Are you looking for a way to model floor trusses on bearing walls in Revit quickly and accurately? Revit’s invisible reference beams and column families can help! By associating the beam, column, and wall families with one another, you can create flexible sloped framing in no time. In this blog post, we’ll be looking at how to use invisible reference beams and column families to model floor trusses on bearing walls in Revit.

Creating the Floor Truss System

Using AutoDesk Revit, structural beam families can be associated with columns, walls and even reference planes. This allows users to take advantage of the invisible line trick, where beams and columns will stay associated, no matter what changes are made to the roof or floor. By setting up the column floor, beam roof associativity, any changes to the roof or floor will adjust the framing automatically.

When creating the floor truss system in Revit, attached elements such as beams and columns must first be created. To do this, use the Offset From Attachment at Top parameter and set the End Attachment Distance value for the beams. For the bottom chord in the truss properties, adjust the End Elevation so that the beam is offset from the floor level.

The complex roof framing is then created by using the Offset From Attachment parameter and setting the attachment type to an item such as a wall. Then create the column centerline intersection by modifying the column panel and setting the Structural Columns contextual ribbon to a minimum intersection or maximum intersection value.

Once all of the components are created and set, the beam and column families will stay associated with one another, even if changes are made to the roof or floor. This automation allows users to take advantage of Revit’s capabilities to accurately and flexibly model complex floor trusses on bearing walls.

Associating the Beam, Column, and Wall Families

When modeling a floor truss system, it is important to associate beam, column, and wall families to one another for accurate and flexible sloped framing. This can be done by using the Invisible Line trick in Revit. With the Invisible Line trick, reference beams and columns can be created to connect the structural columns, beams, and walls. The reference beams and columns are invisible on all views, but will keep the beam, column, and wall families associated with one another.

To use the Invisible Line trick, create an invisible line between two points in plan view. From the Modify Create panel, select the reference line tool and draw an invisible line between the two points of interest. Then select the reference line, and from the Modify Geometry panel select Associate Family. Select the family that you want to associate with the line. When you have finished associating the family with the line, select OK. The reference line will now be associated with the selected family type.

You can also use Revit’s Attachment Types to maintain beam, column, and wall families associated with one another. With these attachment types, the z-direction location of each end of the beam will be controlled by a user-defined elevation or maintained at a set distance from the end of the attaching column. Additionally, you can attach columns to roofs, floors, ceilings, or reference planes using Revit’s Attach Top/Base tool on the Modify Column Panel of the Modify Structural Columns contextual ribbon. Doing this will keep elements associated with one another and allow for complex roof framing in Revit.

Creating the Sloped Framing

When it comes to creating sloped framing in Revit, one of the best ways to achieve this is to use a sloping work plane for the beams. This can be done by using a plane of a modeled object, such as a roof or floor, or by creating and naming a reference plane for the slope. By using a sloping work plane, Revit users can easily create complex roof framing that follows the contours of the structure.

To ensure the Beam, Column, and Wall families are associated with one another, utilize the Revit Invisible Line Trick. This trick involves creating an invisible line that connects the elements, allowing them to stay associated even if one of them is moved or modified. Additionally, when attaching elements to one another, make sure to utilize the Attachment Types available in Revit. These include setting the Offset from Attachment at Top for each element.

Lastly, when working with complex roofs or floors, make sure to keep Beam and Column Associativity in mind. By using Associated Revit reference planes, users can ensure that each element is linked together accurately and efficiently. This will allow users to model sloped framing without having to manually adjust each individual element.