Common Parameters between MEP Categories

[tkbridge]

I am working in models with all trades and want the mechanical equipment to hold all of the electrical data for scheduling.

Currently we are using the Electrical Circuits Project Parameters to create an equipment schedule on the Electrical Sheets.

My question is, how can I get a common parameter between Electrical Circuits, Electrical Fixtures and Mechanical Equipment? 

Right now the equipment name can be in 3 different places that are independent of each other.

How can I unify this so if the mechanical guys make a change, the electrical data in the circuits change as well?

[hmunsell]

your going to need to make a whole bunch of Shared Parameters. if the trades are in form different companies, your going to need to coordinate with them to do the same. for it to work, everyone has to be using the same shared parameters form the same shared parameter file. 

https://help.autodesk.com/view/RVT/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-E7D12B71-C50D-46D8-886B-8E0C2B285988 

[tkbridge]

Using Shared Parameters works, but not when crossing categories.
When I input an Equipment ID (SHARED) in Mechanical Equipment, the data does not also input into the Electrical Circuits Equipment ID Parameter.

I am looking for a way to get common parameters between categories.

[iainsavage]

Could you post some screenshots showing the parameters which you are referring to?

It sounds like a task for Dynamo but the other option would be to create your own parameters and then associate them to the required categories

[tkbridge]

What you are showing, is what I did.
Except I called it Equipment ID.

When I input an Equipment ID into the Mechanical Equipment, I do not get anything in the corresponding parameter in Electrical Circuits.

[RLY_15]

What I think you're trying to describe (correct me if I'm wrong) is interconnectivity between different project elements. So a mechanical element's spec information autopopulating a corresponding electrical circuit element in this case.

Live parameter connections between elements would require the use of a third-party add-in. Updatable parameter connections (think hitting a button) can be done via a third-party add-in or a Dynamo script. Just adding identical parameter names/GUID to different categories won't create the connection, you have to tell Revit in some external manner "I want this information from here transferred to this thing over there"

[iainsavage]

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@tkbridge  schrieb:

When I input an Equipment ID into the Mechanical Equipment, I do not get anything in the corresponding parameter in Electrical Circuits.

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I suppose then that its a Dynamo solution that's required per @RLY_15 advice.

Maybe something similar to this?

[tkbim]

I think the thread you linked is the same issue that I am asking about.
This is crossing categories, so Dynamo or an add in seems the route.

Does anyone know of an add in that can do this?

[gary.cowan]

pretty sure DiRoots parameter manager could do this, buti would do it in dynamo in minutes rather than posturing about it. extremely simple to do.

[tkbridge]

My users don't have access to too many add-ins and the solution needs to be able to automatically run in the background.

[gary.cowan]

Dynamo player is installed with revit and the script could be run with a button click no dynamo experience necessary very easy indeed.

It would have to be run manually there's no automated solution available for what you are wanting bit the script could be wrote in 5 minutes it's that simple.

[RLY_15]

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@tkbridge wrote:
My users don't have access to too many add-ins and the solution needs to be able to automatically run in the background.

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So the issue moving forward is going to be:

1. Dynamo does not automatically run in the background. You need to manipulate either Dynamo or Dynamo Player to run the script.

2. Add-ins can run in the background, depending on the add-in, but your tone implies that that's not an option.

So you're going to need to compromise on some aspect of this ask.

[gary.cowan]

There are no addins that "run in the background" and im pretty sure they would need a lot of configuration to do what your trying to do whereas a dynamo script would have been wrote and implemented by now

[tkbridge]

I already have a previous Dynamo script that can be expanded to copy parameters between categories.
I was looking for a method my users can't "forget" to run.

Seems that Dynamo is the only realistic method to get parameters to cross categories.
Now implementing running of Dynamo graphs in a firm that has fairly new Revit users from AutoCAD with be harder than writing the graph.

[RLY_15]

For what it is worth, a few companies have started to push out add-ins intended to push Dynamo scripts to a ribbon-environment for better exposure to new users; you'd configure the ribbon at a company level and push the add-in to the users with simplified instructions ("click this before you save/synchronize").

Nonica and Orkestra come to mind, but there are likely a few more players on the market by this point.