What is a Revit ʼTemporary Dimensionʼ?
Short Answer
A Revit Temporary Dimension is an on-screen measurement that appears when you place or select elements, helping you position them quickly with Aligned Dimension-style editable controls. The most common professional use is to click the dimension value and enter an exact distance. Limitation: temporary dimensions are contextual and do not always display every reference you need.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: Temporary dimensions only snap to references Revit considers valid at that moment, so they may measure to faces, centerlines, or nearby elements you did not intend. This often causes walls or components to shift to the wrong reference if you type a value too quickly without checking the witness lines.
How to Use Temporary Dimensions in Revit
Command: Modify
Shortcut: MV
Quick Steps:
- On the Ribbon > Modify panel, place or select a wall, door, window, or other editable element so temporary dimensions appear automatically.
- Click the temporary dimension value or its blue witness-line grip, then choose or confirm the reference you want to dimension from.
- Type the exact distance and press Enter; if needed, use the Activate Dimensions control or adjust the Witness Line reference option before finishing.
Variables & Settings
Key Setting: Temporary Dimensions in Manage > Additional Settings > Temporary Dimensions
Expert Setting: Here you control preferred references for temporary dimensions, such as measuring to Wall centerlines, Wall faces, or other common references. This directly affects what Revit displays first when elements are selected or placed.
Why it Fails
- Cause 1 (Geometry): The selected element does not have the reference you expect exposed in the current view, so the temporary dimension attaches to a different face or centerline.
- Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The element or nearby reference is constrained, pinned, or hosted in a way that prevents the dimension edit from moving it as intended.
- Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Temporary dimensions are not permanent annotation objects; they only appear during selection or placement and may disappear when the workflow context changes.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
- Quick Fix: Go to Manage > Additional Settings > Temporary Dimensions and change the reference behavior, then reselect the element and edit the value again.
- Manager’s Verdict: Use temporary dimensions for fast layout and precise placement during modeling, but switch to permanent dimensions when documenting, coordinating critical offsets, or controlling construction intent.
FAQ
Can temporary dimensions be turned into permanent dimensions?
No, you must place a separate permanent dimension with the Dimension tools.
Why do temporary dimensions show centerline instead of face?
Your Temporary Dimensions settings or the element’s available references are driving that behavior.
Do temporary dimensions appear for every Revit element?
No, they mainly appear for selectable model elements in editing or placement contexts.
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