Design Options - Tips

[sbrown]

I've been using design options for a number of things now that they are available and I am finding them very useful. Here are some things I've learned.

1. Start the design option first, then add the content to the option. I was running into all kinds of errors regarding groups and objects in the main model... when I tried move existing objects(many at a time) to a design option. So as a good practice place objects with in the option, then array's work fine.

2. Schedules now have a design option filter!!! So you can see for example different locker counts for each option.

3. If you want to be able to work on an area without highlighting other portions of the building use design options, when working in a design option the rest of the model is frozen so its very easy to work in the area you want without getting messed up grabing other parts of the model.

4. Have fun and design more stuff!!!

[Scott Hopkins]

Scott,

I am having the same issue with adding existing items to design options. If I try adding walls or other elements to a design option, I end up getting a huge multi level error message when switching between the different design options. This is too bad as the "Add to Design Option Set" tool would be very useful if it didn't produce these errors. Unfortunately, you are correct. I am going to have to delete what I have already drawn and rebuilt it as part of a design option.

One other thing to take note of is that you can't join the geometry of items that are part of a design option with things that are not.

[sbrown]

You can copy paste the items into the design option. so ctrl - X everything, then go into the design option and paste align. This worked for us.

[Scott Hopkins]

Good one - Thanks Scott

[jbalding48677]

You can copy paste the items into the design option. so ctrl - X everything, then go into the design option and paste align. This worked for us.

...In most instances. I had one curtain wall that refused to work for me. It was easy enough to rebuild though.

[TeamRPM]

Has anyone used design options to develope and maintain a prototype? We deal with multi-unit clients using prototype designs, however there are afew changes that are made often enough that it would be far more efficient to have them as design options. Examples are Flordia restrooms, and afew variations of the exterior finishes. The primary concern I have is how do I set up our prototpyes so that I can select and accept primary options and Revit will then coordinate the entire construction documents. I have found it handles the modeling part of design options very well but I have not found much help on how to get it to update all the notes, dims, and sheet layouts. Any pointers, tips, help, etc is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[aggockel50321]

That imho, would be a great wishlist item, to be able to export & save an option.

Haven't tried it but maybe all the elements in an option could be grouped & exported.

Another thing I found helpful. If you have options involving phasing & demolition of existing objects within the main model, is to create one option & call it "existing" or whatever. That way if none of the options are used, you have a way to get those original elements back into the main model, by making that option primary and accepting it.

[christopher.zoog51272]

Has anyone used design options to develope and maintain a prototype? We deal with multi-unit clients using prototype designs, however there are afew changes that are made often enough that it would be far more efficient to have them as design options. Examples are Flordia restrooms, and afew variations of the exterior finishes. The primary concern I have is how do I set up our prototpyes so that I can select and accept primary options and Revit will then coordinate the entire construction documents. I have found it handles the modeling part of design options very well but I have not found much help on how to get it to update all the notes, dims, and sheet layouts. Any pointers, tips, help, etc is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Remember that design options can and should have documentation data (notes, dims tags, etc) in them. We do a lot of project that are multi-unit and single family housing with several options. We typically document every option fully in a master model file and just set the sheet views to display the proper option for this particular building.

We are in the process of finishing up a bid set for prototype town home project. Because the contractor needed to price out every option, this particular bid set has to show all of the possible options fully documented. We have included all of the dozens of “options” in a master model file. And have different views that show all of the different options, so the set is rather large.

6.0 has really shined in the respect. Now, the beautiful part is we can just swap out different options (units) to make up a building, (remember the schedules can be controlled by options as well), do a save as, spit out the cd’s and bing bang boom, we’re done. The best part is our contract is such that we get paid to document each of the 15 buildings on the site, but the time involved with each is a fraction of what it would be using tradition documentation methods.

Design options are bar-none that best development to hit revit in a very long time.
8)

[TeamRPM]

I'm glad to know there are other people out there doing this and its working. I'm pretty new at this and I wanted to make sure that it can be done. I know there is alot of work up front but as 'czoog' states sending out a prototype option is a snap and that is where this really pays off. As I said before I got the modeling part under control but I'm stuggling with seting up the sheets to work from one option to the next. Does anyone know of any tutorials on the documentation of design options.
Thanks

[ryan.rosche]

I'm looking into the same issue. We have a client that has a prototype with some 300 options. So our Design Option selection set will look pretty long. But the one stumbling block I keep coming across is the details. I don't seem to be able to set up drafting views to work with my options. For example, we maintain a precast option and a CMU option. So the details are very different but I can't add a detail or even a sheet to a design option set. Any idea.

[barrie.sharp]

I'm looking into the same issue. We have a client that has a prototype with some 300 options. So our Design Option selection set will look pretty long. But the one stumbling block I keep coming across is the details. I don't seem to be able to set up drafting views to work with my options. For example, we maintain a precast option and a CMU option. So the details are very different but I can't add a detail or even a sheet to a design option set. Any idea.

If I read you right then the answer is simple. You don't add sheets to design sets. Rather, you add design options to a sheet. Setup a view for your Precast and one for CMU. Open the Visibility/Graphics Overrides (V V on the keyboard) and select the Design Options tab (fig1). Set the appropriate options for each view and add it to a sheet. Now you can detail each view option specific.

I deal alot with refurbs and the clients want to see several options. I now organise the project browser to make sense of it all (fig2). I set up two project parameters for my sheets (fig3) and define them in sheet properties (fig4) to organise. View Type I set as 'Main Model' or the option name. Sheet Status I set as default or Sheet View. http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=106333 link explains why. Then I set the View filter up for the browser (fig5).

I hope that helps. I find it's alot better having views setup for every option rather than changing what option displays in a single view. It's quick to flick between them and handy have them side by side. It's already setup for creating all of your sheet sets for each option.