A guide to managing recurring room and floor layouts with Revit groups

Groups, as described in Autodesk's Revit 2022 and Revit 2024 help documentation, provide a way to reuse sets of elements that will recur in a project or family. Instead of rebuilding the same elements repeatedly in similar layouts such as hotel rooms, apartments, and repeated floors, you can create a group and place multiple instances. This guide covers how to distinguish group types, create a reusable set, and adjust its placement reference.

1. Determine the group type and contents

Revit documentation describes three types: model groups, detail groups, and attached detail groups. Model groups contain model elements. Elements that belong to a specific view, such as text and filled regions, are placed in detail groups. Attached detail groups associate view-specific elements with a particular model group.

A team looking to repeat a room layout might include model elements such as walls and a bed in a model group. Notes or filled regions used in a specific view, however, are view-specific details. This distinction matters: in Revit, a group cannot contain both model elements and view-specific details in the same contents.

If you select and group elements of both types, Revit creates a model group and places the view details in an attached detail group. This means the resulting structure should be reviewed after grouping. You can also use the group editor to create a group or edit existing or new elements within a group.

2. Create a set of elements to repeat

1. In a project view, select the elements you want to use together. You can create a group by selecting elements in the view or by using the group editor.

2. Confirm that the selected elements can be copied together. According to Autodesk, elements that cannot be copied together cannot be grouped together.

3. Check whether the contents consist of model elements or view-specific details. If both types are selected, keep in mind that Revit may create an attached detail group.

4. Reuse the resulting group as needed in the project or family. Revit allows you to place a group more than once in a project or family.

5. After changing one instance, check the other instances of the same group. The relationship between instances means that a change to one group is reflected in the others.

You can also create a new group type by duplicating an existing one. This is an option for teams that want to manage similar layouts as different group types. However, the source documentation does not specify how much group types should differ. The group structure should therefore be determined by its intended use in the project.

3. Set the insertion point before placement

Revit references placement and editing operations involving groups to the group's insertion point. This reference is also used when moving, rotating, and pasting; the insertion point's location is retained in new instances of the same group type. For more predictable placement, consider whether the reference is in an appropriate location before using the group for the first time.

1. Select the group in a plan or 3D view. Three drag handles associated with the insertion point appear when you select it.

2. Use the center handle to move the insertion point to another location.

3. Use the handles at either end to adjust the insertion point's orientation around the z-axis.

4. Use Revit's snap points when adjusting the location and orientation. Autodesk notes that these points help position the insertion point and rotate the end handles.

Once an insertion point has been set, that location is used for every instance of the same group type. It can therefore be useful to select the group and check its reference before placing a room or floor layout in different locations. When using the handles, keep in mind that it is the group's insertion point that is being moved or rotated.

4. Save, load, and manage groups

When working in a project, a group can be saved as an RVT project file; when working in the Family Editor, it can be saved as an RFA family file. Revit models can be loaded into a project as groups. Revit family files can also be loaded into the Family Editor as groups. This makes it possible to reuse group contents from existing files.

There are also options for converting between groups and linked models. A group can be converted to a new model or replaced with an existing model and linked into the project. In the other direction, elements and datums in a linked model can be selected and converted into a group using the Bind Link tool. Since these options affect the project structure, decide before converting whether the content should be managed as a group or as a linked model.

To delete a group, first remove all its instances from the project. Don't assume that deleting only the instance visible on screen will also remove the group definition; check for other instances in the project.

Impact on architecture and visualization workflows

Architecture and interior design teams working with recurring room, apartment, or floor layouts can keep model setup organized by reusing a set of elements multiple times. The relationship between group instances means that a change to a shared element is reflected in the other instances. This can reduce the need to make changes one by one in projects with similar spaces.

Keeping recurring model sets consistent also matters in archviz workflows. However, the documentation does not say that groups will reduce render times or require particular hardware. The Revit version in use, the team's file organization, and any restrictions on copying elements should be evaluated separately. The group features covered in this guide are described in Autodesk's Revit 2022 and Revit 2024 documentation.

Common mistakes

• Grouping model elements and view-specific details as though they were the same type of content. A mixed selection may create an attached detail group.

• Trying to group elements that cannot be copied together. These elements cannot be grouped together.

• Failing to check the group's insertion point and orientation before using it. This reference is used when placing new instances.

• Overlooking other instances in the project when deleting a group. All instances must be removed before the group can be deleted.