Family Editor - Programming GUI concepts

[Steve_Stafford]

While working on some stage curtain families I had a thought, (it happens) well several actually.

A Revit family needs some guidance as to what the rules of engagement might be. Basically to tell a user, don't change this, only change these values...these are derived values etc. to help the user understand the basic assumptions about it's creation. Simple families don't need it, but really flexible and/or elaborate ones sure do.

I thought that if the editor interface mimic'd some of the color coding that some or many progamming language applications use would be handy. So a parameter could get comments in Green, actionable parameters in blue with derived or "don't touch" these in Red. Also, the ability to move a parameter up/down in the list and/or sort would be super duper!

Aside from that, I added Author and Author Comments to my examples, this way "ownership" can at least filter down till someone alters it. I'd also like to get some feedback on the parameters I did put in, syntax and wordiness...just an experiment mind you, perhaps good, perhaps not.

[Dean Camlin]

Steve, these are good suggestions. Anything that makes using the family editor more intuitive is welcome. I think you should add this to the wish list.

[beegee]

I agree this would be a good addition to the wish list.

I've been adding comments directly to the family's plan or main elevation view in an attempt to address some of these issues, but that can become unwieldy.

[Steve_Stafford]

Thanks,

I've re-read my post...just to be clearer: My comments apply to the Family Types dialog and how parameters are displayed etc.

When a user imports a family the only interface they see for the family is the properties dialog I believe that the kind of visual cues I'm discussing need to be there.

[bmadsen]

RE: the properties dialog box
I like the idea of color-coded parameters to communicate the intent of the family creator/author to the user.

Also, having a way to order/organize the sequence of parameters would benefit both the authors and the non-author user.

These items deserve to be on the wish list.

On the "ownership" issue - there is another tread that discussed this some, and my proposal would be to AT LEAST add a feature something like a locked copyright notice. This feature would help encourage manufacturers to develop content. It would also encourage volunteer authors to submit to Augi. The net result is many more Revit families to incorporate into our projects -- and a more compelling reason for others to jump on the Revit wave.

[jamie.casile80054]

Hi Steve,
Am I understanding you correctly regarding your Author parameter? is that simply a text type parameter in the family itself? Wont that still allow people to change it?
thanks,
jamie

[ron.sanpedro]

Thanks,

I've re-read my post...just to be clearer: My comments apply to the Family Types dialog and how parameters are displayed etc.

When a user imports a family the only interface they see for the family is the properties dialog I believe that the kind of visual cues I'm discussing need to be there.

I think those visible cues could be useful everywhere actually. Imagine a Reveal Relationships Mode where I can select any object, and all other objects that have a relationship are also highlighted. With an over constrained model you could tell quickly because in Relationship mode half the model would highlight when you select something.

And for families, a Version parameter and Version Date would be good, so I could quickly schedule all families and see what is old, what is new, etc. And perhaps a code Reference? Wouldn't it be nice to have a parameter in your under cabinet dishwasher that lets you know it only works for the old code, so you don't end up messing with something in the field due to the oversight? You might then go so far as to write some API code that would step thru all your families and check them against the library files and report what in the project is out of sync with the library., perhaps even automatically updating things with code issues?

But I still want to be able to change my elevation bubble first! ;)

Gordon

[Steve_Stafford]

Hi Steve,
Am I understanding you correctly regarding your Author parameter? is that simply a text type parameter in the family itself? Wont that still allow people to change it?
thanks,
jamie
Aloha Jamie,

This is a pretty old thread isn't it! Yes, but I'd also like to have the ability to lock parameters to editing. The factory does, we don't and I think we should be able to secure somethings like authorship to external editing.

[Steve Mintz]

Regarding locked parameters -

I've noticed that the Structural Analysis APIs bring in a lot of shared parameters which are not only invisible to the user, but also locked from editing.

I have a feeling that an API could be developed which would create hidden parameters in a family.

This would be a nice starting point to record ownership & version (though malicious users could certainly remove or modify the parameter) and hide parameters which you do not want the user to change.

I've started entering dumb formulas for values I do not want the user to change. For instance, if I have a parameter called "Require Code Clearance" instead of entering 3'-6" as the value, I might enter = 3'-6" as the formula.

[twiceroadsfool]

I realize its a reanimated thread , but i too feel strongly about this topic.

i think the Authoring parameters are a MUST, but i think it should go much deeper. I dont think it should be a parameter, becuase that implies it can be changed at will. I personally feel that when you hit the save box in a family, a dialogue should pop up with a comments box for you to fill in, and it should automatically enter your initials in (it has them for worksetting already). The comments box could host a number of fields, i imagine.

This is important to me personally for a number of reasons, primarily the validity and integrity of family creating. With an intelligent model, to an extent you need to be able to verify that the family matches the product, so that you can trust your model to be accurate, for clearancing, for dimensioning, etc. If i dont know who modeled the family, and off of what spec or cut sheet, i dont know that i can trust it. A prompt to fill in a Date of Family Creation, and a hyperlink to the spec sheet used (or maybe it gets loaded to the family as an attachment?) would put my mind at ease. It could also serve as a communication log for that families existance... Maybe when someone hits edit family the comm log comes up on the side with the properties bar, so people can communicate WHY theyve changed things in families. I know it seems like overcomplicating things, but with the promise of BIM and its solutions (Space reservation... think of an ADA toilet with the accessbility squares... they could change year to year), we may need to document what has been changed and why.

Editedable parameters: Steve, ive been wishing for the same thing. My current behavior is to put the derived ones that are formula drive as Other, with everything else under constraints. That way, at least when users hit properties and get in there, they dont see them right away. The color coding thing would be great, allthough id prefer if there was a yes/no button on every parameter, and hittin NO would mean it didnt even show up in the properties box as editable. Maybe instead of yes/no the option is "editable/visible/neither". I could see wanting to be able to read them, and not write them... But i have some formulas (where values get rounded through two cycles) where the first two cycles have parameters that have no value in being shown to the end user... except to confuse them.

[Steve Mintz]

I realize its a reanimated thread , but i too feel strongly about this topic.

I personally feel that when you hit the save box in a family, a dialogue should pop up with a comments box for you to fill in, and it should automatically enter your initials in (it has them for worksetting already). The comments box could host a number of fields, i imagine.


I think that's the best idea I've heard! It would automatically record the date & time. You could include user name, company name, and version name if you desire. And that information could never be deleted or over written.

There would always be a record, and it would nicely "protect" developed content. Though, if I really wanted to get around it, I could simply copy everything from the family into a new family. It would be nice if you could add a password to protect families from being opened for editing.