Curtain walls as window family

[jasper_t564]

in the last few weeks I have been trying to research the use of curtain walls as window families. The bureau that I work for uses curtain wall for the windows in projects instead of normal window families. In my research I'm trying to find out if the current method is most efficient. Right now I'm struggling a bit to find out the pro's and con's of both methods. 

I've been searching the forums about other people using this method, but I can't find any real simularities to my situation. However, using curtain walls for the windows is a very fast method to create different variations. Below I've listed the pro's and con's where I could think of.

Using curtain wall

Pro's: 

• Efficient in creating complex windows
• No need for extensive families

Con's:

• Duplicating makes new type, therefore use of groups necessary to create identicals
• Not applicable in Legends

Using window family

Pro's:

• Is applicable in Legends
• Changes directly to all similar families, no need for groups

Con's:

• Needs an extensive library for different type of window
• More difficult to modify, needs clear parameter/ instructions/ better knowledge

To get to my point, I was wondering what opinion others have about this use of curtain walls. Is this application of curtain walls more commonly used in other firms? Are there any pro's/con's that I'm missing? 

[elfaouri1999]

Curtain wall is a system family so you can't use it as a window because window is a loadable family, you can create a family that has the same visual shape of curtain wall but you can't make it with the same parameters.

[ToanDN]

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@jasper_t564 wrote:

in the last few weeks I have been trying to research the use of curtain walls as window families. The bureau that I work for uses curtain wall for the windows in projects instead of normal window families. In my research I'm trying to find out if the current method is most efficient. Right now I'm struggling a bit to find out the pro's and con's of both methods. 

I've been searching the forums about other people using this method, but I can't find any real simularities to my situation. However, using curtain walls for the windows is a very fast method to create different variations. Below I've listed the pro's and con's where I could think of.

Using curtain wall

Pro's: 

• Efficient in creating complex windows
• No need for extensive families
• CW plane can be moved freely within the thickness of the wall
• Edit profile, attach top/base
• Can tilt
• Can be hosted and can be independent

Con's:

• Duplicating makes new type, therefore use of groups necessary to create identicals
• Not applicable in Legends
• No wall wrap at jambs

Using window family

Pro's:

• Is applicable in Legends
• Changes directly to all similar families, no need for groups
• Automatic wall wrap at jambs

Con's:

• Needs an extensive library for different type of window
• More difficult to modify, needs clear parameter/ instructions/ better knowledge

To get to my point, I was wondering what opinion others have about this use of curtain walls. Is this application of curtain walls more commonly used in other firms? Are there any pro's/con's that I'm missing? 

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I use CW quite extensively, more so than punch windows.

[Corsten.Au]

CW as windows.

Major advantages are

1. Quick

2. replacing type with other / new is super easy, cause it will replace exact location and size.

in Default Windows family its hard to replace a type and expect an accurate update

( dimensions, tags , location, etc )

3. Generate custom CW tag to show the height, width etc.

4. Learn Assembly .. to document, as you said, CW can't be used in legend.

5. Grouping CW would be a disaster, defeats the purpose of use in first place. Keep grouping as less as possible.

as I said, learn assembly instead of Group... but there might be some learning curve here to get things right.

but super easy to generate details, drawings etc.

6. Use combination of default windows and CW, in case of extensive same size windows.. typical design, as per manufacturer etc. and with flexible sizes, CWs are effective.

7. It all boils down to whether spend more time on modelling or more time in scheduling. cause you will end up working extra in one of those fields.

8. In CW based windows, you don't have to worry about correct reference points, centre RP, defining origin etc. so in long run it pays off. 

9. in the Dimension string you can pick the Height of the window ( openings ), but that doesn't work in case of CW. its a minor drawback.

Hope all these point would help a bit.

Cheers

[jasper_t564]

Thanks you all for the responses! This sure helped me get a better insight in the application of CW and window families. 

[Martijn.Pater]

This would depend on what phase the project is tbh, for design purposes CW are more useful due to adaptability.

[cle_dir2003]

For all my private jobs i use curtain wall makes my life easier and saves time. Don't care about wraps and all that for private small jobs curtain wall works perfect. Its all about time and being efficient. 

[mhiserZFHXS]

My god the spam posts are getting sneakier and sneakier.

[Simon_Weel]

There's this Report thing:

Click it. Type 'spam' and click Notify moderator.

[mhiserZFHXS]

I normally do. There are just so many of them. Usually multiple a day.

The forum should really prevent hyper links from being posted from first time commenters. That'd be the cleanest and easiest way to begin to clean this up.