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Thread: Symbolic Lines in Elevation

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    Default Symbolic Lines in Elevation

    Hello everyone,

    This is the first time Revit has thrown a wrench in my family, and I can't seem to pull it out. I have created a face based upper cabinet family with many toggles and parameters. I have everything working the way I need, except for one thing. Symbolic lines.

    We like to show a dashed line in elevation which indicates the swing of the cabinet door. It consists of two lines that extend from the cabinet height midpoint on the hinge side, diagonally to the upper and lower corners (looks like a triangle). These lines will usually flex with the cabinet, and the midpoint on the hinge side is usually dimensioned Equal/Equal, to keep it centered when the cabinet gets taller/shorter.

    My problem is that I cannot keep the three points of this "triangle" anchored when the cabinet flexes. I have only been successful with anchoring two of them, and the third ends up moving around. I have a half dozen other cabinets where this is not a problem.

    Any tricks on controlling symbolic lines? I've used dimensions and reference planes in the past.

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    Default Re: Symbolic Lines in Elevation

    Make sure you lock the symbolic line end points to the reference planes defining the dimension of you cabinets. Using TAB key, you can select the end point (you will notice a black dot).

    Andre Carvalho

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    Default Re: Symbolic Lines in Elevation

    Thank You for the reply Andre. I've tried locking the symbolic lines in many different ways:
    -- Lock to ref. plane as you suggested
    -- Lock to ref. plane intersections
    -- Lock to actual extrusions
    -- Dimension from ref. planes to symbolic line endpoints, change dimensions to 0'-0", then lock the dimensions

    I can lock two of the three points, but as soon as I lock the third and try to flex...the family breaks. Another thing I've noticed is that sometimes the symbolic lines associate themselves to other parts of the family at random when they're drawn. So If I toggle "Tasklighting", the hinge side moves when it shouldn't. If I delete and redraw the lines, it fixes itself.

    I've ttached the family in case anyone wants to take a peek.
    Attached Files Attached Files

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    Lightbulb Re: Symbolic Lines in Elevation

    No constraining necessary for the line work. I took your family deleted the symbolic lines and the constraining dimension. I then drew a line from one corner to the opposite center, then to the other corner. As long as you snap to the end points of your corners, it should flex without locking anything. To be safe, you can lock the end points to the end points, I just didn’t see the need.

    Also, the family does a little funky stuff when changing the types. Watch the knob end flex past the reference plan. That could be because I deleted a dim string.

    I hope this helps,

    Jeff S.
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    Angry Re: Symbolic Lines in Elevation

    [QUOTE=jthury;842398]Another thing I've noticed is that sometimes the symbolic lines associate themselves to other parts of the family at random when they're drawn. So If I toggle "Tasklighting", the hinge side moves when it shouldn't.QUOTE]

    When I toggle the tasklight on and off the shelves should move, but the symbolic door swing lines shouldn't... for some reason Revit assumes I want these two pieces to move together. I love using Revit, but sometimes it gets cocky and thinks it knows everything. Grrrrrrr! Unless I specifically design this line to move with this other one, leave it alone Revit.

    Thanx for your response Jeff. I'll have to tinker with this some more.

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    Default Re: Symbolic Lines in Elevation

    Jthury,

    Try this one now. (see attached)
    I agree with Jeff. Sometimes constraining is not necessary. But I like locking things when Revit decides to do things its way. Constraining is the only way to tell Revit to do what YOU want.

    Andre Carvalho
    Attached Files Attached Files

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    Default Re: Symbolic Lines in Elevation

    Cool, the door swing lines are fixed but now the center shelf follows the door swing line instead of the other way around. THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH...this discussion and your adjustments to the family led me to a conclusion. Something wasn't jiving between the one shelf and the swing lines. Then I remembered that sometimes constraints are very touchy when it comes to "order of operation". So...

    I erased all 3 of the shelves, their constraining dimensions, then the swing line and it's constraining dimensions. I drew in the swing lines, constrained them, and flexed. Then I drew in the double shelves, constrained them, and flexed. Still working. I drew in the center shelf, constrained it, flexed, and the darn swing lines broke again.

    I erased the center shelf and dimensions again. Then drew it back in, but this time off to the right and isolated from everything else. Next I constrained the shelf vertically with the equal dimensions, and flexed. Working so far. Then I aligned and locked the ends of the shelf to the horizontal width planes, flexed it, and ******* in my pants 'cause it worked!

    Thank You for all your help gentlemen.

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