Parameters: Shared or Project based

[techsupport.161645]

We are in the process of creating revit content, doors, to begin with, while we work through our pilot project.

In some cases my users will put in a door they have downloaded or used from the OTB content within Revit due to the fact that we have not created one yet. Is their a way to apply our set door parameters to all doors in a project?

Our door parameters are set in our Shared Parameters file, but it appears to add those parameters to a downloaded door familiy is to edit the door familiy and add the parameters to that door.

Unless, its a matter of adding them to the Project Parameters and selecting "Doors" as the category??

Is their a prefered method on how this should/should not be done?

If they can be added as "Project Parameters" and assigned to the DOOR Category should I delete them from the door familiy itself?

Thank You

[Steve_Stafford]

As general rule...if a parameter does not change anything in the family it does not need to be in the family, a project parameter is more efficient. That's because the project parameter applies to all "doors", as in your example. If the parameter must change something in the family then it must be part of the family. By change something I mean changing the geometry of the door for example.

The question of shared parameters applies to the information appearing in tags. If you need the information in a tag then it must be a shared parameter. There are lots of discussions here about using shared parameters etc... I wrote a series of posts (http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2008/03/shared-parameter-file-little.html) on my blog a long time ago that cover this subject too, fwiw.

[techsupport.161645]

Steve,

Thanks for the response.

In some of our standard door types we have a nested panel types, so when the panel type option is selected the panel for that door changes that type. In the instance where a downloaded door type does not have the nested panel types loaded is they a way to still manually input in the schedule for teh panel type column?

In the schedule those doors that have the nested panels, a drop down appears with the list of different panels to select from. However, when for example a rolling door type is placed, it does not have the nested door panels, and does not allow you to manually enter in a value for the panel type parameter.

As a work around, I nested a generic model familiy and named that familiy the type I wanted....However to be able to just input the value as text would be great, but then I loose the ability for the doors that have the panels nested to change to that type in the model.