Applying materials in Revit should be simple, but many users are confused about how to do that. What is the difference between materials properties and paint? What is the difference between System Families, Loadable Families and In-Place Families? How can I apply materials the right way to things like walls, floors, doors, windows and furniture? Keep reading to learn how.
This is the first of a three-part series where we look at the best, fastest and easiest ways to apply materials to the three different kinds of families in Revit.
Part 1: Applying Revit Materials to System Families – walls, floors, roofs, ceilings, stairs
We will first look at system families, which are predefined and already loaded in Revit and cover all the basic elements that you would assemble on a construction site, such as Walls, Floors, Roofs, Ceilings, Ducts and Pipes.
Method A: Changing the Material by Type Properties
The first method is best if we want to change the material or properties once and have the change apply to all instances of this type throughout the entire project. Very powerful and simple stuff.
1. Start by clicking the element, in this case, the wall.
2. From the Properties Window, click Edit Type to enter the Type Properties.
3. Next to Structure, click Edit… to open the Assembly Properties.
4. Click the Material that you want to change, in this case, we want to change the “Masonry – Brick – Brown” material on the “Exterior Side” of the Assembly.
5. Click a new material from the extensive list of Revit Materials. In this case, we will click “Masonry”
6. Click the Appearance Tab on the top right to review the Render Appearance of the new material.
7. If we are happy with that, click OK, and OK . . . and OK again, and Voila!
You have successfully changed the material of this wall type. The process is more or less the same for all system families, including roofs, floors and ceilings.
Next, we will take a look at How to Apply Materials to Loadable Families in Revit, like doors, windows, furniture and fixtures.