Linked unit areas in building plans

[sglerum]

I have a core/shell rvt (four story building) and a dwelling unit rvt. They are linked together with shared coordinates. I have placed the unit on multiple levels in the building. I am trying to schedule the dwelling units and show which level they are on so I can get a unit count per level. When I do a schedule, all other information (area, perimeter, sf) shows up for each instance. But the reported level is always Level 1.

Also, when I try to do an area plan with filled regions. The legend finds the linked unit area, assigns it a color but won't fill the color in plan.

I think these are related. Are these items a shortcoming of links?

I know groups can handle part of the above mentioned but I want to do this with links.

Thanks!

[cliff collins]

As I recall, you should be able to Schedule Rooms across the Linked Guestrooms file from the SC model. You have to click the checkbox for "include items from linked files".

You should also be able to create a special view in the Guestroom model or SC model with the Area Plan color scheme turned on, and then in the "host " model, set in to
"by Linked View".

Not sure about Area Plans, color schemes and Linked models--most of ours are done with Rooms and Departments for colored plans..

You may also need to make sure to click on the linked GR model and under properties enable "Room Bounding"

Hope this helps.

cheers

[Scott Womack]

You cannot directly schedule ANYTHING about a group. As Cliff said, if you include a Room in the linked file, you can schedule the room, and some of it's properties. Unfortunately, Level is not one of them. You cannot extract level information from families that are in a linked file.

Personally, we use groups for the "Dwelling Units" . We then in-bed a single block in each unit. It holds an are parameter that you can fill in, then schedule, and sum by floor. I attached an example of this block we use.

[sglerum]

Scott/Cliff -

Thanks for the posts.

So when you use groups, you can't schedule the area or number (count) of the group? That function is very straightforward with links. Which is why we are looking at links. However, the lack of a level indicator is frustrating.

I appreciate the block suggestion. That was the next route we were looking at going. Too bad it is a manual function. Not trying to sound like a pain in the *ss but the whole benefit behind computers is taking care of the mundane. I don't want to "think" about inputing numbers and parameters. Probably preaching to the choir here. :)

Is there a block parameter that I can add that will automatically read/report level? I am searching for something but thought I would ask in case anyone knows off hand.

Scott-

Do you find other benefits to groups vs. links? We are back and forth on which way to go.

Appreciate all of the input.

[Paul Monsef]

Scott/Cliff -

Thanks for the posts.

So when you use groups, you can't schedule the area or number (count) of the group? That function is very straightforward with links. Which is why we are looking at links. However, the lack of a level indicator is frustrating.


Lately I have been utilizing phasing & creating two different groups for my guest rooms. One in the New Construction Phase which includes my 'shell' components (Exterior/Party Walls etc...) and the other for interior stuff (furniture, bathrooms, closets within the suite)

This way, I can use rooms in the new construction phase to get my guest room scheduling done.

Groups are far easier to deal with; but I suppose you could link the interior portions of the guest rooms & create rooms in the main revit model to simplify scheduling.

[sglerum]

Well, I have been trying since my last post but I can not get the shared parameter to appear in the building file.

I created a "tag" family that has a LEVEL parameter than I can manually type in. It is set to instance not type. It loads into the dwelling unit file. Then I open the building file, where I can see the "tag" family in the dwelling unit linked file, but the LEVEL parameter does not show up as an option under the element properties.

Roadblock again.

I may be starting to see the light on why most people use groups.

[cliff collins]

We actually do it like this:

1. Shell and Core Arch. model.

2. Interiors model with guestrooms, linked into S&C.

3. Rooms are simply the room type--Double King, Double Queen, 2-bay suite, etc.

4. Room Schedule pulled from either the ID or SC model.

cheers

[Scott Womack]

Well, I have been trying since my last post but I can not get the shared parameter to appear in the building file. I may be starting to see the light on why most people use groups.

There currently is no way to get the Level information out of a linked file. That is the major reason we still fight groups.

These are the items to make groups more successful/less painful.

As a rule, I don't use ANY wall hosted items that are Line-Based. We have a set of countertops that are not hosted at all. With extreme care we are successfully having the exterior windows inside the group, but the exterior walls are NOT in the group. The Group Family I posted earlier is of the Furniture Systems Family. It can be ANY catagory of model family, (except a Generic Model Family) so it can be scheduled. Yes, I know Generic Models can be scheduled with a Multi-Category schedule, but that is just a pain.

Benefits, The walls clean up with walls not in the group.
Things like the windows actually cut the walls.
It is easier to edit a group in your project than a linked file is.
You can more easily tag items in a group than you can in a link.
The Door Mark, and Room Number parameters are available "outside" of a group, meaning each room and door can have a unique number even if the doors and rooms are in the group.
Less pain for consultants working in Revit.


Issues:
You MUST learn what works well with groups and what does not
It is harder to use the same groups across multiple building files, such as in a campus.
Can't use Line-Based Hosted elements, since they go haywire when a group is flipped, or copied from Level to Level.
Not quite as complete visual control over a group as there is with instances of a link.

[sglerum]

To all -

Your time and posts are greatly appreciated. Very informative about what everyone is doing and how it relates to what we are trying to do. Thank you.

My most recent workaround for level from a linked file.

I still have the units linked into the building plan. There is a piece of Identity Data for each copy of the link that is called Name. I chose each of the links on a level and named them all the same thing per level. For example, Level 1, Level 2, etc. Then when I schedule the areas, I can add a field for RVT Link:Name and it works like a charm. Sorts with title, count and total perfectly.

Now, if I can just figure out the coloring for the area!

[nancy.mcclure]

This may be over simplified, but if sorting the linked rooms by level designation is the original goal, and all other needs are being met through linking, then why not use the Comments or other general parameter to ID the overall model Level location and sort/filter via that?

[sglerum]

Nancy-

I think we came to the same conclusion about the same time.

Can you (or anyone else who reads this) provide direction on adding a custom shared parameter like that? I just happen to find one that already existed in the linked file (Name) but I would like to add additional custom parameters like that. I tried to do it but could not get the parameter to appear once the file was linked.

Thanks.

[nancy.mcclure]

Anytime you want a particular parameter to be consistant across project files, or to be taggable (because tags are separate .rfa files) they should be defined as Shared Parameters. Your office should maintain this 'master list' of parameters and EACH project that needs to use it then loads the SP in as a Project Parameter in that project. Then the linked files will have consistant parameters between them.

Process (assuming Revit 2010)
Manage > Shared Parameter --- Select or create the group you want this information be belong to, then Name it, and determine it's TYPE (NOTE: this is critical, as it defines what kind of data input will be accepted, and how the database can process it and it CAN'T BE CHANGED in the future).

In each project file:
Manage > Project Parameter --- ADD in the SP from the master list, and assign it to the model categories appropriate (in your case, Rooms). Decide where you want it to show up in an element's properties and set it to either Instance or Type (in your case, Instance).

Hope that helps!