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What "categories" to put parameters in families?

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    #1

    What "categories" to put parameters in families?

    Since I started using Revit many years ago, when I create families, I've always put "formulas" that control the parametrics of the family under "Constraints" (i.e. the parameters that the user doesn't touch), and often use "Other" for misc. options of the family that maybe don't "neatly" fit under one of the categories. I've done it this way because this appeared to be the "standard" for most of the OOTB content.

    Unfortunately, Revit places "Constraints" at the very top of the properties dialog - the first thing a user sees, and "Other" at the very bottom. This of course is almost exactly the opposite opposite of what I want users to see when using the family. After waiting many years for more control to be added (why can't they just add a freaking "hide" parameter button in the family editor), I'm just about done holding out hope. I'm ready to change it around.

    I'm going to put all the misc. user input "options" under "Constraints" and all the parametric formula stuff under "Options". Does this make me a bad person?

    What are other people doing? What are people using the "Construction" category for? Anyone think I should should just grin and bear it with the the way things are? Is this a case of Murphy's Law where as soon as I switch it around, the Factory will mess it all up?
    Tags: None
    #2
    We put anything thats dimensional under Dimensions. Construction, we use for things like Yes or No options that have to do with the actual objects construction. Constraints, ill use for Revit Family stuff that is options for the user, but not options of whether or not things exist. Positional Yes or no's come to mind.

    EVERYTHING formula driven (regardless of type of parameter) is under Other, for exactly the reason you mention. i dont want to confuse the users.
    Aaron "selfish AND petulant" Maller |P A R A L L A X T E A M | Practice Technology Implementation
    @Web | @Twitter | @LinkedIn | @Email

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      #3
      Iru69: I used to do this the same as you. Constraints are ment for those things the user shouldn't touch. Unfortunately this is also the place where some default parameters exist that users sometimes NEED to touch (offset for sweeps, level placement for doors and windows, etc).
      Nowadays I use pretty much the same categories as Aaron:

      Dimensions: speaks for itself (NO formulas)
      Graphics: settings that do not affect the actual model but change the representation (like the type of doorswing symbolic lines)
      Construction: settings that do affect the actual model (like a pulldown for different panel types in a door)
      Other: all things nobody should touch but me...
      I also use Materials & Finishes, Identity Data for tags etc and Analytical Model for parameters used in project driven calculations such as ventilation or daylight.
      Martijn de Riet
      Professional Revit Consultant | Revit API Developer
      MdR Advies
      Planta1 Revit Online Consulting

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        #4
        I break them up like this
        Constraints: Formula driven parameters and "Family-wide" parameters (the ones that are greyed out by using the "=" sign). All our formula driven parameters are hidden by making them shared parameters and using the hide trick. There aren’t many anyway, since I use nested components a lot.
        Construction: Specification Descriptions (ie: for Doors: Latchset, Lock, Closer etc etc) and Construction Differences for the family (ie: Casework: on/off parameters for Vented base, No of Shelves etc)
        Graphics: Graphical Items that do not affect the modelled components (ie: Swing Angle)
        Dimensions: Normally all the dimension parameters, but if there are a lot, just the “main” dimensions
        Other: If lots of dimension parameters, thanthe secondary dimensions go here – otherwise I use this for , say, interaction parameters (ie: Doors: Align with Exterior Wall Face yes/no etc)
        Alex Page
        RevitWorks Ltd
        Check out our Door Factory, the door maker add-in for Revit

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          #5
          I do something akin to Aaron.

          Construction: Reporting parameters like wall thickness, or a yes/no for a Light Shelf in a Window family, number of shelves in casework, etc.
          Constraints: Mostly about controlling location relative to the overall model, i.e. Mounting Height, Door Offset from Adjacent Wall, etc.
          Other: formulas, so users don't see them.

          Gordon
          Pragmatic Praxis

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            #6
            We should be able to make our own!

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by gdoherty0102 View Post
              We should be able to make our own!
              there's already 39 of them. With BIM heading for more and more file sharing in the future added random category names just seems to be more confusing to me.
              I'm retired, if you don't like it, go around!

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                #8
                There are already many of them, but many of them we don't use. I really would like this for rebar detailing...it would be nice to segrigate parameters for wall reinforcement from those for slab reinforcement.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by gdoherty0102 View Post
                  There are already many of them, but many of them we don't use. I really would like this for rebar detailing...it would be nice to segrigate parameters for wall reinforcement from those for slab reinforcement.
                  well, now that I think about it a bit more I guess having user created category names wouldn't be any more confusing than me using Nurse Call Devices category for some curtain wall profile family parameters
                  I'm retired, if you don't like it, go around!

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Originally posted by gdoherty0102 View Post
                    We should be able to make our own!
                    Please no. That would mean even less coherence in Families. But it would be nice to be able to change the order in which they appear in the Properties
                    Martijn de Riet
                    Professional Revit Consultant | Revit API Developer
                    MdR Advies
                    Planta1 Revit Online Consulting

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