Nested Window Does not Report Correct Sill Height in Project

[brenTRONwiberg]

I have a window family with multiple nested window families within it.  I call this a "Grouped Window"  

When I load this grouped window into a project, I can either Tag the entire group, or the nest windows.  When I tag the nested windows, the width and height come through correctly, but the sill height is not correct.  If however, I tad the whole group, the sill height is correct.  Any ideas on how to get the nested families' sill height to match the host window's sill height?  I've been going nuts trying to figure this out.

I'm trying to avoid creating a new parameter for the sill height because that would mean I need to change my window tag family to read a new parameter, then I'd also need to change my schedules to schedule the new parameter, then I would also have to add the parameter to my other window families that currently work fine, other wise their sill heights won't show up in the newly adjusted tags and schedule.  Any help or direction here would be greatly appreciated!

I've attached the offending family

Please see this video for the issue:

https://www.loom.com/share/606509756a894bd9867a02498bac8b7f

[jmhanbyV4TDM]

I added a shared parameter and it then showed the sill height correctly in the schedule. It didn't affect the default window tags.

[barthbradley]

Make the Ref. Plane located at the Sill in the Family the "Origin" Ref. Plane.  

...this is what you want; right?

[brenTRONwiberg]

Could you elaborate? I feel like adding a shared parameter would break all my tags and schedules which are already linked to the built in "Sill Height" parameter that revit gives to window families.

[brenTRONwiberg]

This is close. So I did already set the sill reference plane to "Defines Origin" (I forgot to upload that version) and this makes the group of windows show the correct sill height as you have shown here, but the issue is that the nested windows don't show the correct sill height. It's infuriating. I've tried everything I can think of to get those to report correctly, but with no luck.

So for example, if you tab select one of those windows rather than the whole group, the sill height will not be correct. Likely it will read 0'-0"

[barthbradley]

[barthbradley]

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@brenTRONwiberg wrote:
This is close. So I did already set the sill reference plane to "Defines Origin" (I forgot to upload that version) and this makes the group of windows show the correct sill height as you have shown here, but the issue is that the nested windows don't show the correct sill height. It's infuriating. I've tried everything I can think of to get those to report correctly, but with no luck.

So for example, if you tab select one of those windows rather than the whole group, the sill height will not be correct. Likely it will read 0'-0"

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So, what you are saying is that you have a Window Assembly/Combo Family with Nested Window Sills at different Heights? Windows above Windows?  If so, forget reporting Sill Height using the in-built "Sill Height" Parameter.  Not sure why it would be documented that way if it's a prefab assembly.  

[brenTRONwiberg]

No, so the window sills of the nested families will all be at the same height, but I want to tag and schedule all of the nested windows individually, because they are actually separate windows.

The reason they are all in one family is to save time modeling. Since with one click, I can place three windows, and have them all be trimmed on the exterior and interior together. It saves a tone of time. Especially when I have a group of say 5 windows each with a transom above, so that's 10 windows which all get placed at once and are trimmed out properly. Doing that one by one is quite a bit slower.

[brenTRONwiberg]

Currently this works great, as the tags and the schedule all report the nested window's width and height just fine. It's only the sill height that is messed up.

[barthbradley]

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@brenTRONwiberg wrote:
Currently this works great, as the tags and the schedule all report the nested window's width and height just fine. It's only the sill height that is messed up.

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I'm not getting how it's "messed" up.  Looks fine on my end and in that screenshot I posted. No? All I did was indicate an Origin Ref. Plane in the Family - as shown in second screenshot.  

[brenTRONwiberg]

@barthbradley 

The screen shot you sent is almost what I'm talking about, but not quite. Did you watch the video I shared? It shows exactly the problem. The family shows the correct sill height when you click on it, but when you tab to the nested family it does not.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

I just saw your video. Missed it originally, but you are doing what I suspected. Tagging the SHARED FAMILY. It's reporting the Sill Height correctly - albeit not in relationship to the Project which is what you want.  So, the in-built "Sill" Parameter is of no value in this scenario.  If it makes you feel any better, it's been on the "wish list" repeatedly for years. 

....why not forgot the combo (nested windows) and instead, make the trim and mulling parametric?  It can be done. 

[brenTRONwiberg · Accepted solution]

Ok, yeah, so it's a limitation of Revit, there is no real solution to do what I'm asking for? I guess that is an answer, even if it's not what I was hoping for.

Yeah, I have parametric trim families I can use, but it adds more steps when modeling. I was trying to streamline everything.

Thanks for your help!

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

Why don't you tag the nested windows without Sill Height and tag the parent frame with Sill Height.  It is quite redundant to show three same sill heights for three windows in a group.

[brenTRONwiberg]

Yes, that is what I did to get by, but then the schedule isn't working right.

This is like a game of wack-a-mole:  I work around one issue and another pops up.  Eventually I just get exhausted and give up.  I curse Autodesk for spending huge amounts of money on unnecessary rebranding evey year while ignoring these bugs and other much needed features.