by Dennis Collin
I recently posted on how users can create curved curtain wall panels by using a glass basic wall panel as a replacement infill type. This works well with vertical curved curtain wall facades, but what if it is sloped as well? Although Revit can create sloped curtain system objects from mass modelling, curtain systems will only accept curtain panel elements as infills, resulting in facetted geometry. So how can this limitation be circumvented without having to use clumsy in-place families?
Fig 1. Unlike Curtain Walls, curtain system families only accept panels which are facetted.
A few years ago, Revit introduced wall system families that can be sloped and so, by setting the vertical profile to sloped, with a desired angle, a curved and sloping curtain system can be created! A curtain wall family has the same options of placement as a basic wall, so creating a curved sloping system is achievable to a relatively new Revit user.
Fig 2. Revit has been able to make sloped walls for several versions, including curtain walling.
To achieve the curved panels and mullions, set a glass basic wall panel to perform as the curtain wall infill.
Fig 3. Use Basic wall families to form curved curtain wall panels!
This is accomplished by creating a new wall type with a suitable panel material, such as glass and an appropriate thickness, say 25mm.
Fig 4. Assigning a horizontal sweep to perform as a horizontal mullion.
Once assigned, a sloping curved curtain wall can be created. Normal vertical mullions can be added as required. To achieve curved horizontal mullions, use the sweep modifier within the wall type’s vertical structure. Assign a suitable material for consistency. The cross-sectional shape is defined with a standard profile family component.
Once the wall type with sweeps have been assigned to the system family, it is possible to achieve a result like the following; a sloped curtain wall, with curved mullions and panels. All easily editable with no labour intensive in-place families being used!