Family Abuse - Curtain Panel By Patterns Edition - Repost

This post is from the BIM Troublemaker that one of my co-workers shared with me.

Family Abuse - Curtain Panel By Patterns Edition

I cut my teeth in this BIM thing using Architectural Desktop (ADT).  I loved that program a lot.  I still have a real fondess for it, but that's a moot point for this column.  At my first AU conference, i saw a presentation about using RAIL objects to model any type of repetitive, linear element.  I loved the concept and quickly started playing around.  But all that is old news now...

I struggled for a while trying to figure out how i could use the same "RAIL" logic of modeling repeating linear elements in Revit.  It seemed to me that the rail tool in Revit is a bit more rigid in what type of objects it accepts....maybe i am not looking close enough...and then one day POW! It hit me like a bolt from the blue.  CURTAIN PANEL PATTERNS could be the way!

First thing I did to test out this theory was to create a reference line CURVE BY POINTS and then hit the CREATE FORM button to give myself a surface.  I divided the surface and it looks like this:

Because i made sure to use a Reference Line, I can grab any of the driving points and adjust the curve manually later.  These points could also be parameter driven if you want that kind of control.

The next step involves creating a Curtain Panel Pattern based upon the RECTANGLE template.  Zach and Robert Manna did a great presentation at AU last year that involved a good discussion on how to control the behavior of the reference points.  You will need to understand this behavior in order to make this type of model work.  Go download the handout here:

Au Bon Panel: Baking Your Own Adaptive Components and Panels with Revit

The bit I am concerned with starts on page 6.  Have you looked it over?  Good.

In this case I am making a linear canopy.  I like using nested objects so I went ahead and made a generic mass to act as the repeating vertical element.  2 things to notice in the image below:

1) The object is being built in plan.  This is because of how i planned to mount it on the reference planes in the curtain panel.  The lesson is that in this exercise UNDERSTANDING YOUR HOST PLANES, HOST POINTS AND ORIENTATIONS ARE CRUCIAL!!!

2) The top mass is transparent so you can see the line work I drew.  These lines will control the shape and location of my glazing panels and horizontal mullions.  Its easier to set up any desired sectional parametric relationships here.  Trust me!

Now if you have read Zach and Robert's Handout, you will be very clear of about whats going on in the picture below.

1) I set up the offsets for the reference points as they describe.

2) Then i connect the offset point to the adaptive point upon which it is hosted with a reference line.

3) Host a point on that reference line

4) Host my generic mass on that point, in proper alignment.

5) Create reference lines on any section guidelines and create desired horizontal forms.

6) Try again because I did it wrong the first time (repeat as needed)

Load that into the curved surface family, apply it to the divided surface and once you have done it all properly... you'll get this:

When I did mine, i noticed that the end pieces looked funny.  That condition went away when i adjusted the border tile settings:

And once you get it sorted in 2d, you can pull the curve's driving points vertically....

Download the family here:

Curtain Panel Canopy Model.rfa

And the stage is now set for The REVIT ROLLER COASTER Plug-in...I hear its in the works for the 2013 release...

Best Practices for Content Creation and Management - Part 1

Before we get into this, I want to make sure I give credit to Daniel Hurtubise of Revit It! and Katherine Meeder, BIM Specialist at HNTB Architecture for all their work in putting together this document.

What is a Family?

A Revit Family is the most basic building block or component in a Revit Architecture model. Families are reusable and can be transferred from project to project. You can use System Families from existing Revit projects or templates by using the File > Transfer Project Standards. Component Families can be loaded from family libraries using the File > Load from Library > Load Family.

Families can be either 2D or 3D. Families are easily swappable as the project progresses from schematic design quality into the construction document phase. Properly created Revit families can minimize the size of the BIM model file while providing a high level of detail that can be viewed in the schedules, tags and labels.

Revit uses 4 types of families:

Systems Families (walls, text, ceilings, etc.)
Component Families (doors, windows, plumbing fixture, equipment, furniture, etc.)
Mixed-Use Families (grids, levels and stairs)
In-Place Families (Families that are created within the context of the project. The family exists only in the project and cannot be loaded into other projects easily) They have limited categories. They add a lot of geometry.

Where to Start?

Planning

Before creating a family in Revit, users should consider the following questions regarding their intended use of a family. A properly created family can provide a wealth of data and graphical benefits with minimal impact on performance, but it all starts with planning.

1. Sketch the Family’s end result.
This helps you gather your thoughts and every view and level of detail that you will require.

2. Does this family require a host (or does it attach to another object)?
Is this family typically attached to another design element - a wall, or maybe a ceiling? Possibly it is a roof mounted mechanical unit or skylight. How this family is hosted (or what it does or does not attach to) will determine which template file should be used to start the family. If it is hosted, is it face based?