How to draw a simple wall in Revit?
Short Answer
To draw a simple wall in Revit, use the Wall command from the Architecture tab and sketch it in a plan view. This is the fastest and most common professional method for creating standard architectural walls with the correct type, height, and location line. Limitation: walls must be created in a valid plan or 3d modeling context.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: If you start drawing walls with the wrong wall type, base constraint, or location line, the wall may be misplaced and connected incorrectly to floors, grids, or other walls. A very common failure is drawing in the wrong level view, which creates walls at an unintended elevation.
How to Draw a Simple Wall in Revit
Command: Wall
Shortcut: WA
Quick Steps:
- Open a floor plan view, then go to the Architecture tab > Build panel > Wall.
- In the Properties palette, choose the wall Type, set the Base Constraint and Top Constraint or Unconnected Height, and check the Location Line in the Options Bar.
- Click to define the wall start point and end point, then press Esc to finish the Wall command.
Variables & Settings
Key Setting: Location Line
Expert Setting: The Location Line controls whether the wall is drawn from the wall centerline, finish face, or core face. This directly affects alignment and dimensions, especially when matching structural grids or finished room layouts.
Why it Fails
Cause 1 (Geometry): The wall is drawn with the wrong Location Line, so it appears offset from the intended reference or joins incorrectly at corners.
Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The active view may have visibility settings, worksharing ownership, or linked model context that prevents you from seeing or properly coordinating the wall location.
Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The wall is created on the wrong Level or with an incorrect Top Constraint, so it does not appear where expected or extends to the wrong height.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
Quick Fix: Select the wall and correct its Base Constraint, Top Constraint, and Location Line in the Properties palette; if needed, use Align (AL) to match nearby references.
Manager’s Verdict: Use the standard Wall command in plan view for nearly all basic wall layout work. Avoid sketching walls without checking type and constraints first, especially in coordinated BIM projects.
FAQ
Can I draw a wall in 3D view in Revit?
Yes, but plan view is usually faster and more accurate for standard wall layout.
How do I change wall thickness after drawing?
Select the wall and change its wall Type in the Properties palette.
Why is my wall not visible after I draw it?
It is usually on the wrong level, outside the view range, or hidden by view settings.
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