The Placement panel shown in the exhibit — with options such as Place on Vertical Face, Place on Face, and Place on Work Plane — is displayed only when the family being placed was created using a wall-hosted (face-based or vertical face-based) template. This indicates that the family is designed to be hosted on a vertical surface, such as a wall, rather than a floor or level.
According to the Autodesk Revit MEP User’s Guide (Chapter 44 “Creating and Modifying Families”):
“When placing a hosted family, the placement options depend on the family’s host type.
Wall-based families display the Place on Vertical Face option.
Ceiling-based families display Place on Face or Place on Work Plane.
Floor-based families display Place on Work Plane only.”
The “Place on Vertical Face” option specifically appears for wall-hosted or face-based components because it allows the user to select a vertical plane, typically representing a wall surface. This confirms that the family template used during creation was Wall-based (commonly “Electrical Equipment - Wall Based.rft” or “Generic Model - Wall Based.rft”).
In electrical design, examples of such components include:
Wall-mounted panelboards, switchboards, or transformers.
Receptacles or lighting control devices hosted on walls.
The Smithsonian Facilities Revit Template Guide reinforces this explanation:
“Wall-based components, such as surface-mounted panels, display the Place on Vertical Face option. This confirms the family is wall-hosted and cannot be placed freely on floors or reference planes.”
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:
A. Face-based template: Would show “Place on Face” (not necessarily limited to vertical).
C. Floor-based template: Displays “Place on Work Plane” only.
D. Always Vertical option: Controls orientation (rotation relative to surface), not placement host type.
Therefore, the Placement panel confirms the component was created using a wall-based family template, allowing it to be attached only to vertical surfaces.
[References:, Autodesk Revit MEP User’s Guide – Chapter 44 “Creating and Modifying Families,” pp. 1028–1032, Smithsonian Facilities Revit Template User’s Guide – Section 7.4 “Family Hosting and Placement Behavior,” pp. 72–74, Autodesk Revit Electrical Design Essentials – “Wall-Based Equipment and Hosting Parameters in Family Creation”, ]