Is a ʼCurtain Wallʼ considered a Revit wall category?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes. In Autodesk Revit, a curtain wall is part of the Wall category because it is created using the Wall command and assigned a curtain wall type. In schedules, visibility, and category-based controls, it behaves as a wall. Limitation: panels and mullions remain separate subcomponents with their own categories.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: Curtain Walls are hosted in the Wall category, but many users incorrectly expect curtain panels, mullions, and grids to follow standard wall behavior in every view, schedule, or filter. This often causes missing elements in documentation because those parts are controlled separately.

How-to

  • Command: Wall

  • Shortcut: WA

  • Quick Steps:

    1. On the Ribbon > Architecture tab > Build panel, click Wall.
    2. In the Type Selector, choose a curtain wall type such as Storefront or another custom curtain wall family.
    3. In the Properties palette, confirm settings like Location Line and Base Constraint, then place the wall in plan or elevation.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: Type Selector / Wall Type

    Curtain Walls are not a separate placement command in Revit; they are wall types placed through the Wall tool. The selected wall type determines whether the instance is a basic wall, stacked wall, or curtain wall.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The placed element is a basic wall type, not a curtain wall type, so it will not generate curtain grids, panels, or mullions.
  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): Visibility settings may show Walls but hide Curtain Panels or Mullions, making the curtain wall appear incomplete.
  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Users filter or schedule only the Wall category and assume all curtain wall components will be included, but subcomponents belong to different categories.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Select the wall, then use the Type Selector in the Properties palette to change it to a curtain wall type such as Storefront.
  • Manager’s Verdict: Use Curtain Walls when you need hosted wall behavior with grid-based glazing systems. Avoid treating them like standard walls in schedules and visibility control unless you also manage panels and mullions separately.

FAQ

Can a Curtain Wall be scheduled as a wall in Revit?
Yes, the main curtain wall instance can be included in wall schedules.

Are curtain panels in the Wall category?
No, curtain panels use their own category.

Can I convert a basic wall into a Curtain Wall?
Yes, if you change its type to a curtain wall type that is available in the project.

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