Answer Day: Why can't we use the 'Offset' parameter when building families/tags?

[JJRevitUser]

I was recently building a family that needed to have mounting heights shown in our schedules & was unable to accomplish this "intelligently". 

• What I wanted to happen was to use the 'Offset Height from Level' parameter that is currently used in the Revit Default 'Tag Ceiling Height' & also the 'Tag Top/Bottom Cable Tray' in a security device family but was unable to because it is not available for that type of family. 
• I then moved to trying to build a tag that was a modified duplicate of the default 'Tag Security Device' with ANY parameter I could squeeze that 'Offset' number out of, again, not currently possible...
• I finally defaulted to others methods of making a "thin extrusion" in the families mounting point that could be hidden by varying means & then using the Spot Elevation tool to tag the height in plan

It may be a bit redundant for our firm to tag height & device in plan & also want it on a schedule but are we all not trying to make the best models for CD to avoid any possible confusion during the build process? It is all for the sake of BIM anyway. 

So. Why can't we, BIM (Titles), use the 'Offset Height from Level' Parameter to integrate into families & more than just two default revit tags?

It would benefit so many intelligent content builders if we were able to utilize this parameter outside of where it currently is. Almost like the 'Default Height' that is included in family creation but then not able to use after the family is placed in a project, it is redundant for me to set that parameter if my colleagues 1: cannot tell that I have already set a default height & 2: Will likely adjust it after the fact with that Offset Height from Level parameter which will then add to what the default height was already set at...

[lanl]

Hi JJRevitUser,

In Revit 2020 version, there is some improvement for the Elevation and Offset parameter, you can try "Elevation from Level" parameter in tag and schedule.

You can check "Level height parameters renamed (2020)" and "Elevation parameter (2020)" part in help link below:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/RVT/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-C81929D7-02CB-4BF7-A637-9B98EC9EB38B

Level height parameters renamed (2020): To improve usability, several parameters for specifying offset and elevation were renamed and relocated on the Properties palette:

• For family instance:
  • Offset is now Offset from Host
  • Elevation is now Elevation from Level

The link below discuss the Elevation from level in detail:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/RVT/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-AB9E985D-3D4B-44AA-82BA-1303D0693A77

If this still not meet your requirement, you can submit detail wishlist in Revit Ideas.

Thanks.
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[Daniel_ADSK]

Dear JJRevitUser, 

Thank you for contacting Autodesk support. I understand that the problem is how to place a family on a certain height. 

It is not easy to create a parameter inside a families to control the height of a family, unless you want to create a global parameter which will increase the model file size. 

As a workaround, I suggest you to use a reference plane and Aligned dimensions which you can easily pin or lock them. You can use one reference plane as the default height and once the dimensions are locked, the element/family are unlikely to move around. 

Please accept this as a solution if you think this is a feasible workaround for you. 

Regards, 

Daniel 

[bin]

like this?

[ToanDN]

There must be some workaround. Care to share you family?

[JJRevitUser]

Both links were helpful knowledge but I don't quite believe they got to the core of what I was trying to get at. 

I should have mentioned that my firm has me making all content in Revit 2017 and we upgrade from there.

I think the bare bones of what I was trying to achieve is using a Tag that has the capability to pull a families 'Offset from host/level' dimension information.

The best example of what I found in R17 is that a Ceiling Tag has the parameters capable to tag a ceilings height (height from level). Yet, because I do BIM for a mep firm I was hoping to use that same parameter in a Tag for other mep type devices such as security devices, electrical receptacles (devices?), ect. 

- Regardless of the type of family being tagged I was just curious if that parameter (height/offset from host/level) was available in newer versions of revit for use in Tags other than tag ceiling, T.O. Cable tray, and B.O. Cable tray.

If I am just uninformed please let me know, if not it would be interesting and useful for MEP side objects to have the ability to tag heights of all their devices because then it could let them clearly define heights of equipment/devices/receptacles on a schedule.

Best,

JJRevitUser

[JJRevitUser]

Essentially yes, some things might be different from your version of revit to mine (R17) though.

-What label parameter is that tag using to pull height from?

-Is it static, or if the elevation/offset is changed the tag will pull the updated height?

-I am assuming, apologies, that the tag being used is a default 'security device tag' that has had its label parameter modified to pull the height? 

[bin]

I had a look in Revit 2017 and you are right, there is no Offset from level for Security Equipment Tag.

Maybe you can create a shared height parameter for your family and tag, just need to make sure you leave the Offset from level as 0.

[bin · Accepted solution]

Can not attach Revit file, here is the screenshot