Family Text Position

[guitarchitect7]

I have a specialty equipment family that I'm trying to create a tag that will load with the family into any project. I running into the position of this tag once it's loaded into the actual project. When creating the generic annotation symbol I center my label over the origin of the reference planes. When positing in the family I place it, dimension it, and lock it where I want it - 3" out from the wall. But when placing it in the family it sits right on the wall.

I narrowed it down that it seems to be using the original position based of the generic annotation family. I also noticed that it varies it's position based on scale just like the height of the text would vary.

So what am I missing...?

[Scott Womack]

Are you placing the label directly in the family, or nesting it in? More predictable behavior can be achieve IMHO by nesting it in. Also, is there a reference plane locked to the face of the wall in your family? Otherwise items tend to lock to the centerline of the wall. Then, if necessary, you can place an inced dimesional parameter to this label, and in the project, adjust this parameter to move the text if necessary.

Also, when working in the family editor, set you scale to the plan scale you are most often working with.

[guitarchitect7]

Are you placing the label directly in the family, or nesting it in? More predictable behavior can be achieve IMHO by nesting it in. Also, is there a reference plane locked to the face of the wall in your family? Otherwise items tend to lock to the centerline of the wall. Then, if necessary, you can place an inced dimesional parameter to this label, and in the project, adjust this parameter to move the text if necessary.

Also, when working in the family editor, set you scale to the plan scale you are most often working with.


Yes, I would be nesting it in. I've tried locking dimensions to the nested annotation family but it's pointless, it doesn't constrain the label in place.

I'm still open to any ideas because this is driving me nuts.

[Gadget Man]

Yes, I would be nesting it in. I've tried locking dimensions to the nested annotation family but it's pointless, it doesn't constrain the label in place.

I'm still open to any ideas because this is driving me nuts.

You can constrain your label (or text) family with a little trick...

Inside your annotation family containing your label,position your label as you want against the "origin" Ref Plane. Make sure this Ref. Plane is a reference for dimensioning purposes.

Now, in your host family you can dimension and lock (constrain) this annotation, using this "origin" Ref. Plane from your nested family.

I even built several families of parametrically arrayed labels using this technique (e.g. semi-automatic stair numbering annotation symbol)

[guitarchitect7]

You can constrain your label (or text) family with a little trick...

Inside your annotation family containing your label,position your label as you want against the "origin" Ref Plane. Make sure this Ref. Plane is a reference for dimensioning purposes.

Now, in your host family you can dimension and lock (constrain) this annotation, using this "origin" Ref. Plane from your nested family.

I even built several families of parametrically arrayed labels using this technique (e.g. semi-automatic stair numbering annotation symbol)

I will try this again, but I believe I've already done this. I've position my label centered over the reference plane in the annotation family. I then import to the host family. Position, dimension, and lock where I would like it to be displayed, and then import that family into my project. Upon placing the family in the project, the lock constraint does no good as now my lable sits right on the wall instead of contraint away form the wall like I dimensioned and locked previously. I may attach my family later this evening for you all to reference.

By what I could tell, the final position of my label in the project is based off the position of the label in the annotation family. When I reposition my label in my annotation family it adjusts my overall position in the project. The part there is the annotation family is based off real height, when in the project it's based of project scale. That's why when I change scale it varies in location. It's still about the same "distance" from where I want it, but the control of everything seems to just be a shot in the dark.

[Gadget Man]

OK, so if the problem is that the text "jumps" to different positions in different scales, you can try to do this:

Inside your annotation family copy your label/text as many times as there are number of different scales you going to use in.

Position each copy in such a way that each copy "serves" one scale only.

Control visibility of each label by a "YES/NO" parameter (say, name it "scale").

When you load this whole family to your project, depending what scale your view is in, select a correct value in your parameter "scale". Only this particular label should then be visible and all the others should disapear.

This is a work-around and is "semi-automatic" but it should work.

Cheers

[guitarchitect7]

Although that tips is helpful, the main issue is what is determining the text position and how to control it. I guess my thought would be that I could control the text position just like I can in the hosted family, but the moment it gets load into a project all contraints are ingnored and it displays as shown in the annotation family.

I know I didn't get the file loaded last night, I apologize. I'll be sure to do it tonight!

[guitarchitect7]

Sorry here is the file.

[Gadget Man]

OK, assuming that this was what you wanted, it was very easy to fix (see attached file).

What you were missing was a constraint not to the ORIGIN (which happened to be a centre) of a wall but to the wall's face (or better still to a reference plane locked to the wall's face).

In your family, when you had it attached to the centre of the wall, if that wall changed its thickness (was substituted by a different wall inside your project) your label would be still the required distance from the origin, but it would happen to be the... wall centre rather than its face...