn line within the plan. The main objective is to simplify the transition between different orientations and improve accuracy when positioning walls and other elements within an orthogonal drafting system. Functionality Details: Selective Axis Rotation: The tool would enable users to pick an edge, reference line, or any drawn guideline. Once selected, the view would rotate so that this axis becomes horizontally or vertically aligned in the user’s view, facilitating a natural, intuitive workflow. Non-Destructive Temporary Rotation: Since this is a temporary adjustment, the original orientation of the view remains preserved. Users can switch back to the default view orientation seamlessly without the need to reset scope boxes or other view settings. Intuitive User Interface Integration: The feature could be integrated into a context-sensitive ribbon or as a right-click option in the view window. Similar to quick UCS (User Coordinate System) rotations in AutoCAD, the tool would maintain the drawing's integrity while permitting swift adjustments for detailed work areas. Customizable Rotation Options: In addition to aligning with the picked line, advanced options may include manually entering rotation degrees or snapping to predefined angles (e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°) to further enhance drafting flexibility. Benefits: Enhanced Productivity: By enabling the rapid reorientation of views, users can streamline repetitive tasks such as wall placement, dimensioning, and detailing in areas with non-standard orientations. Improved Accuracy: Working within a temporarily realigned view helps maintain precision, reducing the potential for errors when dealing with the multitude of angles inherent in complex building designs. Alignment with Industry Standards: Drawing inspiration from AutoCAD’s UCS rotation, this feature would bring Revit closer to the workflows familiar to professionals who bridge both platforms. User-Centric Approach: Introducing this tool acknowledges the diverse needs of Revit users, especially those working with architectural designs that don’t conform to the standard grid. It could serve as a valuable addition to the accelerated graphics and interface enhancements in upcoming releases. Conclusion: Implementing a quick temporary view rotation tool in Revit would address a common pain point in handling complex plans and multi-directional building blocks. This proposal not only simplifies and speeds up the drafting process but also aligns Revit’s functionality with other industry-standard tools, ultimately contributing to a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.
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