Advanced nested lighting problem

[emodderman]

Hello everyone!

I have to create a lighting family with multiple light sources, and I need to be able to change the specs of those lights easily. 

I have created the single light module and nested it into the final product (lighting family with no light source) and I have 3 copies in there with a spacing control. So far so good. I have currently shared the light module, so I can tab to select it and change the properties, but this isn't really sufficient as is it is for customers to use and I can't really leave the tinkering of lighting properties up to them. 

I have created type catalogues for the other lights I have created, but they did not involve separate light sources, and currently I can't see a way to nest the light unit into the main light family and link those parameters (Initial Color, Initial Intensity, Photometric Web File).

How can I create the roughly 60+ types in a type catalogue with all this nesting going on?

I've attached the file in question. 

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

- Create a type catalog for the light module family

- Load the light module family to your project using Insert Family and add all types from the Type Catalog

- Add a selector label <Family Type parameter> to each of the nested light module family instance in your strip light family.  They should all be Instance, not Type parameter.

- Load strip light family to your project and you should be able to select a type from the loaded 60 types for each nested module.

[emodderman]

Thrilling! I'll try this out! thank you 😄

[emodderman]

OK, seems to be working except for the last step I was hoping for that you didn't mention...

i was hoping to export a type catalogue from the final light that would give me the <Lighting Fixtures> parameter so that i could create those types in a type catalogue instead of having the user change it willy nilly...  but i guess that isn't possible? i tried exporting the catalogue and i don't see the parameter. that's really too bad, but i guess if that's the way i can deal with it. 

Otherwise, it works! Thank you!

[ToanDN]

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@emodderman wrote:

OK, seems to be working except for the last step I was hoping for that you didn't mention...

i was hoping to export a type catalogue from the final light that would give me the <Lighting Fixtures> parameter so that i could create those types in a type catalogue instead of having the user change it willy nilly...  but i guess that isn't possible? i tried exporting the catalogue and i don't see the parameter. that's really too bad, but i guess if that's the way i can deal with it. 

Otherwise, it works! Thank you!

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Do you have 60 configurations for the strip light or for the light module?

[emodderman]

I realized after nesting them that the module only has 8 combinations because length is not a factor. 

The final light has 6 lengths, multiplied by the 8 combinations from the module. so... 48 final options in the main light. 

Right now i'm treating it this way:

1 type per length,

and the ability to select the CRI/Colour temp as the nested types

[RDAOU]

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@emodderman wrote:

...but i guess that isn't possible? i tried exporting the catalogue and i don't see the parameter. that's really too bad, but i guess if that's the way i can deal with it. 

Otherwise, it works! Thank you!

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Nothing is impossible ...

Reading your statement above "cannot see the parameter in the type catalogue", the first guess is you used instance parameters rather than type. Second guess is you are using 1 nested child with various types instead of X nested children 1 for each type. The latter is more work but more robust/consistent while the former is easier, presents an issue with the nomenclature.