This Tutorial presents a method for modelling checkered facades in Revit and is inspired by Sir Norman Forster's Free University Library building.
1.0 Select the two sets of reference lines as
indicated below and click the "Create Form" button to form what is conventionally known as
an extrusion (See below image).
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6The "Associate
Family Parameter" will open. Click on "Add Parameter", make a
new Type Parameter, call it
"THICKNESS" and click ok to close the windows.This parameter will be
used control the simultaneous vertical movement of the selected points, and will dictate the thickness of the panel to
be extruded later in this tutorial.
0.7See below red arrow)
to make a line between the two points.
0.8
0.9
1.1 Click the "Family
Types" button (See below red arrow) and change the "THICKNESS" parameter to any desired value to alter
the extrusion instantly.
1.2
Note: At
this stage, we have concluded building the checkered panel. In the next stage
of this chapter we will build a mass that
will host this panel and mimic the building skin of the Free University Library in Berlin, Germany designed by
Foster and Partners.
1.3 In the Applications menu,
go to New > Conceptual Mass, select "Mass.rft" and click Ok. In the Project Browser,
under Floor Plans, double click "Level 1". This will take you to the
plan view where we will sketch the
lines denoted in the below image in preparation for a revolve
surface.
1.4 Go to the default 3D
View, select both lines sketched in the previous step and hit the "Create Form" button. An optional floating button will appear instantly
where you will be asked to choose
between either a Revolved or a Flat Surface so make sure that you click on
Revolve. (See below red arrow
indicating the Revolved Surface choice)
1.5 Select the revolved form;
in the Properties Menu change the start angle to 180 and click "Apply" (See below Image).
1.6 Select the form and hit
the "Divide Surface" button (See below red arrow).
1.7 Select the divided
surface, click the Type Selector and select "Rectangle Checkerboard".
In the Options bar
Change the U value to "7" and "V" value to 17. (See below
Image).
Note: The
"U" and "V" values may vary depending on the size of your
sketch. In this tutorial, the building
is approximately 20 meters long and 4 meters high.
1.8 Start a window selection
from right to left (indicated by a dashed rectangle in the below image), and hit "Cntrl+C". Under the Modify
tab, click the arrow below the Paste button and select "Aligned to Same Place". This will create a
duplicate copy of the mass and associated checkered
curtain system (See below image).
Note:
1.9 Click on the surface of
the form. This will select the system that you have just copied in the previous step. In the Properties Menu,
change "Indent 2" from 0 to 1 (See below image).
2.0 Scroll to the Checkered
Panel family, save as "CHECKERBOARD PANEL" and load it into the Mass family. In the Mass family, click on the
surface of the form, drop down the type selector and choose "CHECKERBOARD PANEL". (See below
image)
2.1 Hover your mouse over the
curtain system; hit the "Tab" button on your keyboard until the second curtain system is highlighted.
Select it and repeat step 1.20 so that your mass looks similar to the below image.
2.2 Select any of the two
panel systems > Edit Type > Duplicate and name the new panel as "GLAZING". Now change the
Panel_Material parameter to "Glass".