Linking mechanical equipment models to specific schedules to auto-populate?

[kdominguezDV7ZM]

Hello! I have a sheet on Revit containing many schedules for different types of VAVs. The VAVs are contained in families, each with their own schedule. (An example being a schedule for  VAV terminal units w/ an electric coil and another VAV schedule for a hydraulic coil) I know you can populate schedules by changing the schedule number in the equipment property tab under identity data; however, I want to make it so that when a VAV is tagged or placed into the model it will automatically be added to the correct schedule instead of manually inputting the schedule number each time. Is that possible? 

For some more context the sheet numbers and schedule numbers will not change. I am trying to make a master copy that can be imported to multiple models. In this case the sheet is labeled as 9 with the VAV terminal unit w/ electric coil being 9.01 and the other as 9.02.  That's the general format

Thank you in advance! 

[iainsavage]

I'm not completely sure what your process is here but you can filter schedules by any applicable parameter so you could filter by Family Name, Type, Comments, or many other features of the equipment that you want to include in any particular schedule.

It sounds as though you are manually populating a parameter with a number (or Mark parameter?) and then using that parameter as the filter for the schedule but that sounds a bit long-winded and susceptible to error.

For example if you want all VAVs of a certain type in a specific schedule you could filter by the Family Name and Type etc.

Also, since version 2023, it is possible to filter by sheet so that a schedule placed on a sheet will only include items which appear in the views on that sheet. 

[kdominguezDV7ZM]

If I filter by family name and type, would I have to create new parameters for each family? 

[iainsavage]

Example which only includes one particular type of WSHP:

Filter by sheet is NOT set in this instance but I've ringed it so that you know where to find it if you want to use that feature (only version 2023 and above)

[iainsavage]

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@kdominguezDV7ZM wrote:

If I filter by family name and type, would I have to create new parameters for each family? 

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Every family has a family name and one or several types in the family.

[dtiemeyer]

I've created a shared parameter called 'MyCompany-ScheduleNumber' since we have various families that we'd want to all be on the same schedule (like perhaps a Terminal Unit that has a round inlet and a terminal unit that has a rectangular inlet), then you input that shared parameter into all your equipment families and give a number that corresponds to the Schedule. Then in the Schedule, Filter by that corresponding shared parameter value.

[iainsavage]

It sounds like that's what they are doing and if it is a Type parameter and your operatives are well trained to ensure that they add the correct code to every family type then that will work but are you sure that every time your colleagues download a family from Autodesk or a third party they make sure to first add the shared parameter and secondly populate the correct code?

You could achieve the same thing without your shared parameter by populating the Type Mark parameter.

Isn't it just easier to use an existing feature in the family? To my mind the family name and type is the most obvious if you want to isolate a particular family and type.

[dtiemeyer]

I agree that if you have a single family to schedule then your suggestion in post #7 is certainly the easiest, but the OP asked "all VAVs of a certain type", if he means "Type" (as in a Revit Family Type) then your schedule is easiest, if he means "type" (as in many different families of the same style equipment) then a more robust schedule/parameter solution is needed.

[iainsavage]

So in my example (based on an Autodesk sample file) you could schedule all WSHP families and types by filtering by name contains WSHP.

In this case I used Family and Type as separate parameters rather than the Family & Type single parameter and I used hidden fields to sort by level and family name so that these only appear in the headers without duplication in the fields.

There are many, many ways to filter and sort schedules but what I am suggesting is that by adding another WSHP family or type, or an instance of one of the existing types, the schedule will automatically adjust without the user having to manually assign a code to the instance.

@kdominguezDV7ZM wrote "I know you can populate schedules by changing the schedule number in the equipment property tab ... however, I want to make it so that when a VAV is ...  placed into the model it will automatically be added to the correct schedule instead of manually inputting the schedule number each time.", so what I am suggesting achieves that aim (I think).