Make annotation on wall-mounted family show on floorplan

[eglover]

I need to add an annotation to a wall-mounted lighting fixture that will show on a project's floorplan. The issue is that when you create a face-hosted family, looking at the face is considered the "floorplan." An annotation on the floorplan view of the family will only show up on an elevation view of the project. To place an annotation that will show up on the floorplan of the project, it needs to be placed on the back view of the family. While in the back view, the "symbol" tool is grayed out. The only way arround this I've found is to open a family from the existing library in which the annotation behaves the way I need and then modify everything and resave it. This is very messy, and there has to be a more direct way to do this. Any ideas?

[jlondenberg]

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=85868 is a discussion of a similar topic.

You will have to use a nested annotation, this gets placed in the plan view in the face hosted family, the family type must be lighting device, and the 'Settings > Family Category and Parameters > Maintain Annotation Orientation' box must be checked.

[eglover]

Thanks for the link, I will try some of the ideas there.

[eglover]

Just thought I'd update in case it can help (or save effort for) someone else:

Electrical families show annotations in all views (presumably because many of their parts wouldn't show up well on a floorplan). If you need the wall-hosted item to come up under the right discipline, behave the way it's supposed to, carry the correct information, AND show an annotation, it seems you are out of luck.

It's a shame, because there doesn't seem to be a reason to just gray-out the symbol button in some views. This will continue to cause me problems, so if anyone finds any type of solution, I would really appreciate it.

[jlondenberg]

. . . Electrical families show annotations in all views (presumably because many of their parts wouldn't show up well on a floorplan). If you need the wall-hosted item to come up under the right discipline, behave the way it's supposed to, carry the correct information, AND show an annotation, it seems you are out of luck. . .

Face hosted wall lights are entirely possible - just follow these 6 easy steps (with pictures in the zip file)...

1. create your 2D annotation, it should be "Generic Annotation (fig. 1) Isn't mine pretty?

2. start your light fixture family with the template "Generic Model face based.rfa" (fig. 2)

3. model the 3D geometry of the light, remember, plan view in the family will become your elevation view in the project when you host the light on a wall, so the back view becomes the top view (fig. 3)

4. insert the previously created 2D annotation family and orient it at the light family origin in plan view and point it up, in the face based family, change the family category to "Lighting Device" and check the "Maintain Annotation Orientation" box, this is what will allow your symbol to show up in the plan view of your project even though the family is rotated. (fig. 4)

5. select the 3D geometry and click the Visibility Settings button on the top of your screen and turn off the "Front/Back" because this is the direction that will be visible in your project plan view when you place it on a wall. (fig. 5)

6. stick in in your project and test it's visibility in different views, just to make sure it works as expected (fig. 6)

[eglover]

That does help some, so thank you, but only some types of families have the "Maintain Annotation Orientation" option. If I am making a lighting device, this does work. However, it does not work for a lighting fixture (which is what I was originally having trouble with), mechanical equipment, anything involving ductwork or plumbing, etc.

[jlondenberg]

... only some types of families have the "Maintain Annotation Orientation" option...

This seems like a pointless omission on Autodesk's part. Maybe they will fix it soon. With the workaround you should be able to get all the families you need.

Don't forget that this issue only applies when you are trying to use scalable annotation. You can still use symbolic lines in any view orientation. The lines can be linked to the geometry or have independent flexible dimensions.

[truevis]

I've needed letters to appear in elevation, so I've been importing DWGs with the letters I need to appear in elevation of families. (Imported Current View Only.)

Am I right that Revit inotation never appear in elevation in projects?

[jlondenberg]

I've needed letters to appear in elevation, so I've been importing DWGs with the letters I need to appear in elevation of families. (Imported Current View Only.)

Am I right that Revit inotation never appear in elevation in projects?

If the text you need is simple, I'd just trace it with symbolic lines in the view you need. Revit treats text as a scalable symbol so if you need it to fit a certain space at all scales then text isn't an option.

[eglover]

. . . With the workaround you should be able to get all the families you need.

Don't forget that this issue only applies when you are trying to use scalable annotation. . .

Unfortunately, my company is currently working in both 2D CAD and Revit, so I need to get the function of Revit while still maintaining some visual standards left over from CAD. In a few cases this means that I need, for example, mechanical equipment with a scaling annotation on top. I would rather have the piece function as mechanical equipment, but as I'm straight out of college, I'm not sure if everyone here would agree. For the most part, symbolic lines will have to do for now.