Lighting and Power Device Layout
Place devices with intent
Layout work rewards planning. Use reference planes, levels, and hosted vs. non-hosted families deliberately. A recurring trap is placing face-hosted or work-plane-hosted devices on the wrong work plane, so they appear misplaced in section or vanish in plan. Know when to use face-based families for walls and ceilings versus unhosted families for flexibility.
Spaces, rooms, and calculations
Lighting layout depends on spaces (MEP) and rooms (architectural). Understand that spaces are placed in MEP views and can be bounded by room-bounding elements, and that a missing space breaks lighting calculations and space-based schedules. Another trap: rooms and spaces are separate; deleting a room does not delete its space, and unplaced spaces show as unoccupied or unbounded.
Lighting analysis basics
Know the concepts behind illuminance, light loss factor, and coefficient of utilization, and how Revit's lighting analysis uses a lighting analysis workflow with a defined grid. Questions often test whether you understand that analysis results depend on correct space geometry and surface reflectance.
Power device layout
For receptacles and equipment, understand elevation parameters and how they affect 3D coordination. Use copy and array tools, and align devices with dimensions and alignment tools.
Rule of thumb
Before any layout, confirm the correct level and work plane, place spaces, and verify room-bounding settings. Most "missing device" or "wrong location" issues trace to work plane or host errors.
Worked example
Fixtures appear at floor level in 3D. The work plane defaulted to the level rather than the ceiling; resetting the active work plane to the ceiling resolves placement.