Changing angular dimension value inconsistently works

[stefanome]

In this screencast you can see that changing the value directly from the angular dimension fails: the line rotates correctly according to the new angle, but a line constrained to be parallel at 1' fails to update.

Assigning a label to the angular dimension and changing the global parameter works.

Why do I get this inconsistent behavior?

I am trying to rebuild in Revit families similar to an old 3D parametric library that I created years ago in another CAD similar to Inventor, but I keep getting stuck in situations similar to this one. I think I have setup the correct constraints, but it doesn't work. I try to do it again and it works. Or I change the parameter from another place and it works. Every time I add a constraint I need to spend tons of time figuring out Revit's mood.

I can't figure out if I need to think the Revit way rather than the Inventor way or if Revit is crippled with bugs (a constraint that works if modified from the global parameters dialog and doesn't work if modified while editing the dimension, in Inventor would be considered a bug).

[barthbradley]

I don't know what I'm looking at.  Looks like the Gable end of a Roof.  If so, I'm not surprised by the issue you are having.  

Also, do I understand you correctly? You are you rebuilding Revit Families in the Project Environment? 

[stefanome]

I am playing with constraints just to learn how constraints work in Revit.

In this case I clicked on a wall, then edit profile, then turned on "Reveal Constraints", then created 4 lines and a few constraints.

Creating 4 lines with a few constraints should work the same way no matter what environment you are in. When you get out of editing the profile, then you may have different behaviors depending on what the profile is used for.

I would assume that a line with an angular dimension to the edge of a wall and a parallel distance dimension to another line should behave the same way, whether you change the angle value from the dimension or from the global parameters.

I can create and constrain a complex sketch in Inventor because I know how to set my expectations on the behavior of each constrained geometry.

But I can't understand how the constrained geometries will behave in Revit, because they seem to constantly change their mood.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

You sound like an Inventor guy in a Revit world.   

The only thing I can tell you is to Align and Lock elements to Ref. Planes and pull your dimensions from Ref. Planes as much as possible.  

[stefanome]

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@barthbradley wrote:

You sound like an Inventor guy in a Revit world.   

Is that a serious condition?

Any Revit for Inventor Dummies book out there?

Any advice to make my life easier?

[barthbradley]

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@stefanome wrote:

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@barthbradley wrote:

You sound like an Inventor guy in a Revit world.   

Is that a serious condition?

Any Revit for Inventor Dummies book out there?

Any advice to make my life easier?

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Ha! No, I don't think it's a serious condition. I had the same "condition" when I came over to Revit from AutoCAD.  It cleared up in time.  As for advice; I think you need to hear from an Inventor guy turned Revit guy. I don't use Inventor, so I don't know where you are coming from, other than you think Revit is "buggy" by comparison. 

Good luck.