topic Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit in Revit MEP Forum

Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 03:53:09 GMT

Refer to attached picture below.

I needed to show fixtures with separate switching on the same circuit. All three lights are controlled separately. All three lights are on the same circuit. For a quick fix, I created a 'Lighting Devices' family that I manually drag over the wire (black boxes, circled in red).

(Lighting) I am wondering if Revit 2015 has a function built in to indicate separate switching on the same circuit.

All three lights are controlled separately. All three lights are on the same circuit.

As a disclaimer: I don't use the 'Tick Marks' in my projects.

Thank you for your time!

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

fabiosato — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 21:06:22 GMT

Hello,

First select each switch an fill Switch ID parameter with you desired value.

The select the Lighting Fixture and create the Switch System using switch command, then using Select Switch choose the Switch that you want.

To check if it is correct, select the Fixture again and check the Switch ID of it, must be filled with the same ID as the Switch.

To make the information appear, create a Lighting Fixture Tag with a label that includes Circuit Number and Switch ID.

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 22:02:03 GMT

Hello fabiosato,

What you mentioned worked for me, but instead of a tag, I prefer to use a visual representation as shown in the picture below. The reason being, I dont have enough room for that many tags.

I email PDFs of my drawings. The contractors I use do not have access to the Revit model, so all information conveyed will have to be visual.

The first picture I attached was more of an example, whereas the picture shown below is the actual project I am working on.

To reiterate, the box (circled in red) is a "Lighting Devices" family that I manually drag onto the wire. There is no hosting invovled.

I am looking for a way to automatically show this in Revit. I assume it is not possible yet, but I figured I would reach out and maybe it would prompt this feature in the 2016 or 2017 Revit.

Thank you for your time!

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

fabiosato — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 22:23:11 GMT

Hello,

Let me see if I understood it right, you just need to tag the switches? That´s it?

If so, you just need to place the switches, assing an ID and connect them to a circuit, they don´t need to be linked to a Fixture to tag.

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 22:34:24 GMT

I need to show lights that are controlled by separate switches.

I cant send out drawings with switches that are 'tagged' because I do not have enough room on the floor plans for those tags. (see attached image)

When I hand drafted, I indicated separate switching using a filled box that I drew over the wire. I am looking for a Revit equivalent.

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

whitbrs — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 15:19:15 GMT

The image below shows how I have done this in the past, its easy to set up and control also attached is a 1 page pdf describing 'how to'

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 15:29:36 GMT

Hello Simon Whitbread,

This is getting to the right track!! Unfortunately I cannot use the dashed line type. In my consulting firm, a dashed wire represents wiring below the grade/floor.

So now instead of using the line type you have shown (dashed), I would create a line type that matches the picture shown below. Unfortunately, when creating custom lines in Revit, you dont have as much freedom as I would prefer.

So now the task is to create a line type that keeps the "box" in the center of the wire, regarless of how long or short said wire is.

Then I would load it into Revit, and override it using a filter (as you have shown in the PDF).

Thank you again!

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

whitbrs — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 17:25:17 GMT

If you are stuck with that representation - is it a company standard? as I've never seen it before

Unfortunately there are limitations to custom linetypes in Revit and about the only other way to do this ie either through a custom tag which doesn't work particularly well with curved lines or by using a custom wire tick (see below).

As you can see, there are plenty of options to allow you to achieve most results. I hope this helps

If you feel strongly about this subject, please provide feedback regarding this feature and how you want to use it at this link

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 18:38:03 GMT

Yes! Custom wire tick seems to be the best solution. So now I need to "load" this custom wire tick into Revit. Here are my current options shown below.

as an FYI: I do not issue drawings with the standard Revit "tick marks" (I leave the # of wires for the contractor to figure out) so I may be able to just edit one of the existing "tick marks" to make it look like a box.

Re: Lighting: Separate switching, same circuit

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 21:50:22 GMT

I got it!

Navigate to where your Revit families are located. < .....Librares/US Imperial/Annotations/Electrical/TickMarks

1. Now I opened one of the existing Tick Mark families

2. deleted any lines I saw,

3. drew in a "filled region" with solid fill. Make sure it is around the same general size as the line deleted earlier.

4. save as "new tick mark" or whatever you want to call it,

5. load into project,

6. systems tab, electrical section, electrcial settings (via button shaped like a small SE pointing arrow; located below the "Lighting Fixture" button)

7. change one of the tick marks "Ground" (though doesnt seem to matter which one) to your "new tick mark" family.

8. clicked OK

9. changed desired wire to have "Ground Conductors" = to 1

10. bam! should work.

Please reply if you cant figure it out! Ill walk you through it. Although Im sure I am the only one on earth that needs Revit to perform this way! Thank you all for your help. See you next time I have any problems!