Annotations for electrical design - Create an offset symbol

Step-by-step guide

Improve electrical layout visualizations with annotation. Learn how to add basic or custom annotations to meet your project needs.

Open the project E07_01.rvt.
Ensure the current view is Power > Sections > Corridor Section.
Note the placement of electrical fixtures vertically in line.

In the Revit interface, the project for this example is open to the Corridor Section view, with vertically placed electrical fixtures highlighted in red.

Open the view Power > Floor Plans > 1 – Power.

The annotation symbols for the electrical fixtures are on top of each other, making it difficult to see which symbol is which.

The 1 – Power view, showing the annotation symbols for the electrical fixtures on top of each other.

Select the fire alarm break glass unit.
Open it in the Family Editor.

In the 1 – Power view, the fire alarm break glass unit is selected, and in the Modify | Fire Alarm Devices contextual ribbon, Edit Family is being selected.

In the Family Editor, set the view to Floor Plans > Ref. Level.
Zoom in and select the annotation symbol. This is also a family nested in the fire alarm break glass family.

In the zoomed-in Ref. Level view, the annotation symbol is selected.

From the ribbon, click Edit Family to open the annotation symbol in its own Family Editor window.
In the Family Editor, create a copy of the annotation symbol that is 3/16" from the first one.
Select the first annotation symbol.

In the view, a copy of the annotation symbol created, with the first annotation symbol selected.

In Properties, select Associate Family Parameter, as shown.

In Properties, under Graphics, next to Visible, the Associate Family Parameter button is being selected.

As there is no suitable existing parameter, in the Associate Family Parameter dialog box, click New Parameter.
Name the parameter “Symbol Visible”.
Set it as an Instance parameter.
Group it under Graphics.
Click OK twice to close the dialog boxes.

The Parameter Properties dialog box, with all settings configured for this example, and OK selected.

Select the copied annotation symbol and follow steps 10 to 12 to create a parameter named “Offset Symbol Visible”.
Click Load into Project from the ribbon.
Load the modified annotation symbol into the Fire Alarm Break Glass Unit family as shown, overwriting the existing version and its parameter values.

The Load into Projects dialog box, with only the Fire Alarm Break Glass Unit family selected.

Select the modified annotation symbol.

In the view, the modified annotation symbol is selected.

The parameters for the annotation symbol visibility can be seen in the fire alarm break glass unit family.

Follow steps 10 – 12 to recreate parameters of the same names within the fire alarm break glass unit family.

Once complete, the parameters will be grayed out, as shown. This means the symbol visibility can be controlled by parameters in the fire alarm break glass unit family when it is loaded into the project.

In Properties, the Offset Symbol Visible and Symbol Visible options are grayed out.

Click Load into Project from the ribbon.
Load the fire alarm break glass unit family into project E07_01.
Overwrite the existing version and its parameter values.

The Load into Projects dialog box, with the current project selected.

The original and the offset symbol appear in the view.

In the view, the original and the offset symbol both appear.

Select the fire alarm break glass unit.
Use the new visibility parameters to set the display. From the Properties, deselect the Symbol Visible option.

It is now easy to distinguish the fire alarm break glass unit symbol from the receptacle symbol.

In the view, the offset symbol for the fire alarm break glass unit symbol is easily distinguishable from the receptacle symbol.

Save the project.
(Do not save the families for this example.)

Create an offset symbol

Step-by-step guide

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