How to Copy a Whole Level in Revit?

To effectively copy all elements residing on one level to another in Revit, the most straightforward method involves selecting the desired elements, copying them to the clipboard, and then using the "Aligned to Selected Levels" paste option. This ensures precise vertical and horizontal placement, making it a powerful tool for multi-story buildings and repetitive designs.

Understanding the Process

Replicating design elements from one floor or story to another is a common and essential task in Revit that significantly streamlines the modeling process. Whether you're working on a multi-story building with repetitive floor plans or need to transfer specific components to a different elevation, understanding how to accurately copy a 'whole level'—meaning all its constituent model elements—is crucial. This process ensures design consistency and dramatically reduces manual effort.

Core Method: Copying Elements to Another Level

The primary way to duplicate the contents of a Revit level involves leveraging the clipboard functionalities to ensure precise alignment. This method allows you to copy model elements such as walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, and more, from a source level to one or more target levels.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these detailed steps to copy all desired elements from a source level to one or more target levels in Revit:

Select Elements on the Source Level:
- Navigate to a floor plan view corresponding to the level you wish to copy (your source level).
- Use a crossing window (drag your mouse from right to left) to select all the elements you intend to copy. Alternatively, you can select specific elements or categories.
- Pro Tip: After making a broad selection, use the Filter command (found in the Modify | Multi-Select ribbon tab) to refine your selection and deselect any items you don't want to copy, such as grids, levels, or reference planes.
Copy to Clipboard:
- With your desired elements selected, press CTRL + C on your keyboard.
- Alternatively, go to the Modify ribbon, locate the Clipboard panel, and click the Copy command icon.
Access Paste Options:
- Once the elements are copied to the clipboard, you need to specify how they will be pasted.
- On the Modify ribbon, within the Clipboard panel, click the small drop-down arrow located directly beneath the Paste command.
Choose "Aligned to Selected Levels":
- From the list of paste options that appears, select "Aligned to Selected Levels". This crucial option ensures that the copied elements maintain their exact horizontal (X/Y) position relative to the target level(s), aligning them perfectly above or below their original placement.
Select Target Level(s):
- A dialog box titled "Select Levels" will appear, listing all available levels in your Revit project.
- Choose the specific level(s) to which you want to copy the elements (e.g., Level 2, Level 3, etc.). You can select multiple levels by holding down the CTRL key while clicking on each desired level.
- Click OK to confirm your selection and initiate the pasting process.
Verify Results:
- After the paste operation is complete, it is highly recommended to switch to a 3D view or an appropriate elevation view. This allows you to visually inspect the copied elements and confirm that they have been placed accurately on the intended target levels without any overlaps or misalignments.

Key Considerations and Best Practices

What Gets Copied: This method primarily copies model elements. View-specific elements (like dimensions, text notes, detail lines, or tags) present in the source view will not be copied to the new levels. If you need to replicate views, you would typically duplicate the view itself and then adjust its view range as needed.
Host Elements: Elements that rely on a host (e.g., doors and windows hosted in walls, or hosted families on floors) will typically copy correctly as long as their hosts are also copied or already exist at the target level.
Worksets: If your project utilizes worksets for team collaboration, be mindful of how copied elements will inherit or assign to worksets. It's often best practice to perform such operations while the relevant worksets are editable or to assign them correctly post-paste.
Performance: Copying a very large number of elements can temporarily impact Revit's performance. It's always a good idea to save your project before attempting extensive copy operations.
Dealing with Duplicates: If you inadvertently copy elements to a level where identical elements already exist, Revit will typically issue warnings about duplicate instances. You may need to manually identify and remove these duplicates or use available add-ins to clean them up.
Linked Files: Elements from linked Revit models are not directly copied using this method. You would need to manage the linked model's levels separately within the linked file itself.

Example Scenario: Replicating an Office Floor

Imagine you have a complete office floor plan designed on "Level 1" that needs to be replicated identically on "Level 2" and "Level 3" of your building.

Open the "Level 1" Floor Plan view.
Drag a selection box around all walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, light fixtures, and other model elements on "Level 1" that constitute your typical office layout.
Press CTRL + C to copy these elements.
Navigate to the Modify ribbon, click the dropdown under Paste, and select Aligned to Selected Levels.
In the "Select Levels" dialog box, click on Level 2, then hold CTRL and click Level 3 to select both. Click OK.
Switch to a 3D view to instantly confirm that your office layout now appears perfectly aligned and duplicated on both Level 2 and Level 3.

Summary of Copying Elements to Levels

Step	Action	Purpose
1. Select Elements	In a plan view, select all desired model elements on the source level.	Isolate the specific geometry and components for duplication.
2. Copy to Clipboard	Use `CTRL+C` or click `Modify > Copy`.	Temporarily store the selected elements for pasting.
3. Access Paste Options	Click the dropdown arrow under `Paste` on the `Modify` ribbon.	Reveal advanced pasting methods for precise vertical placement.
4. Aligned Paste	Select `Aligned to Selected Levels`.	Ensure elements are pasted at the exact X/Y coordinates on target levels.
5. Choose Target Levels	Select one or more target levels from the dialog box.	Define the specific elevations where the copied elements will be placed.
6. Verify Placement	Switch to a 3D view to visually confirm correct placement and alignment.	Crucial for identifying and correcting any alignment or duplication errors.

For more in-depth guidance on copying and pasting elements in Revit, including various alignment options, you can refer to the official Autodesk Knowledge Network. By mastering this method, you can significantly enhance your Revit modeling efficiency and accuracy.