How to place lights on a grid in a room?

[Lee007]

Hi, in AutoCAD i had a LISP: i just type "sd" and pick 2 opposite corners, then i key in number of horizontal and number of vertical lines, then it draws an equidistant grid where I can place the lights on the intersections. The grid lines are on Defpoints layer so I don;t even have to delete them after.

I'm trying to do this in Revit, i put 2 lights haphazardly and then I placed an Aligned Dimenion (DI) from the wall, to the first light, then second light and then second wall, and I clicked EQ very awkward result, i want X - 2X - X spacing not X - X - X spacing, and then I have to do it in Y direction. Seems too much work. I tried Array but also no good.

How can i please 4 equidistantly X-2X-X lights in a room in Revit please?

[DaveP]

The Revit equivalent of LISP is Dynamo

[Munkholm]

Place an extra light in the middle, use DI + EQ so you have 4 EQ dims, and then delete the middle light. Not optimal, but it works.

[Lee007]

Place an extra light in the middle, use DI + EQ so you have 4 EQ dims, and then delete the middle light. Not optimal, but it works.

Thanks but this appears to be as time consuming as: Exporting the floor plan to DWG, setting out the grid lines in AutoCAD using LISP, importing back the link, COpy with Multiple ticked and then removing the CAD link. I understand if AutoCAD did not have this built-in feature because AutoCAD can be used to draw anything, but a software like Revit intimately tied to buildings: simple question how do you place lights in a room?

[CADiva]

Thanks but this appears to be as time consuming as: Exporting the floor plan to DWG, setting out the grid lines in AutoCAD using LISP, importing back the link, COpy with Multiple ticked and then removing the CAD link. I understand if AutoCAD did not have this built-in feature because AutoCAD can be used to draw anything, but a software like Revit intimately tied to buildings: simple question how do you place lights in a room?

As DaveP said, Dynamo is effectively the Revit equivalent to LISP. If it's so critical to automate this task similar to ACAD, then it's worth taking the time to learn Dynamo. You may or may not have created the LISP, but someone took the time to figure out how to program it so it was quick & easy to use.

[DaveP]

But, AutoCAD does NOT "have this built-in feature". You're using a custom-built LISP routine.

A lot of people get frustrated when they switch to Revit because they expect to have all of the exact same tools from day one that they've spent years or decades developing in CAD.

If you want Revit to do the same thing, you'll have to write a Dynamo equivalent.
It would also be a fairly simple thing to create a family that would replicate your CAD grid. In fact, if you want to go that route, you could create a family that would have an array with the lights already in it.

[Twiceroadsfool]

Wow, really?

Make a Line Based Detail Component, with an Instance Parameter Count, and an instance parameter spacing (Length/count). Save it somewhere. Draw it across the room, place the lights on the lines/hash-marks the LBDC makes. Repeat in both directions.

With all due respect, if you can export a cad file, do the layout, reimport it, and place all the lights on it, faster than i can do that.... You must be legend status, in terms of working speed. Because it took about 5 minutes, including making the component, which youll only ever have to make once.

Which also, btw, ive never found useful, since it almost always depends on where or what the ceiling design is. But sure, for the one room out of a hundred that is open to above, its handy i guess.

[Nurlan]

Try using a work plane grid to arrange or align fixtures or other components. You can change the grid spacing, rotate and align it. This method allows you to arrange elements on a grid without creating auxiliary lines or dimensions.