Editing annotation symbol

[MuirEng]

Hi,

What I am trying to do probably is straightforward but after lots of digging in the forum and in the help files I must confess that I am stuck. Hoping for a hint...

I have some Revit Content given to me by a colleague at another firm, and I would like to make a few tweaks to match my CAD symbol standards.

One of the items I would like to modify is their receptacle family. There are about nine types of receptacles within the family. Within family editor I can browse to the annotation symbols, and there I can view them, and create duplicates, but there is no function to edit the symbol:

What I don't understand it:

- how is is the relationship established between each annotation symbol and type?  The Family Type tool doesn't contain any references to symbols inside...

- and is there a way to edit an annotation symbol, or break it out into an editable form? I see that there is a new...annotation symbol command from the R prompt but I'd rather edit one of these existing symbols...

Here is the  FamilyFile

thanks!

[CoreyDaun]

Those annotation symbols are Generic Annotation Families that have been loaded into the host Family. In order to edit one of those symbols, locate it in the Project Browser, right-click on the Family name, and select "Edit". This will open the Family separately from the current file. When you are done with your modifications, click "Load Into Project" (located on the Ribbon), select the host Family from the following list (which only appears if three or more files are open), and then opt to overwrite the previous version.

Regarding the display of a different annotation symbol for each Family Type: this is accomplished via the <Family Type...> Parameter Type. When such a Parameter is added, you are prompted to select a Category, and in this case, it is Generic Annotations. This will also be a Type Parameter (vs. Instance) in this case. Now, a single instance of only one of the annotation symbol Families need be placed. After that, select it and you will see "Label" under Properties. This should be set to the <Family Type...> Parameter that is supposed to define the annotation symbol. Now, under Family Types, you can set the value of that Parameter to the desired annotation symbol for each Family Type.

[MuirEng]

Hi Corey,

thanks for your reply. I handled the first step without any issue, and understand how to edit the annotation symbols.

However, I am a bit confused in the second step where you wrote:

 Regarding the display of a different annotation symbol for each Family Type: this is accomplished via the <Family Type...> Parameter Type. When such a Parameter is added, you are prompted to select a Category, and in this case, it is Generic Annotations.

So, in the family editor, with the family loaded I click the "Family Types" tool. This is what comes up:

I don't see the generic annotation parameter. I experimented with the add parameter tool but didn't a category leading to a "generic annotation" option.

Someone I've messed up the file so that the various devices are showing up in plan with two superimposed annotation symbols, not sure how to fix it...

Could I beg for a bit more guidance, please?

The prior link will lead to the latest version of the family file..

[CoreyDaun · Accepted solution]

Just to state, I currently do not have access to Revit 2015, so I cannot view your actual file.

From the look of the array of Yes/No Parameters (indicated by the checkbox), the Family is set up in a different and much clunkier way. My assumption is that each one of those Yes/No Parameters corresponds to a Family Type of the loaded Generic Annotation Families. If this is the case, then a single instance of EACH of those Families must be placed in the Ref. Level View in the same location, overlapping each other. Then, each of those elements' Visibility Parameters will be linked to the corresponding Yes/No Parameter, which is done by selecting the annotation symbol and clicking on the small gray button beside "Visible" under Properties. (The easiest way would be to place them scattered around at first, link the Visibility, and then move them into place.)

The more streamlined method of accomplishing this would be to use the <Family Type...> Parameter following these steps:

1. Load the desired Generic Annotation symbols into the host Family. More can always be added later.

2. Place one instance of any of those Generic Annotations in the Ref. Level View.

3. On the Family Types dialog, add a new Parameter named "Annotation Symbol" (or something similar), leave it as a Type Parameter, and change the "Type of Parameter:" to "<Family Type...>". From the following list, select Generic Annotations. You can assign any Group that you wish to this Parameter. Close the Family Types dialog.

4. Select the instance of the annotation symbol that you placed in step #2. At the bottom of Properties, change the value of "Label:" to the name of the Parameter that you have just created. If a warning dialog appears, just click cancel and ignore it. The element is now linked to the newly created "<Family Type...> Parameter.

5. Open the Family Types dialog again. Now, you can assign a specific Generic Annotation to display for each Family Type by assigning the desired value to the newly created <Family Type...> Parameter. Simply use the pull-down list to select the appropriate Generic Annotation Family for each Family Type.

[MuirEng]

Hey Corey,

I followed your process... made a couple of mistakes along the way but seem to have those figured out, and everything seems to be working well now!

This method of relating a family type to symbol makes a lot of sense to me, and indeed seems less clumsy.

Thanks a ton for the help.

Brian