show parameter from nested families in schedules

[HVAC-Novice]

I created the attached door family. It has 3 nested door panel families. For each instance I want to be able to select "site light" "flush"etc. for the panel options. this works and i can make each door like to have a site lite etc. My family types are the door sizes (as typical with doors)

What I fail to do is to somehow make that information show up in a schedule. When a door has a site light, it should show up as such in schedule.

I tried everything Google and this forum offered. I created a shared parameter ("type text" in my example), linked type properties parameters, tried it being type and instance parameters, made the nested families shared (and undid).

The best I could achieve to have the values show up in a schedule, but it seems all doors get called "Flush", I assume because this is alphabetically ordered. In the schedule it allows me to change the value of the "type text", which doesn't seem right.

The problem seems to be that the door size is a type parameter. The panel type is an instance.

A workaround could be to just create more family types. The problem is with three panel options this is 3 times the types. Even more if I decide to make more panel types (for example different site lite options). In addition when I change a door type in a view, i have to pay attention to change it with the same size type. One could say there are only so many door sizes and I should just suck it up and make more types, but I also have the desire to fully understand how the nested family parameters can be propagated to the schedule as this can be a powerful tool.

Alternatively it could work if I was able to show the Family Type parameter "Panel Type". But this also doesn't seem possible.

[maciejwypych]

Hi,

Unfortunately the parameters in formulas are behave in one direction only project>host family>nested family (there is an exception - see Zach's Kron Self Aware Families http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eu-1HzMb7U)

But as always in Revit, there is a workaround 🙂

Your Family Type needs to be driven by a formula, so if you drive your "type text" parameter and the family type parameter will be linked with a formula to a  separate parameter you'll be able to achieve what you want.

parameter N (integer)

Door Type 1 (Family type) 
Door Type 2 (Family type) 

Door Type 3 (Family type) 

Door Type selector (Family type) = if(parameter N=1, Door Type 1, if(parameter N=2, ....))

type text = if(parameter N=1, "Door Type 1", if(parameter N=2, ....)

For neatnest and protection against "talented" users, you can have Yes/No parameter driving the parameter N.

[HVAC-Novice]

Thanks, that sounds like a very good idea and I try that out.

I have a bit difficulty to exactly phrase the if-statement so I can select the family type.

So my statement would be:

if(Integer = 1, Full Lite, Narrow Lite)

Now the bold part is what i don't know how the nomenclature works. I use the type, the family ant type (like DOORPANEL_NARROW_LITE : Narrow Lite) and it in quotation marks and without.  but it always tell some that those are not valid parameters. I'm sure I'm overlooking something very obvious. I googled on how to apply family types in formuals, but didn't really find something.

Lastly, this is not the most important, does it have to be an integer, or can I use a text parameter? If it has to be an integer text parameter, I assume I can drive it with a text parameter with an if statement.

[Alaaeldin_Alsahli · Accepted solution]

Here Is a video where I am showing how to create 3 diffrent paramaters

3 Visibility Parameter

Integer Parameter where you will put it in each visibility parameter

Text Parameter with the If condition for the Integer selection

here is the formula if you want to copy past it

if(Door Type = 1, "Flush", if(Door Type = 2, "Narrow", if(Door Type = 3, "Full Lite", "Please verify you door type")))

Here is the video with sounds

https://screencast.autodesk.com/main/details/0a7c0d31-4e81-400b-b5c9-473e1376e07e

Please accept it as solution if it answers your question to help others to find it 

[HVAC-Novice]

Thanks so much for the effort, this works.

To help the user I added the integer number in front of the parameter. for example i called the parameter "1 FLUSH" when the selection integer number is 1 so the user can see before selecting what is what.

[danielasonksen]

Dear Alaaeldin Alsahli,

Thank you for your help.

I have one problem to solve. Is it possible to extract a "TEXT" information in a SCHEDULE out of a Nested Family?

For example: 

I have a Door Family. Inside this family I have other ones (Nested Family), such as Panels, Handles, etc.

In my Schedule I want to take an information off this nested family. Each Panel is one Family Type. I want to say that IF the Family Type is XXXX, then the "TEXT" is YYYYY.

Thank you for you help in advance.

Daniela

[maciejwypych]

Hi
Your nested families will need to be set to 'shared' and then you'll be
able to schedule them as well.

The only issue is that these will be selectable in the project. See Aaron
Maller's tread at Revit forum
http://www.revitforum.org/architecture-family-creation/22652-twiceroadsfools-doors-download-nested-p...

He posted his doors that work exactly like that and solutions how to deal
with tagging etc...


The other option is quite complex and cumbersome and not flexible if you
would like to add more panel/ironmongery types later.

In your door family, you'd need to create a separate type parameter for
each type for each element. (for example Panel_Type1, Panel_Type2,
Panel_Type3) and set the values to correspond with each panel type.

Then create yes/no parameters for each element type.(Let's call them T1,T2)

Then create a master type parameter with an if statement to control it all.

(Make sure that this parameter is applied to the actual family and not one
of the separate types.)

The if statement will need to read the values from the yes/no parameter
if(T1,Panel_Type1,if(T2,Panel_Type2,Panel_Type3))

And finally you can create a text parameter with an if statement to read,
which yes/no parameter is checked if(T1,"Text1",if(T2,"Text2","Text3"))


There are a lot's of issues with the second method :

-Can't add new types without adding new parameters.

-Can't control if more than one yes/no parameters is checked if you have
more than two of them


So, I would strongly recommend the shared family option.


Kind Regards,


Maciej