stuntmonkee
2009-09-16, 06:52 PM
OK, I'm drowning in a bit of parameter paradox and thought, maybe if I write it down it will clear up. Then thought maybe I could turn it into a support group ;)
I'm perfectly clear on the whole shared parameter deal (at least I thought), but have recently been chasing my tail a little.
I'm new to this firm, so the difficult part has been trying to seperate what was done with intent, what was done with out knowing any better, and what was done correctly but different than what I would have done.
SO. . .on to the details.
I'm going to pertain this to doors.
1. Medium sized firm started in Revit a short time ago, and had several doors created for them.
2. Large projects, obviously required more doors than what they had available.
3. All the projects use links
4. The firm is just now getting into heavily scheduling the doors
5. Working with a contractor that is requesting additional information out of the model beyond the standard parameters.
This has dropped us into a situation where we have several shared parameter files. Some of those shared parameter files have the same parameter name and have been loaded into door families once from each parameter file. Some of the shared parameter files have been lost, some have never been used, and some just don't make sence. Then to top it off we have a plethera of project parameters.
Example:
By default, each door comes with a "Fire Rating", we all know that, but for some reason when those "several custom doors" were created, a shared parameter of DR Label was added to the family to display the same info. That was done either by request of the firm, or with the intent of being used differently. But where we stand now, they are they same.
So now we have 2 parameters, saying the same thing, in different spots. The bigger problem is that the doors that only have the Fire Rating need the DR Label added so we can fill out the schedules. So I add the DR Label Parameter from the shared parameter file that I think it was same shared parameters file that the other door used, just to find out that it wasn't, meaning it won't schedule with the other information even though its the same exact name. Good Grief.
OK, so now. . . .thats where I stand. My first instinct was to start eliminating the shared parameters that are not family type specific and making them project parameters.
Meaning, for Head/Jamb/Sill details, that is something that changes in each location in each project, so we can create those as a project parameter and not have to worry about which family does or doesnt have a parameter or where it was created from.
My next step (and I think I know the answer already), is to test project parameters with linked files. . . .Pretty sure project parameters can not be scheduled when they are linked. . . .correct?
Which sends me back to having to use Shared Parameters. . . .but!!!!
How do you consolidate and clean up a mess of shared parameters? If you saw the parameters assigned to rooms right now, you would cry.
I feel like I'm standing in a my bedroom when I was 9 years old, the room was a complete mess, Mom told me to clean it up before I could go play, and it's such a wreck that I have no idea where to start.
Ya know?
Thoughts,
Stunts
I'm perfectly clear on the whole shared parameter deal (at least I thought), but have recently been chasing my tail a little.
I'm new to this firm, so the difficult part has been trying to seperate what was done with intent, what was done with out knowing any better, and what was done correctly but different than what I would have done.
SO. . .on to the details.
I'm going to pertain this to doors.
1. Medium sized firm started in Revit a short time ago, and had several doors created for them.
2. Large projects, obviously required more doors than what they had available.
3. All the projects use links
4. The firm is just now getting into heavily scheduling the doors
5. Working with a contractor that is requesting additional information out of the model beyond the standard parameters.
This has dropped us into a situation where we have several shared parameter files. Some of those shared parameter files have the same parameter name and have been loaded into door families once from each parameter file. Some of the shared parameter files have been lost, some have never been used, and some just don't make sence. Then to top it off we have a plethera of project parameters.
Example:
By default, each door comes with a "Fire Rating", we all know that, but for some reason when those "several custom doors" were created, a shared parameter of DR Label was added to the family to display the same info. That was done either by request of the firm, or with the intent of being used differently. But where we stand now, they are they same.
So now we have 2 parameters, saying the same thing, in different spots. The bigger problem is that the doors that only have the Fire Rating need the DR Label added so we can fill out the schedules. So I add the DR Label Parameter from the shared parameter file that I think it was same shared parameters file that the other door used, just to find out that it wasn't, meaning it won't schedule with the other information even though its the same exact name. Good Grief.
OK, so now. . . .thats where I stand. My first instinct was to start eliminating the shared parameters that are not family type specific and making them project parameters.
Meaning, for Head/Jamb/Sill details, that is something that changes in each location in each project, so we can create those as a project parameter and not have to worry about which family does or doesnt have a parameter or where it was created from.
My next step (and I think I know the answer already), is to test project parameters with linked files. . . .Pretty sure project parameters can not be scheduled when they are linked. . . .correct?
Which sends me back to having to use Shared Parameters. . . .but!!!!
How do you consolidate and clean up a mess of shared parameters? If you saw the parameters assigned to rooms right now, you would cry.
I feel like I'm standing in a my bedroom when I was 9 years old, the room was a complete mess, Mom told me to clean it up before I could go play, and it's such a wreck that I have no idea where to start.
Ya know?
Thoughts,
Stunts