Don’t overlook those Revit options!

Today’s post takes us back to basics a little. One of the first things we learn about in Revit is its user interface. And one of the unique aspects of that user interface is the “Options Bar.” The Options Bar is a thin horizontal bar that runs across the entire screen and appears just below the ribbon (you know, the place with all the tabs, buttons and icons).

The Options Bar is so-named because it displays options that are available within the current command or for the current selection of elements onscreen. I am sure you already know this (but it never hurts to review).

The point of this post is to remind you to actually LOOK at the Options Bar as you work. That may seem like an obvious statement, but I hear it all the time in training. You will be using the move command for example and someone will say: “How come it will only move in one direction?”

Answer: uncheck Constrain on the Options Bar.

Or maybe they will ask: “Is it possible to copy multiples?”

Answer: check Multiple on the Options Bar.

And what about making a copy of items that you rotate or rotating around a different center point?

You guessed it, both of these are on the Options Bar as well.

Do you want to split a section of wall and remove the segment that you split out? Options Bar again: “Delete Inner Segment” check box. Did you know you can mirror move or mirror copy? Where do you suppose the setting that controls this behavior is located? I am sure you are starting to see the pattern here.

The join geometry command, cut geometry command and many other command also have very useful options. You just have to remind yourself to look for them (and try them out) when you are in those commands.

But my absolute favorite Options Bar command is: Activate Dimensions. With this command, you can make a collection of temporary dimensions appear onscreen when you have a multiple selection. Revit automatically displays temporary dimensions when you select a single element. But it does not do this with two or more selected elements. So if you want to move a collection of elements using temporary dimensions, just click the Activate Dimensions button on the Options Bar! It works great and is a terrific way to move multiple elements while preserving the selected element’s relationships to each other. I use this command constantly!

 If you would like to see any of these Options Bar choices in action, check out this week’s tip in: Revit Tips, Tricks and Troubleshooting at Lynda.com here on LinkedIn.