Revit Tip – Working with different Unit types from default Project Standard

By Dennis Collin

I am often surprised how many Revit users do not know about unit override key-ins when drawing or modifying elements within Revit. In many parts of the world the default working unit for Revit is millimetres. However other disciplines sometimes work in metres, or if working with a pre-1971 drawing in the UK the measurements might be in feet and inches! These users will then use a web site like google units or a calculator to convert units from imperial to metric or to a different unit type. In Revit this is simply not necessary to use different units within the project default, simply type in an appropriate notation override.

E.g.

• ‘ “ (Feet and Inches)
• cm (Centimetres)
• m (metres) etc.

The great thing about Revit is that it is unit aware of many types and this carries across into quantity and area schedules as well, where an area measured in square metres can easily be converted into another type of unit without having to remember complex conversion factors. Convert from cubic metres to cubic square feet anyone?

Create an alternate parameter type, turn off use project settings and choose the alternate Unit type. This process can be used for any numerical based unit type or discipline.