topic Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ? in Revit MEP Forum

How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

Angayo — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 11:53:34 GMT

I am trying to make some red wall sockets. I thought that just changing black to red here and there would do the trick, but no.

In the family editor I changed a black annotation symbol to red using Manage --> Object Styles and then uploaded it into a family using Manage --> Load into project. As shown in the image, the original symbol is red, but when loaded into the family it is black.

Setting a few to things to red in the wall socket family doesn’t work either.

If loaded into a normal project, the symbol is also black.

How can I get a red symbol in my families and projects ?

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 12:20:34 GMT

If you simply override the colours in the family, once loaded into your project the 'project object styles' will force the family object styles.

You did say you want 'some' red and I assume you want 'some' another colour...

To create a different colour symbol try creating a sub-category for the linework with the colour setting you need.

You could also create a separate type, and use a view filter to colour the annotation symbol to the colour you desire.

Hope this helps

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

rudi.roux — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:35:20 GMT

Hi @Angayo,

I would say the best/quickest way to achieve what you're looking for is to assign filters to your view (view templates). You might want to change the annotation color to a different color down the line and with view template filters (graphic overrides) this could be done in a few clicks.

Typical Workflow:

Once the Family is loaded into your project, click on Edit Type >> Assign a specific "identifier" like "EE-RED Socket" under you sockets Type Mark or Keynote.
Go to your View Tab >> Graphics >> Filters >> Create New >> Enter a name e.g. "EE-RED Socket" >> Select the Define Rules Option >> Select the Electrical Fixture Category >> Then assign Filter Rules as shown below:

Next, go to your View Graphic/Visibility Overrides (VV or VG). Go to your Filters and assign the newly created filter to your view or view templates.

You only setup the filter once and everytime you want to change the color, you simply change the view/view template color under filters.

HERE IS A POST where a different member wanted to achieve the same thing, but with electrical wires. The same principal as I explained in that post, applies to this one.

I hope this helps!

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

Angayo — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:56:45 GMT

Thanks. I managed to get the right colour in the wall socket family as follows :

In the symbol family in Manage --> Object Styles select Category ‘Generic Annotations’. Changing the colour here directly doesn’t work. Under ‘Modify Subcategories’ click New and finish creating your subcategory. Set the properties of the subcategory. Close the window ‘Object Styles’ with OK.

Select the line you want to change and in the Propeties window under Identidy Data --> Subcategory, pick your subcategory.

Then uploading to a family or project retains the colour.

[image 2]

Why is that operation necessary ? Why ignore the main category’s colour setting ?

However, in a project, that family’s symbol displays in black (which appears to be the colour of the colour setting <no override> of S4R_E61_Kracht, which is probably a filter. I can make all wall sockets red here). It would be useful if there were an option to just use the properties of the object iso overriding them.

How can one use a view filter to colour the annotation to the colour one desires ?

EDIT : This reply did not take into account rudi.roux explanation. I may not have time this week to try it out.

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

rudi.roux — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 20:48:51 GMT

Hi @Angayo,

I'm glad that you managed to resolve your issue, I also noted that your asking how to change the colour of your annotations and that my post wasn't taken into account when you posted your reply.

View Filters / View Template Filter would suffice as per my previous post. Let me give you a quick example why View Template Filters work so well and specifically for the Electrical Discipline.

You might have around 30-40 different "Electrical Fixtures/Families" in you model. (This doesn't include Lighting, Communications etc.). If you applied colours to 30-40 fixtures/families and for some reason you need to change the colour of everything e.g. black to be green, red to be blue etc. It would be a time consuming process. BUT, if you have Type Mark, Model or Keynote data assigned to your families, you'll be able to change the colours of those 30-40 fixtures/families in no time. AND you'll be able to use the identity data in schedules or tagging, so it becomes even more useful to do it in the way which I mentioned in my previous post and as per the link in that post.

I hope my rambling made sense I would like to hear back from you once you get time for it and if there is anything else, ask away!

I hope this helps!

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

Angayo — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 10:15:50 GMT

Thank you for the help.

In the family the properties on which to base a view filter can be set in

Create tab --> Properties panel --> Family types

There is a Keynote field, but no Type Mark field. In our case, the FUNCODE field seems the most appropriate to use.

A drawback of this approach that you have to make a filter in each project or project template. Turning off filter would at least give you the choice. That possibility appears to be included in Revit, but isn’t working.

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

rudi.roux — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 21:47:41 GMT

Hi @Angayo,

You can even use the "Model" Parameter or if the Parameter "FUNCODE" was created under your Family Types, then that can also be used to replicate what I showed.

What you can do or achieve in a few simple clicks (to minimize any drawbacks) is to transfer the project standards from one project/project template to another or new/existing project and all the filters/view templates will be setup in no-time. Essentially, it is only the first time which takes time when you setup the project filters/view templates, from there you transfer it to your default electrical template and use that project template on new projects going forward.

What you need to do prior to transferring project standards is to make sure that you have the project open from which you wish to transfer the standards from and the new project/project template to which you would like to transfer the standards too.

(Below is just an example to show that filters can be transferred to avoid any time consuming drawbacks).

You'll notice that there are quite a few Items which you can select to copy. Off-hand what I can think of which would be relevant or worth transferring for Electrical are:

Cable Tray Settings, Sizes, Types
Conduit Types, Sizes, Settings
Distribution System, Electrical Settings, Demand Factors, Load Classifications, Load Types
Filters (even Fill Patterns, Line Patterns & Styles), View Templates, Keynote Settings
Panel Schedule Templates, Project Parameters, Wire (All)

I hope this helps!

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

rudi.roux — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 23:19:14 GMT

Hi @Angayo,

Further to some of my other posts, here is a video which shows you how easy it can be to assign filters to families.

(Towards the end of the video, I used the same video to assist with another query which you had, so I figured I'll kill two birds with one stone )

I hope this helps!

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

Angayo — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 08:59:17 GMT

Thanks again, for the information.

I am wary of copying the filters to different projects, as one could inadvertently copy inappropriate stuff, creating a mess.

I suspect the right approach is the following : Create the filter in a rvt or rte file that you use as template and perhaps copy it from there to other templates.

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

Anonymous — Wed, 10 May 2017 12:58:53 GMT

That solution is fundamentally flawed though and doesn't work if you're using filled boundaries, when using a filled boundary in the family the override on the lines for some reason changes the fill colour of the boundary breaking the family. it would be much simpler if the software didn't just randomly change the colour of the objects you created, it's set in the family as one colour for a reason loading it in shouldn't change that.

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

Scott_D_ — Wed, 10 May 2017 22:49:41 GMT

You should probably give some thought to creating a template project which is used to start all your new projects from; this would include line styles, filters, views, families, all your settings, all your shared parameters and view template customisation etc.

Toby, have you tried using invisible lines for your boundary edges? These will not display and will not then change colour and cause problems.

Re: How to retain colour / color of imported objects ?

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 12:47:39 GMT

Legend, all my symbols were black, I nearly just accepted this! glad I gave it one more go and found you solution! NICE 🙂