Electrical Outlet Annotation Duplicates

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys, 

I am creating an electrical plan for the first time. I cannot figure out how to create multiple electrical duplex outlet types (GFI, AFGI, some with bubble filled, etc.) like in the picture i have attached.

I know how to create different types, edit the nested family, the annotation family, but the catch is that I also need to be able to insert them into a legend easily. The 'outlet annotation' doesn't change with the type, and adding a label to it means it will not look the same in a legend. I am going in circles searching for the solution and must be missing something. 

Thanks

[joe_keogh]

Hi @Anonymous 

Is your Legend View at the same scale as the floor plan?

[Anonymous]

No, my plan is 1/4 and my legend is 1/8. 

[joe_keogh]

In the Outlet Family, select the nested annotation and add new parameter of type "Family Type"

[joe_keogh]

If the legend and floor plan are the same scale, then the annotations should appear the same.

[Anonymous]

The scale is not an issue. 

Essentially what i need is for all the symbols attached in my picture to be usable in a 3d model and a legend. I cannot figure out how the families work, I need the symbols to each look a certain way (text, bubbles filled) and for each one to be it's own type I can use in my model. 

I'm sorry i might not even posses the vocabulary necessary to ask the question properly, I have worked in Vectorworks up until this point. 

[barthbradley]

You can create all those symbols as Generic Annotation Families and then nest them into your Model Families . Take a look at some of the OOTB content (e.g. Duplex Outlet.rfa) to see how it's done.   

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

- Create a Generic Annotation Symbol family for each Device/Fixture (you can combine similar symbols into one family as different types and use visibility parameter to control the appearance of each type to what you need)

- Create Device/Fixture model families and nest the applicable Symbol families in

- If you have multiple Device/Fixture types within one family, create a Family Type parameter of Generic Annotations category so that you can assign a Symbol to each Type

- Load the model families in project and each Device/Fixture will show with its symbol, on plan and in Legend

[Anonymous]

Thanks, how would I go about this step :"combine similar symbols into one family as different types and use visibility parameter to control the appearance of each type to what you need"?

Create model family of duplex outlet for example -> nest in all the different types of generic annotation families that will represent the different types of that outlet? -> 'visibility' parameter? (model family->properties->family types->new parameter->family parameter? shared parameter? -> I don't see visibility under type of parameter)

[Anonymous]

Actually, just found the solution, thank you. 

[ToanDN]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thanks, how would I go about this step :"combine similar symbols into one family as different types and use visibility parameter to control the appearance of each type to what you need"?

For example, the only differences between a duplex symbol and a GFI duplex symbol is the GFI label, so you can create one family and set the GFI label to only visible for GFI type.  Now since you are new, I would forget about combining types into one family and create each symbol as a family.

Create model family of duplex outlet for example -> nest in all the different types of generic annotation families that will represent the different types of that outlet?

For example, open the duplex model family and the duplex symbol family (active window), then use Load in Project button to load the symbol family into the model family.

-> 'visibility' parameter? (model family->properties->family types->new parameter->family parameter? shared parameter? -> I don't see visibility under type of parameter)

Use one symbol for one device and forget about this step.  It is a moot point.

You can also start from the OOTB library and modify to fit your standards instead of of start from a blank slate of paper.

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