Duct Size Parameter Air Terminal Schedules

[mjdanowski]

Thread title says it all, if we could get a link from the connectors duct size to the scheduling, it would be one less coordination issues for air terminal schedules.

[JoelLondenberg]

How are you driving the connector size? I've used parameters to set the size, that could be easily added to schedules.

[mjdanowski]

the problem with this though is that our schedule has a column for "inlet size" which could be either in the form of 6"Ø for round connections and 6x10 for rectangular.

Right now there is no way to format this with schedules, much less have it be smart and keeping it in one field.

[JoelLondenberg]

So you have both connectors in the family?

We always tag the diffuser with the native inlet size, i.e. 6x10 and then if a round duct is to be connected to it, we simply label the duct size on the plan and graphically represent the transition from 6"Round to 6x10 (Revit does this nicely).

Apart from this I don't know what having an inlet size in the schedule would gain for you or the contractor.

[mjdanowski]

So you have both connectors in the family?

We always tag the diffuser with the native inlet size, i.e. 6x10 and then if a round duct is to be connected to it, we simply label the duct size on the plan and graphically represent the transition from 6"Round to 6x10 (Revit does this nicely).

Apart from this I don't know what having an inlet size in the schedule would gain for you or the contractor.

Sorry, I am confusing Air Devices with Air Terminals.

For Air Devices we have both, for air terminals we show the WxH for the outlet duct and the diameter for the inlet.

In either case though, it would be nice if we could get a formatted "duct size" parameter to link to schedules, for how many connectors we would like.

[JoelLondenberg]

Sorry, I am confusing Air Devices with Air Terminals.

For Air Devices we have both, for air terminals we show the WxH for the outlet duct and the diameter for the inlet.

In either case though, it would be nice if we could get a formatted "duct size" parameter to link to schedules, for how many connectors we would like.

Can you post a screen shot of the family and the schedule you are attempting?

[kyle.bernhardt]

Thread title says it all, if we could get a link from the connectors duct size to the scheduling, it would be one less coordination issues for air terminal schedules.

Matt,
Can't you create a Shared Parameter for these Connector Size Parameters, and them map that Shared Param to the Connector Size?

I am assuming that you have one Type per Neck Size, so can't you just add a string-based Shared Parameter to each type that defines your properly formatted Size value? That would solve the Round vs Rectangular issue wouldn't it?

Maybe I'm missing something here?

I do agree there's room for improvement on the product side, but I'm not sure if you're dead in the water today.

Kyle B

[mjdanowski]

Matt,
Can't you create a Shared Parameter for these Connector Size Parameters, and them map that Shared Param to the Connector Size?

I am assuming that you have one Type per Neck Size, so can't you just add a string-based Shared Parameter to each type that defines your properly formatted Size value? That would solve the Round vs Rectangular issue wouldn't it?

Maybe I'm missing something here?

I do agree there's room for improvement on the product side, but I'm not sure if you're dead in the water today.

Kyle B

I am not so much dead in the water (there are many ways to get around this like you said), but it would be a handy feature to be able to link "connector duct sizes" to a parameter because it directly links to what is in your model. When making schedules, I try to avoid "dead parameters" like the plague. (by dead parameter, I mean a parameter which is there for scheduling purposes but doesn't link to the actual BIM model")

For example, I can make a 6" neck type air terminal and make the schedule link to a shared text parameter called "Neck Size." At this point I have satisfied my schedule, however the neck size in the schedule and the neck size on the connector could be different. I could foresee many instances where someone in the heat of the moment makes a new type and doesn't coordinate the "label" with the actual linked parameter to the connector.

Ultimately what I am suggesting here is a way to link the actual duct size into something which can be outputted to schedules (exactly how the label "size" does in duct tags) Now that I think of it, the way "size" is handled in duct tags is exactly the functionality I am trying to suggest for the primary HVAC connector of other non-duct equipment.

Another thing I was thinking about is parsing parameter in text tags.

For example, if I did the following in a text parameter formula:

(Ductwidth x Ductheight)

I would get an error. However, what would be nice is if I could somehow parse the contents of the parameters Ductwidth and Ductheight so the above formula would not error and become 42" x 43" or something of that order. This would give a LOT of functionality with many things aside from this issue.