Georeference Revit data—ArcGIS Pro

If you need to reposition your Revit model after confirming you have a valid projection file defined for your CAD or BIM file, you can reposition Revit feature layers using the Locate, Move to Display, Move, Rotate, and Elevate To Ground tools on the Geoprocessing toolbar on the Manage tab on the ribbon. The workflows for these tools are described below.

Set up a scene to validate the geospatial position of a Revit file

The units of the scene's spatial reference must match the units of the Revit file. If the Revit file was developed using metric units (meter, centimeter, or millimeter), the scene's spatial reference must use linear units of meters. The same applies if the Revit file was developed in feet or inches. The linear units of the spatial reference must be feet if the Revit file's display units are set to United States measurement units (feet or inches).

Open a local or global scene in ArcGIS Pro.
You can use a local or global scene, but this example uses a local scene.
In the Contents pane, right-click Scene and click Properties.
On the General tab, set Display units and Elevation units to match the drawing units of your Revit file.
For example, if the drawing units are feet, choose Feet.
On the Coordinate System tab, choose a coordinate system that is appropriate for your study area with units that match those you chose in the previous step.
For example, if your Revit file is in feet, and you chose feet in the previous step, choose a State Plane coordinate system in feet.
To determine the units of the selected coordinate system, click Details and view Linear Units.
Click OK.

Define the projection

To define or confirm the existence of spatial reference for a Revit model or CAD file, use the Define Projection tool on the Manage tab of the Building tab on the ribbon. If the BIM or CAD file was drawn to a known geospatial coordinate system when it was created, assign the appropriate projection. The file will draw in the expected location. If it was not created in Revit or CAD using a known geospatial coordinate system, choose one of the spatial references that match the linear units and the geographic location of the data. If, after defining the spatial reference, the BIM or CAD data is redrawn in the correct location, you can stop here; there is no need to georeference the CAD or BIM file.

If the data does not redraw in the expected location after defining the proper spatial reference, you can continue to the georeferencing workflow by clicking the Georeference tool on the Manage tab on the Building tab on the ribbon, which displays the Georeference tab.

The georeferencing of a BIM or CAD file is performed on a single feature layer but applies to all feature layers of the BIM file workspace (Revit file) or CAD dataset (CAD file). It is recommended that you add enough information to properly locate the file, such as Floors or ExteriorShell, and not the entire file. This speeds up the process, and you can add the entire file once the georeferencing is complete, and it will apply to all feature layers from the CAD or BIM file. It is also recommended that you enable snapping to more accurately position the selected feature layer in geoprocessing using the Move and Rotate tools.

Locate

Use the Locate tool to search for an area using keywords related to the approximate location where the file should appear in the view, such as the address of the building. Once you have the area of interest, you can create a bookmark for that location to help you return to it.

Move to Display

The Move to Display tool shifts the target Revit or CAD feature layer to the current display extent and places it on the surface of the ground by default. In some cases, the file may float above the ground based on the geometry of the included data. This tool is designed to get the data close so that you can make finer adjustments using the other tools.

Move

The Move tool allows you to move the file using coordinate or x,y,z values of the destination's location. The anchor point location can be moved to another location for more accurate placement. Press Ctrl while you click and drag the anchor point to modify its placement. The georeference Move tool and its user controls is modeled after the Move tool used for feature editing.

To move a file, complete the following steps.

Select a subset of the features you want to reposition.
Selecting a subset is not required, but it reduces processing time.
On the Georeferencing tab, in the Prepare group, click Move .
The move in x,y,z directions control is shown, which allows you to move to the desired location.
Move the selected feature layer using one of the following methods:
- Hover over the target Revit or CAD feature layer. The pointer changes to a move symbol . Drag the feature layer to the new position. To choose different anchor points, press the Ctrl key. The pointer changes to an orange cone, and you can drag the anchor to a new location.
- Press the A key and type the x, y, and z coordinates of the move destination. Press Enter to apply the transformation.
When you're finished, press the Esc key.

Elevate To Ground

The Elevate To Ground tool allows you to elevate the selected feature layer on top of the scene's elevation surface based on the location of an anchor point. The anchor point location can be moved to another location for more accurate placement.

To change the location, follow these steps:

Click the Revit layer in the Contents pane.
Click the Manage tab.
Click the Georeference button .
On the Georeferencing tab, in the Prepare group, click the Move button .
The location of the anchor point is highlighted.
Press the Ctrl key while you drag the selection anchor.
Click the Elevate To Ground button when the anchor point is at the correct location.

Rotate

The Rotate tool allows you to rotate a Revit or CAD dataset by dragging it or specifying the angle.

The rotation angle is measured beginning at zero degrees. Positive values rotate the dataset in a counterclockwise direction, while negative values rotate the dataset in a clockwise direction.

To rotate the dataset, complete the following steps:

On the Georeferencing tab, in the Prepare group, click Rotate .
A selection anchor and a rotation disk are enabled on the map.
Press the Ctrl key while you drag the selection anchor.
Rotate the selected feature layer by doing one of the following:
- Hover over the rotation disk. The pointer changes to a rotation symbol. Drag the rotation disk.
- Press the A key and type the angular value on the dialog box. Press Enter to apply the transformation.
Press the Esc key when you're finished.

Save

The Save tool allows you to save the current state of the offset transformation to the appropriately named world file (.wld3). A world file with the name of the CAD or BIM file with a .wld3 file extension in the same folder will be created or overwritten.

Optionally, use the Save As tool to save the world file with any name you choose; for example, when you know you have another CAD or BIM file that will use the exact same transformation information. Optionally, use the Save To Workspace tool, which creates a universal world file named ESRI_CAD.wld3 in the file folder of the CAD or BIM file. This is useful when you know multiple CAD or BIM files will use the same world file information.

Close Georeference

The Close Georeference tool closes the Georeference tab. You will be asked to confirm the cancellation of any unsaved transformation information.