Can you move an object that has been ʼPinnedʼ in Revit?
Short Answer
Yes — in Autodesk Revit, you can move an object that has been pinned, but the standard professional method is to first unpin it, then use Move to reposition it. Pinned elements are intentionally protected from accidental edits. Some system families or linked elements may still resist movement even after unpinning.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: Unpinning and moving a Revit object can break alignments, hosted relationships, or coordination assumptions in the model. A common failure is moving a pinned level-based or hosted element and then causing attached components, tags, or dimensions to shift unexpectedly.
How to Move a pinned object in Revit
Command: Move
Shortcut: MV
Quick Steps:
- Select the pinned object in the drawing area, then click the Unpin control on the Modify tab or from the contextual ribbon if the pin icon is available.
- On the Modify tab > Modify panel, click Move.
- Pick a base point, then pick the new location or enter a precise distance. If needed, keep Constrain toggled on or off depending on whether you want orthogonal movement.
Variables & Settings
Key Setting: Pinned property / pin control
Expert Setting: The pin state prevents many modification commands, including move operations, until the element is unpinned. For precise relocation, also check whether Constrain is enabled during Move, because it limits the direction of travel.
Why it Fails
- Cause 1 (Geometry): The element is hosted, attached, or constrained to other geometry, so moving it may be blocked or trigger errors.
- Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The element may belong to a linked model, workset permission may be restricted, or the element is controlled by group constraints rather than just the pin state.
- Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The object is still pinned, or multiple selected elements include pinned items, causing the Move command in Revit to fail or partially execute.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
- Quick Fix: Select the object, click Unpin, then run Move (MV) and verify any host, group, or constraint warnings before finishing.
- Manager’s Verdict: Use pinning in Revit to protect critical layout elements, grids, and reference components — but avoid pinning items that require frequent coordination changes.
FAQ
Can you temporarily unpin an object in Revit?
Yes, you can unpin it, move it, then pin it again afterward.
Why can’t I move a pinned object in Revit?
Because the pin state blocks modification until the element is unpinned.
Can a linked Revit model element be unpinned and moved?
No, linked model elements generally cannot be moved like native editable elements in the host model.
.