Sprinkler heads

[greg.nagel]

I wrote in a previous thread about a visibility problem, which I eventually associated with a generic ceiling I inserted in my model for the sole purpose of attaching sprinkler heads to.

Another AUGI member suggested I make a non-ceiling-based sprinkler head and insert those, thus allowing me to ditch the generic ceiling serving as the sprinkler host.

a) What would be the best or easiest way to do this? It would have to allow me to place the sprinkler head symbol in three dimensions.

b) Is it worth the trouble, or at this point am I better off just putting them in as a detail mark in the view?

Also, If anyone out there knows how to do an open ceiling grid (no tiles- visibility through), that would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

[PeterJ]

a) What would be the best or easiest way to do this? It would have to allow me to place the sprinkler head symbol in three dimensions.
However you previously modelled the fitting you should be able to copy the geometry from the original family into a new unhosted generic model template. You will then be able to insert it anywhere in your model and move it up and down, you may want to consider a 'height above ffl' parameter so that you can easily site them in 3D space.


b) Is it worth the trouble, or at this point am I better off just putting them in as a detail mark in the view?
Do you need them to render? Do they affect any view that they wouldn't be shown in otherwise when using a 2D representation, if they do how much trouble would it be to draw them into those views? I tend to model electrical stuff just because it takes no time at all then I don't have to worry about the other answers.


Also, If anyone out there knows how to do an open ceiling grid (no tiles- visibility through), that would be much appreciated.
If you only need the ceiling to look like a grid with no panels in rendered views you can creata a material which is part transparent and part solid, based on a bitmap. I've posted on this technique before so you could search on it, but it is a long while since I used it. If you need the effect you describe in other views then you are stuck with a simple repeated family, an arrayed family (if you are brave), an in place family, or perhaps a ruled curtain wall surface or flat glazed roof, these last options might enable you to define a horizontal surface and effectively make your grid as mullions and then remove all the panels.

I think in all of these cases other than the rendering material you will be stuck with something that won't host ceiling based families as there is no ceiling catgeory that one can apply to a family. So, to overcome this issue, your last option is to use a plain or compound ceiling and then punch holes in it with a ceiling based family that comprises nothing but a void.....

[adegnan]

Greg,

I agree with Peter's post. You should be able to use a parameter from the floor level to determine the head height of your sprinkler. And I believe that this should be a generic model as opposed to a floor-hosted model (just because you are dimensioning from the floor doesn't make it floor-hosted). Then if you need a pipe going upward (if it is in a warehouse for example or maybe it hangs below your ceiling) you could have a second dimension parameter that determines the height above the floor that the pipe runs to.

[greg.nagel]

Hi Peter and Abe-



Thanks for the input. I’ve worked a bit with parameters, but I am unsure about how to set up one for the height of an element from a specified plane. I also am unsure of how to work with the sprinkler head model. The one from Revit (ceiling-based) is actually just an annotation mark- it has no thickness, and isn’t visible in elevation. Therein lies the problem-how do you set up an annotation mark to have a certain height above a plane? Or do you suggest I actually model a simple sprinkler head and use that instead?

[adegnan]

I would model a simple one. Give you a little practice with your modeling skills! In elevation, add a reference plane above the level, add a dimension, and label that dimension with a parameter that you create in the Family Types dialog (if a height parameter already exists use it).

Or look for another generic model and modify it to become a sprinkler head! See how some other families are set up.

Dive in!

[SCShell]

Hi there,

Regarding the ceiling question, you may want to try this approach. I am not sure it will work; however, it is quick and worth a try.

Go to your ceiling grid/tile properties, click on edit and create new. Click on the acurender name and edit the ceiling tile material itself. Within acurender, you can change a material to whatever you want, even the transperancy! Just make sure to copy and edit the copied ceiling tile material. I don't know what will happen in your views or your renderings, but it could be interesting. (*like most experiments in Revit! Sometimes you get unexpected results which are cool.)

Good Luck and let us know if this works
Steve Shell