Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup

Lesson Overview

Architectural and construction design must follow rules and

standards. The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
establishes the rules for architectural drafting, defining the
layers, colors, line types, and symbols to be used in
architectural drafting. Visit the AIA website at www.aia.org.

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is an

organization for students interested in pursuing a career in
architecture. Visit the AIAS website at www.aias.org.

Many cities and counties have their own rules, based on the
AIA standards, to make it easier to check drawings that are
being submitted to their planning departments. The rules
dictate how drawing sheets should be numbered and what
symbols, line types, colors, and so forth, should be used.

Software: Autodesk® Revit® 2015

Time: 3 to 4 hours
Level: Beginner
Datasets: Imperial included

Concepts Addressed
 Describe drawing units and how they are measured in drawings
 Describe drawing scale and dimension styles
 Identify the different sheet sizes and how they should be named
 Describe title blocks and the contents that are typically included in them
 Explain why templates are used, and the settings that are preset within them

Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson you will be able to:

 Select a project template

 Set project units
 Create dimensions and text
 Create dimension and text styles
 Duplicate and modify views
 Work with sheets and viewports
 Create a title block
 Create labels
 Create a project template

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup Page |1

Exercise Index

Exercise 01 Select a Template Page 9

Exercise 02 Set Units Page 11
Exercise 03 Modify a Dimension Style Page 12
Exercise 04 Create a New Sheet Page 14
Exercise 05 Create a Title Block Page 19
Exercise 06 Insert a Title Block Page 27
Exercise 07 Create a Template Page 30

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup Page |2

Standards and Building Codes
About this lesson

Architectural and construction design must follow rules and standards. The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
establishes the rules for architectural drafting, defining the layers, colors, line types, and symbols to be used in
architectural drafting. Visit the AIA website at www.aia.org .

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is an organization for students interested in pursuing a
career in architecture. Visit the AIAS website at www.aias.org .

Many cities and counties have their own rules, based on the AIA standards, to make it easier to check drawings
that are being submitted to their planning departments. The rules dictate how drawing sheets should be
numbered and what symbols, line types, colors, and so forth, should be used.

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

 Describe drawing units and how they are measured in drawings

 Describe drawing scale and dimension styles
 Identify the different sheet sizes and how they should be named
 Describe title blocks and the contents that are typically included in them
 Explain why templates are used, and the settings that are preset within them

Key Terms

AIA attribute commercial

dimension dual notation imperial
label landscape layout
metric permanent dimensions plot
portrait ratio residential
scale sheet temporary dimensions
text title block units
view

Building Codes

The Uniform Building Code establishes the rules for building design. The rules are meant to ensure that buildings
are safe for people. Most states have their own building codes that take into consideration environmental and
social issues specific to that state.

The Uniform Building Code also defines what constitutes a bedroom, a bathroom, a common area (such as a
living room or family room), a garage, and so on. For example, in order for a room to be considered a bedroom, it
must have at least one door, one window, and one closet. If it lacks any of these components, it cannot be called
a bedroom. A garage must be completely enclosed, otherwise it is considered a carport.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup Page |3

A good example of a Building Code rule applies to bedroom windows on an upper floor. Each bedroom or upper
floor room that is adjacent to the exterior must have at least one window large enough to accommodate a
firefighter with a backpack. If there is a fire, the firefighter must be able to get into the room easily to fight the fire
and save the people inside.

Drawing Units

Architectural drawing, like mechanical drawing, uses a system of units to define the size of a structure and its
components: walls, doors, windows, and so on.

A unit is a particular physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention, with which other particular quantities of
the same kind are compared to express their value.

The value of a physical quantity is the quantitative expression of a particular physical quantity as the product of a
number and a unit, the number being its numerical value. The numerical value of a particular physical quantity
depends on the unit in which it is expressed.

For example, the value of the height h of the Washington Monument is h = 169 m = 555 ft. Here h is the physical
quantity, its value is expressed in the unit meter, unit symbol m, is 169 m, and its numerical value when
expressed in meters is 169. The value of h expressed in the unit foot, unit symbol ft., is 555 ft., and its numerical
value when expressed in feet is 555.

In architectural drafting, units are applied to dimensions. There are two basic types of dimensions: size and
location. Size dimensions indicate the overall size of an object. Location dimensions deal with the actual
placement of an object or structure.

Many architects are beginning to draft using the metric system, also known as the International System of Units.
However, in the United States, the construction industry still uses the English, or imperial, system (inches and
feet) to order lumber, glass, and other materials.

Some architects deal with this by applying metric dimensions to those items they can control, such as room size
and wall height, while noting the width of studs (2 x 4) and so forth, using imperial units. Another method is to
apply dual notation. This means that every dimension is shown using metric units and imperial units. Many
architects in the United States continue to use only imperial units, as they find this the easiest way to
communicate with consultants and government agencies.

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Scale and Dimensions

Because buildings are large, the views must be scaled in order for the entire building to be plotted on a sheet of
paper.

Scales are ratios, one value representing another value. The format typically used for architectural scales is an
inch value equal to one foot, for example 1/8" = 1'-0". This is actually equal to 1:96 scale, because there are
ninety-six 1/8 inches in a foot (12 x 8).

This means that if you plot a drawing at 1/8" = 1'0", everything in your drawing gets scaled down ninety-six times
when it is plotted. If you were to get a ruler out and measure the objects on your drawing, every 1/8" would
represent 1'.

Revit accomplishes this automatically with a system of view scale, sheets, and viewports.

In Revit, dimension styles control the appearance of dimensions: font and text size, line weight and pattern, and
the size and shape of the tick marks that define the measuring point. Dimensions scale with other view contents
when viewports are placed on sheets for plotting.

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Sheets
Sheets in technical drafting can be different sizes. Each size is designated by a letter. Most offices define a title
block for each sheet size used for their documentation.

Letter Size (Inches)

A 8.5 X 11
B 11 X 17
C 17 X 22
D 22 X 34

An easy way to figure out what size sheet is designated by which letter is to start by knowing that a standard 8-1/2
(H) x 11 (W) sheet of paper is A.

Each letter size after this is W x 2*H of the previous size.

A B-size sheet of paper is 11 (W) x 8.5*2 (H) = 11(W) x 17 (H).

QUESTION: If your customer demands his documentation in D-size sheets, can you calculate the size of the
paper? E-size?

(See the end of this section for the answer)

The AIA has several recommended naming conventions for sheets, and most architectural offices use a modified
version of the AIA standard.

Project drawing sheets are grouped by a sheet-type prefix that identifies the discipline for each sheet:

SHEET TYPE

Prefixes Discipline
A Architectural
S Structural
M Mechanical/HVAC
E Electrical
P Plumbing
F Fire Protection
C Civil Engineering/Site
L Landscape

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The prefix is followed by a number where the integer refers to the type of drawing, and a decimal refers to the
drawing order under the type.

The integers go from 0 to 9.

Integer Drawing Type

0 Index, symbols, notes
1 Demolition, site plan, temporary
2 Schedules
3 Sections, exterior elevations
4 Floor plans
5 Interior elevations
6 Reflected ceiling plans
7 Stairs, elevators, escalators
8 Exterior details
9 Interior details
For example, a sheet for the first-floor floor plan would be numbered A4.01.

A sheet for an exterior elevation showing structural detail would be numbered S3.01.

A sheet in Revit simulates a sheet of paper and provides a predictable plotting setup. You create and position
views, and then add a title block or other symbols.

You create multiple sheets in a Revit project, each of which contains different plot scales and paper sizes.

ANSWER
If your customer demands his documentation in E-size sheets, can you calculate the size of the paper?
A D-size sheet of paper is 22 (W) x 34 (H).
An E-size sheet of paper is 34 (W) x 22*2 (H) = 34 (H) x 44 (W).

Title Blocks

A title block is like a title page to a report or a book cover. It identifies the drawing with a title or description, the
author of the drawing, the date drawn, and other relevant information.

The AIA has enacted certain standards as to the appearance of title blocks for architectural and construction
drawings. Typically, the title block is a single column on the right side of the paper. The paper is oriented
landscape, so that the height is less than the width. The column is divided into sections.

Usually, the name and address of the architectural firm are located at the top space, followed by information on
the building's owner. Remaining spaces are used for any consultants involved in the project; that is, the
electrician, the HVAC company, and so on. The next space is for tracking revisions.

The final sections are for the sheet title and number.

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Templates

A template is a master copy of a file used as a starting point to design new documents. A template may be as
simple as a blank document in the desired size and orientation, or as elaborate as a nearly complete design with
placeholder text, fonts, and graphics that need only a small amount of customization of text. Templates are
usually preset with drawing units, drawing scales, annotation plot sizes, and layer standards. Object styles and
display controls can also be preset in a template.

You can use the templates that are installed with Revit to begin a project, and then modify the settings in the
drawing and save it as a template that you use as a future starting point.

Each building project must comply with a specific standard. The standard will be dictated by the type of building
(residential or commercial) and the location of the project.

Because different projects and types of buildings require different documentation drawings, you can create
separate template files that have preset settings according to the corresponding projects.

Most architectural firms create a template for each standard they need to meet. For example, a firm may have a
template for San Francisco-Residential to use for any residential projects to be constructed Standards and
Building Codes n 99 in the City of San Francisco. The template will contain the required sheets/layouts, title
blocks, layer settings, required symbols, dimension and text styles, and so forth.

Settings
About This Lesson

In this lesson, you use templates that are preset with drawing units, views, dimension styles, and
sheets as your starting point in Revit.

Revit templates also contain preloaded sets of component families such as doors, windows, and walls.
These can be used to build your model.

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You can use one of the templates installed with Revit to begin a project. Revit comes with templates
using imperial or metric units.

Key Terms

dimension elevation markers family

imperial label load
menu object project browser
properties sheet styles
template title block view
view properties

Exercise: Select a Template

In this exercise, you create a new project file using a

template. You access templates that are included
with Revit.

In Revit, you use templates as starting points.

Templates are empty files that are preset with
drawing units and views that you use in a typical
project. Templates also contain basic sets of object
styles and display controls specific to working with
objects in Revit.

Use one of the templates installed with Revit and

you can get started on a project immediately.

The completed exercise

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup Page |9

Select a Template 5) Click Open. Click OK.

1) Open Revit to an empty project file. On the Revit opens a new project with preset views
application menu, click New > Project. for a standard two-story residential dwelling.
Sheets are already set up for documenting the
project.

2) In the New Project dialog box, click Browse.

3) Revit provides you with a set of templates

specific to different project types.

Architecture:
 A commercial building is a building used for
a business, factory, or store.
 A residential building is a single-family
dwelling.
 Condominiums, apartments, and town
houses usually use commercial building
templates.

Structure:
 For either commercial or residential projects

Building Systems:
 For either commercial or residential projects
4) Select the Residential-Default.rte template file
from the Imperial Templates folder.
You are now ready to start work on a new
project in an environment that has been
optimized for the particular type of project,
saving set up time.

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6) On the application menu, click Close to close 2) In the Project Browser, expand Floor Plans
this project without saving. under Views.
Double-click Floor Plans > 00 Foundation to
open that view.

In this exercise, you started a new project file using

3) To place a wall in the view:
a standard template.
 On the Architecture tab, Build panel, click
Wall.
Exercise: Set Units  Place the cursor over the left wall. Click to
start a new wall. Pull the cursor to the right.
With Revit templates, the drawing setup options are
preset. You can customize your template by
changing the drawing setup values. Revit has
templates for imperial (feet) and metric (millimeters)
measurement.

In this exercise, you open an existing file and set

the units to be applied to the model. This exercise
illustrates how you control the units in your drawing
model.

 Notice the blue temporary dimensions in

millimeters.
 Press ESC to cancel the wall. The Wall tool
remains active.

4) Click Manage tab > Settings panel > Project

Units. (The keyboard shortcut is UN.)
The Project Units dialog

Set Project Units

1) Open file:
ProjectStds_Exercise02.rvt

The file opens to a 3D view.

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  Click Format for Length.
5) For Format:
 Set Units to Meters.
 Set Rounding to 1 Decimal Place.
 Set Unit symbol to m. (This means that
dimensions will display m next to the
numeral.)
 Select Suppress Training 0's.
 Click OK twice to save the setting change.
6) Place the cursor over the left wall, click to start
a new wall, and move the cursor right.
Notice the change in the blue temporary
dimensions.
Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup
7) Press ESC to cancel the wall.
8) Close the file without saving.
In this exercise, you opened an existing file and
changed the unit settings.
Exercise: Modify a Dimension Style
In Revit, there are two types of dimensions,
temporary and permanent. Temporary dimensions
display when you select, create, or insert
components. Permanent dimensions are created
explicitly by the user to capture design intent.
The completed exercise
Modify a Dimension Style to Create a New
Style
This exercise shows how to define different
permanent dimension styles based on the
appearance of the dimension text and lines. Each
dimension style automatically adjusts for different
view scales.
Because Revit is a parametric modeling software
application, dimensions not only display, but also
control the size and location of objects. Elements will
change location or size based on changes to the
dimensions.
1) Open file:
ProjectStds_Exercise03.rvt
The file opens to view Floor Plan: Level 1.
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2) On the Annotate tab, Dimension panel, click
Aligned.

Study the dimension options that appear on

the Options Bar. By default, dimensions snap to
wall centerlines.

 On the Properties palette, click Edit Type.

3) In the Type Properties dialog box, click

Duplicate.
 Click OK
4) For Name, enter Big Text. Click OK.
6) The new dimension style is displayed in the
Type Selector.

5) In the Properties dialog box:

 Set Line Weight to 2
 Set Witness Line Extension to 3/16"
 Set Centerline Symbol to Centerline
 Set Centerline Pattern to Dash Dot
 Set Text Size to 3/16"

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 13

7) The Dimension tool is still active. Select the
top, left, and bottom horizontal walls.
Drag the dimension to the left of the view.
Click to place.
 Click Modify to end the command
8) Start the Aligned Dimension command again.
Use the Type Selector to make Linear the
current Linear Dimension Style. The Dimension
tool stays active.
 Select the far left, upper, and far right
vertical walls
 Drag the dimension to the top of the view
 Click to place the dimension
Note the differences between the two
dimension styles.
Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup
9) Close the file without saving.
In this exercise, you opened an existing file, created
a new dimension style, and then applied permanent
dimensions to walls.
Exercise: Create a New Sheet
In this exercise, you modify a view and place it on a
sheet in a project file.
The completed exercise
Duplicate and Modify a Plan View
1) Open file:
ProjectStds_Exercise04.rvt
The file opens to view Floor Plan: Level 1.
Notice the door and window tags. These are
annotations.
You need drawing sheets to hold both a Floor
Plan and a Furniture Plan of Level 1. In order
to do this, you create a copy of the view Floor
Plan: Level 1.
2) In the Project Browser, place the cursor over
the view name Floor Plan: Level 1. Right-click.
3) Click Duplicate View > Duplicate.
Level 1 Copy 1 displays in the Project Browser
under Floor Plans, and the view window
displays the new plan. There are no annotations
visible.
P a g e | 14
4) In the Project Browser, right-click Floor Plan: 8) In the View Visibility/Graphics dialog box, set the
Copy of Level 1. Click Rename. Filter List to Architecture. For Model Categories
tab, turn off the visibility of the following
categories:
 Mark 2: Casework
 Mark 3: Furniture
 Mark 4: Furniture Systems
 Mark 5: Lighting Fixtures
 Mark 6: Specialty Equipment (not shown)

To toggle visibility on or off, select or clear the

check box of the desired object category.

5) Rename the view Level 1 Furniture. Click OK.

6) In the Project Browser, select

Floor Plan: Level 1
Double-click to open it.

You turn off the visibility of all of the furniture

and electrical equipment within this view.

7) Click Properties palette > Visibility/Graphics >

Edit.

9) Click OK to update the display of this view.

You can also enter the keyboard shortcuts VG

or VV.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 15

Set Project Information
Editing the Project Information parameters enables
the project information to be automatically passed to
the title block on drawing sheets.
10) On the Manage tab, Settings panel, click Project
Information.
The Instance Properties dialog box displays with
Project Information fields.
11) In the Value column of Project Address, click
Edit.
Enter the address as shown.
You can also enter the address of your school.
 Click OK
Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup
12) Edit the remaining Project Setting parameters
using the following information, or supply your
own values:
 Click OK
Add a Sheet
13) Click Sheets (all) in the Project Browser. Right-
click. Click New Sheet.
You can also click View tab > Sheet
Composition panel > Sheet.
14) In the Select Titleblocks dialog box, highlight
the title block displayed in the list.
(Title blocks are automatically embedded in the
sheet size selected. The next exercise teaches
you how to create a custom title block.)
 Click OK.
P a g e | 16
15) The sheet appears in the Project Browser and in  Click Apply
the graphics window.
Notice the change to the title block.
 Click the + (plus sign) to expand the Sheets
tree view

16) To edit the title block properties and to modify

the values in the title block fields:
 Select the title block.
 The Properties palette shows information
about the title block. The Scale is a read-only value. It is
automatically filled in when you place your
17) In the Identity Data and Other sections, change views.
the following values:
 Sheet Name: Level 1 Plan 18) Save your progress, save the file as:
 Sheet Number: A4.01 ProjectStds_Exercise04_finished.rvt
 Checked By: Your instructor's name
 Designed By: Your first initial and last name
 Approved By: Your instructor's name
 Drawn By: Your first initial and last name

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 17

Add a View to the Sheet 21) With the viewport still selected, click
Activate View from the Modify | Viewports tab.
19) Next, you add the view Floor Plan: Level 1 to
the sheet.
 Click View tab > Sheet Composition panel >
View.

22) Use the View Control Bar Scale control to set

the View Scale to 1:20.

 You can also drag and drop the view from

the Project Browser onto the sheet.
 Highlight Floor Plan: Level 1 from the view
list.
 Select Add View to Sheet.

Right-click in the view. Select Deactivate View.

20) You see the view at the end of your cursor. It is

small compared to the size of the sheet. 23) The view updates on the sheet. Place the cursor
Click to place the view onto the middle of your over the edge of the viewport and click to select
sheet. it. The cursor changes to a four-headed drag
arrow.

Drag the viewport to the center of the sheet.

Click away from the viewport to deselect it.
Finish the move.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 18

24) The Scale updates in the title block. Exercise: Create a Title Block

In this exercise, you start a new family file and

create a title block from scratch. This is one of the
longer exercises.

25) Save the file as:

ProjectStds_Exercise04_finished.rvt

In this exercise, you:

 Opened an existing project file
 Duplicated and edited a plan view
 Added a sheet
 Placed a view on the sheet The completed exercise
 Changed the scale of the view on the sheet
 Modified the values of the fields in the title
 block using the Project Information and Element Draft a Title Block
 Properties dialog boxes
1) Start Revit. It opens to the Recent
Files window. On the application menu, click
New > Titleblock.

2) Select A-11x8.5.rft. Click Open.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 19

3) A copy of the 11 x 8.5 title block template
opens. The template consists of lines
representing the paper border (minus printer
margins).
4) On the Create tab, Detail panel, click Line.
On the Draw panel, click the Rectangle
sketching tool. On the Options Bar, enter an
Offset value of -1/2" (negative).
Tip: By setting the offset to a negative value,
the resulting rectangle will offset to the inside
of the sketched points.
Select the lower left corner of the sheet and the
upper right corner of the sheet to place a 1/2"
border on the sheet.
Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup
5) Next, you create a vertical line 2-1/2" from the
right border (3" from the right sheet edge).
With the Line command still active, select the
Pick (arrow) icon from the Options Bar. Set
Offset to 2 1/2".
Place the cursor over the right edge of the
border you sketched in the previous step. The
direction you move the cursor towards the
border line determines the offset placement.
Once the green dashed line appears to the left,
select the line.
This places a vertical line 2 1/2" to the left of
the right margin. You have divided the page
outline into two panels.
P a g e | 20
6) To draw the next lines:
 In the Draw pane, click the Line option
 On the Options Bar, clear the Chain option
 On the Options Bar, set Offset to 0

 Sketch a line 1/2" up from the bottom

margin of the right panel

 Click Modify to end line command

9) Next, you thicken the line weight of two

horizontal lines.
7) Sketch another horizontal line 3" above the last  Select the two lines as shown.
line as shown.  Hold down the CTRL key to select more
than one object at the same time.

8) Sketch another horizontal line 1-1/2" above the

upper line as shown.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 21

10) From the Modify Lines tab > Subcategory panel, 14) Click to place the image in the upper right
Subcategory pulldown menu, select Wide Lines. panel you made by drawing lines. Click away
from the image to finish positioning it.

Mark 1: Use blue grips to scale the image

Mark 2: Use blue dashed lines to drag image
into place

If you zoom in close, you can see the line weight

change.

Add Text to the Title Block

Next, you define new text styles to use in the title

block.

15) On the Text panel of the Create tab, click Text.

Note: Line weights will display on screen when

Thin Lines mode is off.

16) Click the Type Selector drop-down arrow. There

11) Save your progress, save the file as: is only one text note type; it is called
ProjectStds_Exercise05_finished.rfa Text Note 1.

Add a Company Logo

12) Now you can add an image file.

On the Insert tab, click Import panel > Image.

17) Click Edit Type to open the Text Type for

modification.

13) Select the file Company_Logo.jpg.

This file can be found in the courseware
datasets folder.

Click Open to load the image into the project.

You can also use the logo for your school if you
wish.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 22

18) Click Rename. Enter 1/4" as the name for the
existing text type. Click OK.

23) Select Duplicate again. For Name, enter 1/16"

for the new text type. Click OK.

19) Click Duplicate. For Name, enter 1/4" Bold for

the new text type.
24) Modify the Text Size parameter to 1/16".
Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.

25) You now see all four text types listed.

20) Select Bold. Click Apply.

21) Click Duplicate again. For Name, enter 1/8".

Click OK.

22) Modify the Text Size parameter to 1/8". Clear

the Bold parameter. Click Apply.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 23

26) The Text placement tool is still active. Select
1/4" Bold from the Type Selector list as the text
style.

Drag a rectangular text box beneath the

company logo. Use the image below as a
reference.

Enter the address of your school. Press ENTER

to start a new line inside the text box.

27) Enter the name of your school.

29) You sketch three new lines above the lower

You can use the blue grips to lengthen or
shorten the text field. Move grips to position it
in the space without exiting the Text tool. Text
will wrap inside the box.
28) Next, you add an additional text note using the
second new text style. From the Type Selector
list, select Text: 1/8". In the space below the
company logo and school name, drag a second
text note rectangle.
horizontal line that you added earlier in the
exercise.
 Click Modify
 On the Create tab, Detail panel, click Line
 From the Type Selector list, select Title
Blocks as the line type
 On the Draw panel, click Pick
 On the Options Bar, set Offset to 1/2"

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 24

 Add Labels

Revit labels look like text but are smarter. Labels

show information assigned in file properties,
object/entity properties, or by the user as a custom
property.

35) On the Create tab, Text panel, click Label.

30) Select the bottom horizontal line of the right

pane. Click to place an offset line above it.
Place three offset lines in total.

36) On the Format panel, click the icons for Right

and Bottom alignment as shown.

31) Click Modify. On the Create tab, Text panel,

click Text. 37) The first label you create is the Project Issue
Date. Place the cursor near the lower right
32) Set the current text style in the Type Selector to corner of the date field and click.
1/16".

33) Enter text into each section as shown. Once you

have placed one item of text, you can line up
the text using the snap line next to the cursor.

Once you have placed text, you can adjust its

position by selecting it and using the arrow keys
to nudge it left-right or up-down.

34) Save your progress, save the file as:

ProjectStds_Exercise05_finished.rvt

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 25

38) You need to specify the information fields for
the new label. In the Edit label dialog box:
 Mark 1: From the Category Parameters list,
select Project Issue Date.
 Mark 2: Click Add

 Change the Text Size to 1/8".

 Click OK.

The label now fits properly in the space.

 Under Sample Value, edit the sample value
as shown. You can also put today's date.

This value is simply a place holder. The

actual value will be assigned in a project.

 Click OK 41) On the Create tab, click Label.

Revit will provide snap lines for alignment with
the previous label.

39) Use the blue dot grips to position the label

under the date.

42) To specify the label contents:

 From the Category Parameters list, select
Drawn By
 Click Add
 Accept the Sample Value
You see that the text is too large for the field.

40) Click Modify. Select the label. On the Properties

palette, click Edit Type.

 Click OK

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 26

43) Add a label for Checked By. Accept the Sample 48) On the application menu, click Close.
Value.

44) Add a label for Sheet Number. Accept the

Sample Value.

In this exercise, you created a title block using a

template file. You also created new text styles and
learned how to define and apply labels to a title
 Click Modify to end Label command block.

45) Change the alignment options to Center and

Bottom.
Exercise: Insert a Title Block
Add a label above the date for the Sheet Name.
Accept the Sample Value. In this exercise, you create a new project file, and
then load a custom title block into your project. This
exercise illustrates how to load custom title blocks.
Revit comes with several standard title blocks for
your use.

46) Right-click. Click Zoom to Fit.

The completed exercise
47) Save the title block as A - Landscape.rfa.
In the lesson folder or in the folder specified by
your teacher. Insert a Title Block

1) In the Recent Files window, click New to create

a new project using the default.rte template.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 27

 4) Your title block is now displayed in the list.

 Highlight the title block and click OK.

2) On the View tab, click Sheet Composition panel
> Sheet to add a sheet to the project. 5) The title block appears in the graphics window.
A new sheet has been added and is the current
view.

A dialog box displays the current list of title

blocks. Notice that the title block you created in
the previous exercise is not in this list.

Click Load to add additional title blocks to the

list. Modify the Title Block Within a Project

6) Select the title block.

7) On the Properties palette, edit the following

fields:
 For Sheet Name, enter Student Project
 For Drawn By, enter your name
 For Checked By, enter your instructor’s
name
Browse to the Imperial Library/Titleblocks
folder or other location where you stored the
title block family you created in the previous
exercise.

3) Locate your title block.

 Click Open

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 28

8) Click APPLY. The parameters on the title block 11) Click Zoom to Fit.
will update as shown.
12) Save file as:
ProjectStds_Exercise06_finished.rvt

In this exercise, you a created a new project file, and

then loaded a title block and modified the values in
the title block fields.

9) On the Manage tab, Settings panel, click Project

Information.

10) Change the Project Issue Date to today's date.

Click OK.

The Issue Date label on the title block is

updated.

 Click OK

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 29

Exercise: Create a Template

Project templates are files that provide initial

conditions for a project. Any new project based on a
template inherits all families, settings, and geometry
from the template.

There are various settings you can define for your

template. In this exercise, you define the title block,
a dimension style, and the units for your custom
template. The completed exercise

Settings you can define for a custom template Create a Template

include:
 Colors: Define colors for line styles and families.
 Title Blocks: Create a set of title blocks for your
project, and then load them like families.
 Families: Load in families you use most often.
 Line Style: Define line styles for components
and lines in a project.
In this exercise, you create a new project file, and
then implement some of the skills you have learned
in the previous exercises to set up a template.
This exercise shows how to define a template for
use in future projects.
1) On the application menu, click New > Project.

 Lineweights: Define lineweights for model and

annotation components.
 Fill Patterns: Define fill patterns for materials. Fill
patterns are commonly used in walls.
 Materials: Define materials for modeling
components, including how the rendered image
looks.
 Units: Specify the unit of measurement for 2) In the New Project dialog box, select Project
Template.
length, angles, and slope angle.
 Snaps: Set snapping increments for the model
views, such as 3D and plan views.

 Dimensions: Define the look and size of

dimensions for the project.

 Temporary Dimensions: Set display and

placement of temporary dimensions.

 Object Styles: Define the display of components

in various views.  Click OK
 Modifying Wall Types: Define custom wall types
for your project, in addition to predefined wall
types.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 30

3) Load the title block you created in the previous
exercise to make it part of this template file.
On the Insert tab, click Load From Library panel
> Load Family.
8) Next, create a Dimension Style.
On the Annotate tab, click Dimension panel list
> Linear Dimension Types.

4) Select title block A - Landscape.rfa.

You create a custom dimension style.

 Click OPEN
There will be no visible change.
5) Set the units for the template. On the Manage
tab, click Settings panel > Project Units.
9) In the Type Properties dialog box, click
Duplicate.
10) For Name, enter 3/16" Verdana. Click OK.

6) Click the Length field in the Format column.

7) Set Rounding to To the Nearest 1/4".

 Click OK

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 31

11) Change the following settings as shown: 13) In the Project Browser, select Sheets (All).
Right-click. Click New Sheet.

14) Select the A - Landscape title block you

preloaded in Step 4. Click OK.

15) Highlight the Sheet name in your Project

Browser. On the Properties palette, enter your
name in Drawn By and your teacher's name in
Checked By.

 Click OK

12) Click Dimension panel > Aligned. The new

dimension style is displayed in the Type
Selector.
16) The title block updates.

 Click OK

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 32

 You have now set up your template with a
default sheet title block, as well as dimension
style and units.

Check with your instructor to see if there are

any other changes to be made in your template.

17) Save your project template in your class project

folder.

Save the file name as A-English template.rte.

You can use this template for future projects.

In this exercise, you created a new template file

using a dimension style, title block, and units
that you defined.

Lesson Plan – Project Standards and Setup P a g e | 33