Door Opening Clash Detection

[dzinrgeek]

I'm working with a model provided by the Architect.

It's important when framing door openings that the jamb studs go to deck. The BIM coordinator would like to run a clash detection on door openings and ducts. To be sure the ducts are not spanning the width of the opening and not interferring with the jamb studs.

So what is the best way to model this?

I am a newb so there are a lot of ideas swimming in my head. Can I add jamb studs to the existing door families?

[cliff collins]

the wall itself could be extended to the deck using "edit wall profile" above the doors--but this seems
a bit tedious if you have lots of doors.

Would only the jamb studs extend to the deck? or would the whole wall extend to the deck?

I suppose you would have variations of both.

Your idea to add studs onto the door family is interesting, and could be done. You could give the studs a visibility parameter and have then automatically be turned on/off in different view types such as plan, elevation/section and RCP.

Let us know what your solution is.

cheers

[dzinrgeek]

t

he wall itself could be extended to the deck using "edit wall profile" above the doors--but this seems a bit tedious if you have lots of doors.

All the walls go to deck, even over the doors. This is part of my responsibility of being the BIM Modeling Drywall Sub.

Your idea to add studs onto the door family is interesting, and could be done. You could give the studs a visibility parameter and have then automatically be turned on/off in different view types such as plan, elevation/section and RCP.

I need more help on the it could be done. Is it depended on how that door family was created? Is that something I just need to add to the family? Am I off on that?

I want to explore the editing of the family first! but what about this: Couldn't I, for simplicity sake, just add a tube steel column (it would be nicer if I had two jamb studs modeled together to form jamb studs) to either side of the door? This would form the clash. Any variations on either of the two ideas?

[cliff collins]

You can open a typical door family, then save-as and call it Door-Flush Wood-Jack Studs or whatever you like. This way you preserver the original door family and you can easily go back to it if needed.

Then inside the family editor, you can create some simple extrusions in the shape of the jack studs,
and give them dimension parameters to control height, for example.

Then save the new family and load into your project.

As a quick test---select all instances of your "old doors" which don't have the jack studs and replace them with your new door with studs and then you can see all the clashes, create 3D views and reports etc.

FWIW--If you or anyone on the team has Navisworks, then running Clash Detection is much better than inside Revit.

cheers

[dzinrgeek]

Cliff thanks for the tip. Going to look into doing this.

[dzinrgeek]

ALMOST GOT IT! I need a little more help...

How I got here. I modified a generic "rectangular column" family. Renamed it "Jamb Studs" made a 3 5/8" & 6". Then I went into the model. Selected a door. Selected "Modify Family". Renamed the family first. Then I loaded the "Jamb Studs" family into the doors. Placed the "Jamb Studs" on either side of the door. Added a parameter dimension for the "Jamb Studs".
Went back into the model. Loaded then newly renamed family. Selected a door, while it was highlighted, I navigated to my newly renamed door family with the jamb studs and it loaded.

It worked! Kinda...

I have noticed the jamb studs only span 9'-0" tall. Not tall enough to cause a clash.

I thought since I used a column I would be able to control an offset to make the column go to deck. It has to do with it being apart or nested into the door family that I have no way of controlling the height.

How do I get the columns to extend to the underside of the deck?

[cliff collins]

It could be that you used a Column family to nest into the door family? Is there a parameter for the dimension for the height of the column in the Column Family? I suspect that the columns are being constrained to a "level" in the family, then when loaded into the project they may still be constrained at the top which is why they don't extend to the deck.

You can try doing it again, but this time make some simple extrusions in a Generic Model Family, and place a dimension with a new parameter called "stud height" ---make sure you make it an instance parameter and place it in the "dimensions" category when creating the parameter. This parameter will be used to control the height of the "studs" once inside the project. ( The studs could all be included in a single family that get's nested into the door family--just make sure they all have a dimension which controls their heights. Check this by "flexing" the height value in the Generic Model family before loading it into the door family. Make sure to use a Reference Plane to lock the dimension for height to.

You might also want to check "Shared" under the family type properties for the nested "studs" Generic Model family. This way they can actually be tagged if necessary.

Hope this helps. It's a bit of a challenge, but once it's working it will be very valuable, and you are learning some very good Revit skills along the way.

cheers

[dzinrgeek]

Cliff, I am considering what you said. You also gave me an idea, so I added a dimension parameter for the Jamb Stud heights to the door family. This gave me a value I can plug into the properties window (JS Height). Now I can plug in the to deck height... This is getting better.... I feel like I ALMOST there. So I don't want to abandon what I have done today.

I might be pushing it, because you have helped me SO MUCH already! But I am going to attach both my Jamb Studs and the ONE door family I have been testing this on. Would you take a look at them and then walk me through what I need to do?

[dzinrgeek]

Update:
I took Cliff's advice, abandoned modifying a "Door Family". I had to discover it for myself I guess. What I did figure out and why I ultimately decided to follow Cliff's advice.

I was duplicating a door family that had a bunch of custom parameters from the architect. So it would override the door I was trying add jamb studs to. An example to explain the situation I was running into; I started with editing a door family of a Patient Room entrance which was a 48" door with a large vision panel. I made all the changes to all the subcategories but every time I would try to replace my edited family with a door that was in place it would make it 48" with a vision panel that I started with. So that got very irritating.

To try to work around that confusion I decided I would modify the door family without the door. Just inserting the jamb studs. Not thinking though because that would create additional door tags. Confusion down the road would be a possibility.

So, took Cliff's advice. Started with a Generic RFT. Created opening parameters. Added my Jamb Studs (which are still based off the column family)

And it works well... How can I make it better?

Cliff thanks again for the help! I should have taken your advice two days ago though.

[cliff collins]

Glad you got it working, and that I could be of help.

Revit is a complicated program, and Families are one of the most powerful but difficult parts.

cheers