template : light fixture ceiling based

[sakar_deepak]

Hi friends

I want to create a light fixture for the first time. Just for normal puprose, for example 2'x2' recessed type  which is most commonly used in offices.

Which template should I use :-

1. Faced based 

or 

2. light fixture ceiling based with basic ceiling ( which has no thickness, represented by just a line in the template )

or 

3. Same with compound ceiling 

what is the difference in above three ? How to decide to choose which one ?

Many people suggest Face based. If Ceiing based is so useless why Autodesk provide this option ?

And, why is there separate template for Linear lighting fixture ?

[L.Maas · Accepted solution]

Ceiling based useless. No not really if you do not have to work with ceilings from linked files they can be useful.

Ceiling based lights move with ceiling grids

Ceiling based families 'know' they are hosted to ceiling and orient themselves, so placing them is easier. Face based stick to the face you place them on.

Ceiling based have the (dis)advantage that they disappear when the ceiling is deleted. Face based stay in their location but become "not asscociated"

On basic ceilings (which I never use) face based families tend to orientate themselves in the wrong way

Further face based is relative new to Revit. In earlier versions face based families did not exist.

So both options have their pros and conss. Depending on your projects you can choose to create one type or make both of them.

Why they have special template for linear based fixtures I do not know. Maybe for convenience or also something from the past.

[sakar_deepak]

@L.Maas

Dear Louis

Thanks for the explanation. Many doubts are cleared. 

One doubt is still there. Regarding my query about basic /compound ceiling, it was about the 'Template' Light fixture ceiling based. 

There are two options available.

1. Basic ceiling

2. Compound ceiling

So, how to choose which one to create a light fixture ? What are the considerations ?

[RDAOU · Accepted solution]

@sakar_deepak

it depends on your project, the type of ceilings you have and your preferences.

there are times in projects where the deck above is not a ceiling which can host the ceiling based lighting fixture. In such case you end up either with a face based fixture or a basic ceiling fixture. Example; how would you host a lighting fixture on a floor (i.e.: the bottom of the floor slab from the upper level?)

compound ceilings great but they are more like walls with multilayered structure which is not so flexible to play around with so there are the basic ones to replace them and with no thickness just for the purpose of having what is known as "false ceiling" and they can host lights! And enhance acoustics and hide ugly MEP stuff above (jking) and so many other uses people put them to

So while face based families in general are handy since they can be placed on any face and they would work in a case like the above (lighting fixture on a floor), they do have lots of other downsides some of which Louis mentioned above and a couple of more minor issues (such as phasing/demolishing)...so many users resort to basic ceiling fixtures which host themselves just like the compound ceiling one and they are less of a headache (but not headache free) than face based (and they were there before before face based were introduced)

in short... So many times you end up needing all based on the project requirement and most important of all YOu need to test them all in all environment to see how they all behave to each particular situation....only then you know which suits your needs better (they are all good when used properly)