Making lighting fixtures with imported CAD

[Anonymous]

Hi, 

I am trying to create a Revit family of a lighting fixture I designed in SolidWorks. I have the IES file for the fixture as well. I am able to successfully import the SolidWorks file (by saving as a .sat file and importing). I am however having trouble "positioning" the model correctly. I am not really sure how to constrain the imported model so that it does not move when clicked and dragged. Any help would be appreciated and I can send pictures/files if needed. 

Thanks

[barthbradley]

What method did you use to convert the Solidworks file to be able to be opened in Revit?  Can you import into a Family environment?  If so, position it relative to the x,y Origin Ref. Panes and load that Family into the Project.    

FWIW: How to open Solidworks files in Revit | Revit Products 2019 | Autodesk Knowledge Network

[barthbradley]

I hadn't noticed you had wrote that you brought it into Revit as a SAT file.  Yes, import it into a Revit Light Fixture Family and position it as I described above. The intersection of the x and y Origin Ref. Planes will be your insertion point.  Afterwards, select the Light Source and change it's Light Distribution to Photometric Web, and then open the Family Types dialog box and load the IES file into the Photometric Web File parameter field.  

[Anonymous]

Hi, 

Thanks for your response. I can get the model loaded but thing I'm struggling with is actually positioning the imported model. I have attached a screenshot of my model with the imported fixture (rectangular looking thing at the top). I am trying to use the "align" tool to center it, but it does not seem to be working. Maybe there is another tool that I should be using instead of "align". 

Thanks

[barthbradley]

Leave it where it is and move the Ref. Planes instead.  

[barthbradley]

Why don't you just model that  Solidworks element in Revit? It looks like it could be done easily with a simple  rectangular-shaped extrusion.

[Anonymous]

I could just do that, however I have to create these revit files for almost 100 fixtures, and some of them are more complex than others, so ideally I would like to have a system setup to be able to use the imported geometry for all of them. Which tool do you use for positioning them. I am now trying "aligned dimension" but only about half of the time it lets me edit the dimensions. 

[barthbradley]

Just select the Origin Ref. Plane, unpin it. and nudge it over so it aligns with the center of the fixture - then pin it. It's not that critical. Just eyeball it.  

[Anonymous]

Okay I understand. I thought that there was a way to enter the dimension manually, but I guess it seems like you just eyeball it