Dept of Obscure - Override Cut Line Styles

In the process of doing some research into model and symbolic graphic representation, and the various methods Revit uses to control these, I came across a feature I had forgotten about.  As I refreshed my memory I thought I would share the details with you our readers since its a rather involved and obscure feature.

First the "Override Cut Line Styles" feature is located in the Visibility Graphics dialog.  Since it is located here all changes are view specific.

Here you can set some controls on how Cut Edges in Host layers appear in views that cut the model (plan and section).  The check box enables the behavior and the Edit... opens the Host Layer Lines Styles dialog where you can set the appearance:

The "Hosts" in the dialog title refers to walls, roofs, floors, and ceilings.  These element types all have layers and each layer has an associated function.  Here are some layers and their functions in the wall Type dialog:

1. Select Wall
2. Edit Type
3. Click "Edit..." in the Structure row of the Construction group

Back in the Host Layer Lines Styles dialog you can assign line weight, color, and pattern to each of the layer functions (Structure, Substrate, Thermal/Air, ect...)

Common Edges

"Common Edges" refers to a line that is displayed between two host layers of differing functions.  The example below comes from the wall type "Exterior - Brick and CMU on MTL. Stud".

 
So where are the "Common Edge" styles defined?  Answer: Object styles.  Now you know what that subcategory under all the host categories (walls, roofs, floors, and ceilings) was for!

Core Layer Cleanup

...back in the Host Layer Line Styles dialog there is a drop down at the bottom to control Core layer cleanup. This only affect the graphics where core layers come together - typically just a small line at the core boundary.

You can choose from the following Core Layer Clean-up options. 

• Default. This is the current behavior.
• Use Function - Sets the style of the separating line based on the layers' functional priorities. The style of a separating line is determined by the layer of the two with the higher functional priority.
• Use Common Edge Style - Ignores the functional priorities and material settings, and always uses the "Common Edge" style.
• No Edge - Sets the separating line to invisible whenever the layers have the same fill pattern

Here is an image where "Core layer cleanup" is set to "No Edge":

Finally, here is an image that shows how the various parts come together:

 

• All the Non Common Edges are set to be blue in the Host Layer Line Styles dialog.
• The Common Edges for walls are set to be red in the Object styles dialog.
• The core layer cleanup is set to use the Common Edge style and so that boundary also appears red.  If it were set to No edge it would be absent.

Feedback
After looking at all this I have to admit its very obscure and involved.  I'm curious to know who is using this and how specifically?  Where are you located? Is it satisfying your needs?

_Erik

 

Comments

[Brian]

I use this tool quite a bit in floor plans. It allows me to show structure as a heavy line and finishes as thin lines. So, I open VG and change common edge cut lines to our thinnest linetype (0.001"). Then I open the Cut Line Styles dialog and change structure to lineweight 3 and finishes to lineweight 1. I think interior stud walls benefit from this technique the most; the stud layer has a darker line but the finish layers are much thinner.

[Tim Waldock]

We use this system on quite a few projects:
Generally we would want to make different materials/functions look different. Structural concrete would have the heaviest lineweight, followed by brick or blockwork (medium lineweight), then all other materials in a thinner lineweight.

On one project, we wanted to show a wall setout drawing that showed only the underlying structure but hid the finishes - so we set the finish layers to white (effectively disappeared; then we dimensioned to the structure/substrate layers.

We also need to regularly produce "concrete setout" drawings - which only show concrete parts of walls & floors. In theory we could hide all the non-concrete layers (by same method of white colour override; in combination with filtering out walls with no concrete). In practice I think it would be way too complicated, so we generally create two walls - one for concrete, and one for all the finishes. That makes it easier - we just filter out non-structural walls.

Here in Australia (and many other countries, unlike the USA), we do a lot of structural reinforced concrete - both columns and walls.

[Anthony Hauck]

Yes.  from what I knew from back when this was implemented it was driven by non U.S. requirements.  The specific  use cases are valuable though.  Thank you

[Nic Maes]

Same here in europe / Belgium
we use it to make graphical representation between the different structural uses of wall, floors, ....
As an extra: when enabling the "override cut line styles" they can also export to seperate layers.
It makes communicating with our structural engineer easier (yes they are still on acad).
They can turn off the finish and thermal layers.

As Tim mentioned we also are looking for an easier way to turn off all non structural items inside multi layerd objects (function layers in walls, floors, roofs )

[JGA]

This feature is news to me!
As a long-time AutoCAD user, I've found it a challenge to output drawings just as I want them to appear, but this will definitely help.
Keep up the good work on the blog, & AutoDesk's work with Revit.

[CJ]

In NZ traditionally we only show the structural layer and the finishes, cavities etc are not displayed. It's possible to do this as Tim described but it would be better to have a view parameter to turn off everything except the core layer or maybe the wall function layers could be on separate subcategories and controlled via the visibility graphics.

[Dave Baldacchino]

This has been one of the least used tools for me. I wouldn't miss it if you took it out. Obviously then I would need it ;)

[DoTheBIM]

We don't use this either. I wanted to use it to not show wall finishes, but using the white override method, I foresaw problems with dimensioning and users not understanding what they are dimensioning to. I abandoned the idea and users now just zoom like mad to pick the structure part of the wall. Yes, they have core as a preference set, but trusting a "preference" is a lot different than knowing what you've picked.

[gaby424]

unfortunately this feature is ok until you start to join things. Let say you want concrete things to be most havier, brick things medium, and the rest of the layers thinner. In a section you have a concrete beam that is above the ground floor and it is inside a 2 story brick wall. When you join the beam with the wall(so beam will cut the wall) the beam margins receive the common edge lines property from the wall so if your beam is concrete you wanted heavy. In order to achive that you also have to set the common edge of the wall to be heavy. That make you knock out becouse know you have to take care that every wall structure should have the layers defined in such way to avoid common edge(so you can`t have two finish4 or two thermal substrates adiacent because commone edge efect will be a heavy line.... becouse the prooblem with the joined beams...). You know if you join things the game is over with this tool. I`ve spent 6 mounth to try find a solution but a ended up with not using this tool anymore. So my standards are not as my geographical area need it. East europe.

[gaby424]

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=118528&highlight=white&page=2
here are more pics and things for this subject. I was still positive that time but know the subject is "failed mission" :)