Changing Family Types of nested family with Family Type Parameter as Instance Drop-down

[kristian.pal86]

Hi All, 

I am somewhat new to creating these types of families but I was wondering if someone could point me in a better direction.

I am creating a slot diffuser family with a variety of duct inlet sizes and I want to be able to have a few Diffuser types - with the types dictating the diffuser lengths - and for the nested Duct Inlet sizes to be user controlled with a drop-down menu as an instance parameter.

I have created a separate generic model family with an oval shaped extrusion tied to dimension parameters to be able to adjust the size of the oval inlet and I have created 8 different 'types' to represent the oval inlet sizes we require.  I thought this approach would be beneficial so I can later tie these parameters to the Duct Connection parameters so they will adjust and match with the inlet oval when changed.

I would now like to bring the oval inlet family into my diffuser family in a way where I can have an instance family parameter drive the type of inlet oval size in the diffuser family but I cannot get it to change when I select a new one from the drop down after it is brought in. 

I am not sure where I might be off here, there might even be something fundamentally wrong with how I am doing this, but I am having trouble figuring out what that is. If anyone has some ideas or links on how to progress in this I would truly appreciate it.

[kristian.pal86]

Hi All, 

I am somewhat new to creating these types of families but I was wondering if someone could point me in a better direction.

I am creating a slot diffuser family with a variety of duct inlet sizes and I want to be able to have a few Diffuser types - with the types dictating the diffuser lengths - and for the nested Duct Inlet sizes to be user controlled with a drop-down menu as an instance parameter.

I have created a separate generic model family with an oval shaped extrusion tied to dimension parameters to be able to adjust the size of the oval inlet and I have created 8 different 'types' to represent the oval inlet sizes we require.  I thought this approach would be beneficial so I can later tie these parameters to the Duct Connection parameters so they will adjust and match with the inlet oval when changed.

I would now like to bring the oval inlet family into my diffuser family in a way where I can have an instance family parameter drive the type of inlet oval size in the diffuser family but I cannot get it to change when I select a new one from the drop down after it is brought in. 

I am not sure where I might be off here, there might even be something fundamentally wrong with how I am doing this, but I am having trouble figuring out what that is. If anyone has some ideas or links on how to progress in this I would truly appreciate it.

[ToanDN]

Did you create a label in the main family to get a dropdown list of nested family types?

[ToanDN]

Did you create a label in the main family to get a dropdown list of nested family types?

[kristian.pal86]

Hi Thanks for the reply, I did but when I switch to the different selections within the drop down menu nothing happens.  I also loaded into the project environment and nothing happens. I saw some tutorials with families that use the yes/no visibility parameter to control their visibility but I am not sure that applies here as all the family types are generated with the same extrusion.  Is there a workflow required to control the individual instances with formulas so they appear properly in the drop down?

[kristian.pal86]

Hi Thanks for the reply, I did but when I switch to the different selections within the drop down menu nothing happens.  I also loaded into the project environment and nothing happens. I saw some tutorials with families that use the yes/no visibility parameter to control their visibility but I am not sure that applies here as all the family types are generated with the same extrusion.  Is there a workflow required to control the individual instances with formulas so they appear properly in the drop down?

[ToanDN]

Share the family here.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2019/ENU/Revit-C...

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/add-choices-your-revit-families-family-type-parameters-paul-aubin

[ToanDN]

Share the family here.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2019/ENU/Revit-C...

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/add-choices-your-revit-families-family-type-parameters-paul-aubin

[kristian.pal86]

Thanks for these links, I reviewed them already and they use the visibility parameter with yes/no to control what is visible. I am not sure but I think my approach is different since I am trying to select different instances of the nested family through the drop down menu, unless I am not following this right. 

I have attached my working files below, _AIRTERM is the parent file and Slot Diffuser Inlet is intended to be nested into the parent

[kristian.pal86]

Thanks for these links, I reviewed them already and they use the visibility parameter with yes/no to control what is visible. I am not sure but I think my approach is different since I am trying to select different instances of the nested family through the drop down menu, unless I am not following this right. 

I have attached my working files below, _AIRTERM is the parent file and Slot Diffuser Inlet is intended to be nested into the parent

[ToanDN]

---

@kristian.pal86 wrote:

Thanks for these links, I reviewed them already and they use the visibility parameter with yes/no to control what is visible. I am not sure but I think my approach is different since I am trying to select different instances of the nested family through the drop down menu, unless I am not following this right. 

I have attached my working files below, _AIRTERM is the parent file and Slot Diffuser Inlet is intended to be nested into the parent

---

You may not have read through the entire content of the links.  They definitely show how to create dropdown using label.

[ToanDN]

---

@kristian.pal86 wrote:

Thanks for these links, I reviewed them already and they use the visibility parameter with yes/no to control what is visible. I am not sure but I think my approach is different since I am trying to select different instances of the nested family through the drop down menu, unless I am not following this right. 

I have attached my working files below, _AIRTERM is the parent file and Slot Diffuser Inlet is intended to be nested into the parent

---

You may not have read through the entire content of the links.  They definitely show how to create dropdown using label.

[kristian.pal86]

Hi Thanks for pointing that out but I did read the articles and unless I am mistaken here for some reason my family isn't behaving the same way. 

I have tried this numerous times now with type and instance parameters and nothing changes when the drop down menu selections are changed. Please see my screenshots below:  One is in the family environment with the label applied to the extrusion and the other is in the project environment with those labels loaded in, where Round Inlet is selected but it clearly still shows as Oval

  

[kristian.pal86]

Hi Thanks for pointing that out but I did read the articles and unless I am mistaken here for some reason my family isn't behaving the same way. 

I have tried this numerous times now with type and instance parameters and nothing changes when the drop down menu selections are changed. Please see my screenshots below:  One is in the family environment with the label applied to the extrusion and the other is in the project environment with those labels loaded in, where Round Inlet is selected but it clearly still shows as Oval

  

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

[kristian.pal86]

Wow I was worried it was something simple like that, thank you for your patience.  I think this will work now.  So to sum it up for others: my parameters in the nested family were set as instance when they should have been set as type. Your help and guidance is very much appreciated.

[kristian.pal86]

Wow I was worried it was something simple like that, thank you for your patience.  I think this will work now.  So to sum it up for others: my parameters in the nested family were set as instance when they should have been set as type. Your help and guidance is very much appreciated.