Area W/options

[dsw98]

Is there a way to create a seperate area plan for two seperate options? I've created duplicate area plans and changed the views to each option. However when I go to the area plan the lines keep changing in both area plans and are not two seperate area plans.

[mlgatzke]

Preface: I haven't tried this and I'm away from Revit right now, but. . .

Couldn't you just duplicate the Area Plan view (with detailing), change the view properties to always show the option in question (instead of the Primary) and . . . Voila?

Just a quick thought.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Devin,
Only one type of area scheme is permitted for a floor plan so...

1. Create a separate area scheme for each design option.
2. Make a duplicate floor plan view for each design option
3. Create area plans for each design option using the appropriate area scheme and set the view properties to the design option

Hope that's clear.
If not, you can do a forum search on area plan design options to get more info.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Devin,
Only one type of area scheme is permitted for a floor plan so...

1. Create a separate area scheme for each design option.
2. Make a duplicate floor plan view for each design option
3. Create area plans for each design option using the approprate area scheme and set the view properties to the design option

Hope that's clear.
If not, you can do a forum search on area plan design options to get more info.

[dsw98]

Devin,
Only one type of area scheme is permitted for a floor plan so...

1. Create a separate area scheme for each design option.
2. Make a duplicate floor plan view for each design option
3. Create area plans for each design option using the approprate area scheme and set the view properties to the design option

Hope that's clear.
If not, you can do a forum search on area plan design options to get more info.


That's what I've tried, but it doesn't seem to work. When I delete an area line on one option it's gone on the other one also. Is there something special I should be doing when I create the actual area scheme?

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Make sure you create the area plan while editing the design option and when you go to the Visibility Graphics/Design Option tab on your area plan view is it set to the correct design option and not <automatic>.

[dsw98]

Make sure you create the area plan while editing the design option and when you go to the Visibility Graphics/Design Option tab on your area plan view is it set to the correct design option and not <automatic>.


Well I created the new area plan with the option active. It won't let me draw the area boundry while working inside the option. So when I turned the option off and opend the new area floor plan and scetched the new lines it's doing the same thing. It's not creating a seperate plan. Not sure if there is another step I'm missing.

[irwin]

Since this is something several people have found confusing, here's a more detailed explanation of the procedure Dimitri described.

First, some theory. Rooms and room areas can be associated with options. But Revit also has a concept called Areas for computing gross or rentable areas for large sections of floor plans (usually bigger than rooms). Areas are essentially independent of design options -- you can't put area boundaries, areas, or area tags inside an option. But, you don't need to because there are Area Schemes, which are essentially different options just for areas. If you are using design options to study different possibilities for the building and want to compute areas for these different options you must create different Area Schemes and then manually set them up to calculate the areas of the different building options (Revit won't automatically associate the area schemes with the design options for you.)

Step by step:

Settings | Room and Area Settings | Area Schemes. Create a new area scheme for each option and give them helpful names, like Area Option A and Area Option B. For each option (and each level you want to show), go to View | New Area Plan... In the resulting dialog, set the Type to the Area Scheme you created for that option. Note that this dialog is the only place you get to specify which Area Scheme is associated with the view; you can't change it later but must delete the view and start over. The window title shows the Area Scheme appended to the view name. When it asks to automatically create area boundaries for external walls, say No (saying Yes might save you time but when working with Design Options only use it if you know what you are doing).

You now have a view in which you can create Area Boundaries for that Scheme. While the Area boundaries and Areas themselves don't care about options, you do -- it wouldn't make sense to see Area Option B superimposed on the walls from Option A. So, set the view visibility to show Option B (or whichever option you are trying to study with this area scheme). Now, go and create the area boundaries (by picking walls or sketching), areas, and area tags. Don't edit Option B, just do all of this while editing main model.

Do the same for each option, and you should be all set.

[dv]

Maybe this has changed in 9.1, but I can't pick walls to create area boundary lines except in the primary option. I just get an error that the line can't be created. I also can't lock area boundary lines to the walls. Basically, I can only draw a "dumb" area plan that has to be manually updated for any changes. Is this correct, or am I missing something simple?

Maybe it's just me, but design options seem to be almost more trouble than they're worth. Too many things have to be copied back and forth, and too many side effects. Would it be possible to make them behave more like a "sub-phase"? By this I mean if you add a new door to an existing wall, you don't have to copy the wall to the new phase, the program knows how to handle this. Why then if I want to add an additional door as an option, I have to copy half the project to a design option? Couldn't this be handled in much the same way as phasing, eg New Construction-Option 1 or whatever? When I first heard about design options this is what I envisioned, but the reality has been disappointing.

Appreciate any insight.

Thanks

[irwin]

Maybe this has changed in 9.1, but I can't pick walls to create area boundary lines except in the primary option. I just get an error that the line can't be created.

I haven't tried this in 9.1. In earlier versions it will let you create the area boundary, provided that "Apply Area Rules" is checked.

[dv]

I appreciate the response. That does appear to work, but unfortunately the area rules don't always exactly match the constraints I have to follow. Up to this point, it's worked pretty well. Just doesn't seem to work with design options.

I guess I don't understand the reason for the inconsistency.

Thanks

[ford347]

If you are getting a conflict between design options, you may have to make the walls that define your multiple area's/options availiable to all options. If this bothers you at all, you could make one option active, copy all that would apply to your next option, make the next option active and paste all elements, this way you almost have two models that mirror each other with a little more freedom and less thinking. But if you created a new area scheme under the area settings called 'option 2' or whatever, you should't have any problem if working with all geometry that belongs to that option. Haven't tried this in 9.1 yet, but I would just 'go the extra mile' if you are encountering problems just to get through it, then maybe go back and research from there. Good luck!

[dsw98]

Step by step:

Settings | Room and Area Settings | Area Schemes. Create a new area scheme for each option and give them helpful names, like Area Option A and Area Option B. For each option (and each level you want to show), go to View | New Area Plan... In the resulting dialog, set the Type to the Area Scheme you created for that option. Note that this dialog is the only place you get to specify which Area Scheme is associated with the view; you can't change it later but must delete the view and start over. The window title shows the Area Scheme appended to the view name. When it asks to automatically create area boundaries for external walls, say No (saying Yes might save you time but when working with Design Options only use it if you know what you are doing).

You now have a view in which you can create Area Boundaries for that Scheme. While the Area boundaries and Areas themselves don't care about options, you do -- it wouldn't make sense to see Area Option B superimposed on the walls from Option A. So, set the view visibility to show Option B (or whichever option you are trying to study with this area scheme). Now, go and create the area boundaries (by picking walls or sketching), areas, and area tags. Don't edit Option B, just do all of this while editing main model.

Do the same for each option, and you should be all set.

I finaly got it to work. Thanks for the Step By Step procedure.