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Family Preview Image

42 REPLIES 42
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Message 1 of 43
revitus
6633 Views, 42 Replies

Family Preview Image

I've racked my brain trying to figure this out enough - it's time to ask you experts.

 

I have created many custom casework families, and they all (except for wall based) seem to show the preview image at the type selector image rotated 180 from what I expected to see (i.e. you see the back of a cabinet for a casework family) when you select the element in the project environment.

 

However, the preview image of the file in the "Open" dialoag box shows it rotated so I see the front of the cabinet (what I want), which is obviously based on the regenerated 3D view I specified under "Options".

 

Call it picky, but I really want the Revit User to see the front of the cabinet in both preview image locations before I create too many families and have to go back through them all - please help!

 

Please tell me that I don't have retrain my thinking so that the front of the cabinet is "above" the Center (Front/Back) reference plane in the ref. level of the template and re-do my families modeled to that orientation.  If that is the case, Revit has it backwards!

 

Again, thanks for your knowledge and time!

Scott

42 REPLIES 42
Message 2 of 43
Alfredo_Medina
in reply to: revitus

Well, stop banging your head against the wall trying to figure this out. It's not your fault, it's not your casework family file. It is one of those "known issues", which "the factory" knows about, and it's on the list of things to fix.  I am pasting here the official word about this, which I've seen in Augi:

 

 

"From Autodesk Support regading why preview image of families appear backwards in the ribbon of Revit Arch 2010.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thank you for choosing Autodesk Support.

I understand that you are experiencing the preview image displaying backwards in the Type Selector for a particular Family in Revit Architecture 2010.

This is a known issue that our Development group is currently working on to correct in a future release or update. There is currently no workaround to correct the display of the preview image.

If you would like to add additional comments or information to our Developers about this issue, you can use the following link to submit feedback and feature requests to our Development group:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...112&id=1109794

I would appreciate it if you would let me know if this answers your question. If it doesn't, please reply with more information about what you are trying to do so that I can give you a better answer.

Best regards"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 


Alfredo Medina _________________________________________________________________ ______
Licensed Architect (Florida) | Freelance Instructor | Autodesk Expert Elite (on Revit) | Profile on Linkedin
Message 3 of 43
revitus
in reply to: revitus

Thanks Alfredo!  I appreciate the information.  I assume this hasn't been resolved in 2011 yet either (we have it in-house, but won't be installing it for another week or so).  I look forward to The Factory and Revit getting this worked out.

 

Take Care, and thanks again!

Scott

Message 4 of 43
susanpinckney
in reply to: revitus

Has this issue been resolved in 2013? I am working in 2012 ( soon to transfer to the upgrade) & it is still a problem. It appears that many manufacturers have taken to reversing their reference planes in order to have the component thumbnail preview properly so I would think it shouldn't be such a difficult fix for the AutoDesk engineers...

Message 5 of 43

We are having the same problem with this issue. It hasn't been resolved in RAC 2013! 

 

Hans Broeksteeg

Message 6 of 43
AdamHamilton
in reply to: revitus

...nope Revit 2014 and its still an issue

 

hate to raise the dead but client just wanted me to look in on this.

Message 7 of 43
michael_coffey
in reply to: revitus

I also need this fixed, please!

Message 8 of 43
mrioux
in reply to: revitus

Still an issue with 2015...

Message 9 of 43
pacheco845
in reply to: mrioux

Easy fix guys. Just rotate reference planes 180°  Smiley Happy

Message 10 of 43
michael_coffey
in reply to: pacheco845

Interesting that it was so easy lol.  Also, right-click on your ViewCube and "Set Front to View" as Back to fix the cube orientation from being backwards.

Message 11 of 43
SteveKStafford
in reply to: revitus

I rotate the view so I can see as much detail as I can. Then I save the view and make it the home view (both right click options on the View Cube.

If you use Temporary Hide Isolate things that obscure the family, like a host element, before you Save and Close the family Revit will use that current view state to create the thumbnail view.
My other older self here: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/46056
Message 12 of 43
spinckney
in reply to: pacheco845

Only easy if you don't mind wasting a lot of time. If I rotate reference planes then the families in my project will all rotate 180 degree. With hundreds of families in a project it is not a reasonable fix. I also don't want to have to perform the rotation with every family I import. It seems like Revit should be easy to modify so the thumbnail view is rotated.

Message 13 of 43
pacheco845
in reply to: spinckney

Try doing it befotre you start a project. This is just a work around not a solution!! If you don't want to perform the rotation on every family you import then simply just deal with it! Smiley Wink and wait unti Revit fixes it!!!

Message 14 of 43
SteveKStafford
in reply to: pacheco845

It's my opinion that it isn't the reference planes that are "wrong", it is the View Cube, which was added into Revit, not the reverse. If we (or Autodesk) change the orientation of Reference Planes to fix the way the view cube works we affect any existing content. That's why it hasn't been changed in that way. They need to fix the way the View Cube plugs into the Revit "world" because it "sees" it differently than their other applications, so to speak.

My other older self here: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/46056
Message 15 of 43
revitus
in reply to: SteveKStafford

I concur with Mr. Stafford's comment, and I share the same opinion.  Work-arounds are (unfortunately) a part of Revit, but in my opinion, they should only be employed when absolutely necessary.  As much as I'd like my families to preview properly, I'm NOT going to begin rotating my Reference Planes.  I have far more productive things to focus on, and I will deal with it and wait until the solution is incorporated internally by the powers that be.

 

Hopefully when the programmers do take the time to resolve this issue, they might also consider the other orientation-related issues, such as the Left and Right sides to a Wall Based template family (or perhaps I should suggest that the Placement Side should get the switch).  For instance, when you start a "Generic Model.rft" template family (non-wall based), and you create Left and Right Reference Planes relative to the default Ref. Level Floor Plan view, and then switch to the Front Elevation, the Left Reference Plane is actually on the Left and the Right is on the Right.  Great.  However, when you start a "Generic Model wall based.rft" template family, and create the Reference Planes in the same fasion in your Floor Plan view with the Left Reference Plane to the Left of the Center Reference Plane, then switch to the Placement Side Elevation (which is equivalent to the Front Elevation), you'll notice the Left and Right are "reversed".  Odd.  If the Placement Side was oriented to the "bottom" of the Wall Host / Ref. Level view, then the Placement Side would again show the Left on the Left and the Right on the Right and match the Plan perfectly.  This would make much more sense and offer better consistency, at least as far as I'm concerned.

Message 16 of 43
SteveKStafford
in reply to: revitus


@revitus wrote:

 

 

For instance, when you start a "Generic Model.rft" template family (non-wall based), and you create Left and Right Reference Planes relative to the default Ref. Level Floor Plan view, and then switch to the Front Elevation, the Left Reference Plane is actually on the Left and the Right is on the Right.  Great.  However, when you start a "Generic Model wall based.rft" template family, and create the Reference Planes in the same fasion in your Floor Plan view with the Left Reference Plane to the Left of the Center Reference Plane, then switch to the Placement Side Elevation (which is equivalent to the Front Elevation), you'll notice the Left and Right are "reversed".  Odd.  If the Placement Side was oriented to the "bottom" of the Wall Host / Ref. Level view, then the Placement Side would again show the Left on the Left and the Right on the Right and match the Plan perfectly. 


Yes it confused me a lot when I first started using Revit. Doors are similar, the Exterior side is the placement side which according to templates, without a host, is the "back" side, not the front. I tend to think of designing a door or window from the front...(exterior side in my mind)... Originally I took the templates I work with and changed the view names so they are consistent with the orientation. For example if the note in the plan view says Placement Side then I change the view name to match. The stock content has been changed to do this too but I don't recall how long ago that happened.

My other older self here: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/46056
Message 17 of 43
revitus
in reply to: SteveKStafford

I've had a lot of fun developing custom Revit Door Family Libraries.  Windows too... And yes, the ootb (hard-coded) orientation is not right in these families.  It works, but it forces us to think in a less intuitive manner.  Common practice is to place the front of the building (or object) at the bottom the page.  Revit should be programmed to match this, in my humble opinion.  I still commend Autodesk for making Revit as great as it is.  It's my favorite program to use.

Message 18 of 43
SteveKStafford
in reply to: revitus

Front IS at the bottom of very plan view in every family and family template. The View Cube also matches that convention. The issue is that a portion of the stock content has been modelled in the reverse. Even in those families the reference planes and orientation are oriented correctly, the geometry orientation is wrong.

 

I'm contradicting my earlier comment, sorry. I wasn't in front of Revit and thinking of the families that have the back side of the view cube facing "front" when you open the view, so we can see what is applied to a host wall. This is backwards because the factory modelled all the geometry on the back side of the wall and then re-labelled the views so they weren't wrong. The view cube just makes it obvious there is something wrong.

My other older self here: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/46056
Message 19 of 43
revitus
in reply to: SteveKStafford

Right, there is something wrong.

Message 20 of 43
SteveKStafford
in reply to: revitus

Hah, you just "whatevered" me...

The family editor experience may be "wrong" but the components "work" during placement. If they revise the orientation they also have to revise the placement process because it must be compensating for the family editor orientation.
My other older self here: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/46056

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