Annotations and Design options: How are they SUPPOSED to interact?

[ron.sanpedro]

We are having a @#$! of a time with a project that is heavy on Design Options, and Interior Elevations specifically are really acting weird. I would expect that an Interior Elevation symbol dropped into a Design Option would be connected to that option, and the Elevation view(s) that result would also show that option automatically. Is that a correct assumption? Are there any gotchas to be aware of?
I am going to be digging into this project a lot Sunday, and knowing if there is something you just don't do with Design Options (like expect to get a Schedule of anything but the Primary Option) that would be a great help.

Thanks,
Gordon

[hand471037]

We are having a @#$! of a time with a project that is heavy on Design Options, and Interior Elevations specifically are really acting weird. I would expect that an Interior Elevation symbol dropped into a Design Option would be connected to that option, and the Elevation view(s) that result would also show that option automatically. Is that a correct assumption?

No. Design Options only control your building model. Views 'look at' whatever design option you set them to 'see', but can't be part of a Design Option at all. When yoo drop in a new symbol, it's gonna default to look at the Primary, not whatever Option you've currently got active.

(like expect to get a Schedule of anything but the Primary Option)

Why do you assume that? I do it all the time without problems.

[ron.sanpedro]

No. Design Options only control your building model. Views 'look at' whatever design option you set them to 'see', but can't be part of a Design Option at all. When yoo drop in a new symbol, it's gonna default to look at the Primary, not whatever Option you've currently got active.



Why do you assume that? I do it all the time without problems.

Hey Jeff,
So on the first one, how would I handle this? I have a main model that is just a simple building and some rooms. The Primary Design Option is a single large room added to the end of the building, and the Secondary Design Option is the same, but with the large space divided into three rooms. Now I need a plan that is just the main building, with all the interior elevation bubbles that are appropriate. I also need a plan that is just the Primary Design Option, showing all the main building Interior Elevation bubbles, as well as the single Interior Elevation bubble for the optional room. Then I need a plan that shows the main building Interior Elevation bubbles, and the three for the Secondary Design Option. Then I need to see the actual interior elevations of all of them. For the most part this has worked, we make a particular design oition active and drop in the interior elevation bubbles, and they "mostly" only show up in the appropriate plan. It is that mostly that makes me thing we are doing something we shouldn't. But for the life of me I don't see any way to deliver a building set with an option if I can tag the elevations of the option.

As for the second, if I build a schedule, it seemingly has no place to change its design option. It shows me the info based on the Primary option, and if I switch to a different Primary, the schedule updates, but I find no way to see two schedules, one for Primary, and one for Secondary, both up to date.

So, set me straight. I love finding out what I am doing wrong, cause it means I can find new things to mess up

Thanks, and see you at AU!

Gordon

[hand471037]

Hey Jeff,
So on the first one, how would I handle this? I have a main model that is just a simple building and some rooms. The Primary Design Option is a single large room added to the end of the building, and the Secondary Design Option is the same, but with the large space divided into three rooms. Now I need a plan that is just the main building, with all the interior elevation bubbles that are appropriate. I also need a plan that is just the Primary Design Option, showing all the main building Interior Elevation bubbles, as well as the single Interior Elevation bubble for the optional room. Then I need a plan that shows the main building Interior Elevation bubbles, and the three for the Secondary Design Option. Then I need to see the actual interior elevations of all of them. For the most part this has worked, we make a particular design oition active and drop in the interior elevation bubbles, and they "mostly" only show up in the appropriate plan. It is that mostly that makes me thing we are doing something we shouldn't. But for the life of me I don't see any way to deliver a building set with an option if I can tag the elevations of the option.

Click on the body of your Elevation Tag (not the arrow tip, the circle/square where the number goes), and go to it's properties. You'll see a instance parameter called 'visible in Option'. It's default is 'All Options' unless you place it while editing an option as you've found (where Revit will then make this setting match the option you're editing). The tags aren't 'part' of the option at all, actually, but I could see how you'd get that idea from the way that this works...

As for the second, if I build a schedule, it seemingly has no place to change its design option. It shows me the info based on the Primary option, and if I switch to a different Primary, the schedule updates, but I find no way to see two schedules, one for Primary, and one for Secondary, both up to date.

You simply make two Schedules by duplicating your first and changing the Design Option it's referencing. If you need to see them at the same time, side by side, you put them on a sheet. You can't 'mix' information from two separate options within a single Schedule (but anything within the 'main model' will appear within both schedules just fine).

Thanks, and see you at AU!

Please don't remind me, I still need to finish my handouts... :P

[irwin]

As for the second, if I build a schedule, it seemingly has no place to change its design option.

In Properties for the Schedule View, select Visibility. It's in there. Some discussion of why it's there and the use that people are making of schedules with design options can be found in this thread: http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=2174