Understanding Visibility Graphics in Revit
Visibility Graphics in Revit is a powerful feature that controls the appearance of elements in a view, allowing you to manage what is shown or hidden. This can include adjustments to colors, line weights, and visibility across various categories such as architectural, structural, and MEP components. Mastering this feature is essential for achieving clear and accurate drawings.
Identifying Greyed Out Visibility Graphics
If the visibility graphics settings appear greyed out, it usually indicates that a View Template is applied to the current view. This means that the settings are locked and can only be modified through the template itself. Understanding this is vital as it helps pinpoint the source of the limitation and allows effective manipulation of the visibility settings.
Steps to Unlock Visibility Graphics
1. Access the View Template
Begin by navigating to the Project Browser on the left side of the Revit interface. Identify the view that has the greyed-out visibility graphics. Right-click the view and select “View Template” from the context menu to check which template is currently applied.
2. Modify the View Template Settings
To change the settings, go to the View tab on the ribbon and select Graphics panel followed by View Templates. Click on Manage View Templates. A dialog will open displaying all existing view templates. Locate the template used for your view, and click on it to edit.
3. Adjust Visibility/Graphics Settings
In the View Template dialog, you will see various settings including visibility graphics. Uncheck the option that includes visibility graphics overrides if you want to disable those settings. This will allow the individual view settings to be adjusted without being affected by the template.
4. Save Changes and Return to the View
Once adjustments are made, click OK to save the changes to the template. Return to the view where you originally encountered the greyed-out settings. You should now see that the visibility graphics settings are accessible.
5. Override Individual Elements (if needed)
If you need to modify specific elements within the view, right-click on the element and select “Override Graphics in View.” This allows you to customize the appearance for that specific element, independent of the View Template settings.
Resetting Visibility Graphics
If you want to revert visibility graphics settings back to their defaults after making changes, right-click on an element in the view, then select “Override Graphics in View By Category.” This will bring up the Category Graphics dialog. Here, you can reset the overrides by clicking the “Reset” button for the selected category.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I create a new View Template in Revit?
To create a new View Template, choose a view from which to base your template. Navigate to the View tab, select the Graphics panel, and click on Create Template from Current View. Enter a name for your template and click OK.
2. What should I do if I cannot see the visibility graphics options even after editing the template?
If the options remain inaccessible, ensure that you are actively in the view you want to modify and that no other View Templates are applied. Some views are set as dependent views and may have restrictions based on their parent views.
3. Can visibility graphics settings be transferred between projects?
Yes, visibility graphics settings can be saved to a View Template which can then be transferred to other Revit projects. This is done using the ‘Transfer Project Standards’ feature found under the Manage tab in Revit.
