Comprehensive Guide to Creating Volume and Form in Revit
1. Start by creating a new metric volume. Use the line tool to draw the outline of your desired shape. Incorporate semi-ellipses and spline curves to achieve the form shown in the illustration.
2. Generate a solid shape based on this contour, set the appropriate height, and then switch the shape element to perspective view, as demonstrated in the image.
3. With the shape set to perspective, click the “Add Contour” button to introduce multiple contours to the model.
4. Select the black control point at the center and the purple control point on the right. Using the scale and rotate tools, adjust these points to the required distances and rotation angles. Approach this step layer by layer, and set the rotation angles based on the shape’s distortion rather than fixed values.
5. Once the shape is finalized, import it into your project and apply a curtain wall system. This allows you to freely customize the spacing and layout of the curtain wall grid.
Key Terminology Related to Volume in Revit
What is Volume Research?
This refers to using shapes to explore architectural design concepts. After completing the conceptual design, building elements can be directly added to these shapes.
What is Volume?
The process of observing, studying, and analyzing architectural forms through volume instances.
What is a Volume Family?
A category of families consisting of shapes classified as volumes. These building volumes are saved within the project and are not standalone files.
What is a Volume Instance or Volume?
An instance or embedded mass created from a loaded mass family.
What is the Conceptual Design Environment?
A family editor environment that allows you to create conceptual designs using both built-in and loadable family mass elements.
What are Volume and Shape?
The overall form of each volume family and built-in volume.
What is Volume Surface?
The surface on a volume instance, which can be used to generate building elements such as walls or roofs.
What is a Volume Floor?
A horizontal section through the volume at a defined elevation. It provides geometric information about the volume’s dimensions above that section, up to the next section or the top of the volume.
What are Architectural Elements?
These include walls, roofs, floors, and curtain wall systems that can be created from the volume surface.
What is the Perimeter of a Partition?
The legally defined volume that must be included in a building. This perimeter can be modeled as a volume.
Common Issues and Solutions When Working with Volume, Floors, and Conceptual Design
Issue: Volume Not Visible in the View
Symptom: The volume is not visible when opening a view.
Cause: The “Display Volume Shape and Floor” option may be turned off, or the view is zoomed in too closely, obscuring the volume.
Solution: Go to the “Volume and Venue” tab and enable “Conceptual Volume” under the “Display Volume Shape and Floor” panel. Adjust the view scale as needed.
Also, in the “Visibility/Graphic Overrides” dialog box, under the “Model Categories” tab, expand “Volume” and make sure both “Volume” and “Volume Floor” are checked, then confirm.
Issue: Unable to Select or Tag Volume Floors
Symptom: You cannot select or tag volume floors.
Cause: Volume elements are prioritized, making volume floors harder to select.
Solution: Hover over the volume floor and press the Tab key to cycle the selection focus from the volume to the volume floor. Confirm the selection status in the status bar, then click to select or tag the volume floor.
Issue: Total Floor Area Not Available for Volume Floor Schedules
Symptom: Creating a volume floor schedule that includes the total floor area is not possible because the “Total Floor Area” field is missing from the “Schedule Properties” dialog.
Cause: The “Total Floor Area” is a mass parameter, not a volume floor parameter.
Solution: Create a detailed volume schedule that displays the “Total Floor Area” parameter.
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