Step-by-step guide

Edit and use families to create clearance zones for equipment.

Open the project E04_02.rvt.
Ensure the current view is Power > Floor Plans > 1 – Power.

In the Revit interface, the project for this example open to the 1 – Power view.

From the electrical room, select the switchboard SB1.
On the ribbon, Modify | Electrical Equipment contextual tab, Mode panel, click Edit Family.

In a zoomed-in view of the electrical room, the switchboard SB1 selected, and in the Mode tab, Edit Family selected.

From the Project Browser, open the view Ref. Level.
In the Create tab, select the Reference Plane command.
Place 2 vertical reference planes positioned at 0' – 4" with dimensions applied, as shown.

In the Ref. Level view, a zoomed-in view of the placement of 2 vertical reference planes positioned at 0' – 4" with dimensions applied.

Create a horizontal reference plane positioned at 3' – 0" from the front face of the switchboard, dimensioned as shown.

In the Ref. Level view, a placed and dimensioned horizontal reference plane positioned at 3' – 0" from the front face of the switchboard.

In the Create tab, click Extrusion.
In the Draw panel, click Rectangle.
Draw a rectangle across the reference planes as shown.

On the ribbon, Draw panel, Rectangle is selected, and in the Ref. Level view, a rectangle has been drawn across the reference planes.

Select each lock icon to constrain the geometry.
Click Finish Edit Mode to complete this step of creating the extrusion.
From the Project Browser, open the Front elevation view.
Drag the extrusion to the highest reference plane in the view using the triangular grip on the top.
Select the lock icon to constrain the geometry to the reference plane.

In the Ref. Level view, with the extrusion dragged to the highest reference plane, clicking the lock icon to constrain the geometry.

From the Project Browser, open View 1 from the 3D Views, and then select the new extrusion.

In View 1, a 3D view of the selected extrusion.

Open the Materials Browser by selecting the More (…)button in the Material field of the Properties.

In the Properties, selecting the More (…) button in the Material field to open the Materials Browser.

In the Material Browser, select Glass from the list of Project Materials.
Create a duplicate of the selected material.

In the Materials Browser, Glass is selected in the list of Project Materials on the left, and below that, the Add Material button is expanded, where Duplicate Selected Material is being selected.

In the Identity tab, change the Name and Description of the new material to “Clearance Zone”.
In the Graphics tab, change the Color to magenta.
Change the Transparency to 75.

In the Graphics tab of the materials Browser, the Color and Transparency configured for this example.

Click OK to close the Material Browser.
In the Family Editor, change the visual style to Shaded to see the effect of the new material applied to the clearance zone.

In the Family Editor, the visual style changed to Shaded to see the effect of the new material applied to the clearance zone.

Select the clearance zone extrusion.
From the Properties, click the button next to the Visible parameter to associate a family parameter.

In Properties, clicking the button next to the Visible parameter to associate a family parameter.

As there is not an appropriate parameter to associate, a new one will have to be created.

Click the New Parameter button.

In the Associate Family Parameter dialog box, the New Parameter button is being selected.

Name the parameter “Clearance Zone”.
Set it as an Instance parameter.
Group the parameter under Graphics.

In the Parameter Properties dialog box, the settings configured for this example.

Click OK to close both dialogs.
Click Load into Project to load the modified family, and overwrite the existing version when prompted.

The clearance zone can be seen in this plan view and can assist in determining if the current placement of the switchboard is suitable.

In the zoomed-in plan view, the visible clearance zone in the electrical room.

To hide the clearance zone, select it in the view, and in Properties, deselect Clearance Zone.

In Properties, under Graphics, the checkbox is being clicked to deselect Clearance Zone.

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

Custom family editing for electrical layouts

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