Forums >> Revit Building >> Technical Support >> Making a shortcut for Edit?

AO

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Wanting to edit a floor - I have to select the floor and then click the button EDIT.I do not want to search for the button EDIT!!!

It is much faster to have a shortcut for EDIT. But I cannot find EDIT on the menu - will it still be possible to make a shortcut for EDIT?

Using a two button mouse I can zoom and scroll in the views with the wheel. But I also want ot SPIN the 3D view using the mouse. Is it possible?

On the Menu you can find: View > Dynamically modify view

And you will get a menu allowing you to Scroll, Zoom and SPIN.

And you can do a shortcut for bringing up the menu - but you cannot as far as I can understand make a shortcut just for SPIN on the menu or am I wrong?

SPIN you use so often and not having a shortcut for it!!!

And another question - is it possible to hide something in e.g. all plan views by hiding it in the 3D view. Now you have to go and hide e.g. a wall in every separate plan view.

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framerman

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edit no, sorry.

spin 3d, yes. shift+middle mouse button. This is a common comand for some 3d/graphics applications. I think sketchup is reversed. 

hiding in all views is visibility graphics or "VG" for keyboard shortcuts...usually. You have to be in that view to make the visibility parts work. you can't select a roof and have it disappear in all views.

keyboard shortcuts I thik are great, but lack secondary commands which would be extremely helpful, such as the command you're looking for.

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AO

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Thanks for your fast answer.

Why not letting us make shortcuts for everything? Believe there are many wanting to have shortcuts for command-buttons now not being on the menu.

One more question. I have imported an image to a plan view. The image being a scanned sketch of a house-plan.

Now I can pin point it. That is good! But still the image is selectable - that is irritating. Can I make it unselectable?

And I can e.g. make a floor transparent in a 3D-view - but I also want to have it transparent in a plan view so I can see my image behind the floor. Is that possible?

In Sketchup you have a button for making all objects transparent - missing that button/shortcut in Revit...

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framerman

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I wish I knew the answer. It would be very much appreciated if Audtodesk found a way to make keyboard shortcuts available for secondary commands . They have started releasing some API stuff for outside modification, but last I saw, you couldn't do too much.

No, as far as I know, you can't freeze the image so it's unselectable. It's one of the things that also drives me insane. Miss by a hair and you have selected the dang image.

Only way to make it transparent is wireframe mode, which probably isn't very helpful in your case.

Sorry for giving you not so encouraging news. Believe it that Revit does have positive points about it! 

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AO

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Thanks for answering!

Sure there are somethings lacking in Revit and it seems that you cannot improve on them yourself - for me it is hard to understand - but still I see the possibilities with Revit.

Hopefully you will answer some other questions...

I wonder how you are managing large projects. Do you group things? I have some houses around a yard. I have tried to group the different houses. Do you believe in my way to do it?

There are the same problem with groups as with images. You cannot make them unselectable. And making new things - walls and floors to integrate in the group you have to make them outside the group and then add them to the group. Puh...

Can you freeze groups?

Can you hide groups? Yes! but you can only Reset all things - groups you have hidden - you cannot select which group-s to unhide. That is what I believe - perhaps I have not understand the possibilities??? How are you managing large projects? Some tips?

You can have a look on the block I am trying to design.

Attached Images

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framerman

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Well, I can't finish it off. I'm a very small designer, never been into big comercial buildings, so I can't help you there. And kinda the same with groups. I have found a way that works for me, but it probably isn't the most efficient way. I taught myself Revit and I skipped over some things hehe.

I seem to feel that AUGI has more commercial people around to answer items on a large scale with groups and such. Have you tried there? 

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AO

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Thanks for helping me!

I had a look got some tips...

I believe in using File > link > RVT. What do you say? Having tested it?

It seems that a linked object is not as irritating as groups all the times trying to tell me of their existence.Objects from a linked RVT file does not show up as easy as groups. But you cannot make them unselectable or freeze them.

And having a file with a link to a RVT file with some building perhaps you want to take the linked building into the first file. How to do that? Save to Library as a group - a RVG file?

And then Load the group from the Library? Loading a group its name turns up under Model - not under Groups. And the group/model is not visible.... Well missing something?

Someone understanding the problem? Can give some help! Thanks in advance.

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Mr Spot

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In RAC2008 you can make floors transparent using your right click settings, override graphics in view.

Then simply set as transparent.

VH is the shortcut to turn the selected elements category off.  VV will jump you straight into the visibilty settings also.

You can use filters to hid elements in all views etc or also worksets.  Simply by applying a filter that individually identifies that element and then applying the filter to the view.  OR saving it as a view template and applying the view template to the view.

The only way you can ever have something unselectable in revit is when design options is enabled and you having something a design option and you are not directly editing the option.  Then you cannot select the element unless editable only option is deselected.  If an element is pinned you will not be able to move or delete it without a warning message but it will still be selectable.

Use filters again to hide groups of elements and groups themselves.  (need to get you out of your autoCAD speak We don't "freeze" things in revit)

RVG is a pre-2008 extension.  Groups are now saved out as a RVT file meaning they preview and you can edit them directly.

Both groups and links have their advantages and disadvantages.  However, in 2008 links and groups are interchangeable.  That is you can work will groups to begin with and when you find you no longer need to change your element as much you could switch it to a link or vice versa.

HTH.

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Regards,

Chris.

Co-Founder | BIM Consultant | Software Designer  B. Arch)

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AO

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Thanks a lot for all the answers!

 You wrote - VH is the shortcut to turn the selected elements category off. 

Well - I selected the pinned image and VH. And now the image is gone!!! I can not get it back... 

You wrote - VV will jump you straight into the visibilty settings also. - Well I assigned that shortcut to tape measure. But VG takes me to the visibility settings. BUT I cannot find the category IMAGE under those settings. HOW to get the image back?

You wrote - You can use filters to hid elements in all views etc or also worksets.  Simply by applying a filter that individually identifies that element and then applying the filter to the view.  OR saving it as a view template and applying the view template to the view.

Two ways to accomplish the same thing!!! I beter study those ways,

You wrote - The only way you can ever have something unselectable in revit is when design options is enabled and you having something a design option and you are not directly editing the option.  Then you cannot select the element unless editable only option is deselected.  If an element is pinned you will not be able to move or delete it without a warning message but it will still be selectable. ???? Why not having the opportunity to make it unselectable? And having some menu-to make it selectable on...

You wrote- 

Use filters again to hide groups of elements and groups themselves.  (need to get you out of your autoCAD speak We don't "freeze" things in revit)

RVG is a pre-2008 extension.  Groups are now saved out as a RVT file meaning they preview and you can edit them directly.

Both groups and links have their advantages and disadvantages.  However, in 2008 links and groups are interchangeable.  That is you can work will groups to begin with and when you find you no longer need to change your element as much you could switch it to a link or vice versa.

Well but it is NOT 2008 now - now it is still 2007!!!

So how to get something being linked back in? To edit it? Save to Library as group and then Load from Library as group making an instance of it - but there is no Origo so how to get it into the right place? 

And my first question - a shortcut for Edit having selected a floor or a group - that is not possible???

Thanks you a lot for all your answers Mr Spot. We have to look forward! Now it is july 2007 - soon it is happy new year!

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framerman

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hehe, he meant Revit Architecture 2008, the newest release which has the item he's talking about.

What I have for "vh" is category hide and to see it again, you'd need to find it under "VG" or view/visibility graphics, then place a check box in the category that was hidden.

This command is similar to layers in AutoCAD.

IF you have Revit 2008, what you can do is select the item, right click, hide in view, elements and your selected item won't print. But if you are pre-Revit 2008, then I believe it still prints even though it doesn't appear in your viewport.

And sorry, still no shortcut command for edit. 

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Mr Spot

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Autodesk always like to be a year ahead with their program naming.  The current version of Revit is Revit Architecture 2008 (RAC200.  It has many great new features.  I always find it strange when people aren't using the latest version of Revit... Revit can only be bought on a subscription basis, so unless you let your subscription lapse you should always have the latest version of the product...

There is no shortcut for edit, however that edit button is always in the same place.  Surely its not that hard to move the mouse up to the left hand corner?  Why not make your mouse more sensitive if you don't want to move around the screen as much...

Of course Revit has an origin point.  In fact in a single revit file you can have multiple "co-ordinate systems" for how the project links into other projects.  Take a look at shared co-ordinates in the help section of revit to give yourself some background on the subject.

If you want it to be unselectable in revit you turn it off whilst your not using it...

Images can be turned back on in your visibility settings... under the model category and Raster Images.

I use TM for tape measure, its more logical, but thats just how my mind works.

Hopefully this helps.

If you have any further questions unrelated to your original post heading could you please create a new thread with an appropriate heading.

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Regards,

Chris.

Co-Founder | BIM Consultant | Software Designer  B. Arch)

Xrev Revit API Addins | Revit Rants

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AO

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Thanks for your answers!

Sorry if I have put several questions in the same thread. But I become so glad  - framerman - answering fast on my first  question  - so  why not  go  in  trying to figure a little more out.

I have come up with a new solution - I will show you someday... now in a little hurry.

It is not only the EDIT button for floors. Having selected a group you also have to search for it. Searching for a button slows you down. Why not a shortcut? It cannot be so hard to program!!! 

And the programmers and users better have a look at Sketchup - it has got some good solutions! Everything can be made transparent temporarily. And they show hidden things with some ghostnet and you can turn off and on the ghostimage of the hidden things. And you can select a hidden ghostgroup to click it and unhide it. This is fast and easy. Why not implement it in Revit 2009? or perhaps we have to wait for Revit 2010?

And why not have an infopanel always in the GUI showing some important things about eg walls - on which level they start and end - and the walltype. Now you have to bring up the Properties menu everytime!!! It is not a fast way...

And there are commands you cannot find rightclicking something. You cannot eg hide or isolate something with a rightclick... Why not? It is just about easy programming! I believe the programmers are not working with the program or not listening to the users.

STILL I FIND REVIT very good!!! Why not make it a little better?

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framerman

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Most of us realize that Revit would be a better program if they took a look at not only SketchUp, but also some tools from ArchiCAD, or AutoCAD, ADT, Max/Viz, Microstation, etc. There is nowhere to start, and no end in sight as for comparisons. From my understanding, the developers or part of the Autodesk Revit programming people who look into wishlist stuff frequents the AUGI forums.

Not sure exactly how it works, but if you post something in the wishlist part at UGI, there could be a slight possibility that they might actually read it. But then again, we're talking about Autodesk. They already know what we want (that's sarcasm BTW!)

We don't have any control over what they do from here, we just try to help the best we can. It's always a constant battle. But there is no perfect program. If there was, everyone would be using it.

I've programmed many of my keyboard shortcuts to simple double taps of the keyboard. Like "hh" is hide element in view, "x" is delete, "ff" is load family, "rr" is reference plane" and so on. keyboard shortcuts are the only way to go to work more efficiently, but you have to deal with the options bar. Just no way around it. They don't have the programming flexibility to give us what they want....yet (hopefully) 

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AO

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Yes you can really wonder why they do not make it quick and easy. I believe programmers are not working with the program so they cannot understand the importance of some helpful little things. Eg making the shortcut list also being able to have a shortcut for Edit something you have selected cannot be hard to program. And having finished editing something why do I have to look for some button to click to finsh editing.

And why double letters - in Sketchup one letter is enough. That is half the time!!!  

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framerman

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