Problem placing light fixture Revit 2012

[RedMan77]

Having problems placing light fixtures in a floor plan.  This hasn't been an issue before so I know I am overlooking some very simple aspect.  So in this office we have arch, elec, mech.  Since we are all in the same model (worksharing enabled) we don't used linked models. Very small office and the project we typically do are no bigger than a couple of large rooms.  It seemed far easier to not incorporate linked models and we are able to control elements through view templates. 

So when I place a typical OTB light fixture I can't find the host.  There is a ceiling which is at 9'-0".  Are most of the lights face based or host?  I place the fixture at 9'-0" but it still doesn't work.  I go to section view and I can clearly see the ceiling.  The only way I seem to be able to see my light fixture is to place the fixture on a wall  or select Place on Work Plane.  But when I do it places it on the floor facing up.  It appears as if the suitable host it found was the floor.

Any thoughts or ideas what I am doing wrong.  Appreciate any insight you may be able to offer.

[Alfredo_Medina]

It depends which light fixtures you are using. In Revit Architecture 2012 the lighting fixtures have a specific host (ceiling-based, for example). In Revit MEP 2012, the lighting fixtures are face-based (they adapt to anything) basically because they are meant to be used on a linked model.

So, if you are on ceiling view (you did not mention that) and you see a ceiling, and you grab one of the architectural lighting fixtures, you should be able to place it on the ceiling, as ceiling-based. If you grab one of the MEP lighting fixtures, you should be able to place it on the ceiling, as face-based.

[RedMan77]

I am using Revit MEP to select the lights.  I am trying to see the light in any view.  Couldn't see it in ceiling view, power view, etc with VG set to ALL ON. It was my assumption, and it may be an incorrect one, that in MEP that all the light fixtures weren't face based.  Why would the light fixture be able to find the floor, but not the ceiling?   I placed both the ceiling and floor in the model (not linked).  Is there a way to tell before I insert a light whether its faced based or hosted?

[Alfredo_Medina · Accepted solution]

You should work on the ceiling view. The ceiling and lighting fixtures categories must be on, and the view range of the view should be set up properly. Make sure the cut plane value is actually below the height of the ceiling. If all that is OK, there should not be any problem.

[RedMan77]

So here is what the issue was.  Believed the template that I am building off was ok.  For the most part it was but the lighting plan, wasn't a ceiling plan.  So I incorrectly assumed it was set right.  It was not.  I created a ceiling plan with the view range set to the right settings.  Now I am able to place any light I wish and it shows up in the other views.  I can fix it from there,  Thanks.  Appreciate the assistance.

[Anonymous]

How do you turn on those categories?

[David_W_Koch]

Does your View have a View Template assigned?

If not, you can control the visibility of categories of objects using Visibility/Graphics overrides [on the View ribbon tab, on the Graphics panel, select the Visibility/Graphics tool or type VG]. 

If so, you will have to edit the View Template settings.

In both cases, the Lighting Fixtures category appears on the Model Categories tab.