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Revit Shared Parameters
Revit Shared Parameters
g Share
ed Para
ameters
s in Auttodesk Revit Structu
S ure
Nick Hugley – McComa
as Engineerin
ng Inc
SE314-1
1
You’ve ussed out-of-the e-box families in your projeect and create ed schedules using them, but
b you need more
informatioon for a more detailed sche edule. You’ve e read or hearrd that if you use
u shared pa arameters, yoou
can sched dule them and d add more innformation intto your modell. So what are e these shared parameterss and
are they different
d from other parame eters? I will sh
how you how to create sha ared parameters and add these
t
to out-of-tthe-box families and new fa amilies. You’lll be able to add
a footing ba ar sizes and quantities
q to a
family andd they will sho
ow up in a schhedule. A woo od shear walll placed in thee model can have
h a schedule
with the stud and shea athing size alo
ong with fasteeners and hold d down types. Use live sch
hedules instea ad of
static sche edules.
About th
he Speaker::
Nick workss for McComas s Engineering, a structural enggineering firm in
n Carmel, Indiana. He has 24 years of experrience
in producin
ng construction documents forr a wide varietyy of projects andd clients. An avvid user, trainerr, and supporter of
AutoCAD, Nick has also added
a Revit Sttructure to his "m
must have" sofftware list. Nickk has an Associiate’s degree inn
Architecturral Engineering Technology froom ITT and is also
a a Microsofft Certified Systtems Engineerr.
nhugley@
@mccomaseng
g.com
SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
View Scale:
Detail Level:
Parameter Flavors
I look at parameters having different flavors. Each parameter has its own taste or use.
One flavor is project parameters. When project parameters are created they’re assigned to categories
and add content to a project. Some simple examples of these are adding parameters to the sheets
category for additional information in title blocks or by adding parameters to the foundation category so
you can schedule reinforcing for footings.
Another flavor is family parameters. These parameters are added to families to create the flexing or add
content. An example is wide flange beams. Wide flange beams have the same section geometry but
the values and/or parameters change and/or flex the geometry to the different sizes, the wide flange
steel material type can also be stored as a parameter. You can also use parameters in annotation
family’s to create tags for labeling.
A very strong flavor is share parameters. Shared parameters are parameters used in families that can
be used for both tags and schedules. Share parameters are given a unique identifier so they’ll keep
their association from family to project. Using shared parameters for column footing dimensions you can
list them in a schedule.
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
Right off the bat getting into Revit I wanted to know how to create a schedule, this is one of those items
touted at every sales pitch I attended. So, first thing I did was create a column footing schedule and the
first thing I see is what I don’t see, I didn’t see any reinforcing or footing thickness. My dumb AutoCad
schedules have this information. I did some homework and found out that to add this type of content I
need to use parameters. So, my first taste of parameters is a project parameter. Below is a intended
schedule and a step by step in adding two project parameters for the footing reinforcing. The footing
thickness parameter will come later.
Rebar No of
Rebar Size
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
Note:
The dialog box to the
right is the OTB family
Footing-Rectangular
showing that the two
project parameters
have been added to the
type properties.
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
To create Shear Wall Schedule, follow the previous steps for adding project parameters. There are 6
parameters shown in the chart below. Once the parameters are added to the project you can create a
new wall type and populate these parameters with values in the wall’s type properties. Once you’ve
placed this new wall in a project you’ll be able to create a schedule that will include these new
parameters.
Here is my end
result of what I
wanted my Shear
Wall Schedule to
look like. I added
6 project
parameters to
the Walls
category, the
parameters are
shown in the
table below.
To keep my
thoughts straight
for completing
the schedule I
use this simple
chart. Down the
left side are the
schedule
headings which
match up to the
project Across the top are the values needed to be populated in the project parameters dialog
parameters. box for each parameter.
I don’t think there is limit to the number of project parameters that can be created
Project parameters can belong to more than one category
You can transfer project parameters from project to project using Transfer Project Standards
You can purge unused project parameters – be careful – everyone has that guy in the office that
like to keep things cleaned up
Backup your project parameters by transferring them to an unused project – see previous
Project parameters can be added just for
o schedule sorting
o browser organizing
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
Ok adding and using a project parameter was pretty easy, but it’s still not enough. I had a project that
needed to use grade beams in the foundation. I did some homework and found out that the easiest and
most sensible way to do this is to use the concrete beam family. I’ll need to add project parameters to
populate the schedule for reinforcing, OK I’ve done this before, but…..this time I need to be able to
schedule the dimensions of the grade beams. I’ll have the same size grade beams but the reinforcing is
going to be different for a few types. I’ll create several types using different type names and change the
size and reinforcing on an as needed basis in the type parameters.
So what did I need to do to make this happen? First thing I did was see is if I can schedule the width and
height using the Concrete-Rectangular Beam family. Answer is no. But if I use shared parameters in this
family I will be able to schedule the width and height. In lieu of creating a new family, which you can, I
decided to replace the family parameters with shared parameters. Remember shared parameters carry a
GUID (global unique identifier), this GUID will allow Revit to keep track of these parameters.
I’m going to create a new grade beam family from the Concrete-Rectangular Beam family. Before I do
this I want to create the shared parameters I’ll be using for the family.
For this next exercise I’m going to be using the Structural Analysis-Default template.
1. From the browser select the Concrete-Rectangular Beam, right click and select Edit. You’ll be
asked if you want to open the family for editing, select Yes. The family will open in the family
editor.
2. From the Application Button select Save As, select Family, select the folder location and name
the family Grade Beam.
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
6. Now that you have the Grade Beam family loaded into the project, place the two types and create
a new structural framing schedule. When you scroll to select the schedule fields you’ll see the
Height and Width shared parameters from in the Grade Beam family are now choices.
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
The shared parameters file is created, the grade beam family is using them to the schedule the Height
and Width, now make a tag that will pull these same shared parameters so you can annotate the plan.
As you can see when you placed the two grade beams they were tagged with the type name. Let’s
create a tag that will pull in the Height and Width. We’ll do this by saving as and editing the tag used
already.
Now you will be able to see them in the list of available parameter to choose from.
8. In the Edit Label dialog box select Type Name, select the red arrow and return this parameter
to the available list.
9. In the Category Parameters list select Width, select the green arrow add to the Label
Parameters list.
10. Add a “space” “x” in the Suffix column.
11. In the Category Parameters list select Height, select the green arrow add to the Label
Parameters list.
12. Select OK
13. Stretch the label limits box to get on line of text.
14. Save the file and load it into the project.
Once you load it into the project it will begin to tag items using the new Grade Beam Tag. If it doesn’t
simply load it as the tag you want to use, or drag and drop it from the browser to use.
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
Make a plan, use good practice or have standards for using parameters.
O See HNTB’s presentation
Use one company shared parameter file
A parameter named Joe, JOe, JOE, jOe, jOE, etc…. are all different parameters!!!
Create family templates with commonly used shared parameters already defined.
Revit SDK 2010 has sample program AutoParameter to populate family file.
There a lot more things you need to know about with parameters so do your homework. Here is
a list of information I regularly review to remind about parameters.
O AU 2005 BD35-2 Take Your Family to the Next Level
David Conant – Autodesk and Stephen Stafford – Stafford Consulting
O Anything from Steve Stafford
O Autodesk’s Parametric Component Design Techniques
O Autodesk Revit Style Guide
Revit_Master_Parameter_List.xls
Revit_Master_Shared_Parameters_V2.Txt
O AU 2008 AB304-3 Fuzzy Math Essentials for Revit Family Builders
David Baldacchino – SHW Group LLP
Choices to Make
o Name
Again case sensitive
Use exact syntax in formulas
o Discipline:
Typically Common
o Type of Parameter
Most Popular
Text
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
Integer
Number
Length
Angle
Material
Yes/No
Family Type
o Group Parameter Under
Be consistent
You can’t hide formula driven parameter so sometime putting them under Other
hides them from users
o Instance Type
Make the correct choice, think through your family
1. For an annotation family use the Yes/No parameter type with Graphics to get it placed correctly.
In this example I have a column tag that has four types to choose from, each putting the
annotation in one of 4 corners.
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
3. Map a nested family’s parameter and let the host family drive its geometry. In this example I
have a 2D embed plate host family that you can change the type property for the plate thickness
and an instance property for the width. The nested family is a 2D shear stud. I can change the
shear stud length by creating a stud length parameter in the host and mapping it to the nested
family parameter.
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SE314-1 Using Shared Parameters in Autodesk Revit Structure
This is one of my new favorite things to do, I learned this at local revit user group meeting and I want to
share it. I’ve made this great new truss family and I’ve created it around using it for both wood and CFS
trusses. So how am I going to get the material to be either wood or CFS metal? Create two families one
for wood and one for CFS. That’s how I would have done it until I learned how to use a shared
parameter for the material. I’ve outlined how to do this below.
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