The Multiple Uses of the TAB Key in Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, and Revit

Structure
By: Peter Gehring, Synergis AEC Solutions Director

Autodesk Revit based products utilize the keyboard TAB key for a variety of timesaving
techniques. Many users are familiar with using it to select chained collections of walls or
lines but there are other ways that it can aid with object selection. TAB can be used to
cycle between overlapping or nearby objects in 2d or 3d views. It can be used to cycle
through alternate points to dimension to or through alternate running object snaps.
Since some readers of this article may be new using Revit, I’ll start with the
basics. No matter which technique you are using TAB for, you start by hovering over one
of the objects you want to select. Revit will highlight to preview the object that will be
selected once you hit the left mouse pick button. Hitting TAB again, before your pick,
will cycle between selection choices. In the case of connected walls or lines the first TAB
will highlight the wall or line you are directly hovering over (figure 1), the next TAB will
select all other walls or lines chained to it (figure 2), hitting TAB again will cycle back to
the first line or wall again. A tooltip will note that you have a chain of walls or lines high
lit.

Figure 1 figure 2

Once the object(s) you want are high lit (figure 3) you then left mouse pick to select them
(figure 4).
Figure 3 figure 4
When selecting walls and lines in chains, Revit will ignore intersecting walls or lines
(figure 5). If multiple walls are joined at the same point, the chain continues along the
wall that makes the smallest angle with the one currently highlighted. If you TAB over a
wall or line not chained to any other wall or line, Revit will make an error sound. Revit
HELP describes some other methods to use TAB to select partial chains (see Selecting
Chains of Walls and Lines).

This chain technique works whether you are selecting objects in editing modes to move,
copy, delete, etc; or to draw lines in sketch mode such as selecting walls to draw floors
and roofs by footprint (figure 6).
Figure 6 figure 7

The other common use for TAB is to cycle between overlapping objects in 2d or
3d. In this illustration the mouse is hovering over the bottom of the door opening in the
wall and over the edge of the floor. In this case hitting TAB will cycle between
previewing the door, the wall it is hosted by, the chain of walls, the floor (figure 7), and
then the door again. You can also use TAB for multiple selections, you need to TAB and
select the first chain, TAB over the second chain but hit the control key while you select
the next chain with the left mouse pick. This takes a little getting used to. If you hold
control down while you TAB, Revit will cycle between any open view windows.

Hitting TAB will also let you cycle between dimensioning walls to wall faces and
centers, and faces and centers of wall core boundaries despite your preference set on the
options bar (figure 8).

Figure 8

Much like in AutoCAD when using Object Snaps, TAB in Revit products will
cycle between current running snaps on the object you are hovering over.
Looking in Revit HELP on keyboard accelerators (figure 8) you’ll read that using SHIFT
& TAB allows you to reverse the order of cycling between Object snaps and object
cycling.
You can also note that HELP seems to indicate that TAB can help you create more than
one interior elevation when placing the elevation symbol. From what I’ve seen it just lets
the elevation symbol elevate other directions than the one you are closest to (figure 9.

Figure 9

When working with linked files selecting any of the linked objects will select the
entire linked geometry. Hovering over individual objects and using TAB will let you
select individual components to view their properties (figure 10). New in the 2008 Revit
Products is the ability to use this technique to copy and then paste objects from the linked
file into the host file.
 Figure 10

In Revit Systems, now called Revit MEP 2008, TAB allows selection of pieces of
duct or equipment, connected runs and branches, or entire networks. Hovering over an
Air Terminal the Diffuser first highlights, then the branch for the takeoff (figure 11), then
the branch in a duct network up to a piece of equipment like a VAV Box (figure 12), then
the entire duct network (figure 13).

Figure 11 figure 12 Figure 13

You also use TAB to select equipment that is a part of a system in order to launch
the Automatic Layout Path Option (figure 14).
 Figure 14

The other systems (electrical, piping and plumbing) have similar functionality and
depending on the system type and what you are hovering over you get different selection
options. In figure 15, hovering over a panel cycled between the panel and then the
circuits assigned to it. In Figure 16, hovering over a radiator and hitting TAB selects the
entire hydronic supply piping system to enable auto routing.

Figure 15 Figure 16

In Structural Systems TAB selects chained structural members or cycles between

selecting beam systems or its individual members.

In conclusion we have seen lots of time saving selection and creation techniques using
TAB. I’m sure I missed a few, so when it doubt, TAB before selecting for more options.