Recently, I've been reviewing our company's usage of shared parameters and how it impacts our design/workflow.
To this date, we have been assigning specific groups of shared parameters to specific pieces of equipment. For example, if we have a pump family, we assign a specific group we create of "pump" parameters which includes parameters such as pump GPM, pump PRESSURE, etc...
However, this means when any new family is downloaded from a manufacturer, we need to reload all of these shared parameters into the individual file. This can become quite painstaking on large projects with many families especially now that the shared parameters converter is not available in Revit 2017.
I have heard some people are using "project parameters" in text form exclusively for all of their MEP equipment. I think this defeats the purpose of Revit (BIM), but figured it's worth mentioning.
So, with that said, what are your thoughts and how are you using shared parameters? Project parameters? Scheduling equipment? Etc...?
Thanks!
Shared parameters all the way. We group MEP families according to the schedule they appear on and apply shared parameters that correspond to those in the pertinent schedules. Rather than create separate parameters for each equipment type, we re-use parameters as much as possible - eg., instead of FLA, MCA, MOCP, etc., we just have an "Amps" parameter that stands in for all of them and edit the schedule column header as needed. If there's a case in which an equipment type requires multiple parameters of the same category, we affix "_1, _2" etc. to them - ie., Voltage_1, Voltage_2, etc.
If you use project parameters you'll render your tags useless.
I use a vast amount of Shared Parameters. From voltages and materials to dimensions and setting out heights all with many compound parameter Tags to suit.
Its the only way to create and annotate models quickly and its all automatically updated across the model when you change something.
I also have generic template families that have all the parameters and whatnot built into them so if I want to create something quickly I can do so and it will work with all my existing Tags and schedules.
We, too, have generic families created with stock shared parameters loaded. This does help with quick creation of new families (having a starting template).