Revit version: Applied to all Revit Versions

Objective:

Aligning multiple buildings using shared coordinates in Revit

Acknowledgements:

Establishing shared coordinates can be very confusing if it is not defined early in the pre-design stage and not clearly defined in the Building Execution Plan. This cheat sheet will explain everything you need to know about setting up a shared coordinate from the very beginning to end in detail.

This cheat sheet will be divided into 3 different parts to explain the entire process as follows:

Part 1. Defining the Shared Coordinate base with the Civil model

Part 2. Setting up shared coordinates in Revit using Civil Registration Model

Part 3. Troubleshooting Shared Coordinates

Setting up Shared Coordinates in Revit using Civil Registration Model:

Although the following process is optional, it is strongly recommended that creating a shared coordinate base template file will benefit the entire project during the project duration.

1.1 Acquiring Shared Coordinates from Civil Registration Model:

It is now time to acquire shared Coordinate from the Civil Registration model. If Civil Survey wasn’t available, all major teams need to collaborate and decide which team’s model will be used for the Shared Coordinate base. Typically, the architecture model is used within the industry.

1. Open Civil Registration Model
2. Insert your project model as a link using Insert > Link Revit
3. Use Auto–Center to center positioning when you are inserting the Revit Link
4. Reposition the inserted link using the move, and rotation commands and place it to align with Civil Registration Model.
5. Select the inserted link from the 3D view. Click the <Not Shared> button on the Properties panel under Shared Site.
6. Select the first option “Publish the current shared coordinate system to “<Your Project Mode.rvt>”. This will modify all Named positions of the linked model. Then click Reconcile. 
7. Synchronizing the model will update the link’s shared coordinate. Click Save when prompted.
8. Open the inserted link from the Project Browser by Open and Unload.
9. Open Site plan view. Select the Survey Point and unclip it to make it independent.
10. Move the Survey and Project Base Point to match the Civil Registration model.
11. Save the file. The shared coordinate is applied to your project model.
12. Repeat steps 1 through 11 to align the rest of the models.

About the Author

Sr Technical Support Specialist<br><br> Skilled in AutoCAD, Mixed-use, Renovation, Revit, and Sustainable Design. Strong arts and design professional with a BA in Urban design focused in Architecture from University of Washington.

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