A plan region in Revit gives one part of a plan view its own view range. Use it when a high window, a split level, a mezzanine or a sunken room needs a cut plane that is higher or lower than the rest of the floor plan. This guide shows where the tool is, how to set it up, what it cannot do and how to fix it when nothing changes. The steps are checked against Autodesk’s Revit 2027 help.
Quick answer
To create a plan region in Revit, open a plan view and go to View tab > Create panel > Plan Views drop-down > Plan Region. Sketch a closed boundary around the area, click Edit next to View Range in the Properties palette, set the cut plane you need, then click Finish Edit Mode.
Only the area inside the boundary changes. The rest of the plan keeps its normal view range.
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All Views Are Under Control
A plan region is a view range tool. Module 3 teaches view range first, then the other view tools you use with it: crop, underlays, phases and filters.
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What Is a Plan Region in Revit?
A plan region is a closed sketch that you draw in a plan view. Inside that sketch, Revit uses a different view range than the one set for the view. Autodesk describes it as a way to define a cut plane at a different height than the cut plane used for the rest of the plan.
Think of it as a small window with its own view range. The parent plan still controls the rest of the drawing. The area inside the plan region can look higher, lower or deeper, depending on the values you give it. Some people call it a “view region”, but the tool name in Revit is Plan Region.
High windows, split levels, mezzanines, sunken rooms, raised platforms, stair openings, and hosted elements that sit outside the main cut plane.
MEP elements, splitting a plan across sheets, or showing a whole level as a background reference.
Plan regions cannot overlap. Their edges can touch, but one plan region cannot sit on top of another.
Where Is Plan Region in Revit?
The Plan Region tool is on the View tab > Create panel > Plan Views drop-down > Plan Region. It sits in the same list as Floor Plan, Reflected Ceiling Plan, Structural Plan and Area Plan, which is why many people miss it. The path is the same in Revit 2027 and earlier versions.
Open a plan view first. In a 3D view, a section or an elevation the button is greyed out, because a plan region only works in plan views.
✨ Tip: If you use the tool often, give it a keyboard shortcut. Go to View tab > User Interface > Keyboard Shortcuts and search for “Plan Region”.
When Should You Use a Plan Region?
Use a plan region when one part of a plan needs a different cut height than the rest of the view. This happens when the floor is not flat across one level, or when a hosted element such as a window sits above or below the normal cut plane.
- High windows: raise the cut plane in one area so clerestory, transom or hopper windows appear in plan.
- Split-level floor plans: show a room, landing or platform that is offset from the main level.
- Mezzanines: show the mezzanine area without changing the whole plan view.
- Stairs and openings: show the walls, railings or hosted elements around a change in height.
- Linked model checks: find a hidden plan region when a linked model shows an unexpected view range in the host view.
How to Create a Plan Region in Revit
Before you start, duplicate the view if the plan is already on a sheet or if you want to test several regions. A copy lets you try view range settings without touching a finished drawing. See 5 tips to duplicate Revit views and sheets.
Create Plan Region Steps
- Open the floor plan or reflected ceiling plan where you need the different view range.
- Go to the View tab > Create panel > Plan Views drop-down > click Plan Region.
- Sketch a closed loop around the area, using lines, a rectangle or a polygon.
- In the Properties palette, find View Range and click Edit.
- Set the Top, Cut Plane, Bottom and View Depth for this region > click OK.
- On the Mode panel, click Finish Edit Mode (the green tick).
The boundary must be closed. It can be a rectangle, a polygon or any custom shape, but a gap in the sketch stops Revit from finishing the plan region.
You can also finish the sketch first and set the range later. Select the plan region boundary in the view, then click Edit next to View Range in the Properties palette.
Plan Region View Range: What Each Setting Does
The plan region view range uses the same window as a normal view range. The setting you change most often is the Cut Plane. The other three sometimes have to move with it.
| Setting | What it is | In a plan region |
|---|---|---|
| Top | The upper limit of the range. | Raise it first if you want to raise the cut plane. It cannot be below the cut plane. |
| Cut Plane | The height at which elements are shown as cut. | Set it so it passes through the window, door or wall you want to see. |
| Bottom | The lower limit of the range. | Lower it for a sunken room or a lower split level. It cannot be above the cut plane. |
| View Depth | An extra plane below Bottom that shows what lies further down. | Lower it to see a floor or landing below the region. Keep it at or below Bottom. |
Revit applies the normal view range rules inside a plan region. Top must be at or above the Cut Plane, and the Cut Plane must be at or above Bottom. If the values are out of order, Revit will not accept them.
Parent View’s Level or Another Level?
Each plane is measured from a level plus an offset. For the Cut Plane you can leave the level as Parent View’s Level. Then all four planes use the same level as the plan view, and you only change the offsets. This is the simple choice for a high window.
For a mezzanine or a split level that has its own level in the project, you can pick that level instead and keep the usual offsets. The region then follows that level if its height changes later.
Example Plan Region Settings
Here is one example. The plan cuts at 1200 mm (about 4′), and a bathroom window has its sill at 2100 mm (about 6′-11″). The window is above the cut, so it does not appear. Draw a plan region over that part of the wall, set Top to 3000 mm and Cut Plane to 2400 mm, and the window shows in that area only.
| Scenario | What to adjust | Result |
|---|---|---|
| High window does not show | Raise the Cut Plane so it passes through the window, and make sure Top is above it. | The window appears in that area only. |
| Sunken room or lower split level | Set the planes from the lower level, or use negative offsets from the parent level. | The lower area reads correctly without lowering the whole plan. |
| Raised mezzanine | Set the Cut Plane above the mezzanine floor and keep the View Depth from reaching too far down. | The mezzanine shows while the main floor stays the same. |
Edit, Copy or Move a Plan Region
You do not need sketch mode for a simple size change. Each boundary line of a plan region is a shape handle. Select the plan region and drag a handle to resize it. For a more detailed shape, select it, click Edit Boundary and change the sketch lines.
Plan regions are view-specific, but they are easy to reuse. You can move one, copy it, or paste it into the same view or another plan view. A plan region that you paste into another view keeps its view range settings.
Hide or Change the Plan Region Boundary
The plan region boundary is an annotation category. You can hide it for final drawings, change how its lines look, or control it with a view template. Hiding the boundary does not switch the plan region off. The view range inside it still applies.
Hide One Plan Region Boundary
- Select the plan region boundary and right-click it.
- Choose Hide in View > Elements.
Control All Plan Region Boundaries in a View
- Go to the View tab > Graphics panel > click Visibility/Graphics, or type VG or VV.
- Open the Annotation Categories tab.
- Scroll to Plan Region.
- Clear the check box to hide all plan region boundaries. To change the lines instead, click in the Projection/Surface Lines column > Override and set the line weight, color and pattern.
- Click OK.
Plan regions export and print when they are visible in a view. If you do not want the outline on your sheets, hide the Plan Region category in the view or in the view template you use for documentation.
Plan Region Limitations
A plan region is useful, but it does not solve every visibility problem. Knowing its limits saves a lot of trial and error.
- Plan regions cannot overlap. If two areas next to each other need different ranges, draw two regions whose edges touch.
- They are view-specific. A plan region changes only the view it is in. Copy and paste it if another view needs the same one.
- They do not control MEP elements. Autodesk’s help says plan regions control hosts and hosted elements, mainly windows and doors in walls, and cannot be used to control the display of MEP elements. Ducts, pipes, conduit and cable trays need another method.
- A hidden region still works. Turning the Plan Region category off hides the boundary only. The view range inside it still controls what you see.
- They do not split sheets. To spread a large drawing over several sheets, use dependent views, crop regions, matchlines and view references.
Plan Region vs Underlay vs Matchline
Many Revit users reach for a plan region whenever something is missing in plan. Depending on the goal, another tool may be the better choice.
| Tool | Best for | Not for |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Region | One area that needs a different view range in the same plan. | Showing a whole level as background, or controlling MEP systems. |
| Underlay | Showing another level below or above the current view as a reference. | Cutting model elements at a different height. |
| Matchline | Splitting a large view across several sheets or dependent views. | Changing visibility or view range inside a plan. |
If you want to show all elements from another level, start with an underlay in Revit. If the plan is too large for the sheet, use matchlines. If one area needs a different cut plane, use a plan region.
Plan Region Not Working in Revit? Troubleshooting
The Plan Region Button Is Greyed Out
You are not in a plan view. Open a floor plan or a ceiling plan from the Project Browser, then go back to View tab > Plan Views > Plan Region.
The Element Still Does Not Show
- Check that the element is inside the plan region boundary.
- Check that the cut plane really passes through the element. Compare the offset with the sill or head height in a section.
- Check that Top, Cut Plane, Bottom and View Depth are in the right order.
- Check the other things that hide elements: category visibility in Visibility/Graphics, the view template, filters, phase filters, design options and worksets.
- If it is an MEP element, a plan region will not help. Try filters, a duplicated cropped view, an underlay or the discipline settings of the view.
You Cannot See or Select the Plan Region
The boundary is probably hidden. Turn the Plan Region annotation category back on in Visibility/Graphics. If the box is locked, a view template controls it, so change the template or set it to None for a moment to check.
A Linked Model Looks Wrong in the Host View
A plan region in the host view overrides the view range in its area, and that includes linked model elements. If the region is hidden, the result looks like a fault in the link. Turn on the Plan Region category, select the plan regions in the view and check their View Range before you change anything in the linked model.
The Boundary Prints or Exports
Plan regions print and export when their boundaries are visible. Hide the single element, turn off the Plan Region category, or use a documentation view template that hides it before you issue sheets.
Best Practices for Clean Plan Regions
- Use as few plan regions as you can. Many regions in one view make problems harder to find.
- Make a note in the view name or in your project notes when a view has plan regions, especially on team projects.
- Keep the shapes simple unless the model geometry needs a custom boundary.
- Use view templates so that plan region boundaries show in working views and stay hidden in sheet views.
- Do not use plan regions to cover a wider modeling or visibility problem. Fix levels, constraints, family placement, view range and category visibility first.
Revit Plan Region FAQs
Where is Plan Region in Revit?
Open a plan view, then go to the View tab, Create panel, Plan Views drop-down, and click Plan Region. The location is the same in Revit 2027 and earlier versions.
What is a plan region in Revit?
A plan region is a closed sketch in a plan view that has its own view range. Inside the boundary, Revit cuts the model at a different height than in the rest of the view.
How do I change the view range of a plan region?
Select the plan region boundary in the view. In the Properties palette, click Edit next to View Range, change the Top, Cut Plane, Bottom or View Depth, and click OK.
Can plan regions overlap in Revit?
No. Plan regions are closed sketches and cannot overlap each other. Their edges can touch, so you can place two regions side by side.
Do plan regions work with MEP elements?
No. Autodesk states that plan regions control the appearance of hosts and hosted elements, mainly windows and doors in walls, and cannot be used to control the display of MEP elements such as ducts, pipes and cable trays.
Can I copy a plan region to another view?
Yes. Plan regions are view-specific, but you can copy and paste them into the same view or another plan view. The pasted plan region keeps its view range settings.
Why can’t I see my plan region in Revit?
The Plan Region annotation category is probably turned off. Open Visibility/Graphics, go to the Annotation Categories tab and tick Plan Region. If the box is locked, a view template controls it.
Do plan regions print in Revit?
Yes, when the boundary is visible in the view. To keep it off your sheets, hide the Plan Region annotation category in the view or in the view template.
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.
