Revit 2024 Updates: Enhancements in Revit Modeling & Drafting

1. UI MODERNIZATION

All the tool icons are replaced with more “minimal” versions. The “drop shadow” effect of the old icons is gone. This will create a better visual experience when using the new dark theme. Here is the difference:

2. DARK THEME

Autodesk has introduced the highly anticipated Dark Theme, a feature that makes working in low-light environments easier. To activate this mode, simply follow these steps: Go to options, then Colors, and select UI Active Theme. From the drop-down menu, choose Dark. This will instantly switch your interface to the new Dark Theme. Autodesk also allows users to customize the color based on their preferences. For instance, they can choose a dark ribbon on a white canvas. Users can switch settings to the Canvas Theme tool under the View tab.

3. NEW, SIMPLIFIED DEFAULT TEMPLATES

Autodesk Revit ditched its older template settings to improve user experience and project setup efficiency. These changes include the following:

Enhanced Default Templates: Updated default templates now include more detailed and organized content, providing better starting points for various project types. Reference planes indicate the internal origin, a scope box, a “working section” with red dashed lines, a graphic scale, and a north arrow.

Customizable Template Options: Users can now more easily customize and save their templates with specific settings, annotations, and styles, allowing for more streamlined project initialization and consistency across projects.

These improvements simplify the template management process and give users greater flexibility and control over their project settings.

4. MODERNIZED PROJECT BROWSER

Autodesk has improved the user interface of the project browser. They have updated +/—icons and added a search bar. In the old version of Revit, users had to use “CTRL-F” to search the project browser. Now, they can simply use the serch bar to find what they need. Revit will promptly show the most relevant results, including types and headers.

5. NEW SAMPLE MODEL – SNOWDON TOWERS

In Autodesk Revit 2024, the new sample model “Snowdon Towers” has received several updates from showcasing the software’s capabilities and providing users with a comprehensive example of best practices in design and documentation. Autodesk collaborated with seasoned BIM experts such as Brian Mackey and Paul Aubin to create new samples of the Snowdon Towers for each discipline.

The updated samples have:

Improved detailing and annotations, illustrating advanced documentation techniques, clarity in construction documents, and high-quality models with file sizes below 100 MB.

Updated families and components, demonstrating the latest content and enhanced parametric capabilities within Revit 2024.

Sophisticated use of phases and design options, such as balustrades, brick patterns, curved curtain panels, Corinthian columns, etc., helps users understand how to manage complex project stages and alternate design scenarios effectively.

Integration of new features and tools introduced in Revit 2024, providing practical examples of their application in a real-world project.

Enhanced visualization and rendering setups, highlighting Revit’s capabilities in creating high-quality visual outputs and presentations.

6. NEW TEXTURES VISUAL STYLE

The new visual feature in Autodesk Revit, called Textures, offers the lighting effects of the Consistent Color style and displays texture images from materials rather than colors and line patterns. This style provides improved performance compared to the “Realistic” mode and will be beneficial for efficiently testing material textures and potentially enhancing presentation views.

7. PLACE MULTIPLE VIEWS AND SCHEDULES

Previously, users could only select and drag one view or schedule at a time from the Project Browser to a sheet. Placing multiple views or schedules required repeating the drag-and-drop action for each item individually, making the process time-consuming and repetitive.

With the Revit 2024 update, Autodesk has eradicated the issue. Users can now hold down the CTRL or SHIFT key to select multiple views or schedules simultaneously in the Project Browser. Once selected, they can drag and drop these multiple views or schedules onto a sheet in a single action.

8. OPEN SHEET DIRECTLY FROM DRAWING AREA

Users can right-click on a view within the drawing area (e.g., a floor plan, section, or elevation) and select an option to open the sheet containing that view. By allowing users to use the command “Open Sheet” to jump to the sheet directly, Revit 2024 has saved significant time, reducing the need to search through the Project Browser manually.

9. MOVE ALIGNED TO SHEET

Users can now accurately position and align views, schedules, and other elements on a sheet, maintaining their alignment relative to the grid. To use the “Move Aligned to Sheet” feature in Revit 2024, users must select the view or schedule on the sheet, activate the move command, and drag the element while using the alignment guides to snap it into place. They must release the mouse button once the component is aligned correctly.

10. SET REVISIONS TO MULTIPLE SHEETS

The “Set Revisions to Multiple Sheets” feature allows users to simultaneously apply revision information to several sheets. They can efficiently manage and update the revision data for multiple sheets, ensuring consistency and saving time compared to updating each sheet individually. Users need to select sheets they want to update in the Project Browser. Then, using the revision tool, they can update or revise the information and apply the changes to all selected sheets.

11. SCHEDULE REVISION CLOUDS

In Revit 2024, users can now include revision clouds in schedules, selecting parameters like Comments, Marks, and Revisions. They can use the dropdown menu to specify additional parameters from Revisions, Views, Sheets, or Project Information.

They can describe the nature of each revision in the “Comments” field or add project-specific parameters to provide more detailed information about each revision cloud.

They can also select a row in the schedule and use the “Highlight in Model” tool to locate the corresponding revision cloud within the model quickly.

This feature helps manage and validate revisions efficiently, with the option to highlight clouds in the model for quick location.

12. RESIZE ALL SCHEDULE ROWS HEIGHT

While Revit 2023 did not allow resizing the height of the scheduled rows, the 2024 update brings a fresh perspective. Users can now choose between the two parameters: Resize Rows and Resize Height.

When they select the Resize Rows option, they can set the Row Heights to all rows.

Revit even offers corrections if users enter a value that is too low to ensure the data’s readability.

Without a value of the Height parameter, Revit will not adjust the height of the rows even if you select the All option for Resize Rows.

13. HEIGHT PARAMETER IN SCOPE BOX

Earlier versions of Revit did not allow users to adjust the height using numerical values. Instead, they had to drag the blue arrows manually.

In Revit 2024, the “Height Parameter in Scope Box” feature allows users to define the height of elements within a scope box. This enables precise control over vertical extents, ensuring accurate representation and coordination of elements in multi-level projects.

14. PATTERN OPTION WHEN USING ALIGN

When users use the Align command, they see a new option in the contextual tab called Pattern. They can use this option to align a pattern on an element’s surface containing multiple faces, such as this floor. You can either align the entire Pattern or only a single face. However, Autodesk is yet to work on aligning patterns on the curved surfaces.

15. CONTROL DRAW ORDER IN 3D FAMILIES

Draw order in 3D families is integral to the Revit Family Creation. Users can now use draw order for 2D components inside 3D families, which was not present in the Revit 2023 version.

16. COLOR BOOKS DIALOG

In Revit 2024, the “Color Books Dialog” is a tool that provides access to predefined color schemes and swatches for materials and other elements within the software. This feature allows users to select colors from standardized color libraries, facilitating consistent and accurate color representation in their projects.

Compared to Revit 2023, the main difference lies in the enhanced functionality and usability of the Color Books Dialog in Revit 2024. In the newer version, users get an expanded color library, a better interface, and enhanced integration of renderings and materials.

17. RESIZABLE DIALOGS

The new update allows users to resize multiple dialog boxes and menus. These are:

Decal Types
Check spelling
Keynote
New Legend View
New Plan
Save Selection
Load Selection
Detail Levels
Halftone/Underlay
Create Group
Export Image
System Color Schemes
Import Line Weight
Work Plane
Insert 2D Elements
eTransmit – Transmit a model
Starting View
Select Element by ID Element
IDs of selection Edit Label

18. PROJECT PARAMETERS ARE SORTED ALPHABETICALLY

Earlier, Revit allowed the sorting of project parameters from older to newer. The older parameters used to be at the top of the list, while the newer ones were at the bottom.

However, the newly updated alphabetical sorting of the project parameters makes it easier for users to locate any parameters quickly and easily.

This doesn’t affect family parameters. For a loadable family with project and family parameters, family parameters will go first, followed by project parameters.

19. MAJOR SITE TOOLS IMPROVEMENTS

Revit 2024 significantly enhanced the software’s tools and features related to site modeling and design.

1.1 THE MASSING & SITE TAB IS REORGANIZED

The update has changed the entire look and feel of the Massing & Site tab. It has replaced Toposurface with Toposolid, replaced the Subregion tool with the Sub-Divide tool, and removed the Split/Merge surfaces tools.

The way users create site elements is entirely different now.

1.2 NEW TOPOSOLID TOOL REPLACE TOPOSURFACE

The old Toposurface tool was only a “surface” element. It had no depth, and users couldn’t set a thickness.

The new Toposolid tool works very similarly to floors.

First, users need to sketch an extrusion boundary with purple lines. Then, they can modify the Sub Elements similarly to Roofs and Floors, adding points at specific heights to create the slopes.

The points contextual menu slightly differs from the previous design’s standard floors and roofs. The new menu has been available since Revit 2023.1, but most users didn’t notice.

Users can choose which origin point to use (Internal Origin, Project Base Point, or Survey Point) and add a point along the Surface or Absolute Height.

ACAD or CSV files can still be imported to create the topography’s shape automatically. This tool now works with concave site shapes.

Again, the new Toposolid tool allows users to modify the structure with materials of various thicknesses, allowing them to create fun site elements (such as lakes) without using floors.

1.3 CREATE TOPOSOLID FROM TOPOSURFACE

Users can now only access the old Toposurface tool when opening models from earlier versions. When selecting Toposurface, they can choose Generate Toposolid to convert to the new tool. Users must manually delete the old Toposurface remains. To be safe, they can keep it in the archives.

When generating a Toposolid, building pads are ignored completely. Also, subregions are converted into subdivisions.

1.4 SUBDIVISION ON TOPOSOLID

Earlier Revit versions used the Subregion feature to assign different materials to a Toposurface. The problem is that subregions don’t allow for the change in thickness, so users can’t recess the material or raise it above the ground.

Revit’s new version replaces Subregions with Sub-Divide. Although the basic idea is to draw boundaries over the Toposolid, the latest version allows users to extend the boundaries beyond the limit without receiving any warnings.

Subdivisions are located on top of the topological solid. Users can choose a material and specify a thickness in the instance properties. Each subdivision has a thickness instance parameter. Using a negative value or attempting to “recess” the subdivision into the topological solid is impossible, which would have been very helpful.

There is another parameter called Inherit Contours, which allows users to decide if they want to see the contours on the subdivision or not. Activating this option doesn’t affect the geometry of the subdivision.

1.5 MASS VOID EXCAVATION FORM ON TOPOSOLID

In the earlier Revit version, users created a hole in a Toposurface to create a Building Pad or split and delete part of the surface. However, Autodesk has removed Building Pads.

Instead, Autodesk recommends using the Massing tool to create void geometry. These tools are more complex and potentially confusing than building pads, but they allow for making more complicated shapes. In this example, we create a void shape for a parking driveway. Also, it’s now possible to model tunnels.

1.6 CONTOUR SETTING PER TYPES

In Revit 2023, topography contour lines are created using a project-wide setting. The tool is in a hidden menu in the Massing & Site tab.

In Revit 2024, each Toposolid type can have different topography contours. To view these contours, users need to click on Contour Display in the type properties of a Toposolid.

You may choose to have a Toposolid type with numerous contours. However, the contours are not visible when editing the points. Alternatively, you might prefer a water Toposolid that has no contours.

1.7 CUT TOPOSOLID

The new Toposolid can be cut into multiple categories, including walls, floors, other Toposolid, structural foundations, etc. The Toposolid is cut to accommodate the foundation wall and footing in the image below.

1.8 ENABLE SLAB EDGES ON TOPOSOLID

Users can use the Slab Edge feature on Toposolid to create curbs. However, Revit does not allow users to use this tool on subdivisions or very complex shapes. Meanwhile, you can use the railings tool to create curbs.

1.9 SPLIT TOPOSOLID

With the latest version of Autodesk Revit, users can use the Split tool on the new Toposolid feature to switch the composition entirely and have lakes, concrete pads, and other site components while keeping the original topography points.

However, once users split the Toposolid, they can’t merge them.

1.10 LINKED TOPOGRAPHY BECOMES TOPOSOLID

If users link a Topography from Civil 3D, they must create a Toposolid by picking a base level and a family type.

1.11 ENABLE TOPOSOLID TO HOST FLOOR-BASED FAMILY

If users have collections of floor-based families, they can use them in the new Toposolid category.

1.12 USE TOPOSOLID GRADED REGION

Users can modify an existing Toposurface using the Graded Region tool in Revit 2023. This duplicates the Toposurface in the subsequent phase and sets the original one as “demolished.”

However, users can use the same Graded Region tool on Toposolid in the new version. They must select the Toposolid, use the Graded Region, and then modify the Toposolid in the “new” phase.

After modifying the topography points, they should notice Net cut/fill values in the instance properties.

According to some users, Revit does not always show accurate values. If the sketch boundaries of the new Toposolid are different, the calculated volumes will not be correct.

1.13 POINT VISUAL MANAGEMENT FOR SLAB SHAPE EDITOR

When users modify the Sub-Elements of a Toposolid, they can decide whether they want a preview of all the topography points. When this option is active, users will notice a difference. This feature is available not only with Toposolid but also with floors and roofs.

20. Revit to Twinmotion Enhancements

In the latest version of Revit, the Twinmotion drop-down menu now includes an Auto Sync feature. When activated, Auto Sync automatically updates any changes made in the active Revit model to the direct link connection in Twinmotion or Unreal Engine. To enable Auto Sync, you need an active 3D view, and it will be associated with that specific view. All visible geometry will be automatically synchronized once Auto Sync is enabled in a 3D view.