Parametric Frame Family - mullions and transoms connected

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,
I'm trying to build a parametric family to create a frame of beams and pillars already connected.

I would like to have the length of the beams defined by the boundary walls like "beam system" command, moreover the profile height, system height, number and distance between mullions totally editable by user.
Furthermore I should put a joint in the profiles when you exceed the maximum production length of it.

With my knowledge I started creating a nested "Generic Model" family with the union of a stretchable profile
(that is a "generic model" family too .. should I use the "profiles" family?)
and other two families of the anchoring and docking elements that connect the profile/beam to the wall and to the two mullions/pillars with equality constraint from the walls.

As a test I also added two types of different profiles.

The first problem of this family is that when I make the series of this portal I lose the ability to change its length automatically when i move the walls .

Problem 1: I have to solve the errror of the series when I edit the perimeter walls (if I change the length of the origin element, the portals become all the same length, but retain the angular alignment and lose lock with the wall)

Problem 2: I don't know how to bring up N reference planes (chosen by user) between the start reference plan and the end reference plan to insert the editable pillars.

Problem 3: Insert automatically a joint when the length of the beam exceeds a maximum length

Problem 4: How i can define the height of the pillars when they have two different reference plane but they are in the same family

I'm getting an other way using "Beam System" .. but there isn't in the family editor .. only in the model .. so i can't put it into a nested family.

Question is .. Can I define all these constrain in Dynamo and create an API to insert in a family?! so you can manage all parameters and interactions of the elements with Dynamo but then, once the family is designed, an "average user" is able to use the object?

thanks in advance to anyone who has the patience to answer me ...

[Alisder.Brown]

Hey Lorenzo

You can do what you are looking for inside the family editor, however you would have quite a large file size and a complex, slow family.

What is the reason you don't just use the Beam system tool inside the project?

You are able to set spacings, lengths, heights, what beams to use, materials, can change individual beams, delete individual beams, constrain to boundary (walls,beams, grids etc.) and you can have beam systems follow pitched or even curved roofs. 

[Anonymous]

Hi Alisder,

 First of all thanks for your reply. I'm taking the way you have suggested. But i have few questions about it.

I would like to connect the Beam System with the Grid of Columns. I need that the dimension of the interaxis of the beams (with justification at the beginning sets) have to follow the grid dimension. Is it possible without managing the commons parameter with Dynamo?
I've already done it with Dynamo, but it's kind complicated for average Revit users and i'd like to know if even Revit can do it.

Moreover, I have to complete the model of the system with all the components that fix the system to the walls/floor and beams and colums to themselves.
Is it a better way to manage them as separated elements and to lock them to walls and to the floor? The problem is that they have to follow the grid too and don't lose the association with the matching elements. With this way there is an huge amount of locks...
Or It could be good to insert them in the family of Structural Beam Profile and Structural Columns? Considering the fact they can change depending on the need so i have to set them as Type parameter.

Thanks in advance

Lorenzo Verde