Descriptive Tips for Family Parameters

[stanford.r]

User inputs for families can quickly get complicated and most families would benefit by having more information about the inputs (parameters). An addition description field would be helpful. Often parameter names are not sufficient to guide user or creator. Complex families would benefit by having a more information for each of the parameters. This field could also be used as "parameter tip" to help guide user with input values.

Example of the type parameters in family editor:

Parameter (name) | Description | Value | Formula | Lock

In addition, a Notes dialog box with a diagram would also benefit the user. Complicated families often require some instruction on how the inputs modify the family. This notes would provide useful information about the family and how it works.

[Lachlan-JWP]

There is the Tooltip description. This will create a pop up dialogue when the user hovers over a parameter.

[stanford.r]

Thank you. I think this is what I would like to tweak, my original post was not clear on this point.

Tooltip is useful but it is rarely used. Most families fail to use Tooltip because it is hidden away. The name is not exactly accurate either because parameters are not tools... instead I am advocating to replace it with a new field, "Description", which would replace Tooltip with Parametertip. I am also suggesting this should be visible as field column and not hidden away, at least inside the family editor mode. This would make Tooltip more useful to family creators, like myself, that are sometimes managing dozens of parameters and formulas to drive the family design options. I have developed a nice parameter naming convention over the years but it is still nice to have a quick descriptive reference without the need to rollover the parameter. Also, it is better to see each parameter description simultaneously, sometimes parameters have slight nuances, so it would nice to see the descriptions side by side. 

Complex or "smart" families which combine several families into one are powerful.  For example a coil door and sectional door along with all their various track options can be combined, which make it useful to manage as one family rather than a dozen. It terms of workflow, if I need to create a family, I don't try to design to all the potential options, instead I design only for the needs of the project. However, as additional options are required, I add them to the family. In this way, families are rarely static and require several tweaks over their lifespan. Managing one family, especially as your methodology changes, can be time saving. The idea of just duplicating a family and making minor adjustment can be appealing, however over time you get a lot of family that are basically the same thing and now you need manage all those families. Implementing a global changes to your family library can be formidable. 

The downside of complex families, is that "user" don't know how to use them. I have purchased and created some families than require a small manual to use. These are great families but I would like to incorporate some of that "how to" information into the family. For example, the notes and diagram would replace this need to supplement families to with additional instructions. This is the main idea, the other is just a tweak to the existing Tooltip. Does that make sense?

[Lachlan-JWP]

It is named Tooltip because your cursor is the tool and when you hover the tip over a parameter it will display the description you type in. This is standard across the windows environment. Revit already has the function you want and I don;t see how adding more columns to the parameter window will help.