How to Create a Filter to Identify Specific Top of Wall Elevations

[DNP]

Hello AUGI Forum. I am looking for assistance in defining the parameters required to create a filter to identify and color code wall elements that have specific top of wall spot elevations in plan view.

For example, the attached concrete grade beam section is constructed with an 18” wide tall wall element (below) and a 10” wide X 0’-4” tall wall element (curb) joined on top. The plan view illustrates the curb (green) and the balance of the grade beam (below) in purple.

The intent is to create a plan view that will use a filter to identify and color code the wall elements that are at elevation 5’-2” (similar to the attached color coded plan view). Please note that there are several grade beam configurations therefore the wall thicknesses that may be at elevation 5’-2” can be of any thickness and height.

The colors on the plan view have been applied via graphic overrides based on manually selecting the walls that have a top elevation = 5’-2”. This method works, but has the obvious issue as it is a static analysis and relies on manual-visual identification. If the walls change in elevation then the surface pattern identifications will not change unless manually modified.

The question.

What is the process to create a filter that will programmatically identify only the wall elements (of any thickness) that have a specific given top elevation (5’-2” for this example)?

Also, it seems the parameter formula “Height” = “Area” / “Length” is not 100% accurate; especially for walls that do not have constant cross-section as illustrated in the elevation view.

Searching this and other forums has not yet provided the specific answer and my apologies if there is a solution posted to this or a similar question. Thanks in advance.
DNP
Revit Structure 2012

[kmarsh]

I can't think of a way to do exactly what you want unless maybe there's a workflow around the parts functionality. One thing that comes to mind would be to use the API and the analysis visualization framework to paint the surfaces colors based on elevation. The AVF was intended for use by analysis programs to draw analytical results directly into Revit views (and it does a really good job of that) but there's no reason that it cannot be used for any type of analysis even a top of wall surface analysis like you are interested in.
You could also potentially create a family that you place on each wall top surface and create a schedule of the elevation of that family and use conditional formatting in the schedule. (just winging it on this one, haven't really thought it all the way through: i'm not certain that elevation would be available)

[DNP]

Thanks Ken. I'm not familiar with the Revit functions you are discussing, but I'll take a look and see if that will work...and maybe learn some more about Revit in the process. Thanks again.

[kmarsh]

The functionality i'm talking about specficially is in the API which can be used to paint surfaces with analysis results. The primary use case is for painting bending moment maps on floors but it is highly extensible and could be used to paint the tops of walls with colors indicating distance above the floor (or anything else for that matter) There is an API sample (AnalysisVisualizationFramework\DistanceToSurfaces) which showcases the Analysis Visualization Framework API functionality. http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Revit/e...60-Analysis160 This help article goes into more depth. That said, it's a fairly involved program to write so you might want to enlist the help of a third party developer or your reseller might be able to help as well.
As I mentioned, it probably depends on how important/useful this type of functionality is for you since through the API it would require some amount of advanced programming.

As for the conditional formatting, this article has more information: http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Revit/e...5-Formatti1595
it's a very cool enhancement to Revit schedule functionality that allows you to highlight and color fields based on conditions applied to the scheduled parameters.

Hope that at least gives you some directions to start.

-Ken

[DNP]

Thanks Ken. Don't think I'll be digging too deep into the API (at least not right now). The top of wall identification is needed, but it's not an standard procedure, so for now I guess it'll have to performed be via manual override.

I did play around with the conditional formatting. That's a good thing to know about. Thank you. Although, why there can't be a selection of parameters that are accessible to the filters that provide the parts and pieces to create a formula to extract the top of wall elevations? Columns seem to have more parameters available than walls and the column parameters come pretty close to achieving the solution.

Thank you for your suggestions.

[kmarsh]

I had another thought on this one (and maybe somoeone else can chime in with other ideas on this one) If you create parts from the walls, (you still have the original element) but each part will have a height that you could use in a calculated value in a schedule combined with a project parameter of "base elevation" or something similar to give you top height. Not sure how far beyond scheduling you can go with it (filter-wise) but it struck me as a possible path.
parts.png

[DNP]

So, can the baseEL parameter also be used with "regular" wall elements (looks like it)? The schedule appears to have parameters that could be applied to a filter. Also, how did you create the baseEL and/or the AbsEL parameter? Do they contain a formula? Thank you very much for your assistance.

[kmarsh]

The baseEl was created as a project paramter (Manage>Project Parameters) though it probably should be created as a shared parameter. It's not supposed to be scheduleable if it's a project parameter but it seems to work anyway. AbsEl I created as a calculated value in the schedule which is a formula taking the part height and the baseEl and summing them. (height+baseEl) and unfortunately it's only a schedule value.
Project (or shared) parameters can be added to regular walls as well and you can achieve something similar. I had thought that the individual tops of the shelves were the important things which is what made me think of parts. BaseEl is just a "dumb" parameter of type "Length" into which I manually entered something to represent the wall bases at that "level" no magic unfortunately. AbsEl is only available in the schedule so wouldn't be available for formulas.
I may be missing something but it seems like it would be great to be able to add a reporting parameter to a wall which could show the calculated value but I'm unsure if that's even possible.

[DNP]

@kmarsh. It looks like this getting to the point of realization that this task is not "easily" performed with the current Revit tools. Thanks again for the help and the additional insight into some of the other possible solutions.