Parametric profile changes?

[adegnan]

Is there any way to change the casing profile parametrically without having to create a different family? IE, one family has craftsman trim. How can I make the family able to select between craftsman and colonial without needing to create a separate family file for each of them?

TIA.

[aggockel50321]

You can probably do it with the new visibility parameter. Place both casings on the window & then toggle one off & the other on.

Havn't tried it myself, but if you do the tutorial, you can probably figure it out.

[Scott D Davis]

Abe!

Sure you can, and its really simple. I just did one for a test. You aren't really changing the profile family, but more or less swapping out the whole casing.

I took the default 3x3 with Trim window into family editor. I created a two new parameters under family types. One called Box Trim, the other called Molding Trim. I then clicked on the "stock" trim I'm calling 'box' because its a simple 1x3 box shape (actually an extrusion, not a sweep of a profile) and then go to the properties of that Trim. you will see the "Visible" setting checked, and on the right side of the dialog is a gray = sign. Click on that, and you will get the Associate Family Parameter dialog. Highlight Box Trim and click OK, then OK again. One trim with visibility done! Now, go to Solid>Sweep>Sketch 2D path, and pick the edge of the window as the profile path. Then after finishing the path, Sketch Profile, and either laod and select an OOTB profile, or your own custom, or sketch a new one. Finish the sweep, then under the propoerties of the sweep, assign it to the other visibiltiy parameter (Molding Trim)

Save the window, load it into your project, and now you can change which trim is being used by simply checking on and off the appropriate box under Element Properties. Even better, you could have created new Types in the family, and then could just change the drop-down list to change trims.

Hope all that makes sense! I can e-mail the RVT if necessary.

http://www.zoogdesign.com/forums/phpBB2/download.php?id=2103

[aggockel50321]

Nice explanation, Scott. The visibility parameter is really helpful.

You can do the same to control the visibility of those Andersen snap-in mutins, Abe.

Someone here, I think sb, said he did'nt use the Andersen windows because the detail level is too high, & they tend to bog down the project.

I think you can combine the visibility param with a conditional, that would allow you to set some of the complex stuff to show only when within a certain range.

Wonder if this would solve the performance issue??

[adegnan]

So from what I can see, the yes/no paramater can be either by instance or by family type.

If I do use the object style to determine visibility of muntins and/or casing styles that would be done on a view-by-view basis.

So on one hand I can create extra family types and pre-set the casing.

On the other hand I could change for an entire view at a time by using the object style visibility.

I'm leaning toward using object style visibility, then. I was hoping for something to just be able to select a global property and swap colonial for craftsman. But maybe the 2nd best is to work view-by-view with object style visibility.

And I suppose the only drawback remaining is if the window family models become too cumbersome for the system.

Any feedback? Again, I'll be sharing these so I want to hear from people what will work best from their point of view-- convince me what is best so I create it the way that works best for all of us to share!

[Scott D Davis]

If you create Types for the different windows, the Types can be set to something like "colonial on, craftsman off", and you could name it 'colonial'. Then, in the project browser, you could 'select all instances' of 3x3 Craftsman, and then select 3x3 Colonial from the drop down to do a global change in the project.

[adegnan]

Thanks Scott. I believe you have just pionted me in the most efficient direction!

Time for me to roll!