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Jay B Zallan
BIM Director Perkowitz+Ruth Architects & Studio111
A+Revit Families
Jay B Zallan
BIM Director
Family Goals
Family: a group of things related by common characteristics: a closely related series of elements or compounds
Improve project workflows Ease user frustration Standardize output and quantifications Create Revit families that break perceived limitations Plan future families and library upgrades
Plan
the parametric needs, detail levels, flexibility, look/feel, etc.
Think
about what is needed NOW... Remember you can always make the family progressively more complex
Re
Reconsider Replan Rethink
Create
the best families you can
Think Re Create
Plan
The parametric needs, detail levels, flexibility, look/feel, etc.
Think
about what is needed NOW... Remember you can always make the family progressively more complex Still keep in mind the Later
Re
Reconsider Replan Rethink
Create
the best families you can
Plan
The parametric needs, detail levels, flexibility, look/feel, etc.
Think
about what is needed NOW... Remember you can always make the family progressively more complex
Re
Reconsider Re(vise) the plan Rethink
Create
the best families you can
Plan
The parametric needs, detail levels, flexibility, look/feel, etc.
Think
about what is needed NOW... Remember you can always make the family progressively more complex
Re
Reconsider Replan Rethink
Detail Level(s)
Communication
Best (usage) Practices Etc
Communication
Best (usage) Practices Etc
Create!!!
Communication
Best (usage) Practices Etc
Change the "Length" parameter to 8'-0" by using the the "Family Types..." button... (yeah I know I said no fundamentals but thats how it isI just want to be clear )
Note how this cabinet comes in at its default size... that's OK, we'll be associating and locking that parameter to another parameter later but since we haven't created that new parameter yet we'll do other necessary work first...
Such as Locking the Cabinet to the Ref Planes. (Note: To get this line based family to work this time I did have to re-do this locking after I constrained the objects to the upcoming parameters, (last time I showed a colleague this it worked fine, without re-locking...It's all about process and order of steps) so be ready for the family to potentially fight you as you go...Flex every step of the way so it's not too painful.)
Align & Lock to the insertion point (Yes, the intersection of these Ref Planes is the insertion point, so if you need an offset insertion please be aware of that): Such as if the length wants to incorporate a countertop side overhang, etc we are not including such overhangs herein to maintain a bit of intended clarity.
Here is an image of the Control Line selected...The oddity is that the Control Line seems to disappear or at least go invisible when hovering over it, so if you want to select it (and we do) and that control line disappears then click there, you are sure to select it since it looks like you can't. Yes that IS what I said.
Via clicking the "Family Types..." button we can and must set up the following additional, necessary Parameters "CABINET SPACING" and "MAX CABINET SPACING"
The parameter (MAX CABINET SPACING) we will associate to the dimension below:
Now, you should know that when I entered the formulas, per the following image (which you can and really must consider as being the next step!!!) the dimension (shown right) needed to be deleted. I let that happen and didn't question it later on since the family works without it (as long as you don't set the overall length below 6'-0"... yes we could place more constraints via a conditional statement to allow for that but for this particular family I didn't find it necessary to have a multiple, double cabinet be so small...I say let it break in that case, it's just too illogical.
This time while I was creating this line based cabinet family (and after letting the dimension be deleted during the error/warning stage) the middle cabinet disappears... RELAX!!! There is actually a good reason for that and I alluded to it earlier, way back in step (whatever)... Even if you don't care to go back and look; The following is the 'fix'...
When you get down into its Type Parameters look for the Width parameter and click the tiny little = (equal) button... FWIW: I think Autodesk loves hiding big things in tiny packages!!!
Select any of the cabinet groups Chose to edit the group go to the properties window and associate all Material Parameters to new material association Parameters That way they can be changed at the project level. WOW I am glad we didn't forget that... o o o I call this :associating of parameters making a parameter exposed. The associated parameters will be exposed and editable at the next downstream level: In this case the Project.
Oh wait!!! Can we use a "Family Types" parameter association to the cabinet families Then load a bunch of individual cabinet families in and then have the ability to swap out one kind of cabinet for others (in this Line Based Conglomerate)??? YES!!! (Keep reading)
Questions?
A+Revit Families
Jay B Zallan
BIM Director