Exit calc tag

[Cathy Hadley]

Is it possible to create a room tag that will calculate exit requirements. ?

Just like in a schedule... Can you add a formula to a label parameter?

I've tried various things, nesting this and that, etc.. none working with much success.

In theory shouldn't I be able to create a shared parameter, that is calculated in a schedule then use it in the tag?

Anyone already done this or anything close would be much appreciated.

CZH

[patricks]

We tried this also with a room tag, trying get it to calculate occupancy load based on room size and square feet per occumpant (the SF per occupant would be a type parameter, with different tags for rooms of different occupancy types), but we have not been able to get it to work. If anybody knows how, please post it up.

[Wes Macaulay]

Interesting thread. What you're wanting to do though is not use a Shared Parameter, but get a total value. The Shared Params can get the numbers for the total, but I don't think you can write the total back to a tag automatically. The total is not a property of any object, so that value can't be written to a tag. Interesting brain chow for Development however.

Maybe David C or Matt J might read this post

[Tom Dorner]

I brought up this subject in January of 2004 with area tags.

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=2249

It is still one of my top wishes.

Tom

[bpayne]

We are currently trying to create a tag as I write this. We'll post it if we are successfull.

[Scott D Davis]

We can get the information into a schedule, but we can't get that scheduled information to display in a tag. We have created a schedule key, which is bascially a copy of table 10-A of the UBC, Occupant Load Factors. You can now tag a space with a tag we built. That tag populates a schedule. One value in that schedule is a list of space types, from the 10-A table. When you switch to the space type for that area in the schedule, the schedule has calculated values for Occupants, based on the area of the space tagged.

Problem is, in the tag itself, we can't report those calcualted values back. We have to have columns in the scheudle that are "Tag Value" and Calculated Value. it's up to the users to open the schedule and manually update the info that is to be displayed in the tag.

[archjake]

We can get the information into a schedule, but we can't get that scheduled information to display in a tag. We have created a schedule key, which is bascially a copy of table 10-A of the UBC, Occupant Load Factors. You can now tag a space with a tag we built. That tag populates a schedule. One value in that schedule is a list of space types, from the 10-A table. When you switch to the space type for that area in the schedule, the schedule has calculated values for Occupants, based on the area of the space tagged.

Problem is, in the tag itself, we can't report those calcualted values back. We have to have columns in the scheudle that are "Tag Value" and Calculated Value. it's up to the users to open the schedule and manually update the info that is to be displayed in the tag.

Scott,

Could you post a graphic of your schedules and tag?

[Cathy Hadley]

Great... thanks... time to stop spinning those wheels. darn...

[Steve_Stafford]

...Could you post a graphic of your schedules and tag?...

Attached is an image of schedules and the tag.

The fundamental problem is that we can not display data that we calculate inside the project in a tag yet. A tag family can not use the area value in an equation because it doesn't exist until you are in a project.

We need a way to tell Revit that a tag will use a project value, like area, once it is inserted and an object is tagged. A placeholder for AREA that will assume the true value when you tag a space but in the family itself substitutes a temporary value so the formula will "work".

Alternatively we need a system family tag type that can combine instance data like Area with other shared parameters to display calculations.

A third concept might be schedules that actually behave like tags and allow freeform placement of parameters and linework to look like a tag.

Yet another is to allow us to map one parameter to another within a project. Essentially allowing what we have done in these schedules manually to be done automatically, ala Excel...Cell A1 is equal to Cell J4.

The bottom line is we need a way to display calculated data in tags.

This work around reduces some of the drudgery of looking up data and having the numbers "crunched" but leaves us with manual data entry to get the information in tags so it can be display meaningfully in plan views as well as listed in a schedule.

In terms of value delivered, this sort of evaluation/calculation is a process that all firms go through to some extent. Evaluating occupied spaces and demonstrating how the design meets the code. This is a business problem Revit needs to help us resolve. Giving us greater ability to decide where and how information will be displayed is very important.

[SkiSouth]

It would be nice to have access as "read only" variables such as sheet numbers (for condoc) and as you have so nicely demonstrated the area calcs. Seems reasonable to allow variables to point to known data inside of Revit as read only. (I know I sound like a lisp programmer).....