In Revit Electrical Design workflows, when a designer wishes to add a parameter to a lighting fixture schedule without editing the families themselves, the proper approach is to use a Project Parameter.

The Revit MEP documentation clearly explains:

“To add a custom field to a schedule, you can create a custom parameter using the Parameter Properties dialog. Under Parameter Type, select Project parameter.”

This method links the parameter directly to the project and to all instances of the specified category (in this case, Lighting Fixtures), allowing it to appear in the schedule automatically without requiring any modification to the family files (.RFA).

In contrast:

Family Parameters apply only within the family file and are not schedulable across multiple families.

Global Parameters control dimensional or relational constraints, not schedule data.

Reporting Parameters are read-only and extract model information; they cannot be manually added to schedules.

Revit’s scheduling workflow defines this process:

“On the Fields tab of the Sheet List Properties dialog, click Add Parameter… Under Parameter Type, select Project parameter.”

This same mechanism applies to lighting fixture schedules, as schedules and sheet lists share parameter structures in Revit. The new project parameter can then be sorted, filtered, and displayed in the schedule view for documentation or tagging purposes.

The exhibit shown in the image is taken directly from the Revit MEP Electrical Systems workspace, specifically from the Parallel Conduits command interface. This dialog box appears when the designer activates the Place Parallel Conduits tool in the Systems tab ? Electrical panel ? Conduit dropdown ? Parallel Conduits.

In this interface, the designer can specify:

Horizontal Number / Offset – defines how many conduits will be created horizontally and their spacing.

Vertical Number / Offset – defines how many conduits will be created vertically and their spacing.

Bend Radius Options:

Same Bend Radius – all conduits use identical bend radii.

Concentric Bend Radius – conduits bend concentrically around a common center point.

According to Autodesk’s Revit MEP 2011 User’s Guide (Chapter 18, Electrical Systems – Conduit Layout):

“The Parallel Conduits tool allows you to create multiple conduits side-by-side at the same time.

You can specify the number of conduits horizontally and vertically, as well as the offset between them.

You can also define whether bends have the same bend radius or concentric bend radii.”

— Revit MEP User’s Guide, Electrical Systems, Section: Conduit Layout

This tool is used when electrical designers need to route groups of conduits that run in parallel—such as power and data conduits running between panels or equipment racks.

The Concentric Bend Radius option (as shown in the exhibit) ensures all conduit bends share a common center, which is critical for maintaining uniformity in conduit sweeps and avoiding clashes during coordination.

Therefore:

A. Add Cable Tray – incorrect; the cable tray tool is separate and does not use bend radius options.

C. Array Conduit – incorrect; arraying is a different geometric function not specific to conduit routing.

D. Place Multiple Pipe – incorrect; applies to mechanical piping systems, not electrical conduits.

The display of Concentric Bend Radius, Horizontal Number, Vertical Number, and Offset confirms that the designer is using the Parallel Conduit placement tool.

Verified Reference Extracts from Revit Electrical Design Documentation:

Autodesk Revit MEP User’s Guide (2011) – Electrical Systems ? Conduit Layout ? “Parallel Conduits Tool” description.

Autodesk Revit MEP Training Curriculum – Electrical Module, Exercise 6.3 “Placing Parallel Conduits,” which illustrates the same interface for bend radius configuration.

In Autodesk Revit Electrical Design, when customizing a family—such as a transformer with a housekeeping pad—each element within the family can have its own subcategory under the parent category (in this case, Electrical Equipment). Subcategories are critical for controlling line weight, color, and material properties independently in project views and visibility settings.

The issue described is that the transformer and its concrete pad currently share the same default category (Electrical Equipment) and therefore use identical line weights and colors in plan view. The designer wants the housekeeping pad to display differently — for example, with a lighter or dashed outline.

According to the Autodesk Revit MEP User’s Guide (Chapter: Creating and Editing Families):

“To control the visibility or graphical appearance of individual components within a family, create a new Object Styles subcategory under the parent category. You can then assign any solid or void geometry in the family to that subcategory. When loaded into a project, the subcategory can be independently controlled through Visibility/Graphics (VG) settings.”

This is the exact and recommended workflow for differentiating line appearances between elements in the same family.

Steps to achieve this:

In the Family Editor, open Manage tab ? Object Styles.

Under the Model Objects tab, click New to create a new subcategory (e.g., “Housekeeping Pad”).

Set the desired line weight, color, or material properties.

Select the housekeeping pad extrusion in the model.

In the Properties palette, under Identity Data ? Subcategory, choose Housekeeping Pad.

Reload the family into the project.

You can now modify or control its visibility independently in project views.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Change to void: A void removes geometry, not graphical appearance.

B. Override Graphics in View: Applies only in a single view, not globally across the project.

D. Visibility from context menu: Controls whether the object is visible, not its line properties.

Thus, the most efficient, parametric, and Revit-standard method is to use subcategories within the family to apply distinct graphical controls.