Lighting - Spot lights

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone!

I've gotten to the stage on my project which involves lighting, and I have put in several lights and completed the process of making them appear in Floor plans etc. 

But, what I've discovered since is that the spot lights that I've used (in several of my room) have this extruding cylinder coming from the object itself - shown in the attached image.  I've tinkered around in the Edit Type window to try and hide/ reduce this beam so that when I come to apply my roof, I won't have said beams still making an appearance, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to hide/ remove them!

The object in use is a recessed spot light, which can be found in the components family library.

Any help with this would be great!

Thank you!

[barthbradley]

Strange. Looks like the Can. Did you modify the OOTB family? Can you post it? 

[Sahay_R]

Post the family that you had used. Both OOTB Spot and Can lights do not give me the Superman light beams. Did you change the height of the Can lights? All that I see above the ceiling is the height of the Can lights. Maybe that's the problem and not errant beams of light.

[Anonymous]

I haven't adjusted anything except for the Depth and Diameter part in the Edit Type Properties window just to allow my lights to be visible for Electrical plans. But, even before that, when I had just chosen them from the Lighting Family they still portrayed the beam seen in my image.

How do I go about changing the Can? Is that to reduce or hide the beam? 

I have included an image of the light in my Family Folder. Under lighting, Architectural, Interior...

[barthbradley]

So you're saying that the cylinder geometry I see protruding from the light source is NOT the light housing (the can), it is a beam of light?  I think not. Post the family please. 

...are you sure you are using INCHES and NOT FEET for can dimensions? 

[Anonymous]

As far as I am aware, the extruding cylinder is not the light source.  When putting together my electrical plan to allow my lights to be visible on my floor plan, the images definitely displayed the light source aiming downwards into my room - hence my confusion as to why I even have this extruding cylinder on show...

How would I go about uploading the family on here? 

[barthbradley]

You are given an option to include an "Attachment" when you post. It will pull the attachment from the location you point to on your hard drive and upload it from there when you press post. 

But, do me a favor...check your can properties and see what your dimension settings are for the height of can itself. I'm thinking you may have mistakenly entered feet and not inches (e.g. 8'-0" instead of 0'-8") .

[Anonymous]

I'm over in the UK, so everything automatically changes to mm.. however, checking over Edit Type again, under the Dimensions section, I can't find anything to indicate the Can itself, and whatever I edit doesn't change anything at all... 

But, (and I'm hoping this works) I've attached the Revit object to this reply!

[barthbradley]

The can "height" is controlled by the parameter "Depth" (under "Dimensions). This is what I was referring to. The parameter above it ("Light Source Symbol Length") controls the distance the light is thrown from the light source origin point. 

Both parameters are associated correctly and operating correctly within this family. Are you saying that they are not working (doing anything) within the project environment? Are they grayed out or something? If so, they may be associated to a global parameter, and that value is set wrong. 

[Anonymous]

Umm.. interesting!

Under my Edit Type and Dimensions section for them.. my Light Source Symbol Length is 5 (whatever number is used there, nothing seems to actually change..), my Depth is 0 (which was needed to be seen on my Floor Plan when doing my Electrical plan) and my Diameter is 100.. 

But still I'm getting the cylindrical extrusion... =/ do you think the light is faulty on my system then? 

[ToanDN]

Check the attached family.  The only thing I changed is the ceiling offset from the Level in the family to 0.

[barthbradley]

@Anonymous: Sorry. I just loaded your family in a project. I see now what you are experiencing, and I can't readily identify the cause either. Wierd. Perhaps we can call on @ToanDN to help out here? 

HA! As soon as I posted this, I saw that you already on the scene to save the day, Toan!  

@ToanDN I don't understand this family's behavior. Do you? 

[ToanDN]

@barthbradley

I spent half an hour to re-constrain the geometry and it helped getting rid of the 'pole'.  But when I highlighted a fixture in the project, it still showed some ghost cylinder way above the ceiling.  I even created a fresh family from the OOTB template and got the same result.

So I just sat there staring at the ghost cylinder floating above the ceiling and realized the distance is about the Offset value from the ceiling and the Level in the family so I went back to the family and change that to 0.  Voila!

Finally, I re-download his original family and changed nothing but that Offset value and another Voila!!

[barthbradley]

Well, you were more patient than I was. Thanks for sharing your findings. This is one I'll have to explore further, but because of its weirdness, I'd advise @Anonymous not to use it. The OOTB can works more predictably. Where did you get this family @Anonymous? 

[Anonymous]

@ToanDN Thank you for your reply to this!

I've read and looked at what you've posted, and have changed what I can on my drawing following your input, but, nothing seems to have changed? I still have these extruded poles coming from my ceiling...

I've posted some images showing the changes I've made from your input.

[Anonymous]

@barthbradley the light came with the installed family folder when I downloaded/ installed Revit! But I think you are right, I may have to rethink this one with new lights! Thank you for your help with this though! 

[barthbradley]

I'll be happy to upload an OOTB Recessed Can for you. Just let me know your version. Also, I noted that your family has no Connector Element. Is that by design? 

[ToanDN]

Did you look at the first screenshot I posted?  You need to changed the value in the family file, not in the project.

[Anonymous]

@barthbradley that would be great! Thank you! I'm using the Revit 2017 version. 

I'm not entirely sure what the connector element is... so, I can say its not by my design? 

@ToanDN I did look at your first screenshot! But, now I'm not sure I'm following... 

Change the value in my Family file.. under Edit Type? 

[ToanDN]

Open the family, go to 3d view, VG and unhide the ceiling category. Select the ceiling and change the Offset value from the properties to 0.