Creating a family that can be placed on a Rebar face

[mj24505]

Hello! I'm at academics and I'm creating a model for resistance testing experiments. 

In the actual structural specimens, we have sensors called Strain Gages for about 40mmx10mm that are placed all over Rebar surfaces that are poured with concrete together with the Specimens creation at the company.

I'm trying to create these small Gages using a Generic Model Face based, however, as I understood, Rebars are not considered Faces to place upon?

You guys have a suggestion for creating a small model that can be placed at Rebar surfaces and still be visible even though they are inside Concrete pieces such as Framing, columns and beams? 

Thanks

[jay_colcombe]

You are correct as rebars do not have any physical form as I recall.  

I would assume most would use a Face/Workplane based family and use the Structural Elements with a Negative offset or create a Workplane associated with the Rebar Position and location within element

Initially I would have suggested the Rebar Couple Family Template and see if you can adapt this as there is a common interaction between these 2 items but not sure how you can get around placing along the Rebar other than an End or Split?

Alternatively using an Adaptive Family allows you to Snap to Rebar but I have found you need to Turn Off the Host for it to work

[mj24505]

I have been working and learning more about creation of families, and I have successfully created a parametrized family of an Adaptive based one. The Rebar Coupler based I think is out of question. According to some paper I found, sensors usually are placed within the Specialty Equipment category using the Adaptive based, and so I did.

As stated by you, I can snap to the Rebar,  however I have been able to snap just to the middle section and not to the top/surface of the rebar. There's a way to include a parameter that gives me the Negative offset according to the associated Rebar diameter? I didn't exactly grasp your solution for the 2nd statement.