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Better Solution for Bid Alternates than Design Options
All these years later and it seems like there still isn't a good solution to creating Bid Alternates in Construction Documents. The suggestions are for either Design Options or Phases, neither of which is perfect and both require some work-arounds and patience. A game changer would be for Revit to understand and incorporate Bid Alternates.
I would love to see a tool created for identifying alternates during the bid process. Essentially I see this as an opportunity to mimic the function of revisions by allowing the user to input as many alternates as determined by the design process. Rather than creating a revision cloud, turn that part of the function into a line type similar to the match line function, and give it its own system line type. Also, let this line type (once drawn) be taggable with a tag that reads the name and/or number of the alternate (and whatever other parameters the user desires). There should then also be an option in the list of alternates to check mark if it's been accepted at the award of the contract, and that function of check marking it can translate to the tag if so desired.
This would help tremendously at the end of the project when a client asks for a "composite set" for their records showing which of the alternates were accepted. I know there are other documents to handle this in real life situations, but often we receive documents from clients that are only drawings with no indication of which alternates were accepted. Makes the hunting process longer when it doesn't need to be. Thinking about the future of record drawings on this one.
As @dplumb_BWBR mentioned, this does sound like a use for Design Options. The only variable I see in your suggestion would be this:
"Also, let this line type (once drawn) be taggable with a tag that reads the name and/or number of the alternate (and whatever other parameters the user desires). There should then also be an option in the list of alternates to check mark if it's been accepted at the award of the contract, and that function of check marking it can translate to the tag if so desired. "
So, additional functionality for Design Options to include tagging of elements and/or options that have been accepted. Is that correct?
Yes, my firm often uses Design Options to control what we designate as an alternate, but my concern is beyond the 3D elements and focused on the final presentation of alternates on drawings. Drafting views and Legends that go along with different alternate designs cannot be assigned to a Design Option. So, my request is simply to offer a sketch-type tool similar to how a Match Line works, however with the capability to also be drawn directly on sheets and Recorded like a Revision/Revision Cloud so that I can include Schedules and Legends within the boundary I draw as well as track alternates in a model. Again, I'm thinking beyond the 3D portion of Revit on this one because a contractor will not see my organization of Design Options on a printed set of drawings. I need to convey what is included in an alternate by marking up my drawing with a border or other form of indication of an alternate.
Please see the image below for a sample of what a final product would look like. The border that I show in the sample is what I would consider a sketch tool similar to the Match Line. Then I can create a tag to tag that line with a custom parameter to say whether it's been accepted or not.
This alternate indication was made with drafting lines and text boxes. Would like to make this recordable in the model.
Turn OSNAP off and try to by no means use it while drawing schematics (it is okay for panels to make a rangefinder model).It will reason your symbol inserts to snap to to those values (Like the image will bounce to the cease of a line if ENDPOINT is chosen)
I think Design Options SHOULD be the solution for this, but they are so clunky right now. You really have to stop and take the time to think "is it worth it for me to set up design options for this or should I use one of the many less-BIM-oriented workarounds?
The single biggest improvement they could use would be the ability to host a design option element in a main model element, rather than duplicating entire elements that should really shouldn't be duplicated.
