Pipe Fitting Sizes - Parameter

[Hugh_Compton]

Hello

I've attached a pipe fitting that I have been working on.  The fitting is essentially an ABS Reducing Bush. 

I require the shared parameter 0BV_Size to contain a description of the part's size.  This is for use in both tagging and scheduling. 

In order to use a lookup table successfully I have combined the two Piping : Pipe Size parameters so that Revit gives me the correct sizes. 

The fitting works well and the description is what I want BUT it involves a long formula for the 0BV_Size shared parameter.  Is there a way to get a string for each reducing bush size?

Here is my current formula for getting the size - which is a bit of a pain to create for all of my fittings:

if(V = 2015, "3/4x1/2", if(V = 2515, "1x1/2", if(V = 2520, "1x3/4", if(V = 3225, "1 1/4x1", if(V = 4020, "1 1/2x3/4", if(V = 4025, "1 1/2x1", if(V = 4032, "1 1/2x1 1/4", if(V = 5025, "2x1", if(V = 5032, "2x1 1/4", if(V = 5040, "2x1 1/2", if(V = 6550, "2 1/2x2", if(V = 8040, "3x1 1/2", if(V = 8050, "3x2", if(V = 8065, "3x2 1/2", if(V = 10050, "4x2", if(V = 10080, "4x3", if(V = 125100, "5x4", if(V = 150100, "6x4", if(V = 200150, "8x6", if(V = 250200, "10x8", if(V = 300250, "12x10", "NA")))))))))))))))))))))

If this fitting used a Type Catalog then Revit would allow a string for each fitting size which would work great BUT Type Catalogs don't allow the families to 'automatically size themselves with a pipe run'....

If the Lookup Table would allow a string / text to be returned then this would also work but Lookup Tables only allow numeric data to be returned (is this statement right???)

Is there an easier way to get the description and size of a fitting for tagging and scheduling?

Thanks

PS I'd better explain something: I work in metric.  My ABS fittings have Imperial descriptions - we should use metric ABS really but this isn't my decision in the company that I work so apologies if this seems confusing.

[CoreyDaun]

Sorry for the delay of response, here, but I'm not terribly efficient with Pipe Fittings.

Anyhow, I think that that formula assigned to a Shared Parameter in the Family would be the best way to go. I've done quite a few massive formulas for some of my Lighting Fixture Families and what I did was create an Excel file to build and compile the formula for Revit. If that is any interest to you, I'd be happy to help.

[Hugh_Compton]

Hi CADAstrophe

I'd be very interested in your spreadsheet approach.  I've started using my own rough version and attached it here but it has been hastily thrown together and no time at all spent on it...

[CoreyDaun · Accepted solution]

That's not bad at all for no time into it!

I use Excel quite extensively for various purposes, so I've attached your spreadsheet with my version (I created a separate Worksheet). I often create very lengthy "operations" in Excel, so I specifically create a formula so it can be simply copy/ pasted as many times as needed (without any modification) and still serve the exact same purpose, and that's what I did here. This method will work for any number of entries; all that you have to do is copy/paste cells F2:G2 to additional cells below.

Anyway, in the spreadsheet, column F does basically what yours did, but automatically finds where the "NA" should be and then terminates after that. Column G just continually concatenates the current string with the cell above (compiling the formula) and reports the cell row number when the formula series is terminated (finds the "NA"). Cell I2 finds and uses the minimum value in row G to locate the correct cell (last formula string in G) and then adds the appropriate quantity of closed parentheses.

As for getting the formula into Revit: create a new Text Document (with Notepad), select cell I2 in the spreadsheet (the cell itself, not the text), copy it and paste it into the Text Document (to get the final text string), and then copy paste that into Revit. The parameters must already exist in the Revit Family for this to work, of course.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance. Hope this helps!

[Hugh_Compton]

Wow, very impressed! Much more efficient than my version - I hardly ever use excel so it might take a while for me to disect your workings.  For the moment I'll just use your spreadsheet and leave understanding it to another time 🙂

Thank you!