Non-adjacent EQ Dimensions?

[iandidesign]

I'm wondering if there is a way to create non-adjacent equal (EQ) dimensions–relationships. Please refer to the screen shot for three examples:

1. I'd like to keep Room 1 eqaul to Room 4 (the 2500 dimens would read EQ).
2. In Room 5 I'd like to keep the wall sections between the windows and corners equal (the 917 dimens would read EQ).
3. In Room 6 I'd like to keep all the wall bits equal (all the 721 dimens would read EQ).

Related, is there a way to replace a dimension's text entirely, either to fake it or to insert something like "Field Verify"?

Thanks and cheers.

[Steve_Stafford]

Replace the text in a dimension? No. Search for Fake Dimensions, there are several posts where members have shared annotations that look like dimensions but aren't for this purpose, actual dimensions that is. You could use those to do what you want, but not the constraining part, for that read on...

The EQ feature is not flexible enough itself to do what you describe. You may know this already but might as well write it anyway.

There are two EQ features. The first is the constraint which tells Revit to maintain equality. The second is a display option and found via Right Click on the dimension. The display toggle is toggled on when the EQ constraint is applied but it can be turned off with the constraint intact.

EQ display can be toggled on regardless of the constraint to show EQ instead of the actual value when all the dimensions in a string are exactly EQ. If one portion of the string is not equal to the others they usually all fail to display EQ at that point. For EQ to work it has to be the same string and all the reference elements need to actually be equal. It cannot distinguish between Equal A and Equal B.

This is where I start to ramble so you can skip it if you want...I imagine you could make a family that contains some reference planes and key dimensions to layout a template for the rules and then align and lock the walls to that. But honestly by the time you build it you could probably change the layout 5 times and still have time for coffee.

Fwiw, some contractor's I've met despise EQ. They called me a "wimp architect" (I'm not an architect so I took it as a compliment and tuned out the wimp part) who must be afraid to make a decision or pick a number, any number :smile: but then I've worked with a few grumpy contractors.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

This does actually work, but only for specific conditions. Take a look at the top dimension in the image.
If you have a dimension string with dimensions at each end that have the same value you can right click on the dim string and check EQ Display. Revit will replace the values with EQ.

Now look at the bottom string. Even though three of the dimensions have a value of 1800, only the end ones will display as EQ. :roll:

Not sure what the reasoning is behind this 'almost' functionality but, that's the way it works. As a really awkward workaround I suppose you could place a number of dim strings so that you always had 'end' dimensions.

[iandidesign]

Thanks for the help and info gentlemen.

...some contractor's I've met despise EQ. They called me a "wimp architect"...

I'd tell them if they can build to a millimeter’s tolerance I'll dimension everything to the millimeter.

In all seriousness, I think that attitude is not only grumpy but irresponsible. A good contractor will strive to understand the design intent. Showing where things should be aligned, centered, equalized, etc. empowers them to correct for inevitable construction errors. This goes hand in hand with the "note it once" philosophy that, while admittedly a work saving holdover from hand drafting days, does force the builder to solve the puzzle we have created and in doing so comprehend the design. Lastly, it avoids rounding errors where chains do not agree with overall building dimensions.

In my experience these non-adjacent EQ-EQ conditions are quite common. This seems like something that could be easily fixed since Revit already has all the basic functionality. Something for the next wishlist I guess. Any ideas on how it should be controlled (constraints as well as EQ display)?

[ws]

FWIW I've also been trying to make something like this work with no success...

I've been playing around with the anchor position in Equal dimensions mentioned in this blog:
http://revitfamilies.blogspot.com/2007/01/anchors-aweigh.html
but you sort of need 2 control points perhaps?

[Calvn_Swing]

From what I can tell, the desire is to make the EQ a constraint, not just a display. I too really want this to happen. I wish you could select a dimension, and add other dimension (adjacent or not) to it's "string" and thus be able to make both adjacent and on-adjacent dimensions EQ both for constraints and for display...

[iandidesign]

Yes the constraint and the display. It seems like we'd either need to multiple-select single dimensions, or have a way to select specific dimensions within a string. Then we'd run a command or hit a button.

[t1.shep]

Old thread...hoping something has changed in the newer releases...
I'd like that if you had a dimension string, and locked the dimensions you want to keep then hit the eq icon, Revit would attempt to move the elements that have been dimensioned and locked to equalize the dimensions that have not been locked.
i.e. A ceiling tile grid. You want to center the pattern in the room. You know that the tiles are 2x4. You dimension from a wall to a panel line, to another pattern line, and then to the wall. Lock the middle dimension and then hit EQ. Then viola! your ceiling grid is centered in the room.
Am I missing something, or is this possible?