Face-based or generic, using linked models?

[JoelB]

As an MEP firm, our families are pretty much always hosted on linked Revit files from other disciplines, so I have been using the face-based template for our wall-mounted families.

For our ceiling-mounted families I was thinking of using the generic template, so that we could place all of our instances in the same view---our Revit operators could just stick the ceiling-mounted families on floor plans and adjust the offset, without having to go to a ceiling plan. However, I'm concerned that for recessed instances, using generic families might trigger the interference checker, where face-based families occupying the same space might not.

Does anyone have advice on the subject? What does experience say, and is there a best practice?

TIA

[RobertB]

If you go this route, you are asking your designers to manually adjust the elevations for the elements for the entire life of the project. This sounds a lot like AutoCAD to me.

I do understand your issue with switching the views but I would rather not have to manually maintain the elevations.

Although you may be able to avoid the sloped ceiling issue.

Tough call.

[JoelB]

Thanks for the feedback---I hadn't even thought about the sloped ceiling consideration.

I'm leaning toward the face-based approach though---my guess is we'll have enough need for ceiling mounted elements that the ceiling plans will end up being beneficial anyway.

I appreciate the thoughts.

Joel

If you go this route, you are asking your designers to manually adjust the elevations for the elements for the entire life of the project. This sounds a lot like AutoCAD to me.

I do understand your issue with switching the views but I would rather not have to manually maintain the elevations.

Although you may be able to avoid the sloped ceiling issue.

Tough call.