Drafting Views ...

[prfisher311]

Does anyone use these? I am new-ish to the Revit world and wondering about the purpose of them.

1. Are they basically just a palette on which to draw 2D details?
2. If that is the only thing they are used for, what are the benefits to using a drafting view over simply drawing the detail directly on a sheet?
3. Is it possible to import / export drafting views for easy transfer to between projects?

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

1. Yes
2. Drawing stuff directly on sheets is a terrible idea. Using drafting views you can use detail components, filled/masking regions, scales, and referencing to/from these views.
3. Yes.

[prfisher311]

Fantastic! Thanks!

[RobDraw]

Yeah, inserting drafting views is a breeze. A common practice is to have library files of standard details. 

[Pattycake_Kyle]

@prfisher311 just to clarify as well in case your terminology was wrong.

As @ToanDN said - never draft on a sheet. However, atypical/custom details should be drawn over the elements in the views (supplementing the model components). Better modeling = less drafting required. But you'll always use detail components for things like anchors, flashing lines, stuff like that regardless of how good the model is (don't model these items).

As has been stated, drafting views are for typical details that would remain consistent across projects... like suspended ceiling, roof drains, etc etc.

[prfisher311]

Yeah, I have a folder full of captures to prove that. It keeps me sane when I can't make it do what I want.

[Carlo_Sobretodo]

Hi Guys! i have a question, our project has separate geometry and Annotation (sheet) models, would it be better to create the drafting views in the geometry model or in the sheets model? I always had the understanding that the drafting view for example of a plan, should exist on the plan view in the geometry model, but reading thru this it seems its more appropriate to just cut a view of like a section from the geometry model as a drafting view and place that in the sheet model and then add in the details, thus reducing the drafting views in the geo model

[HVAC-Novice]

I use the following "policy, which I sometimes violate if needed:

- I store standard 2-D details in a separate project (along with schedules). There i maintain them. those are details that always will be the same (i.e. how a pump and valves are piped). if they are needed in a project, i copy them over to that to the project and place them on the sheet. i do that very late in the design to ensure it is the latest iteration of the detail (I tend to change things a lot)

- Details only needed for a specific project (i.e. how to mount a specific device only used here), I create in that project. typically a 2D detail. 

- Detailing a model (i.e. an actual section view of a project) is my last resort and I do at the very end. Because if that model changes, that detailing has to be be corrected. A 2D detail would be a bit more generic or general, a detail in nan actual section view would be very specific and detailed. My design is mostly MEP, not architectural. In my case a written note often is all I need. YMMV. 

Goal is not to duplicate work. If a detail has a chance to be useful elsewhere, it will be 2D.