Follow the first and second methods to use roofs for your skylight in Revit. The second method gives you complete control over the shape of the skylight. The fourth method shows you how to import and set up skylight families.
You will learn how to create, insert, and edit different types of skylights. roof footprint (1 & 2), mass in-place (3) and imported families (4).
✨ Tip: Skylights are used in certain cases to manipulate the rendering atmosphere.
Method 1 – Skylight by Extrusion
Details: Create a skylight on a roof using the Extrude feature.
Steps
- Click the surface twice.
- In the Draw panel, select the Rectangle tool.
- In the Options bar, Uncheck Defines Slope.
- Draw the boundary of the skylight to subtract its footprint from the solid roof.
- Press Finish Edit Mode.
Method 2 – Sloped Glazing
Details: Add a sloped curtain wall to your inclined roof voids.
Steps
- Go to the Architecture tab > Roof dropdown menu > click Roof by Footprint.
- In the Draw panel, select the Pick Lines tool.
- Click the lines around the void.
- Select the magenta lines.
- In the Properties palette, uncheck Defines Roof Slope.
- In the Properties palette, under Dimensions, change the slope.
- Click Finish Edit Mode.
- Change the roof type in the Properties palette > Type Selector drop-down menu > select Sloped Glazing.
✨ Tip: Press TAB on keyboard to select and pick multiple connected lines at once.
If you are interested in manipulating slopes of regular surfaces in your project, read our blog post about creating sloped ceilings.
Method 3 – In Place Mass
Details: Create a skylight window using Revit massing tools.
Steps
- Click twice on the wall that will support the atrium.
- In the Draw panel, select the Line tool.
- Draw the slope line for the atrium.
- Modify panel > Trim/Extend to corner.
- Join the edges of the profile to create a closed loop.
- Repeat the steps for the opposite wall.
✨ Tip: Tip: In edit mode, you can press Tab while moving the mouse pointer over the profile created on the parallel side to select the same profile lines and apply them to the second profile.
- Go to the Massing & Site tab > click In-Place Mass.
- Assign a name for the mass > click OK.
- In the Work Plane panel, click Set Work Plane.
- Click the wall profile of the atrium.
- In the Draw panel, select the Pick Lines tool.
- Click the lines around the atrium.
- Select the magenta lines > go to the Form panel > click Create Form.
- Click and drag the mass surface to the other end of the facade.
- In the In-Place editor panel, click Finish Mass.
- Go to the Architecture tab > Build panel > click Curtain System.
- Select the faces of the atrium.
- In the Multiple Selection panel, click Create System.
When you set a work plane, any mass lines will extrude perpendicular to it.
Press on the line at the end of the new in-place mass surface, then grab the green x-axis arrow to the other wall.
Add Mullions
- Click once on the Curtain Wall.
- Go to the Properties palette > click Edit Type.
- Under Grid 1 Mullions and Grid 2 Mullions, change the None entries to preferred families.
- Press OK.
Here is a video tutorial on tracing a curved atrium mass in Revit:
Method 4 – Skylight Families
Details: Add a skylight family to a roof in Revit.
Steps
- Click on the family file and drop it in the viewport.
- Go to the Architecture tab > Component drop-down menu > click Place a Component.
- In the Properties palette, select the imported family.
- Click the face to insert a face-based skylight family.
Edit
- Click on the family component.
- In the Properties palette, click Edit Type.
- Change the properties of Materials and Dimensions.
- Click OK.
That’s it!
Mohamed Fakhry has helped thousands of architects and designers find their next project with step-by-step guidance on his blog, mashyo.com. About Mohamed
His journey began during his university years when he recognized the need for information-rich 3D models to accelerate learning and improve production processes. Now, Mohamed shares his expertise through Revit tutorials that are accessible to all.
