Paint Tool

The paint tool is one of those items that can be your best friend and a pain in the neck, all at the same time. It is one of those items which Autodesk needs to spend some time on and get its functionality working better.

One of the main problems is it can be very difficult to work out what elements have had the paint tool applied to them. This comes from not being able to select the painted part of the element. Some less experienced Revit users end up in a puzzle to why the wall has “x” finish on it, when the wall structure build up is “y”.

The paint tool is a very handy tool in sketch design when designers shouldn't need to be overly concerned about the wall build up and only want to put a finish on it. As long as the rough thickness is about right, the actual build up can be detailed at Design Development (DD).

The issue can then come when going on to DD you will want to convert the walls to their actual build up. The paint property of a wall will still remain with the wall element, even if you change the family type. The only real way to get rid of paint is to re-paint the face .

Here is a suggest solution within the confines of Revits current tools.

Create a material takeoff schedule; let’s assume the wall category is the only category with the paint tool applied too.

Add the following fields:

Family and Type; Material: Name; Material: Area & Material: Volume.

In the filters section; filter by “Material: Volume” equals = 0.000 m³. By doing this you will limit the schedule to 2d materials, i.e. pant (rather then volumes, i.e. walls).

Now close down all other views except a 3d project view. In this view, turn off all categories except walls. Now go back to the material take off schedule and select the first line and then select “Show”

Your 3d view will appear. When the “Click the Show button multiple times for different view.” click Close.

The element is still selected, so now by going to the “Temporary Hide/Isolate” tool you can “Isolate the Element”.

Then go to the paint tool in the tool bar. Ensure the type selector is on . If it is not obvious which face of the wall has been painted, select (paint) all 4 sides. The paint finish should now disappear from the schedule.

Reset the view “Temporary Hide/Isolate” and repeat the process for all the other elements in the material schedule.

This may seam long winded, and yes it is, but it’s one of the only ways to ensure all the paint faces have been removed. As I said, Autodesk needs to look at this tools functionality.