How to Scale an Annotation Symbol in Revit?

Understanding the Basics of Scaling Annotation Symbols in Revit

When working with Revit, it’s essential to know how to manage annotation symbols effectively. These symbols play a crucial role in conveying information within your drawings. One common task is adjusting the scale of these annotation symbols, which ensures that they appear appropriately in relation to other elements in your project.

Step 1: Verify the Annotation Category

Before scaling your annotation symbols, confirm that they are set within the correct annotation category. This can be done by:

1. Accessing the Settings menu.
2. Navigating to Family Category and Parameters.
3. Ensuring that the family is categorized as an annotation. If you created the symbol using the Generic Annotation family template, it should work properly.

Step 2: Editing the Annotation Symbol

To proceed with modifying the scale of an annotation symbol, follow these steps:

1. Select the annotation symbol in your project.
2. Open the Properties palette that appears, which lists the symbol’s properties.
3. If additional adjustments are necessary, click on Edit Type to adjust type properties. Here, you can modify various parameters to change the appearance and behavior of the annotation symbol.

Step 3: Adjusting the Scale in Family Editor

Scaling an annotation symbol cannot be performed directly within the project. Instead, utilize the Family Editor:

1. Launch the Family Editor and load your existing annotation family.
2. To change the size, you can create a new parameter that controls dimensions.
3. Adjust the parameter to the desired size during your editing session.

Step 4: Scaling Elements Using the Modify Tool

If you need to scale multiple elements, including annotations, you can do so using the following method:

1. Highlight the annotation symbols or any elements needing scaling.
2. Navigate to the Modify tab and locate the Modify panel.
3. Select Scale and execute the command. You will then specify the scale factor, which alters the size as required.

Step 5: Adjusting Text Size

Annotations often include text, which must also be readable. If your symbols contain text that appears too large or too small, follow these steps:

1. Select the text element associated with your annotation.
2. Click on Edit Type in the Properties palette.
3. Adjust the Text Size parameter to increase or decrease the printed text size. You may need to duplicate the text type and modify the new version if needing different sizes concurrently.

Step 6: Save Changes and Load into Project

After making necessary adjustments, always save your changes:

1. Ensure that all modifications are applied within the Family Editor.
2. Click on Load into Project to transfer the newly scaled annotation symbol back to your working drawing.

FAQ

1. Can I scale annotations in the project environment?
No, annotation symbols cannot be directly resized in the project. Adjustments must be made in the Family Editor using parameters.

2. What is the best way to manage text sizes in annotations?
It is advisable to create text styles that fit different scaling requirements. By duplicating existing text types and modifying them, you can manage variations effectively.

3. How can I revert changes made to an annotation symbol?
If changes to an annotation symbol do not meet your needs, you can revert to the previous version by reloading the family that hasn’t been altered or by using the Undo function if still in the editing phase.