Offsetting Fire Alarm Plan Symbols

[mswilliams]

Ok here is one, You have two fire alarm devices stacked (a pull station and a strobe). In plan view, if you offset one device out from the wall so you can see both devices, it actually is located out in the air when you look at them in a section view. If you don't offset the the device then you have one on top of the other in plan view. Any ideas how to have this work in both plan and section view? Thanks.

[mrkuhl]

Ok here is one, You have two fire alarm devices stacked (a pull station and a strobe). In plan view, if you offset one device out from the wall so you can see both devices, it actually is located out in the air when you look at them in a section view. If you don't offset the the device then you have one on top of the other in plan view. Any ideas how to have this work in both plan and section view? Thanks.

If I understand what you're asking, you would need a single family with the two other families (i.e. pull station and strobe) "nested" inside. You could place the physical elements on top of each other and have the symbols offset to be stacked off of the wall. Then when you insert your new "nested" family, your devices would physically be on top of each other in plan and section, while your symbols would appear correct on the plan.

[RobertB]

If I understand what you're asking, you would need a single family with the two other families (i.e. pull station and strobe) "nested" inside. You could place the physical elements on top of each other and have the symbols offset to be stacked off of the wall. Then when you insert your new "nested" family, your devices would physically be on top of each other in plan and section, while your symbols would appear correct on the plan.

That's not a good approach.

Rather, for each family that you may want to do plan symbol offsets, nest an annotation family in the model family and use linked parameters to offset the plan symbol.

The downside to this approach is that the offset distance is in the annotation units and not the distance in the view.

[rvellia]

I have just been letting them float in mid air. Typically, nobody even bothers to look at every single section/3D view so nobody notices. The contractors only care about what the plans look like anyway.

[Saimon]

I have just been letting them float in mid air. Typically, nobody even bothers to look at every single section/3D view so nobody notices. The contractors only care about what the plans look like anyway.

This is true only if you are using non-hosted families.

Anyone correct me if I'm worng but letting families float in mid air is not an option with hosted familes.

[rob.goetze]

Hi:

I have been dealing with a related issue: placing several devices side by side without spaces in between (as they would be in real life). In 3D and section views, they appear fine. However, in plan the symbols overlap.

Now, I found it fairly easy to create annotation offsets which allow the user -- where needed -- to offset the location of the annotation symbols in plan view to one side or the other, without affecting the location of the 3D model.

However, I am not able to get the annotation symbols to offset out from the wall, which would be useful for the initial situation described in this post but also for a multitude of situations including narrow walls where several devices need to be located vertically.

Does anyone know how to get the annotation in a device family to offset out from the wall while still keeping the 3D model in the wall?

Best regards,

Rob

[RobertB]

Does anyone know how to get the annotation in a device family to offset out from the wall while still keeping the 3D model in the wall?

Did you read the 3rd post in this thread?

[rvellia]

RobertB, in regards to the 3rd post in the thread, could you please provide us with an example of a family where you have done this?

[rob.goetze]

Hi RobertB:

I did read the third post in the thread, and think I have followed it. I have a family with model components, and a generic annotation family brought in. I have successfully used parameters to get the annotation to move along the wall in plan view, but cannot get them to move outward from the wall.

Do you have a family which allows the symbol to move outward from the wall, which you could share?

Best regards,

Rob Goetze

[RobertB]

RobertB, in regards to the 3rd post in the thread, could you please provide us with an example of a family where you have done this?

Sure. The attached family has a parameter, Plan Symbol Offset, that you provide an annotation-based distance, e.g. 1/8", to move the plan symbol off the wall without moving the model.