Selection and changing instance types
(quoted texts are excerpts from the book)
Selection
"You can select multiple elements in several ways:
Additive selection - Hold down the Ctrl key while clicking new elements to add them to your selection. To remove elements from the selection, hold down the Shift key and click the selected elements.
Window selection - ...dragging a selection window across the view. ...A left-to-right drag selects only elements completely within the selection window; a right-to-left drag selects anything within or intersecting the selection window.
Chain selection - You can select connected lines and walls by placing your cursor over a line or wall (don’t pick, just let it highlight) and then holding down the Tab key and selecting a wall or line. All walls/lines that are end-joined to that wall become selected.
Selection Count tool - ...is displayed on the far right in the same zone as the status bar; its icon is a filter because it actually is an addition to the selection filter functionality and gives information about the number of Revit elements currently selected.
After making a selection of elements, you can see the number of elements you selected by double-clicking the count icon. This invokes the Filter dialog box, where you can narrow down your selection if needed. If you have nothing selected in the model, double-clicking on the count icon will not invoke the Filter dialog box. You can also access the selection count tool by directly invoking the Filter dialog box from the Multiselect tab. ...only active after you have made a selection of multiple different categories of elements in the model. Note that if you select elements of one category, the filter option does not exist"
Personal tip:
- Click in "white space" deselects everything.
- Make good use of the Filter command to quickly select the elements desired.
"Selecting All instances - ...available in the context (right-click) menu of an element and allows you to select all instances of a particular family in the entire model. ...when you need to perform a wholesale swap of a certain family throughout the entire model."
"select Change Element Type, which invokes the Type Selector in the Modify tab..."
"Type Selector - best practices to model...using generic walls, floors, doors, and windows...over time, as you make more specific decisions...swap those for specific types of elements. ...using the Change Element Type..."
"Matching properties - Match Type button is located on the Modify tab under the Clipboard panel and allows you, ...to apply its properties (type and instance) to another element of the same category. (click button first then) Once you select an element, the little brush icon attached to the cursor appears filled. Each subsequent click on elements of the same category will replace the selected element with the type currently active in the Match Type tool.
Note: ...the Match Properties tool will only appear in the Modify tab when nothing is selected. Be careful when you use this tool with walls, because not only does it change the wall type, but it also changes the top and bottom constraints of the walls being matched. ...best practice for walls...is not to use the Match Type tool but instead to use the Change Element Type button (Type Selector) from the Modify Walls tab that becomes available upon selection of a wall."
5.13.10 5:05pm-5:50pm = 45mns
