You can get something of a 3D diagram effect by using Masses of different types, which match up with your Department, or Use or whatever is driving the color in your Color Plans. But it doesn't work very well once you get to the point of having actual rooms. It is more appropriate for very early massing diagrams.

I would love to be able to get the room color overlay on the floors, but in a 3D iso floor plan, but the color stuff is a 2D behind the scenes graphic kludge, and it does,'t translate to 3D at all. Short of doing a separate little presentation floor in each room and managing it all with filters, I think the easiest approach is to just do the colors as layers in Photoshop. Not dynamic at all, and fussy work, but it does get the image done.

In the end I think I have accepted that a 2D plan is an appropriate abstraction for programing, with Sections used when appropriate as well. Often we then do a 3D without the color coding on the same presentation board. The one drawing is about program, the other is about space, and the two together tell the right story. And that is a pattern I see in Revit a lot. Use the old 2D drawings as before, then augment with 3D.

Gordon

I'd use an In-Place Generic Model families with transparant color settings. First, create subcategories in the Generic Model Object Styles which are the same as the room styles. Assign materials with colors the same as in your Room Legend. Create simple In-Place Extrusions with the correct Subcategory attached and you're off.

Keep in mind though: it's not linked, so changes in your rooms aren't automatically updated in 3D.

Masses were what we figured we had to do. I just feel that since rooms are 3d objects (they have boundaries and height) they should be able to show up as transparent boxes in 3d if you turn them on...

Oh well.

Thanks!

Easier and better to use "Ceilings" for such a trick. Set a parameter on them so they can be filtered-out when not wanted to be seen (or could use a Workset). Ceilings can be one-click to place and will re-shape to a certain extent if their walls are moved.

Truevis, that´s a very cool trick ! :beer:

Do you create some very thick ceiling types, with "transparrent" materials applied to them, depending on "room type" ? Or just excacty how did you get the ceilings to display as "boxes" ?

Exactly.

Not sure if Filters would work to make the color changes -- haven't tried that yet.

I like the idea but made a promise to myself to not use tricks that would screw up my calculation schedules... But, if you're not doing quantity takeoffs from Revit this is a very need trick!

Schedules can be filtered. Good luck using Revit without tricks...

Try a material takeoff on this one by Category

LOL, that's true... I didn't say I don't use tricks. I am just very precize when it comes to (mis)using Categories. IMHO it always comes back to bite you in the ass. I'd rather have more work then risking a backfire which I can't oversee in advance.

Allthough, the example in this link can be done I think if you use masses and apply walls or roof by face.