Too much for design options??

[peakprecisiondesign]

I'm the CAD manager for a fairly custom home builder and we have at the time around 20 different homes with three elevations per home. A new manager here is pushing to get away from the customization we've done in the past and go to a whole bunch of specific options (which is fine) but he wants them to all be design options. For basic stuff like different types of fireplaces or adding windows etc. it's easy but when it comes to multiple options involving the roof things get weird. Say I have three different depths of a garage (no problem) but on the other side of the house I have coverd patio and in the master bedroom I have a bay window. In order to have the roof as a part of these options I have to copy (same place) the roof into each option seperately. The problem will come when someone goes to accept a few primary options because then you end up with three different roofs all occupying the same space which doesn't work and leads to deleting all but one and then editing that roof to fit all options basically making the options sort of a waste of time. Sorry for the long post but would you guys create the options without a roof and edit the roof at the end or just not attempt complicated structural options period? I asked the folks over at Revitcity the same question (all the help I can get) Thanks a lot!

[david_peterson]

Just a thought, and I'm not sure how well this would work, but here it goes.
Lets say you have 3 options for roofs. You could create a project parameter called "roof options". Create a view filter for each option (roof1, roof2, roof3). Create your 3 roofs. Label each roof (roof1.....). Apply the view filter for the option you want and set the other 2 to not visible.
You could do the same idea for cabinets, fireplaces....what ever. It would screw up any material take offs, but you could apply the filter to those as well.
IMHO, this is why it's a custom home. I think personally I'd start with the basic model and adjust as needed.
I work in the structural world. I've got 210+ canned "Standard Guide Details". How many times do you think I've been able to put one of those "Standard Guide Details" in a project and not have to modify something on it?

[peakprecisiondesign]

Thanks Dave, I think we have the same idea. I honestly don't think it is going to make things easier or save much time to have these types of design options. Fireplaces, additional windows, patios or decks work fine but when it comes to multiple things that all have to do with the roof, things get pear shaped. Even using your roof idea, wouldn't I need to have a specific roof for each combination of options (26' deep garage, no bay, no covered patio, 26' garage bay no covered patio, 26' garage, bay, covered patio..........) at that point it is just easier to modify the roof on the fly. What do you think?

[david_peterson]

Yes, you would still need to have one for each option. I just really hate design options.
If they're similar, could you create a revit model for each type/style of roof and link them in?
Again, I don't play with roofs much. I used to a little bit in ACA, and they were a PIA there. So I'm not sure what the best way to do this is, but I'm thinking that Design Options may not be your best solution. If you were in the pre-fab 12 style, with only interior options, it's be a different story.

[rbcameron1]

Could you try making each roof a group? Roof-DO1, Roof-DO2, Roof-DO3, etc... Don't apply any of them to a design option. You can only have one on at a time (bonus!) and when you switch to other design options, just make sure you swap the Roof-group associated to it. Its like 2 clicks or so.
Just don't get carried away with creating hundreds of groups with dozens of windows and doors in them.