Back to Basics: The "No TR(ou)BL(e)" Method

I often hear students complaining that there are way too many options and properties to set when starting a Revit command. That might be true to a certain extent, but remove one or more of those options and other users will complain that Revit is too rigid and does not allow for customisation.

I teach my students who do not have a Revit background (And even some of the more advanced users), a specific method to follow when starting a command. I previously called this method the "Top Right to Bottom Left" method, but have recently renamed it to the "No TR(ou)BL(e)"method (Catchier, isn't it?)

If you follow this method, you will be able to execute a command properly right from the start (Complete with its applicable properties and settings), thus saving time and a lot of frustration.

There are 6 main areas in the Revit User Interface that one needs to look at, in order to systematically miss less and less settings, properties and checkboxes.

1. Green Contextual Tab and its respective Green Contextual Panels
2. Green Options Bar
3. Type Selector
4. Properties Panel
5. Status Bar
6. Drawing Area

 

 

Let us take the example of a wall command, and follow the No TR(ou)BL(e) method, step-by-step:

 

1. Green Contextual Tab and its respective Green Contextual Panels

• Nearly all commands in Revit will provide you with a green contextual Modify/<command> tab, and green contextual panels specific to the command that was started.
• Choose the wall geometry/form/drafting method you want to use

2. Green Options Bar

• What properties or settings should the wall you want to create have?
• Many of the options in the Options Bar will also appear in the Properties Panel, but if we can change it now, we don't have to change it later (And perhaps miss an important setting)

3. Type Selector

• What type of wall do you want to create?



4. Properties Panel

• Go into more detail with your wall properties, and work your way from the top of the properties panel, all the way to the bottom.
• The more you practice this method, the more comfortable you will become with all of the properties, and will remember the property areas you need to change/verify, and those you can ignore for now.

5. Status Bar

• This is one of the most often overlooked areas of the user interface. The status bar will tell a user exactly what he/she need to do to execute/continue/end the command.

6. Drawing Area

• Do what you do best: Design and draw!