MEP 2D Symbol Offset - Horizontal And Vertical Solution.....

[jason.proctor]

Talking MEP 2D Symbol Offset - Horizontal And Vertical Solution

I was given a Socket outlet with a 2D symbol that could be offset Horizontally And vertically.

Now I need to understand how it works to replicate it with all my other MEP families.

I can change the symbol for example from the original socket outlet to a data outlet, and it stops working so I missing something, not locking a dim to something.

I am sure there are plenty of us who need this.

So here is what I have, and it is all done in the annotation Family, it just needs dissecting and reapplying to other 2D Symbols.

So we have from the top down:

A generic annotation

3 Dims

3 Parameters

The Parameters are as follows:

Vert Symbol Offset (default), Family Parameter, Instance, Common, Length, Dimensions

Horiz Symbol Offset (default), Family Parameter, Instance, Common, Length, Dimensions

Pivot (default) Family Parameter, Instance, Common, Length, Other, Value 50.-, Formula = Horiz Symbol Offset + 50 mm

The 2D symbol is a "Detail Group Symbol"

As mentioned I edit the Detail Group Symbol to suit the family and the offsets both stop working, this must be something I am not seeing or doing.

So close to having a full library of MEP With offset symbols for GA's without having to affect the setting out in 3D.

Please Help all us MEP Drafters

[hmunsell · Accepted solution]

first off, i would have used a Detail Item, not a Group, but that's my personal preference. 

see if this helps, i remade the one you have from scratch to show how it was likely made. 

• in brief, you have 2 reference Lines (not planes) placed Vertically
  • the one on the left is used as a locked offset
  • the one on the right is used to control the symbol
• i created 3 parameters (all instance based)
• i aligned the center of symbol to the reference line and locked it
• i aligned the base of the symbol to the Horizontal Center reference plane and DID NOT lock it.
• then i added the dimensions
  • one from reference Line to reference Line and assigned the parameter to it
  • one from the base of the symbol to the reference plane and assigned the parameter to it
• there is also a formula in there assigned to a Pivot parameter, i don't totally understand why that is there, but is is being controlled by the Horiz parameter to always add the 50mm offset.

here is a screencast showing the steps.

          https://autode.sk/3aUoPXE

[jason.proctor]

Thank you so much for your effort with this, and the solution, really fantastic, I can not thank you enough, this has been racking my brain for so long.

And the screencast makes it so I can understand the steps and reasons, this is invaluable to MEP drafters and will help a lot of people achieve this requirement.

[jason.proctor]

"There is also a formula in there assigned to a Pivot parameter, I don't totally understand why that is there but is being controlled by the Horiz parameter to always add the 50mm offset."

I presumed this was a way off offsetting up to 50mm?