Adding a Generic Annotation

You can create a generic annotation family or load one from the available annotation families in the Revit library. This procedure uses an existing annotation family.

Note: Though this procedure uses specific family files, the steps are common to any generic annotation you may want to add to a model family.

1. Click OpenFamily.
2. Open the microwave.rfa family from the Specialty Equipment\Domestic folder in the Imperial library.

   Metric users: The microwave from the Metric library is in the same folder and is called M_microwave.rfa.

   Note: For international users with localized versions of the product, family names and paths may be different than those specified in this procedure.
3. Click Insert tabLoad From Library panel (Load Family).
4. Navigate to the Annotations folder, select Label Annotation 3-32.rfa, and click Open.

   Metric users: Navigate to the Annotations folder, select M_Label Annotation.rfa, and click Open.

5. Open a floor plan view in the microwave.rfa file.

   You can place a generic annotation in plan only.

6. Click Annotate tabDetail panel (Symbol), and place an instance of the label at the intersection of the 2 reference planes in the center of the microwave.
   

   Label snapping to intersection of reference planes

   Next you associate this label with a parameter in the host family.

7. Click Modify | Place Symbol tabProperties panel (Family Types).
8. In the Family Types dialog, under Parameters, click Add.
9. In the Parameter Properties dialog, under Parameter Type, select Family parameter.
10. Under Parameter Data, for Name, type Label.
11. For Type of Parameter, select Text.

    This parameter will be stored by type.

12. Click OK twice.
13. Select the label instance you placed on the microwave, and on the Properties palette, click Edit Type.
14. Locate the Label parameter.
15. In the row for the Label parameter, click the button under the equal sign (=) column.
16. In the Associate Family Parameter dialog, select the parameter Label. This is the parameter you created in steps 8-12.
17. Click OK twice.
18. If desired, you can set at which detail level the label appears in a project. Access the instance properties for the annotation. Next to the Visibility/Graphics Overrides instance parameter, click Edit, and then select coarse, medium, or fine. If you leave a particular detail level unselected, the label will not show in a project view set at that detail level.
19. Save the microwave.rfa family and load it into your project.
20. Open a plan view, and click Architecture tabBuild panel (Component).
21. Select the microwave from the Type Selector, and place an instance in the project.
22. Select the microwave, and on the Properties palette, click Edit Type.
23. In the Type Properties dialog, for Label, enter MW.
24. Click OK.

    The microwave displays with the specified label in the view.

    
25. If desired, change the detail level of the view to change the visibility of the label.

    See Managing Family Visibility and Detail Level.

    Note: You can also change the visibility of the label by turning off Generic Annotations on the Annotation Categories tab of the Visibility/Graphics dialog.