Column Drawing
Open BimSpeed.STR → Column → Column Drawing after checking hosts and reinforcement. Select columns, then create longitudinal views, cross-sections and a sheet. This is separate from the Multi-Column Create Drawing button.
Workflow
- Select the intended column stack and Finish. Check base/top level order; reversed constraints are rejected.
- Enable Longitudinal Section and/or Cross Section, then select required dimensions, tags and bending details.
- Open Other Settings. Check directions, Section/Detail types, templates and scales. Choose a new sheet or Add to current sheet.
- Choose Run. The current command rolls back if creation fails part way; an empty sheet is not successful output.
- Inspect every view and the sheet: viewport count, dimension values, tagged hosts/bars and overlaps. Save, close and reopen the result copy.
Longitudinal view: choose roles and types
The tab’s ①–④ callouts map dimensions, ties and bar details to the diagram. Enable a role before choosing its type; a value in a locked field is not an active choice.
| Field / button | Units / options | Condition / scope | Effect and verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longitudinal Section | toggle | Create; Update only for a longitudinal view | Enables the longitudinal view for the selected column stack. Disable it when only cross sections are required. |
| Dimension | toggle | enabled branch | Enables longitudinal dimensions. Disabling does not delete host bars; inspect generated/updated annotations separately. |
| Dimension Type | existing type | Dimension enabled | Choose an existing style/type when longitudinal dimensions is enabled. A similar name does not make a type from another category equivalent. Inspect the result type. |
| Stirrup Tag | toggle | enabled branch | Enables longitudinal tie tags. Disabling does not delete host bars; inspect generated/updated annotations separately. |
| Stirrup Tag Type | existing type | Stirrup Tag enabled | Choose an existing style/type when longitudinal tie tags is enabled. A similar name does not make a type from another category equivalent. Inspect the result type. |
| Bending Detail | toggle | enabled branch | Enables longitudinal bending details. Disabling does not delete host bars; inspect generated/updated annotations separately. |
| Bending Detail Type | existing type | Bending Detail enabled | Choose an existing style/type when longitudinal bending details is enabled. A similar name does not make a type from another category equivalent. Inspect the result type. |
| Dimension Text / Text Type | TextNoteType | applicable bending-detail branch | Select a model text type in the text-based detail branch. It is conditional on version/detail mode; do not force hidden fields. |
| Bending Detail Tag | toggle | enabled branch | Enables main-bar detail tags. Disabling does not delete host bars; inspect generated/updated annotations separately. |
| Bending Detail Tag Type | existing type | Bending Detail Tag enabled | Choose an existing style/type when main-bar detail tags is enabled. A similar name does not make a type from another category equivalent. Inspect the result type. |
Cross sections: 2D detail versus 3D bars
Bending Detail and Rebar Detail are different presentation branches. Check actual host/bars in the view before using the illustration to map annotations.
| Field / button | Units / options | Condition / scope | Effect and verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Section | toggle | enabled branch | Enables cross sections. In Update, only the matching view group is editable; locked groups are intentional. |
| Dimension | toggle | enabled branch | Enables cross-section dimensions. Disabling does not delete host bars; inspect generated/updated annotations separately. |
| Dimension Type | existing type | Dimension enabled | Choose an existing style/type when cross-section dimensions is enabled. A similar name does not make a type from another category equivalent. Inspect the result type. |
| Bending Detail | toggle | enabled branch | Enables cross-section bending details. Disabling does not delete host bars; inspect generated/updated annotations separately. |
| Bending Detail Type | existing type | Bending Detail enabled | Choose an existing style/type when cross-section bending details is enabled. A similar name does not make a type from another category equivalent. Inspect the result type. |
| Cross Dimension Text / Text Type | TextNoteType | text-based detail branch | Text type for cross-section details, independent of the longitudinal type. Inspect printed text size. |
| Rebar Detail | toggle | enabled branch | Enables the 2D rebar detail and requires a valid detail family/type. It does not create 3D Rebar. |
| Rebar Detail Language | English / Tiếng Việt | Rebar Detail enabled | Language of 2D detail content, independent of the window locale and project type names. Inspect the generated detail text. |
Other Settings: directions, views and sheet
Choose templates/scales before sheet placement. After changing scale or title block, inspect both views rather than one fitting viewport. The sheet search button does not itself create a new sheet.
| Field / button | Units / options | Condition / scope | Effect and verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longitudinal Direction | Main side / offered directions | enabled branch | Longitudinal viewing direction; changing it can swap annotation sides. Compare column axes and the sheet before saving. |
| Cross Section Direction | offered directions | enabled branch | Cross-section direction, independent of the longitudinal view. Inspect b/h orientation and bar positions. |
| Break Line | family type | enabled branch | Drawing break symbol; it does not cut physical hosts/bars. Inspect symbol position and orientation. |
| Longitudinal Type | ViewFamilyType | enabled branch | Choose the correct view family. This tool uses Section for the longitudinal view and Detail for cross sections. Inspect the resulting View Family. |
| Longitudinal Template | View Template | enabled branch | Selects graphics/visibility controls and may lock scale. A template name does not establish existing host reinforcement. |
| Longitudinal Scale | 1:n | enabled branch | View scale denominator, not a model-size multiplier. If locked, inspect the template; after 1:50→1:25 check crop, text and viewport fit. |
| Cross Type | ViewFamilyType | enabled branch | Choose the correct view family. This tool uses Section for the longitudinal view and Detail for cross sections. Inspect the resulting View Family. |
| Cross Template | View Template | enabled branch | Selects graphics/visibility controls and may lock scale. A template name does not establish existing host reinforcement. |
| Cross Scale | 1:n | enabled branch | View scale denominator, not a model-size multiplier. If locked, inspect the template; after 1:50→1:25 check crop, text and viewport fit. |
| Sheet Number | text | enabled branch | Identifies the target sheet. Avoid duplicate numbers for a new sheet; when choosing an existing sheet, verify its name too. |
| Sheet Name | text | enabled branch | Displayed sheet name; changing it does not alter hosts, bars or automatically change Sheet Number. |
| Title Block | family type | enabled branch | Existing title-block type, not an existing sheet. Inspect paper size and viewport placement. |
| Search / Add to current sheet | action | enabled branch | Search by Number/Name, select a row and confirm Select. Recheck the returned number/name before Run. |
| Bending Style | offered styles | enabled branch | Bending-detail presentation style, not model bar geometry. Inspect detail appearance and related tags. |
| Show bend angles | toggle | enabled branch | Shows bend angles in supporting detail modes; do not force the option in unsupported branches. |
| Drawing layout sample | expander | enabled branch | Expands the illustrative layout. A not-to-scale diagram is not the generated sheet geometry. |
| Run | action | enabled branch | Creates/updates the current branch. On error/rollback, verify no partial views/annotations remain before retrying. |
| Close | action | enabled branch | Closes the window; save the RVT separately after inspecting sheets/views. |
Editing existing drawings
Use Update Column Drawing from a supported view. Keep a copy before changing 1:20 to 1:50 so tag/dimension positions and crop can be compared. This batch has not confirmed the installed entry-to-sheet-to-update sequence.
Recognize the three tabs and read the preview
These Revit 2024.3 captures use the actual English tool UI on an educational model. The right-hand diagram explicitly says Illustrative sample – not to scale; it is not a generated model view or sheet. The numbered controls are the choices to review before Run. Click a capture to open the unchanged full Revit image.
1: enable the longitudinal view; 2: select dimensions/tie tags/bending details and their types; 3: Run processes enabled branches. Disabling a tag does not delete model bars.
1: enable cross sections; 2: choose dimensions and bending detail; 3: Rebar Detail Language controls 2D detail annotations independently of the Revit UI.
1: independent view directions; 2: view types, templates and scales; 3: sheet Number/Name/Title Block and the search button for an existing sheet; 4: expand Drawing layout sample to inspect the layout illustration.