Detail lines locked in place after aligning and locking model elements

[chughes]

I am laying out a arrangement of ceiling lights.  I *was* using reference planes to align/lock the lights and then arranging their spacing.  However, since I want the layout lines to print, I thought I would use detail lines instead.  However, when I draw the line, align/lock the light, dimension the line, and try to adjust the location of the detail line, the detail line is locked in place and will not move until I unlock the modeled lights.

Is this expected behavior or am I missing something?

If this is expected behavior, is the proposed workflow to draw reference planes and draw a DL on top of them, and align/lock everything to the reference plane?

[barthbradley]

I'm not following. If you constrain an element to anything and then move that element -- or the element that it is locked to -- the both elements would move, as long as there are no other constraints imposed on the elements.  If there is, then Revit will throw an error alerting you to the constraint that is prohibiting the move.   

[chughes]

That is what I assumed when I started using a detail line in lieu of reference planes, but the Revits is arguing with me.

Process:

Place model element (can light specifically) in approximate location in RCP.

Draw a Centerline detail line.

Align/lock model element to detail line.

Dimension detail line.

Attempt to adjust location of detail line (error error)

I can back up, unlock the light from the detail line, move the detail line to where I want it, and then align/lock the light to the detail line.  But the align/lock then move workflow is not working.

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

Hierarchy: reference planes > model elements > drafting elements

[barthbradley]

So, if I'm understanding correctly, you are actually adding Detail Lines in Project to  move with the Geometry.  I'd keep the Ref. Planes, and align and lock the Geometry and Detail Lines to the Ref. Plane.  Then move move all 3 elements together by pulling the one Ref. Plane.  

[chughes]

So, to confirm, due to the built-in hierarchy of elements, I will not be able to control the location of my model elements with a detail element and this is an expected Revit behavior.

[chughes]

I was hoping to eliminate the need for the reference planes.  I really only need to control the lights in 1 view, and thought that by circumventing the process and using the detail lines, I could reduce the amount of reference planes throughout the project as well as reduce the need to double up work by drawing a reference plane that does not get printed and then drawing a detail line *on top of* the reference plane that basically illustrates what the reference plane is doing.  It felt redundant.

I guess it is what it is.

Thanks much for the help.

[barthbradley]

Well then, how about this for a workaround?:

Build the Detail Line into the Family. Then in the Project align all the instance to the Family's Detail Line.  You can align and Lock the tips of the Detail Line to Ref. Planes in the Family, and then pull a dimension between the Ref. Plane and label it with an Instance Parameter. This way you can lengthen the line dynamically in the Project by dragging Shape Handles.  Also, you can assign a Visibility Instance Parameter to the Detail Line, so that you can turn off all but one  Family's Detail Line in the Project.  In other words, only the "aligned to" Instance would show the Detail Line. All the other Instances being  aligned to it would not so their Detail Line.   

That make sense?  

[chughes]

It makes sense.  Im going to let that sit in the brain for a while.  I guess its finding the balance between family complexity and going through some documentation 'redundancy'.