Do you adjust your 3D views every time you open a new project or switch between viewports? Fortunately, there are two ways to lock 3D views in Revit and save your preferred orientation.
In this blog post, I will show you how to use Revit’s Lock View and Save View features, which are both very simple and very useful.
Method 1 – Lock 3D View
Details: Use the Lock 3D View feature.
Steps
- In the view control bar, click the house lock icon.
- Click “Save Orientation and Lock View”.
Once you have locked the view, you can only pan, zoom in and zoom out. This feature also saves the current orientation.
✨ Tip: After unlocking, you can return to the saved orientation by clicking “Restore Orientation and Lock View”.
Add Tags
One of the benefits of locking a 3D view is that you can tag elements in the view without affecting the orientation.
This allows you to add annotations, dimensions, and other information to the view, while keeping the same perspective.
So if you add a tag to a 3D view that is unlocked, you will be prompted to lock the view before you can add a tag or keynotes.
To tag elements in Revit 3D views:
- Lock the view with the house icon in the view control bar.
- Go to the Annotate tab > Tag panel > click Tag by Category.
- Place the tag in the view.
- Repeat the process for other elements that you want to tag.
Note: Perspective views do not allow annotation, whether your view is locked or not, so you can only add tags to an orthographic view. Learn how to convert a perspective view to orthographic
When a view is locked, the ViewCube is disabled. How can we save multiple unlocked views?
Method 2 – Save View
Details: Save your 3D view as a separate view.
Save a 3D view so you can easily return to your orientation after you pan or zoom around your model. You are not limited to the “home” view and can save as many views as you like.
Steps
- Right-click on the ViewCube in the upper right corner of your screen.
- Select “Save View” from the menu that appears.
- Assign a name for the new 3D view.
- Click OK.
Learn how to create animations with the ViewCube
Your saved view will now appear under the “3D Views” section in the Project Browser on the left side of the screen.
The Save View feature is best for saving multiple 3D views of your model if you need to present your model in a variety of different view properties.
On the other hand, Revit’s Lock 3D View feature lets you add annotations and save a specific perspective, angle, or 3D section of the model that you want to highlight or reference later.
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.
