Wood screen wall help

[lm.136504]

So I want to create a wood screen wall like this picture shows. Is there a simple way of doing this? Every solution I can think of seems rather complicated. I'd appreciate any tips.

[mthurnauer]

Two possible options:
The first would be to create a family with an array of wood slats. I would create a nested family of a slat with parameters for slat width, slat depth, and slat length. Then in the other family, I would array the slat and set a parameter for the slat spacing, panel height and panel width. You then make the parameter for slat length equal panel width. This will be the most flexible design.

The other option (I have not tried this but it may work) would be to have a wall that's thickness is equal to the slat depth and then have a stack of reveals that cut all of the way through the wall. You will be limited to making the wall only as high as your last reveal, but it will be tagable as a wall type and it will be easier to place.

[twiceroadsfool]

Both options above are valid, as is:

Making a curtain panel that shows the horizontal slats with the verticals at the appropriate distances, and using the curtain wall to assemble it.

BUT:

The biggest thing to evaluate first, is how much of this needs to be modeled in an extremely detailed method involving all of the particular geometry?

You may be better off using a wall the thickness of the slats, with a Model pattern or a drafting pattern on the outside and inside of it, and call it a day. It will be much more efficient for manipulating and moving, performance wise. But it wont perform with shadows, or in intense 3D views that are meant to show through the objects. If its just a rendering issue, you may get by with a transparancy bitmap on that wall.

Consider your needs in terms of documentation, drawings, the model, any collaboration youre doing, and whether or not it is Value Adding to have EVERY SLAT in the model...

Just consider it, because... While im typically a fan of modeling more than most, just because you can doesnt mean that you should. ALWAYS something to think about.

[dfriesen]

I second the use of curtainwall. Create a curtainwall type that uses Empty System Panel, and the appropriate mullion type and spacing. In order to have the vertical supports not interrupt the horizontals, you'll need to do two separate walls, as shown in the attached example.

[twiceroadsfool]

I dont think i would use mullions in leiu of making it an actual panel itself... That would be a ton of extra work, i think. *IF* i was using a CW, id make a panel that had the slats nested in to it. Then id also make them only visible at certain levels of detail, so i could kill them while i worked...

[dfriesen]

It's not a lot of work at all - the horizontal curtainwall type has the spacing and mullion type predefined, so that's a matter of placing a curtainwall with the correct height. For the verticals, place the wall, add curtain grids where needed, with the mullion type predefined, and the mullion is added automatically.

It really depends on the size of project, the amount of screen needed, and the amount of detail needed. In a small building as shown in the image, I think this method would be very appropriate. I've used it without problems on several projects. It is one option, at least.

[sbrown]

The curtain wall method is the best. I use it all the time for louvers, you can even set an angle for each board so you can do sloped slats too. Just create a mullion the size you want, then in the curtain wall system, set the panel to be empty, set the spacing to be your slat center to center. Note if the spacing is very close you may have some vertical segments that can't be made so I leave the verticals out of the system and add them manually.

[Norton_cad]

...The other option (I have not tried this but it may work) would be to have a wall that's thickness is equal to the slat depth and then have a stack of reveals that cut all of the way through the wall. You will be limited to making the wall only as high as your last reveal, but it will be tagable as a wall type and it will be easier to place.

I created this solution a while ago, as I didn't want hassels when I inserted doors. I'm sure it will need adjusting to your requirments, but at least it gets you going...

[dhurtubise]

Definitely go with the CW and like Aaron menionned, use panels instead of mullions.

[lm.136504]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the help.

[dbaldacchino]

As far as I know, if you use a curtain panel, you will not be able to build in a flexible array because you cannot retrieve the height of the panel and thus cannot make your array flexible. I remember seeing an old thread out there where Phil Read showed how to create louvers within curtain panels by switching a panel to a special curtain wall which was defined as empty system panels and custom mullions using a sloped profile. I think that would be the way to go. You can define your spacing rules in the definition of the curtain wall and as the wall gets higher, more mullions (wood slats in your case) get added.

[mruehr]

As far as I know, if you use a curtain panel, you will not be able to build in a flexible array because you cannot retrieve
Dave you can....Have a look at this Panel i use it all the time
very flexible and the overhead is not sooooo big
you can change the slat-size as a Type and Center to Center Distance and Offset via Instance Parameter.For the Vertical Slats i would use a separate Curtain wall with vertical Mullion only. We use a lot of shading devices and curtain wall is by far the most flexible,
using 100's of mullions drags the system down.Panels like this are much better

[dbaldacchino]

Thanks, unfortunately I cannot upen your file. I get a very informative error saying "Software error"! I'm interested to see how the panel is built to have the array flex as its size changes in the project.

[mruehr]

hmmm. opens fine from here
its a 2009 file
64 bit but that should not be a proplem
if you have still proplems sent me your email and i sent it direct to you

[dbaldacchino]

Thanks, Daniel sent me the file and I can open it.

That's good to know. As I said, the last time I tried arraying in panels there were issues (can't find the past post right now). So I guess the solution is to nest in another family within the panel (generic model) and that takes care of it. This is a great solution!

[dhurtubise]

Just make sure the height parameter your using in the nested family is an instance one.

[mruehr]

The main trick is not to over-constrain
When you look closer there are 3 nested Families
the first 2 are all Left constrained(locked) only, so the Width information travels
via parameter linking.That makes it also very easy to change the Slat to any other form of Fin/Ellipse or whatever you can come up with.

[dbaldacchino]

Yeah but the key is to nest a component which already contains the array in it. In the past when I tried to array in the panel family itself, I wasn't able to constrain the elements horizontally so when the panel grew in width, the arrayed elements would "shear" sideways. In this case you're not even assigning parameters; you're just locking to ref. planes. When it comes to arrays, one of the best approaches is as you've demonstrated in this example: NEST!

[mbalsom]

I second the use of curtainwall. Create a curtainwall type that uses Empty System Panel, and the appropriate mullion type and spacing. In order to have the vertical supports not interrupt the horizontals, you'll need to do two separate walls, as shown in the attached example.

Daniel,
Tried your screen CW and works great. Would it be possible to give the steps (or small tutorial) you used to create this CW system.(or anybody else). I can usually reverse engineer most things in Revit but this has got me stumped on where to start and what steps to take. I can see many uses for this ,if and when i get my head around it.
Thanks Mark

[dfriesen]

To create the slat wall using curtainwall mullions:


in the project browser, go to Families/Curtain Wall Mullions/Rectangular Mullion, and duplicate one that's already there, then edit its properties to the dimensions and material of the slats you wish to make. (Thickness is really its depth, Width on side 1 & 2 are 1/2 of the height you want, if you want the mullion centered on the grids. For the Offset, I typically create the wall so that the back edge of the slats are my reference plane, therefor, my Offset is set to half the depth)
in the project browser, go to Families/Walls/Curtain Wall, and duplicate Curtain Wall 1. In its properties, set Curtain Panel to Empty System Panel, Vertical Grid Pattern Layout to None, Horizontal Grid Pattern Layout to Fixed Distance, and enter your desired spacing. Set all Vertical Mullions to None, set Horizontal Interior Type to your new Slat mullion created in step 1. Leave the Borders set to None.
To create a separate curtainwall for the vertical members, create another mullion type, setting the offset to negative half the depth, and then use the appropriate Vertical fixed spacing. Creating it separately allows the vertical and horizontal members to be uninterupted, as they would be if both in the same wall definition.Now go and draw your slat wall, setting the height as needed. Play around with the property settings to see "what if". You can angle the slats by setting the Angle in the slat mullion properties - a negative angle will slope it down to the outside like a louver.

[mbalsom]

Thanks Daniel ,great explaination. Actually worked it out last night.I think I got lost in this post when Dave and mruehr started talking nested arrays in curtin walls, throw me right of track.
The mullion,empty panel trick has opened up a whole new world of possibilites.
Mark

[mruehr]

Hi mbalson
just note that using Mullions as Louvers and Slats is fine for small housing
using it for big projects will hit you severly on the performance level.
The Panel array is much more forgiving on the performance of your model.

[mbalsom]

Hi mbalson
just note that using Mullions as Louvers and Slats is fine for small housing
using it for big projects will hit you severly on the performance level.
The Panel array is much more forgiving on the performance of your model.

Can you give brief rundown on steps on creating array (generic model with array ?) and how to import and nest into curtin wall