Errors in older version of the family editor

[Alfredo Medina]

Does anybody know (or remember) if doing a series of equal/equal constraints from the same center reference, fails in Revit Architecture 2010 (RAC2010)? I can do multiple equal/equals in RAC2012 (as shown in the illustration), as many as I want, and it never fails. On the other hand, In RAC2010, it fails horribly, :banghead: , causing a lot of annoying error messages, even though I follow the same sequence of steps. I know, you would say, well, then work with 2012. But...

I ask the question because I have a client who works for a company, where he has been advised to work on 2010 in order to make their families "more compatible" for their prospective clients, but this error, and others, cause a lot of frustrations and limitations.

Apart from the problems with RAC2010 doing multiple equal/equals, we have noticed some strange errors when doing radial arrays, which don't happen at all in RAC2012.

It's that old dilemma that we have discussed here sometimes, due to the lack of backwards compatibility: "I know that the latest version is better but if I work on the latest version, my clients won't be able to open my files, so I'm stuck with the older version."

Comments?, suggestions? (yeah, work with 2012, I know...) Any other?

[mdradvies]

What's the sequence of steps you're using? Don't recall having this problem in 2010. Have you tried another sequence? Since there have been some changes to the best way in dimensioning refplanes...

[Alfredo Medina]

The sequence is: create reference planes above and below the horizontal main reference plane (as in the illustration). One pair, two pairs, three pairs. Then I create the equal/equals for pair 1, pair 2, pair 3. Then I dimension each pair. Then I convert the dimensions into parameters.

No matter in which order I do this sequence in RAC2012, it always works without any problems. In 2010, there seems to be an issue when applying the parameters from the inside out as opposed to outside in, but it's very random and unpredictable, very frustrating.

[Alfredo Medina]

Well, if anyone is interested in this information, related to the 2010 version, here is the solution: (credit to Randy Swanson for this): Revit 2010 creates a "Constraints not satisfied" error if you pick a parameter from the Label's pull down menu, to be the total length for two reference planes that have another one in between, and an equal/equal dimension relating all three planes. To avoid the problem, instead of picking an existing parameter from the Label's pull down list, choose "Add parameter" and create a new one from the Family Types dialog box. Then the constraint is created without errors.

But, then, what if you need another equal/equal constraint somewhere else that needs to use the same parameter that you already created? You can't pick it from the pull down menu because you get an error, and you can't create the same parameter again from the Types dialog box. Well, the only solution is to create a new parameter, and make it work with a formula. For example, if the previous parameter was "j", the new parameter can be "q" ; then make "q" = "j".

Note: This applies only for the 2010 Family Editor. This issue was fixed at some point from 2010 to the present. In the 2012 version, none of these issues occur and no workarounds are needed.

[Randy_CaS]

What I am using now, rather than creating a arbitrary "q" parameter, is to use a "j" parameter (only shows in the family type dialogue box), a "j_half" paramater (formula= j/2) and NO EQ/EQ CONSTRAINT