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View Full Version : Questions about Revit Features (Electrical)



mjdanowski
2007-03-02, 11:06 PM
I have been learning and working with Revit over the past month or so, and I have come upon some things which I am pretty sure aren't implemented/doable with the current build of Revit but I am not sure.

First, is it possible to have Annotation (specifically symbols) scale with the view of the drawing. Electrically, I use different symbols for different types of voltage for panels. Our symbol for a 208V panel is a solid block while our 480V panel is adorned with diagonal stripes. If I try to stay away from a separate annotation file, I find that I cannot get the solid fill from a black material in a hidden line view, and in a shaded view I cannot get symbolic lines to show (because the material will obscure them). The ideal choice here would be an annotation, however I can only seem to build them as per a specific scale. If I try to adjust the scale from lets say a 1/4" to 1/8", the annotation will get all out of whack, and either be extremely large or extremely small.
Is there a way to scale the annotation with the view scale?

Second, is there some sort of support for main circuit breakers and/or feed through lugs on panels? On a lot of projects we have panels fed from another panel, but NOT from a circuit breaker in the feeding panel. This is especially true to double wide panels. These are schematically shown as an 84 pole panel in 2 enclosures, however in Revit I cannot feed one panel from another without a circuit breaker. At the moment I am just using a second family, but its a bit of overhead and a lot of fluff that really isn't needed. As far as MCBs are concerned, is there some sort of support for this?

Third, is there a way to make a parameter drop down with pre-defined choices? This would be a godsend, along with the ability to change other parameters (such as materials) with check-boxes and such things.

Thanks

dmb.100468
2007-03-05, 01:15 PM
You can create an annotation symbol for each type of panel and then nest it within the appropriate family (solid annotation in the 208V, diagonal in the 480V family). The nested annotations will size according to the view scale.

You should add your comment about feed-thru lugs to the wishlist. That's a good one.

Hope this helps.

Mottiqua
2007-03-06, 01:16 PM
yes you can do annotations, I've been creating them to symbolize a lot of our equipment. Take a look at the receptacle family, you'll see how its done. The symbology only comes in on the plan/RCP view. Once you create the annotation (Use a default annotation template) you can load it by hitting "symbol". It will then be 'nested' as the last person commented. Just be sure in your plan view, you highlight your actual element, and set the visibility on it. (There will be a 'visibility' tab at the top of your screen) from there, uncheck plan/rcp.....or else you'll bring in the element AND the symbol.
When viewed in 3d and elevations you'll see the actual element.
MLO's you're right about....In fact when you go to the family type and look at the parameters, it gives you an option for Mains, even though it's Main Lug Only....
Take notice on your 'out of the box' content for panels....the family may read as surface mounted, but the types may read as recessed (looks like autodeak was in a hurry creating the types and just made one family and copied it several times to create the other families)
Also, even though it may read as 400A panel....the actual amperage defaults to 100A, 12 pole.Either change it each time you load it into the project, OR go in and modify the family.

Hope this helps!