Using Adaptive Families in Other Family Types

[rmarkowitz]

Hello,

   I'm wondering if there is a workaround for the problem I am having nesting "Adaptive Families" in Face-Based Families.

   Essentially, I have an adaptive family element in a project I am doing. I also have a series of face-based models. I have come in to a situation where I would like to use the adaptive element as a component of one of the face-based elements, rather than adding the adaptive element on top of the face-based element in the file itself (since I have a lot of identical elements). When I try to load my adaptive family into my face-based family, Revit says I can only import my adaptive family into other adaptive, or mass families. 

   Any suggestions on how to work around this so I don't end up placing hundreds of adaptive points in my model would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[RDAOU]

@rmarkowitz Hi

That's an uncommon way to make an AC lose its purpose. I am not at a computer at the moment to simulate something but I can, without second thought say, that's how it is with Adaptive Components. Logically speaking (correct me if I'm wrong); if we assume the nesting the Adaptive Component into a lets say window family is A OK, the Adaptive family won't be adaptive anymore once that end face based family is loaded into the project...so if it's losing it's adaptability why not just model it in the face base family!?

too much time? Well in theory...

1. you can export the adaptive as a SAT (geometry); load it into a generic one; add a couple of parameters to it; then nest it into your face based one...no more adaptives

2. Unless you need that face based family to be face based, work it all out as a Mass family... you can load a generic into a mass family and an adaptive into a mass family so might be one way to have a mediator 

• You want to keep it adaptive and don't want to place them on your own 100 times? Let Dynamo do it for you...or a draftsman 🙂

One can always be creative and come up with something...But again one still have to see what you have before one may judge what is best

[rmarkowitz]

Hi @RDAOU

You make some good points. I can give you a few more specifics to explain what I'm trying to achieve:

   Imagine you have some LED tape. This is an adaptive component so that it can be attached to a variety of surfaces (round walls, straight walls, other geometry). Now you have a sign that is a face based family so that it hosts to walls.

   Now you want to put the LED tape in the signs. You still need it to be the same type that's in the main file for scheduling reasons, and you want to only have to make one sign and then add it to all the places where you need signs.

   Does that make sense?

Thank you very much for your help!

[ToanDN]

@rmarkowitz

You will have to sacrifice one or another.

If I were doing signs with LED tapes, I would create the sign as an adaptive family instead of a face base family.  The only additional steps for placing an adaptive sign versus a face based sign is you need to define placement points, which is fairly simple in my opinion.  That way, your adaptive LED tapes work without any further headaches.

[rmarkowitz]

Ok, I guess that's what I'll do then next time. I guess it's too late now, given that I already have lots of face based families placed, and replacing them all with adaptive families would take a very long time.

Thanks for the input!

[RDAOU]

@rmarkowitz

as @ToanDN said... you have to take one way or the other rather than mixing...the only thing you have to bare in mind with adaptive components, they do tend to make your model slow and heavy; especially in a case where you have lots of one element all over the model.

if it is just about adaptability to site...you might also consider using the template for Entourage families...those do work for signage and fences for instance. Revit isn't about an either or...one can come up with more than a handful of simple solutions without complicating one's life.

Many call these workaround and many call them "things one can do but shouldn't"...I call them short sighted with lack of creativity ...

not the families 🙂

[rmarkowitz]

@ToanDN, @RDAOU

If you don't mind me asking without my Revit in front of me - can you import and host a face-based family in an adaptive component?

Thanks!

[ToanDN]

@rmarkowitz

Yes.  A face based family can be hosted by a face of an adaptive family.

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[awasyliw]

Maybe not in this case, but in others there are very good reasons for wanting to do this.

In my case I found that the tools you have access to in the adaptive family modeller are ideal for creating genuinely decent looking solid tree models... yet they can't then be brought in to a planting family.

Same would hold true for furniture etc... you are stuck with it being called a generic family.

It's frustrating to have the tools to model certain things better, yet not be able to tell revit what you want them to be.

[ToanDN]

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[awasyliw]

Ok... looks like you achieved this... but how?

... never mind, I see how. I think maybe I did get there, but the problem is then that you can't have a detail plan symbol to go with it, as you can't load a detail item, or non adaptive family, in to this (or vice versa).

[ToanDN]

Just change the category from Generic Models to whatever you want that available in the list.

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[awasyliw]

Thanks... sorry I replied too early. I think I had got there. edited my previous comment with the actual problem!

[ToanDN]

You can import CAD files in lieu of detail components.  See attached.

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[rmarkowitz]

Not all categories are available in that list - including lighting fixtures.

[Rockit_for_Revit]

I need to use Lighting Fixtures category, is there a workaround for this?

Regards

David

[ToanDN]

No dice.  Workarounds depend on how the lighting fixture look and how you want to use the it.

[Rockit_for_Revit]

An LED strip light with rectangular profile with various x,y,z points.

Kind Regards

David

[rmarkowitz]

I've literally built duplicate schedules for everything. I really wish this would be fixed!

[Anonymous]

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@rmarkowitzwrote:
I've literally built duplicate schedules for everything. I really wish this would be fixed!

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If you don't mind me asking how did build create your adaptive LED strip? I have created an adaptive item to use for it but am having trouble attaching a light source. Is there any way to do so? Can the light source be nested and attached somehow?

Thanks in advance.