What determines the east-west orientation of a project in Revit?

The east-west orientation of a project in Revit is determined by the site's location and how it is defined in relation to the surrounding environment. When you set your site location within Revit, you establish the geographical context of your project, which includes latitude, longitude, and site orientation. This information allows Revit to accurately position the model within a global context and ensures that elements like sunlight analysis and shadow studies reflect real-world conditions.

While project coordinates, true north, and shared coordinates play significant roles in positioning elements within the model, they do not inherently define the east-west orientation based on environmental factors like sun path and site slope. True north is primarily used for orientation relative to geographic north and may not correlate directly with the actual east-west direction as established by the site location. Similarly, shared coordinates facilitate collaboration between multiple models but do not define the project's inherent east-west orientation.

Thus, understanding and setting the correct site location is critical for accurate orientation and analysis when working in Revit, making it the determining factor in establishing the east-west orientation of the project.