Monday, March 1, 2010

March Sweeps

One problem encountered in tutoring today: how to make a handle for a cabinet? I can't get the darn thing open without one. Here's the answer: Solid Sweep. Solid sweeps create profiles and paths; Revit recommends using it for moldings, pipes, and railings. Here's a quick demo on putting a very simple rectangular handle on a file cabinet. 

Open the Family file for editing. In this case I opened a file cabinet file. 


Next, go to the Ref. Level view. Click on Solid Form, click on Solid Sweep, click Sketch 2D Path.

The path is going to decide the shape of the handle. Using the Line tool and the Fillet Line tool I drew a simple shape that will decide how the handle looks. It is centered to the cabinet and extends two inches from the front. This is going to allow for 3/4" profile (or a 3/4" thick handle). Make sure there is going to be enough space for the actual profile; if there isn't enough space the sweep won't work and Revit will give you an error. The path does not have to form closed loops. I also snapped it to the edge of the front of the file cabinet because this is where I want the path to start and stop (I want my handle connected to the cabinet!)

 
Click Finish Path when finished. Then click "Profile", in the options bar click "Edit". It will prompt you to enter a different work plane, choose the Front. 

Using the Rectangle tool I drew  3/4"x3/4" box. I also used the copy tool to create second box for the other drawer. This is the profile that is going to follow along the path I drew. This is the part that becomes 3D.


Then just click Finish Profile and Finish Sweep to complete the action.

 

The more complex the profile, the more complex the sweep will be! 

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