Circuiting/Wire Trimming on Light fixtures

[aaron.ewertz]

When I circuit up light fixtures, the circuiting extends to the center of the fixture.

I have a masking region in the center of the fixture that trims out everything but the circuiting.

I would like it to trim out the circuiting as well. I have downloaded manufactorer families that do just this.

What am I missing?

[julianjameson8403]

There are two parts to the end of a circuit wire the cross in the box and a circle. The cross in the box is the 'connection' between the wire and the connector in the family. If you want to change the graphical interface between the wire and the electrical component, locate the circle and move it to the edge o fthe fitting. If you can only see one, then the two objects are probably sitting on top of each other. If that is the case, zoom into the conenctor and hover the mouse over the connector. Before clicking with the mouse, press the tab keyuntil the circle highlights and then select with the mouse. Then you can drag the circle to the desired place.

Hopefully you are using 2D symbols to indicate the lighting fixture in plan views. If so then the wire should automatically trim to the 2D elements rathert than the 3D objects.

[aaron.ewertz]

We do use symbolic lines for the 2D representation for plan view, the problem is it doesn't trim at the 2D symbol. Right now we circuit and then have to go back and move the circuit annotation out of the light fixture circle. Not a big deal on a small remodel, but for larger projects with hundreds of lights this takes quite a while.

[CrazedEngineer]

Are you 2D symbols the same size as your 3D symbols?   I Have ran into this before, where the wire adjust to the 3D element and not the 2D annotation.  Try making them the same size and see if it works for you. 

[CoreyDaun]

Is this happening with all of your light fixtures, even those from different families? If you can, attach one of the .rfa files so someone can evaluate it more efficiently.

[aaron.ewertz]

Our 2D symbols are the same as the 3D model, with the exception of our annotation circle, which is annotative so that it scales based on the view scale.

If the circle is a masking region (to wipeout the emergency filled region) the circuiting extends to the center of the fixture,

if the circle is just annotation i.e. symbolic lines, the circuiting works like it should, but then I have to make emergency filled regions for each scale and then manually choose which filled region to use through an instance parameter.

I would like to be able to use the annotative circle to make the emergency filled region, but can't find a way to tie the filled region to the circle.

After looking at some of the manufactor files that we've cleaned up that do circuit correctly, the circle is based on one scale.

So if we do an enlarged plan the symbol doesn't scale.

Attached is the light fixture that has a masking region circle, everything works but the circuiting.

[CoreyDaun]

Could you post an image of what this masking circle is ultimately used for?

[aaron.ewertz]

The goal is to have the circle annotatively change based on the scale and trim the hatch and circuiting.

Attached is the two approaches we are working through, so far the bottom fixture would be prefered since you would only have to check the correct box. Since the top one you have to adjust all the circuiting.

[CoreyDaun]

The best way to accomplish this goal then is to create a Light Fixture Tag with the Masking Region. When you place this tag without a leader, it automatically will want to center on the fixture. The masking region will mask the fixture's hatch. If the fixture is moved in any view, the tag(s) will move with it everywhere else.

If you are looking to have the fixture automatically label itself with an embedded tag, you will run into significant orientation problems with the text. Revit is pretty bad about keeping text aligned to a view.

[aaron.ewertz]

I didn't even think of putting the masking region with the Tag, that works well, but (there's always a but),

there are a couple of cases where this wouldn't work

We use the same light fixture tag for can lights which have a different 2d symbol which doesn't use the circle.

And sometimes we have a 3 letter descriptor for the ceiling mounted, and the letter descriptor goes outside the fixture.

Is there a way to have the circle stay centered on the fixture and move just the text?

Best case would be to get the circle embedded in the ceiling fixture, so we don't have to switch back and forth between tags.

[CoreyDaun]

You are looking for too much flexibility from Revit in this matter (not that you're in any way wrong). Unless your labeling method is very consistent, you will need to have a Light Fixture Tag with a couple Family Types and a parameter to control the visibility of the Masking Region. Or something similar. Having two or three Tag Types is not that bad, although it does add a small, but necessary, level of complexity.I definitely understand the need to keep things simple. There are many Revit users at this company who are not yet proficient, and are thrown off and confused very easily. 

I have never had any process with Revit work smoothly. There is always some flaw, such as the wiring problem you are experiencing. It is impossible for Revit to account for the infinite possibilities of design. So I think you are going to have to pick your poison: a more complex tagging method or a painful wiring process...

[aaron.ewertz]

Looks like we'll have to choose between the lesser of two evils.

Thanks for the help