Managing Revit Shop Drawings in Color
As I’ve been transitioning from a structural drafter to a concrete detailer, I’ve learned some new ways to utilize Autodesk® Revit® in color. Typically, structural construction documents are black and white, but on shop drawings we’re allowed to add color. This opens up a rainbow of opportunities, especially when complemented with a 3D view.
But Only Architects Use Color!
Not anymore... For years, drafters, designers, and detailers have been embracing the use of color on shop drawings to help the field differentiate items for various reasons. If you search the Internet for “shop drawings,” you’ll notice a bunch of black-and-white drawings. You may find some MEP shop drawings in color, or maybe some old AutoCAD® shop drawings that used colored dimensions or text, but not much color on the elements themselves. Let’s change that search result and integrate some of your beautifully drafted shop drawings for the world to admire!
I will share some options on how you too can quickly add color to complement a shop drawing. Throughout this article I will be giving examples of concrete shop drawings, but I'm sure you can apply some of the color methodology to your own trade.
Paint a Picture
When building a concrete model, pay close attention to all the various details provided by the architect, structural engineer, civil engineer, landscape architect, and so on. As the project progresses you will start to appreciate all the intricate details you've managed to gather for reference from your research.
As always, it can be helpful to supplement the typical plan-view, front-view, side-view and/or section with a 3D view of the portion of the project in question. If we add color, now we can paint a better picture to help tell the story and direct the reader's eyes. The quicker the person reviewing your drawing is able to understand what they are looking at and the information at hand, the sooner you can move forward with addressing the question or problem.
Figure 1: Trash enclosure with stepped footing. The blue area in question is either concrete or CMU.
Distinguish Yourself
Starting off a project, if you've been provided one or more other models to link in, it may be best to assign color schemes to those other trades. Whether the project is large or small, as other trade models become populated, color-by-discipline can help when navigating busy environments. This helps to distinguish between your elements (working with concrete drawings I may choose mostly grey) versus the architectural model (I might choose cyan) versus the structural model (probably magenta), as well as any other models that may be required to coordinate. Not doing this might get a little confusing and/or overwhelming, but it mostly helps simplify what you're looking at when investigating a busy model.
Differentiate Yourself
Typically, concrete and existing conditions are represented as grey. Out-of-the-box Revit templates also have both set to grey. This just means we, as drafters and detailers, will have to get creative when sharing information if we want to utilize color. If I’m also going to use phasing I may have to get creative with my use of colors—but try not to make the colors overwhelming.
I've noticed colored 3D images from other software and I'm sure there is meaning behind that color, but can they change those colors based on their mood? It almost looks too colorful and too similar from one project or company to the other. Are they stuck with those colors? Are those drafters not allowed artistic freedom when presenting 3D works of art?
Figure 2: Visibility Graphics setting visibility of the entire model category pattern to solid grey.
Thou Shall Export to Color Grey
I already see your wheels turning on what colors to use next, but remember this: some BIM projects will also require that you export your elements to a pre-determined color, so be sure to read up on your BIM project guidelines!
One way to accomplish this requirement is to simply create some isolated 3D views that contain the word "export" within the view title. After isolating relevant elements, I can assure everything is set to the pre-determined color by setting my visibility graphics to equal the required grey often based on RGB colors. This makes adjustments to the file after export minimal. (Also, I understand there are other ways to do this—export mapping, filters, materials, shared parameter, family editing, etc. I will only be touching on some of the ways I change colors.)
Color with Meaning
On projects I help with, grey 3D solids can be new concrete, existing concrete, or concrete elements by others. It can help to distinguish between the variations of elements, sometimes it does not. For example, in the image of the ramp below, to get the point across I used the color red to highlight a specific scope of work to be detailed. Depending on the time needed and the amount of RFIs that would be required to complete a shop drawing, I may want to submit my work as complete as I can.
Figures 3 (top) and 4 (bottom): This 3D view was created with the new Revit 2016 feature called “Selection Box.” It will take whatever elements you have selected and quickly create a 3D view. This can quickly accompany plans, elevations, sections, and details of the curb. Create a view template with filters forcing colors to apply the same color scheme.
This would include a bold cloud drawn around the missing information such as dimensions and elevations to be provided and/or verified. Using large colored text helps the question stand out, as color tends to draw the eye.
Draw Attention, Documenting Revisions, and Generating RFIs
With shop drawings, give all the dimensions and elevations needed. Provide references to the plans or detail sheets from which that information was retrieved. This helps anyone reviewing and verifying the shop drawings with approved documents. Now I know they’re seeing what I’m seeing. It also may be important to draw attention to items in question on plans and details, as well as on a 3D view.
Figure 5: Colored slab by pur with joints where required.
Don’t Forget the Color Legend
Depending on what you’re documenting you might not need a legend. But if you’re coloring multiple items in the same family, you might want to add a legend to the shop drawing, spelling out what the colors define. Is the color on your slab defining slab thickness or slab pour/sequence? Are you making all footings reflect colors by Top of Footing or Bottom of Footing? Do you need one drawing to reflect color by wall types to distinguish between the kind of concrete wall being created (existing, CMU, precast, CIP, shot-crete, shoring, retaining, etc.) or do you only need to differentiate the wall thickness? Let’s dig deeper!
Figure 6: Color by Top of Footing Elevation. Image provided by Pinnacle Infotech www.pinnaclecad.com.
Color by Slab thickness or Pour Sequence
The plan view color by pour sequence can give you a glimpse of the timeline and help you understand the cubic yards of concrete needed. Depending on the construction schedule, sequencing may be figured out, but it may move around. Field adjustments may get made and last-minute decisions will be addressed due to unforeseen field conditions.
Having a colored drawing that lets you know roughly how much square footage and/or cubic yards are getting poured on a certain date may help give some folks a detailed estimate of upcoming information required. On big buildings with fast construction schedules it can also help orient yourself so you know what area you’re looking at—especially if no grids are available.
Figure 7: Wall lift drawing colored by the sequence of two different crews. Provided by Dan McCloskey of www.mbbimsolutions.com
Color by Top of Footing Elevation
I’ve been asked to create a plan by assigning color by Top of Footing. Looking ahead it may also help to generate something similar such as the color assigned by Bottom of Footing Elevation. Drawings like these, dimensioned out with the bottom of grade beam footing steps all figured in beforehand, help when excavating foundations, laying out points, and building formwork. My shop drawings might not have all the answers, but it gives the team a good starting point for a conversation with other team members and helps highlight items in question. Communication is a must to connect with your experienced team in the field. This assures that you're getting them the information they need in a timely manner.
Color by Wall Thickness/Type or Sequence
Another good example of utilizing color in a shop drawing is to assign a different color to walls for each wall thickness. Of course, if you only have one wall thickness and you want to use color, in that case grey may suffice. But once you have two or more thicknesses (or types such as CMU or shot-crete versus CIP), color can help quickly locate wall types and thicknesses in plan. I’ve used filters to highlight all the CMU wall types in a project to quickly add thickened footings where need be. It is also possible on the same day, same project to make a filter for coloring all the wall thicknesses. You do not have to use one technique to color—in the same project, simply use View Templates and Visibility Graphics with Filters to help drive those colors.
Let’s Create a Filter
I consider myself an entry-level filter user, but I'm getting better and learning more with each project. Some Revit experts will add formulas to their view filters that run calculations and turn columns or beams a variety of colors. I'm no engineer—simply a drafter evolving with the times. So though my examples may seem elementary, the point I’m trying to emphasize is the importance of communication.
I had to have someone show me the filter ropes. Yes, I could have searched the Internet for videos, maybe watched an expert at Autodesk University give some filtering examples. But until someone sat down with me and explained all these things I’m about to share next, I was scared of filters.
At first filters sounded so advanced (flashback to stretching multiple items in AutoCAD with a crossing window… yikes!) and I was fine coloring items by choosing “override graphics in view,” “by element”—boy, was I coloring items the elementary way! For drawings such as “Color by Pour” there is no need to create filters. Sometimes the fastest way IS the best way. (Although in this case maybe phasing would be best utilized to assign color. Hmm…)
Figure 8: Steps to create a filter.
Step 1: Get to your Visibility Graphics dialog box (VV, VG, View Template).
Step 2: Choose Edit/New.
Step 3: Create New Filter.
Step 4: Select the item you’re filtering (Wall, Structural Foundation, Structural Column, Structural Framing, etc.).
Step 5: Adjust Filter Rules (elevation, mark, comment, type name, etc.) I’ve been mostly using “equals,” but the other options have purpose. This way you can see the “elevations” or “type” to help verify as you go down the list assigning colors).
Step 6: Assign a “Solid Fill” pattern with the color of your choice.
BAM! That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now let’s learn how Dynamo can drive our colors! Revit UP!
