is Ceiling a family or a command?

[Michi-Ken]

Is the "ceiling" command/function a family of just an automated function?
Is the other commandsin Revit that act the same way of creating geometry based on size?

I would like to create a feature in Revit the would automatically detail the interior of and object based on its bounding box size.

For instance (not my application, but close)

Automated swimming pool function:
if you were to say drag a bounding box of:
8'x8' - you get a small kiddy plastic pool
8'x20' - would get you a lap-pool
16'x12- would get a small wading pool, a set of steps, and no deep-end
20'x40' - get steps, a deep-end, ladder at deepend, and a diving board
26'x50' - hot-tub, curved steps, deep-end slide and diving board, and a ladder
(it would do the math for anything in between)

hope you get me drift.

I want to design a family or command that changes based on the size of the bounding box.

How the heck would this be done, or could it be done?

[jsteinhauer]

Is the "ceiling" command/function a family of just an automated function?
Is the other commandsin Revit that act the same way of creating geometry based on size?

I would like to create a feature in Revit the would automatically detail the interior of and object based on its bounding box size.

For instance (not my application, but close)

Automated swimming pool function:
if you were to say drag a bounding box of:
8'x8' - you get a small kiddy plastic pool
8'x20' - would get you a lap-pool
16'x12- would get a small wading pool, a set of steps, and no deep-end
20'x40' - get steps, a deep-end, ladder at deepend, and a diving board
26'x50' - hot-tub, curved steps, deep-end slide and diving board, and a ladder
(it would do the math for anything in between)

hope you get me drift.

I want to design a family or command that changes based on the size of the bounding box.

How the heck would this be done, or could it be done?


Ceilings, floors, walls & roofs are all system families, and therefore act much different then external families. I think what you're trying to do is not possible unless you're working in the API. Maybe someone else knows of a way, but I'm going to say not currently.

If you wanted to your could have a single family called "pool.rfa". Inside of that family you could nest many different families. Then have a Family Type parameter to control which family gets displayed. Still this is not the way you where hoping to do it.

Best of luck,
Jeff S.

[Michi-Ken]

mmmm - API sounds scary, but if my wild ideas warrants such a method as such, maybe it would be worth while.
I'll really want this function to be powerful, I don't think a family with numerous pre-baked options will cut it.
I also want outside what outside influences on the boundaries too. so say if the guesthouse was 30' from the mainhouse what type of pool would you have, but if you moved the guesthouse 15' farther awary, it would dynamically change the pool. (like I said - my application is different, don't want to give ideas away)
Thanks for you comments.
Already downloaded the introduction to API class of the webcast site:
http://www.adskconsulting.com/adn/cs/api_course_webcast_archive.php
Hope it works....
Ken

[Dimitri Harvalias]

For instance (not my application, but close)

I want to design a family or command that changes based on the size of the bounding box.

How the heck would this be done, or could it be done?


What is your application? Are you looking to create an entire room of a specific size (one bedroom unit, two bedroom, studio) or do you want a kitchen layout (Island, galley, open 'L').
Depending on what you are after you can create families, groups, combinations of nested families...

All the pool options you described can probably be accomplished using a single family with instance parameters for size and conditional parameters that would add or remove elements based on dimensional factors.
Even though we can do some of these things and create the 'uber pool' family I think sometimes we strive for too much 'automation' in what Revit can do.

[Cory.Killpack]

Even though we can do some of these things and create the 'uber pool' family I think sometimes we strive for too much 'automation' in what Revit can do.
Love the concept, think big! But I must agree with Dimitri, at times I have to catch myself from going overboard on what I try to automate. I have to reevaluate whether the time invested on creating a complicated/smart family and debugging it will ever be made up in the time it saves me in production. After all, this is a business and I do have a bottom line.

That said, I'll contribute. The only way I can think to associate a family with some project boundaries would be to put in 4 reference planes in the family defined as weak or strong references and form a rectangle. Then you could associate an instance parameter for the distance between these panes. Then in the project you could (manually) align the planes to the boundaries of the room and lock them. This would allow the family to get overall dimensions of the boundary and then can use them in some "calculation" of what needs to be included/shown in your family.

Interesting idea though. Thanks for the thought provoking question this morning.