BIM Q&A | How to Open Doors and Windows in Revit Curtain Walls?
Follow these steps to modify doors and windows within Revit curtain walls:
First, press the TAB key while hovering over the Revit curtain wall and select the curtain wall panel you want to edit.
Next, click Edit Type in the properties panel, then load the desired item from Architecture > Curtain Wall Door and Window Panel.
Click OK to apply the changes and convert the selected curtain wall panels into doors or windows.
Revit creates window families for glass curtain walls and door families.
To create a new window family, open Revit and click New under Family. A dialog box will appear—select Metric Window and open it.
Once opened, as shown in Figure 1, switch to the 3D view for easier operation by clicking the Small House icon in the top menu bar. You will see a default opening in the center of the 3D view.
This default opening represents the initial window size. To customize the size, select the opening and right-click to delete it (or simply select and press delete).
After removing the original opening, go to Create > Opening to draw a new opening matching your desired window dimensions. Once drawn, click the checkmark above to finish.
Next, create the glass panel by selecting Create > Stretch.
When the Stretch command activates, a properties box appears on the right. Under the Material section, click to open the material library, find Glass, and double-click to select it. Then, under the Subcategory dropdown, choose Glass to apply it to your drawing.
For easier drawing, adjust the view in the 3D window to the Top orientation, then draw the glass outline as shown in the reference figure.
After completing the glass shape, click the checkmark in the menu bar to finalize. You will notice a small lock icon on the new shape—make sure to click this lock to enable its opening functionality.
Switch to the Front view, select the glass panel, and use the Move command to align it perfectly with the opening.
Since glass is typically thinner than the default, switch back to the Top view and adjust the glass thickness by dragging its edges.
Return to the Front view once more to ensure the glass is properly spaced around the opening. Select all the adjusted elements.
Use the Copy command to duplicate these elements as needed. If you require different sizes, repeat the previous steps to create new windows.
The newly created window family currently lacks frames. To add frames, select Stretch again. In the properties panel, choose the appropriate material from the Material section, then select the Frame subcategory.
With these attributes set, draw the window frames. If the frames are misaligned, use the Move command to reposition them. You can also copy frames to other areas as needed. Follow the same procedure for both vertical and horizontal window frames.
Once the frames are established vertically and horizontally, use the Opening command to draw an opening from the top left to the bottom right that encloses all the drawn shapes.
Your glass curtain wall window family is now complete. You can click Load to Project to directly import it into your project, or save it as a family file for future use.
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up