Idk why I can't make this window family width parameter work

[gnarkill283]

I hate constantly having to come here for what seems like very straightforward things but since nobody in my office knows revit in depth can somebody please explain how I can get the width parameter to work in this family so that when I change this parameter the bays stay eq. Please see attached family. Thanks.

[gnarkill283]

The problem seems to be that I started with a standard window family with undeletable reference planes and parameters for the width of the opening for the window. I try to turn the window into a 3 bay and update the plan reference plans to be eq with the opening labeled width= and it won't let me change the width=.

[gnarkill283]

When I try to make a new width parameter - it doesn't do anything. I really don't understand the reference plane and dimensioning and component relationships - how are these are created and locked to each other. Could someone please point me to a video describing this stuff. I don't think this program could be any less intuitive...

[Sahay_R]

Try this family. It worked flawlessly when I tested it.

Workflow for creating families - 

Set up a skeleton of reference planes 

Constrain it - fancy terminology for dimensioning and applying parameters to the skeleton. Lock dimensions (click the dimension and a little lock will appear, click that) that you want to stay fixed.

Add geometry

Lock geometry to the reference planes - to do this, click the Align tool (in the Modify tab), then click the item you wan to align TO, then click the item you want to align to it.

[gnarkill283]

Thanks but I don't have 2017 and I still don't understand what it is that I have to do to make this window widen from its center point and keep all the bays equidistant. Luckily my friend had 2017 and he opened the family for me, but when I widen the width parameter, the window grows from one side not in the middle. The problem with this is if I change the width parameter a few times it shifts the window all over the place. Also I want the width parameter to go from outside to outside of the entire frame of the window not within one bay.

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

Here's what you need.

[Sahay_R]

Here you go.

[gnarkill283]

Thank you. Can you tell me how you got the width parameter to go to the outside of the window frame? Dragging the dimension would remove the parameter. Deleting the dimension and then changing the parameter to the width and then placing a new dimension with that width and adding the parameter created an error about constraints.

[ToanDN]

See screencast.

[ToanDN]

In the screencast, I created 3 reference planes for the centerlines of the frames and mullions to and equaled them.  Since your frame and mullion width are the same so you don't have to do that.  Just make the string 3 EQ from one side of the frames and mullions.