Having hard time connecting duct to packaged RTU!

[SATX]

I loaded a RTU family from Trane.  This is the type of unit that can have the supply and return connections on either the side or bottom.  I placed the RTU on the roof plan.  I can successfully connect a supply duct to the side connection and run it horizontally.

I can also connect a duct to the bottom connection and run it horizontally, but only at the same elevation as the RTU.  This causes some of the centerline of the duct to be at the roof level, with half of the duct above the roof and half of the duct below the roof.  This is obviously no good, but I can do it.

What I really want to do is make a duct connection to the bottom outlet, drop the duct a few feet, and then run it horizontally.  I cannot do the to save my life.  I don't know if it is a faulty RTU family or if I am just doing it wrong.  If I try to attach it from an elevation view and then drop the duct a few feet and then turn it horizontally, it looks perfect.  But, then when I look at it from a perpendicular elevation view, I can see that my duct is not even close to the RTU.

I have also tried attaching the duct while in the Roof Plan View.  When I do this, I first select the RTU.  This causes the duct connection icons to appear.  I right click the appropriate duct selector, which is on the botton of the unit.  I then adjust the offset to -4' 0", to make the duct four feet below the roof.  I then draw a horizontal section of duct, which I can't see because it is below the roof level, and I am in roof level.  When I go down to the next lower level, the horizontaly section of duct is in the correct location, but there is no corresponding vertical section of duct connected to the RTU.

How can I connect a vertical section of duct to a RTU, which is on the roof level, and then a horizontal section of duct above the ceiling of the next lower floor plan?

I have attached the RTU family if you want to see if it works for you.

Thank you.

[abulla]

Hmm, just did a quick test with this family. I couldn't get the unit to inherit the properties of the duct system I was connecting to it. I noticed that the geometry of the unit is a .dwg import, I wonder if that has anything to do with the duct not connecting correctly.

[SATX]

What do you do when you have a situation like this and you don't have time to fool around?

Could you just run some duct up to the roof and set the RTU on top of it even though it isn't really connected?

[john_ratliff]

Unless you you have a specific rendering need, why not just create a new box family that occupies the space with the connectors you need and be done with it. 

[abulla]

Yeah I agree with john, either use a generic family or just make a quick custom family with the dimensions and connections you need.

I guess there's a reason Trane isn't on Autodesk Seek...

[SATX]

I have never created a family before.  Is it hard?

[abulla]

Depends - creating a one-off family that has fixed dimensions and connections is fairly easy. Creating a parametric family with flexible dimensions is more complicated. Check out some of the Youtube tutorials on Revit MEP family creation, those will help a lot.

[JHeilman258]

thats weird. Yeah TRANE always provides 3d CAD families, but I've never had a problem connecting. In fact I have a project right now using well over 100 TRANE made VAV's. other than a few minor annoyances everything connects. 

On that note:

I was able to get your RTU to connect to the ducts on any of the 4 connections. Here is what I did.

In plan view, I right clicked the side connections, and drew duct off the RTU for both supply and return. 

I then grabbed the same connection point on the RTU and holding it down as to move it hovered over the end of the duct and typed SX (snap connection) to the duct. Follow the same procedure for the other connection.

If there's anything downstream of these ducts, I assume there is and I assume you already know, disconnect them so you are free to move it around and get it connected.

In elevation view: After drawing duct off the RTU. I had to lift the RTU off it's work plane (in my case I hosted it to level 2) just until it was just above the duct and then grabbed the connection on the RTU and dragged it to the duct. In this instance I didn't use the SX command. To get it back down to level 2 (instead of offset by some 1.5') I nudged it down until I was close then typed in 0 0 in the offset parameter..

Again thats one weird RTU you got there.

Hope this helps.

[chuckconley530]

Trane is terrible, they are taking the cheap way into Revit. They take 3d CAD, import it into revit and do a crappy job of creating families. I have had viewing issues with most of their stuff and refuse to use it now.