Add Some Spark: Creating Electrical Families

Don Bokmiller

Clark Nexsen

Form vs. Function

• “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!”

• Geometry is important, but have a plan for ease of use and reusability

Symbols for Light Fixtures

• Detail component families nested into lighting fixtures can provide necessary functionality for displaying lights as emergency fixtures

• Vary detail levels for added control

Symbols for Light Fixtures

• Detail components are also useful for annotation of wall mounted fixtures (where no “Maintain Annotation Orientation”)

Load Data for Fixtures

• Formulas can be used to provide accurate load data for fixtures where load may vary based on fixture type

It starts with parameters that can share a relationship(i.e. Fixture Length, Load per Linear Ft, Load by Length)

Formula: Load per Linear Ft * (Fixture Length/1’)

Photmetrics

• Fixtures with a Light Source can be assigned generic or specific photometric data– Geometric (primarily for rendering)– Photometric (for analysis)

• Photometric Web File used to associate an .ies file with the fixture

Devices

• Symbol and geometry relationship• Need “freedom” on construction documents

Devices - Visibility• Visibility Yes/No parameters are simple, yet powerful• Control via schedule

Devices - Visibility• Subcategories can also be used in conjunction with Yes/No

parameters for further optimization

You have this…

…but you need this

Subcategories

Parameters

Questions?