Angled Bay Window: Group OR Family

[pfaudler]

In one of our Revit projects we have angled bay window and i have it as a family (please see attached) and as a group (our early attempt). I read in Dos and Donts thread that group should be avoided if possible because it slows down the Revit project. But if it is used as a family then what happens with Wall material schedule? and detail sections for the bay window?

We will have 20 max. angled bay windows like this in the project.

Can you please share your experience on this?


Thanks in anticipation.

[twiceroadsfool]

Groups for small repeatable assemblies like that shouldnt have a negative impact on your project. I use groups for things like that religiously, and do not have performance issues. I have models with literally hundreds of instances of groups in them.

That said, i would decide how to build the object based on how it will be constructed:

If the entire Bay window is coming from a manufacturer, replete with underside cladding, mulling, etc, then i would make it a family with those elements simply modeled in the family.

It the entire bay is coming from the manufacturer, but you need to specify actual windows to go INSIDE it, then i would make a family, and nest Window families in it to schedule the windows. (I would make those *windows* as generic models and switch the catagory, so theyre no longer wall hosted, or you wont be able to nest them.... Another reason to build everything unhosted and nest it in to hosted families).

2. If its NOT coming from the manufacturer, and is getting assembled in the field from standard windows, then i would make it a group, with the appropriate walls/windows/roof pieces on it...

[pfaudler]

Thank you very much. This helps alot.

Regards

[ghale]

One thing to look out for if you try to use families is the way room calculations come out. You're not likely to get a correct number because you're not using walls as the bounding element. It may also be difficult to get good looking wall joins without doing some graphic overrides. My general feeling is that if you want them to operate like walls, then use walls, in which case you're stuck with groups.