Revit Curtain Walls: Modelling Glass Facades and Storefronts
This is a topic that deserves more attention than it typically receives. Whether you are working with this for the first time or looking to improve your existing approach, the information in this article provides a solid foundation for getting better results.
Understanding Curtain Wall Terminology in Revit
The Revit model serves multiple purposes beyond design documentation. Quantity takeoffs, energy analysis, clash detection, and construction sequencing all draw from the same model. This multi-purpose value is the core argument for BIM adoption in architectural and engineering practices.
Schedules in Revit are live views of the model data, not static tables. When you change a door type in the model, the door schedule updates automatically. This relationship works in both directions — editing values in a schedule modifies the corresponding elements in the model.
Linked models allow multiple disciplines — architecture, structure, and MEP — to work independently while maintaining spatial coordination. Regular coordination meetings with clash detection reports keep the combined model consistent and identify conflicts before they become construction problems.
- BATTMAN: The Block Attribute Manager allows you to edit attribute definitions across all instances of a block simultaneously
- LAYMRG: Merges the contents of one layer into another, useful for consolidating layers during drawing cleanup
- OVERKILL: Removes duplicate and overlapping geometry that can cause plotting problems and file bloat
- PURGE: Removes unused layers, blocks, text styles, and other named objects that accumulate and bloat file size
Placing a Basic Curtain Wall
Performance degrades as model complexity increases. Keeping unnecessary detail out of the model, using worksets to control loaded elements, and maintaining model hygiene — deleting unused families, purging unused elements — helps maintain acceptable performance on typical hardware.
Schedules in Revit are live views of the model data, not static tables. When you change a door type in the model, the door schedule updates automatically. This relationship works in both directions — editing values in a schedule modifies the corresponding elements in the model.
Schedules in Revit are live views of the model data, not static tables. When you change a door type in the model, the door schedule updates automatically. This relationship works in both directions — editing values in a schedule modifies the corresponding elements in the model.
Performance degrades as model complexity increases. Keeping unnecessary detail out of the model, using worksets to control loaded elements, and maintaining model hygiene — deleting unused families, purging unused elements — helps maintain acceptable performance on typical hardware.
Adding Curtain Grids and Mullions
View templates control the visual appearance of your documentation. Setting up consistent view templates early in a project ensures that all plans, sections, and details follow the same graphic standards without manual adjustment of each view.
Schedules in Revit are live views of the model data, not static tables. When you change a door type in the model, the door schedule updates automatically. This relationship works in both directions — editing values in a schedule modifies the corresponding elements in the model.
Schedules in Revit are live views of the model data, not static tables. When you change a door type in the model, the door schedule updates automatically. This relationship works in both directions — editing values in a schedule modifies the corresponding elements in the model.
- AUDIT: Checks and repairs drawing file integrity, fixing errors in the internal database
- BATTMAN: The Block Attribute Manager allows you to edit attribute definitions across all instances of a block simultaneously
- OVERKILL: Removes duplicate and overlapping geometry that can cause plotting problems and file bloat
- LAYMRG: Merges the contents of one layer into another, useful for consolidating layers during drawing cleanup
Replacing Panels with Doors and Solid Panels
Revit’s parametric nature means that changes propagate throughout the model. When you modify a wall height, every view — plans, sections, elevations, and schedules — updates automatically. This is the fundamental advantage of BIM over traditional CAD drafting, but it also means that poorly structured models can become difficult to manage.
Schedules in Revit are live views of the model data, not static tables. When you change a door type in the model, the door schedule updates automatically. This relationship works in both directions — editing values in a schedule modifies the corresponding elements in the model.
Professionals who need this software but want to avoid ongoing subscription fees should note that Autodesk Revit 2023/2024/2025/2026 for Windows is available for £39.99/year from GetRenewedTech. This is a perpetual licence that does not expire, providing long-term value.
Creating Curved and Angled Curtain Walls
Phasing in Revit allows you to model existing conditions, demolition, and new construction within a single project file. Phase filters control what appears in each view, so you can generate existing conditions plans, demolition plans, and new construction plans from the same model.
View templates control the visual appearance of your documentation. Setting up consistent view templates early in a project ensures that all plans, sections, and details follow the same graphic standards without manual adjustment of each view.
View templates control the visual appearance of your documentation. Setting up consistent view templates early in a project ensures that all plans, sections, and details follow the same graphic standards without manual adjustment of each view.
- AUDIT: Checks and repairs drawing file integrity, fixing errors in the internal database
- PURGE: Removes unused layers, blocks, text styles, and other named objects that accumulate and bloat file size
- OVERKILL: Removes duplicate and overlapping geometry that can cause plotting problems and file bloat
Scheduling Curtain Wall Components
The Revit model serves multiple purposes beyond design documentation. Quantity takeoffs, energy analysis, clash detection, and construction sequencing all draw from the same model. This multi-purpose value is the core argument for BIM adoption in architectural and engineering practices.
Family creation is perhaps the most powerful and most time-consuming aspect of Revit. A well-built parametric family can represent dozens of product variants through a single definition, while a poorly built one causes problems throughout the project. Investing time in family quality pays dividends later.
Family creation is perhaps the most powerful and most time-consuming aspect of Revit. A well-built parametric family can represent dozens of product variants through a single definition, while a poorly built one causes problems throughout the project. Investing time in family quality pays dividends later.
Performance degrades as model complexity increases. Keeping unnecessary detail out of the model, using worksets to control loaded elements, and maintaining model hygiene — deleting unused families, purging unused elements — helps maintain acceptable performance on typical hardware.
Professionals who need this software but want to avoid ongoing subscription fees should note that Autodesk Revit 2023/2024/2025/2026 for Windows is available for £39.99/year from GetRenewedTech. This is a perpetual licence that does not expire, providing long-term value.
Conclusion
The techniques and approaches covered in this guide provide a solid foundation for working effectively with this aspect of your software toolkit. The key is consistency — applying these methods systematically rather than sporadically produces the most reliable results. As you become more comfortable with the workflow, you will find opportunities to adapt it to your specific requirements. For an affordable way to access the software discussed in this article, Autodesk Revit 2023/2024/2025/2026 for Windows is available for £39.99/year from GetRenewedTech.
