Revit filled region hatching and 2D linework are for things not worth modelling: a two-millimetre waterproofing layer, a sealant bead, a spacer. Modelling them makes the file heavy without making the drawing clearer, so drawing them in 2D is the right call.
This article covers 2D detailing in Revit, ordered the way you work, with screenshots from Revit 2027 in English. Dimensions are in how to dimension in Revit, text and tags in how to tag in Revit. To learn the documentation stage in full, see the Revit Architecture course.
Step 1 — the Detail panel and three pairs that get mixed up
The 2D tools sit on Annotate, Detail panel.
| Tool | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Detail Line | 2D line, visible only in the view it was drawn in |
| Region | Filled and masking regions, see Step 3 |
| Component | Detail components and repeating details, see Step 4 |
| Revision Cloud | Marks changes when issuing a revision |
| Detail Group | Groups detail elements for reuse |
| Insulation | Zigzag insulation symbol |
Three pairs of tools look alike but behave very differently:
Step 2 — Revit detail lines and line styles
Revit has two kinds of line: Model Line on Architecture and Detail Line on Annotate.
| Kind | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Model Line | Lives in the 3D model and shows in every view that can see it, perspectives included |
| Detail Line | Lives on one view's plane and shows only in that view |
The rule: notes and details use Detail Line. Draw them with Model Line and your detail linework appears in 3D views, which is hard to trace.
Line styles are set under Manage › Additional Settings › Line Styles.
| No. | Element | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table header | Four columns Category, Line Weight, Line Color, Line Pattern, set like Object Styles |
| 2 | Modify Subcategories | New creates a line style, such as a waterproofing line or a pipe line |
New styles appear in the Line Style box on the ribbon when Detail Line runs, so the team shares one set of pens without memorising numbers.
Step 3 — hatching with a Revit filled region
Click Region on the Detail panel.
| Item | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Filled Region | A hatch pattern with a boundary. Material hatching on section details |
| Masking Region | An opaque white area hiding everything behind. Covers part of the model so you can redraw it in 2D |
Autodesk covers it in Filled Regions.
Note. Masking regions are easy to abuse. Masking a model error and drawing over it hides the error rather than fixing it; quantities still come from the wrong model.
The floor and roof-tile hatching that appears on plans and sections by itself is not a filled region: it is the pattern of the element's material layer, changed in the build-up; see how to create a floor in Revit.
A Revit masking region is a view-specific element, so it hides the model only in the view where it is drawn.
Step 4 — Revit repeating detail and insulation
Click Component on the Detail panel.
| Item | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Detail Component | Place a 2D detail component, such as a brick or a steel section |
| Repeating Detail Component | Array a detail component along a line: brick courses, roof tiles, stair nosings in section |
| Legend Component | Place a component in a legend view; greyed out elsewhere |
Repeating detail is the biggest time saver in 2D detailing. Fifteen bricks by hand take five minutes; with this tool you draw one line, and changing the spacing is one parameter:
- Start Repeating Detail Component.
- Click Edit Type and pick the component to repeat in Detail.
- Set the Layout: Fill Available, Fixed Distance, Fixed Number or Maximum Spacing.
- Click the start and end points of the line.
Insulation has its own tool: it draws a zigzag band between two lines, with the width set on the ribbon while it runs.
Step 5 — Revit drafting views and the Revit legend view
Some details cannot come from the model: a waterproofing detail copied from a handbook, a supplier's connection detail, general notes. Revit has two views for these.
| View | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Drafting View | A pure 2D view that ignores the model. Drawn with Detail Line, Filled Region, Detail Component |
| Legend | A legend view that accepts real components, for symbol keys and graphic component schedules |
Create a legend with Legends on View, Create panel.
Legend makes a normal legend; Keynote Legend a keynote legend. Choose Legend and Revit asks for a name and scale.
The legend's scale is the scale its components are drawn at, so match the drawing it will sit on. The view opens empty; place components with Component on Annotate, where Legend Component is enabled only inside a legend view.
One click places the first family in the list. Revit 2027 no longer has an Options Bar to choose beforehand, so place it and then change it in Properties.
| No. | Element | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | View Direction | Which way the component is viewed: Floor Plan, Elevation Front, Elevation Back. Doors need both plan and elevation |
| 2 | Component Type | The family and type drawn. Change it to switch to another component, including doors, walls and fixtures |
Host Length defaults to 914.4, 36 inches, the length of wall drawn with a door or window. It is greyed in the image because the selected component is an air terminal, which has no host wall. Switch Component Type to a door type and the box becomes editable; change it to 1000 or 1200.
Tip. Vietnamese door schedules in graphic form are made exactly this way: one Legend Component per door type viewed as Elevation Front, in a row, with the mark and size typed below. Change the door type in the model and the legend follows.
| No. | Element | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Build-up codes | N1, N2, NW, S1, S2, S3, SW, M1, M2, ST1, ST2: codes naming each floor, roof and terrace build-up |
| 2 | Layer list | Each layer from the top down, with mortar grade and thickness. Typed text and lines, edited by hand |
| 3 | Second column | Two columns to fit the sheet; the layout is entirely up to the drafter |
A legend view can go on many sheets, while plans and sections go on one. That is why symbol keys and general notes are legends. Autodesk covers them in Legend Views.
The detail sheet below groups six small drawings and shows how dimensions, notes and symbols work together on a construction sheet.
| No. | Element | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | View title and scale | Each drawing has a title and a 1:20 or 1:30 scale; without them the builder cannot tell which is which |
| 2 | Dimension string | Vertical dimensions give fixing heights from the finished floor, telling the fitter where to drill |
| 3 | Leader notes | Text with leaders pointing at each layer, most of the text on a detail sheet |
| No. | Element | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ceiling materials | Three ceiling codes, one per ceiling type, plus a grey swatch for finished ceilings detailed on other sheets |
| 2 | Light fittings | One symbol per luminaire, with wattage and mounting |
The third legend sits just below the light fittings: ceiling devices, covering fire alarm bells and call points, smoke detectors, sprinkler heads, hose cabinets and extinguishers, and exit signs.
All three are legends, not schedules: they do not read the model, so check them against the plan yourself.
Tip. Keep a set of drafting views for reusable details in the office template. Every new project starts with standard details, and nobody draws them differently.
Step 6 — section marks, grid heads and level heads for Vietnamese drawings
Revit's symbols follow US conventions; Vietnamese drawings differ, and this is a one-off job for the whole office. Placing and numbering the sections themselves is covered in how to create a section in Revit.
| Symbol | Revit vs Vietnamese drawings |
|---|---|
| Grid head | Revit draws a circle, as Vietnamese drawings do; usually only the diameter and text size change |
| Level head | Revit draws a triangle or arrow; Vietnamese drawings use a half-black, half-white triangle, so it must change |
| Section mark | Revit draws a round head with numbers; Vietnamese drawings use heavy end strokes with arrows and letters, so it must change |
| Room tag | Revit shows name over number; drawings often add area, so choose another room tag type |
A room tag is an annotation family placed directly in the project. Grids, levels and sections are system elements; only their head symbol is an annotation family, assigned through a type parameter. So selecting a grid or a level shows no Edit Family button on the ribbon. The fix takes four steps:
- Open the family. Room tag: select the tag and click Edit Family on the ribbon. Grid head, level head, section head: open Project Browser › Families › Annotation Symbols, right-click the head family (for example Level Head - Circle) and choose Edit.
- In the Family Editor, edit the graphics and the label inside.
- Click Load into Project and overwrite the existing version. Every symbol using that family updates.
- Check the assignment. Grids and levels: select one, click Edit Type and confirm the Symbol box points to the edited family. Sections: go to Manage › Settings › Additional Settings › Section Tags and check the Section Head box.
Note. Save the edited family to the office library as well. Otherwise the next project starts from scratch and two projects end up with two symbol sets. For family editing, see how to create a Revit family.
Try it: the roof-to-wall detail
Work on section MC-A-A at 1:50 with dimensions done.
- Create a callout of the roof-to-wall junction at 1:20.
- In the callout, draw the waterproofing with Detail Line using a new line style named
NET-CHONG-THAM. - Use Filled Region to hatch the screed with a dot pattern.
- Use Repeating Detail Component to lay roof tiles along the roof edge.
- Annotate the build-up with a multi-segment leader, one line per layer. Save the project.
Common 2D detailing problems
| Problem | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Detail linework appears in 3D | Drawn with Model Line. Delete and redraw with Detail Line |
| Legend Component is greyed out | You are not in a legend view. Open a legend and try again |
| Doors in the legend carry odd wall stubs | Host Length defaults to 914.4. Set 1000 or 1200 |
| Edited symbols revert in the next project | The family was loaded into the project but not saved to the library |
Frequently asked questions
How do I hatch a section detail in Revit?
Use Annotate › Region › Filled Region, sketch the boundary and choose a pattern. Hatching that already shows on floors and walls belongs to the material layer.
How is a drafting view different from a legend?
A drafting view holds a stand-alone detail and goes on one sheet. A legend accepts real components and goes on many sheets, which suits symbol keys and general notes.
Why does my detail linework show in 3D?
It was drawn with Model Line. Detail Line shows only in the view where it was drawn.
Related articles
- How to dimension in Revit — dimension strings and levels on detail sheets
- How to tag in Revit and add text — leader notes and Vietnamese fonts
- How to export Revit drawings to CAD and PDF — issuing detail sheets
- How to create a floor in Revit — material hatching in the build-up