Forums >> Community >> Newbies >> Create Custom Level Head

VonBraun

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Joined: Mon, Jun 10, 2013
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Would anybody be able to point me in a direction towards material on creating a custom level head? I'm not sure the revit terminology is correct. Basically my boss thinks the elevation markers (level heads) for section and elevation views are ugly, real ugly. I aggree but don't know how to change them. It is a system family, so I'm not sure how to start. I'm not finding anything helpful online, or in my text book or any other resource I have. Is this super complicated?

What needs to be accomplished

-new graphics for level head

-text positioned away from the graphics in the view, basically the oposite of the pre-packaged revit system family for level heads

-I would like to display geodetic information (metric) starting with main floor at 100.000 (we're canadian)

See jpeg for the kind of graphics and methodology we used in CAD that I want to emulate in REVIT

Thanks!

Attached Images

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dgcad

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Joined: Thu, Mar 17, 2005
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The default Level uses the symbol M_Level Head - Circle. Visible on the Type Properties of the Level itself.

Open the annotation family M_Level Head - Circle, saveas, make changes, reload, specify the new symbol for the Level type properties. Maybe duplicate the Level and leave the original.

As for the 100m, I would just relocate the project up by 100,000 mm and the level should reflect that elevation.

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VonBraun

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Joined: Mon, Jun 10, 2013
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Thanks dgcad

Clear and yes simpler then I thought.

For any other newbies looking at this thread you can also create a new annotation family from scratch, there is a template for level heads.

I think duplicating the system family and then editing it is also a good idea. I was taught to do this with walls, ect.

I also aggree relocating the project to 100M seems to be the thing to do, found an example project that did the same thing.

Just remember to set the family to "survey height." Select family > edit type > constraints > elevation base and change the setting.

This would be something to set up in a template, instead of after the fact.  (it messes up my stairs moving the building, something wrong there.)

In the properties for the system family under "dimensions" there is a setting for "computation height" but it doesn't seem to do anything. I don't know  what its purpose is. Can't seem to use this for geodetic heights, or do I have to enter a formula instead of a number?

Thanks again

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VonBraun

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I'm trying to get my elevation marker to read 100.000 and then increments above or below but this is proving difficult it wasn't set up orginally for this. My issues are:

1) Moving everything is turning out to be a nightmare as I have to correct all my views and some 3D geometry is upset.

2) "Computational Height" property setting is for measuring room volumes, doesn't help me in this case.

3) Tried to enter a formula for elevation to be: elevation = elevation + 100000

This is not working, Revit is giving me an error message saying "Improper use of boolean expressions"Which should mean my formula is wrong.

Is this edit to the parameter possible in this circumstance?

Thanks

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VonBraun

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FIGURED THIS OUT!!!!

What I didn't understand was "project base points" and "survey points".

Check out this turtorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BigvY4LT-RI

Levels heads will relate their position to either one of these points. By default it will relate to the project base point.

The answer to this problem was to merely move the project basepoint down 100m below my building so the level

for my main floor then reads as 100.000.You are merely giving the computer two points from which to dimension.

TO DO THIS:

In an elevation or section view, open the Visibility/Graphic over rides, under site, turn on "project base point" and "survey point"

Select the project base point, click the paper clip icon to unpin it from your model and use the move command and

enter the distance your want to move the base point. If you do not unpin the point the whole model will move with it,

very very bad. Once done, pin the point again. See the tutorial for visuals.

The survey point is similar, excecept YOU DO NOT UNPIN IT. Just move it down. In my case I moved it down 680.3 meters

because this is the geodetic height of my main floor. The surveys point's location now represents sea level. Do not try to move the

point by changing its elevation after you select it. This should stay at 0 to represent sea level. If you change your level head

to read from the survey point it will show the acurate elevation of that floor to the physical world. You can also use spot elevation markers if you want to show this elevation. Typically in my office we do not and only show 100.000 and then go up or down. The site plan then tells you what geodetic height the main floor is, for example 100.000 = 680.300. 

Hope this helps slow learning Newbies like me.

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archigrafix

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Joined: Fri, Jul 5, 2013
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Hi VonBraun

We have worked on a few series of custom graphical symbols for revit, including level heads, to make them more in accordance with European graphic standards ( http://www.archigrafix.com/revit-graphics.html ). We have modified the existing metric annotation families and redrawn all the lines, changed fonts, colours, etc.

We also played with the levels linetype to make it graphically consistent (making it disapear for instance). Custom annotation can be pre-loaded on the project template or transferred using "transfer project standards".

We think the original revit symbold are more suitable for production drawings under the US graphic standards, but they are generally too heavy and big for clean drawings, as we use ininitial stages or competitions.

We will invest some more time in the future customizing annotation families for our own use. So we will be around in the forum to exchange some ideas.

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Marc Faber

BIM Solutions Developer

goto.archi | Oslo, Norway

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