Clearance Zone graphic in piping system

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Is there any way to keep the clearance zone material as its original (transparent) when the equipment added to piping system? 

I had no problem adding the clearance zone to equipment family, but as soon as I attached them to piping, the entire equipment material overwrite by pipe material, which I am okay for equipment, but how I can keep the clearance zone material separate from the equipment material and avoid this overwriting thing?

Any help appreciated. Thank you!

Before adding to systemAfter adding to system!

[robert.klempau]

Hello @Anonymous,

I think you set the material parameter to your Pipe System.

That functionality adds material to your complete system.

So all objects that are connected to that system get the Material OVERRIDE.

If you want to see the correct materials for each object in the system I would advise you to clear the Pipe System material and the material to your Pipe Segments, Pipe Fittings, Pape Accessories and Mechanical Equipment.

When you have two different Pipe systems connected to your ME then your ME will not show the material.

Even if it is the same material.

[Anonymous]

Thanks @robert.klempau.

Actually I was aware of the material overriding. We color code our piping system by giving them different colors as their material in piping system. We want to keep that color, the only thing that we don't want to, is applying that color to equipment and specially clearance zone. 

I'm looking for a solution to keep the piping material and no overriding it to equipment! Hope it helps and you have a way to solve it.

Thanks

Parisa

[robert.klempau · Accepted solution]

Hello @Anonymous,

Unfortunately, all object in a family that is connected to a system will get the material override of that system.

The only solution I can think of is to model a separate clearance zone object and place it over your ME or another object.

Align it with your object so it will move with the object it belongs to.

To could have a look at a Dynamo script that places clearance zones automatically based on the clearance zone parameters in your objects.

[Anonymous]

Thanks @robert.klempau.  That's what I was thinking too. Probably we need to make a parametric clearance zone family and apply it to equipment.

And will definitely try to make this work in dynamo.

[bbeckert]

Autodesk needs to fix this. Its so annoying when equipment connected to 1 system gets overridden like this. Then comes into Navis like this and gives no option to select the clearance in a Search Set to override it back to transparent. 

We want to use materials but not for equipment. Should give us a Categories tab to select which categories apply the material color override to or something.

The workaround of using Filters is unacceptable. And no one in Navis wants to just see a bunch of Grey piping/duct.

With Material

Without Material

[RobDraw]

If you want Autodesk to hear you, try product feedback or the IDEAS forum.

[sergio.ramirez.redondo]

Have there been any updates on this topic? without having to generate separate families for clearance access?

[RobDraw]

No updates.

[tomdcurran]

Any further updates on this since?

[RobDraw]

Have you seen the list of new features for 2024?

[amaka.]

When you create a Clearance Zone as the separate nested family and make it shared, the material will not be override as the shared family will not inherit the system. Also in Navisworks this look ok, but the lack of the system integrity will need some special rules for the clash report. 

Honestly I don't like this workaround as we harness some software flaws as advantages in other areas.

PS. At the moment we work in Revit 2022. No idea if this issue has beed solved in newer version.

[RobDraw]

If you stop using system graphic overrides, you won't have this problem. I stopped using them in my first project. 

[iainsavage]

If you apply a System graphic override, surprisingly(?) it is applied to the System.

I'm not sure why anyone would expect otherwise.

One of the previous contributors wrote

"Should give us a Categories tab to select which categories apply the material color override to or something."

That's what object styles and view filters do.

"The workaround of using Filters is unacceptable."

Why? They are not a workaround, they are designed for the very purpose discussed in this topic i.e. so that you can filter which elements are affected.

PS: if you connect a second system to the equipment (a dummy connection if necessary), the system overrides will be removed and the clearance zone will then appear as modelled in the family. You can delete the dummy pipe/duct and the dummy second system will remain as will the graphical appearance of the equipment. That IS a workaround.