Get your Long Side/Leg Horizontal!

Angles and HSS Tubes are modeled with the Long Leg/Side Vertical by default in Revit if the sides are not equal lengths… So here is my favorite way to quickly model LSH (Long Side Horizontal) Tubes, and LLH (Long Leg Horizontal) angles. This method is simply creating a new type for LSH and LLH instead of messing with the cross-sectional rotation parameter and/or making a new family entirely (Flipping all those numbers in the type catalog makes me eyesss hurt).. and sooo.. Here it goes!

• Load the size of angle or hss that is the same as if your element was LSV or LLV
• .. and when you model it you see your legs/sides are vertical.. 

So you think you can get away with changing the cross section rotation to 90° to get your long leg/side horizontal.. but.. as you can see below the grid line (where you drew the member) is no longer centered in case of the hss and is no longer at the strong axis on the angle … ewwww.. and now it's offset from the level those amounts… double ewwww … then you would have to try to get the lateral justification plus the stick symbol plus this that and another thing to make your element go back to the correct; location, representation on plan, and offset from the level and that’s just horrible!  

All you have to do is make a new type and flip your numbers around. It’s Very IMPORTANT to start with the same size as LLV/LSV so that way the other parameters such as the weight are still correct!

•  I select my member, do edit type, DUPLICATE – I rename it with LSH or LLH in the name because my firm shows that in the tag anyway and then just switch these two numbers around.

 

And Voila! They are still centered about the grid, and the offset from the level makes sense!

To get your legs of your angles pointed UP (use the correct type you have already made) having the cross section rotation set to 180° instead of 90° seems to be a lot less annoying so that’s the method I would still recommended on that. It only seems to get a bit wonky when you use offsets and use the cross section rotation at 180°, cuz the Top is the bottom and the bottom is the top for the z-direction justification..