Microsoft recently released their latest
Office Suite 2007. They've redesigned the interface so that your options for each tool are more readily available. By watching how the interface changes with each click and drag of the mouse the software is showing you what your options are for the chosen tool. They can fit more options on the desktop because they are using what they call "The Ribbon." As you click on each tab of the ribbon, new options for each tool reveal themselves (also called Contextural Tabs). Sounds familiar? Revit works the same way but we call it the "Design Bar." Each tab of the design bar opens new tools and when each tool is selected new options popup on the options bar. Sometimes when you click on a tool the Design Bar changes to a Family Editor Design Bar and you're dropped into sketch mode.
Learning new software can be a challenge for new users. Most users have a bad habit of clicking only on the tools they know, until someone shows them what they don't know.
Well in Revit when you click on any Tool, new tools reveal themselves. The interface tells you what your options are for that tool. If you want to teach Revit's tools to new users just show them how the interface works and keep showing them how you explore tools until they habitually select their tools the same way every time.
- Select your tool(s) from the Design Bar or from the Tool Bar above.
- Read the Options Bar: from left to right select your options for the selected tool.
- Select the Working Plane you want to use your element on.
- Place the object in the Drawing Area. Hit the Spacebar and Tab key when placing elements or floating the mouse over placed elements to discover other things you didn't know.
- After an element is placed and selected still more options reveal themselves. Adjust any of the blue options that popup around your placed element. Select from the new options available in the Options Bar again.
- Other techniques that will reveal Revit's abilities is to right click on anything and explore the dropdown menu that presents itself (try it in the project browser too).
- Hold down the Delete or Shift Keys and select or deselect elements in the Drawing Area.
- Enable Worksets and Design Options for more options discovery.
Every drag and click in Revit will reveal new options. You just have to learn to pay attention to the interface and break that bad habit of only clicking on what you know. As new and more complex software becomes available you'll very likely see this behavior more in GUIs.
Labels: Applications, Practice
