Multi-Category Schedules and Areas

[dlancor]

I'm having a problem with areas / multi-category schedules / shared parameters.

And if that doesn't scare you off, read on!

What I am trying to do is associate certain rooms and areas with a particular egress path for our life safety plans. But, the problem we're having is actually quite simple and can be recreated with any shared parameter:

1) I've created a new Shared Parameter called "Egress Path"
2) I edit the door family and add the shared parameter and load it into the base project.
3) I create a regular area schedule and add the Shared Parameter, selecting "add to all elements in the selected categories" and choosing areas (This is the only way I can find to add a parameter to areas)

So far, so good. If you get the properties of any door or area, it lists "Egress Path" as a parameter.

I would like to create a simple schedule that shows the value of that field for all doors and areas.

So, I create a multi-category schedule with "Egress Path" and "Family and Type" as fields.

The doors show up, but the areas will not.

Furthermore, if i give a door a value of 'A' under 'Egress Path', 'A' becomes available in the little drop down lists of 'Egress Path' for any other door, as Revit knows I've already assigned it to one. But, it is not listed under the drop down list for the same parameter under any area. The areas are not talking to any other category....

This is not working and I don't know why - any thoughts?

Thank you for your help!

David
PBC+L Architecture

[Calvn_Swing]

Did you try associating the parameter with Rooms instead of Areas? Still not sure it will work, but to use Areas seems a funny choice to me...

[dlancor]

Well,

I am using Areas because we are doing our life safety plans as areas plans in order to be able to get gross areas....

I tried adding the shared parameter to rooms as a test, and I can get it to list as a property of a room in the same way as I did it for areas, and again, the rooms won't show up in the multi category schedule.

Hmm....

Thank you,
David

[dlancor]

Well,

FYI I believe that multi-category schedules can only schedule components / families. Areas, rooms, walls and surely other things do not seem to show.

David

[Calvn_Swing]

That being said, I seem to remember someone talking about being able to do FF&E Schedules and include what room they were in on the schedule.

This is one of those areas where we need a lot more control over things like rooms and areas than we are given.

If I were you I'd submit a support request to AutoDesk about this...