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Custom Patterns Made Less Scary

Custom Patterns Made Less Scary

Andrell Laniewicz
Bend Revit to your Will

When faced with the challenge of needing a geometry that would be too intense to model (time, file size, value), but still needs to be represented, I find myself turning to Custom Model Patterns.

This is actually a huge accomplishment for myself personally. Maybe the jargon in the Text file and blog post from Autodesk makes sense to you, but it was worse than Klingon for me. Enter this blog post. Hopefully more visual learners will understand patterns more easily or those who have not ever made one will find this easy to follow.

Since I learned custom patterns, Autodesk came out with this much better article.

Is this even English!?

Is this even English!?

Find the .PAT file to start with here: %ProgramFiles%\Autodesk\Autodesk Revit 2020\Data

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Wall Pattern IRL
Wall Pattern IRL

The wall type in real life that needed to be represented. I ended up with this custom pattern and a sweep at the top of the wall.

Open .PAT file in Notepad (++)
Open .PAT file in Notepad (++)

Right click and open a DWG icon but with pattern extension in a word editor? Why yes!

Get to Model Custom Pattern
Get to Model Custom Pattern

Make sure Model is selected then click NEW at the bottom.

Navigate to .PAT File
Navigate to .PAT File

Choose Custom and a File Explorer to navigate through will pop up

Text file to Numeral Locations in .PAT file
Text file to Numeral Locations in .PAT file

In the Text file, this is the explanation of the numbers in their order. These are the numbers in the graph to which each area refers. The ‘dash, space’ can be related to “Pen Up” and “Pen Down” when drafting. The ‘offset’ is more in line with when the pattern repeats itself.

Numerical Graph to Line/Image
Numerical Graph to Line/Image

For me, I try to use the numbers as real life as possible and think of them in terms of inches or other units consistently. Here you can see what the origin lines of each of the 3 lines are and where they start from - as well as the repeat/offset spacing (same line to same line).

Repeat Spacing of a Line
Repeat Spacing of a Line

Shifting the ‘offset’, or repeat distance

Angle Orientation of a Line
Angle Orientation of a Line

Horizontal line anyone?

Shifting a Line
Shifting a Line

Changing the start origin has the same affect as the repeat/offset number for this example

Desired Text for .PAT
Desired Text for .PAT

Ah! The magic formula at last!

Desired Pattern Preview
Desired Pattern Preview

It looks so pretty

Visual in Revit
Visual in Revit

And in practice, it is exactly what I’m looking for to represent this metal seam wall

The color in the example would still be changed to match the IRL wall, but you can see the pattern.

I hope between this and the better article from Autodesk that Custom Patterns are less Spooky now!

Project Management Tip #1

Project Management Tip #1
Zoom in on Properties!

Zoom in on Properties!