Valves

[thoellering]

Old battleground, I know, but here it goes.

I created a 3D valve in Revit. It looks nice. I would love to use it. So here is what I've tried...

1. Forget about trying to replicate the complicated fittings with all those dimensions. I drew the valve and grouped them into several component pieces. But those cannot be scaled. I ended up having to export the valve into Cad, and then back into Revit so that I could scale the thing. No idea why one cannot scale a group in Revit - really odd.

2. I created an Annotation Family within the valve family. Then I imported our standard Ball Valve symbol into it and traced over it to make it match. Set all the linetype settings etc.

3. Then I thought to get creative and tried placing a Mask under the 2d valve symbol, in the hopes of having the mask (somehow) scale with the annotation symbol (by Aligning it with the valve symbology).

4. I closed the Annotation Family and ensured the correct visibility settings were in place for the 3d and 2d valve. Then I saved the ball valve family and tried it.

The valve came in at the standard elevation we have come to expect with Revit pumps and such. I moved it to the correct elevation. Looks good. Now I flipped into the 2d view. The Annotative symbol scaled correctly. Also good. But, no Masking...bummer.

Alas that did not work as intended...any thoughts...?

I'm gona attack that thing again and try something different. Not sure what, but something...need valves - desperately.

TH

PS: There seems to be a fashion of creating certain Revit Objects like the "globe valve" with the insertion point of the thing at one side or the other. Why? I would think that placing the valve in the center of the family crosshairs made more sense...but probably one of preference. But it sure would look and work better (of that I'm most certain - my faith in that believe is strong..:)

[joseph_turc]

I just tried this same method today. I am trying to get rid of the 3d look and make valves look like standard 2d valve symbols, but keep the 3d properties and ease of placement.

[DaveDH]

Try using white filled region with invisible lines as boundaries . . . It might also be a draw order issue within the family, which I'm not is controllable. . .

Dave

[dbokmiller]

Have you tried creating the 2D symbol with masking regions?

When I created a bunch of piping diagram symbols I used masking regions instead of just linework, so the symbol would mask out the line when placed in a diagram. Haven't tried it for actual model geometry though. Just a thought.

[gabecottam]

I successfully created many 3D pipe accessories with the 3D geometry set to visible in FINE detail level and the annotation symbol set to visible in MED and COARSE. The annotation symbol was created as a separate generic annotation family and "nested" into the 3D family. I added masking regions to the annotation family and created a subcategory for the line work so it could be controlled separately in the model.

They work great. They mask the pipe below the annotation symbol in Medium and Coarse detail levels and hide the annotation symbol showing just the 3D geometry in Fine detail level.

[joseph_turc]

Gabe,

How did you handle section/elevation views? Are your valves always 3D in those views or did you do the same process for side view also?

[mattw]

I successfully created many 3D pipe accessories with the 3D geometry set to visible in FINE detail level and the annotation symbol set to visible in MED and COARSE. The annotation symbol was created as a separate generic annotation family and "nested" into the 3D family. I added masking regions to the annotation family and created a subcategory for the line work so it could be controlled separately in the model.

They work great. They mask the pipe below the annotation symbol in Medium and Coarse detail levels and hide the annotation symbol showing just the 3D geometry in Fine detail level.
Would you mind posting a sample?

[joseph_turc]

Ok...here's what I did. I'm testing this on a stock butterfly valve and I do not want to see the 3D representation in plan view only section view.

Open the family and turn all the anno off in the VG. Then go select the model lines, right click, go to visibility and uncheck plan view. This gets rid of the 3D valve in plan view with out having to make all of the lines "invisible lines".

Everything has worked well except getting the masking region in the family to mask the geometry in the model. I'll take any ideas on this masking issue. So close yet so far!

[gabecottam]

Gabe,

How did you handle section/elevation views? Are your valves always 3D in those views or did you do the same process for side view also?

We have been showing section/ elevations double lined - 3D.
But you could add that "nested" annotation to the elevation views as well.


Would you mind posting a sample?

I'm out of the office today - I'll try and remember to post one tomorrow.


Everything has worked well except getting the masking region in the family to mask the geometry in the model.

Did you "nest" a separate annotation family into your valve family? - or just place some annotations there inside the valve family? I've had the best success creating a separate "generic annotation" family and loading (nesting) that into the valve family.

[gabecottam]

Here's a butterfly valve.

[dbokmiller]

You cannot add annotations to a family in the elevation views. You would have to use a detail component family, or symbolic lines in the valve family to show the symbol in elevation.

[gabecottam]

But you could add that "nested" annotation to the elevation views as well.



You cannot add annotations to a family in the elevation views

Thanks for the correction. I hadn't actually tried that. I just assumed it would work. (never a good idea with Revit)