Ceilings in Room Schedules - revisited

[Tyveka]

Hi All,

I have searched high and low for a decent solution but still come up short.
The situation is as follows: I want to have the height of my ceiling automagically calculated from the values in Revit. So I created a calculated parameter that divides Volume by Area and gives me the length. HOWEVER - in the 3 exceptions to the rule (the rooms where I have sloping ceilings), I want to have the field automatically put in the word "sloped", so I don't get the average value.

I'm hoping this can be done with a conditional formula. But I'm out of my expertise when it comes to doing something like this. Can anyone help me figure out how to either format the conditional formula or just overwrite the value in one or two cells in the Room Schedule so that I can still keep the smarts that Revit offers me?

thank you!

[greg.mcdowell]

Here's what I did...

Create a separate schedule to calculate and report the ceiling heights (I called mine, oddly enough, Ceiling Heights). In this schedule add the Level, Number, Name, Ceiling Finish (opt), Volume and Area from Rooms. Create a series of Calculated Value parameters:

Clng Hght Avg = Volume / Area
Clng Hght as Number = Clng Hght Avg / 1' * 12
Clng Hght as Integer = Clng Hght Avg / 1' * 12
Clng Hght Calc = if(Clng Hght as Number = Clng Hght as Integer, Clng Hght Avg, 0')
Clng Hght Note = if(Clng Hght as Number = Clng Hght as Integer, "", "Varies")

And finally create a parameter (Clng Hght Tag) to hold a textual version of the ceiling height (make it shared if you want to put it in a tag like i do).

This system works, in theory at least, by comparing an integer version of the calculated ceiling height and comparing it to a number version. If they’re the same then the ceiling has a uniform height and it can report the calculated height. If they’re different then it reports 0 (it can’t report a text value because it’s a length parameter). The note parameter adds a conditional statement to help clarify what the 0 means.

All that is required of you once this is set up is to go through and manually enter the correct value into the Clng Hght Tag parameter… this is what is referenced into your Room Finish Schedule.

Clear as mud?

[Tyveka]

Actually, it makes perfect sense.
Just seems like a lot of work to do something that Revit should really do automatically. And I really don't like not being able to override one cell in the room finish schedule that acts as the exception rather than the rule.
Thank you for the help on this. I guess this will have to work for the time being.

Much appreciated!

[kkw]

My Ceiling Height Tags already 'read' whatever height my ceiling is in the Room. Can I direct a Room Schedule parameter to 'read' the Ceiling Height Tag, instead of messing around with formulas?

The last thing I want to do is type in data.

[ACE001]

Hey kkw,
You said it, who wants to type in data! not me!
Let's use this formula. and see if it works. see you at the office!

[chodosh]

Nice sleuthing guys... Finally a solution?
-LC

[ACE001]

Not really, it's just giving the offset height/limit of the room volume, but trying to distinguish a varying clng level. but it's actually comparing 2 integers it has already set as equal, which makes it pointless, but I must be missing something. It's a nice try. We might as well just use the room volume and set the height/limit offset correctly in the model.

[chodosh]

Ah, yes, the old comparative analysis v. quantitative results quandry, here we go again... I'm still holding out for a solution.

[Steve_Stafford]

Unfortunately it isn't a "simple" problem to solve. Not all ceilings are only part of one "room". For the many that are though we'd be a heck of a lot closer if ceilings knew that they were inside a room and vice versa.