Color schemes: by department

[tim.101799]

Is it possible to create color schemes by departments? The client has requested that we colorize the floor plan by department, but he still wants to see the individual room names. My initial though is to create a new room tag with an invisiable 'department' patameter. Then have the color scheme tied to this department paratmeter. Is this possible and has anyone done this?

[bowlingbrad]

Take a look at the color schemes tutorial. Rooms have a Department parameter by default and, I think, there is also a default Department color scheme.

[s.messing]

Is it possible to create color schemes by departments? The client has requested that we colorize the floor plan by department, but he still wants to see the individual room names. My initial though is to create a new room tag with an invisiable 'department' patameter. Then have the color scheme tied to this department paratmeter. Is this possible and has anyone done this?

Yes, definitely. Easier than you think. I am actually surprised that there have not already been posts about how to do this, since it has been around for quite some time. In Architecture 2008 it is easier and more clear, but color fill by department has been around...


Rooms already have Department as an instance parameter embedded in them. Simply:

1. Create a room schedule with Department as one of the columns
2. Fill in the necessary department information
3. Duplicate the plan view you are using
4. Drop a color scheme (under the drafting tab) on the plan
5. Edit the color scheme to show by department
6. Adjust the colors as necessary

Help also has some great information and diagrams on color fills.

HTH,
stephen

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Tim,
you can create a color schedule based on the value (or, in some ases, the range of values) in any paramater available in the room and/or area objects.
Follow Brad and Tim's advice and your client can have their rooms colored any way they want.

Note: OOTB The department parameter should already be included in the room and area objects and should be one of the default setup color schemes. All you would need to do is add the values to the rooms and areas

[tim.101799]

Thanks guys! This worked great.

I never thought of looking at the room object for the department parameter. I was going to add that parameter to a room tag.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

The tag is only reporting information contained in the room or area object.
Pre R9 Revit did keep all the room and area information in the tag but after MEP was developed they introduced the room and area objects.

[LRaiz]

In reality tag always just reported department information that resided in room element. However prior to 9.0 while placing a room tag Revit checked if an invisible room element associated with space under the mouse already existed and if necessary created both room and tag with a single click. If user would place another tag in the same space in a different view Revit would associate this tag with already existing room element. After 9.0 on one hand room element was made visible but on the other hand user is forced to create rooms prior to tag creation. It is no longer possible to create room by placing a tag. Prior to 9.0 when user selected a tag and pressed properties button both tag and room properties would be shown. However room properties were kept in room element and that could be proven by the fact that multiple tags from various views exposed the same properties of a single room element.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

I stand corrected Leonid :beer:


Revit checked if an invisible room element associated with space under the mouse already existed and if necessary created both room and tag with a single click. .
If the rooms were always there it makes me wonder what else they're hiding from us :twisted:

[Calvn_Swing]

You know, that emoticon at the end of your post looks disturbingly like Leonid in his picture... All it needs is a hat!

Seriously though, rooms still have a long way to go to reach a level of "awareness" that is truly functional. Right now a room knows what it is, but just doesn't know much about anything else around it. I think in almost all cases, the next big step in Revit (and BIM tools in general) is to greatly improve the awareness in elements of what they are interacting with.

You might say that right now most objects in BIM software are self-aware and self-absorbed. They need a does of "perspective" to understand how they fit into the bigger picture (building).

Bloody teenagers...

[ws]

a bit late, but if it's any help I think DG covers this topic in his free cadclip
http://revitrocks.blogspot.com/2007/08/rac-2008-color-schemes-demo.html