What sort of family / configuration to create 2D autos that knock out their backgrounds?

[james]

This is driving me crazy.  Once again, something that seems super straightforward in Revit turns out to be anything but.

I'm simply trying to create a 2d auto family that properly displays the auto in plan and on all 4 sides in elevation that knocks out any background behind it.  I'm importing the auto linework from CAD.

I've tried generic and site families without success.  I can get the linework to appear just fine, but neither a masking region or a filled region will consistently work to knock the background out.

I'm able to fake it in plan by creating a reference plane that is offset from the Ref Level and using that offset reference plane as the host for the linework and filled/masking region, but that's a lot of trouble and the trick doesn't seem to work in elevation.

What do you think I'm doing wrong?  See attached generic F150 family for reference.  Thanks!

[syman2000]

You may want to convert the model lines to symbolic lines. The masking hide model lines. This is why it won't show.

[james]

Ok, that's helpful, but doesn't solve the problem.  The masking/filled region isn't knocking out the background when the family is loaded into a project.

[RLY_15]

Have you tried adding a wafer extrusion to the XY/YZ/XY origin planes matching the outline? Basically copying the method used in entourage families.

[james]

No idea what a "wafer extrusion" is nor do I see it on Google.  

Why is this so complicated?  

[RLY_15]

Just a 3D extrusion that's veeeeery thin, like 1/8" thin. hence wafer. Cardboard cutout would be another analogy.

[james]

ok, I guess.  Isn't this effectively the same thing as a masking/filled region?  Isn't that what the regions are for? 

Is this truly how we're supposed to use the tool- to use 3d objects to knock out backgrounds and then turn off visibility of those 3d objects?  Writing this out seems like an obnoxious workaround.

[syman2000]

I look at the family more carefully and it looks like the masking is tie to parameter called front visibility. I remove masking ties to visibility and tie that to the lines. See attached

[james]

I need to be able to swap between front and rear views of the autos and couldn't find another way to do it so that the rear view lines aren't visible when it's just supposed to be the front.  The idea was to control the visibility of the lines and the mask with an instance parameter to give the drafters the ability to swap between the two- is there another way to do this?

[syman2000 · Accepted solution]

You can create nested family where you can swap between the family. This will help making your family less complex. See attached family so you can reverse engineer to what you wanted for other vehicle family.

[ToanDN]

2D? Simply create it as a Detail Component family with a mask and linework.  It will mask the model in background, and you can change its display order to front or back of other Detailing.  Since it is 2D, no need to include both front and rear linework in one family, use one family for front of the car and one for the rear.  Keep your life simple.

[james]

Thanks, but no way will I be producing separate front and back families for each auto.  We're trying to simplify the drafting process and asking drafters to manage fewer families is the goal.  If there were no other way, I'd accept it, but I know that there must be.

[james]

This is the way!  Thank you very much 🙂

[ToanDN]

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@james wrote:

Thanks, but no way will I be producing separate front and back families for each auto.  We're trying to simplify the drafting process and asking drafters to manage fewer families is the goal.  If there were no other way, I'd accept it, but I know that there must be.

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Yet you have to create three families for one auto now: one is the parent family, one for the nested front, one for the nested rear.  On top of that, you added three more visibility parameters in the parent family to execute one change.  It's over the top.

Switching from one family to another in the project is a simple click to open the family type dropdown list to choose what you want but whatever floats your boat.