Can you create a custom shape for a wall opening in Revit?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes — in Autodesk Revit, you can create a custom shape for a wall opening, but the most common professional method is to use an in-place opening cutter or a hosted family with a void, then apply Edit Profile only where supported. For most wall conditions, a wall-based family with void cuts is the standard workflow. A key limitation is that not every wall type or host condition supports profile editing cleanly.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: Custom wall openings in Revit often fail when the wall is joined, stacked, curved, or constrained by attached geometry. A very common issue is that the void or edited profile appears correct in plan but does not cut properly in elevation, section, or across linked/model-in-place conditions.

How to Create a Custom Shape for a Wall Opening

  • Command: Wall Opening

  • Shortcut: No default shortcut

  • Quick Steps:

    1. On the Architecture tab, in the Opening panel, click Wall Opening.
    2. Select the wall, then sketch the opening boundary in the wall elevation view or a suitable perpendicular view.
    3. Finish the sketch with Finish Edit Mode; if needed, check the wall in section/elevation to confirm the cut is fully passing through the host.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: Draw for openings / sketch boundary and wall host orientation

  • Expert Setting: The opening sketch must be created in a view aligned properly to the wall face. If the wall is slanted, curved, or joined at complex intersections, using a wall-based family with an unattached void and Cut with Voids When Loaded may be more reliable than a basic Wall Opening sketch.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The wall is curved, slanted, stacked, or joined in a way that prevents the sketched opening from cutting as expected.
  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The wall or related geometry is constrained, attached to roof/floor, or locked by joins, which can block or distort the opening result.
  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The Wall Opening tool is limited to simpler through-openings and does not handle every custom shape or family-based workflow requirement.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: If Wall Opening fails, create a wall-based family with a void form, enable Cut with Voids When Loaded, then place it in the wall and use Cut Geometry if required.
  • Manager’s Verdict: Use Wall Opening for fast standard custom openings, but switch to a wall-based void family for repeatable details, scheduling control, and better BIM standards in production models.

FAQ

Can Revit make non-rectangular wall openings?
Yes, if the opening sketch or void family geometry supports the shape.

Can I use Edit Profile instead of Wall Opening?
Sometimes, but it depends on the wall type and model conditions.

Why does the opening show in one view but not another?
The cut may be view-dependent, constrained, or not fully intersecting the wall geometry.

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