5 Things Everyone Who Uses Revit Must Know
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Introduction
Autodesk Revit is one of the most powerful BIM tools ever created — but it can be intimidating at first. Whether you’re designing your first building or managing a multi-discipline project, Revit rewards users who understand its foundations.
In this article, we’ll go through the five most important things every Revit user must know. Once you master these concepts, you’ll notice a huge improvement in your efficiency, confidence, and overall workflow.
1- Understand How Families Work
Families are the foundation of Revit.
Every element you create — walls, doors, windows, lighting, furniture, or even annotation symbols — belongs to a family. Think of families as “smart objects” that contain parameters, geometry, and data.
🔸 Why It Matters
If you understand how families are structured, you can control your design more efficiently. You’ll be able to:
- Adjust sizes or materials dynamically using parameters.
- Reuse and customize elements across projects.
- Reduce repetitive modeling tasks.
🔸 Types of Families
- System Families: Built into Revit (e.g., walls, roofs, floors). You can’t save them as separate files.
- Loadable Families: Created in the Family Editor and can be loaded into any project (e.g., furniture, doors).
- In-Place Families: Custom families made directly in the project for unique geometry.
🔸 Example
Let’s say you create a door family with adjustable height and width. By using formulas, you can make the door automatically change its proportions — for example, the handle moves automatically when the height changes. That’s the power of families.
👉 Pro Tip: Learn how to use formulas inside families — they make your components intelligent and parametric.
If you want a complete guide, check out our Revit Family Formulas ebook on RevitBook.com.
2- Master Parameters (Especially Shared Ones)
Parameters are what make your model intelligent.
They control everything — size, materials, visibility, and even how elements behave when they interact with others.
🔸 Why It Matters
Without parameters, your Revit model would just be a 3D drawing. With them, it becomes a data-rich BIM model that you can analyze, schedule, and automate.
🔸 Key Parameter Types
- Type Parameters: Affect all instances of that type. Example: if you change the width of a door type, every door of that type changes.
- Instance Parameters: Affect only one specific element. Example: changing the material of one chair without changing the others.
- Shared Parameters: Custom parameters that can be used across multiple families and projects — essential for coordination and schedules.
🔸 Example
You might add a shared parameter like “Fire Rating” to your door families. This allows you to schedule all fire-rated doors automatically in one table — something impossible in CAD.
👉 Pro Tip: Use shared parameters for any data that must appear in multiple families or schedules. It ensures consistency across your entire BIM workflow.
3- Use Templates and Standards
Templates are your secret weapon for consistency and speed.
A good Revit template acts like a roadmap — it defines everything from line weights to title blocks, so you don’t start from scratch every time.
🔸 Why It Matters
Without templates, every new project becomes a guessing game — different line styles, fonts, and naming conventions. With them, your work is standardized and easier to manage.
🔸 What to Include in a Template
- View templates for consistent graphics.
- Title blocks with company information.
- Standard materials, tags, and text styles.
- Predefined worksets for teams.
🔸 Example
A well-prepared template might already have levels, grids, and sheet layouts ready. You can start designing immediately, saving hours of setup time.
👉 Pro Tip: Review and update your templates regularly to match new company or client standards. It keeps your projects aligned and efficient.
4- Learn to Collaborate in Worksharing or BIM 360
Revit isn’t just about modeling — it’s about teamwork. Collaboration allows multiple people to work on the same project without overwriting each other’s progress.
🔸 Why It Matters
In modern BIM workflows, coordination is key. Knowing how to collaborate properly helps avoid data loss, model conflicts, and wasted time.
🔸 Two Main Collaboration Methods
1. Worksharing (Central and Local Files):
- The project has one central file on a shared drive.
- Each user works on their local copy.
- Changes are synced regularly to update the central file.
2. BIM 360 (Autodesk Docs / Cloud Collaboration):
- Collaboration in real-time through the cloud.
- Teams can work from different locations.
- Automatic versioning and access control keep everyone aligned.
🔸 Example
In a large architecture firm, one designer may work on interiors, another on structure, and another on MEP. Using worksharing or BIM 360, they can all contribute to the same model without conflicts.
👉 Pro Tip: Always communicate with your team before synchronizing changes. Assign clear worksets (like “Architecture,” “Structure,” “MEP”) to avoid editing the same elements at the same time.
5- Learn Revit Shortcuts and Productivity Tips
Productivity in Revit = Knowing your tools.
The more you use shortcuts and customize your interface, the faster your workflow becomes.
🔸 Why It Matters
Every second counts when you’re modeling. Revit has hundreds of commands — learning shortcuts makes a huge difference in speed and accuracy.
🔸 Common Shortcuts to Know
- AL: Align
- TR: Trim/Extend
- CS: Create Similar
- VG: Visibility/Graphics
- WT: Tile all views
🔸 Example
Instead of clicking multiple icons to align walls, type AL, click the reference, and align instantly. Saving a few seconds repeatedly adds up to hours per week.
👉 Pro Tip: Customize your shortcuts to match your habits. For example, assign “Copy” or “Mirror” to keys you use most. Revit lets you create a personal workflow that fits you perfectly.
🚀 Conclusion
Revit becomes much easier once you understand its core logic. By mastering families, parameters, templates, collaboration, and shortcuts, you’ll transform from just a user into a confident BIM professional.
Each of these areas builds on the other — and together, they define how efficiently you can design, coordinate, and deliver projects.
If you’re ready to go deeper, explore our Revit Family Formulas ebook on RevitBook.com. It’s packed with examples, diagrams, and formulas that will help you unlock Revit’s full potential.
