Disconnect Annotation

[rvellia]

I have attached the disconnect switch that comes with 2011. When I place the device into the model, it shows like it should (with a box and a handle on one side). However, typically when we show a FUSED disconnect, we put an slash through the symbol. When I open up the family, there is no annotation attached, just the extrusion. Where is the annotation I am seeing coming from then, and how can I change it to my liking?

[Saimon]

I have attached the disconnect switch that comes with 2011. When I place the device into the model, it shows like it should (with a box and a handle on one side). However, typically when we show a FUSED disconnect, we put an slash through the symbol. When I open up the family, there is no annotation attached, just the extrusion. Where is the annotation I am seeing coming from then, and how can I change it to my liking?

It seems to me as though you want to use this family for two things, as a disconnect switch and as fused disconnect switch. If this assumption is correct, one way of achieving this is to create two family types. One for the disconnect, and another for the switch disconnect. The create two annotations, one for the disconnect and another for the fused disconnect and create two parameters called "Disconnect Switch" and another called "Fused Disconnect Switch" and set the visivility settigns of the annotations to thers respective parameters.

That Revit out of the box family you loaded didn't have an annotation. The first step is to start by creating the annotations you need, and loading them into the family.

[rvellia]

I understand that the out of the box family I loaded doesn't have an annotation. What I don't quite get, is if there isn't any annotation, how do I see one in the model? Shouldnt I just see a box showing the outline of the actual disconnect?

[RobertB]

Did you go to the Front elevation?

[rvellia]

I figured it out. The problem was all the damn reference plans/lines were blocking everything.

There was no annotation in the model, it was just made with model lines and an extrusion. This leaves me with 2 questions:

1 - Why is the "front" elevation a top-down view of the plan, shouldn't that be the "top" elevation? The same goes for the "Floor Plan - Ref Level" view... why is this a front elevation and not the actual plan view? Am I missing something?

2 - If I was to input my own annotation in place of the model lines, should I place it in the "front" elevation or the "Ref Level" view?

[RobertB]

1 - Why is the "front" elevation a top-down view of the plan, shouldn't that be the "top" elevation? The same goes for the "Floor Plan - Ref Level" view... why is this a front elevation and not the actual plan view? Am I missing something?

The face that the element is hosting to is a wall, so the reference level is oriented along the wall and not along the floor.

2 - If I was to input my own annotation in place of the model lines, should I place it in the "front" elevation or the "Ref Level" view?

The Front elevation for the reason noted above.

[rvellia]

Thanks for the clarification, greatly appreciated...

[rvellia]

So I finally got some time to work on my families in Revit again...

I tried to do what you said, and load the annotation familiy into the Front Elevation of the model. However, when I do I get an error that says:

"Can't create this kind of element in this view in the current mode."

I am only allowed to import the annotation family into the Ref Level view. Am I doing something wrong?

And my second question...

My method of hiding/unhiding certain parts of the annotation are through Yes/No parameters and the Visibility settings. For example:

Motor Starter - Box with an X inside
Fused Disconnect - Box with a slash and a handle
Unfused Disconnect - Box with a handle

My question is, if I have lines in the annotation that are used in multiple types (i.e. the slash will be used for both the motor starter and the fused disconnect. And the handle will be used for both the fused and unfused disconnect), how do I control them through Yes/No parameters, do I need to create multiple instances of the same line or is there another way?

[Saimon]

I tried to do what you said, and load the annotation familiy into the Front Elevation of the model. However, when I do I get an error that says:

"Can't create this kind of element in this view in the current mode."

You can't put an annotation on a front elevation; however, you will be able to put "Detail Items" the problem (it may not be a problem for you) with "Detail Items" is that they are scale dependent where as "Annotations" are not.

I am only allowed to import the annotation family into the Ref Level view. Am I doing something wrong?

Without trying it I'm not 100% on this, but I think this is where you want to put it.

And my second question...

My method of hiding/unhiding certain parts of the annotation are through Yes/No parameters and the Visibility settings. For example:

Motor Starter - Box with an X inside
Fused Disconnect - Box with a slash and a handle
Unfused Disconnect - Box with a handle

My question is, if I have lines in the annotation that are used in multiple types (i.e. the slash will be used for both the motor starter and the fused disconnect. And the handle will be used for both the fused and unfused disconnect), how do I control them through Yes/No parameters, do I need to create multiple instances of the same line or is there another way

In my perspective you are doing the right thing by creating "Yes/No" parameters to control the visivilty. But you shouldn't try to reuse the lines. Create an annotation family for each element you have in the family and load it into the "Disconnect 3d" family you are working on. Then control the visivility of annotation families through the "Yes/No" parameters.