Transparent Lighting Fixtures in RCP - Visibility Problem

[Cory.Killpack]

We have noticed that the lighting fixtures in our model are transparent (the roof structure is visible through the light.). Upon investigation, I have not found any visibility settings, either in the family nor in the view, that would cause this. Within the families, the 3d solid extrusion is set to be visible in all 'View Specific Display' and 'Detail Levels', and the Visible parameter is checked. Within the view, the category is turned on and not transparent, it's hidden line, there are no filters, and nothing is "hidden".

The view is defined to be in the electrical discipline. Interestingly, if I switch that view to architectural or coordination, the lighting category becomes opaque. (see attached reference) It appears that maybe the lighting fixture category is transparent by default in an electrical discipline? Or am I missing some other setting somewhere? Ideas?

Has anyone else experienced/noticed this? If so, are you just creating architectural views for your electrical sheets?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. The view is a ceiling plan view, and we are using Revit MEP 2011 with web update #2.

[smcmillin]

In the family, check if the 3D geometry of the fixture is assigned to a material and if that material has a transparency value.

[ALM BIM]

I have never seen this behavior. Are the lines appearing in your fixture actually part of the ceiling? You could try inverting the background. Color back to white in your options. I have seen this affect graphics in the past. We generally don't print the rcp, just use it for alignment.

[Cory.Killpack]

The material for the 3D geometry in the family is set to <by category>, and there is no material assigned in object styles within the project.

The lines appearing in the fixture are the roof beyond (I can tab select the roof and they highlight). Changing the background white appears to make no difference in the display nor the plot.

Thanks for your prompt responses, great ideas I hadn't checked yet.

[mwiggins]

I would check your view range. You may have it looking to far up.

[ALM BIM]

Yes View range could do it, or is your view set to wire frame instead of hidden line.

[drewj]

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I replicated the issue using a M_Troffer Light - Parabolic Rectangular light fixture, then went to a sectional view, I noticed that the light was upside down, so I flipped it the other way up and this fixed the issue in the RCP view, however now when it is flipped it always stays correct, without the "hole" reappearing in the view.

Do you get the same behaviour? if so then it looks like a bug in the software.

[Cory.Killpack]

True, adjusting the view range or even turning off the roof category would eliminate the roof lines from showing through the light - but it would also get rid of the lines where they should be showing (in between cloud ceilings or in rooms without ceilings). Which is not entirely desired. I'd like to not have to choose between the two.

Do you get the same behaviour?

Drew, I do not see what you are seeing. Flipping the light about the workplane did not seem to have an affect on my RCP (whether upside down or right side up they were transparent). Can anyone else reproduce what Drew describes?

I'm interested to know if this is one of those "hard-coded" items - i.e. in the Electrical discipline the lighting fixture category is transparent.

[drewj]

Drew, I do not see what you are seeing. Flipping the light about the workplane did not seem to have an affect on my RCP (whether upside down or right side up they were transparent). Can anyone else reproduce what Drew describes?

Humm thats odd, the attached image shows what I get when I do it.

Here is a video of what happens on my 2011 machine:

http://screencast.com/t/BD1PCEuUGp

[Brian Myers]

I realize this thread is 4 years old, but has anyone found a solution for it? I have the exact same conditions in a Revit 2014 project.