Revit - What are the 3 coordinate origin points for?

By Garry Stockton

There are 3 different origin points in a Revit project:

1. Project BasePoint
2. Survey Point
3. Internal Origin

Below is a short description of each point:

PROJECT BASE POINT: This point is used almost exclusively for internal purposes. It is used to place

dimensions relative to the building. It is represented by a blue circle with a cross in the middle. It can also be used to set the angle difference between True North and Project North.

SURVEY POINT: This is used to create a “shared coordinates” system amongst multiple linked Revit or CAD files. That means its location is most useful when exporting and importing files. It is usually placed relative to a real-world site element such as the intersection of 2 property lines or a geodetic marker.

INTERNAL ORIGIN: This is a bit different. This point is invisible and cannot be moved. Most users don’t even know it exists. By default, importing or exporting a CAD or Revit file will be made relative to this point, therefore confusing many people.