Parameters that Autodesk should revise in Revit MEP

[ltadachi]

I sent this to Autodesk through the Customer Feedback Page. I don't know why the community doesn't discuss this fundamental problem daily. 

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Here are a couple parameters that are in need of being revised in the Revit MEP Electrical Discipline.

These enumerations do not model the trait properly for their objects as is found in real life.

RBS_ELEC_MAINS
Should be a Type Parameter by default.

RBS_ELEC_PANEL_MCB_RATING_PARAM
should be an instance parameter by default .

For an electrical designer/engineer this is an absolutely Crucial kind of relationship between these traits of electrical panels and the implication for their work and input. Especially with respect to Panel Schedule editing and template customization.

Also,

RBS_ELEC_SWITCH_ID_PARAM

Should be user editable at the Light Fixture family instance and report in comma separated lists at the Lighting Device family instance.

This is incredibly important for the Electrical consulting specifying industry, and these relationships are quite merely in need of being flipped.

The current relationships are unnatural to every MEP electrical designer, and engineer.

[CoreyDaun]

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jomazq wrote:

"I sent this to Autodesk through the Customer Feedback Page. I don't know why the community doesn't discuss this fundamental problem daily."

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Though I fully agree that these problems really need to be addressed, discussing them repeatedly on this board is unlikely to bring any more attention to these issues - what you've done (submitting through feedback) is the appropriate course of action. Most of them have been brought up at least a couple of times. Also, in my opinion we are better off reporting issues such as this and leaving space for discussions about the issues we can find solutions or work-arounds to. (I'm not against these issues being brought up again once in a while, though.)

Secondly, I think the size of this community is relatively small, so there won't be a ton of support in the form of contribution or other users chiming in. There was in fact a Revit MEP Wishes board that has fallen to disuse and have been consequently archived (something I didn't like).

My hope is that an Idea Station will eventually be developed for Revit, but that requires the direct participation of the programming team since an Idea Station is a direct means of communication with them. THAT would be ideal because in a forum format, ideas become buried and inevitably forgotten beneath a pile of disorganized threads and posts. Currently, my personal list of Revit Issues (platform & electrical) is approximately 260 items.

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jomazq wrote:

"Here are a couple parameters that are in need of being revised in the Revit MEP Electrical Discipline. 

These enumerations do not model the trait properly for their objects as is found in real life.

RBS_ELEC_MAINS
Should be a Type Parameter by default.

RBS_ELEC_PANEL_MCB_RATING_PARAM
should be an instance parameter by default .

For an electrical designer/engineer this is an absolutely Crucial kind of relationship between these traits of electrical panels and the implication for their work and input. Especially with respect to Panel Schedule editing and template customization."

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I agree.

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jomazq wrote:

"also,

RBS_ELEC_SWITCH_ID_PARAM

Should be user editable at the Light Fixture family instance and report in comma separated lists at the Lighting Device family instance..."

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I can see this going either way. This would make it more difficult to change a room's switch leg since you'd have to then change every single light fixture's Switch ID value.

There many matters that relate to this, such as not being able to include more than one Switch in a Switch System, this making it impossible to represent a three-way switch using Revit's design tools.

[ltadachi]

CADastrophe:

I'm very appreciative of your reply. I am sympathetic to the private/public criticism dynamic.

This is countered by my mere desperation.

Bear in mind, Modern Object Oriented Programming Languages have been developed exactly with the idea that we should be able to program in terms of real life problems, objects, and solutions.

Revit and it's basic functionality has seemingly limitless potential, which makes programming errors like these all the more glaring.

As you said, the community is small.
Therefore: Can we agree that one of the most sincere problems with, REVIT MEP both generally, and ultimately, is that the squeakiest wheels tend to get the most grease?
If we are not squeaky , then how can we get grease ?

[CoreyDaun]

I do agree that Revit does have a ton of potential, but it's quite hampered by such simple flaws; flaws many of which have been brought up literally years ago. Part of this issue is that Revit was originally an Architectural program (prior to Autodesk obtaining it) that has been basically developed and created by them and software engineers, and not mechanical/electrical engineers, hence the wide array of "simple" flaws.

If you're looking to make some squeaking, perhaps seek out other Wish Lists such as the one at AUGI.com. But ultimately, all the squeaking in the world doesn't matter if those with the grease are deaf. For what I feel, the Architect is the one that drives the use of Revit for a project, and that is the target customer, and the MEP seems like an afterthought.

I do have to say that Revit is improving, albeit at a painfully slow rate and seemingly in the fields that the programmers deem appropriate, but it is improving. There are loads of work-arounds, too. There are plenty of firm who are finishing projects with this software, so it can be done! In fact, I've bypassed both of the previously mentioned issues here by using my own Shared Parameters instead of Revit's Parameters. If you have any specific issues you need to overcome, just post here - we're here to help whenever and wherever possible!