Revit Conceptual Massing Environment - Index

Over the years I have struggled with the Conceptual Massing Environment (CME) in Revit.  It is not easy to use, and is not at all well integrated with the rest of Revit.  However, I have learnt a huge amount about how to get it to do what you want (or not!).  I have tried to document some of the tips and tricks on this blog and during various conference presentations that I have given at RTC & BILT .

Here is a summary / index of all the relevant posts on this blog:

Conceptual Massing Environment

Rival Revit Environments - Traditional vs Conceptual Massing Environment (CME)

 

Creating Traditional Forms using Conceptual Massing

Part 1 - Extrusion 
             Extrusion Offset Properties
Part 2 - Blend
Part 3 - Revolve
Part 4 - Sweep
Part 5 - Swept Blend
Part 6 - Loft

 

Part 7 - Hybrid Swept Blend / Loft

• Creating Tightly Curved Swept Blends
• Creating Sinuous Curve Swept Blends - Part 1
• Creating Sinuous Curve Swept Blends - Part 2

•  Unable to Create Form Element

• Swept Blend using Adaptive profile
• Hollow Section Sweep with Adaptive Profiles

• Divided Path & Node Visibility

Revit Nurby Forms at BILTANZ

Adaptive Components

Adaptive Components

Adaptive components are a subset of the Conceptual Massing Environment:

•     A Dozen Reasons Not to Use Adaptive Components
•     Reasons to Use Adaptive Components
• Swept Blend using Profile in Adaptive Component
• Egress Path using Adaptive Components (Life Safety Plan)
• Egress Path (Update) and Shape Handle Points
• Mona Lisa's Eyes Follow The Revit Camera
• Adaptive Component Origins
• Zero Length Lines are Possible in Adaptive Components

Repeaters

Repeaters are a kind of array, in the CME world . . .

Modelling Santiago Calatrava's Gare do Oriente (Lisbon) using Repeaters:

Step 2  Putting roof panels on top of the rig . . .
Step 3  Creating the structural elements and placing on the rig
Step 4  Adding Struts to the structure

Step 5  Assembling the Array of Structural Columns

Revit Ideas - Vote to Improve the Conceptual Massing Environment in Revit:

Some of the problems could be alleviated by the following capabilities - please vote for them on the Autodesk Revit Ideas wish-list if you agree:

• Control profile order during form creation

• Nominate Path during form creation

• Massing Tools - Give Them Some Love

Creating Blends in Revit Mass - CME Part 2

An earlier post introduced the idea of  comparing the five traditional form creation tools with equivalent techniques in the Revit Conceptual Massing Environment.  Previously we analysed the creation of extrusion forms in the CME.  Now it is the next of the 5 traditional forms:

Part 2:  Blends

In the traditional Revit environment, you have to decide on a blend before you start.  In the massing environment you can do that or decide to create a blend after you have made an extrusion.  The exact method depends on how the profile is created before using it to generate a form.

I have recorded a video description of this process, available on YouTube.

This one is pretty quiet, maybe suitable for an open plan office.  Crank up the volume if you are at home.

Read on if you don't like videos (or you are hard of hearing!).

There are several ways to create a blend form in the CME:

Method A (Unlock Extrusion)

This method assumes that you already have a form created as an extrusion.

• Select the form;
• ‘Unlock Profiles’ (if locked)

 

• This converts the form into a blend, which has a profile at each end (each the same to start with) – they can be edited separately.

If the original profile was model lines:

•  Each profile can be edited in sketch mode (Edit Profile command).

 

If the profile was reference lines:

• The start remains as reference lines, with limited edit capability (move the reference lines) 
• The end profile can be edited in sketch mode

If the original profile was a component:

• you can edit the end profile only, not the start profile
• If the profile family is parametric, you can adjust the form parametrically
• You can edit the profile family, and the form changes when you reload the family - within reason; if the changes are too drastic, it may fail when you try to reload.

Method B (Create Blend)

Create two parallel 2d profiles (model, reference lines or flat components) ;

• Select both profiles; 
• ‘Create Form’

• Revit will create a Blend form

If the profiles were model lines:

• You can edit the profiles of each end 

If they were reference lines:

• You have limited edit capability (move lines)

If the original profiles were components:

• You can change them (if parametric) 

 

• Or you can edit the profile family and reload 

The two starting profiles do not need to be parallel.

Related topics:

• Introduction: the five traditional form creation methods

• Part 1: Extrusion forms