Creating multiple window families??

[skyeg3206316]

Hello,

I am curious about the best way to create window families that contain multiple windows. I want to be able create a set of Windows and have the size of the Windows and the size of the trim be fully parametric. The window family I want to use is attached, it was downloaded off the Marvin Windows website. To show the application I would be using it in, I've attached a picture.

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I want the five windows on the top to be one family.

do I create a new Windows family? Or do I try to copy all the same geometry in the same family? What is the best way to attack this?

Thanks in advance,

[pfaudler]

Two options. One as you already mentioned, model all geometry in one family OR have a new family and nest this single window five times and link parameters of nested family to host window family.
I would prefer the later one.
R

[jsteinhauer]

OP,

I would agree with nesting the family into a parent family and controlling it from there. You might want to take a look at the catalog this was pulled from to see if this example is truly one window, three windows or five windows. It might have an effect how i would model it. If all else fails, use a curtain wall.

Cheers,
Jeff S.

An Administrator may want to move this to the Families Forum...

[Mike L Sealander]

This is doable using nested families. What I'm doing now is creating windows with a kit of generic family parts: Sashes, Frames, Casing. So a single unit double hung has two casings (inside and outside), two sashes (top sash and bottom sash) and one frame. To make a unit that is the equivalent of two Marvin double hungs mulled together, I use two frames, four sashes, and two casings. It's easy to take this family and make a 3-window mulled assembly, and so on.

[patricks]

I have completed several recent projects that have multiple ganged windows. For us these are almost always project-specific, so I just create a new window family and nest the Marvin units in. Sometimes I'll link some parameters or sometimes not, and the whole thing gets saved to a project-specific folder for Revit families.

When I start the new window family, I delete the opening cut, and then load and place the required window families. Since they are project-specific I usually just create separate families for each number combination of windows, since I don't have the time to figure out the arraying and how to make trim work and look correct. For mulled windows I may have to add voids to cut out the sliver of wall between units, and maybe add sills on the outside or trim on the inside. Then I'll modify the first one for each additional family I need, and so on.

The photo above looks a bit odd, though, as it appears there are 3 different window sizes. If you're trying to match that, I would probably just do it as separate windows and then put some in-place trim on it.

[Duncan Lithgow]

The first and last ones do look slightly larger than the three in the middle.

I've just recently created a window frame family with nested windows as my first major nested family setup. I was surprised by the complexity and thoughtful structure needed to make it work and be understood. So depending on how much time and experience the OP has it may be safer to carefully adjust the one he's found (I've not looked at it though). Although in the long term every power user needs to know how to stitch nested families together.

[rhemi091086]

Same issue to @skyeg3206316