How to make wall-based custom brick pattern family match host wall perimeter?

[edoardo_balducci]

Hi again!

I'm working on creating a wall-based family with a irregular pattern (see image below). The family is based on 'Generic Model wall based.rfa' template.

My goal is to:

1. Have the family automatically adjust its perimeter to match the host wall's perimeter OR
2. Be able to clip/trim the family's perimeter to match the wall perimeter, similar to how walls work

As of now I can correctly import my family into the project, but then I'm not able to modify its perimeter, and this is the result.

What's the best way to achieve this?
Thanks in advice!

[RDAOU]

@edoardo_balducci 

Everything is doable but it is not clear to what is expected happen when the wall or panel height or width is increased by say 1 meter?

• Should it automatically add more Tile rows vertically and further extend the pattern horizontally? (In such case arrays would be needed)
  1. model each X rows (horizontal array in a separate family)
  2. load into host and array vertically
• Or Should it resize the tiles to fit the new hight? (Too many constraints would be required)

If you are new to Revit and modeling parametric Families, I would suggest an easier approach:

Option 1: Leave it as non-parametric. This is not ideal but it is the easiest approach without having too many constraints to worry about. (beginner)

1. Add a void in the family (top/sides) to trim/cut the parts that extrude outside the wall.
2. Stagger the tiles so that they interlock at the joint between two adjacent panels.
3. Load and place the family in the model, positioning several tiles next to each other successively.

See the attached file for the same family you posted, which has been slightly edited. (Refer to the GIF below for instructions on how to use it.)

                    

Option 2: Use it in a curtain wall which is set to use a basic wall instead of a curtain panel (moderate)

Option 3: Nest it into a pattern based and use it as a panel (on the way to becoming an expert)

Such families are better modeled as Generic Pattern-Based components. In a basic Generic Model, whether wall-based or face-based, numerous constraints are required to control all the extruded tiles that have been grouped together. Grouping the panels in a family does not, and will not, act as a constraint to prevent them from becoming misaligned or entirely breaking when loaded in the model. In this type of family, you will need numerous reference planes and parametric dimensions to control how the tiles on the wall behave when the overall panel size changes.

[edoardo_balducci]

I see, thanks for your help!
Last thing tho, I'm using the family you shared and I'd like to apply the same concept to the top portion, but I'm facing a challenge: my wall has a slight slope (as shown in the wall profile image below)

I haven't found a way to make this family follow the slope.
Currently, I'm attempting to place a void blend at the top of my family and make it parametric, though I'm unsure if this is possible. Ideally, I'd like to be able to specify the void height on both sides of the wall within my project.
Is this the best way to achive this?


Regarding your question:
"what is expected happen when the wall or panel height or width is increased by say 1 meter?"
Ideally it should generate more tiles vertically and horizontally, but I dont encounter this cases, if I need more tiles i just place a new instance of the family.

 

[RDAOU · Accepted solution]

@edoardo_balducci 

A blend? its an extrusion make the void trapizoidal with adjustable height on each side

You need 1 reference plan and 2 reference lines or 3 reference planes (assuming u use the latter

1. Place one plane above the wall top and lock it to the ref plane wall top
2. the other two ref planes place below and associate with a parameter to adjust the depth ot the trapizoid on each side 

I already left the office so I cannot re-edit the family for you but thats is how it will look like

• Green are the new reference planes to add
• Blue is the reference plane already there at the top of the wall
• Orange is the trapizoidal extrusion
• If you adjust P1 (a parameter Length - Instance) => it adjusts the left side
• If you adjust P2 (a parameter Length - Instance) => it adjusts the Right side (Make this 0 and it will align to the corner of the wall as you sketched it

[ToanDN]

You can create a model pattern from this module using pyRevit then assign ot yo a material.

[edoardo_balducci]

Hey guys!
Thanks for the help to everyone. Following @RDAOU suggestions I created a working wall facade.

What I'm trying to do now is add a bit of depth, making the bricks have a bit of margins from one another.

To do so I'm using a void extrusion that follows the perimeter of a brick and cutting the two geometries.
The problem is that using this method places me in a position where a void cuts another void and when I load the family into my project, even tho the "Cut geometry with void" is turned off it breaks the pattern (see image below)

while in the family editor this is what I see:

Before the modifications this is what it looked like in the project:

How can I fix this?
Thanks!

[RDAOU]

@edoardo_balducci 

You are overcomplicating it. Looking at the images, there are far too many voids. If it's absolutely necessary, you would need to consider a diferent approach:

• You either need to work with Material Effects and use Bump Maps to create the effect of those grooves. The tile would remain flat, but the bump map (an inverted negative or black-and-white image of the pattern) would render the appearance of grooves or reveals.
• OR, you need to model the border reveals as part of the tiles, either within the same pattern family or as a nested child.

[edoardo_balducci]

I see, I need this detail to be visible in both render close-ups and 3D printing at larger scales.
Bump mapping won't achieve both goals effectively. While I've tried both void extrusion and void-based patterns, they present similar issues. What's the best way to model these border reveals as parts of the tiles without using voids?

[RDAOU]

@edoardo_balducci 

As stated previously, unless you wish to experiment on more complex family modeling, keep simple (see attached revit 2025 .rvt  and GIF below)

• no voids or cuts in the main family,
• model the tile with the groove in a separate generic model
• nest it into the wall based as a child 
• place on the wall
• use a solid extrusion to cut and trim

[scottyXEHE3]

Could someone look at the attached wall pattern and help me figure out what is causing the "can't make type "typical vertical stone pattern" error when trying to insert it as a component on to the face of my walls?