REVIT TRAINING 03

REVIT PARAMATERS
Definition of Revit Parameters

Parameters store and communicate information about all elements in a model.Parameters

are used to define and modify elements, as well as to communicate model information in
tags and schedules.

There are three types of parameters in Revit :

 Project Parameters
 Shared Parameters
 Global Parameters
 Family parameters

1. Project parameters

Project parameters are containers for information you define and then add to multiple
categories of elements in a project.

Project parameters are specific to the project and cannot be shared with other projects. You
can then use those project parameters in multi-category or single-category schedules.

a. Creating project parameters

Manage tab Settings panel (Project Parameters)

Project parameters allow you to add custom information to the elements in your models

Custom parameters can be added to loadable families in the family editor and these
parameters are visible when the family is placed in a model. For example, to add custom
information to a system family, you need to use project parameters because system families
are not load into the model (the loadable families can bring the custom parameters when it is
placed in a model)
Note: Project parameters only apply to elements within that project. Revit will not embed a custom
project parameter into your family .rfa file. However, if you copy and paste elements from one project
to another and these elements already have custom project parameters with data associated, Revit
will transfer these project parameters.

2. Shared parameters

Shared parameters are parameter definitions that can be used in multiple families or
projects. After you add a shared parameter definition to a family or project, you can use it as
a family or project parameter. Because the definition of a shared parameter is stored in a
separate file (not in the project or family), it is protected from change. For this reason, shared
parameters can be tagged and scheduled.

Shared parameters can be used in both Family and Project environment in Revit

a. Shared parameters in the project environment

Creating a shared parameters file is done through the Revit interface. Select the Shared
Parameters tool on the Manage tab to create/modify a shared parameters file. Once you
have established the file name and location you can create the parameters. Parameters can
be grouped together for easy management of the shared parameters file.

Example of a parameter created for Design team

information of a title block in Revit projects, so the
type of parameter will be Multiline text.

In some cases, you cannot input text for the type of

parameter if it was defined as number.

Note : Once you have established the shared

parameter, you cannot come back and change the
properties in parameter properties table. The only way
to change the parameters is to delete it then
recreation.

i. Using Shared Parameters

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In the project environment, shared parameters can be added to categories of families by
creating a Project parameter. This is useful for parameters that you wouldn’t normally want
in your families but are required for specific project.

The process of adding a shared parameter is the same adding a project parameter:

 Manage tab Settings panel Shared Parameters

 In the Edit shared parameter follow the step below:

Then, If you want this shared parameter work in your project, you need go to Project
parameter tab then choose Shared parameter. Since you put the shared parameters file
in the exact directory, it will show up when you hit select button

When you select the desired parameter the Name, Discipline and Type of parameter are
already defined. All you can do is define whether to make it an instance or Type parameter,
and which Group to place the parameter in.

Note: Revit will “suggest” a Group option based on the discipline and unit of measure of the
parameter.

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 b. Creating Shared parameters in the family editor environment
In the family editor environment, the process of adding Shared parameter is the same
adding a family parameter, all you have to do is select the desired parameter and choose
where to list it in the properties of the family.

The Edit button on the Shared Parameters dialog box allows you to choose a different
shared parameters file, or to make changes to the current file being accessed.

3. Schedule and Tags with parameters

a. Shared parameters in schedule and tags

When you are creating your schedules, remember that the parameters you create directly in
families cannot appear in your schedules. a parameter to be schedulable, it must be either a
shared parameter

One key attribute of shared parameters is their ability to be used in tags. This enables you to
create custom tags, reporting any information you want from a family. If you add a shared
parameter to a family, you can create a tag family with a label using that same shared
parameter.

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Note : Notice that when you are adding a Label to tag family and you choose the option to create a
new parameter, Revit only gives you the option to use a shared parameter.You cannot use a “non-
shared” project parameter in a tag family.

b. Project Parameters in Schedule and Tags

Project parameters can be scheduled, the only difference from shared parameters is that
you can not use this project parameter in a tag family.

When you creating and modifying a schedule, you have an option to create a new
parameter, and this parameter will be added to all elements in the category which you are
scheduling.

There will be a case that some of you may encounter, for instance, you have a several
tables type which belong to furniture category. Then, you only want to schedule the specific
parameter of one kind and the others should not have this parameter. If you add it as a
project parameter, then it will be applied to all furniture object in the project. A recommended
practice for this case is to add the parameter directly in the family editor as shared
parameters.

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 4. Revit Global parameters

a. Global parameters
 Specific to a single project file but are not assigned to categories like project
parameters but can be associated with an objects existing type or instance
parameters.
 Allowing the user to add dimensional parameters in the model environment, similar to
the way you can when creating a family.
b. Creating a global parameter
 Manage tab Settings panel Global Parameter
 In the Edit shared parameter follow the step below:

c. Some applications of Global parameter

i. Hold the dimension

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 A very basic use of a global parameter is to define a simply “hold” dimension. This
can be useful whenever you have a situation where a particular dimension value is
critical to the design in some way.
These kinds of things can be done with locked dimensions. But if you need to change
them after locking, you would need to unlock and modify each one. A global
parameter gives the same constraint potential, but is much easier to modify

ii. Driving Materials

In the family editor, when you have nested families, you can create parameters in
the host family and have them drive the parameters of the nested families. Using
global parameters, we can achieve similar behavior in a project allowing you to
control several families at once without needing to embed the families into one
another first. Driving a collection of materials across many similar families is one
such example.

iii. Assign Ceiling height to room tag

5. Family parameters

i. Family parameters classification:

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  Family Parameters (hard coded)
 Family Type parameter
 Family Instance parameter
ii. Family parameters (hard coded)

The Family Category and Parameters tool assigns the

properties of a predefined family category to the
component you are creating. This tool is only available
within the Family Editor. Family parameters define
behaviors or Identity Data that apply across all types in
that family. Different categories have different family
parameters based on how Revit expects the component
to be used. Some common examples of family
parameters that control how the family behaves include:

o Always vertical: When selected, the family always

appears vertical at 90 degrees, even if it is on a
sloping host, such as a floor.
o Work Plane-Based: When selected, the family is
hosted by the active work plane. You can make
any non-hosted family a work plane-based family.
o Shared: This parameter is only relevant when the
family is nested into another family and loaded
into a project. If the nested family is shared, you can select, tag, and schedule the
nested family separately from the host family. If the nested family is not shared, then
components created by the host family and nested family act as a single unit.
o Identity Data parameters include Omniclass Number and Omniclass Title which are
based on the Omniclass Table 23 product classification.
iii. Family Type or Instance Parameters

You can create new type or instance parameters for any family type. By adding new
parameters, you have more control over the information contained in each family instance or
type. You can create dynamic (parametric) family types for increased flexibility within the
model

iv. Creating new custom parameters within a family

Using the Family Types dialog box, select “Add” which will display the Parameter Properties
dialog. From here you have several choices to make in order to create your custom
parameter.

Using the family types dialog box, select “Add” which is display the Parameter properties
dialog. Form here you have several choices to make in order to create your own custom
parameter

 Name your parameter

 Discipline : Each discipline is simply a category of unit types. This is important to
define the measurement units that your parameters will have.
 Type of parameter
 Group Parameter Under: Choose from the available hard-coded groups for your new
parameter.

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  Type or Instance: See explanation at the beginning of this section above.
 Instance Reporting Parameter: This option is primarily used for hosted families to
query geometric data from their host such as a door family reporting the thickness of
its host wall