I have started a small video series called Rhino.Inside.Revit Made Simple. The idea is to answer the questions new users ask most often, one short, focused workflow at a time.
Each video takes a single task, builds the definition step by step, and shows the result in Revit, so you see exactly what each component does and why.
Episode 1: Dimensions
How to create an aligned dimension between two walls using Add Aligned Dimension: which inputs it needs, how to expose the hidden Type input, and why plugging walls in directly gives you their centrelines.
More simple workflows are coming over the next weeks. If there’s something you got stuck on when you started with Rhino.Inside.Revit, reply here and I’ll add it to the list.
I have attached a PDF with the full step-by-step guide. It has every component, the common mistakes, a “doesn’t work?” checklist and a few small exercises to try yourself.
You connect Element Parameter to your walls, type “Fire Rating”, give it EI 60… and the component turns orange. Nothing changes in Revit.
This is one of the most common beginner traps in Rhino.Inside.Revit, and in this episode we fix it for good.
What you’ll learn:
Why Fire Rating fails on walls: it’s a type parameter, so it lives on the wall type, not on the wall itself
How to read the orange bubble and Runtime warnings
How to find out where a parameter lives, with Inspect Element (Show common parameters) and Query Element Parameters
How to read and write instance parameters, like Length and Comments
How to read and write type parameters by extracting the type first, with Element Type or Query Types
The one thing to watch out for: a type change affects every element of that type in the whole model
The rule to remember: reading and writing always use Element Parameter. For instance parameters, feed the element. For type parameters, extract the type first.
The step-by-step PDF guide is attached below. It covers every component with its icon and docs link, the trap, common mistakes, a “Doesn’t work?” checklist, pro tips and a practice exercise.
You type “L1” into Query Views to get the walls of one floor plan… and you get two views back. Everything after it runs twice.
In this episode we fix that, then get the elements of one view in all three cases.
What you’ll learn:
How View Family (Expose picker) gives you exactly one view
How to get visible elements with Query View Elements
How to get detail items with Query View Owned Elements
How to get views and elements from a linked model, with the hidden Source input
The one thing to watch out for: without a Source on Query Categories, the linked view returns an empty list with no warning
The rule to remember: get the view first, with its View Family. Use Query View Elements for what is visible and Query View Owned Elements for what is drawn in the view. For links, connect the linked document to every Source.
The step-by-step PDF guide is attached below. It covers every component with its icon and docs link, the traps, common mistakes, pro tips and a practice exercise.
Placing a family from Grasshopper is easy. Turning it the right way is where most people get stuck. In this episode we place a table as a level-based and a work-plane-based family, and find out which input really turns it.
What you’ll learn:
Why tables placed on points all face the same way
Turning placed tables afterwards with Element Location
Placing and turning in one step with planes into Location
What the Work Plane input really does, and when you need it
Tilting a work-plane-based family with a tilted plane
The rule to remember:
A point places a family. A plane places it, turns it and tilts it.
The full step-by-step PDF guide is attached below.
You connect Revit walls to Element Geometry, and the curtain wall comes back empty. The doors and windows are gone too. This lesson shows why, and how to get every kind of geometry into Rhino.
What you’ll learn:
Turn walls into Breps with Element Geometry
Bring in curtain walls with their panels and mullions using Expand Dependents
Get display meshes with materials using Element Preview
Get the lines of detail items from a view with Element View Geometry
The rule to remember: Model elements need Element Geometry. Curtain walls also need Expand Dependents. Detail items need Element View Geometry and their view.
The full step-by-step PDF guide is attached below.