Eccentricity of Wall Footing

I replied to a thread at AUGI regarding the Eccentricity parameter of a Wall Footing. They observed that Revit seemed to ignore their input and didn't understand what it was meant to do. In this case the width of the footing was less than the value they entered.

The parameter is intended to shift the footing over, from interior to the exterior face of the wall. The footing starts out centered on the wall above.

The maximum eccentricity is equal to (Footing Width/2)-(Wall Thickness/2).

The interior wall surface can be aligned (flush) with the interior face of the footing but not further, creating any overhang of the wall, which seems logical to me. A picture might help?

Change a System Parameter from Type to Instance - Not Length

It is fairly common knowledge that we can change a built-in parameter like Width from Type to Instance by going through the side door, selecting a dimension assigned to the parameter and changing it to Instance on the ribbon (see the image).

Kurt Thompson wrote to me to share how he gets around this issue when the parameter isn't something a dimension can be associated with. Specifically he was referring to a thread at the Autodesk User Forums where a member (electrical focus) was asking Autodesk to change the default parameters for Mains (instance), MCB Rating (type) and Subfeed Lugs (type). They argue that each parameter should be the opposite of the current configuration based on how the information is really dealt with (not that he needs me to, but I agree with him).

Kurt writes:

"To change a System Type parameter to Instance...(specific to the mentioned thread)

Create a Shared Parameter built exactly like the built-in parameter you need to change but make it Instance instead of Type. Starting out with a Generic Model family, add the new parameter. Now assign the family to the category Electrical Equipment, Revit will replace the shared parameter with the built-in parameter but it will retain the Instance (or Type) property setting from the shared parameter. Give it a try."

Thanks Kurt!

Remember Linked Files Have Two Workset Parameters

I find this overlooked regularly. Each link has an Instance AND Type parameter called Workset. If we select a link (RVT) in the Project Browser we can see the Type parameter for workset, even if the link isn't loaded.

If we right-click and choose Select All Instances > In Entire Project we can see the Instance parameter value, unless there is more than one instance (copies of the link).

The best way to ensure that both parameter values are assigned to the same workset is to make sure the Active Workset is set correctly first, before we link the file. If not then we have to check both values.

Why are there two parameters?

The Type parameter governs the existence of the link in the database while the Instance parameter governs the actual instance you can see in the model views. The linked file can be copied, for example House Design A can be copied so we can show that it will be located on several lots within a development, each likely oriented differently.

The instance parameter allows us to assign each copy to a unique workset while the Type parameter affects all of the copies. That means closing the workset assigned to the Type parameter will close all of the copies of the link, none of them will be visible.

If we close the workset assigned to just one copy then only that linked file won't be visible.

If we experience erratic issues with linked file visibility it is the first thing I check. I'm also in the habit of looking at all the linked files every time I get introduced to project. This also applies to other linked files (CAD,Point Cloud).

Recover or Acquire a Shared Parameter

I wrote THIS POST in January of 2012 but the interface has changed quite a bit since then. I happened to see a reference to the older post and realized how dated it is. I thought about replacing the screen captures to just update it then decided to echo the post with current pictures instead.

When you don't have access to the original Shared Parameter's file there are two ways to get to it, via a family or in a schedule. Either way you need to be able to touch the parameter so you can use the Export option for shared parameters. Revit will add the parameter to the current shared parameter file you are using.

In a family you need to open Family Types, select the parameter, choose the Edit Parameter button.

In a project schedule take a look at the View Properties for the schedule, Click the Edit... button next to Fields, pick the parameter, then click the Edit Parameter button (note the Export button in the next image is not active/enabled).

Click the Export button when it is enabled and Revit will pop open this confirmation. It also tells us where to look for it in the Shared Parameter file.

If the Export button (like in the previous image) is not active that happens because Revit is not associated with a shared parameter file yet or, less likely, the Shared Parameter is already in the Shared Parameter file this session of Revit is aware of. You’ll need to choose a different file or create a new file first. You can do this via the Manage Ribbon > Settings panel > Shared Parameters button, browse to find it or create one from scratch.

It is worth noting that a titleblock family does not conform to this scenario. Shared parameters that are used in titleblocks must be connected to a project too, by adding the shared parameter to the project as a project parameter and choosing the Sheets category. It might help to consider a titleblock is very much like a Tag except the element it tags is a sheet view, not a door or wall for example.

Panel Name - Allow Unique Values per Group

Some time ago they added the ability to tell Revit we want a parameter to be able to store unique values even when the element is part of a group, like this.

That example is possible because it's a shared parameter. I find myself wishing that we could do the same thing for the built-in Panel Name parameter for electrical panels. These are unique identifiers in all the situations I've ever encountered. Never mind the unfortunate poor support for being in groups to begin with...

I wish that Panel Name could be like a Door's Mark parameter or a Room's Number...unique even when included in groups. I wish upon a star...

Smooth or Stepped Stair Setting

I want the concrete corner stair to look like this.

When I finished it looked like this.. sad face...

A stair Run has two options for Underside Surface: Smooth and Stepped. Smooth is what I started with.

There are occasions when I want the underside to look like the second image above, if so I'd probably tackle that like THIS POST. In this situation I wanted the following appearance. I got it by changing the Structural Depth parameter to match the height of the stair.

Edit Profile and Altering Base or Top Constraints

In this example I've got a veneer wall and I used the Edit Profile feature to alter its shape. I wanted it to go from the bottom of the building to the top but provide the overall opening it requires in the middle. As luck would have it the overall height has changed a little. The selected wall in the following image is one of several veneer wall segments. It needs to drop down by 6 inches.

All I need to do is edit the Top Offset parameter, changing it from 3'-6" to 3'-0". That was easy.

Unfortunately when I do that easy bit I notice the opening I created using Edit Profile has shifted down by the same 6 inches.

At this point I'd use Edit Profile and move that sketch segment back up to the proper location. Since I have several of these veneer walls to adjust; for one of them I accidentally used Edit Profile first. I decided to change the Top Offset parameter while I was there, noting that the sketch is still correct at the top of the window assembly.

When I finished Edit Profile I was pleasantly surprised to find that the sketch remained intact, the opening did not need to be altered. The Top Offset alteration took effect without changing the interior rectangle sketch like would have happened changing the parameter outside of the Edit Profile mode.

That was a pleasant thing to stumble into. For the remaining walls I just used Edit Profile first and changed the Top Offset parameter followed by finishing Edit Profile without having to adjust the sketch too.

Schedule Linked Files and Current File

I wrote an earlier post describing a way to create a schedule of linked files. I read a thread at RFO asking about including the current file in the schedule too. I can use the same approach to get that result too. This is a schedule of Levels (since all projects have at least one).

The schedule will naturally reference levels in the active file and I only need to check the Include elements in links option to get their levels too.

The query at RFO also dealt with custom file naming so I took advantage of the built-in Project Information parameter called Building Name. In each project file I've entered a custom File Name in Building Name. This example is using the format described at RFO. I also unchecked the option for Itemize every instance to avoid having many rows for each and every level in the files. I used Clear Cell to eliminate the Title (also turned off that option in Appearance) and used Hide Column for all the fields except Building Name. For this to work long term we need each trade to include this same piece of information in their model/file and update it when they post their next version.

2016-17 Door Library - Head Height

A comment was submitted to an earlier post about the new library of door families that came with the 2016 release. The question had to do with changing the head height of these doors. There are two folders (see the images in the other post): Residential and Commercial as well as a smaller collection of doors that are more similar to the past door library we had, but using a new naming convention.

The doors in the Commercial folder have an Instance parameter called Masonry Frame which toggles on/off a solid form that adjusts how thick or high the head of the door is. This image is the same door side by side but with the parameter off on the left and on for the door on the right.

The doors in the Residential folder don't share this family strategy. Neither do the individual door families that are found in the root Doors folder. What is visible on the residential doors is trim, not a frame. The trim is designed to turn off if the Door Offset parameter is not set to zero. The frame form they do have are based on a sweep that doesn't allow for varying its dimensions.

Like all families, how they were conceived of and then created greatly affects their usefulness. In the case of the comment posted, the commercial collection of doors may work for them where the residential ones probably won't; not without some fundamental changes to the families themselves first.

Revit 2017 - Filters and Reference Planes

Filters have been expanded to see Reference Planes.

You're probably aware that Reference Planes don't have many parameters, just these three instance parameters: Scope Box, Name and Subcategory. They don't have any Type Parameters because they aren't defined by types like grids or levels for example. If we examine the Filters dialog and see how those three parameters play out as criteria we'll find they don't.

The More Parameters... or Browse button to its right are tempting but we still can't create parameters associated with Reference Planes.

This makes it rather difficult to actually use a Filter for Reference Planes, criteria based filters anyway. We can select them (Reference Planes) first and create a Filter based on selection but that's not really much different than using Visibility/Graphics to turn them off or override their appearance.

While it makes for an enticing item in the list of what's new it will only serve to frustrate you if you pursue it. It's a shame that we aren't offered at least the Name parameter to use in a filter. It looks like the critical path for this feature wandered into the weeds and got stuck in some quicksand.

I'm sure we'll take good advantage of being able to differentiate them from one another and control their visibility using Visibilty/Graphics and View Templates despite this situation.

Controlling a Solid Form with a Visible Parameter

Here's a video trip back to a basic family editing concept. It describes two solids, a cube and sphere. I assign parameters to their Visible parameter and then show how we can use a formula to toggle one of them on/off and using Family Types to manage them. This works fine for solids, voids are another matter...and the subject of a later video.

Revit 2017 - Combine Parameters in a Schedule

This is the often requested ability to concatenate parameters values into a single column. The schedule Properties dialog has seen some cosmetic changes, note the new Combine Parameters button.

We see the new smaller buttons replacing the larger and clearer buttons of old. I also get the New and Modify buttons confused with each other ALL the time. When we use Combine Parameters the dialog looks like this for a Room Schedule.

This is combining width and height into a single size parameter for a Door Schedule.

Another very interesting possibility is to combine different parameters for the same values when different families are displaying the same information but have different parameter names, because they came from different family creators. Here's combining three versions of width parameters into a single column, three families using three different shared parameters for the same thing, you can see I left each parameter's name in the heading.

I found it interesting that I can even combine parameters assigned to different Types of Parameter, like length and text. This is an example where I've combined two text parameters and one length parameter all intending to say the same thing, however impractical it will be to deal with the units of that mixture, or lack thereof.

This means we can create a VAV Schedule based on different families from different manufacturers and combine their different manner of Horsepower (or similar) parameter value into a single column. VERY interesting!

Levels and Story Above

Listening to Bill's BIM Thoughts podcast with Carla Edwards and Paul Aubin (Session 29), Carla reminded me of a parameter associated with levels I wrote about in 2013 but it was buried within a post of a different title. So I decided to clip it out of that post and give it some air again.

Levels have a parameter called Story Above; and a related parameter called Building Story.

This is the current description for the Story Above parameter from Autodesk.

"From Revit Help"

Used in conjunction with the Building Story parameter when exporting to IFC with the export option Split walls and columns by story, this parameter indicates the next building story for the level.

By default, Story Above is the next highest level for which Building Story is enabled. To access a list of all building stories above the current one, click in the field. The Story Above does not need to be the next higher level or building story. If the selected level is deleted later or if Building Story is disabled, any levels with this level as their Story Above will revert to default behavior.

Unfortunately what Carla described about how it is used isn't entirely on track, sorry Carla. The first sentence in the help documentation description didn't include the information about IFC initially. It was revised at some point after the feature was introduced. The two parameters Building Story and Story Above only factor in if we export to IFC. They don't influence anything else. It might be useful if they did.

Type Catalog - Family Type Parameter and Missing Spaces

This is for the Department of I could kick myself or Dept. of why can't I remember this.

These are two images of the same Type Catalog, one works and the other doesn't. The key location of the issue/difference is marked in yellow. This first one won't work.

Two little spaces on either side of the colon, like this: Family Name : Family Type.

Note to self, remember this next time around knucklehead!

Revit 2016 - Project Address

In past releases the Project Address parameter that is baked into Revit has always required using the Project Information dialog to enter a proper address format. The usual techniques to force a hard return (like CTRL + Enter or CTRL + M) fail to deliver (for me they've never worked).

In 2016 (using R2 now) when I click on the Project Address parameter within a title block family a special dialog appears to add/edit the information, much more bettererer.

Filter Dialog and the More Parameters Button

A small part of a recent exchange at RFO prompts this post.

There is a sneaky button next to the Filter Rules drop down list box. If you click on it (the button with the ellipsis ... ) it will open the Project Parameters dialog. Using it implies or suggests that choosing a parameter from the list, if any are there, will assign the parameter to Filter by. It doesn't do that. It is side door access to creating a Project Parameter. A side door because it allows us to do that without bailing out of the Filter dialog first to do it.

Clicking on the button is the same as choosing the More Parameters option at the very bottom of the list of parameters.

It might be a little more obvious if it said Create Parameter instead?

Oh so subtle...

Curtain Wall Panel Template - Reporting Parameter Error

If we attempt to attached a Reporting Parameter to a Curtain Panel Template we might see this error message.

It's the result of attaching the dimension to the reference level in the view.

If we are careful to attach the dimension to the reference plane that is lurking underneath it (the reference level) the reporting parameter will attach without complaint. I pulled the Level and the reference plane apart a bit so they can be seen more easily in the image.

Optional Instance Override Example Two

My post last Saturday reminded Daniel Stine of a situation where he used a similar technique.

Dan writes:

In an Electrical Equipment schedule, we want the Room/Space number to be listed automatically. However some items are not located within a room. So we use a Yes/No parameter (in the family) and a calculated value (in the schedule) to switch from automatic to manual. In the example below, the rooftop equipment is not within a room and would produce a blank cell if the schedule column just listed Space:Number. With the toggle, we can type in a custom value; a word in this case.

These are the two manual parameters associated with the content:

Calculated value in Electrical Equipment schedule:
if(Enter Manual Room Number Name, Manual Room Number Name, Space: Number)

The follow parameters need to be added to the schedule, but hidden:
Space: Number
Enter Manual Room Number Name
Manual Room Number Name

Thanks Daniel!

Optional Instance Override

Twice in one week I've seen people asking about using a Type Parameter for a door swing and wishing they could occasionally override it without making a new type for the door. That jogged my memory a bit and I remembered that Aaron Maller had told me about a technique he's used on the content he has built for Beck Group. It's quite clever, thanks Aaron!

These are the parameters you need (parameter names are italic - pick better names if you want):

• Type parameter (Angle: Swing - this the standard angle you want to use)
• Instance parameter (Angle: Swing Override - this is the default value for the override)
• Instance or type parameter (Yes/No: Override Swing - this is the switch to flip)
• Instance parameter (Angle: Swing Applied - Formula: if (yes, instance, type)

It looks like this in the Family Types dialog.

This is what it looks like applied to two door types; two are set according to their type and the other two are overridden to different angles.

This is what it looks like in the Properties Palette when a door is selected. Check the option and change the value or leave the default value.

Yes! You can have your Type and Instance too!

Revit 2016 - Multiline Text Parameter and Shared Parameters

As soon as we add a new parameter using this new Multiline Text parameter type to our existing Shared Parameter file it invalidates that file for use in prior versions of Revit. If we try to access our Shared Parameter file we'll be greeted with this message.

Mulling it over for a moment, it makes sense to me since the older versions of Revit are not able to interpret this new kind of parameter because it didn't exist. Rather than allow us to continue, to create a parameter that isn't supported, it takes the hard road and prevents us from using it at all. It might be possible, via another Update Release to 2015 and for the other older supported versions, to provide code to ignore any Multiline Text values it finds when it parses a Shared Parameter file.

This means we'll need to create a separate shared parameter file for managing any Multiline Text parameters we use. We can keep on using the original Shared Parameter file(s) we already have. Just don't add any new Multiline Text parameters to it. We need to manage this new parameter type on its own, as long we expect to need to use the older versions of Revit.

Oh, if you manage to do this before finding out it won't work...you can open the Shared Parameter file in Notepad and delete the line that is dedicated to the Multiline Text parameter(s) you've created. It should work again in 2015 or older versions.

A comment (to a previous post) regarding this new feature alerted me to this issue, thanks Abe!