Revit – Section Mapping Database

Interoperability between MasterSeries and Revit sections is handled through a database that maps the sections based on:

Whether they’re a column or framing element

Material type – namely steel, concrete or timber

The section type, for example UB, UC, IPN, IPE etc

The section form, for example I-Sections, CHS, RHS, ASB etc

The MasterSeries Revit Link Manager ships with two databases for handling section mapping:

User Sections Database – used for storing details of custom Revit Families

MasterSeries Sections Database – used for storing details of Revit’s default Families

The User Sections Database can be added to and edited. However, the MasterSeries Sections Database is read-only and cannot be edited.

Opening the Revit Link Manager

1.With your Revit project open, select the Add-ins item from the ribbon bar

2.Click on the MasterSeries Revit Link Manager icon

Opening the Revit Section Mapping Database

1.Open the Revit Link Manager

2.At the bottom of the dialogue, click the Open Database button

Switching Between User and MasterSeries Databases

To switch between the User Sections Database and the MasterSeries Sections Database:

1.Open the Revit Section Mapping Database

2.From the top of the window, use the dropdown to switch between the available databases

a)Note that to enable editing of the User Sections tab you will need to have selected the User Sections Database from the drop down

Adding Support for Custom Revit Families

If you wish to export/import custom Revit Families, you’ll need to add a record for each family in the Revit Section Mapping Database. To do this:

1.Open the Revit Section Mapping Database

2.Ensure that the database is set to “User Sections Database” using the dropdown from the top of the window

3.Select the tab that corresponds to the material of your custom Revit Family

4.Select the tab which corresponds to the section form

5.Click the Add button in the top tool bar

6.Enter the Revit Family Name, Path and corresponding parameter values

7.Click the Save button

Specifying a Custom Revit Family Library Location

If you’re not using the default library location from Revit to store your custom family files, you’ll need to specify it. To do this:

1.Open the Revit Section Mapping Database

2.Ensure that the database is set to “User Sections Database” using the dropdown from the top of the window

3.At the bottom of the window, click the Browse button

4.Navigate to and select the folder where your custom Revit Family files are stored

5.Click OK

Referencing a Custom Revit Family Library Location in the Database

If you’ve specified a non-default location for custom Revit Family files, you can reference them in database section records:

1.Open the Revit Section Mapping Database

2.Ensure that the database is set to “User Sections Database” using the dropdown from the top of the window

3.In the database record that refers to a custom Revit Family, set the Path value to “[UDP]”

a)[UDP] is a short code for User Defined Path

4.Click the Save button