Revit Schedule of Array Items in Family

[Anonymous]

I'll try my best to map out my situation and hopefully it'll make sense to someone.

Basically - I'm looking for some help showing the number of objects contained in an array in a schedule, and not the number of arrays.

1. I made a line-based family that contains an object on an array. There are some basic parameters inside the family that automate how many instances of the object appear depending on how long the line is. (Picture 1 below)

2. I load this family into a project, draw a line, and it generates the correct number of objects in the array. (Picture 2 below)

3. I want to create a schedule that tells me how many of the objects are in the project, but I can only seem to display the number of array families in the project - not the number of objects that are being arrayed. (Picture 3 below)

Thanks!

[ToanDN]

It is certainly doable. Do you want the total of the chairs in the schedule, or a subtotal for each array?

[Anonymous]

Perhaps you could create shared parameters to get the information from your project.
For example:
A parameter for the row
Another parameter for the result number of seats

[Anonymous]

Thanks. The total number of chairs in the project is what I'm after. If I click on a single array in the project, I can see the "number of chairs" listed in the properties window, because of the parameter that exists in the array family file. I don't know how to grab those totals of each array in the project file to then give me a schedule that says the total number of chairs in the project file..

[Alfredo_Medina · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:
,,,

3. I want to create a schedule that tells me how many of the objects are in the project, but I can only seem to display the number of array families in the project - not the number of objects that are being arrayed. (Picture 3 below)

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Welcome to the forum.

Make the array with a family, and make that nested family (the chair) as shared.

[Anonymous]

That's exactly what I needed, Alfredo!

I have one last question to make the family do exactly what I want.

1. Is there a way to make two non-adjacent dimensions equal? In the image attached, you can see a snapshot of my array family. 'Length' is an instance parameter. 'Center to Center' is a type parameter, and the number of chairs is a formula between those two. What I want though, is for the array to always be centered on the "Length". I can't dimension equal to the center chair, because the center chair will no longer be the center if the number of chairs changes.

Thoughts?

1. 

[Alfredo_Medina]

Try this. Adjust spacing as required. 

[Anonymous]

Hmm. I can't seem to match what you have shown, Alfredo. I get an over-constrained error.

Here is a link to download my model if you're willing to give it a look:

https://we.tl/LjwOhriP0b

[ToanDN]

See attached.

I edited the family so that the distance from both ends are always equal, without giving any over constrained errors.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much.

Now having it put together, it's not achieving the end goal that I thought I would get.

Here's what I'm trying to achieve:

1. Line based family

2. An array that locks the first and last object at a constant dimension from the ends (ie. both should be locked at 2" off each end of the line)

3. Fit as many additional objects as possible between the the first and the last instances depending on the total line length

4. Have a formula that spaces all of the objects equally center-to-center, with a minimum spacing specified (ie. objects should never be less than 1'8" center-to-center) **remember that the first and the last object should start (or end) 2" off the end of the line

Is the above possible?

[ToanDN]

It sounds like too many conditions to meet with Revit formulas but I am kinda like this kind of challenges so I will take a look.

In reality, my advice to you is to set a fixed center-to-center dimension and let the end spaces flex.  Firstly, that would give equality to the most number users.  Secondly, you do not want to rely on subcontractors/installers to calculate the various center-on-center dimensions in the field.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, ToanDN.
I'll look forward to what you (or anyone else who has input) finds.

[steve]

Can you explain what you mean by making the chair family as "shared"?     In my revit model (attached), there is a family called "auditorium seat" which is part of a parametrically controlled array.   After loading int the main project and placing and adjusting, I want to count the [a] "auditorium seats" not [b] the family that arrays them which is called "12-Auditorium Seating".    [b] is the only thing I can seem to create a schedule for, not for the [a] "auditorium seats"  family with them.  

I see that there was a solution here, but am not following the explanation.    Tell me what I'm missing.  

[ToanDN]

Look at the picture in post #5.

[steve]

Thanks.

I changed the chairs within the array to a shared family.  Still no luck making the schedule count the chairs (not the # of arrayed models)  see video... https://goo.gl/1vh2Yq

I must be missing the obvious... what is it?

here is the furniture family type model with in it as shared  https://goo.gl/uWvPeu

and there is no choice but to make the whole array shared or else it won't load into the model   https://goo.gl/EWxVsr

[steve]

sorry no audio in the video capture... re-doing it.

[steve]

here is the video of what I am doing that is not solving the question.

https://goo.gl/fzNE12

[ToanDN]

You need to make the nested Auditorium Seat family nested, not the host Array family.

[steve]

Thank you, that solves it.  

As a note to self: open the nested family (the chair itself) separately, change to "shared", reinsert into the host family (the array), then re-insert that into the project.   

ref video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1pWabg7gCo