Modify Snap Increments

In this exercise, you modify snap settings. Snap settings are system settings that are applied to all projects and not saved within a project file. You can turn snap settings on and off, or use the shortcut keys to force a particular snap method. In this exercise, you modify snap increments, work with snapping turned off, and use shortcut keys to control snapping on an instance basis.

Modify snap increments

1. Click the "R" button, then New, then Project to open a new Revit Architecture project.

2. In the New Project dialog, under Template file, click Browse.

3. In the left pane of the Choose Template dialog, click Training Files, and openImperial\Templates\RAC_MSS_Tutorial_Default_i.rte.

4. In the New Project dialog, click OK.

5. Click Manage tab, then Project Settings panel, then Settings drop-down, then Snaps.
Notice that you can modify both length and angular snap increments. As you zoom in and out within a view, Revit Architecture uses the largest increment that represents less than 2mm in the drawing area. You can add an increment by entering the value with a semicolon after it.

6. Under Dimension Snaps, click in the Length dimension snap increments box following the value 4’ ; and enter 1 ;.

7. Under Object Snaps, notice the 2-letter acronyms next to each object snap option.
You can use these shortcut keys at any time when working on the design. For example, if you want to snap an object to a wall midpoint, enter SM, and only midpoint snaps are recognized until you commit an action. After you click to place the object at the midpoint, snapping reverts to the system default settings.

8. In the Snaps dialog, click OK.

9. Click Home tab, then Build panel, then Wall drop-down, then Wall.

10. On the Options Bar, clear Chain.

11. Click in the center of the drawing area, and move the cursor to the right.
Notice that the listening dimension snaps at 4’ increments. If it does not, zoom out until it does so.
A listening dimension refers to the dimension that displays while you are drawing. This dimension reacts to the movement of the cursor and numerical keyboard entries.

Tip: To zoom while drawing, use the wheel button on your mouse. If you do not have a wheel button, you can right-click and select a zoom option from the shortcut menu. While drawing, you can also use the zoom shortcut keys, such as ZO to zoom out.

12. While drawing a generic straight wall, zoom in until the listening dimension snap increment shifts to 1’.
This is the increment that you added previously.

Draw without snapping

13. While drawing the wall, enter the shortcut key SO to turn snaps off.
Notice that when snapping is turned off completely, the listening dimension reflects the exact length of the wall as you move the cursor to the left or right.

14. Click to set the wall endpoint.

15. Click in the drawing area to start a second wall, and move the cursor to the right. Do not set the wall end point.

Notice that snapping is once again active. When you use shortcut keys to control snapping, the command is only active for one click of the mouse.

Use snapping shortcut keys

16. Click Modify.

17. Click Home tab, then Build panel, then Wall drop-down, then Wall.

18. Place the cursor over the horizontal wall you added previously.

Notice that the cursor snaps to various points on the wall. If you move the cursor along the wall, it will snap to the endpoints, the midpoint, and the wall edges.

19. Enter SM.
This is the snap shortcut key that restricts all snapping to midpoints.

20. Notice that the cursor now snaps only to the midpoint of the wall.

21. Click to start the wall at the midpoint.

22. Move the cursor downward, and specify the wall endpoint.

23. Click Manage tab, then Project Settings panel, then Settings drop-down, then Snaps.

24. Under Dimension Snaps, click in the Length dimension snap increments box, and delete the value 1’ ;.
Make sure you also delete the semicolon.

25. Click OK.

26. Close the file without saving it.