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Replacing and Updating Seats#

Most real projects need adjustments after the initial placement — a wider seat type in part of a row, a wheelchair position substituted for two seats, or a reference line that has been lengthened to add capacity. The Replace Seats and Update Row commands cover both cases without needing to delete and re-place rows from scratch.

This page walks through both commands using the rows you placed in the previous steps.

Replace Seats — substitute a wider seat in Row C#

  1. In the plan view, select two adjacent seats near the middle of Row C.
  2. On the Seat Placement panel, click Replace Seats.
  3. In the dialog:
    • Seat Family: Generic Fixed Seat
    • Seat Type: 24" (the widest available type)
    • Leave Adjust non-selected seat widths to fit, Preserve Row Parity, and Allow Seat Count Change all checked.
  4. Click OK.

The application:

  • Orders all seats in Row C from House Left to House Right.
  • Replaces the two selected seats with a single 24" seat in approximately the same position.
  • Recalculates the remaining seats on each side, allowing them to change width within the Generic Fixed Seat family so the row still fits.
  • Renumbers Row C using the active numbering scheme.

A summary dialog reports the result. Turn Seat Sizes on in the Graphics panel to confirm the wider seat is in the correct position.

Element IDs change

Replace Seats deletes and re-places every seat in each affected row, so the Revit element IDs for those seats will change. Use Ctrl+Z to undo the entire transaction if needed.

For full details on each option, see Replace Seats.

Replace Seats — add removable seats at the ends of Row A#

Removable "sled" seats are often used to allow easy swapping for additional Wheelchair positions. To demonstrate, replace the end seats at Row A with double removable seats.

  1. In the plan view, select the two end seats at one end of Row A.
  2. On the Seat Placement panel, click Replace Seats.
  3. In the dialog:
    • Seat Family: PB_Removable_Seat_18
    • Seat Type: Double 22
  4. Click OK.

The two selected fixed seats are replaced with a single double-removable seat at the row end. Repeat the process at the opposite end of Row A so both ends are symmetric.

For more on removable seat families, see the Removable Seats section.

Update Row — respace after a reference line change#

  1. Select the center-aligned reference line for Row D.
  2. Drag one endpoint inward by about 2'-0" to shorten the line. Some seats in Row D will now extend past the new line end and overlap.
  3. Select any seat in Row D.
  4. On the Seat Placement panel, click Update Row.

Because the row no longer fits, the Update Row dialog appears with a summary similar to "1 row exceeds its row length." Leave the three checkboxes at their defaults and click OK.

The application removes or resizes seats as needed so Row D fits the shortened reference line, then renumbers the row. A second summary dialog reports which rows were updated.

Silent respacing#

To see Update Row's silent mode in action:

  1. Select any seat in Row E.
  2. Move it a few inches along the row direction so it is visibly out of alignment with its neighbors.
  3. Select any seat in Row E and click Update Row again.

This time no dialog appears — the seats already fit the reference line, so the application silently re-places them at their correct positions. This is the fastest way to clean up minor drift after manual edits.

Floor elevation changes

Update Row is also useful when floor elevations have changed. Running it will automatically re-align the row's seats to the current floor elevations.

For full details, see Update Row.

When to use each command#

Goal Use
Change one or more seats to a different family or type Replace Seats
Recalculate a row after the reference line has changed Update Row
Clean up minor manual position drift Update Row
Add or remove a wheelchair / specialty seat in part of a row Replace Seats

If a row has been substantially redesigned and Update Row cannot find a working solution, fall back to Replace Seats — it gives you more direct control over the result.

Next step#

Continue to Documenting to learn how to tag seats and use the schedules included with the sample model to keep your seating data clean.