It’s time to slowly familiarize yourself with the environment in which you will create your projects (Working Interface). In this lesson, I will show you how the so-called Recent Files Screen and how to use the File menu.
As soon as you start your copy of Revit, you should see something like this on your screen. As you can see, all the options are divided into three groups and their names are Project, Family and Resources, where only the first two give you direct access to the corresponding files. Of course, what represents your daily work will be concentrated in the Project section, which means that there are functions that allow you to create your models and present the achieved results. To that end, it is enough to select one of the options on the left, and there is also the possibility to open one of the recently used projects with one stroke.
Right below them are options that allow you to handle objects that fall into a special category. The so-called families, and they are made up of individual components that can be used within more complex projects. In other words, if you need a simpler object, use the corresponding function from the Families section, and if you want to connect them as a whole, choose one of the functions for working on projects.
On the right side of the screen there are options that allow you to access additional content such as Help and Essential Skills Videos, so it would not be bad if you pay a little attention to them at least at the beginning.
If you prefer to use the menus, everything I’ve mentioned so far and more can be achieved by clicking on the option located in the upper left corner of the screen. In this way, you will open the so-called File menu, so it won’t be difficult for you to choose one of the functions that are in it. As you can see, there are options at the very top that allow you to create something new or simply open one of the existing files (New and Open).
The entire menu is divided into two parts, with the basic functions on the left side, while additional options are placed on the right side. In other words, if you click on the command itself, the program will run it immediately, which is also the fastest way to get the appropriate results. On the other hand, if you just hover over one of the functions on the left and wait a few moments, you will be offered additional options. In this case, I will be able to create a new project, family or some other element in one go. In a similar way, I can select some of the existing files, because everything I need is among the options of the Open command.
I believe that you already know all this from other programs, but I would like to draw your attention to the two small icons located at the very top of the menu. If I click on the one on the right, a list containing all open files (Open Documents) will appear on the screen. Unfortunately, I haven’t reached that stage yet, so this part of the menu is completely empty, but I can click on the icon next to it and show the projects I’ve worked on so far (Recent Documents). As you can see, this list is well filled and the program itself takes care of its up-to-datedness. This means that the files you use less often will be gradually removed and their place will be taken by those you need more. If that doesn’t suit you, there is an option to permanently keep some of them on the list, which can be achieved by simply clicking on the icon that resembles a pin.
In addition to the functions that allow you to create a new one or open one of the existing documents, the File menu includes functions for saving them (Save and Save As), and there is the possibility to use another format (Export) and create project documentation (Print and Publish).
The option at the very bottom of the menu (Options) is particularly convenient because it allows you to go to the section where the system setup functions are located in one step. Finally, there is an option that allows you to close Revit at the end of the working day and devote yourself to other activities.