Help Me Rescue Revit Electrical!

[Tyveka]

Good morning everyone,

Our firm has been using Revit Electrical for quite some time now. Trying to use M and P as well, we think with the next release it will be a lot better.

However, some of our old school project managers are not happy with Revit output. For example, the labels on the switch symbols - if the switch is on a vertical or angled wall, the text is angled or rotated sideways - they don't like that at all, they want all text horizontal.
Rise/drop symbols they seem to want to control differently. Panel schedules cannot schedule all the data they want (not entirely sure about this one?), and linework in general just looks bad. They are at the point of such a high level of frustration that they are ready to quit over these (and other issues). And we don't want them to leave because they are very good at what they do.

I have tried spin control and selling the advantages that we get versus what we have to put up with. For some reason, the rotating text is a HUGE issue, despite the fact that contractors can still read it in the field.

To the electrical engineers out there, what are you doing to sell the software to your old school folk? And seriously, what makes Revit Electrical so much more advantageous than just plain old AutoCAD? Also, what are some of the pitfalls of Revit Electrical? I am more versed in Revit Architecture, so I definitely need some help here...

Thank you for any input you can provide!

[MNsnowtaTy]

I've been using MEP a lot lately to create content for the firm I work at on the electrical side, because they aren't ready to use Revit.

I know to keep the text horizontal you need to go into the symbol family and create a vertical and horizontal symbol and parameters so that when one is checked the other is not:

not(Vertical Walls) both should be a yes/no parameter with only one of them having the not(Vert or Horiz)...either one works. That way when you place it on a vertical wall you can go into element properties and check it to make the text horizontal again.

But for the most part I think it seems pretty easy and a lot more understandable to me, but then I don't know a whole lot about the electrical side of Architecture. So all and all I can't really say that they're just afraid to break away from what they're used to cuz what they use they understand and is easy to them, whereas Revit MEP is newer and could slow them down.

[Steve_Stafford]

Panel schedules get a little bit better in the next release.

For annotation I'm leaning toward avoiding embedded text labels in symbols. It is much more flexible to tag them with GFCI etc instead. Then the tag can be repositioned however you want. The added advantage is you can use different formatting for different scales and not tag them at all in difference scale views if necessary (read overall plans). You use a shared parameter to store/display the information you need and add it to the tag and the project. The Tag All Not Tagged tool can put em in quicker...pick your poison.

[mjdanowski]

I vote tags, personally.

There are just too many unique places where we need to put things, and trying to embed them is more work then its worth.

[james.klatt]

I agree with tags. I ran into the same issue with our fused and non-fused disconnects I ended up putting all the info in the family as a shared parameter and pulling it into the tag. I have finally got our engineers to buy off on the concept of not putting static text into our symbols for that reason. The other thing that is a battle is making them understand plan readible text is ok. That way you only have 2 orientations of text either vertical or rotated counter clockwise 90 degree. It is not preferred but it is better than having no text or text in 4 different orientations. I hope this helps.

[mhartmann]

can we possibly get the "tag on placement" option for electrical devices, light fixtures and electrical equipment? using the default tag for the category of course.

[james.klatt]

That would be a nice feature... Sounds like a wish list item.

[mjdanowski]

can we possibly get the "tag on placement" option for electrical devices, light fixtures and electrical equipment? using the default tag for the category of course.

I second this movement