Parametric Extrusions within an array?

[nathaniel.mcmahon]

Hi I have a simple brick lintel with parametric adjustable bricks in an array. Pretty simple questions I think but I'm lost.

1. How do I adjust the brick size without ruining the array? Once in the array they won't adjust like normal?

2. How do I change the add a parameter to the length between each item?

Thanks, attached family below.

[Anonymous]

My method is to create the brick as a nested family, and then use a formula to control the array count based on the length of the lintel.  Constrain the first and last brick to the length.  See attached file, where you can see the parameters that I have set up.

[nathaniel.mcmahon]

Thanks Tim,

I've tried your method but if I constrain the bricks position in the host family only that brick moves and all the end array brick doesn't with all the bricks in-between making a spline between the two points.  Ok wait I've re-constrained the end brick and it now functions even if the number of bricks change. Brill!

 Also want a mortar layer between the bricks but having issues reporting the gapp distance between the bricks and using that to define the mortar nested families width. I seems I can't share reporting parameters between nested families. Here's where I'm at in the file.

[Anonymous]

Insert a formula that adjusts the mortar width parameter as something like:

Lintel length - (Array number x brick width)/(Array number-1).

It would be best for the mortar perpend to also be a nested families with associated parameters in the families.

If you need to report these then the nested family needs to be set to shared - see image.

[nathaniel.mcmahon]

I get inconsistent unit errors when I use the No of bricks (integer type) in a formula to report brick gap.

And if i turn on shared in the nested family I can no longer associate parameters to the host family.

[Anonymous]

Here is the formula that I used to determine the width.

You are correct - the associations are lost if the nested family is shared.  But do you need this?  You could create a parameter in the family that determines the brick count and perp volume if that's what you need.

[Anonymous]

Formula: