Shared Parameters, Schedules, Formulas, and Complicated Workflow

[ptwilson527748]

Hi all -

I'm in a doozy of a Revit hole. I am attempting to get parameters from a mass family into a schedule in a project. It's more complicated than that, however. The attached PDF provides a sketch of the complicated workflow (not designed by me, and against my wishes, but it's what we're doing.) Here's the lowdown:

I'm using a parametric mass family to create the mass floors and curtain wall for the project. This mass family has 40+ parameters that drive it - it's quite complicated - but it's flexing beautifully. See the attached JPG for the family types to see all the parameters.

The mass family is loaded into a Project that is used for additional modeling - adding interior walls, floors, rooms, etc. This is Project 1.

That project is then linked into another Project that is used for sheets and annotation. This is Project 2. In Project 2, I would like to reference the parameters in the original mass family, first in a schedule on their own, and then in a schedule to explain the building geometry.

What is the best way to schedule family parameters from the mass into Project 2? I presume I can use shared parameters in the mass and then make a mass schedule in the Project 2, checking the box for linked files.

The trickier objective is the schedule in Project 2 to explain building geometry. I would like to document the x, y, and z coordinates of key points on the building. These points are derived from the parameters of the mass, but they way they are derived varies. For example, the X coordinate may equal a mass family parameter at one level, but at another level it is the product of two mass family parameters. In other words, different items in the same column in the schedule are derived through different formulas.

Currently I'm labeling the key points with generic annotations that have parameters for X, Y, and Z, and I'd like to link them somehow to the parameters in the mass. Generic annotations can't use shared parameters, so that method isn't working....so far.

I would love to use the mass parameters to drive a key schedule, but shared parameters can't be placed in a key schedule.

In the long run, I'm trying to provide existing information from the mass, but on a sheet in a schedule. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Cheers,
Peter

[alaughlin756641]

Hi. this was a bit hard for me to follow and I may be offering options you have already tried, but we do a lot of scheduling across models, so I thought I would pass on what works for me.

1) Create schedule of required shared parameter values in Mass model. DO NOT manually load these shared parameters in Document model. Then if you Insert from File > Insert Views from File, the mass model won't come in, but the shared parameters schedule and shared parameters will pass through. Recently I use this method to pass shared parameters, rather than adding Shared Parameters from model to model. It is much more consistent and predictable, I find.

2) Use a schedule with the Linked Models checked. Then you can schedule these parameters via the "Include elements in linked files" option in schedule.

Not sure this is answer you are looking for, but absolutely easy to schedule shared parameters from linked model.

[ptwilson527748]

Thanks, alaughlin. How do you make a schedule within a conceptual mass family? I'm not finding that option in the View tab.

Perhaps you mean that I should make the schedule in Project 1, where I've loaded the Mass Family. That I can do.

Thanks,
Peter

[ptwilson527748]

Success! Rather than trying to use a generic annotation in Project 2, I went back to the mass family and added a generic adaptive model there. I tied shared instance parameters of the adaptive component to the existing mass family geometry parameters. Next, I loaded the mass into the Project, created a Multi-Category Schedule using the shared parameters, and voila! Exactly the schedule I wanted.

[damon.sidel]

That project is then linked into another Project that is used for sheets and annotation. This is Project 2.

Glad you got this to work. It would be interesting to know more about your project as it seems quite flexible. However, I would also like to know something much more simple: why do you have Project 2 for sheets and annotations?

[ptwilson527748]

This project has five towers ranging from 15 stories to 100 stories, a 7 story retail podium, and 4 additional basement levels. There are 8 Revit models in the project (3 podium, 5 towers). Management decided they wanted two annotation projects (1 podium, 1 towers) so that there was graphic consistency across the sheets.

I think it creates much more work in recreating views, copy monitoring grids & levels, managing worksets, etc, but it wasn't my decision to make. I'd actually be interested to hear other people's pros & cons on the subject. I have 7 years of experience, more than anyone in the office...but it wasn't my decision to make.

This workflow was for a 44 story tower with multiple facets. Because we're constantly tweaking the areas to maximize area and efficiency, I made the conceptual mass as parametric as possible. This was my first time really working with the conceptual massing tool, and it took a lot of trial and error, but it's working quite well now.

[greg.mcdowell]

I don't necessarily have a better work flow but, if you're concerned about graphic consistency I think you can achieve that with a good template used to start off your projects. The best standards are those already embedded in the software... or template for that matter.