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Exploded Floor Plan Creation in Revit: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction: Why Exploded Floor Plans Matter

When you’re working on a building model in Revit, it can sometimes be hard to explain how all the pieces fit together. A normal 3D view shows the building as one solid structure, but clients or students may not see how each floor, wall, and window connects. That’s where exploded floor plans come in.

Exploded floor plan creation in Revit is a powerful way to separate building elements so each layer is clear. By pulling the parts apart visually, you can show floors, walls, roofs, and furniture in a way that makes the design easier to understand. In this blog, we’ll walk through each step of the process using Revit’s Displace Element tool, along with best practices and common mistakes to avoid.

Step 1: Starting with a 3D Exploded View

The process begins with a 3D view. In Revit, make sure the 3D view is active. From here, select an element you want to displace, such as a floor slab. Go to Modify → Displace Element

When you select the tool, arrows appear on the element. These arrows allow you to move the object along the X, Y, or Z axis. For example, you can move the floor upward to separate it from the walls. This starts building your exploded diagram.

Step 2: Adding More Elements to the Displacement Set

After moving one object, you can add more items to the displacement set. Go to Modify Displacement Set → Edit

 This lets you add walls, windows, or even furniture to the same displaced group.

Once added, these elements move together when adjusted. If you decide later that some items don’t belong, you can remove them. After you finish editing, click Finish to lock in the displacement set.

Step 3: Creating Multi-Level Exploded Views

One of the strengths of Revit is being able to show entire buildings floor by floor. Rotate your model into a perspective or axonometric view. Now, select each level and apply displacement separately

For example, move the ground floor down, keep the first floor in place, and lift the second floor up. Add walls, doors, and windows to each floor’s displacement set. This creates a clear stacked diagram where every level is visible.

This step is especially helpful for educational presentations or competitions, where showing multiple levels separately gives clarity without losing the sense of structure.

Step 4: Using the Reset Tool

Sometimes, displaced elements don’t line up correctly. For example, you may notice a wall on the top floor no longer attaches to the roof when displaced. Instead of manually adjusting, use the Reset tool.

Select the element and click Reset. Revit will return the displaced item to its original location

 This is a quick way to fix mistakes and keep your model clean.

Step 5: Adjusting Graphic Display Settings

Once you have your exploded view, it’s time to polish it for presentation. Start by cropping the view so it focuses on the building without extra background. Next, open Graphic Display Options

Here, you can adjust shadows, detail level, and lighting. For extra clarity, tweak the Sun Settings and turn off ground plane shadows. You can also use the Visibility/Graphics Dialogue Box to override element colors. For example, you could give each floor a different color so viewers can distinguish them easily.

Step 6: Using the Path Command for Projection Lines

Sometimes, when elements are displaced, viewers may lose track of which part belongs where. This is where the Path command helps. It creates projection lines that connect displaced parts to their original positions

For example, if you move a floor slab up, you can add path lines between it and the walls below. This makes the exploded view not only visually clear but also technically accurate. Path lines act as guides that connect the dots.

Case Example of exploded levels in a project

1. 3d view exploded is made as active window.

2. Select the Floor from the View, Click in Modify - Displace Element

Floor Selected from the view.

Cube Exploded faces icon is the Displace element under View tab panel.

 

Now when clicking the Floor element which was displaced an Arrow control is shown, 

To move the floor along the required distance.

Floor is Detached and placed along the axis.

Now if need to add some more element to the same floor element is it possible?

Let's see How?

Once clicking on the Displaced element 

Under - Modify Displacement set - Edit, Reset, Path 

On clicking on Edit - It allows to add or remove elements to or from it accordingly.

Wall added to the floors - click finish to complete the edit process.

View showing 3 levels of view.

How to create a 3d Floor plan with walls, window, doors and furniture as a displaced view.

In View, Rotate to Front face of the model as shown

Select the level as shown above

Select - Displace element

Every level is Displaced as separate element

Now Lets see the Reset use 

Clicking an element which is Displaced bring it back to its original location.

Here is a condition to solve:

Wall above top floor is not attached with that floor, it can not be moved and placed to attach with floor. 

Reset helps to do it.

Wall above top floor is set to Reset - because it should attach with the top Floor.

1. It moves the wall to it original location

(Left Image) Location of wall moved to its original position --- Top Floor is Selected and Edited to add the wall (Right Image)

Now the wall is attached to the Top floor 

Scale to be set for better clarity- Crop the View

Open the Graphic Display option to edit the display setting of the Displaced levels

How to take of the shadow of  various levels?

Click on Sun Setting  

Uncheck the Ground plane at level

Shadow at ground plane is turned off.

Visibility Graphics Dialogue box, under setting All is selected and it is Overrided by different color options.

Setting altered in the Visibility Graphics Dialogue box 

View as per the above setting.

Finally Path command in Displacement set.

It draws a projection lines across the path selected edges.

Best Practices for Exploded Floor Plan Creation in Revit

To make the most of exploded views, keep things simple. Don’t displace every single element, as too much detail can overwhelm the viewer. Instead, focus on floors, walls, roofs, and major features.

Use color coding for clarity. Different floors can be shown in unique colors, while furniture and fixtures can be left in neutral tones. Save graphic display templates so you can reuse settings in future projects. Finally, always crop and scale your views properly for clean presentation sheets.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake is misusing displacement by dragging elements too far apart. This makes the diagram look unrealistic and confusing. Another error is forgetting to reset elements, leaving misaligned walls or roofs floating in space.

Some users also overload exploded views with too much detail, adding every small object. This clutters the drawing and hides the main structure. Focus only on the most important elements that communicate your design.

Use Cases of Exploded Floor Plans in Architecture

Exploded floor plans have many uses in practice. For client presentations, they make it easier to explain how different parts of a building come together. For technical documentation, they serve as detailed diagrams to show construction sequence.

In education, they help students visualize complex buildings by breaking them down into layers. For competitions, exploded views add graphic appeal and help judges understand the creativity in your design.

FAQs on Exploded Floor Plan Creation in Revit

Can I create exploded views in 2D?
Not exactly. Exploded diagrams are best in 3D, but you can export them as 2D drawings.

How do I export exploded views to PDF?
Place the exploded view on a sheet and export the sheet as a PDF. The displacement and path lines will appear.

What’s the difference between Displace and Move?
Move changes the actual position of the element in the model. Displace only changes how it looks in the view.

Can I animate exploded views in Revit?
Not directly. But you can create multiple views with different displacement steps and combine them in video software.

Do color overrides remain when exporting?
Yes, any graphic display overrides will remain in exported images or PDFs.

Conclusion: Exploded Views as a Design Tool

Mastering exploded floor plan creation in Revit adds a new dimension to your architectural presentations. By using tools like Displace Element, Reset, and Path, you can create visuals that are clear, professional, and easy to understand.

Exploded views help you communicate complex designs to clients, colleagues, and students. They are not just visually impressive—they’re practical tools for education, competitions, and construction documentation. Try creating one in your next project, and you’ll see how powerful this technique can be.

Exploded Views are created in illustration software ,which involves switching from various platforms and conversion of files that is suitable for editing in its platform.