Is it possible to control a label by Global Parameters?

[Sahay_R]

I've looked at previous similar posts - which did not even similarly answer my question. 

I am looking at Ceiling tags in a project. The Ceiling Finish is a text parameter which needs to be manually entered. However, when you have a project of considerable size, then finish information in some tags gets missed. Would it be possible to associate that label with a global parameter so that in one stroke multiple tags can be populated with this information, and does not  leave embarrassing little question marks all over the RCP? Possibly nest generic annotations? Has anyone been able to do that?

[bimscape]

Can I just ask why the finish isn't a property of the element (either INstance or Type)?

You may have a very good reaosn for this strategy but it seems to go a little against the grain in terms of BIM- ie to have model elements and then have tio populate data against them. Would you not have your various ceiling types already defined (with finishes) and then choose which "Type" you need- thus having the tags being populated automatically???

[Sahay_R]

One tag, many ceiling finishes. Our tag has a text label which we populate manually for paint, type of acp, etc etc. The material itself is a property of the ceiling type which does not reflect the paint color, for instance, of the ceiling - that's not the problem here. My thought is that the fewer times the team needs to type in P-1 or P-2 or whatever, the happier we will all be.

[barthbradley]

I'm not following you @Sahay_R. 

@bimscape makes a salient point. Why can't your tags pull that information automatically? "P1', "P2" are a particular type property of something; no?  

[ToanDN]

Is it a ceiling tag or a room tag?

[Sahay_R]

@ToanDN - ceiling tag.

Actually, @barthbradley, @bimscape made me think (quite an achievement, by the way!). This train of thought was sparked by me QC-ing a set of 100% CD docs. The RCP was littered with incomplete tags, where the ceiling finish had not been manually input. We wouldn't want contractors pointing and laughing at that, would we?

That led me to think of possibly linking the Ceiling Finish label to a global parameter. So let us say that a finish of P-3 needs to be applied to 23 pieces of ceiling. The global parameter will be created in the template and hence applied with a mouse click or two. Sounds wonderful - unfortunately playing with the idea came to naught. Unless you and your ilk are able to cast some brilliance over the matter.  

After reading @bimscape 's post, I got into our ceiling types and added the material to the Type Mark property, and then added that to the tag. So now the only text that will need to be input will be the finish, not the material, and so the RCP would appear a little less incomplete. 

Is there a better solution? I hope so!

[cbcarch]

We use a tag that pulls the Material and Height from the Ceiling.

Uses a Shared Parameter for Ceiling Finish

[Sahay_R]

@cbcarch - that's exactly what we have. 

[Sahay_R · Accepted solution]

Didn't need Global Parameters. I combined multiple labels into one, separated by a break - Height in the top line, with Type Mark (value created in the ceiling type in the template), and finally Ceiling Finish (instance based text Shared Parameter). Since it is a single label, the question marks that used to show up when something was missing are now a thing of the past, P for paint is now a prefix, and the only value that will need to be put in would be the paint color number. Fewer mouseclicks and keystrokes, my friends.