CAD Dymanic Block to Revit Annotation

[rebecca.arthur]

Hello,

My AV Company is currently looking into switching from CAD to Revit.

We have this great 2D dynamic block in CAD to call out our device type and then what kind & amounts of power, data and additional information that should go along with it. I know that dynamic blocks and revit families are similar but in no way the same so I'm trying to come up with some kind of equivalent to use.

Based on various videos and forums, I was thinking of using a generic annotation tag, copying our symbols into it and then using visibility parameters for the power and data symbols to achieve what our dynamic block is currently doing but I cannot seem to link everything together. 

I am fairly new to using revit (though I did take a basic revit course but that was almost 5 years ago now) so maybe something is just not connecting.

I've attached the device we currently use in CAD and if anyone has any advice, that would be amazing!!!!

Thank you!!!

[barthbradley]

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@rebecca.arthur wrote:

...but I cannot seem to link everything together. 

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I don't know what you're trying to "link together". That is a fairly simple family to build in Revit - and entirely with Revit elements (e.g. no CAD). 

Probably your best bet would be to open any one of the numerous OOTB Electrical Fixtures, such as the "Duplex Receptacle"  and play in that sandbox.  Start off by nesting into it an Annotation Label Family and associating its "Label" Type Parameter to a Host Family Parameter.  Then load and place an instance of it in a Project Plan View, select it and, in it's Properties, find the Label's Parameter and type in a text value.  That's the beginning of creating a Revit "Dynamic Block".  

Good luck. 

FWIW: Here's the first 4 steps after you insert the Label Family into your Sandbox:

[syman2000]

Looks like you may want to embedded generic annotation into the model so you get those symbols and model that can be scheduled.

[cbcarch]

Once you get the Family set up, and "nest" an Annotation Family into it, if you nest more families you'll need to make sure any nested families are "shared" so when you ,load into the Project you can tag them individually.