Reporting Family Coordinates in 3D Space

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Does a Revit family know where it is placed in 3D space (x, y and z coordinates) relative to a specific point in the project file and is there any way to get it to report those coordinates to a schedule?

[dhurtubise]

I remember a theread a bout it, but the answer is know. What are you exactly trying to find ?

[Dimitri Harvalias]

I tried a search but couldn't come up with anything.

I'm working on a family that will help me calculate the optimum viewing angle for stadium seating. The formula includes the rise and run of the seating row (easy enough to enter as x and y values for the bleachers) and the height and distance of the viewer from the point of focus on the playing field.

I can think of a dozen ways to do this manually but my first pass at this tells me that in order to automate this as much as possible I'd like to place a family and have it tell me where it as opposed to placing it by telling it where to go. Does that make sense?
To complicate the process the values for rise and run need to change dynamically based on these distance values.

[Wes Macaulay]

Hmm -- if you inserted all the bleachers on the stadium level, you might be able to create a height value for the family which would be in relation to that level.

A good reason to have access to XYZ coords in Revit :-(

[robert.manna]

I beleive that via the API you can access object's coordinates. The API experts would have to chime in on that one.

On a side note I saw some very interesting demonstations making use of Bentley's Generative Components/Smart Geometry to assist in the kind of design work you're talking about (Check out the Smart Geometry 2007 workshop website (http://www.smartgeometry2007.com/)). In my perfect world I would use those tools to derive the form, then build the model in Revit for documentation purposes.

-R

[truevis]

Another way to do it could be to use ACAD and make an application (I'd use AutoLISP) that places something in XYZ space according to your formulas. Then, import that DWG as a template for placing your Revit objects.

[Andre Baros]

Lots of the advanced form generating families work this way. Everything is inserted at the same base point (origin of some relevance) and then "moved" into position using parameters in the family which can then be scheduled. The whole thing can also be automated... if you use a count parameter to drive each family, it will get it's position from its sequential number.

This is sort of the opposite work flow to placing all the families and then figuring out where they are but if you have a regular system (anything you can describe with an equation or two) then this makes the schedule work much easier.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. I'll keep you posted.