Shared Parameters in Revit View Filters

Here is another Revit Gotcha for young and old: 

Family Editor Shared Parameters

If you add a new Shared Parameter in the family editor, you might expect that parameter to be available in a project in all situations.  You would be wrong!

Shared Parameters created in the family editor, and then loaded into a project have two entirely different (inconsistent) behaviours:

• In Schedules, the shared parameters will automatically be available to add as fields

• In View Filters, the family shared parameters will not be available to add as fields

This is quite confusing and inconsistent.  It can also catch you out, however experienced with Revit you might be - as I recently discovered when demonstrating how to create View Filters to a client

Schedules

If you create a new schedule  for the category of the recently loaded family, the Shared Parameter is automatically available in the list of available fields - as you might expect:  it is one of their mystical powers.

View Filters

Try the same trick with View Filters and you will probably get a nasty surprise

 

 Workaround

To make the shared parameters available for use in View Filters, you have to add them (again) as Project Parameters.

 

  

 

View Filter

If you go back to the View Filter definition, you will see that the Shared Parameter is now available as a field to be added.

As a BIM Manager, I would once have known about this Revit inconsistency - but I just plain forgot!  There is no way we can remember all of the inconsistencies.  And why should we have to?

Fortunately, Autodesk are slowly addressing some of these irritations - but it is such a laborious process.

Revit Ideas Wishlist Voting

Autodesk created the 'Revit Ideas Wishlist' a while back - yes I know it is flawed and has a lot of rubbish on it.  However, I know that the Revit Product Managers do actually look at it and monitor the votes.  It is not the only thing that decides what goes into future Revit upgrades but it contributes to the discussion - so I like to support it, in particular the sensible ideas that are posted on it.

I do believe that we should mainly be voting for things to be done to the core software that cannot be done by API, Dynamo or Add-ins - as those things can be done quickly by others (or yourselves).

Here are some of the better ones that I think should be voted up (including some that I have posted):

Please go to the Revit Ideas forum and vote for any of these ideas that you agree with:

Model Stability (& Pins)

Allow us to change 2D extents of pinned sections - just like we can for grids and levels.  Then we could leave those sections pinned all the time and not risk losing attached annotation.

Persistent Pins - pins that reinstate themselves after you have modified the element once

Parameters

#1 wish regarding parameters is to allow Shared Parameters in Key Schedules  - this would unlock so much potential in Revit, and the API just can't get in there to solve it.

There are several outstanding Global parameter requirements:

The first is oh so simple, but would be a huge deal for us:
Enable global parameters to associate to Floor ‘Height Offset from Level’ system property

Enable global parameters to associate to Array Numbers

Enable creation of an Area Reporting Parameter for use in Global Parameters

For more detail  refer to Global Parameter wishes

Stairs & Railings

There are so many things that need to be fixed on stairs and railings, that I have created a list of requests just for Stairs and Railings.

There are a couple of basic ones that just need to be done to improve stair arrows - not much more than bug fixes:

• fix the broken Copy & Paste function for stair path arrows.
• Tag All Untagged - Stair Path Arrows

 

Families

Are you intensely irritated by the default setting for face-based family placement being 'Place on Vertical Face'?  I think that 99+% of users would like it to be changed (not to mention BIM managers who have to deal with confused users not understanding why they can't place ceiling fittings).
Vote her to  make the default 'Place on Face'

 

Form Creation

Creating forms in the Conceptual Massing Environment is fraught with problems - some of them could be alleviated by the following two capabilities:

Control profile order during form creation

Select Path during form creation

There are oh so many more things that need to be fixed in Revit - but since Autodesk concentrate on such a few, we need to target which ones would genuinely benefit the most people.  And we shouldn't ask Autodesk to spend time on things that can be done by some other means (API, Dynamo etc).

Have a look at the latest updates to the Autodesk Revit development roadmap to see what is planned or has been recently delivered.

Weird Stuff with Revit Shared Parameters

When you create a suite of similar parametric families (say windows), you will define a series of parameters that control the families in the project - it may be dimensions, visibility switches etc.  If those are instance parameter, there is a really important choice you have to make:

• Should they be "Shared Parameters" or just regular "Family Parameters"?

Conventional wisdom says that you only need to make them shared if you want to tag or schedule them in the project.  However, there are some other critical differences in behaviour that may affect your decision:

Did you know that when you make them 'Family Parameters', then start using the families in the project and swap them over for similar families with identical parameters - Revit loses the  data held in the instance parameters - even if the instance parameters are identically named in the families?  Aargh!!  That is not good news.  This even happens if the families were cloned from one source that already had the parameters set up.

However, if you used 'Shared Parameters' that instance property data is maintained when you swap family/types (provided that the same shared parameters are defined in each of the families).

Here is another reason for using shared parameters even when you don't need to tag or schedule them.

Global Parameters Enhancement Wishlist - Revit Ideas

All my recent research work on Global Parameters has created a list of enhancement requests.  Although a lot of new global parameter features were released with Revit 2017, we only had one enhancement and one bug fix in v2018:

• Associate global parameters to Radius and Diameter dimensions (2018)
• Global parameters vs Equals dimension conflict removed (bugfix 2018)

Here is my list of enhancement requests, plus a few other ideas from other people already on the wishlist - please vote for them if you'd like these to be fixed:



Enable global parameters to associate to Array Numbers

Enable creation of an Area Reporting Parameter for use in Global Parameters

Enable global parameters to associate to Floor ‘Height Offset from Level’ system property

Allow association of global parameters to material properties of system families 

Allow access to Global parameter of linked model

Allow the use of Shared Parameters in Global Parameters

While we are on the subject of shared parameters, I really really wish we could use them in Key Schedules so please vote that up too.

Ability to "Paint" using a Global [material] Parameter

Please note that requests to enable us to associate global parameters to ALL system parameters will probably not get far because each and every one has to be programmed separately, so it is better to create a wishlist item for each parameter that you want access to (frustrating, I know).

Understanding Parameter differences in Revit

As part of my upcoming presentation on  Global Parameters - "Power to the People" (Session 1.4 at 3.15pm) at RTC NA in Scottsdale, Arizona on 14 July 2016 I did a lot of research on exactly how each kind of parameter works in Revit.  It is a lot more complicated than I first thought (even though I knew from experience it was not simple).

I thought I would share some of my findings here, as they could be useful for reference generally - regardless of whether you are using Global parameters or not.  I will be referring to some of this research in my presentation, but won't have time to go into detail as the main focus will be the exciting possibilities Global Parameters.

Understanding Different Kinds of Parameters in Revit

System Family built-in Parameters – these are properties that are hard-coded into Revit software, and can be used where available. They can usually be scheduled and sometimes tagged, but not always. They can apply as instance (&/or type) data to:

• system families: walls, floors, ceilings, stairs, railings etc
• Project info
• View and sheet parameters
• Areas, Rooms and Spaces

Custom family custom parameters – user defined (type or instance)

Custom family built-in parameters – system defined (type or instance)

Project Parameters – exist only in the project; user defined; have to be assigned to categories, and hence to families; and cannot include calculations

Shared Parameters – derived from an external master list; can be scheduled and tagged

• can be used for Family (custom) or project parameters, but not for Global or system/built-in parameters

Global Parameters – exist within a project; allow calculations outside the family

Reporting Parameters – extract a length or angle from a model, for use in calculations within families or global parameters; have many limitations within custom families

Calculated Value - these are properties (not real parameters) created within a schedule or tag family (from Revit 2017) - they can include formulas or just be static values for use in other formulas or scheduling;  they are not available anywhere else except the schedule or tag that they are created in.

Key Schedule Parameter - a special kind of schedule can be created that works like a lookup table;  a very few built-in parameters can be included in a key schedule, in which case they are available for tagging;  user created key schedule parameters cannot be Shared Parameters, which makes them of very limited usefulness.  If this latter functionality could be fixed, then Key Schedules would become a very important part of Revit, instead of languishing in the backwaters of arcane uselessness.

The Matrix

There are many limitations and inconsistencies in the way that each type of parameter works in Revit. Here is a matrix (or two) to help to understand the differences:

Tagging what is in a Revit Key Schedule

What, no Shared Parameters in Key Schedules?  It is a total pain.  If you'd like Autodesk to fix this Revit Roadblock, please vote for the enhancement on their Revit Ideas:
Please Fix Key Schedules
 This request has been 'Under Review' for several years, and it needs kicking along.

I have been endlessly frustrated by the fact that you cannot include shared parameters in Key Schedules in Revit.  This means that anything you put into a key schedule can only be used in other schedules - it cannot ever be tagged.
Or so I thought. . . . .

I recently discovered that you can add some system parameters to key schedules, which means that you can use those in schedules and tag them too.  As with most things Revit, the rules for this are weird and (not so) wonderful.

Rule no. 1:   

Shared parameters, have a secret GUID that ensures their uniqueness - you have to add them to schedules by picking them from a list of already available parameters or by adding them from the shared parameter list.  Likewise system parameters in a schedule or key schedule need to be picked from a list of available ones.  It is only too easy to create new parameters by typing in names that seem to have the same name as system parameters - you won't know which is which, as they appear together in lists.  It is only when you start populating them or using them in (key) schedules when you realise your mistake.
For this reason it is really important never to create your own parameters that are the same name as system (or shared) parameters.  With shared parameters it is a little easier as you can go into the definition and check if it was shared or not.

Rule no. 2:  

Once you use a system parameter in one key schedule, it cannot be used in other key schedules of the same category

When you first create a key schedule, you get a list of available fields on the left.  This is a jumble of system parameters and project parameters that you might have created (but not shared parameters).  Because the list is radically different for each category (and varies with subsequent key schedules), I never realised the significance of that list

Rule no. 3:  

Different categories allow different system parameters to be used in key schedules.  There is no rhyme or reason as to which ones will work - you just have to know.  For most categories it is just "Comments".

Categories that do not allow any system parameters in a key schedule include:

• Grids 
• Levels

Categories that allow 'Comments' as a system parameter in a key schedule include (NB. I only checked the ones that show up when listing "Architecture" categories):

• Assemblies
• Casework
• Ceilings
• Columns
• Curtain Panels
• Curtain Systems
• Curtain Wall Mullions
• Detail Items
• Electrical Fixtures
• Entourage
• Floors
•      Floor Slab Edges
• Furniture
• Furniture Systems
• Generic Models
• Lighting Fixtures
• Mass
•      Mass subcategories (I only checked Mass Floors)
• Mechanical Equipment
• Parking
• Parts
• Planting
• Railings
•      Handrails
•      Supports
•      Top Rails
• Ramps
• Roofs
•      Fascias
•      Gutters
•      Roof Soffits
• Site
•      Pads
•      Property line segments
•      Property Lines
• Specialty Equipment
• Stairs
•      Landings
•      Runs
•      Supports
• Structural Beam Systems
• StructuralColumns
• Structural  Connections
• Structural Foundations
• Structural Framing
• Structural Rebar
• Structural Stiffeners
• Topography
• Walls
•     Wall Sweeps
• Windows

Categories that allow multiple system parameter in a key schedule include:

• Areas

         Wow, the programmers really spoiled us by allowing the use of the Name System Parameter - but don't get too excited because this has to be shared across all Area Schemes.  So if you use it for a Rentable Area Key Schedule, it will not be available for a Gross Building Area key schedule

• Doors

         Out of all the 40+ door system parameters, they gave us those!  How useful.

• Electrical Equipment

          It looks like the Electrical engineers are being favoured for a change.  But not the mechanical engineers who only get 'Comments' for their equipment.

• Plumbing Fixtures

• Rooms

Now this should give us something to work with - although we only get text and material parameters, that should be very useful as those are the ones we most likely want to tag.  I can't imagine wanting to put the finishes into a key schedule as most likely each room could have different finishes - but if you have say a hospital where there are many similar rooms, you might create a key schedule of room types, and those could have preset finishes in a key schedule?

The list of categories/system parameters above is not comprehensive - structural and MEP engineers will need to do some inestigation on the categories that do not show up when the list is restricted to "Architecture" categories.

Conclusion

Well, at least we do have some system parameters we can use in Key Schedules.  However the list is very limited, so use them wisely - plan your schedules and tagging needs before you start creating key schedules.  Don't forget that if you have multiple key schedules for a category, the available system parameters can only be used once per category (not once per key schedule).

An example of when you might use one of these precious system parameters could be for rooms or areas - naming the apartment type as say '1 BED' or '2 BED'.  This value could then appear in a schedule, a tag and in properties.  Associated with each apartment type could be all sorts of standards such as minimum areas, rates and parking requirements etc - these would only appear in schedules and properties (and they could be there just for use in calculations).  Things you would not include in the key schedule would be unique information that varies per room or area.