Dimensioning quirk: Show opening height

[Kimtaurus]

This is one for the Autodesk employees on this forum (didn't really know how else to addres this issue).

I've encountered a bit of a quirk in Revit's dimensioning.

In the parameters of a dimension type you can select "Show Opening Height".

Problem is, this doesn't just read the height parameter of doors and windows, but of any family that has a built-in height parameter.

E.g. structural columns (in this case 41.5 x 43) or beams 43x70).

So If your dimensioning a side of a room where there's a wall with several doors and columns, you'll get some confusing dimensions.

Even casework (e.g. Base cabinet 45x60x86):

Either Autodesk needs to rename the dimension parameter to "Show Height", or reprogram it to only read heights in doors and windows.

[loboarch]

Thanks for mentioning this. This issue is something that has already been logged for additional investigation. In our database it is;

Issue: Revit - 90418

So it is on the development team's radar screen, but I can't tell you exactly when it will be addressed specifically. I added the information in this thread to the issue so they can include it in the investigation.

[chrisplyler]

I'll humbly suggest that for now, as a sort of work-around, you make a dimension Type with that parameter turned on to use where appropriate, and a dimension Type with that parameter turned off to use everywhere else.

[loboarch]

Thanks for adding the workaround for this particular issue. I just forgot to add that to my post.

[Kimtaurus]

Thanks for the suggestion. I already have those 2 types of dimensions.

I just wanted to opint out the irregularity of this parameter.

It had actually never occured to my before. But I recently set all my column families to have a correct section shape, thus getting the built-in height parameter (before I just a custom parameter for the dimensions). And as a was dimensioning a room, I got those odd height dimensions.

[dodouC6R66]

Hello, I am using REVIT 2019.2 and I have a very strange Problem. 

It is not apper the Opening Height in Section or Eleventions but it is normal appear in Grundfloor.

The Dimensioning is the same Type also in Grundfloor and in Elevetions-Sections. 

In other Project look everything Ok and the Dimensioning working perfekt. 

Have someone any Ideas?  

[Kimtaurus]

The reason you're not seeing an extra value for the height is because in a section or elevation, you're probably already dimensioning the height.

In general, when annotating a section/elevation you place vertical dimension string (height of en element), not horizontal (width of an element).

[hwo_osa]

@loboarch It's now been almost a decade and at least in Revit 2024, this issue still exists.

It's definitely a bug; someone basically forgot to tell Revit that it should only grab values for Opening Height from Doors and Windows, not from every family that has a parameter called "Height". The fact that for columns, "Height" is a built-in parameter that can't be deleted or renamed makes this even more infuriating.