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controlling detail item visibility

18 REPLIES 18
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Message 1 of 19
FinearcLtd
10481 Views, 18 Replies

controlling detail item visibility

I am trying to control the visibility of detail items in plan views and detail callouts. When I prepare window shop drawing I need to show plan section details at sereval different levels. Each level shows a different detail. Any idea how I can hide the detail items no through the visibility parameter? The problem with the visibility parameter is that it is not per view, rather per the entire project which makes it useless for my needs.

Help!!! Anyone?

 

Thanks!

18 REPLIES 18
Message 2 of 19
kitty-toft
in reply to: FinearcLtd

There are many solutions here. what about the detail

view?

 

 

made a quich tutorial for you. let me know if that helpt. 🙂

 

http://youtu.be/5zY0RixEVUo

Message 3 of 19
Alisder.Brown
in reply to: FinearcLtd

Im assuming you have a window, with different details nested into it? And a section @ sill height you want to show (for example) Detail A, Section Half way up the same window you want to show Detail B, and Head of window show Detail C... Along these lines yes?

 

You are correct in that a visibility parameter does not accomplish this, as it will affect all other views. The easy option is to make the Details inside the window "shared" then when the window is loaded into the project, in each view, you can TAB select the shared details and right click > Hide in view. That is probably the quickest way, as it will only be a couple of objects per view. 

 

 

You may be able to accomplish this by creating different view filters looking for certain parameters in detail item category to Not show certain ones but i have not tested this yet, but it could work if you make the details shared as i mentioned above.

 

To make a nested family shared, Open the PArent family (your window) then select the Children (your detail families) and go into to edit them one by one and in the "Family category & parameters" dialogue (Button with yellow folder on it top left of Create tab) OR same buttons in the properties with nothing selected, you want to tick SHARED. Load this BACK into the window and override then save the window and reload into the project and override.

 

Another benefit of this is that you can schedule nested families as individual components using this method.

 

Hope this helps

Alisder Brown
Senior BIM Coordinator
Scotland, UK

Message 4 of 19
FinearcLtd
in reply to: Alisder.Brown

I was very glad to read your solution but then when I tried it I could not follow it through I got this error message stating that shared detail components cannot be used in 3D model families... Am I doing something wrong?

screen1.jpg

Message 5 of 19
Alisder.Brown
in reply to: FinearcLtd

Ah okay, i tried this with 3D families not with Detail families. 

There is another way i just tried and it works a treat. And only needs done once then just copy copy copy.

 

So, what you want to do is, remove the details from the window family, you wont be nesting them anymore. 

Create your detail views at different heights looking at your window/s (lets say Sill height, Mid height & Head height for example)

INSIDE the project, place "Detail A" in Sill height view, Select the window AND the detail and up on the ribbon click the GROUP. When you group an object with annotation you get a Model group with Detail group attached. So, name the model group as "Window 1" or whatever you want to call it. And name the detail group "Sill detail" (for example). 

Now, go to the Mid level view, drop in the relevant detail "Detail B", select the window (which will be a grouped object) and the new detail you just placed and group them, this attached ANOTHER detail group to the already created model group. So name this detail group "Mid detail" (for example)

Repeat this process on the Head height view with the relevant detail and group and name the last one.

 

Now, if you place the window by copying or by selecting the Model group from the Group drop down in your project browser, you can select it, and you have the option on the right of the ribbon for "Attached detail groups" click this and tick which detail you want visible in each view. 

 

Now all you need to to is place 1 window in each view, set the required detail group and copy the rest.

 

Works a treat

 

Hope this helps

Alisder Brown
Senior BIM Coordinator
Scotland, UK

Message 6 of 19
FinearcLtd
in reply to: Alisder.Brown

Thank you very very much for all your efforts. Your solution is not what I am looking for. I already have many many window families with nested detail items inside them. The nested detail items are connected to the reference planes in the family and therefore respond to all parameter changes in the family. This gives us a great adantage timewise and allows for separation between design team and detailing team. It offers a greated flexibility and tries to capitalize on the original concept of Revit - i.e. Revise Instantly. We must find an solution for out problem as it is rather then create new ways of working that are closer to manual methods than to automation.

I appreciate all the efforts and I am grateful for the assistance. But I am still looking for the right solution to suit our needs. Revit should be able to do such basic tasks if it wants to be  a comprehensive solution. All that needs to be added by the development team is a visibility parameter that knows how to be view related or otherwise allow for detail items to belong to subcategories that can then be filtered out in any view.

 

Thank you!

Message 7 of 19
scott.a.green
in reply to: FinearcLtd

Have you tried using "hide in view" by either elements, categories, or filters? Or tried using "Override Graphics in View" by elements, categories or filters? These should be view specific, like you are looking for. 



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Message 8 of 19
FinearcLtd
in reply to: scott.a.green

Of course, that is the basic. As said the problem is that when you nest a detail item in  a family it ceases to respond to any subcategroy you may have created within the detail family. I tried everything, believe me! I would be glad to hear about a solution that works with my files. None found so far!

Message 9 of 19
ToanDN
in reply to: FinearcLtd

 

Try the attached example see if it is along the line of what you are after.

 

Message 10 of 19
FinearcLtd
in reply to: ToanDN

I am afraid that is not what I am looking for but thanks for the effort. You split the window into two elements and that is not what I need. I need a single window, door, no matter what, in one file that includes 2D detailing that is shown relative to the cut plane level. I consider this a basic need for architects. In 2015 I can use the drafting view to refer to this instead of nesting 2d details in the family. That is a pitty because it sends me back to Autocad mode of working. I am looking for a much more effecient way of working that would save a lot of time. Hopefully, Autodesk will provide a tool for that. It really isn't that complicated. The detail families should be related to categories and than I can control their visibility per view or otherwise have a visibility paramter that is view relative rather than relative to the entire project.

Thank you all for your kind efforts!

Message 11 of 19
ToanDN
in reply to: FinearcLtd

It's a single window with nested components. It will insert as a single window and report in a schedule as a single window. But when you cut it st different heights it shows different details, which is what you were asking for. Using nested components is very common if you look at some manufacturers' families.
Message 12 of 19
FinearcLtd
in reply to: ToanDN

I guess I explained myself badly. I need only nested detail items not nested parts of windows. Aluminium windwos with rollup blinds for instance cannot be built out of several nested families to accomplish several cuts:

a. It is way to complicated and time consuming. which means that I am doing something the software was supposed to do.

b. Most windows and doors and curtain walls cannot be made of parts, they are complete solutions that are better delt with as a whole.

c. Running an office library that has two many nested families in each family type is an impossible and ineficient task.

 

Thanks again. I am still looking for the solution I need, with the hope that Autodesk development team will respond.

Message 13 of 19
maciejwypych
in reply to: FinearcLtd

Just use model lines instead of detail lines in your family with the Visibility Setting set to display in "Plan/RCP" and "When cut in Plan/RCP..."
Place the model lines on workplanes at relevant levels and control their visibility with the position and view depth of a detail section.
Message 14 of 19
Alisder.Brown
in reply to: FinearcLtd

"I consider this a basic need for architects. In 2015 I can use the drafting view to refer to this instead of nesting 2d details in the family. That is a pitty because it sends me back to Autocad mode of working. I am looking for a much more efficient way of working that would save a lot of time. Hopefully, Autodesk will provide a tool for that. It really isn't that complicated. "

 

There is a way to do this. You have modeled your families a certain way, the "normal" way, so they will act normally. The method i explained, using the "detail group" method works perfectly.

I realise it is a bit of extra work, but that is the way of getting the families to act in this non standard way (which you are trying to do) And the same way when you make a family, you can use it as many times as you want, if you spend 5 minutes making this window group with detail groups attached once, you can load it into projects and use it as many times as you want. And it is extremely useful.

 

 

Alisder Brown
Senior BIM Coordinator
Scotland, UK

Message 15 of 19
FinearcLtd
in reply to: Alisder.Brown

Thank you again, but as said this solution is a way around an unadressed issue and it requires a complex and ineficient manangement of family libraries. It means that I cannot rely on the family for detailing. In that case it is better for us to use the drafting views, which, for us, is like using a 2D software again. Not really what we are looking for. We are waiting for the Revit team to come up with a solution which. as said, should be rather simple.

Thanks again for your help!

Message 16 of 19
Alisder.Brown
in reply to: FinearcLtd

Once you create a model group with detail groups, you cans ave it out as a group to the same location of your family library, and load it in to your projects as a group and use it the exact same way as you use a family. For what you want to do, it is the most efficient process, and once created one time, is extremely fast and reliable.

Alisder Brown
Senior BIM Coordinator
Scotland, UK

Message 17 of 19
ToanDN
in reply to: FinearcLtd

You can model the window entirely in one file. The nested components are for the details only. The reason I suggested putting the details on the nested components is that different details show in different cut heights. You just need to control the height of the nested component in your family so that they can be cut through. See the file in link. https://app.box.com/s/5furb66h5aqved3d60kz
Message 18 of 19
lanl
in reply to: FinearcLtd

Hi,

 

Yes, you can use "Generic Model.rft" family template, then use "Symbolic Line" to draw the lines you need, then load it into the project. The symbolic lines will only show up in plan view (parallel to the creation view of the lines) in project.

 

For example, you place this family on level 1, and then you can see the lines in level 1 plan view. If you want to see it on other level views, you can go to that view properties, and set the Underlay as level 1, then these lines will show up in this level plan view. You can set the Underlay to none when you don't need to see it for reference.

 

Thanks.

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If my post answers your question, please click the "Accept as Solution" button. This helps everyone find answers more quickly!

 



Lei Lan
Message 19 of 19
michele_fimble
in reply to: FinearcLtd

I've seen this topic is created a few years ago, but it still might help. 

If you already have your Detail Item, nest it into a Generic Model which is Shared (and Workplane based). Load the Generic Model into your Window Family.

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