Design options, are they always quicker?

[Martin P]

Having looked into design options and starting to play around with them, I started to use them on a house type where I have a 100% timber cladd option, and I also have a 30% timber cladd option (the rest block and render)....Both are going to be used.

In the end I found that in my opinion it was taking me longer, and causing me more problems than it was solving to use and set up etc the design options than to simply have 2 separate files - ie do a saveas and edit the walls I wanted to.

Are they only really useful for early stages of a project, and would they be better not used in this instance? I can see that if the layouts etc started to change on this house type it could potentially save me time later - but I know they arent going to change very much at all. In the end I did it as 2 separate files, and it was very easy. Any opinions on when NOT to use design options (also phasing, worksets, browser organisation etc). In light of some of the posts lately regarding the time spent with Revit I think it is important for us to look at when we should not use all the powerful tools at our disposal in Revit.

The main problem I have with using the options feature for this case is the fact that I can not have inserts (windows and doors etc) that were in both wall options - I had to duplicate the windows and doors into option A and option B...... so why not just have separate duplicate files, its simpler.....

[aggockel50321]

I tend to stick with options rather than using duplicate files. If other objects get added or changed outside the design options, I'd end up doing it in two files.

I found that once I did a few design options & got a good grasp of how they work, adding items into the options wasn't a problem for myself.

I do wish the screen was better marked to tell myself that I am working in an option. If I leave a project to do something else, and then come back, I'll sometimes just start working away, unaware that when I left previously, I closed out the option. As a result, it's helped me understand how to quickly get those items that should be in an option back into it...

[Martin P]

Maybe it was only because I actually wanted to use both options and would have had to duplicate all the views, sheets, notes, detailing and in particular inserts into walls - even when using design options. Maybe in this case design options are not the best? The drawings are at construction stage.

In effect I was going to get basically the same thing as having 2 files, as all the detailing and notes and inserts and views had to be duplicated for each house type and therefor altered twice - unless I went around grouping everything (more time). Then there is the slow down the file size increase would have caused.... but it MIGHT have saved me time on things if bits changed, but thats kind of putting the cart before the horse in this case. What if bits of things dont change (in this case any changes will be minor) - wouldnt I have been much better splitting the job into 2 files and not spending my time setting up all of the above..... I am really just following on a bit from the 2D/3D faster thread, in that sometimes with Revit the "correct" way may not be fastest/simplest way - until things possibly start to change on you ( but later I may have more time than I do right now...) thats a gamble I suppose, but it may pay off....

[christopher.zoog51272]

We always use design options and find them most useful in the CD phase, primarily in our production housing projects. The number of options for a single model can be over 10 distinct items, and the items effected these options reach into dozens.

We keep it all in one model to save our sanity, trying to track down the optional brick front, with optional 2 car garage, with a structural option for a column less basement can be a night with separate file, if something changes in the base house that must be included in all the various options....you would spend hours changing the same thing.

Not only that but we also have a lot of sub options, within options.

For example: Full Basement, Walkout Basement or Slab on grade depending on site conditions. Within the full basement option, there is a upgrade package that beefs up the standard beams to remove some of the columns. You could also get a powder room in the partial basement or ....not. The number of options builders want to offer can be mind boggling.

Now to make matter worse (or better depending on how you look at it) Local building inspectors are starting to refuse option sheets, they want a set of drawing for each house in a community with exactly what will be built on a particular lot.

With a master model, it a matter turning on and off the right option sets, save as, then print!

I'm teaching a class at AU on this very subject.

Like you said Martin, it's a gamble, and with my luck I have no business gambling ;)