Design Options - Structural - Referencing Errors

[Anonymous]

I'm new at Design Options, and I have read through the online information from Autodesk about the feature, and I have experimented for a few hours with what I need to do, and I have come to believe that there is a big error in design options when it comes to structural models.

The referencing error keeps popping up and I understand what it means, but if I have 2 design options which include the foundation to roof, floor slabs in between with their supporting beams and walls and a few edge columns, and I want to "step back" a portion of the wall in my secondary option which would include stepping back the floor slab and the columns that support the floor slab, I cannot add the beams that support the slab to a design option because they are connected to columns on the opposite end that are not in the design option.   It's a "chain" effect that is making me include beams and columns in 2,3,4 bays back that aren't part of my design option just because they're "connected".  So unless modeling the beams incorrectly so they don't connect is the only answer, design options for structural use is very very limited.  Any answers out there?

I have 2 images below, showing the "setback" design option I am looking to create and the "primary" or current design.

[andrea.kikuchi]

Hi @Anonymous, 

You are correct that interdependent elements must be in the same design option. Are you able to create duplicate types of beams to add them to the design option that way? 

[Anonymous]

I am able to duplicate members and place them, but as soon as I move one end of the beam (in the design option) to attach to the column (in the main model) the error comes up.  The only way I can get it to work is to model "incorrectly" by keeping the beam and the column juuuuust barely separate so it shows up on plan correctly, but won't give me that warning.  The problem I see is that structurally, doing something like this is not uncommon, but this error prevents one from using Revit this way.

[andrea.kikuchi]

If the beams are dependent on the columns, then they should be included in the design options anyway, isn't that correct? 

[apjones]

Your columns will have to be in the same design option as well.  This will lead to duplicate columns, one set each in each design option you have.

[Anonymous]

By the way the program works, yes.  But referencing the images, all I want to do is set back those columns on the face of the building, which I am doing, and I have duplicate columns for.  The columns supporting the other side of the beams, which you can't directly see in the images, want to be included, but they remain the same for both cases.  I'd be fine with adding those for each case if I have to, but per my original post, once I add THOSE columns, then it's a chain effect, and beams and columns on the other side of the building that are "connected" but aren't part of the design option need to be added for me to add the unchanging columns supporting the opposite side of the setback beams.  It's one after another and eventually I have an entire floor that's "required" to be duplicated, and that's not useful, or intelligent of the program.

[andrea.kikuchi]

Does turning off the analytical model have any effect on the referencing error?

[Anonymous]

Hmmm....I have not tried that.  When I get back on that project, I will try that and let you know!