When modeling or modifying connectors on MEP families, one can specify a system that it is supposed to connect to. When one looks at a complicated family like a hydronic heat exchanger, there are multiple connectors to connect, and specifying their system is useful to understand where to route their connectors to.
However, it can be irritating when trying to connect something like a floor drain to one system when its connector has been specified to another system. One does have the ability to connect it to the “Global” connector system. This allows one to connect the connector to any system one specified.
It is very easy to do this. Just edit the family and then change the system for the connector to “Global”.
Other properties of the connector that is of interest in the direction of the connector. Turn the family upside down if a connector at the bottom is going the wrong way and recreate it. This is a quirk of Revit. The orientation of the component determines the normal direction of the connector on creation.
The In/Out/Bi-directional property indicates the direction of flow, not the direction of the generation of the pipe.
You can also specify that the connector must accept the connection tolerance for pipes that get generated at an angle. This is useful for things like floor drains that are face-based and at an angle to a normal vertical pipe.
If you need help adopting Revit or BIM in your practice, please contact Micrographics so we may be of assistance.