Revit Tip: Control Revit Joins and Cuts for Clean Geometry

Today’s tip: manage joins and cuts deliberately to get clean geometry and predictable documentation.

Core concepts to master

• Join vs. Cut: Join Geometry merges faces and removes coincident edges; Cut Geometry removes a volume from a host. Use Join for touching solids; use Cut when a void or insert must remove host material.
• Join order matters: When two elements join (e.g., wall and floor), the first/second priority controls which element’s face continues. Use Switch Join Order to flip the dominance and eliminate stray lines.
• Material priorities drive cleanup: Wall layer priorities and material assignments govern how skins wrap and intersect. Consistent materials across systems reduce artifacts at joins.
• Category cut rules: Only “cuttable” categories can be cut. In families, enable Cuts with Voids When Loaded (voids) and Cuts with Host (face-based inserts) where appropriate.

Essential tools and when to use them

• Join Geometry / Unjoin: Cleanly merge walls with slabs, slabs with beams, fascia with roofs, etc. Unjoin to restore individual edges for clarity.
• Switch Join Order: Resolve plan/section line weight conflicts at wall–floor, wall–roof, and slab–slab interfaces.
• Edit Wall Joins: At corners and intersections, toggle Butt, Miter, or Square Off. Use Disallow Join on an end grip to keep facades crisp or to prevent auto-cleanup.
• Cut Geometry: Use for openings, recesses, reveals, and embedded objects. Prefer category-specific tools (Openings, Shaft Openings) for better scheduling and control.
• Attach Top/Base: Cleanly terminates walls to roofs/floors; follow with Switch Join Order if edges display incorrectly.

Reliable workflow for clean edges

1. Set materials and wall layer priorities first; let materials do most of the cleanup work.
2. Place major systems (floors, roofs, core wall layers), then Join Geometry selectively—only where a visible seam needs removal.
3. Use Edit Wall Joins for corners; apply Disallow Join at free ends that should remain separate.
4. Resolve interfaces in section with Switch Join Order to ensure the correct element “reads” through.
5. Cut inserts with the appropriate tool: openings for penetrations, voids in families for recesses, and Cut Geometry for special cases.

Diagnostics and troubleshooting

• If edges refuse to clean, Unjoin both elements, confirm they are coplanar, and re-Join, then Switch Join Order.
• Check family settings: verify voids are set to cut and that the family category is cuttable.
• Avoid excessive chained joins across large extents—performance and regeneration slowdowns follow. Join only where visible.
• Keep Thin Lines on when diagnosing; small slivers and misalignments are easier to spot.

Standards and automation

• Document join conventions (what joins to what, in what order) in your BIM manual and templates.
• Use Dynamo or the Revit API to batch Join/Unjoin and to standardize Switch Join Order across levels. Explore curated add-ins available from NOVEDGE to accelerate cleanup.

Quick checklist

• Materials and layer priorities set and consistent.
• Join only where necessary; switch join order for edge control.
• Use Cut Geometry and category-specific openings appropriately.
• Lock in standards via templates and view templates.

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