& Construction

Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
& Manufacturing

Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Load and place a mass family.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
6 min.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
Transcript
00:03
And first, we need to load in a mass family file and place it within the project.
00:09
So we'll go to the insert ribbon tab
00:12
and from the load from library panel,
00:14
we'll click the load family button.
00:18
You'll need to browse to where you have the exercise files saved
00:22
and then select the mass building in family file
00:25
and click open to load this into the project.
00:29
Now to place it in the project,
00:31
we'll go to the
00:33
mall and site ribbon tab
00:35
and from the conceptual mass panel,
00:37
we'll click the place mass tool.
00:39
We have an alert to let us know that rev it has enabled the show mass mode
00:44
and this temporarily makes the masses visible throughout the project.
00:47
As generally, they are hidden in the views via the visibility graphics.
00:51
So we'll click close to continue.
00:54
Now, looking at the type selector,
00:55
we can see we have the mass building family that we loaded.
00:59
However, going up to the modify place mass ribbon,
01:02
we can see on the placement panel that's currently placed on face.
01:06
So we need to change this to be placed on work plane.
01:10
And now coming into the view, we can see we have that mass
01:13
and we just need to click to place this in the center of the view.
01:17
I'll
01:17
click modify to finish placing the mouse.
01:21
And now from the project browser,
01:22
we'll open up the exterior 3D view.
01:26
Then here we can see we have the 3D mass
01:28
and also the levels that have been created within the project.
01:32
When working with a mass family
01:34
mass floors are used to divide the mass into
01:37
slices at the levels defined in the project.
01:41
They contain no actual geometry.
01:43
Unlike the floors that would be created using
01:46
the floor tool with floor system families,
01:49
they can be used to help analyze the
01:51
mass by providing areas and dimensions of each floor
01:55
that could be used to calculate the overall areas of the building.
01:59
The mass floors remain dynamic as the levels and mass family are altered.
02:03
Meaning we can quickly compare options at this early design stage
02:08
to create the mass floors. I'll first select the mass
02:12
and then from the modify mass ribbon tab on the model panel,
02:16
I'll click mass floors.
02:19
And now we need to select the floors through which we want to create the levels.
02:23
So we'll check all four
02:25
and then click. OK.
02:26
And immediately we can see those flaws have been cut through the mass
02:30
and that they align with the levels that we can see in the project here.
02:37
And if I select one of these floors,
02:39
we can look at the properties palette here.
02:41
And we can see that we have parameters here for
02:44
area perimeter and also the volume of those floors.
02:48
Now to attach model objects to the mass to create a more detailed building in,
02:52
we will use the model by face tools.
02:55
So on the metal and site tab
02:57
on the model by face panel,
02:59
we can see that we have tools here for floor by face wall by face roof,
03:04
by face and curtain system by face.
03:07
And we'll begin by creating some flaws.
03:10
So we'll go to the floor by face tool and click on this.
03:14
And now looking at the type selector,
03:16
we can see we have the generic 12 inch floor type selected
03:19
and from the modify place floor by face ribbon here,
03:22
we can see we have select multiple enabled.
03:25
So that means we can now come into the view
03:27
and then just holding down the mouse button,
03:29
we can drag across with a crossing selection to
03:32
select all of those mass flaws.
03:35
And now from the ribbon, we'll click create floor
03:38
straight away. We can see now that we have those physical floor slabs created
03:41
around the actual mass floors and
03:43
zooming in here, we can see the 12 inch thickness of those floors.
03:49
So I'll click modify to finish placing those floors
03:54
and now we'll create a roof for the building.
03:56
So from the ma
03:57
and site tab on the model by face panel, we'll click the roof by face tool.
04:03
Now looking at type selector,
04:04
we can see we have the generic 12 inch roof type selected.
04:08
And beneath this in the constraints panel,
04:10
we can see that we have the picked faces location set to be faces at the top of the roof.
04:16
And this means that the top of the roof would sit on the
04:20
face and and therefore the whole roof would sit inside the mast.
04:23
So
04:24
we'll change this to be faces at the bottom of the roof,
04:27
which means the roof will now sit on top of the mast.
04:31
Looking at the ribbon, we can see we have select multiple enabled again,
04:34
so we can come and pick on the faces that are gonna make up the roof. So
04:38
picking these two here and making sure we get all six of them
04:44
and now we can click, create roof
04:47
and we can see now that that roof has been created
04:49
around the faces that we had selected.
04:53
Whilst the tool is active,
04:55
we can select the top of the linked block just here and click create roof fronts more.
04:60
And then we'll pick the top of the link and click create roof
05:03
to create roofs along the main building.
05:06
Now, from the type selector, I'll change this to be the generic nine inch roof type.
05:11
And then we zoom in a little bit and we'll select the two faces on top of the canopy here
05:17
and again, click create roof to have that roof created over the canopy.
05:22
Now we'll click, modify to finish creating rooves.
Video transcript
00:03
And first, we need to load in a mass family file and place it within the project.
00:09
So we'll go to the insert ribbon tab
00:12
and from the load from library panel,
00:14
we'll click the load family button.
00:18
You'll need to browse to where you have the exercise files saved
00:22
and then select the mass building in family file
00:25
and click open to load this into the project.
00:29
Now to place it in the project,
00:31
we'll go to the
00:33
mall and site ribbon tab
00:35
and from the conceptual mass panel,
00:37
we'll click the place mass tool.
00:39
We have an alert to let us know that rev it has enabled the show mass mode
00:44
and this temporarily makes the masses visible throughout the project.
00:47
As generally, they are hidden in the views via the visibility graphics.
00:51
So we'll click close to continue.
00:54
Now, looking at the type selector,
00:55
we can see we have the mass building family that we loaded.
00:59
However, going up to the modify place mass ribbon,
01:02
we can see on the placement panel that's currently placed on face.
01:06
So we need to change this to be placed on work plane.
01:10
And now coming into the view, we can see we have that mass
01:13
and we just need to click to place this in the center of the view.
01:17
I'll
01:17
click modify to finish placing the mouse.
01:21
And now from the project browser,
01:22
we'll open up the exterior 3D view.
01:26
Then here we can see we have the 3D mass
01:28
and also the levels that have been created within the project.
01:32
When working with a mass family
01:34
mass floors are used to divide the mass into
01:37
slices at the levels defined in the project.
01:41
They contain no actual geometry.
01:43
Unlike the floors that would be created using
01:46
the floor tool with floor system families,
01:49
they can be used to help analyze the
01:51
mass by providing areas and dimensions of each floor
01:55
that could be used to calculate the overall areas of the building.
01:59
The mass floors remain dynamic as the levels and mass family are altered.
02:03
Meaning we can quickly compare options at this early design stage
02:08
to create the mass floors. I'll first select the mass
02:12
and then from the modify mass ribbon tab on the model panel,
02:16
I'll click mass floors.
02:19
And now we need to select the floors through which we want to create the levels.
02:23
So we'll check all four
02:25
and then click. OK.
02:26
And immediately we can see those flaws have been cut through the mass
02:30
and that they align with the levels that we can see in the project here.
02:37
And if I select one of these floors,
02:39
we can look at the properties palette here.
02:41
And we can see that we have parameters here for
02:44
area perimeter and also the volume of those floors.
02:48
Now to attach model objects to the mass to create a more detailed building in,
02:52
we will use the model by face tools.
02:55
So on the metal and site tab
02:57
on the model by face panel,
02:59
we can see that we have tools here for floor by face wall by face roof,
03:04
by face and curtain system by face.
03:07
And we'll begin by creating some flaws.
03:10
So we'll go to the floor by face tool and click on this.
03:14
And now looking at the type selector,
03:16
we can see we have the generic 12 inch floor type selected
03:19
and from the modify place floor by face ribbon here,
03:22
we can see we have select multiple enabled.
03:25
So that means we can now come into the view
03:27
and then just holding down the mouse button,
03:29
we can drag across with a crossing selection to
03:32
select all of those mass flaws.
03:35
And now from the ribbon, we'll click create floor
03:38
straight away. We can see now that we have those physical floor slabs created
03:41
around the actual mass floors and
03:43
zooming in here, we can see the 12 inch thickness of those floors.
03:49
So I'll click modify to finish placing those floors
03:54
and now we'll create a roof for the building.
03:56
So from the ma
03:57
and site tab on the model by face panel, we'll click the roof by face tool.
04:03
Now looking at type selector,
04:04
we can see we have the generic 12 inch roof type selected.
04:08
And beneath this in the constraints panel,
04:10
we can see that we have the picked faces location set to be faces at the top of the roof.
04:16
And this means that the top of the roof would sit on the
04:20
face and and therefore the whole roof would sit inside the mast.
04:23
So
04:24
we'll change this to be faces at the bottom of the roof,
04:27
which means the roof will now sit on top of the mast.
04:31
Looking at the ribbon, we can see we have select multiple enabled again,
04:34
so we can come and pick on the faces that are gonna make up the roof. So
04:38
picking these two here and making sure we get all six of them
04:44
and now we can click, create roof
04:47
and we can see now that that roof has been created
04:49
around the faces that we had selected.
04:53
Whilst the tool is active,
04:55
we can select the top of the linked block just here and click create roof fronts more.
04:60
And then we'll pick the top of the link and click create roof
05:03
to create roofs along the main building.
05:06
Now, from the type selector, I'll change this to be the generic nine inch roof type.
05:11
And then we zoom in a little bit and we'll select the two faces on top of the canopy here
05:17
and again, click create roof to have that roof created over the canopy.
05:22
Now we'll click, modify to finish creating rooves.
How to buy
Privacy | Do not sell or share my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use | Legal | © 2025 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved
Sign in for the best experience
Save your progress
Get access to courses
Receive personalized recommendations
May we collect and use your data?
Learn more about the Third Party Services we use and our Privacy Statement.May we collect and use your data to tailor your experience?
Explore the benefits of a customized experience by managing your privacy settings for this site or visit our Privacy Statement to learn more about your options.