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Thread: Aligning curtain panels

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    Question Aligning curtain panels

    Just so you know that I have checked every post that relates to this questing already (2 days worth of research) and tho I find posts about it or similar I dont find much in the way of solutions so I'm asking again. I promise that when I find a solution I will post it so that others can reference it.

    I have successsfully developed curtain wall units and they react as curtain wall panels in that they scale to size based on the height of the grid opening (So Far So Good).

    I am having trouble with a certain partial height "spandrel" panel nested into a curtain wall system. I can get the full height panels to work and even the bottom panel but not the spandrel. I keep getting the constraint error.

    The nested spandrel panel will only lock either to the top or the bottom reference planes which is expected as it needs to not be overconstrained so it will flex to the grip goemetry in the project. I have tried to use the align command to lock the individual elements to top and bottom planes, but I keep getting a 'Constriants' error. The error occurs even though there are no constraints applied to the individual components. (I've tried putting in a height parameter in the orriginal curtain wall panel family, or not, and it makes no differnce either way).

    Naturally I thought that I forgot to insert the panel on the right refernce plane. No. It gives me no choice to insert in on my hoizontal refernece plane "intermediate mullion". Nor change my host either. So then my next step was just to insert it, lock it to the top and then link it to the "intermediate mullion" parameter. Nope. As a result the nested spandrel panel pops up beyond if I align it to the bottom plane or doesn't flex down if I align it to the top plane.

    With the bottom panel I inserted it and aligned/locked to the "intermediate mullion" and no problem. Why wont it work in reverse? I even tried creating the panel with the "level being higher and extruding the panle downwards but it still snaps to the ref. level in the project and then behaves the way the other bad one does.

    I've inserted screen shots of the problem but I can't post the family here due to propritary info with the family. I'd be happy to provide more screen shots, etc.

    Help please??!

  2. #2
    Revit Forum Manager Steve_Stafford's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aligning curtain panels

    A wild guess...

    The nested panel is constrained differently than how you are attempting to flex/control it in the host family. For example, the nested panel is aligned with center reference planes and it flexes equally in either directly relative to the centerline. When you put it in the project you are attempting to constrain it from an edge and have it grow or contract relative to that edge.

    If a family must flex from an edge it needs to be constrained that way. If it must flex from center...likewise. This issue comes up now and then with folks nesting door panels that are defined from center-out but then try to constrain them from the hinge edge.

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    Default Re: Aligning curtain panels

    Thanks Steve. I understand what you are saying however that is my understanding of how a curtain panel works; it flexs from the center.

    However when I nest in my basic panel into my panel unit it does not give me the option of a height to place the panel at therefor I have to lock it to a reference plane. when I do that it does not let constrain it to the top as well. Overcontraining I get that.

    What I dont get is how come my bottom panel (who is offset from the reference level) CAN be aligned to the intermediate refernce plan and flexs perfectly but it wont work for the top panel aligning at the top and flexing down???? All I can think of is that it had something to do with how each panel is cross refererencing the referencing level?

    Is there any way I can get a hold of the API programmer who designed the curtasin panels and ask them? I think one thing that is serevely lacking in Revit is that when templates are designed in a certain way there are no instructions and we are left to "guess" at how it works.

    Any other ideas?????

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    Default Re: Aligning curtain panels

    so I promised I post the solution when i found it...

    i actually need to tab through the choices, reference plane or shape handles. Ref plane moves it and Shape Handle stretches it. i have not had any problem for months now that i figured this out. It applies to most everything curtainwallish.
    Last edited by WYSIWYG-BIM; 2010-03-29 at 10:20 PM. Reason: spelling

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    Default Re: Aligning curtain panels

    Thanks for posting that.

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