Control DWG Graphics with Visibility/Graphics (VG)

1. Open the plan view where your DWG context appears.
2. Open Visibility/Graphics:
   • Press VG or VV, or go to View → Visibility/Graphics.
3. Understand the sections:
   • Model Categories: Revit model elements (walls, floors, etc.).
   • Annotation Categories: dimensions, tags, text, etc.
   • Imported Categories: where linked DWG and other imports appear.
4. Modify imported DWG categories:
   1. Go to the Imported Categories tab.
   2. Find your DWG file (e.g. context_2d.dwg).
   3. Click Halftone to weaken all its lines by ~50%.
   4. Click Overrides… for Projection/Surface to:
      • Set Line Pattern to Solid.
      • Set Color to a light Gray.
      • Set Lineweight to a thin value (e.g. 1).
   5. Click OK to apply.
5. If overrides don’t appear to work:
   • Remember that Object Styles or original CAD layer settings can override some aspects.
   • You may need to adjust lineweights per layer in the DWG export or in Object Styles.
6. Alternative: override by element:
   1. Select the DWG link in the view.
   2. Right-click → Override Graphics in View → By Element….
   3. Set Halftone, Color, and Lineweight globally for that element.
7. Check lineweights across scales:
   • Change the view Scale (e.g. 1:2000 vs 1:100) and observe how lineweights remain relative.
   • Revit manages lineweight consistency across scales automatically.

Tip: Use halftone and light gray for context DWGs so your main building elements read clearly on top.

Taught in

• BIM + Computational Workflow · 2023 — original class recording lives there.