Creating a system of self-generated elements that connect with each other through a support circle.

[an_vuong.nguyen]

Hi everyone,

I'm very sorry if someone else posted something very similar to this post, however I was not able to find it. I am newbie in revit api and going to create a revit plugin for a system.

I’m trying to develop a system from many self-generated elements (not basic element like duct, pipe, walls, etc). These elements can be connected straight through a selected support circle like the image below. I used NewFamilyInstace method to connect them. Now I want to create a button to get all those elements and their information in an active view. This information can be included in a table. When we click on an element (a row), we can see which element connect to this element through which support circle. I heard about MEP system. But as I know, it is just suitable for basic elements duct, pipe right? I’m not sure about that.

Does anyone have solution for my problem?

Thank you all very much

Cheers

An Vuong

[RPTHOMAS108 · Accepted solution]

Revit families contain ConnectorElements

In the project FamilyInstances that contain connectors have a MEPModel accessed via FamilyInstance MEPModel property. Which has ConnectorManager containing the connectors.

I'm not an MEP expert so don't know if two equipment families can be directly connected without an intermediary (wire/duct/pipe etc), I suspect not.

However by analysing geometry features of a family we can always find points between separate elements near to one another (within a tolerance) and as such infer a relationship. 

[an_vuong.nguyen]

@RPTHOMAS108  Thank you very much for your reply. 

I think that i cannot use MEPModel property, cause two equipment cannot be connected without an intermediary. I'll try to analyze geometry. I hope that it helps

[RPTHOMAS108]

Yes I assume if they were doing directly connected equipment they may have one family containing interchangeable shared sub-components.

You can always devise your own element relationships but then perhaps you can't take advantages of Revit's inherent tools (where connectors are relied upon to form such relationships).

As a non Revit MEP user I would probably also do some further UI investigating of this. If everything needs to be connected via a cable then how can they ever represent devices in Revit connected via near field communication etc.

[MarryTookMyCoffe]

From what I understood, this will be complex but not hard to do.
You can get two case:
1) items are connected to each other
2) items are connected by a pipes
for simplify I will assume that there is no Tee on pipes and you go with only one system type
1) you just get connectors by MEP from family instance and find ref connectors(connector connected to connector), you get owner from ref connector and repeat method again until there is no connectors(just remember to not take again connector that you walk in ).

2) you get ref connector that belongs to pipe(pipe don't have Mep you take connectorManager directly ). In pipe connectors have two connector ref(oposite of pipe and element connector is connected) know it can be connected to a fitting or some other family instance.
with fitting(fitting have mep) you repeat serching fro pipe from connector ref, if it i s not fitting you get your data and repeat method.

I suggest to install revit look up to see what is going on in revit project.

you will only have problem when there is a more then one way to go with connectors, be careful not to do a full circle if system is close.

[an_vuong.nguyen]

@MarryTookMyCoffe sorry for my late reply.  Items are  connected via my own created small element(i call it "hepler point"), not via pipes. I did try to analyze geometry to find out the neighbour elements and it worked well. Thank you all very much for helps. I'm very appreciate. @RPTHOMAS108