Creating a baluster panel

[Anonymous]

I have tried to create a baluster panel family using extrusions.  I am not sure if the panel was done correctly or if I am trying to place it into the railing incorrectly, but when I do, I get 90 errors.  Just to see what would happen if I deleted all of the erroneous parts, the railing showed absolutely nothing.  I need help, desperately!! I guess I need to know how to load what I created into the panel or if I used the wrong family to create the panel.

Thanks,

Stephen E. Brown

[L.Maas]

The screenshot does not tell us very much, maybe you can upload the family so we can have a look at what you've got.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for getting back with me so quickly.  I attached the .rfa family panel that I created.  Like I said, I am not sure if I used the correct family or if there are too many angles, or some other madness going on. 

Best,

Stephen

[L.Maas · Accepted solution]

When I look at your family  I think something happend to your template. Further the category is set to Air terminal

If you are going to make a baluster panel you should use the right template for that, There is one in the templates folder

You should have one named "Baluster-Panel.rft"

It looks like this

What you also see is that the panel template also has a slope angle. This is because the angle of the panel will vary depending on the stairs you are going to create. This will create a big challenge for your panel. Because the panel should be able to adapt to the different angles.

Your panel is also highly detailed making it a large file. When using this panel inside a project it will give a big hit on performance. Consider making a simplified panel and use detail drawings to show all the details

[RDAOU]

Hi @Anonymous

Added to what @L.Maas 

It is not wrong to use the family Baluster.rfa; but you didn't pick the preferable category (Air Terminals)...And if it is a Panel why not start with

• Baluster Panel.rfa or
• Generic Model.rfa (and set category Railing

Wha have been done in this family, is just traceing of the scanned patern and then extruding it. Howver;

• The Pattern/Panel has not been constrained by the parameters in the family (At least neither the cut nor the slope)
• The extrusions were grouped...fine; but you don't neet to...why?

Lots of other questions ... I think you need to look more into tutorials for Families; Family Parameters and (Just maybe) adaptive components...

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your help. I will go back and make the corrections you noted.  I do have one question though, If I use detail lines on a glass panel, will it give me depth like the extrusion? Also, if I use detail lines, am I able to apply a material to them to make them appear to look like a metal?

Stephen

[Anonymous]

I made an error by not looking closely at what family I used to make the baluster.  When you suggest using Generic Model, how would I place it in the baluster panel?  Lastly, you say "the pattern has not be constrained by the parameters in the family" are you saying that I needed to add a parameter, such as material (metal) when I make corrections to the baluster?

Thanks,

Stephen

[RDAOU · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I made an error by not looking closely at what family I used to make the baluster.  When you suggest using Generic Model, how would I place it in the baluster panel?  Lastly, you say "the pattern has not be constrained by the parameters in the family" are you saying that I needed to add a parameter, such as material (metal) when I make corrections to the baluster?

Thanks,

Stephen

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Material is a parameter but when I said not constrained I meant that the patern you extruded was not constrained to any of the parameters I meant the parameters which are already there by default...ie: One example is the Rotation angl...when you flex this angle the panel should rotate with it to follow the angle/slope of the stair/handrail. What you have in that family is just an extrusion but it is not parametric

Modeling using generic model templates is a whole concept...it can be as simple as modeling the panel extrusion separately in a generic model template; adding all the parameters you need there then nesting that into a baluster panel template OR just modeling the whole rail using generic model family or generic model adaptive family templates...ie: without resorting to the Revit default railing tool where you just load panels and balusters.

Unfortunately I cannot elaborate more than that here...You need to look more into some decent tutorials starting from Revit Help files on families and family parameters.