Light Switch Systems

[CoreyDaun]

As far as I understand, Revit cannot add more than a single switch to a given lighting circuit. Due to constant revisions in our project, we have had to change the switching labels a couple of times for several rooms with 3-Way and 4-Way switching. Has anyone come up with a decent solution or a classic Revit work-around for maintaining some form of association between switches on the same lighting circuit?

Thanks

[bcaudill]

Yep.

I actually have stop using the REVIT switching feature as a whole. I made switches that simply contain labels and I've moved the switch leg parameter into the lighting families.

This does a couple things:

1. You can use the labels to designate any type of switching system you need.
2. You can create a switch that can adjust in size dependent on the number of gangs (faceplate size).
3. You can circuit and switchleg the lights without any hindrance from the short comings of REVIT's switch system.

I've attached an example of the end result. All done with parameters. No dummy text.

HTH,

~BMC

[CoreyDaun]

I did in fact create a very similar family of versatile switches for those I could not include in the Switch Systems. Maybe it was a foolish notion to think that something useful could be salvages from Revit's Switch System?

I have also added parameters to light fixture families to account for dual circuiting (such as EM). But they, much like the switches, must now be controlled and manipulated manually.

Thanks

[bcaudill]

Agreed.

My first task was to see if putting it on the switch system actually had value. It really didn't. So creating families that operated independently was the only way to go. I'm sure once we perfect it in-house, they'll create something that actually makes sense.

Till then....I don't see any need to use the switch system just because it's there.

[v.kalin]

Dear bcaudill,

I try to repeat your way designation of switch system in Revit MEP.

Unfortunately, I stopped at problem there is: 2 Gang switch, *a,b* labelled by switch ID and Lighting fixtures labeled also *a,b*.

How to separate by gang, please ? (switch labeled a,b , but 1group of lighting fixtures labelled by *a* and 2group labelled by *b*.

Thank you,

v. 

[bsammis]

We use the switch ID parameter for all switches in the system and select them all to make changes to the ID if necessary. What sort of changes forced you to actually rename the switch leg?

[bcaudill]

Did you create the "Switch ID" parameter in the light fixture? And if so, is it "instance" based?

[bcaudill]

I made this change for ease of use. By using the switches to control the switch ID's, you need to connect the switches to the lighting families in order for the parameter to populate. By moving that parameter to the light, I can update all the switch ID's without going through the switches.

[bsammis]

"Switch ID" is a hard coded parameter in both light fixture and lighting device families. I created an "Auxiliary Switch" parameter for bi-level switching and a "Receptacle Control" parameter for device/system scheduling, but the basic Switch ID parameter is really the only reason to use the Revit switch systems - change the parameter in the switch instance and the tag for the associated fixtures updates automatically.

[bsammis]

"By moving that parameter to the light, I can update all the switch ID's without going through the switches."

But then don't you have to go back and rename all of the switches too?

[bcaudill]

Yes, but if I recall (Forgive me it's been years since I used the out of box method), but there were issues with multi-ganged switches. If you had an "a,b" situation, you need to create a switch for leg "b" and a switch for leg "b". You had to connect all the lights on "a" to the "a" switch and all the fixtures on "b" to the "b" switch. They were then (2) light switches on the wall instead of one. Maybe ADESK has fixed this since then but we chose to go this route to be able to not only show things correctly, but we found this to be faster.

I now have switches I can flex to number of gangs so it looks correct in elevation that you can annotate in anyway you need to show it.

The lights are simple to use as you can just grab a bank of them and add or change the switch leg all at once.

[v.kalin]

Ok.

[v.kalin]

Yes, problem is what  TWO Gang Switch has one Switch ID (f.e. a,b), but TWO lighting control group (f.e. a and b ). As result each group show a *a,b*, but not group 1 label 'a', and group 2 label 'b'.

Your example this problem was missing.  

[bcaudill]

WHEN YOU PUT THE PARAMETER INTO THE FIXTURE ITSELF AND NOT THE SWITCH, YOU CAN PUT ANY DESIGNATIONS ANYWHERE.

THE SWITCH IS ALSO JUST A LABEL SO YOU CAN FILL IT OUT AS DESIRED.

[v.kalin]

Thank you.  

[bcaudill]

If you want, send me your email and I can send you the families we use.

[v.kalin]

I sent by private message. Thank you.

[bsammis]

"Yes, problem is what  TWO Gang Switch has one Switch ID (f.e. a,b), but TWO lighting control group (f.e. a and b ). As result each group show a *a,b*, but not group 1 label 'a', and group 2 label 'b'."

We handle this by placing two switches (because the contractor will have to purchase two devices and a single box/plate), use a the 'a' switch to create the A system and the 'b' switch to create the B system.  Your two-gang switch isn't a single switch system, it's two separate systems that share a backbox and faceplate.