Revit component families not shading in views as expected?

by Dennis Collin

Question:

Why does my Revit equipment component not show in a shaded view as expected?

Answer:

It is most likely to be how the component category has been set within the Revit family editor. Many users tend to leave the category as ‘Generic Model’ for the family. Generic Model has no meaning in terms of engineering and tends to get lumped with Architectural and structural elements when working in a Revit MEP coordination model. The Engineering view disciplines set all non-engineering categories as half-tone and transparent. To show the equipment as shaded, either set the view discipline to ‘coordination’ or categorise the component correctly which is the better option i.e. specify it as Mechanical, Electrical equipment or another similar category. This will then show the bespoke element clearly within any engineering discipline views. It will also be placed in the correct equipment schedule and can be easily located in coordination products like Navisworks and BIM 360 Coordinate (formerly Glue).

Fig. Categorising components is a vital part of family creation