Kitchen cabinets and countertops in plan

[ruthellenwilliams]

Project includes a kitchen. Each cabinet is a family with dimensions and data for schedule. Countertop is modeled in place in the project.

Project floor plan view should show countertop and also dashed lines to indicate outline of cabinets below. I can't get it to do this!

Don't want to draw dashed detail lines in the project plan view since I need the dashed lines to move with the cabinets. Seems they should be included in the cabinet families, like symbolic door swings maybe. Too much to ask?

Tried symbol lines and model lines in the cabinet family. Placed these lines on floor level and also on level which would be above countertop. Tried various visibility settings. No luck.

Obviously I'm missing something. Pulling hair out. Please help!

[iankids]

I will let those with more knowledge in the family editor sort out how to do it in the family itself, however as a quick, cheap workaround I would use the detail lines and then lock them to the cabinet geometry, they will change with the cabinet.

I often use this to show a roof over or some such element.

Ian

[Alfredo Medina]

One solution is:

View > Show hidden lines > check "Multiple selection" Select the in-place counter top > select the cabinet(s) .

Another possible simple solution is:

Select the counter top > Right click > Override graphics in view > By element > Transparent.

[tropitech]

Another simple solution - modify tab > edit linework panel > linework.

Just select what new linestyle (in your case dashed) you want from the dropdown list, then start clicking lines. It will work on model lines (inc. imported revit families) or 2D lines. these new lines can also be adjusted for length should the need arise (i find it usually does).
It application is VIEW SPECIFIC and it will not change any object properties, similar to the 'paint' tool.

i find it very simple and very quick for dashing those casework detail lines, especially in conjunction with the <TAB> select method, but obviously being a 'glamour' (ie, visual only) tool you'll want to apply linework LAST, AFTER everything is in place.

[kingjosiah]

The easiest thing is not to use any sort of visibility or graphic overrides, but rather let the family do the work for you. Ruthie, do the OOTB casework/countertop families not work for you? They work exactly as you describe.

The trick is with a masking region built into the family and the "draw in foreground" option enabled. For a great explanation of this, check out Scenario 3 in the "masking regions in model families" section of the help file. I haven't tested it, but it appears that you can also use the "draw in foreground" option for symbolic linework....this might have been what you were missing from your first attempt.

- Jon

[dhurtubise]

All you have to do is use symbolic lines in the family.
Open the family and use the maskingregion like proposed below. For the boundary use a dash linetypes.

[ruthellenwilliams]

Thank you!

This project requires tagging and scheduling each cabinet box, end panel, etc., so more than ever I am trying to avoid detail lines and linework. I knew it could be done, but was spinning my wheels until I read your suggestions.

Looks like this is how it will work for me:

Each cabinet piece is a family with dashed symbol lines outline and cabinet box, legs, shelves, door and drawer faces all set to NOT display in plan.

The countertop is built in the project file. It is an extrusion with a continuous symbol line outline, and the extrusion is set to NOT display in plan.

So, the plan has the countertop outlined with each cabinet piece dashed. Looks great so far! Thanks again.

[Alex Page]

Also note that the lines you draw turn up in the correct sub-category of the casework (ie"hidden" lines turn up under casework "hidden" subcategory) - so you can turn them off through the view properties if you dont want to see them in certain views

[ruthellenwilliams]

Thanks. Still have trouble with the OOTB family templates. Needed instance width so had to make a new parameter since the "Width" in the casework template is "Type" and can't be changed. Right?

[Alex Page]

A little trick for changing parameters from type to instance based...select the dimension with the parameter (if it doesnt exist make a temp one) and youll see that you can change it to instance based here! (refer image)

[mthurnauer]

what I have done form cabinets is I downloaded the entire AWI library of revit families from their website and then I created type catalogs for all of the families. Making type catalogs for the OOTB families is a good idea as well.

[ruthellenwilliams]

I was actually going to use an emoticon for the first time, but I don't see one jumping up and down over that "Instance Parameter" checkbox.

Thank you Alex!

I hope I'm the only one who doesn't know about that little item. Wonder why you can't just Modify from the Types list? Checkbox seems to do the same thing.

Oh well, since mine is not to wonder why, I'll get back to my "do or die."

[kingjosiah]

Wonder why you can't just Modify from the Types list? Checkbox seems to do the same thing.

Ah, but you can change from Type to Instance in the Types dialog box. Click "Modify" under parameters. The checkbox that Alex pointed out is quicker and easier though!

- Jon

p.s. your end line about the wonder why...do or die? there was a guy on one of my teams that used to quote that ALL the time....but now for the life of me i can't remember who said it. Something about a light brigrade.

[rtaube]

p.s. your end line about the wonder why...do or die? there was a guy on one of my teams that used to quote that ALL the time....but now for the life of me i can't remember who said it. Something about a light brigrade.

It's from the poem by Alfred Lloyd Tennyson, "The Charge of the Light Brigade" about the Crimean War. But it's also been referenced in M*A*S*H* and Saving Private Ryan

[ruthellenwilliams]

kingjosiah:

Modify isn't always available in the types dialog. Start a new family using the OOTB casework template. Open the types dialog. Select the width parameter. The modify option is grayed out.

You have to enter a dimension and change it to the width parameter first. Then you can select it and check that nifty instance box.

Or am I still missing something?

[Alex Page]

kingjosiah:

Modify isn't always available in the types dialog. Start a new family using the OOTB casework template. Open the types dialog. Select the width parameter. The modify option is grayed out.

You have to enter a dimension and change it to the width parameter first. Then you can select it and check that nifty instance box.

Or am I still missing something?

Nope - spot on

[kingjosiah]

The modify option is grayed out.

Well I'll be.......all this time working with families/parameters i never noticed this. :Oops: I know i've toggled type/instance before using the modify button to parameters pre-defined in families, but guess i did not pay close enough attention to which. Looks like the only OOTB parameters that can be changed this way are the Trim parameters in the door and window family templates.

And Ryan -- thanks....Charge of the Light Brigade. Yep, now it's coming back to me.

- Jon