Question # 2 about vertical curtain wall mullions

[Alfredo Medina]

The illustration provided is an elevation view of a curtain wall. The height of the wall is 24’. The reference plane shown at 18’ is where I would like to be able to split the height of the vertical mullions, so that they are like this: one piece of 18’ and another piece of 6’ high, and that’s how I would like to schedule these vertical mullions. Is there a way to split a vertical mullion at any height?

Hint: if I use split, I split the wall, not the mullion. If I add another grid line at 18’, I do break the mullion, but it breaks my panels also. If I then try to join my panels, Revit says “instead of joining mullions, please delete the grid line instead” (for reference, see question # 1 in my other thread)

[rkitect]

I need to test to check this, but you can try placing a grid line (not mullion)at 18' and see if it splits the vertical mullion. I'm guessing it will probably not, but I can't test it this very second.

[Alfredo Medina]

Thank you, Carl, yes, a new grid line at 18’ does break the mullion, but it also breaks the panels. If I then try to join my panels, Revit says “instead of joining mullions, please delete the grid line instead”. If I delete the grid line, the length of the mullion will change again.

Thank you guys for your responses to these 2 questions. I guess the conclusion is that the length of vertical mullions has to be handled in schedules, only, with formulas and filters. There is no way to get the model to show the real length of a vertical mullion. I was thinking of adding a parameter called "Grid Line #" that applies to curtain wall mullions, to be able to obtain the total length of a mullion in Grid Line # 1, # 2, # 3, etc. If the value is 0, the mullion is horizontal (a muntin). That should take care of the first issue. For this other question, maybe a parameter called SpliceHeight would be necessary for those cases when there is a splice along the total height of the mullion.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Alfredo,
try using nested curtain wall types.
Create the vertical pattern with one type. Create the horizontal pattern as anothe rtype. Use the horizontal type as the curtain panel for the vertical type.
See the attached image

[Alfredo Medina]

Dimitri, as always, your tricks are very interesting! I haven't tested this one yet, but it looks like a very ingenious solution for our problem. I am going to try it, and post my comments. Thank you very much!

[patricks]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why not just move the horizontal grid line (and mullion) at 12 feet up to 18 feet? If this is a wall type with pre-defined spacing, you'll see the grid have a pin on it when you select it, but just un-pin it and move it wherever you need it.

I also don't understand the need for Dimitri's example. Just add grid lines and mullions where you need them. It's quite easy.

[Alfredo Medina]

Hmm, it's not so simple. The issue has to do with having the ability to prevent Revit to break the length of vertical mullions in multiple small pieces, in order to schedule these vertical mullions in its entire length (in question # 1) without doing any tricks in the schedule.

When you draw a curtain wall, Revit breaks the length of vertical mullions in as many pieces as rows of panels you have. However, this is not how the mullions are quantified for fabrication. The vertical mullions are usually one piece, or at least until they reach the limits of commercial standards lengths. In other words, if you have a curtain wall that is 10 feet high, the vertical mullions will be 10 feet long, not 4 little pieces of 2'-6".

Dimitri's contribution to this post was excellent. We tested it and, indeed, it solved the issue. If the portions between vertical mullions are embedded curtain wall elements, now the vertical mullions won't be broken by the horizontal grid lines. Now they can be 10 feet long, and they will schedule exactly like that, without doing any additional workarounds in the schedules.

Question # 2 refers to scheduling vertical mullions correctly when you have a curtain wall that is higher than the commercial standards lengths of aluminum mullions. After that limit, you need to have a splice, and add another piece of mullion. However, that height at which you make the joint doesn't necessarily match the height at which you have horizontal grid lines and muntins, as in the illustration. I think Dimitri's ideas could be used here, as well. We have to work on this 2nd issue yet.

[RevitsFacePunch]

[QUOTE=Alfredo Medina;1070507]Thank you, Carl, yes, a new grid line at 18’ does break the mullion, but it also breaks the panels. If I then try to join my panels, Revit says “instead of joining mullions, please delete the grid line instead”. If I delete the grid line, the length of the mullion will change again.

I know this is old but you can remove a section of the gridline and it will rejoin your panels, while splitting the mullion.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Good call.
Interesting.. when you delete all the curtain grid segments (so the mullion remains broken but the panels are continuous) Revit allows it but generates a warning.
It would be nice if mullions had a 'splice' tool, similar to the 'Split' tool, that would allow you to accomplish the task by selecting the individual mullions or placing a special curtain grid.