So, as you may or may not know already, Revit 2023 is out!! Yeah! In this article, we will explore some of the new features of Revit 2023. This article is certainly not a comprehensive list of all of the new features…just the ones I thought were the most exciting and useful for most Revit users. The new features discussed in this article will also have links to my YouTube channel videos so you can watch the new features in action as well. I hope you enjoy this article and find it helpful.
Adaptive Propagation of Rebars:
With the new release of Revit 2023, one of the new features for rebar creation is called “Adaptive Propagation of Rebars.” With this new feature, you can quick “copy/paste” your rebars from one host such as a column or beam to another column or beam quickly and easily. This new feature helps you to model the rebars faster and more consistently.
To use this feature:
- Open up a Revit model with some structural elements placed such as concrete columns or beams
- Create the rebar in the host object (i.e., create the rebar in the concrete column and footing as you normally would)
- The new command is a contextual command in the Ribbon. To get to it, select some rebar you already created.
- In the contextual Ribbon, choose Propagate Rebar
- In the Modify|Propagate Rebar contextual tab, choose Align by Host or Align by Face
- Select the new host object (i.e., concrete column)
- The rebars created in the first host will be used to duplicate into the second host
- Continue to select other host objects (i.e., additional concrete columns) to add rebar quickly to the other host objects
- Click Enter or Modify command to end the command
Conditional Formatting for Family and Types:
Another new feature in Revit 2023 is called “Conditional Formatting for Family and Types.” It allows for you to filter set up your schedule to show cells in a different color if they meet the new conditional formatting for family and types functionality.
To use this feature:
- Open up a Revit model with a schedule created (i.e., furniture schedule)
- Click Edit in the Properties panel for Formatting
- Select the column field you wish to affect
- Click Conditional Formatting command
- Set up the filter to show Family and Type, operand and family desired as well as what color to use for the cells
- Click OK several times to complete the command
- Your schedule view should update to show the shading
Control Fill Patterns with Family Parameters:
Being able to control fill patterns with Family Parameters is also a new feature in Revit 2023. It allows for you to set up the fill pattern to be interchangeable by the user should he/she want to swap out the patterns on an instance level.
To use this feature:
- Open up a Revit family you wish to add a fill pattern to
- Create the fill pattern (drafting or model)
- In the Type Properties window, under Graphics, click the square icon for “Associate Family Parameter” to get into that window
- Create a new Parameter (Material) for that fill pattern and click OK several times to complete the command
- Go into the Family Types window and specify the material pattern you want for that newly created parameter
- Save the file and load it into a project to use
You now can displace elements in a 2D view for better documentation of your work in Revit 2023. Prior to this function, you were only allowed to displace elements in a 3D view.
To use this feature:
- Open up a Revit file and go to a 2D view
- Select the Geometry you wish to displace
- In the contextual Ribbon, choose Displace Elements command in the View Panel
- Use the Gizmo tool to move the 2D geometry (hint…you may need to adjust your crop region)
- Use Path lines to show how the object is to align back to its original spot
- Repeat these steps for other 2D geometry
With the new Interactive Solar Study Contextual Ribbon commands in Revit 2023, you now have better control of your sun solar studies. This new update makes it easier to control lighting, shadows, etc.
To use this feature:
- Open up a Revit file and go to a 3D view
- Turn on the Sun Solar Study function within the View Control Toolbar
- Click the Solar Study command and the new contextual Ribbon tools will show up
- Play with the settings and buttons such as speed, sunlight and shadow intensity, date and time, etc.
Measure in 3D:
We finally have the ability to measure 3D model content in a 3D view in Revit 2023! It is similar to using measuring tools in ReCap Pro. Having this feature allows you to quickly get the measurements of an object or the distant to an object. You can also use the CTRL key to get a vertical distance of an object from one point down, vertically in the Z axis plane.
To use this feature:
- Open up a Revit file and go to a 3D view
- Start the Measure commands located in the Quick Access Toolbar
- Select Measure Between Two References command
- Select a point on a 3D object and then select another point on another object to get the measurement
- Use the CTRL key to get a vertical distance from the first point to the second point you pick
Multi-Leader Tag Enhancements:
With the new enhancements to multi-leaders in Revit 2023, you have better control of how they appear and present themselves in the view. With the new enhancements, you can Add/Remove Hosts, Pick New Host, Merge Leaders, Show All Leaders, Hide All Leaders, Show One Leader and Select A Leader to Show.
To use this feature:
- Open up a Revit file tag an object
- Make sure the annotation family for that object is loaded in order to tag it properly
- Once tagged, look at the contextual Ribbon
- Use the new features to add/remove, adjust, etc.
You can now sort your sheets within Revit when making a PDF file prior to executing the final command. This sorting ability gives you better control on the final PDF output.
To use this feature:
- Open up a Revit model that has some sheets
- Start the Export to PDF command located in the Application Menu
- In the Export to PDF window, choose Selected Views/sheets
- Select the sheet you want
- Click Edit Print Order
- In the Edit Print Order dialog box, specify how you want to sort the sheets
- Click OK several times to complete the command and see your PDF file
You can now see which views are already placed on a sheet within the Project Browser. This is a great new feature that gives you quick visibility so you know which views have yet to be placed on a sheet. This feature can be disabled by right-clicking in the Project Browser and choosing to hide this feature.
To use this feature:
- Open a Revit project containing multiple views and sheets on views
- Verify you can see the boxes in front of the names of the views in the Project Browser
- Drag and drop any view not on a sheet to a sheet to see the icon update
- Empty box = view NOT on a sheet
- Filled box = view IS ON a sheet
- Half filled box = partial view on a sheet, other views not on a sheet (i.e., broken schedule views)
In Revit 2023, you can now swap a view that is on a sheet with another one via a contextual Ribbon command. It is an easy way to switch views on a sheet instead of deleting the existing view and then having to drag/drop another view.
To use this feature:
- Open a Revit project containing multiple views and sheets on views
- Go to a sheet view and select a view on that sheet to swap
- In the contextual Ribbon called Modify|Viewports, use the dropdown menu to swap to a different view
In Revit 2023, you can now tag 3D displaced elements. Prior to this functionality, even if you locked the 3D displaced view, tagging was not available. Now you can. It will give your views better clarity in regards to tagging.
To use this feature:
- Open a Revit project containing a 3D view with displaced elements
- Lock the view
- Use Tag by Category to tag the displaced elements
In Revit 2023, you can now filter a schedule that is on a sheet by what the view shows. This allows you to adapt the schedule automatically to contain only information pertinent to the elements visible in the view on the sheet. If you adjust the crop region of the view on the sheet, the schedule will adapt accordingly.
To use this feature:
- Open a Revit project and go to a sheet containing a view and a schedule of data about that view
- Turn on the crop region of the view and adjust the size of the crop region to hide/show additional content
- The schedule view on that sheet should change automatically
For additional information on current Revit 2022 features, click HERE!
