stadium seating

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

I am working on a company that designs lots of sports pavillions. It follows that for each project we need to calculate the spectators seating.

I feel that if I create a Revit family with the proper parameters I could make it so much easier, and quicker.

I found this really nice post from BIM Trouble Maker, but am unable to find out how he manage to do it.

http://bimtroublemaker.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/december-2008-i-walked-out-of-au-with.html

Can you provide me some guidance to learn how to do it?

Many thanks.

J

[L.Maas]

Another website with auditorium seating containing some explanation on his approach which might help you.

Auditorium Seating

[Anonymous]

Interesting post.

Many thanks.

It solves the seating placement and counting nicely with railings.

I think this will be perfect if used toghether with a way to model the stadium seating platform, calculating the C Value, tread depths, risers, etc.

how can I create a family able to calculate those?

[L.Maas]

I probably would make something like in attached screenshot.

It is basically a segment (single seating level). This level is variable in length, depth and height. This level is then loaded in a new family (stadium segment) and arrayed in height and depth and level quantity. You know length of the segment and amount of levels, with adding some addtional parameters and formulas it should be possible to calculate/schedule amount of seats.

In a similar/modified way it should be possible to make angular segments to allow round stadiums or rounded corners.

Here you would need some modified formulas as you will have less seats per segment.

Now you can make stadiums of different sizes and shapes.

Hope this helps.

[MKFreiert]

it's very doable, especially for linear seating runs.  it gets a LOT more complex for curved seating. 

from a general use standpoint though, you may find a spreadsheet and a simple parametric family easier to use.

in the spreadsheet you plug in a run length, arm rests, and preferred seat width, and it'll give you the seats, and any remainder.  a second row then has an over ride for the number of -1" or +1" seats you may choose to add to make up the difference.    a simple seating family that's parametric, with a seat width change, and on/off for the left and right arm rests, and you're golden.  (the spread sheet tells you at a glance that you want to add (5) +1" seats to the ends of that run.)

I've done a very complex revit family that worked on both curved and straight seating runs, but it's not trivial to get set up.  (That firm did a LOT of auditorium seating, and a much more full featured version of the spreadsheet described was used for generating seat counts in schematic design)  And it's a bit more complex to manage/use with the right cleanups.  I'm a big fan of fully featured revit content, but there's a LOT to be said for something the average user can't bork.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have created the Level and Stadium Families but how do I connect them so that I do not get the result attached?

I manage to create the row array properly (Capture1)

But if I want to test out more Riser and Depth values the rows do not stay connected (Capture2).

[L.Maas · Accepted solution]

It is a matter of aligning some objects to the reference lines.

Attached I created the family. I hope you can open this family as it is in Revit 2014 and I do not have earlier versions.

Each step is a nested family which I vary in length height and depth.

In the parent family I create the array. The second step in the array I move up and to the back.

This second object I align and lock to two reference planes.

Then I control the height and depth of these reference lines (and vary them with same values as height and depth of the step).

[Anonymous]

This is good stuff!

All stairs are connected now and that is great!

I am almost done! I only need to manage to have the sightlines drawn and to get the C Values from them. 

I have attached a CAD section to show what I am trying to accomplish in Revit. Namely, a parametric family where I can just type listed values on the left and get the TA DA moment from the family.

Next question is....how can I connect each sightline to both focus point - common to all seating - and each row so that when I choose the number of rows the sightlines will show/hide accordingly.

cheers,

J

[Anonymous]

Ok. I have another thing I am unable to sort out.

I am trying to add the stadium tiers stairs so that they match the number of desired rows, and that they adjust automatically to the tiers height. I am not worried now with the correct number of stair steps.

In order for me to have the following formula (not a revit formula)

(# stair groups) = (# rows - 1)

so that I do not have a stair group on the last row, I created a separate step family that I am nesting on the Level family. But.....I am unable to constrain the steps height to be 1/3 of the Level height...

This is driving me nuts!

Please see attached file.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

[L.Maas]

At the moment I have difficulties with the forum and can not format/edit my posts or add attachments. Considerations 1) start the with the step and then the row (now row+step). 2) Use nested families (one row and one step) then you can use two arrays (one shorter).

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I tried to do that. I already have a Step family and a Row family. My difficulties are with the nesting and tying both togheter.

I am using shared parameters trying to connect the steps riser to be 1/3 of the row riser but the overconstraint error pops up.