Revit 2024 has a lot to offer when it comes to site plans. From new terrain components that are easy to manipulate, to improved road and pavement tools that let you create realistic and complex layouts in no time.
A Revit site plan is a 2D or 3D representation of the physical features and surroundings of a building project.
These plans include property lines, roads, parking, landscaping and site components. Here are eleven essential tips.
1- New Site Plan View
Add a site plan view to your project from scratch.
To create a new site plan view:
- Go to the View tab > Create panel > drop-down Plan Views menu.
- Click Floor Plan.
- In the New Floor Plan window, select Site Plan as the Type.
- Click OK.
- Set the view range so that the cut plane is on top of all other planes.
- Set up a view template to display all of the categories on your site.
Learn more about adding levels.
✨ Tip: If you have an existing site plan view, skip to the next step.
2- Add Topography Surface
A topography surface is a 3D model that represents the shape and elevation of the terrain.
You can create a topography surface in Revit by using one of the following methods:
- From sketch.
- From imported data.
- From an old toposurface.
Read our detailed tutorial on how to create these new topographic surfaces in Revit 2024:
3- Draw Property Line
The property line is a boundary that defines the legal limits of your site.
To draw a property line:
- Go to the Massing & Site tab > Model Site panel > Click Property Line.
- Click Create by sketching.
- Draw lines on the boundary of your property.
- Click Finish Edit Mode.
To learn how to use distances and bearings and how to customize your property lines, see the following tutorial:
4- Define Project Base Point
The project base point is a reference point that defines the origin (0,0,0) and orientation of your project coordinates.
This graphical point is important for aligning your model with other models and for site measurements.
To define the project base point:
- Left-click and drag the crossed circle icon to the corner of your project.
- The Properties palette allows you to change the same settings as in View.
- Click Apply.
Learn more about the project base point
5- Define Survey Point
The survey point is typically used for site analysis and coordination with external references such as the real world.
It’s usually placed at the intersection of two property lines to give the physical context of the site.
To define the survey point:
- Left-click and drag the triangle icon to an intersection of property lines.
6- Place Project
Show your building or structure on your site model.
You have several options for adding architectural and structural elements:
- Cut out a building pad and then model your project from scratch.
- Use Mass In-Place tools to create a conceptual form of the project.
- Link to a CAD file or a RVT 3D model of your project.
7- Rotate Project North
Rotating your project north means aligning it with true north or project-specific north, depending on your preference.
✨ Tip: Add north arrow symbols to your site plan before rotating the view.
To rotate your project to the true north:
- Go to the Properties palette > Graphics panel.
- Select True North as Orientation > click Apply.
- Go to the Manage tab > Project Location panel.
- Drop-down Position menu > click Rotate True North.
- Type the angle in the box.
- Press Enter to apply the new True North rotation.
Proper project orientation is critical for accurate documentation, coordination with other disciplines, accurate drawings, energy analysis, shading, and sun studies.
8- Add Annotations
To make your site plan more informative and clear, you need to add text elements that provide additional information or labels for your site plan elements, such as dimensions, tags, notes, symbols, and so on.
Here is our comprehensive review of every annotation tool in Revit:
9- Manage Line Styles
The next step is to manage the line styles for your site plan view. Each line style has appearance and weight settings that apply to elements and annotations.
How to use line styles:
- Go to the Manage tab > Settings panel > click Object Styles.
- In the Model Object tab, expand the Site category.
- Change the values and colors of each site line type.
- Click OK.
Now that the terrain is a solid (toposolid), you can add any type of family to be instantly attached to the surface of the site.
10- Add a Parking Lot
If your project includes parking lots, use Revit’s parking tool to view them in both 2D and 3D views.
To add a parking lot:
- Go to the Massing & Site tab > Model Site panel.
- Click Parking Component.
- Go to the Properties palette > Type Selector.
- Select the appropriate dimensions and degree of rotation.
- Left-click on the toposolid surface to add the parking component.
11- Add Site Components
Add site elements such as vehicles, trees, shrubs, and other landscape features to bring your site plan to life.
To add site components:
- Go to the Insert tab > Load from Library panel.
- Click Load Autodesk Family.
- From the Category menu, choose Site.
- Select one or more families to load.
- Click Load.
- Go to the Massing & Site tab > Model Site > click Site Component.
- In the Properties palette, select a family from the Type Selector.
- Left-click on the toposolid surface to add the site component.
You have just created a Revit Site Plan for your project! We wish you good luck with the next steps.
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.
