Standardizing Curtain Wall Panel Sizes

[jonszcz]

The project I'm currently on has a few walls that are intended to be clad in zinc panels. We are at that point of the project where "VE" is starting to become the word that is included in each and every sentence. To that end, we've found that these zinc panels are potentially over budget. So, here's what I'm trying to figure out:

Is it possible to model a curtain wall in such a way that the panels can only have 3 widths and 3 lengths, but any combination of those 3? Our sheetmetal supplier has told us that standardizing the sizes in both directions will help with cost and that eliminating the total number of panels will help with the cost.

The reason I'm leaning towards a curtainwall panels is so I can schedule them and have the schedule count the panels. I think I've seen this done before, but I can't remember where. Am I going about this the wrong way?

Jon

[cliff collins]

This might help?

http://buildz.blogspot.com/2009/12/planar-panels-2-ways-to-get-flat.html

[jonszcz]

Thanks Cliff. I've seen that before. I've been out of Revit for a few months and I'm struggling to figure out how to apply that to my design problem. I know that there is a way to do it, I think I just need to start playing around. That's as good of a starting point as any though. Much appreciated.

[greg.mcdowell]

Maybe if you pre-define the curtain grid spacing in the curtain wall type you can get close. That and nesting curtain walls as curtain panels might work (though you'll struggle with which curtain wall you're trying to select when making edits.

[hadlari]

It all depends on the hosted geometry... for the most part. you can easily apply a single sized panel to any geometry. it just would look horrible in some situations. I find if i can rationalize the geometry first. the panelization almost always follows.

One way to create a certain sized panel using pattern based Curtain wall family is to host a point on the host reference line at the mid way point. from that hosted point offset another two points in the positive and negative direction at a certain length/ width. this will assure your panel size is what you specify rather than the division of your surface.

Note: This is only one method of various methods you could potentially explore. other methods which i prefer is to better analyze the surface and make a family panel to suit but this is always depending of the surface. which is a x factor for me.

hope this helps...