Switches and Outlets

[mrdavie]

I am struggling with a simple ceiling plan. I want to show switches, outlets and lines connecting switches to fixtures ON THE CEILING PLAN, but I don't know if it is possible. What to do?

I faked an outlet but that is really tedious.

[Revitaoist]

The easiest way is to do it all with annotation symbols and detail lines, just like you would do it in CAD. You can use the OOTB models of switches and outlets, but they will show up on every floor plan, interior elevation, and section, where we usually don't show them. If you do use the models of switches and outlets you will need to know about the cut plane, view depth, underlaying floor plans on ceiling plans, and the famous workaround of putting an invisible line in a family so the cut plane hits it. All the really BIM features of electrical has been stripped from architecture and given to MEP.

[mrdavie]

The hits I get from Google on this subject are dated 2004. It seems that by now Autodesk would have figured out that there needs to be some way to display objects that would normally be seen on a floor plan, on the ceiling plan without having to see EVERYTHING that is on the floor plan.

If I charged my client for all the time I have spent on this very small remodel job I am doing, they would owe me thousands of dollars.

[cdatechguy]

The hits I get from Google on this subject are dated 2004. It seems that by now Autodesk would have figured out that there needs to be some way to display objects that would normally be seen on a floor plan, on the ceiling plan without having to see EVERYTHING that is on the floor plan.

If I charged my client for all the time I have spent on this very small remodel job I am doing, they would owe me thousands of dollars.

Autodesk does know that their families are outdated....as the family library is still pretty much the same as release 8 or earlier...

Your best bet is to create a family that only shows information where you want....Such as a light switch on the wall only on an elevation view and a different symbol for floor plans...but if you create them to a particular category (object style) you can turn them off with one click in the visibility graphics for that view. If you have multiple views then you create a view template and apply it to the rest of the views....

As for using a billable project to learn Revit....your going to have to know what to charge the client and what comes out of your training budget.... ;)

[Limbatus]

I built my own with a Height instance parameter that has the symbol detail component hosted to it. there is an invisible model line that runs vertically at the family centerline. when I need the symbol to show up on various levels, i drag the height parameter up through the cut plane. this way i can see the outlet or switch on multiple levels. btw it was a pain in the butt to set up each family this way, but it works pretty well now that i am done.