Best practice for modeling repetitive steel frame

[atomichavez]

Hello guys, I'm transitioning from cad to revit and the project we are dealing with is a steel structure that has a repetitive frame (see images below) 

I was wondering what is the most effective way to proceed with this model. My first thought were to create a group out of the frame and then just copy it, but as steel elements/connections cannot be grouped Im struggling to find a solution. I discarded the option of creating a family out of the frame because all the funtionalities of the steel tab are lost in family creation. 

I know I could just model everything in the main project file but since we are still in design phase I would like to take advantage of the repetitiveness of the project so the modifications done to a frame are affected all through the project.

Any ideas?

[cbcarch]

Create a custom Truss. Then just copy it as needed.

That design will be a bit tricky, but I think it can be done.

Start with a standard truss that comes with Revit, save-as, and then create your new custom truss.

[atomichavez]

okay, I did them as thrusses but the connections I apply to a thruss dont take effect on the other ones, is there a way to include connections into the frame so they will also update when edited?

[cbcarch]

Try "nesting" the connection families into the Truss family. Then load the truss into the project and copy it as needed.

[loboarch]

Maybe making the steel "frame" a linked project all on it's own and then instance the linked frame "project" as many times as you need it?

[Anonymous]

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@loboarch wrote:

Maybe making the steel "frame" a linked project all on it's own and then instance the linked frame "project" as many times as you need it?

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I've done this before...even as links the structures try to join each other.  Gets to be quite a mess.  That was on 2015 though, so maybe it has improved.

[atomichavez]

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@loboarch wrote:

Maybe making the steel "frame" a linked project all on it's own and then instance the linked frame "project" as many times as you need it?

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It worked like a charm I dont know if there will be any downside of doing this but I will keep you updated

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@cbcarch wrote:

Try "nesting" the connection families into the Truss family. Then load the truss into the project and copy it as needed.

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 I'm not sure what you mean, the thruss family editor only prompts a limited type of families to be inserted, Im I doing what you suggested?