Adding/Creating Revit Column Height parameters

[brianwclayton1969]

Good afternoon Revit users,

Right now I'm having a major brain freeze.....or maybe it cannot be accomplished.....

I'm trying to add or create a Revit Column with Height parameters that change as I change the column height.

I have a column I designed and I have extrusion panels on the outside as well and the column right now is 9'-0" high (just for my test), and the pattern is one side for now. 

I want to change the height or add parameters to change the height and then everything the middle stay proportional. But every time I add a "Reference Plane" and dimension the plane, then add an Instance Properties and then change the height, some things move and some things don't keep the proportion. What I'm I missing or did I ad too much to the column making it more complicated?

I have attached the Column family.

Thanks, any and all help is appreciated.

[syman2000]

Here you go. You have to make sure your object is lock to the reference plane

[brianwclayton1969]

Thanks, I tried that but everything still moved incorrectly. Did I lock the wrong parameters?

See attached family.

Thanks

[syman2000]

Did you look at my family solution? I see you have a duplicate reference plane that isn't necessary. I would delete these and then attach the dimension to the other reference plane

Also make sure your object is reference to correct plane and lock it.

[brianwclayton1969]

Great! Yes I looked at you solution, I see were I added too many reference [planes I over thought this.

Now the only thing I have an issue with is I cannot make the top cap "lock" to the top reference plane and move down or up when I change the elevation height. You can see I have the reference locked. It has to be something simple.

See attached.

Thanks

[syman2000]

You are getting close. So I lock the object to reference plane and it should flex it without issue. See attached. Reason I setup my family with a lot of reference plane is because it allows for flexibility.

[brianwclayton1969]

This is the same issue I'm having, when I either add the reference plane, whether it's locked or not, (which I haven't figured out how you locked the reference plane at the top). But when you change the height from 9'-0" to 8'-0" the top cap disappears. I need everything to slide down or up equally proportionally.

See pics attached.

Thanks

[syman2000 · Accepted solution]

I would load the family into the project and flex it there instead of testing inside the family. Since this family has two level constraints, this will cause so breakage in one of the parameters. When loading the family into project. I am able to change the height 8', 9' or 10' without any issue.

[brianwclayton1969]

Great!! It works as you stated inserting into a project instead of testing it.

My question to you is.....when I laid out the design or created the family.....I couldn't get the top reference to lock, the top level was there but I couldn't lock the reference line...

What was my issue? so when I create another I know why it wasn't working.

Thanks

[syman2000 · Accepted solution]

Perhaps it is just few steps missing that I haven't illustrate properly. However I've create short clips to highlight your questions.

Media 1 - Showcase how you lock your object to reference plane

Media 2 - Showcase how you can make your family flex by embedded into new family column. Here I test to flex the family.

[brianwclayton1969]

Thanks so much for your assistance! Have a great day!!