Revit Tip: Mastering Revit View Range Cut Plane

Mastering the cut plane in View Range is one of the fastest ways to improve plan clarity, reduce view-specific hacks, and keep documentation consistent across the team.

• Understand the View Range
  • Top, Cut Plane, Bottom, and View Depth work together. The cut plane defines where Revit “slices” elements to display their cut representation.
  • Typical starting heights: 4'-0" (1.20 m) for architectural plans; adjust based on window heads, counters, and railing heights.
  • Reflection Ceiling Plans invert the logic: the cut plane is measured from the top and looks upward. Dial in separate View Templates for Plans vs RCPs.
• Set intentional heights per view type
  • Residential plans: consider lowering to 3'-6"–4'-0" to cut through window heads and casework.
  • Commercial interiors: raise slightly to capture transaction counters or security mullions.
  • Structural plans: coordinate with discipline-specific templates so beams above are beyond/hidden and framing at the cut reads bold.
• Use Plan Regions for local overrides
  • Apply a Plan Region around stairs, lofts, or tall casework to override the View Range locally without compromising the entire view.
  • Great for multi-level stairs: one region to cut at tread level, another to show landings correctly.
  • Keep regions minimal and documented; name or tag them in a working view to avoid confusion later.
• Leverage category behavior
  • Cuttable vs non-cuttable categories drive appearance. Walls, floors, and doors cut; many fixtures and specialty equipment do not.
  • If a family never appears “cut,” verify its category. For non-cuttable content, use symbolic lines/masking regions in the family or switch to a cuttable category when appropriate.
  • Use Visibility/Graphics Overrides to set distinct Cut vs Projection line weights and patterns per category.
• Avoid common pitfalls
  • Don’t globally raise the cut plane to “find” missing elements. Diagnose first: incorrect category, host issue, phase, or workset visibility often to blame.
  • Use Underlay for context (like the level below) and Filters to control how “beyond” items appear, instead of drawing detail lines.
  • For stair graphics, confirm stair cut settings and “Beyond” line styles before resorting to Linework overrides.
• Standardize and QA
  • Lock View Range in View Templates; restrict per-view edits to Plan Regions.
  • Audit views periodically for rogue plan regions and inconsistent cut heights.
  • Document your office standard cut heights per discipline and phase in your BIM Execution Plan.
• Quick troubleshooting checklist
  • Is the element cuttable and hosted correctly?
  • Is the cut plane height above/below the element’s key geometry?
  • Are phases, worksets, and filters hiding it?
  • Is there a Plan Region competing with the global View Range?

For add-ins, training, and licensing that support robust Revit workflows, explore NOVEDGE. If you’re building standards or upgrading toolsets, consult NOVEDGE for curated solutions and expert guidance. Teams scaling collaboration can also review Autodesk subscriptions and plugins available via NOVEDGE.