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Family Creation Visibility Issue

8 REPLIES 8
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Message 1 of 9
bashworth
1137 Views, 8 Replies

Family Creation Visibility Issue

I know I must just be missing this somewhere, but I would like to shut off the geometry inside a family that's associated with a specific parameter.  This is while I'm editing the family.

 

Specifically, the family I'm creating is for an appliance that has the option of an arched, or rectangular opening.  Once I associate the geometry for the arched opening with a parameter, I'd like to shut that off, so that I can create the rectangular opening.  Similar to how the family behaves once it's brought into a project.

 

Right now, I'm just kind of using the temporary hide functionality to shut them off, but if I turn them on, then have to go back to make edits, I have to select the individual geometry all over again to hide it.  I've also noticed that some geometry, even when hidden, can still be selected.

 

Any tips, tricks, or smacks on the back of the head with a 'you dummy, look here!' are greatly appreciated.

8 REPLIES 8
Message 2 of 9
Alfredo_Medina
in reply to: bashworth

These options can be handled with nested families and family type parameters. One nested family "A" is a solid with a rectangular opening. Another nested family "B" is a solid with the arched opening. Then the family type parameter provides a drop down menu with the two options.


Alfredo Medina _________________________________________________________________ ______
Licensed Architect (Florida) | Freelance Instructor | Autodesk Expert Elite (on Revit) | Profile on Linkedin
Message 3 of 9

I think what bashworth is asking is this -

When a visibility parameter is applied to a certain geometry and the parameter is unchecked, the element should turn off from the view. At least that's what happens when you're in the Project environment. But this doesn't seem to work in Family environment. Instead the element just turns half-tone - but still visible on screen.

 

bashworth, there is nothing wrong you're doing. This is how is works with Revit right now, so you'll need to keep using temporarry hide/unhide option until Autodesk does something about it.

- Sagar
Message 4 of 9
bashworth
in reply to: bashworth

Yeah, the useless halftoning is what I'm running across.  It's a family that was originally done by an outside company, but I'm redoing the parameters to match with a different standard we've recently adopted, and to reuse geometry instead of it being duplicated several times.  I've got a system down to just slog through the geometry, test it out in a project, see which pieces I have on the wrong parameter, and then fix it.  Doable, but annoying that a program that's 'the future' has so many gaping holes.  Been a frustrating project.  What (in my mind) should be a 10-15 minute operation, is turning into 3-4 hours per family.  (could have just redrawn the whole thing as a Multi-ViewBlock in ACA in less time.. but I digress)

 

I've considered doing the nested families, but I haven't dabbled enough in family creation to know off hand if I can collapse them later?  These families are ultimately for distribution, not internal use, so I can't have an array of .rfa files per model number.

 

I'll add it to the long list of items I've been waiting on Revit to come out with...  😞

 

Thank you both for the replies.  I'll play with the nested families a bit on the next one.

 

 

Message 5 of 9
Alfredo_Medina
in reply to: bashworth

Yes, in the family editor, when elements are bound to a visibility parameter and that parameter is off, the elements turn half tone, which in my opinion, makes sense and it's not a problem. If you really want to hide them, there's the glasses icon. Otherwise, the family editor would require another icon, such as the light bulb icon to reveal the hidden elements, to reveal objects selectively. I don't see any issue with the current behaviour in regards to visibility in the family editor.


Alfredo Medina _________________________________________________________________ ______
Licensed Architect (Florida) | Freelance Instructor | Autodesk Expert Elite (on Revit) | Profile on Linkedin
Message 6 of 9
bashworth
in reply to: Alfredo_Medina

Then you've never worked on a family with 5-6 different configurations of the geometry in one location.

 

In most mechanical modeling applications (which Revit is a variation of, just for buildings), you have the option to define a  group, and then hide by group.  If I have a model of a car engine, and I'm working on the camshaft, I shouldn't have to hide the valve cover, valves, spark plugs, piston heads, rings, etc.. separately each time I need to get to it.  Greying out those elements doesn't help, because they're still in the way of the area I need to work on.

 

Maybe something similar to the project explorer, but an element by element explorer that's available during design time of the family.  Again, referencing mechanical modeling programs, if I'm designing a single part, I have a list of the different extrusions, bends, holes, etc that I can use to select a specific element, if the geometry doesn't lend itself to being found easily by hovering a mouse over it.

Message 7 of 9
Alfredo_Medina
in reply to: bashworth

As as I said before, when I need objects that are overlapping, and I want to see just one of them, I use nested families and a family type parameter.


Alfredo Medina _________________________________________________________________ ______
Licensed Architect (Florida) | Freelance Instructor | Autodesk Expert Elite (on Revit) | Profile on Linkedin
Message 8 of 9
rosskirby
in reply to: bashworth

As Alfredo mentioned, using nested families is the most stable/acceptable way of doing what you want.  However, you could also assign separate subcategories to each object, and the visibility of those subcategories can be controlled independently within the family editor.  I wouldn't recommend this method, but I've seen it used by a lot of manufacturers (mostly furniture).  I usually end up deleting the subcategories, but to each his own.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Ross Kirby
Principal
Dynamik Design
www.dynamikdesign.com
Message 9 of 9
bashworth
in reply to: rosskirby

Actually, not sure how I missed it before, but I can create groups.  Then I can hide/show/select by group through the project explorer inside the family editor.  I'll have to test if I need to disassociate the groups prior to distribution, but at least it gets me functioning how I want to during design time of these families.

 

Thanks again for the input all, and sorry about the venting.  Working across 4 different programs throughout the day gets frustrating because I'm always running across things like, "why can't this do A as well as program B over here can?" and vice versa.

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