Nested Family is missing parameters

[stephanschneller]

Hi,

We seem to be losing some parameters which we need to create our schedules (i.e. 'elevation at bottom' )

(I have attached a plan view and a schedule for clarification.)

Piles 1, 2 and 3 are instances of a simple family and as shown on the schedule there's no problem to extract this information.

Piles 4 and 5 are nested into a 'pile cap' family. There is the problem, once the piles are nested into a different family they seem to 'forget' their 'elevation at bottom' parameter.

Is there any explanation for this? or even better a work around?

Any help would be mostly appreciated.

Regards

[stephanschneller]

Hi,

Im still trying trial and error with the problem above...no success so far :)

Is there a way or a need of 'passing on' parameters from a 'nested families' to the 'host family' in order to use them in schedules?

Regards

Stephan

[BigBadBIM]

Hi,

Im still trying trial and error with the problem above...no success so far :)

Is there a way or a need of 'passing on' parameters from a 'nested families' to the 'host family' in order to use them in schedules?

Regards

Stephan
To get nested families to show in a schedule you need to make them "Shared Families." You can search the Help File for more info, but in short, you open the nested family in the Family editor>Go to Settings>Family Categories (I think that's what it's called)>and put a check mark in the box by shared.

Now you should see them in your schedule as before.

Good luck,

Let us know how it worked.

[stephanschneller]

Hi Lewerim,

Thanks for your reply.

I just tried what you said (->settings->family category and parameters -> 'shared' but it didnt work?

Just i case, I've attached to project which only contains a few pile families and the 1no. pile cap family with the nested piles as well as the pile schedule.

Do you have any other suggestions?

Regards,

Stephan

[greg.mcdowell]

Did you share the nested family or the host? Should be shared in the nested family for it to carry through to the project.

Now that's just to schedule the family itself and any default parameters. If you have custom parameters that you need to schedule these will need to be shared parameters in the shared-nested family and tied to parameters in the host family (that little box to the right of a parameter on the nested family in the host file will allow you to link them).

[Scott Womack]

The other caveat is that the parameters inside of the nested families need to be Instance based, if you want to control them from the host family. Once the nesting families are "shared" you can no longer hook type parameters up to parameters in the host family.

[stephanschneller]

Hi,

I've just realised that Im actually not scheduling parameters of the family, instead they are 'Fields' which I suppose are available depending on the family category (column, foundation etc.) (see attached pic)

....but then they are parameters, arent they? ....but I didnt set them up...so they must be set up automatically depending on the family category.....

...Can they be 'passed on' from a nested family to the host family in order to be schedule them?

Stephan

[greg.mcdowell]

Stephan - If the nested family is shared I don't think you have to link the parameters to the host family. They should be schedulable... unless my memory fails me. You should only need to link them if you need to control them from the host family.

For example, if you linked in a door frame family you would want to link up the default width and height parameters and possibly link other parameters from the nested family to new parameters in the host for more control... the material of the door frame for example.

Scott - Thanks for that bit on shared instance parameters in the nested family. Wasn't aware of that.

[stephanschneller]

Hi,

Thank you guys, I've manage to create parameters in a nested family and 'get them through' to the host family and finally to schedule these.

But...Im still struggling with parameters which are set up depending on the family category.

For example in the Structural Foundation family there is this 'elevation at bottom' parameter which determines the foundations global position in elevation (that's the one I really need)

But as soon as I nest a family this parameter of the nested family 'gets lost' somehow, meaning I cant schedule the global position of the pile?

I have attached a pic showing the properties of the foundation....under 'dimensions' is the 'Elevation at Bottom' parameter, which must be a global one for all foundations?

Any idea where this parameter gets defined? Could I somehow change the name of this parameter for the nested family?


Regards,

Stephan