Revit add-in · Structure · Drawing production

Detailed Section: detailed beam and column cross sections in Revit

Detailed Section was developed by the RDSIC Centre at the Institute of Information Technology in Civil Engineering (IIC). You place section marks across beams or columns, select the element and window-select those marks. The tool then completes each cross section: it crops the view around the section, tags the longitudinal bars and stirrups, adds dimensions, places break lines and applies a view template.

2 Ribbon commands
Beams · Columns Elements handled
2018 – 2023 Revit versions
See how to use it Download and licence
What Detailed Section does

From section marks to fully annotated cross sections

A continuous beam usually needs three to five cross sections at the supports and at midspan. By hand, each section means adjusting the crop region, tagging each bar group, adding dimensions and drawing break lines. Detailed Section handles every section mark you window-select on a plan or elevation in one run.

  • Crop the section view tight to the selected element and centre the section on the element
  • Sort the bars in the section into bar sets, single bars and stirrups, then tag each type
  • Tag longitudinal bars with Multi-Rebar Annotation, showing quantity and diameter (Quantity & Type)
  • Tag stirrups by diameter and spacing (Type & Spacing)
  • Dimension the section in two strings, including dimensions to the grid and to the face of the connected slab
  • Place break lines on both sides of the section, apply the view template and hide the crop boundary
Beam D2-8: three cross sections 7-7, 8-8 and 9-9 at 1:20, built from section marks placed on the beam elevation.
Commands

Two commands on the Structure panel of the ToRD tab

Choose the view template once; every section created afterwards uses that template.

  • Detailed Section Multi-Tag

    Creates detailed cross sections of columns or beams and tags the rebar with Multi-Rebar Annotation.

  • View Template

    Picks a Section or Detail view template from the project to apply to the sections you create.

  • Licensed · Help · About

    Register the licence, open the user guide and view the developer information.

The Structure panel of an earlier ToRD release, with the Detailed Section Single-Tag button. The current release uses the Detailed Section Multi-Tag button.
Workflow

Creating beam cross sections with Detailed Section, step by step

1. Installation and registration

  • Download the installer for your Revit version from the Download section and install it.
  • Open Revit, go to the ToRD tab and click Licensed. Fill in your full name, phone number, email, organisation and position, and select Detailed Section in the Version box.
  • Send these details with the code in the Key box to the Institute of Information Technology in Civil Engineering (IIC) to receive activation.
The Registration dialog shared by the ToRD tools.

2. Prepare the model

  • The beams (Structural Framing) or columns (Structural Columns) already contain rebar (Structural Rebar).
  • The project has at least one Section or Detail view template. Otherwise the tool reports There is no section or detailed view template in project.
  • Place Section marks across the element where sections are needed, for example at the left support, midspan and right support.

3. Choose a view template

Click View Template, pick a template from the list and click Apply. If you skip this step, the tool uses the first Section or Detail view template in the project.

4. Run Detailed Section Multi-Tag

  • Open the view that contains the section marks and click Detailed Section Multi-Tag.
  • Click a beam or column. If you pick any other element, the tool reports You must choose beam or column!
  • Drag a selection window across the section marks to build. The tool keeps only section views.
  • Wait while the tool processes each section in turn, then open the sections in the Project Browser to check the result.
Choose Detailed Section: Multi-Tag on the ribbon, then window-select the section marks on the beam elevation.
The section after the run: the rebar tags 3Ø22 and 2Ø12, the stirrup tag Ø8a150 and the section dimensions are added automatically.

5. Check and finish

  • Check the rebar tag positions; drag a tag away if it overlaps a dimension.
  • The sections use the TagRebar01 tag family and the Break_1phia break line family, loaded from the installation folder. You can edit these families to match your organisation's drawing standards.
  • Place the sections on sheets like any other view.
Software information

Developer and licence

Name
Detailed Section (ToRD Detailed Section Multi-Tag)
Revit versions
Revit 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
Developed by
The RDSIC Centre (Research and Development of Software in Construction), Institute of Information Technology in Civil Engineering (IIC), Hanoi University of Civil Engineering
Licence
Institute of Information Technology in Civil Engineering (IIC). Licensed software, activated per computer through the Licensed button on the ToRD tab
Operating system
Windows, runs as an Autodesk Revit add-in
Works on
Beams and columns with rebar; section marks; Section or Detail view templates
Download
Revit 2019 · Revit 2020 · Revit 2021
See other SDC software

Need a custom Revit tool for your organisation?

SDC develops software to order, from small plugins to specialist engineering software built together with the client's engineers.

Order software