Friday Feature #4 Create a Revit family Contest

[Viveka_CD]

Hello Awesome Community! 

Welcome to Friday Feature Series # 4

As part of this series, and an idea  initiated by our very own @Ilic.Andrej:We want to ask you to create and submit loadable Revit families

You can use Family Editor Tools or Create a Family from a Template or even apply Advanced Loadable Family Techniques

Feel free to add images or screencast to show the steps.

We would love to hear from you! 

*The best entry (based on top voted - max kudos) will be selected and announced as the winner of a surprise gift!

Happy creating - looking forward to your entries!

Meanwhile, read how Louvre Abu Dhabi Wants You to See Humanity in a New Light

Louvre Abu Dhabi is designed by architect Jean Nouvel and engineering services by  BuroHappold Engineering

Regards,

[Sahay_R]

Sweet and simple - I used family type parameters to create interchangeable components (or no components) for a workbench add-on - better than three separate families or yes/no parameters! 

Also -  a parametric array partition wall with controllable panel heights and widths. All of this was for the interior designers.

[Ilic.Andrej · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Here’s a furniture family which may be useful for architects.

When sketching new buildings, architects roughly position furniture so that they can design spaces to meet requirements. At this stage, they usually don’t think about furniture details and its production. In my experience and probably yours too, furniture detailing is a later stage subject.

Different spaces demand different furniture and we can’t predict them all. This is why parametric families are the best ones. With only few clicks, we create what we want; we don’t have to create new family or search to download.

In this spirit, I created a furniture family called “Seat Instance”. The idea was to give ability to create various sitting areas by using this unit.

There are many possible arrangements…

So, there are two options to use this family.

First: you can simply load “Armchair” into project and make an arrangement there. The “Armchair’s” dimensions are type parameters, while its instance parameters control the visibility of some of its elements.

Second: I nested a family called “Seat Instance” into a family called “Arrange seats”. Open “Arrange seats” and make your arrangement. Even though this is not a .rft file, it should be used just as you would use a family template file. The only difference is that you would click “open” instead of “new”. I didn’t create a family template file ‘cause it prevents you from deleting any elements that were part of it.

The thought crossed my mind to set nested family to be shared. But, this may complicate alignment. So, I made a relationship in which parent drives the child. All the child’s parameters are instance parameters and some of those are constrained with parent’s type parameters.

If you find these families useful, feel free to use them 🙂 . They are attached.

[chrisplyler]

I made a nice service ladder once. It's two-level based, so you just place it on one level and tell it the roof level (plus offset if needed) and it adapts to the right height. Rung width and rung spacing is adjustable.

[chrisplyler]

Also did a nice parametric downspout. Two-level based. Top level and offset let you place it under gutter. Kick back distance and height offset let you return it to the wall under the eave correctly. Kick out height offset, angle and distance let you set up the discharge where and how you want.

[SteveKStafford]

The attached is a family that demonstrates one way we can manage the selection of nested families, imagine panels or frames for doors or cabinet door combinations. It's a bit convoluted because of subtle Revit issues but it does provide a simple drop-down list for a user to select from available families.

This technique uses a nested Detail Item family that has three types: Default, Vertical and Alternate. These refer to three preset choices for the orientation of a family.

• I nested the family into my main (host) family and associated it with a Family Type parameter called Choose Orientation (at the top of the dialog).
• I created three parameters which are also using the data type Family Type (next 3 down).
• Each of these is preset to one of the three orientation types in the nested family.
• I created three Yes/No parameters that will be used to control the visibility or orientation of forms in the host family (group of Toggle parameters).
• Each Yes/No parameter is mapped via a formula that, (in a counter-intuitive "IF" statement format) stated in plain English, equates to "If Choose Orientation = Set Condition A,B or C then my parameter value is True".
• I can use each one of the Toggle parameters to control other elements all based on the user selection for Choose Orientation.

The middleman Set Condition "x" parameters are necessary because Revit doesn't permit a Yes/No formula to evaluate the Choose Orientation parameter value directly in the formula column. When the user encounters this family they just use the Choose Orientation parameter to decide which orientation is appropriate. Everything else adjusts based on this choice.

[Viveka_CD]

Hi @Sahay_R

Sweet and simple indeed! That's a cool adjustable workbench.

I found this workbench which has a provision for Computer slide or few accessories that can be mounted to the formed front beam.

A parametric array partition wall is an interesting concept. Can you tell us more about the kind of interior space that requires this function?

Regards,

[Sahay_R]

Hi @Viveka_CD - thank you for the massive kudos! 

The parametric partition wall was requested by Interiors. Not too sure what kind of space it was required for! There were some manufacturer panel families that needed to be incorporated in an easy to use partition - I showcased the glass panel partition wall, I had also put together a solid partition wall. Basically I copied and pasted geometry into a generic model family, constrained and then associated parameters and nested into a line based generic model family (my favorite combination). Created a formula driven parametric array. Height and width parameters are all instance based, and it requires two clicks to place a straight run, which makes it very very easy for Interiors to drop into their model. I am still working on the formula to adjust the width of the last piece in the wall.

Another refinement - a manufacturer glass door family needed to be dropped into the partition wall  - I converted the manufacturer geometry into a generic model and nested it into another family with a void object. Now that puppy can cut through the partition like a hot knife through butter! (I'm still waiting for calls for help about adjusting trim around that door.....)

You know - the workbench that you shared with me looks VERY similar to the photo that the Interior designers had shared to use as a basis for developing the family! Wouldn't be surprised if it was from the same manufacturer!

[Viveka_CD]

That's so cool @Sahay_R 

Thanks for sharing the Revit Rina combination  (  geometry+ generic model family, constrained + associated parameters + final nesting) 

Well, good luck with the project and especially with the door trim! Let us know how it goes.

That workbench was from globalindustrial.

Regards,

[Viveka_CD]

Hello @Ilic.Andrej

Good to see you participating!

Thanks for sharing the furniture families. I agree that different spaces demand different furniture and parametric families have an advantage. Here is some inspiration from Demco. I like the KI booths that create both visual and private spaces in open environments and the Palmieri Molecule Seating

I love it how you've created 5 different seat instances-  Instance 5 (height lowered) can be used as a leg rest also in combination with Instance 1

Maybe height can be added as an addition in the instances to increase/ decrease height of the arms/ backrest etc. 

I like your furniture arrangements as well. also sharing an interesting article from Knoll on open plan environments. Your example of the booth planning is a team planning layout for larger groups that encourages collaboration.

Coming to your screencast, thanks for taking the time for this! Nesting the  “Seat Instance” into “Arrange seats” and keeping the child's parameters as instances themselves and also constraining a few is a splendid idea. Your thought process is very inspiring!

Finally thanks for sharing the families with the community - all are welcome to try and post your creations.

Regards,

[Viveka_CD]

Another cool service ladder family by @chrisplyler 

The fact that you've incorporated a safety restraint or a cage-like structure for the ladder is awesome, proves that you consider safety as a design priority.

It's also cool that it adapts to the height with adjustable rung dimensions. I'm sure this will save a lot of time, especially if you need to reuse it or use in other locations within the same model.

The ones which workers use for accessing rooftops or high lofts without safety features are so scary and we hear of these accidents every now and then See 'working from height' at this link HERE and few rules HERE

Looks like @chrisplyler style is two-level based in line with the Rina combination @Sahay_R

Coming to your downspout - that's pretty neat with all the parameters working in sync. Did you use a sweep to model this one?

Thanks for sharing two examples!

[Viveka_CD]

Hi @SteveKStafford

Thanks for sharing this technique and family and taking time to list out the steps in detail

It's great that this allows the user to use the "Choose Orientation" parameter and decide which one is appropriate for his design.

Regards,

[Ilic.Andrej]

@SteveKStafford  I remember trying to find out how to create a parameter which provides a drop-down menu. Wherever I asked, people said "those are built-in parameters, don't bother, you can't do it." Even though this required nesting, you showed how it can be done. I was really looking for this, thank you very much!

[SteveKStafford]

Glad it helps!

[ToanDN]

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@Ilic.Andrej wrote:

@SteveKStafford  I remember trying to find out how to create a parameter which provides a drop-down menu. Wherever I asked, people said "those are built-in parameters, don't bother, you can't do it." Even though this required nesting, you showed how it can be done. I was really looking for this, thank you very much!

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You must have been asking at the wrong places or the wrong people.  Family Type parameters are well documented by Autodesk Knowledge network itself.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2014/EN...

[SteveKStafford]

My example isn't about nested families. It uses a nested family to provide a preset list of choices...that isn't documented.

[ToanDN]

I understand you are talking about using a Family Type parameter to control various options, which is exactly the Autodesk's document shows.  

p/s: admittedly, you have made the function to a greater extent with additional formulas and it is useful and appreciated.

[SteveKStafford]

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@ToanDN wrote:

I understand you are talking about using a Family Type parameter to control various options, which is exactly the Autodesk's document shows. 

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Yes, but that's ancillary...a means to an end. The nested family control that help explains is relevant but not at all obvious to allow someone to control other kinds of choices in their family, the effect of providing a preset drop-down list. The nested family (which happens to have nothing in it but types) is taking advantage of the way they make that possible to do something else that isn't.

[chrisplyler]

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@Viveka_CD wrote:

Coming to your downspout - that's pretty neat with all the parameters working in sync. Did you use a sweep to model this one?

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Yes. Just got the skeleton working first, then put a model line path in place and put a sweep on it.

[ToanDN]

My point is that a drop-down list of options is already available via Family Type parameter, in answer to @Ilic.Andrej comment that he had deemed it was impossible.  The Help document also addresses up to that point, which is the most important, if not the only advantage of using this specific parameter.

From there on, it is up to the creativity of the users to get it to work on different purposes, evidently your example.  No Help documents are going to cover how creative an user can be.