Why can’t the outer frame dimensions of ducts and trays be marked in Revit section views? When using Revit software for designing water, heating, and electrical systems, users often encounter a limitation: dimensioning in section views can only be applied to the centerline of air ducts and cable trays, not their outer boundaries. To annotate the outer dimensions, it is usually necessary to add a detailed reference line or plane manually, as illustrated in the image.
This issue is related to a Revit feature called “Rise/Fall”, which primarily serves to represent risers in plan views. However, in section views, it causes the problem described above. The fix is simple: open the view’s Visibility Settings, find the option for air ducts and cable trays under “Rise/Fall”, and disable it, as shown in the image.
Once “Rise/Fall” is turned off, you will be able to dimension the outer boundaries of ducts and trays. Keep in mind, though, that their cross-sectional display may look slightly different, as demonstrated. This change reflects the effect of the “Rise/Fall” feature. After completing the dimension annotations, you can re-enable “Rise/Fall” to restore the normal display, while keeping the annotations intact. The resulting cross-section will appear as shown in the figure.
Related tips and tutorials:
How to dimension the outer frame of ducts and trays in Revit section views when it seems impossible
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