There seem to be a lot of people asking for different units or “Types of Parameters” (data types). But the requests and support are spread thin because people are only asking for a particular unit (see links below). I have a few ideas that are related that I think could help.
- Let us “build” new “Type of Parameters” that don’t already exist. For example, someone may want to add mass flow rate since it’s an industry standard for many Revit users. Let them “build” a new unit using fundamental units (https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Fundamental_units)
- Let us add Units to existing “Type of Parameters”. Continuing with the example above, someone might want to add pounds per hour. I imagine that they would need to provide a symbol and a conversion factor to the fundamental units.
- Let us add Unit symbols to existing units. Someone might want to report a Length parameter in “FT” (all caps), but currently they cannot.
I realize that some of this is putting a lot of trust in the users. They could potentially create an incorrect unit that causes havoc. But the reality is, as long as people don’t have the units they want, they will do this anyway. I’ve seen people either create a number parameter, text parameter, or just pick an existing data type and not display the units (so on paper it looks fine, but in the model it’s wrong).
If the requests above are technically challenging. It would be great if all (or even one or two) of the parameter types/units below could be added:
Type of Parameter |
"Type of Parameter" already exist? |
Common Units |
Unit Symbol |
Application: |
Energy per Unit Time/ Power/Heating Load |
Yes |
Thousand British Thermal Units per Hour |
MBH |
This is a US industry standard for heating capacities. |
Volumetric Flow/ Flow/Airflow |
Yes |
Cubic Feet Per Hour Liters per Hour |
CFH L/H |
CFH is a US industry standard for gas flow rates. I think just about everyone else in the world used Liters per Hour. I know that Revit doesn't support compressible flow (yet?), but we could at least get the appropriate units as a starting point |
Rotational Speed |
No |
Revolutions Per Minute |
RPM |
Motors, blades, impellers |
"Mass per Unit Time" or "Mass Flow Rate" |
No |
Pounds per hour Pounds per minute Kilograms per hour Kilograms per minute |
LBS/HR LBS/M KG/H KG/M |
Often used for fluid flow. Especially steam |
Date |
No |
Date |
varies |
numerous |
Other posts I could find where someone is asking for units in one form or another:
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/we-would-like-to-have-pcm-as-an-unit-symbol/idi-p/6368720
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/project-units-create-a-customized-symbol/idi-p/6488139
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/adding-liter-by-hour-unit/idi-p/7849132
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/project-and-field-formatting-mbh-units/idi-p/7487342
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/new-unit-for-piping-in-wg/idi-p/6518610
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/horsepower-please/idi-p/6658202
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-mep-forum/how-to-create-units-kg-h/m-p/6840488/highlight/true?_ga=2.96243679.294445781.1546433687-1701866626.1527621482#M38001
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/regional-date-formats/idi-p/6530574
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/take-date-format-into-project-units/idi-p/8301389
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/i-wish-dates-were-real-dates-and-not-free-form-text/idi-p...
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/quot-date-quot-parameter-type/idi-p/6323051
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/revolutions-per-minute-needs-to-be-added-as-a-unit-within...