Creating a Revit family duct/pipe accessory which adapts to duct/pipe size

[Anonymous]

Morning all,

I am currently trying to work out how to create a duct/pipe accessory which will autosize to the duct/pipe size. For example, using either the break into or damper duct accessory we can get a family which sizes to the duct size when placed. However, when I change the duct size after the accessory is placed, the duct accessory stays the same connection size and the duct tapers on to connect. I know it is possible to create a family which autosizes to the duct size since at my previous company, we had one. However, I can't work out how to do it nor find any guidance online. Any tips?

Thanks

[ramabalanv]

@Anonymous,

Ensure your connector dimensions are linked into instance parameter in a Revit family.

[apadillami6]

Hi, I really know that adaptative MEP families are the most difficult.

Well Im gonig to share some ideas, first you need to find information about :

- Power of Lookup Tables in Revit for  families 

http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/class-catalog/classes/year-2013/revit-for-mep-eng...

- Second

Find information about  " Conditional  Statement parameters " "IF"

https://www.revitforum.org/tutorials-tips-tricks/1046-revit-formulas-everyday-usage.html

That kind of parameters are really helpful and also powerful

So, at least, If you excel managing  "Size lookup tables and conditional statemnet parameters", you wont have problems designing this families.

[robert.klempau · Accepted solution]

Hello @Tian.coulsting,

Unfortunately, it is not possible for a Duct Accessory to automatically get the same size as the Duct it's in after changing the Duct size.

Only Duct Fittings have that behavior.

There is one functionality that changes the size of the Duct Accessory when the size of the Duct changes and that is the Duct/Pipe Sizing tool.

This tool updates the sizes of all the Revit Categories in the Duct or Pipe Layout. 

If you don't want to use the Duct/Pipe Sizing tool but want your Damper to be placed into a duct and always inherit the size of that duct whenever you place it in a Duct or when changing the size of the Duct afterwards, then you have to set the Family Catagory to Duct Fittings instead of  Duct Accessory and set the Part Type of the Duct fitting to Union.

Note:

If you do this, your dampers won't show up in your Duct Accessory Schedule!

You have to create a Duct Fitting or a Muli-Catagory Schedule for your Dampers.

Please see the video I created for this case:

[p.mbarbosa]

Hi! I have a similar problem and I was wondering how do you connect the parameters Duct Height and Width to the actual duct dimensions? 

[Anonymous]

As Robert Klempau stated, I don't think this is possible with duct accessories. 

It is possible with pipe accessories.  Each pipe connector diameter should be linked to a different instance parameter, then size the accessory based on the larger of the diameters. This way if you change an upstream or downstream pipe size the valve will automatically get bigger.  Be careful though, every accessory with act like a transition, so you could have a 2" pipe and a 1" pipe connected to a 2" valve.  Even though that's not possible in real life. 

[p.mbarbosa]

Hi Sophia,

Thanks a lot for the reply. The truth is that I would like my Family to simply adapt on the moment that I insert it on the duct and not to adapt automatically once I change the dimensions of the duct. Which I'm pretty sure it's possible but I can't reproduce it.

I'll appreciate if you have any advice on this.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you can do that. 

Click on the duct connector in the family and make sure that the dimensions are linked to INSTANCE parameters.  That should allow you to just drop the family in the duct and it will size to the duct.   Take a look at the Revit OOTB (out-of-the-box) families and copy those. 

[fabiosato]

Hello,

I also suggest you to use parameters set to Duct Size type of parameter units to link to the duct connector, I usually set the connector to fittings in such case.

[Anonymous]

Why do you suggest that?  I haven't noticed a functional difference between "Common-Length" parameter type and "HVAC-Duct Size".  I assumed they split the length parameter into a bazillion different parameters so that you could set up project settings to show different significant digits. 

[fabiosato]

Hello Sophia,

In previous versions of Revit, not using these type of parameters the connector could not "read" the connected pipe value, this was my experience with Revit 2013 to 2015. Since then, as I always used them, I never tried other unit types.

For safety, or when inconsistent behavior starts, I always suggest that change, and usually it works.

[Jabus_Venter]

Good day,

Thank you all for the info.

I have a bit of a different problem and will appreciate it if one of you can assist me please.

I created a flow meter family (pipe accessory) and manage to successfully place it on the pipe.

The flowmeter automatically takes on the size of the pipe.

My problem comes in when I try to use the automatic Duct/Pipe Sizing tool.

When I use this tool before the flowmeter is placed, then all works fine and pipe resizes automatically.

But when I try to do the same after the flow meter is placed, I get a "Sizing failed" error?

Also, when doing the automatic sizing the pipe DN goes up from DN300 to DN500 and I am able to place the flowmeter on both these diameters automatically adapting to the size. Thus the family seems correct? The error just comes in when trying to do the automatic sizing after the flowmeter is placed.

The settings of the flowmeter:

• Part type: Valve - Breaks Into.
• System classification for both connectors: Fitting (I tried setting this to global, and got the same error).

Any comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

[RobDraw]

Different problem deserves a new thread.