Creating a "Smart" North Arrow

[Sahay_R]

Hi,

I am trying to create a True North arrow family. Getting it to rotate is not the problem (even though the label text has a mind of its own!). I was curious if it is possible to have it rotate in response to the value of True North, while the label pull and show the value of True North.

Rina

[RDAOU]

Hi @Sahay_R

in Revit no but using Dynamo you can...a while ago I came across this post and I think it solves/answers your question 

http://therevitcomplex.blogspot.de/2015/04/how-to-keep-north-arrow-symbol-aligned.html?m=1

[Sahay_R]

Thank you for your response.

Another question. How would this work if I wanted to add it to our template for multiple uses in every project?

[RDAOU · Accepted solution]

@Sahay_R

The usual way...

1. you can add the North family in the title block itself
2. or leave it be as a family to be added only on the views which require a north arrow (i.e.: plans)...

I use the latter. 80% of the sheets do not require a north arrow so I prefer to keep the title lock template as simple and light as possible.

Note: the Dynamo script will vary or needs to be modified slightly depending on which method you use (on view, on Sheet, or in title block) The link above is for a north family added to view.

[Sahay_R]

Thank you. That is the course of action that I am taking, with rotation and visibility parameters. That way we can turn off True North if at all needed.

[Alfredo_Medina · Accepted solution]

It is possible to create a North arrow symbol that is smarter than usual and accurate. It works like this:

• Create an annotation family that contains the graphics for the arrow, and if, necessary, some text, such as "N" or "North".
• Create a reference line, controlled by an angular type parameter. Make the 0 degree position to be aligned with the vertical reference plane at the center of the family template.
• Associate the graphics of the arrow to the workplane of the reference line. 
• Load your North arrow family into your project.
• Create 2 types. One type will be used for your site plan view, with the rotation type parameter as 0. Site plan views are always pointing up North.
• The other type will be used for your floor plan views. How do you determine the value of the rotation angle for this type? Like this:
• Go to one of your floor plans. Select the project base point. Copy the value of "Angle to True North", assuming that you have already established your shared coordinates or the angle deviation from True North.  Paste that value into the rotation parameter of your North symbol's second type. This type of North arrow can be used for your floor plans. The orientation will always be correct in all your floor plans. 
• The value of the rotation parameter will not update automatically if you change your North. But this usually is set at the beginning of your project and hardly ever changes. If it changes, you copy-paste again the value of the Project Base Point into the rotation parameter of your "smarter" North family.

[Sahay_R]

Thank you! So besides Dynamo, there is no way to link the value of the rotation parameter to the value of true north from the project base point? Again, that would be one less thing to do for my team members....

[loboarch]

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@rsahayUZMK9 wrote:

Thank you! So besides Dynamo, there is no way to link the value of the rotation parameter to the value of true north from the project base point? Again, that would be one less thing to do for my team members....

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Without the use of Dynamo, no. There is no way to automatically connect the two.

I am with Alfredo on this one, it is a once a project thing, so not such a big deal. In this case the Dynamo solution it probably more trouble than it is worth. 

[Anonymous]

Hello - I'm looking to do this for our sheet template. Does anyone know of a video that goes through this step-by-step? I'm a fairly novice user and I find myself getting caught up on many of the instructions. (I'm sure they're self-explanatory for a more advanced user but I'm still finding my way around.)

[Anonymous]

Hi Alfredo. I may be misunderstanding your instructions, but it sounds like you're just creating a north arrow with rotation as a parameter that you input manually, which isn't a "smart" north arrow.  When you say "the orientation will always be correct in all of your floor plans," you mean only the floor plans with the same rotation as the one you set in the north arrow's parameters. In my situation, I have many different orientations for the floor plans based on scope boxes. In this case, a new type would have to be created and rotated for each orientation. Am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks

[ToanDN]

Do you place the North Arrow in a view or on a sheet?

[Anonymous]

For my situation, a simple workaround, which only seems to be one step longer than a truly "Smart" North Arrow, is to have a view set up to true north and correctly orient the north arrow on . Whenever you need a north arrow on a view, move it to where you want it, and then copy it and paste it as "aligned to same place" onto the rotated view. It will come in pointing to true north.

This is in the case of placing the north arrow on the view, rather than the sheet

[ToanDN]

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@Anonymous wrote:

For my situation, a simple workaround, which only seems to be one step longer than a truly "Smart" North Arrow, is to have a view set up to true north and correctly orient the north arrow on . Whenever you need a north arrow on a view, move it to where you want it, and then copy it and paste it as "aligned to same place" onto the rotated view. It will come in pointing to true north.

This is in the case of placing the north arrow on the view, rather than the sheet

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Yes that is what I would do.  That's why I asked if you placed it in views or on sheets.  It works in views.

[marko.Zeljkovic]

Can you please show us how to associate?
I ve set up the reference line to rotate by the parameter, but I can't get the family or line to follow that locked align.
Also, the reference line does note provide a work plane as it's not a reference plane.. only a line.  So I cannot associate to it's workplane, only sheet workplane in generic anotation

[marko.Zeljkovic]

EDIT:
my bad. you can pick that line