A Revit plan region lets you use a different view range inside one part of a plan view. Use it when a window, door, split-level area, stair opening, mezzanine, or sunken space needs a cut plane that is higher or lower than the rest of the floor plan.
The fastest workflow is simple: open a plan view, go to View > Create > Plan Views > Plan Region, sketch a closed boundary, select the region, edit its View Range, and set a cut plane that captures the elements you want to show.
Updated July 2026: this guide now covers the current Revit workflow, view range logic, split-level examples, visibility settings, MEP limitations, linked model issues, and troubleshooting steps for plan regions that do not show the expected elements.
Best use: plan regions are strongest for architectural and structural plan views, especially windows, doors, walls, split levels, and hosted elements that sit outside the normal cut plane.
What Is a Plan Region in Revit?
A plan region is a view-specific closed sketch that overrides the view range inside its boundary. Instead of changing the entire floor plan, you define one local area with its own top plane, cut plane, bottom plane, and view depth.
Think of it as a local view range window. The parent plan still controls the rest of the drawing, but the area inside the plan region can look higher, lower, or deeper depending on the values you set.
High windows, split levels, mezzanines, sunken rooms, raised platforms, stair openings, and hosted elements outside the main cut plane.
MEP visibility control, large view composition, sheet splits, or showing an entire level as a background reference.
Plan regions cannot overlap. Their edges can touch, but one plan region should not sit on top of another.
When Should You Use Plan Regions?
Use plan regions when one part of a plan needs a different cut height than the rest of the view. This usually happens when the model is not flat across one level, or when an important hosted element is 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: isolate the mezzanine area without changing the entire plan view.
- Stair and opening coordination: expose relevant walls, railings, or hosted elements around a vertical transition.
- Linked model checks: find hidden plan regions when a linked model appears with an unexpected view range in the host view.
How to Create a Plan Region in Revit
Before you start, duplicate the view if you are experimenting with several regions or if the plan is already documented on a sheet. A duplicate view makes it easier to test view range settings without disturbing a finished drawing.
Learn the safest duplication workflow here: 5 tips to duplicate Revit views and sheets.
Create Plan Region Steps
- Open the floor plan or ceiling plan view where you need the local view range.
- Go to View tab > Create panel > Plan Views drop-down.
- Click Plan Region.
- Choose a drawing tool, such as Rectangle, Line, or Pick Lines.
- Sketch a closed boundary around the area that needs the different view range.
- Click Finish Edit Mode.
The boundary must be closed. It can be rectangular, polygonal, or a custom shape, but gaps in the sketch will prevent the plan region from being created correctly.
Set the Plan Region View Range
After creating the boundary, select the plan region and edit its View Range. The key setting is usually the Cut Plane, but the Top, Bottom, and View Depth may also need adjustment depending on what you want to show.
- Select the plan region boundary in the view. It usually appears as dashed or colored lines.
- In the Properties palette, find View Range.
- Click Edit….
- Set the Top, Cut Plane, Bottom, and View Depth values for that region.
- Click OK.
Revit still applies normal view range logic inside the plan region. The top plane cannot be below the cut plane, and the cut plane cannot be below the bottom plane. If the values do not make sense relative to each other, Revit will reject them or the display will not behave as expected.
Example Plan Region Settings
| Scenario | What to Adjust | Typical Result |
|---|---|---|
| High window does not show | Raise the Cut Plane and make sure Top is above it. | The window appears in the local area only. |
| Sunken room or lower split level | Set the region planes relative to the lower level or use offsets from the parent level. | The lower area reads correctly without lowering the whole plan. |
| Raised mezzanine | Set Cut Plane near the mezzanine height and control View Depth carefully. | The mezzanine area appears while the main floor remains unchanged. |
Edit, Copy, or Move a Plan Region
Plan regions are view-specific, but they are easy to reuse. You can select a plan region, move it, copy it, or paste it into another plan view. When copied into another view, the plan region keeps its view range settings.
You do not need to re-enter sketch mode for every shape change. Select the plan region boundary and drag its shape handles to resize it. If the boundary needs a more detailed shape, use edit mode and adjust the sketch lines.
Hide or Change Plan Region Boundaries
The plan region boundary is an annotation category. You can hide it for presentation drawings, change its line style, or control it through a view template.
Hide One Plan Region Boundary
- Select or right-click the plan region boundary.
- Choose Hide in View > Elements.
Control All Plan Region Boundaries in a View
- Open Visibility/Graphics with VG or VV.
- Go to the Annotation Categories tab.
- Find Plan Region.
- Clear the checkbox to hide all plan region boundaries, or use Projection/Surface Lines > Override to change line weight, color, or pattern.
Visible plan region boundaries export and print. If the region is affecting the view but you do not want to see its outline, hide the Plan Region annotation category or control it through a documentation view template.
Plan Region Limitations
Plan regions are useful, but they are not a universal visibility tool. Knowing their limits saves a lot of trial and error.
- They cannot overlap. If you need adjacent ranges, make separate regions with coincident or touching edges.
- They are view-specific. A plan region affects only the view where it exists, unless you copy and paste it into another view.
- They are not reliable for MEP visibility control. Autodesk documents plan regions mainly for hosts and hosted elements, especially windows and doors. Ducts, pipes, cable trays, and some fittings may need other visibility methods.
- Hidden regions can still affect the view. If a plan region category is turned off, the boundary may disappear, but the view range override can still control what you see inside the region.
- They are not a sheet-splitting tool. For splitting a large drawing across sheets, use dependent views, crop regions, matchlines and view references.
Plan Region vs Underlay vs Matchline
Many Revit users reach for plan regions whenever something is missing in plan, but another tool may be better depending on the goal.
| Tool | Best For | Not Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Region | A local area that needs a different view range in the same plan. | Showing a whole level as background or controlling MEP systems. |
| Underlay | Referencing another level beneath or above the current view. | Cutting model elements at a different height. |
| Matchline | Splitting large views across multiple 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.
Troubleshooting Plan Regions in Revit
The Element Still Does Not Show
- Confirm the element is inside the plan region boundary.
- Check whether the cut plane actually intersects or includes the element.
- Make sure the Top, Cut Plane, Bottom, and View Depth values are in a logical order.
- Check category visibility in Visibility/Graphics, view template settings, filters, phase filters, design options, and worksets.
- If it is an MEP element, test another workflow such as filters, duplicated cropped views, underlays, or discipline-specific view settings.
You Cannot Select the Plan Region
The boundary may be hidden. Turn the Plan Region annotation category back on in Visibility/Graphics, or temporarily remove the view template to check whether it is hiding the category.
A Linked Model Looks Wrong in the Host View
A hidden plan region in the host view can make linked model elements appear with an unexpected view range. Turn on the Plan Region annotation category, select plan regions in the view, and review their View Range settings before changing the linked model itself.
The Boundary Prints or Exports
Plan regions export and print when their boundaries are visible. Hide the individual element, turn off the Plan Region annotation category, or use a documentation view template that hides plan region boundaries before issuing sheets.
Best Practices for Clean Plan Regions
- Use as few plan regions as possible. Many regions in one view make troubleshooting harder.
- Name or document special views when they contain plan regions, especially in production projects.
- Keep region shapes simple unless the model geometry requires a custom boundary.
- Use view templates to standardize whether plan region boundaries are visible in working views and hidden in sheet views.
- Do not use plan regions to cover broad modeling or visibility problems. Fix levels, constraints, family placement, view range, and category visibility first.
Revit Plan Region FAQ
Where is Plan Region in Revit?
Open a plan view, then go to View tab > Create panel > Plan Views drop-down > Plan Region.
What does a plan region do in Revit?
A plan region applies a separate view range inside a closed boundary, so one part of the plan can use a different cut plane than the rest of the view.
Can plan regions overlap?
No. Plan regions cannot overlap each other. Their edges can touch or coincide, but the regions should not cover the same area.
Do plan regions work with MEP elements?
Plan regions are mainly intended for hosts and hosted elements such as walls, windows, and doors. For ducts, pipes, cable trays, and other MEP elements, visibility can be limited or inconsistent, so filters, underlays, duplicated cropped views, or view settings may work better.
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 view range settings are maintained when copied.
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.
