Parameter Groups in Schedules

[Gene Herring]

Hey folks, I have been browsing the threads and cannot find any info on how to include Parameter Groups in Schedules. I have specifically set up a number of shared parameter groups with 5-6 parameters within each group. I would like to have them "grouped in the schedule" based on the parameter group designation. Any ideas out there?

[jbalding48677]

It sounds as though you would like the parameters to automatically group themselves under the group you have created in the shared parameter file. If that is the case, it is not possible at the moment. You might want to put that in as a wishlist item. Until then, you might consider grouping them manually in your template and go from there.

HTH -

[Gene Herring]

Thanks for the info Jim. Your suggestion on manual grouping implies the "cut apart" feature of schedules?

[jbalding48677]

Grouping in schedules is achieved by highlighting the column headers and picking the group button on the options bar.

Or are you referring to Grouping and Sorting type of Grouping??? In that case you will need a parameter (or shared parameter) to use to group. Kind of sounds like a loop...

[Scott D Davis]

Would you please post an example of what you are trying to do?

[Gene Herring]

Scott, thanks for your reply. I have attached several screen shots of my parameters and group levels that I wish to schedule. Also is a screen shot of a floor level schedule that is working as I wish. I am essentially building a front end to estimate General Conditions costs for my projects that can derive most of the detailed multipliers (Building/floor GSF, room nasf, etc, line item component counts). The math to do all this is quite simple as I am currently doing it in an excel spreadsheet. I also have a database model for export but why not "experience the Power of REVIT"! It is the coolest thing to grip the end of a 7 story building and see the cost values change in real time as you enlarge or srink the building size. Building the general conditions front end will allow me to go much deeper into costing analysis with the ultimate goal of building a full assmbley based building estimate. The parameter groups will allow for summary based cost data at the group level (as there are many,many more). Jim Baldwin essentially answered my question in that Revit does not natively do this yet. In a nutshell, I want the "parameter group" field to show up in the list of available selections for schedules. I could then use the normal built-in sorting and grouping functions to properly organize my data. Make any sense?

[aaronrumple]

This would make some sense. However I don't even thin kl that information even exists inside of Revit. It is used for organizing the shared param. file, but doesn't do anything else.

That looks like a massive shared param file. Really making use of it all? (...if so, I'm impressed.)

And a series of project parameters might suit your needs better. (These do export to ODBC even though the dialog doesn't explicitly say so...)

[Steve_Stafford]

I looks like you really need to use Schedule keys as opposed to grouping shared parameters. A schedule key allows you to select one item in a schedule and supply many others with the single selection. Check the help file for more information. (It looks like you want these to apply to many categories of objects and a schedule key applies to one category at a time...so it may not suffice)

[Scott D Davis]

Wow! That's a ton of Shared Parameters! (Not too tough to create, right? ;) ) I don't think you can have your "Parameter Group" name display in the Schedule. Parameter Groups are simple an organizational tool.

Another way to have solved what you are doing, would to have used Schedule Keys. Schedule Keys allow you to plug in information associated with a parameter. For instance, in a Room Schedule, you could define a Schedule Key that is called "Office', and under "office" drop in the parameters for flor finish, wall finish, ceiling finish, etc. Then do the same thing for "Conference Rooms", and any other space type in your project. Then in the Schedule Key, you would define the floor finsh for Office as Carpet, and the finish for Conference as Tile.

When you Schedule these items, you simply need to change the type of room that they are in the schedule, and all the materials will change according to the Key.

In your case, you could define a Key that is Division 1, and then add in all the Division 1 parameters to it.

In our office, we created a Schedule Key for Table 10-A of the CBC (UBC), which defines space type/occupancy loads based on area. Now, in a room schedule, we can apply the room type to a space, and get calculations for occupancy and exiting.

Just read Steve's post, and he beat me to it. Look up Schedule Keys in help, they should help you out!

[Gene Herring]

Thanks guys. I will give the schedule keys a shot. Sounds like the way to go.