Parameter

[Anonymous]

The CEO of my company is insisting that I can create a text parameter that has no category assigned to the parameter. I'm telling him this is not possible. Who's correct, him or I?

[loboarch]

Parameters need to be associated with SOMETHING. You need to have some category the parameter will appear on.

Maybe you need to get some clarification on what the goal is? What is the parameter supposed to do? What information is it holding/tracking and where does it need to appear down the road?

[Anonymous]

That's what I told him even pulling up my screen on go to meeting, creating a parameter, and showing him the Revit message that says you MUST select a category. He still disagreed. Arggggghhhh I'm going to pull my hair out. Ha!

This is our end goal:

All of our business is cloud based. There's a website we use that organizes photos and videos. That website has a tagging feature. So you add tags to the photos and videos tag automatically with voice recognition. Simply, we have imported all Revit Categories as tag names to the website. It a photo has a wall it's tagged with Walls, etc,etc. Then a url link can be created that's associated with each category by the website. All of that is accomplished.

Now, we're looking for the most efficient way to populate every element in a project with that url, so when the client opens the 3D model, let's say on A360, sometimes it's BIM360, then he clicks on a wall then there will be a url that links directly to all construction photos and videos that have a wall in them.

[ToanDN]

There is already an URL type parameter built in.

Or you can add a new instant URL parameter and assign it to any or all categories.  You would have to click on the 3-dot bytton next to the URL name on the Properties palette to open the link though.

If you have access to one of the Revit tutorial model comes with the program, they have generic annotation symbols placed on sheets, and when you click on one, it bring up the related Help content web page.  Maybe that is a better solution.

[Anonymous]

I know I told him, he insists on text, it's driving me nuts haha!

[Keith_Wilkinson]

What @ToanDN said.

I don't quite get from this though why you need a parameter without a category... is it not the other way round that you want a parameter that appears in all categories (which the URL one does I think... )?

Why does he want a text parameter?  You can't click on that and go anywhere... sounds like some education in basics is required.

[loboarch]

Right. You need a parameter that belongs to ALL categories. Walls, doors, windows, etc... The URL parameter is already on all categories by default. I am not sure why it would NEED to be text only? The URL parameter has the additional functionality of calling the default browser and populating with the URL listed in the parameter. A text parameter would not do that. The user would need to cut and paste manually into the browser.

[loboarch]

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@ToanDN wrote:

If you have access to one of the Revit tutorial model comes with the program, they have generic annotation symbols placed on sheets, and when you click on one, it bring up the related Help content web page.  Maybe that is a better solution.

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Glad to see someone uses those, or at least knows they are there.  

[RDAOU]

Not sure why the who is wrong and who is right! it's the CEO!!! you can't argue with the CEO and you are not supposed to prove him wrong!!!... just tell him you are right boss, it slipped my mind and use a URL parameter.

When it works the way it is supposed to , i doubt he will be asking what u did

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I know I told him, he insists on text, it's driving me nuts haha!

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This is definitely not helpful to the URL goal you are looking for.  But if the CEO or anyone else who is kind of technical illiterate, challenges you to create a parameter that does not associate to any categories, you can show them this:

[Anonymous]

@ToanDN that is exactly what I did. I made a URL instance parameter for each category that was being used in the project so it points to videos and pictures if the videos and pictures contain that category. Walls, roofs, floors, windows, doors, etc. The URL goes to the media hosting website that has tags correlated to all Revit categories. In other words if a construction photo on the website has a wall in it, it's assigned a tag "Walls" on the website. You can populate a URL that points to the websites "Walls" tag. So every wall has that URL.

See here: http://a360.co/2cu6d5v

I don't think you'll have access media hosting website, but you can see all my URL parameters by category.

@Keith_Wilkinson Yes I challenged the CEO in the most respectful way possible even showing him the error that Revit requests a category for parameter creation and asking why text is preferred over URL. He did not really have an answer. The guy is extremely intelligent, a talented Data Architect, engineer, so on, but not a Revit user. He does often come up with Revit solutions I don't think of just because he has a deep understanding of BIM in general and how it works. He often uses terms that don't apply so getting past that lingo barrier is real fun.

@loboarch The parameter needs to point to a "tag" that is specific to an element of the building, so I am thinking they need to be separate.

@ToanDN He actually prefers I challenge him. Not trying to prove him wrong, but we are implementing something that has never been done. He is way too savvy of Data systems to pass it on. I'm trying to tell him it already does what he wants, and he is having trouble articulating why he is asking to modify what I have done. I think it's more brain storming than anything. We basically want the customer to see photos of walls in construction if they click on the properties of a wall in 3d on A360. Does that make sense?

[loboarch]

So what I am understanding is;

• You have some website that has a bunch of project photos.
• All of those photos are tagged in some way with the Revit categories when that kind of object is in the photo.
• All of the photos with matching tags are assembled onto one page. Say for example "windows", all photos tagged with "window" are on a page with URL XXX.
• So what you need to do is get URL XXX associated with all window objects in the Revit model so when someone selects a window on A360 they see URL XXX listed in properties and they can click to open this other web page with all of the photos of windows in the project.

Is this correct?

If so, this is pretty much exactly what the URL parameter that is already there will do for you. The only tricky part is to quickly apply URL XXX into the parameter for all of the window (or whatever category) objects in the project. I am sure there are tools do do that kind of thing quickly. 

[Keith_Wilkinson]

I would try an get it working how you want first and then argue about whether the parameter should be text, a it lot something else and wether it needs a parameter because frankly at that point it'll be largely irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

This is exactly correct. I easily turned on all elements in 3D and simply pasted the link into let's say Windows for example. I'm sure there's a quicker way to apply them. You can see my parameter links in the A360 share link above. So I believe it's fully functional and he's not understanding. I just wanted to bounce this off you guys so I knew I wasn't crazy, haha! I guess my only option is to make a detailed screen cast with audio instructions showing him it works.

[Keith_Wilkinson]

We don't have access to your A360 page - which is probably a good thing for you.  

Rather than a video I'd probably just try and sit down with your CEO and just run through it and ask for his feedback but it's up to you.  If you have it working I can't see there being much of an issue.

[Anonymous]

That's interesting, the link above gives you view only access for you does it not.

[ToanDN]

I can view the file.
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-Toan

[Keith_Wilkinson]

I can't - I get the following error....