Curved window family in curved wall

[Ro-Ra]

I'm trying to make a family with a curved window pane (no frames just yet - that will come later) that matches the curvature of the wall it is in via an instance parameter. I'd like to do two things:

1. The user manually matches the host wall radius with an instance parameter (unless it's possible to have a reporting parameter?)

2. The user sets the width of the window (not represented as a glass pane) which is a chord across the arc of the window. Because the window itself is supposed to sit at an inset from the outer wall edge the hole is larger at the outer radius and smaller at the inner radius of the wall relative to the stated width of the window.

I try to use reference arcs to constrain the void and pane. Later, I intend to use sweeps for the window frame.

I can't seem to get to work several things:

1. The void isn't properly aligned to the inner/outer edges of the wall so it doesn't fully penetrate the curved wall.

2. The pane isn't the proper width if measured as a chord (straight line) from one end to the other.

3. The inset doesn't match the distance from the outer edge of the wall. This issue is likely a consequence of 1. The inset is correct relative to the edge of the void.

See attached project (R2021) with 2 instances of the window family in 2 curved walls.

[stefan_gokstorp]

should be able to use formulas for the arc lenght.
press the wall should look something like the picture .

50,09 is you arc angle (A)
4600 is your circle radious (R)

arc lenght= A*R

your Chord lenght is in the picture 3895
formula to use for this is

2 * pi * R

this should be your void Width

use R and A as instance value you write in the particular window since you need to take this value from the wall objects. the rest should just be math.

good site for understanding the math Arc Length Calculator (omnicalculator.com)

[ToanDN]

Use a curtain wall with a basic wall type for the panel. Set the curtain wall type to auto embed to cut the wall then you have a curved window in a curved wall.

[barthbradley]

Why don't you just make the curved window as a Wall Type?  I mean, you can make the "Window" Wall Type the  thickness and material of the glass and embed this "Window" Wall Type into another Wall Type.  Seems the easiest solution.  

[barthbradley]

But if you are hell-bent on making a parametric curved window family, here is the way you do it:  

[Ro-Ra]

I've seen the curtain wall solution before, so I've got several questions:

1. Even if the curtain panel is a wall rather than a panel family, the mullion will still be drawn straight as a chord rather than follow the curvature. But I see in one of @ToanDN 's images that it clearly follows the curvature of the panel/wall. Is it done with an in-place sweep? Isn't this a hassle if you've got multiple similar curved windows, perhaps at different sizes that you'd have to do the sweep manually each time?

2. What if I want to have curved window panes inside that can be swapped nested inside the family? Or maybe I want windows to look a certain way in plan. The company where I work uses annotation lines and masking regions for everything inside the window hole while completely hiding the 3d geometry in the plan view.

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

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@Ro-Ra wrote:

I've seen the curtain wall solution before, so I've got several questions:

1. Even if the curtain panel is a wall rather than a panel family, the mullion will still be drawn straight as a chord rather than follow the curvature. But I see in one of @ToanDN 's images that it clearly follows the curvature of the panel/wall. Is it done with an in-place sweep? Isn't this a hassle if you've got multiple similar curved windows, perhaps at different sizes that you'd have to do the sweep manually each time?

2. What if I want to have curved window panes inside that can be swapped nested inside the family? Or maybe I want windows to look a certain way in plan. The company where I work uses annotation lines and masking regions for everything inside the window hole while completely hiding the 3d geometry in the plan view.

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Use wall sweep to place curved mullions on curved wall panels.