Image Showing movement using Transparency

[james5QGJE]

Hi All, 

Can someone please help me with how to create an image showing movement using transparency/ghost images like the attached image?

I am using Revit 2016. 

Thanks, 

[barthbradley]

Got Photoshop? 

[james5QGJE]

Yes i have Photoshop. 

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

You can create a family with two components, one for open, one for close condition. Add a new subcategory and assign it to less used condition, let's say "close". In project, you can turn off the subcategory when you only need to show the family as open, and turn on the subcategory when you need to show both. Coupled with a transparent material and you can get what you want.

[barthbradley]

...Never mind. I thought you were specifically asking about an IMAGE.  Sounds like @ToanDN understood you better than me.  Good thing he's not off the grid today.  He saved me from a long-winded, superfluous explanation.   

[ToanDN]

Definitely off the grid. Unless you can show me how go run Revit on a phone.

[james5QGJE]

Thanks - However i have nested families within the host family i would like to turn on/off, so does this mean i have to go into each of those families and create subcategories for everything with a different material, then reload into the host family, then into a project from there? I've never used subcategories but it looks like you assign one material per subcategory? 

Or am i best to assign transparent materials to one of the families and create a yes/no visibility parameter in the family so i can turn it on or off in a project or have them both on at once... ? 

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

This can be done with 2 components visible simultaneously; each with a different material. 

...control visibility of each component with visibility parameters. Two Instance Yes/No Parameters that you can set as you like in the Project. Both checked or one checked.  Subcategories would work great to control visibility state by View and not by instance in the project.    

...are you meaning something like this?

[james5QGJE]

Yes thanks thats what i was meaning.

See attached screenshots - I actually just discovered that i can simply right-click on a family within a project and override by element to change surface transparency for that one family instance, which is just what i wanted! No playing around with materials. Sometimes easy to get bound up with detail but the answer is in your face.

Thanks for your help barthbradley and ToanDN once again!

[james5QGJE]

Oviously the override element way wouldn't work in all circumstances so both the subcategory method and the visibility parameter method have their applications, so I have selected both of your contributions as solutions. barthbradley and ToanDN.

Thanks,