'Type Comments' for each item in a Catalog List, how?

[J2KOL679947]

I'm currently putting the name of each Detail Item in the Type Comments field so that I can simply (custom)tag that Detail Item and it automatically gets labeled.

How do I achieve this when my Detail Items are already in a Catalog? (Beams, Angles, etc.)

A formula perhaps?

[J2KOL679947]

I'm a noob, so perhaps my question isn't worded clearly.
Let me try asking this way...

I can create a family/detail item
01.jpg

and fill out the "type comment" which my custom tag displays automatically
02.jpg

but how do I accomplish this with something like channels, where all of the sizes/shapes are cataloged OOTB?
03.jpg

[Steve_Stafford]

You need to edit the type catalog to preset the values you'd like to use. Each of the families has a corresponding .TXT file. Each type is a separate line in the file.

The format for Type Comments parameter is Type Comments##Other##

This is the "header" row (first row) for AISC Angle Shapes-Section.txt

,W##other##,A##area##inches,d##length##inches,b##length##inches,t##length##inches,k##length##inches,x##length##inches,y##length##inches

You'd add the Type Comments parameter info to that line like this:

,W##other##,A##area##inches,d##length##inches,b##length##inches,t##length##inches,k##length##inches,x##length##inches,y##length##inches,Type Comments##Other##

then at the end of each line for each type in the catalog you'd add (the comma and text in bold):

L8X8X1-1/8,56.9,16.7,8.00,8.00,1.125,1.75,2.40,2.40,YourCommentHere

Alternatively you can just enter a value in the project for each loaded type. Once you've entered it there it will appear in your tag for all the instances of that type that you place.

[J2KOL679947]

Thank you, Steve! I shall try that today.

One thing I'm learning is that Revit takes a LONG time to get set up/customized, but once you do it makes tasks a lot easier.

I appreciate your reply.

[J2KOL679947]

Well Bummer!

I finally got time to try what Steve suggested.

Everything works fine until I pick a shape to load into the project.
Then I get this message "Warning. The parameter Type Comments doesn't exist in the Family. It will be ignored."
Then the command cancels.

However, when I open the Family (in this case AISC Angle Shapes-Section) it has a "Type Comments" parameter. (see attached pic).
04.jpg

What am I doing wrong here?
Thanks.

[J2KOL679947]

N/M. Solved!

I found the answer here in case anyone faces this same issue.
http://architects-desktop.blogspot.c...-catalogs.html

"If your type catalog includes a text-type parameter, such as the out-of-the-box Type Comments parameter, you have to add a value to that parameter in the family file. If the parameter is left unedited, when you try to load the family, you will get a Warning...

...and none of the values in your type catalog will be imported into the type(s) you chose to load into your project. If you edit the text parameter in the family, even by simply typing a single character and then deleting it, Revit recognizes that the parameter has been edited and will load the type catalog values as expected. In order to avoid confusing myself, I plan to leave some visible text in the family for each text parameter I have in the type catalog, so that I can see that the parameter has been edited. If a type needs a text parameter to be empty or blank, a blank value in the type catalog will overwrite the value in the family file, leaving the value of that parameter blank for that type."

[dkoch]

Glad I could help.