Light Switch Symbol Elevation

[emoallen]

I want to show my light switch S symbol on my RCP without lowering the the cut plane. I want the S symbole to be created at 8' while my actual switch device remains at 4' in an elevation view.

I had the opposite problem with a light fixture family where the lines were not associated to a work plane so in elevation view they were a few feet below the actual fixture. I want to disassociate the generic annotation from the reference level and put it at a new elevation of 8'.

[Anonymous]

I assume this issue manifested to show your light switches on an RCP? 

Ive never thought about this, but I have seen it happen in certain families that get messed with over the years. (I mount a strip light on the ceiling, but the symbol is shown 8 ft above, despite the elevation and offset are both set to zero)

The only thing I can think of is try and grab the generic annotation in 3D view and then just move it. Can you attach the .rfa file?

[ToanDN]

@emoallen

Edit the family and draw a vertical model line as below so the switches can be cut by the RCP cut plane.

[Anonymous]

That's brilliant!

[MuirEng]

Agree, it is clever! Does it work over a variety of ceiling heights? If you have a high ceiling you need a long line, but this could extend to the next level in a low ceiling case and then your switches start showing up on next level up? I guess you can make the line length parametric but that seems complicated.

I handle this by setting my RCP cut plane at 4'

It picks up switches then, and wall mount backup lights show up and it feels right to have them on this view. And other stuff like fire alarm bells, which arguably have no place on an RCP. 

I think we will start calling it "Ceiling and Electrical Above 4" instead of  "RCP"

I think showing high and low mounted wall stuff on same plan view can be problematic so this actually helps.

I think I'll use this trick for thermostats, which I want on the plan view since they belong with the BBH.

And maybe filter them out of RCP... hmmm....

[ToanDN]

Make the line parametric is fairly simple. Just go to the family elevation, add a dimension from the level to the end of the line and associate an instance parameter to it.

[Anonymous]

Does it work over a variety of ceiling heights?

It should, you wouldn't even need to reach the ceiling with the line, just up enough to get past your cut plane.