by Garry Stockton
Once you have created any Mass instances in Revit, you can create building elements from the faces of mass instances, generic models, imported solids and meshes for further development.
An in-place mass
Now converted to building elements
- Abstract models: Use mass instances when you want to model a building abstractly, or if you want to schedule gross volume, gross surface area and gross floor area. To create building elements from mass instances, use Building Maker tools. Building elements created with Building Maker tools do not automatically update when the mass face changes. You can update the element to adjust to the current size and shape of the mass face.
- Generic models: Use generic models if you must create a unique, unusual shape but do not need to model the entire building abstractly. Walls, roofs and curtain systems can be made from faces in a generic model family.
- Imported solids: To create elements from faces of imported solids, they must be imported into the conceptual design environment while you are creating a mass family, or into the Family Editor while you are creating a generic model.
- Polymeshes: You can import polymesh objects from various file types. Generic model families are recommended for polymesh geometry because mass families cannot extract volumetric information from polymeshes.
Did you know you can also import AutoCAD Architecture mass elements into Revit after they are exploded in AutoCAD Architecture. As Revit import symbols, they are polymesh objects. Optionally, you can convert mass elements to solid AutoCAD objects before importing into Revit.
Some useful terminology when using Mass Instances
- Massing: The process of visualising, studying and resolving building forms using mass instances.
- Mass Family: A family of shapes, belonging to the mass category. An in-place mass is saved with the project; it is not a separate file.
- Mass Instance or Mass: An instance of a loaded mass family or an in-place mass.
- Conceptual Design Environment: A type of family editor that creates conceptual designs using in-place and loadable family mass elements.
- Mass Form: The overall form of each mass family or in-place mass.
- Massing Study: A study of one or more building forms made from one or more mass instances.
- Mass Face: A surface on a mass instance that can be used to create a building element, such as a wall or roof.
- Mass Floor: A horizontal slice through a mass at a defined level. Mass floors provide geometric information about the dimensions of the mass above the slice, up to the next slice or the top of the mass.
- Building Elements: Walls, roofs, floors and curtain systems that can be created from mass faces.
- Zoning Envelope: A defined volume within which a building must be contained. Zoning envelopes can be modelled as a mass.