Wall schedule areas <varies> error

[stephen.melhuish]

I have a model for which i want to create a wall schedule and wall take off schedule. However, some walls show the area as <varies>. The model has a link but not all of the walls are from the link. I've checked no walls have duplicate Type Marks. I am ready to give up !! please help

[RDAOU · Accepted solution]

@stephen.melhuish 

The Type Mark is not what causes this...Unchecking Itemize every instance and having several instances the same Type placed in the model or model and links can result a value = <Varies> under Area output (in older Revit version a Blank field)...which is perfectly normal and due to the fact that each instance has its own Area. What you need to do is the following:

1. In schedule view >> Go to Formatting >>
2. select Area field >>
3. from the drop down menu select Calculate Totals

Now the area filed will/should report the total area of each type

[stephen.melhuish]

Hi Rdaou

Thank you for your help. I've done as you suggest which sorts the <varies> problem. Brilliant. HOWEVER, for some totally unknown reason, I have multiple instances of the exact same wall (not wall type) in the take off schedule. I know this because if I click on a row and go to 'Highlight in Model', each of the 3 rows shows me the exact same wall in the model. The wall is not divided into parts. Any ideas ?

Steve

[RDAOU]

@stephen.melhuish 

Hard to tell without the model in hand...first thing that crosses my mind

1. are the walls copied/monitored from the link?
2. Check Level and top/base constraint they might be overlapping walls from different floors

[stephen.melhuish]

Hi. thanks for your reply. I've tested something else; in the Wall Take Off schedule, the wall is showing 3x, but in the Wall Schedule I've created, they show only 1x. So, the wall schedule gives me what I need - great, but cannot understand still why the Wall Take Off should report the same walls 3x.

Happy to mark this as resolved if we don't find an answer.

[stephen.melhuish]

screen shots I meant to include ....

[RDAOU]

@stephen.melhuish 

Because in the take off schedule you are using Material: Area... so it repeats an instance for each Layer/Material in the wall..which is logical if you are creating material takeoff for all the layers in the wall...Example:

• a wall type that consists of 4 Layers (Brick/Insulation/Concrete/Gypsum) => 4 Rows/Instances in the takeoff schedule (1 for each material)

If you want to display only one row in the takeoff schedule then

1. use the Field/Parameter Area instead of Material Area.
2. make sure you are not sorting/grouping by Material ...
3. make sure Itemize every instance is unchecked and Area is formatted to calculate totals
4. Take off schedule need at least 1 Material Field (Add Material: Name or Material: Image and make hidden)

If you add the field Material: Name in the take off schedule you will understand it better why it is displaying several rows of the same wall

[stephen.melhuish]

Ah yes, it does. Brilliant. So, now any idea how I would just get the Wall Take Off Schedule to report only the Wall and not broken down into its parts; or is that not how Wall Take Off schedules work ? You've been very helpful

[RDAOU · Accepted solution]

@stephen.melhuish 

see previous reply

If you want to display only one row in the takeoff schedule then

1. use the Field/Parameter Area instead of Material Area.
2. make sure you are not sorting/grouping by Material
3. Uncheck Itemize ever instance and Calculate Totals for Area
4. Take off schedule need at least 1 Material Field (Add Material: Name or Material: Image and make hidden)

however, this take-off schedule wont make sense since it will be identical to the quantity schedule and not a material take off. But that is of  course up to you.

[stephen.melhuish]

WELL DONE. Thank you for your help.

I think in summary, for areas of walls, i need the wall schedule. For areas of all of the materials within the walls i need Material take Off.

Thanks once again

[zeulrick]

What do you do if the calculation drop down is greyed out?