Dropdown Lists for Parameters (Comboboxes)

[Anonymous]

I know there is a workaround for combo boxes within parameters of objects. But in my opinion this is not a good solution (see attached screenshot). The more "values" you have created in the same family type the longer the list will be! We need the possibilty to define parameters and their values within combo boxes. So the the user can choose between some given values.

This is especially important for data exchange and mapping of attributes. When you have 10 users creating a model you will get at least 5 different names for the same attribute!

So vote for ComboBox-Parameter to solve this issue.

Regards,

Michael

[J.Dirkse]

Check this one: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/dropdown-lists-for-parameters-comboboxes/idi-p/6315262

[kimberly.fuhrman]

Thank you, @J.Dirkse  for linking that Idea! @MachielAEC , thank you for your submission. We'll combine the Ideas to boost the votes!

-Kimberly

[MachielAEC]

To be able to have a 'new' parameter type for lists that can be used to have pre-defined elements hosted within it, similar to Excel Drop-Down List function will.

There's been multiple instances where I wanted to create a list of options for my team to only select from and not to type in anything else (spelling errors, etc.) as different view templates & filters was applied to these information.

Case study, we where doing a custom filter for Rebar schedules and needed to create a filter past the Revit standard list of schedule filters, so we had to combine data from various fields and to ensure it was all typed correctly. This process could've been made simpler by having the drop-down list with predefined values, etc. that the user can select from.

Pro's I can see,
- Phasing management

- View Templates/ Filters

- Schedules updates/ filters

- Dynamo & Custom Apps optimization.

[DGraham2]

Hi @MachielAEC,

At least until 2021 (I've not used later versions) the schedule keys function was the way to go about this. It allows you to create a list of options to select from in a drop down list in a new single category parameter that can then be scheduled. Unfortunately I don't think this list can be tied to any existing parameters.  

[_dalewfd]

+1 for more user control over the dropdowns. e.g. i have a type selector for door handles - i don't want to see every single shared door family in the project in the dropdown list, i only want to see door families with "X" condition (whereby the user can control what the condition is)

[Zwielehner]

Hi @MachielAEC,

hi @DGraham2,

We are currently working on a plugin that offers this functionality in a property palette and schedule view (dropdown lists, allowed ranges, date picker etc.). 

If you want to learn more please send me a DM and I'll come back to you.

Regards,

Thomas

[Aku-J]

I would also really love to see this happen. It would allow development of more user friendly families and reduce errors in general. The current workarounds are a hassle and resulting families are usally confusing for common users.

If it is done, it needs to be a type of parameter that can be used as a condition in formulas (ie. text parameter cannot). Otherwise it would be useless in my opinion.

Ideally the data type could be pretty much any of the current ones (eg. integer or material). It could be just an additional option during parameter creation. I understand that all of this is not so easy to implement to current shared parameter system, but I'll keep fingers crossed. I would even settle just for an family editor formula that allowed limiting options of parameter to predefined ones.

There could also be an option during parameter creation to allow users to create new items for list. It's not always about limiting options but also helping users by giving predefined ones.

[Mike.FORM]

It would be great to just add a parameter type called "list" and then you just input the predefined values in the formula area of the parameter with the values comma separated.

[Mark.Friis]

@kimberly.fuhrman 

Please combine this Idea with the Idea from mweinholzer:

Combo box for parameter attributes - autodesk

Thanks

[20408082]

A radio button function is also something that would greatly improve the process of creating options within a family. 

[jjenkins4]

We need to be able to provide users with a limited number of choices for a parameter of a family that will drive other parameters. It is a very basic function that Revit should be able to do straight up, or by some basic work around, but apparently can't.

Why is it necessary? We have 26 families that will each have a parameter of some type (any type of parameter, just a long as it works) that will give the user a limited selection (10) to pick from.

Depending on the choice of that parameter, values of 7 other parameters will be adjusted by logical statements.

26 families is enough, we don't want 1820 families. Type catalogs and lookup tables are useful, but they don't seem to fit the need.

Using a <Family Type...> parameter makes it easy to generate the drop box of choices, but where to go from there? Pulling values from the nested families would be great, but Revit will not allow that - it only pushes to nested families.

Seems like we should be able to write a logical statement to do so but that also doesn't seem to work, or I just don't know how to put it together. Can anyone translate this logical statement into valid Revit syntax?

if(<NestedFamilyType> = A, 15", if(<NestedFamilyType> = B, 20", if(<NestedFamilyType> = C, 15", )))

Or is there another way to do this?

[Zwielehner]

@jjenkins4 I can offer you a solution that I created for this kind of problem (actually it is intended for hierarchical parameter values like classification systems but works here as well) :

The BetterClassifier plugin allows to specify values in an external text file so users can simply select them from a list. If the parameter is a shared parameter (and made non user modifiable in the SPF) it can only be modified through an app, preventing wrong entries. 

Give it a try and let me know if it works for you. 

https://apps.autodesk.com/RVT/en/Detail/Index?id=957877620720488043&appLang=en&os=Win64

•  

[_dalewfd]

Agree that having a way to limit/predefine the choices for a parameter field would be more than useful. 

In terms of using the <Family Type> to drive a formula, I don't believe Revit can calculate "is <NestedFamily> = "xyz". What it can do though, is calculate "is <NestedFamilyX> = <Nested FamilyY>". 

So this is a rather ugly workaround I haven't fully thought through, and it also relies on every child option being nested into the parent and preset, but you could have <NestedFamily_UserSelection>, and then <NestedFamily1>, <NestedFamily2>, <NestedFamily3>, etc. Then for Family1, Family2, Family3 you preassign the family, and leave the UserSelection as the field that users adjust. 

You'd then be able to create other formulas/parameters using a comparison between the two e.g. "if(NestedFamily_UserSelection>=<NestedFamily1>, 15", if(NestedFamily_UserSelection>=<NestedFamily2>, 20"... and so on. 

[jjenkins4]

Thanks, that looks promising. I'll play with it and if I can get the syntax correct and make it work I'll add it to the thread to share.
A solution, even a clunky one, is better than no solution.
Regards,
Jim

[cprettyman]

I know that this is similar to an ACAD feature - and probably some other applications - but it's a super useful feature that I would love to see in REVIT

For any given parameter, the families author should have the option of assigning a "value set" similar to parameters in a dynamic or parametric block in AutoCAD

For dimensional parameters, you can set a minimum value, a maximum value, an increment, or a list of acceptable values.  

This correlates with real world limitations - imagine specifying a table, for example.  Unless you are specifying a custom table, the product you specify may only come in 3 or 4 lengths, and 2 widths. 

Other types of parameters my have different value sets - maybe materials have an option to only choose from a preset list.  Text parameters might have a preset list of values.   

I have seen families where the authors have gone to incredible lengths to create parameters with formulas, so the end user can enter a "Desired Length" and the family will limit the length to fall within a range using a set of IF statements.   If people are making that effort, clearly this functionality is needed.  And doing it that way presents the user of the family with a set of parameters that might not be self explanatory.  

Allowing value sets would make families more powerful, by controlling options, easily, and making them easier to use.  

[Mike.FORM]

This is essentially the same thing as this other idea.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/dropdown-lists-for-parameters-comboboxes/idc-p/10672179#M...

All we need is to either have a "list" parameter to set a specific option set and a "range" parameter so you can set an upper and lower limit as well as an optional step value. 

ex. range parameter in the formula section you would put 10, 100, 5 which would mean it starts at 10 and ends at 100 and increments by 5.

Both of these options could also be implemented as a function.

range(start, end, step)

list(item 1, item 2, item 3, etc)

[cprettyman]

@kimberly.fuhrman - when you merge an idea into another, do the votes come along as well?

[kimberly.fuhrman]

@cprettyman , yes they do, which helps give more weight to the topic.

[SLloydBowen]

When multiple <Family Type> parameters are used within a host family, all of the family types in the host family are available for selection in the host family parameter.  I've never had a situation where this is desirable.  There are three recommendations that I would like to propose.

#1 (Similar suggestions were made elsewhere in this thread.) Provide an option to select the nested family name whose types should be displayed is the parameter.

#2 Do not prefix the family type name with the family name.  Currently, the display value in the parameter is <family name><type name>.

#3 Do not suffix the nested family's category to the nested family's parameter name.  Currently, the parameter is named <Parameter Name><<Family Category>>.

Below is what currently is displayed.

Below is what I'd like to see.

[jkidder]

@SLloydBowen While your solutions might reduce the text in the browser that isn't the concern.  It's important for the user to know what family type is being tied in, and users need to be able to select the correct family, which means seeing the family name.

Selecting the families names which should be displayed would work if you know what the families are, or they exist in the family rather than being allowed to choose others in the project.  This doesn't work for something like door families, where the door leaf style might be solid in the door family, be loaded into a project whose template provides two additional leaf families (with several types) for leafs with one or two panels, and then have another leaf style (say with triangle openings) loaded for a specific project.  The filter for the drop down needs to able to be set up like view and schedule filters: Family Name begins with...., <Parameter Name> Contains ______, etc.