Updated July 2026: The Revit View Control Bar is the small row of view settings at the bottom of each drawing view. It controls how the active view looks, including scale, detail level, visual style, shadows, crop settings, temporary hide/isolate, reveal hidden elements, and other view-specific tools.
If you are looking for it, check the bottom of the view window, just above the Status Bar. In a maximized view it usually sits along the bottom edge of the drawing area. In tiled views, each view can have its own View Control Bar.
Quick answer: The View Control Bar in Revit is located at the bottom of the active view window, above the Status Bar. Use it to quickly change the current view’s scale, detail level, visual style, sun and shadow settings, crop visibility, temporary visibility modes, and other view-only controls.
Not every icon appears in every view. Some tools only show in 3D views, workshared projects, structural or MEP workflows, or the Family Editor. Some controls are also disabled when a view template controls that setting.
What Is the View Control Bar in Revit?
The View Control Bar is a context-sensitive toolbar for the active view. Instead of opening the Properties palette or Visibility/Graphics every time, you can use this bar to change the most common view display settings with one or two clicks.
The important word is view. These controls usually affect only the current view, not the whole project. For example, changing a floor plan from Hidden Line to Shaded does not change every other floor plan. Turning on a crop region does not crop the model. It only controls what that view displays.
Autodesk’s 2026 documentation lists 17 possible View Control Bar tools in full Revit. The exact list changes depending on the view type, whether worksharing is enabled, whether you are in the Family Editor, and whether a view template is controlling the view.
| Tool | What it controls | Most useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | Drawing scale of the active view | Sheets, plans, sections, details |
| Detail Level | Coarse, Medium, or Fine model detail | Documentation clarity and performance |
| Visual Style | Wireframe, Hidden Line, Shaded, Consistent Colors, Realistic, and related styles | Model checking and presentation views |
| Sun Path and Shadows | Sun position and shadow display | Solar studies and diagrams |
| Crop tools | Visible view extents and crop boundary display | Clean views on sheets |
| Visibility modes | Temporary hide/isolate, reveal hidden elements, reveal constraints, temporary view properties | Troubleshooting and focused editing |
Where Is the View Control Bar in Revit?
The View Control Bar is at the bottom of the view window, above the Status Bar. It is not the Ribbon at the top of the screen, and it is not the Quick Access Toolbar.
- In a maximized view, look along the lower edge of the drawing area.
- In tiled windows, look at the bottom of the active view you are working in.
- On a sheet, activate the placed view first if you need to change the view itself.
- If palettes are covering it, dock the Properties palette or Project Browser to the side of the Revit window.
Many beginners search for the “Revit toolbar” when they mean the View Control Bar. The easiest way to recognize it is by the scale value on the left, such as 1:100, 1/8″ = 1′-0″, or another view scale.
1. Scale
The Scale control changes how the active view appears on a sheet. It does not resize the model. If your wall is 10 meters long, changing the view scale will not make it shorter or longer. It only changes the drawing representation.
Use the View Control Bar scale when you want a plan, section, elevation, detail, or drafting view to print at a specific scale. You can select a standard scale from the drop-down menu or choose a custom scale if your office standard requires it.
Best practice: set the view scale before placing text, dimensions, tags, and symbols. Revit annotation sizes are designed to plot consistently, so changing scale late in the documentation process can make a view feel too dense or too empty.
2. Detail Level
Detail Level controls how much geometry is shown in the view. The three options are Coarse, Medium, and Fine.
At Coarse detail level, Revit displays simplified geometry. At Medium and Fine, more model information can appear, such as wall layers, floor layers, roof structure, family geometry, and more detailed structural framing representation.
Recommended use:
- Coarse: overall plans, large-scale navigation, early design, faster view performance.
- Medium: most construction-document plans, sections, and elevations.
- Fine: details, close-up sections, family checking, and views where material layers matter.
If a family looks too simple in a view, check Detail Level before editing the family. Many Revit families are built with different geometry for Coarse, Medium, and Fine display.
3. Visual Style
The Visual Style control changes the graphic display of the active view. Common options include Wireframe, Hidden Line, Shaded, Consistent Colors, and Realistic. Depending on the view and Revit version, you may also see related options such as textures or ray trace/rendering-related display modes.
Use Hidden Line for clean documentation, Shaded or Consistent Colors for model checking, and Realistic for quick material previews. For final presentation images, you will usually get better control from Graphic Display Options, Enscape, Twinmotion, or a proper render workflow.
Useful shortcuts: WF for Wireframe, HL for Hidden Line, SD for Shaded with Edges, and GD for Graphic Display Options.
4. Sun Path On/Off
Sun Path displays the sun position and path in the active view. It is mainly used in 3D and presentation workflows where location, date, and time matter.
Turn it on when you need to understand solar orientation, shadow direction, or facade exposure. For meaningful results, set the project location and confirm the date/time in Sun Settings. A sun path diagram without the correct location is only a graphic, not a reliable study.
5. Shadows On/Off
Shadows show how light affects the model view. They are useful for design review, facade studies, massing diagrams, and presentation screenshots.
Use shadows together with Sun Path when you need a quick solar study. Turn shadows off while modeling if the view becomes slow, especially in large 3D views or on weaker hardware.
Tip: if the view looks too dark or the shadows are not clear, open Graphic Display Options with GD and adjust lighting, shadows, background, and silhouette settings.
6. Show/Hide Rendering Dialog
The Show/Hide Rendering Dialog tool appears when the drawing area displays a 3D view. It opens the rendering settings for creating a rendered image from the current 3D view.
Use it when you need a still image directly from Revit. For faster design iteration, keep a separate 3D view for rendering so you can adjust camera position, crop, lighting, materials, and visual style without disturbing your working model view.
Useful shortcuts: RR opens Render, and RD is commonly used for Render in Cloud where available.
7. Crop View
Crop View turns the crop boundary on or off for the active view. When crop is enabled, Revit limits the visible area of the view. This is one of the most important controls for preparing clean drawings on sheets.
Use Crop View to remove unnecessary model area, focus a plan or section, or make a view fit better inside a sheet viewport. For 3D views, you may also need a section box if you want to cut the model volume, not just crop the view frame.
8. Show/Hide Crop Region
Show/Hide Crop Region controls whether the crop boundary is visible. This is separate from whether the view is cropped.
A common beginner mistake is hiding the crop region and thinking cropping is off. If Crop View is still enabled, the view remains cropped even when the boundary is invisible. Turn the crop region on when you need to resize it, then hide it again before printing or presenting if you want a cleaner view.
If you cannot resize the crop region, check whether a scope box is assigned in the Properties palette. When a scope box controls the view extents, the crop region can become read-only.
9. Unlocked/Locked 3D View
The Locked 3D View control protects the orientation of a 3D view. This is useful when you have created a presentation angle, perspective view, rendering view, or annotated 3D diagram and do not want the camera to move accidentally.
Lock the 3D view before adding tags, text, dimensions, or presentation annotations. If the view is unlocked and the orientation changes, those annotations can become confusing or unusable.
10. Temporary Hide/Isolate
Temporary Hide/Isolate lets you hide selected elements, isolate selected elements, hide selected categories, or isolate selected categories in the active view. It is one of the fastest tools for model checking because it helps you focus without permanently changing view settings.
- Hide Element: temporarily hides only the selected elements.
- Isolate Element: temporarily shows only the selected elements.
- Hide Category: temporarily hides the selected element categories.
- Isolate Category: temporarily shows only the selected categories.
Useful shortcuts: HH hides selected elements, HI isolates selected elements, HC hides selected categories, IC isolates selected categories, and HR resets temporary hide/isolate.
Temporary hide/isolate is not the same as permanently hiding in view. If you want the change to affect printing and remain part of the view setup, use Apply Hide/Isolate to View or use permanent visibility controls such as Hide in View, Visibility/Graphics, filters, or view templates.
11. Reveal Hidden Elements
Reveal Hidden Elements helps you find elements hidden in the current view. It is the light bulb icon on the View Control Bar. When reveal mode is active, hidden elements become visible with special highlighting so you can select them and unhide them.
Use this when someone says “the element disappeared” but it still exists in the model. Select the hidden element, right-click, then choose Unhide in View and pick Elements or Category.
Shortcut: RH toggles Reveal Hidden Elements mode.
12. Worksharing Display
Worksharing Display appears when worksharing is enabled for the project. It helps you visualize collaboration information such as worksets, owners, model updates, and checkout status.
Use it when you are working in a central model with multiple users and need to understand who owns elements, which workset elements belong to, or whether recent model updates affect the active view.
Do not leave worksharing display turned on for normal documentation views. It is a diagnostic overlay, not a sheet graphic style.
13. Temporary View Properties
Temporary View Properties lets you temporarily override view settings without changing the assigned view template. This is useful when a view template controls Visibility/Graphics, detail level, visual style, or other settings, but you need a quick check.
For example, you can temporarily apply a coordination view template, check an analytical model, inspect hidden categories, or switch to a different graphic setup. When you turn off Temporary View Properties, the original view template settings return.
If a View Control Bar setting is gray or disabled, check the view template first. A controlled view property cannot be edited directly until you modify the view template, remove the template, or use temporary view properties for a temporary check.
14. Show or Hide the Analytical Model
The Analytical Model control is used in structural and MEP analysis workflows. It shows or hides the simplified analytical representation used for analysis and coordination.
Most architectural users will not use this icon often. Structural users should use it when checking whether analytical members, supports, and connections line up correctly with the physical model.
15. Highlight Displacement Sets
Highlight Displacement Sets is used with displaced views. It colorizes displaced element sets so you can identify which elements have been moved for an exploded or presentation-style view. Other elements appear faded or halftoned.
Use this when creating exploded axonometric drawings or assembly diagrams. It helps you review which parts belong to each displacement set before exporting or placing the view on a sheet.
16. Reveal Constraints
Reveal Constraints displays constraints applied in the active view, such as locks, equality constraints, aligned relationships, and constrained dimensions. It is useful when elements are refusing to move or Revit shows a constraint warning.
Use it before deleting constraints blindly. A constraint may be protecting an important design relationship, such as grid alignment, wall position, or repeated spacing.
Shortcut: CX toggles Reveal Constraints mode.
17. Preview Visibility
Preview Visibility appears in the Family Editor. It lets you preview how family geometry will display under different visibility settings before loading the family into a project.
This is the missing tool in many older View Control Bar lists. If you are editing a family and trying to understand why geometry appears in one view but not another, use Preview Visibility along with the family element’s Visibility Settings.
For families, also check whether geometry is controlled by detail level, view direction, type parameters, instance parameters, or visibility parameters. The View Control Bar helps you test the result, but the family settings usually control the underlying behavior.
Why Some View Control Bar Tools Are Missing
If your View Control Bar does not show every tool listed above, nothing is necessarily wrong. Revit changes the bar based on context.
| Missing or disabled tool | Likely reason | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Rendering Dialog | The active view is not a 3D view | Open or create a 3D view |
| Worksharing Display | Worksharing is not enabled | Check if the file is a central/workshared model |
| Analytical Model | Not relevant to the current discipline or model setup | Check structural/MEP analytical settings |
| Preview Visibility | You are not in the Family Editor | Open a family for editing |
| Scale or graphic controls are gray | A view template controls the property | Edit the view template or use Temporary View Properties |
View Control Bar vs Properties Palette
The View Control Bar is the quick-access version of common view settings. The Properties palette gives you deeper control over the same view and many additional parameters.
For quick changes, use the View Control Bar. For final documentation setup, use the Properties palette and view templates so your scale, detail level, visual style, crop behavior, visibility settings, and graphic standards stay consistent across sheets.
Fast view scale changes, visual style switching, crop toggles, temporary hide/isolate, and checking hidden elements.
View templates, crop settings, view range, discipline, phase, underlay, visibility overrides, and documentation standards.
Best Practices for Better Revit Views
- Start with view templates: use templates for repeated drawing types instead of manually adjusting each view.
- Set scale early: annotation density depends heavily on scale.
- Use Temporary Hide/Isolate for working only: reset it before printing unless you intentionally apply it to the view.
- Use Reveal Hidden Elements before deleting: missing objects are often hidden, filtered, phased, outside crop, or controlled by a template.
- Keep presentation views separate: duplicate a 3D view before changing shadows, visual style, crop, camera, or rendering settings.
- Check the view template when controls are locked: gray settings usually mean the template is doing its job.
Common Shortcuts for View Control Bar Workflows
| Shortcut | Command |
|---|---|
| GD | Graphic Display Options |
| WF | Wireframe |
| HL | Hidden Line |
| SD | Shaded with Edges |
| HH | Hide Element |
| HI | Isolate Element |
| HC | Hide Category |
| IC | Isolate Category |
| HR | Reset Temporary Hide/Isolate |
| RH | Reveal Hidden Elements |
| CX | Reveal Constraints |
| RR | Render |
Learn more about our PDF sheet for Revit shortcuts
FAQ
Where is the View Control Bar in Revit?
The View Control Bar is at the bottom of the active view window, above the Status Bar. Look for the scale control on the left side of the bar.
Why is my Revit View Control Bar missing tools?
The View Control Bar is context-sensitive. Some tools only appear in certain views, such as 3D views, workshared projects, structural or MEP workflows, or the Family Editor.
Why are some View Control Bar settings disabled?
A view template may be controlling that property. Open the Properties palette, check the assigned View Template, and edit the template or use Temporary View Properties if you only need a temporary check.
Is the View Control Bar the same as the Revit toolbar?
No. People sometimes call it a toolbar, but the View Control Bar is specifically the row of view display controls at the bottom of the active view. The Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar are different parts of the Revit interface.
Does changing View Control Bar settings affect every view?
Usually no. Most View Control Bar changes affect only the active view. To apply consistent settings across many views, use view templates.
Final Thoughts
The Revit View Control Bar is small, but it controls many of the settings you use every day. Start with the basics: scale, detail level, visual style, crop, and temporary hide/isolate. Then use the more specialized tools when the view type requires them, such as rendering in 3D views, worksharing display in central models, analytical model visibility for analysis workflows, and preview visibility in the Family Editor.
The best habit is to use the View Control Bar for fast checks, then use view templates and the Properties palette for final documentation standards. That keeps your views clean, consistent, and easier to troubleshoot.
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.
