Modifying Vertical Offsets of Autodesk Revit Wall Components

Peter Gehring
Director of Building & Infrastructure Solutions, Synergis Technologies, Inc.

This technique will show you how you can allow the components (layers) in Autodesk Revit Building's wall types to have adjustable grips to modify their vertical extents. These extensions can be constrained to the bottom of the wall or to reference planes or other geometry. By default all the wall components (layers) move together. This method will circumvent the default and allow you to show sheathing, siding, or stucco layers overlapping floor joists or foundation walls. It can also be used to vertically extend the top of the wall's assembly layers. When you select a wall in section you'll see a triangular blue grip at the top or bottom. Stretching this grip gives the wall an offset above or below its constrained level.

To allow independent grips on other wall components you need to get into the wall assembly dialog box and be in a section preview. Right mouse select the wall in question, choose Properties, then Edit/New, then Edit to the right of the structure parameter to get into the Edit Assembly dialog. Make sure the preview is turned on and set to a section view. In the preview window, zoom into the bottom of the wall and pick the Modify button. Select the bottom of the component that you want to be able to extend. Once selected, unlock the padlock to enable the extension of the component in section, elevation or 3D views. Do the same for adjacent layers that you want to offset. OK all the way out of the dialog boxes.

Select the wall in a section view and you'll see an additional grip at the bottom of the two components that you unlocked. Select it and drag it up or down. You cannot enter a distance when dragging, but you can align it to other elements or dimension and constrain it to the bottom of the wall.

Changing this grip offset only does it to the selected wall. Instead of going to a section view of each wall to change it, you can use the Match Type (i-dropper) tool to match this offset to other walls of the same or different types.

A better way of setting it to all desired walls is to select the walls and in the Properties dialog set the Base Extension Distance using positive or negative numbers.

The Help documentation on this topic is a little hard to find. Typing wall layers in the Help Search function and then selecting Modify Command in the selected topics list will get you there.

About the Author

With 18 years of industry experience, Peter Gehring is Director of Building & Infrastructure Solutions for Synergis' Engineering Design Solutions, an independent division of Synergis Technologies, Inc., a leading Autodesk Value Added Reseller for Manufacturing, Infrastructure, and Building Solutions in the Mid-Atlantic region. He is responsible for spearheading the delivery of solutions, technical expertise, and resources to increase customers' productivity and profitability in the Building & Infrastructure industry. Gehring is an Autodesk Architectural Desktop Certified Expert, an experienced CAD instructor, and architectural and engineering designer. He graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in Fine Art and previously worked for 10 years with Perks-Reutter Associates, an architecture and engineering consulting firm. He can be reached at: peter.gehring@synergis.com.

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