How Do You Use Design Options in Revit
So, as is the way with these things, recently I had to do a quick refresh of some of my own existing content to refamiliarise myself with the optimum way of creating, managing and assigning design options in Revit (spending too much time managing projects these days, not enough in production).
So, to inform my peers (who am I kidding – to inform myself) here lies the question- How to use Design Options in Revit? Perhaps, more specifically, how to create, manage and eventually assign design options in Revit in an intelligent and concise manner?
Firstly, Go to your Manage Tab and select "Design Options". Then, on the right hand side of the new Design Options Dialogue Window, select "New" under the Option Set. This will create "Option Set 1" . Under the new option set, you will see "Option 1 (Primary)" – Select this and rename it accordingly. This is your first design option. Then, add a "New" design option under the "Option" section (right hand side) to create an alternate design option. In the model, select the items/families that you want as your first option (and their associated hosts) and assign them to the first design option. Then, create the geometry belonging to your second design, select it all and add it to the second design option. Finally, once you have a decision on which design is to remain, go back to your main model, select the Design option you want to keep and assign it as "Primary". Finally, press "Accept Primary" and it will delete the redundant design option(s) and assign the Design Option of your choice as the main model.
So, now that we understand the fundamentals of How to Use Design Options in Revit, let's work through the example tutorial below to learn the full process and any nuances that need to be highlighted.
Note: I have created an accompanying video that illustrates each of the steps below on creating/using Design Options in Revit. It is embedded below if that is your preferred learning format, so I hope you enjoy it! If you prefer a more linear, methodical approach of How to Use Design Options in Revit proceed below the video for a step-by-step written account complete with images.
Step 1 : Understanding Revit Design Options Terminology and Functionality
To begin to familiarise yourself with the lexicon and functions of Design Options in Revit, first open the Design options Dialogue.
Manage Tab → Design Options.
As you can see, once opened there is nothing that is descriptive of the design options functionality – merely a blank Window.
So, to get started, you need to understand the following terms:
a) Design Option Sets – Design Option Sets are the Parent "container" which houses your design options/solutions/alternatives. The practical way to think of design option sets is they are related to one area of the building that is subject to multiple design options/solutions (for example, multiple office furniture layouts options or numerous potential designs for a building extension).
Essentially, Design Options are grouped within Design Option Sets which are in turn representative as one of multiple areas within a project where alternate design options are being explored.
b) Design Options – A Design option is one design solution among others which is under consideration / review. The alternative Design Options serve to solve the design problem / realise a client requirement.
Much the same as the example listed in the previous segment, you may have design options for individual apartment layouts within a cellular design for repeating apartment footprints, aka the internal retrofit may have multiple Design Options but the boundary for each remains consistent.
c) Main Model – This is the entire Revit model excluding any design Options. All Geometry that is not assigned to a Design Option is considered part of the Main Model. Later on in a project, once a Design Option is agreed upon as final, they are merged into the Main Model via the "Apply Primary" function within the Design Options dialogue.
d) Active Option – this is the Design Option that is currently being edited by the user. Refer below for how to edit design options or how to determine the Active Option.
e**) Primary Option** – This is the "choice" or preferred design option within any Option Set. Only one design option within any option set may be assigned as hte primary with any subsequent design options automatically placed as secondary options (although secondary options can be moved up to the Primary Option status via the "Make Primary" option within the design options window).
As a default, all views will automatically display the Main Model and Primary Design Option unless told specifically to show a specific design option whereby the main model will appear greyed out relative to the design option elements.
f) Secondary Option – This is a design option deemed the "lesser" or "alternative" to the Primary Design Option. You can have multiple Secondary Design Options available per Option Set.
Note that the main model cannot reference elements within a Secondary Design Option.
OK – hopefully that was not too much to digest! Don't worry if you found the above a little daunting as the following outline will simplify the Design Option Workflows in Revit significantly. The lexicon is more troublesome than the functions.
Step 2: Setting up Design Option Sets
Thankfully, the first step is very straightforward.
To set up a Design Option Set in Revit, go to Manage Tab → Design Options.
On the Right hand side you will see New under the Option Set heading. Press New.
In the left hand field you will see "Option Set 1" appear alongside a provisional Primary Design Option, usually automatically named Option 1 (Primary), as shown below.
If you wish you can rename the Design Option (select Option Set 1 → Rename) and likewise for the design options. In this example we have maintained the original automated naming convention for ease.
Also note that if you have multiple areas within your project that are subject to variable design solutions you should add more Design Option Sets accordingly .
An example May be that you have a House Extension which you assign to Design Option Set 1, with Extension Design Options 1.1 and 1.2 housed within the option set accordingly. Then you may need an Option Set 2 to associate to an internal redesign of the existing rooms, which may also house Retrofit Option 2.1 and 2.2 respectively. Fundamentally – design options allow you to entertain multiple design solutions across multiple parts of a project simultaneously.
Step 3: Setting up your Design Options
Adding additional Design options to your Option Set is very straightforward. Within the Design Options Toolbar, on the right hand side you will see New under the Options heading. Select New and note how it will add an additional Design Option under the Option Set.
As before, you may rename your Design Options if required.
Step 4: Assigning and Creating Geometry to a Design Option in Revit
In short, there are two ways to add model geometry to a design option. The first is to assign existing geometry to a Design Option. The Second is to draw the Revit Geometry directly into the required Design Option. I will show you both below.
Assigning already generated model Geometry to a Design Option:
- First, select all the geometry you want to assign to the desired Design Option. Make sure to include hosting items into this (eg.- if you require doors or windows to be added into a design option, you must also select the wall that hosts these elements, otherwise they will not migrate into the Design Option).
So, your selection should look something like the following image:
Once the geometry is selected, you can then move it into the desired Design Option, or "Full Height Windows", aka Option 1, in the example video.
- To do this, once your geometry is selected, go to Manage —> Design Options – Add to Set.
- Then, you can select the Option Set that contains your desired Design Option
- Turn off all but the Design Option that you want the Geometry to be part of.
- You may get a join error warning about some geometry unjoining from the main model once it has been assigned to the workset. This is ignorable so you may unjoin and proceed. The Join conditions will be re-established once the Design Option is agreed and converted back into the main model at a later stage.
Excellent – your geometry should now have moved to your desired Design Option. Well Done!
Creating Model Geometry Directly within your Desired Revit Design Option:
So, to ensure you are modelling directly into any chosen Design Option, do the following:
- Go to the Manage Tab → Design Options → Dropdown Menu (Main Model) (img 4.6)
- Select your desired Design Option for the model geometry you are about to create in your Revit Project. (Img 4.7)
- Model away! Everything you create will be placed in the newly selected Design Option
Note – Try remain aware of the Design Option you are modelling in at all times. You can unfortunately undertake a lot of abortive work if not careful and continue working in a Design option that you should have moved on from / changed to another. This is particularly important in larger collaborative practices.
Step 5: Assigning Final Design Option to your Revit Model
Once you have the go-ahead on the final design for your area of development, it is time to remove all other design options and assign the chosen one as the main model. To do this, do the following:
- Ensure you are Set to View the Main Model (Manage Tab → Design Options Dropdown Menu)
- Open the Design Options Dialogue Menu (Manage → Design Options)
- Select the Design Option that you want to make part of the Main Model.
- Select Make Primary from the right hand menu bar, under the Option subsection.
- Finally, select Accept Primary to merge the Design Option with the Main Model. You will get a warning to delete the other Design Options within the same Option Set – select Yes.
- Brilliant! You have now assigned your Design Option as the final design solution for your particular needs and removed all other Design Options that were held within the same Option Set.
All Set!
I hope that you have found this useful and that you now have an in-depth understanding of the primary topics covered in the above:
- Understanding Revit Design Options Terminology and Functionality
- Setting up your Design Options Sets
- Setting up your Design Options
- Moving Geometry into respective Design options
- Assigning Final Design Option to your Revit Model
Do you have any other suggested tips? Please let me know in the comments below, or follow me on any various platform (Youtube, Twitter, Buymeacoffee etc.). I also highly recommend joining the Free 8020BIM Discord Community – there are some smart buttons over there and we enjoy helping each other out and discussing our Revit, BIM, Navisworks, CAD and general AEC problems and topics.
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See you for the next one.
Niall
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How Do You Use Design Options in Revit
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