Tag: generic models

Changing "Show only if Instance is cut" for a Generic Model Family

Luke Johnson

Generic Model families can be a bit overbearing when it comes to visibility.  Unfortunately, you can’t usually change the Show only if Instance is cut property for Generic Models… unless you switch them to a Category that allows this to happen, like Windows.

Andy Milburn describes it thus:
“With a window family this is easily solved by checking the “only show when cut” box. In a generic model family this feature is greyed out.


You will have already guessed my solution. Swap the type to window, check the box, swap back again to GM. It stays checked even though it’s greyed out.”

Change profile of sweep in an Adaptive Component Family

Luke Johnson

Did you know you can nest a Generic Model family in a Generic Model Adaptive family and create a form that allows the swapping of the Profile Type?

Post by gaby424
Use Adaptive Components
-you can draw profiles as simple shared generic models families (you don`t have to use profiles template)
-nest them in a generic model adaptive family and instanciate them 2 times in paralel planes
-put a family type parameter on their label fields (the same for bouth)
-carefully select only theirs segments for bouth the profiles using ctrl+click & TAB key (you can also just select the 2 instances but you can receive an error message in the next step)
-press create form button
-create voids to cut the ends as in your truss family
now play with changing the family type parameter (assuming you have more than one profile in family/project) 

via
2013: Chnage profile of sweep in nested family

Convert All Masses (including in-place Mass) to Generic Models via IFC

Luke Johnson

Quite simple really.  These steps were tested using Revit 2013.

  1. Select all masses, Group, and then Save as Library – Group
  2. Open the RVT from step 1
  3. R button – Export – Export Options – IFC Options
  4. Set Mass and sublevel Form to IfcBuildingElementProxy (copy-paste from another field)
  5. Ok
  6. R button – Export – IFC
  7. R button – Open – IFC
  8. Your new file has all the same Forms, but instead of being Masses, they are now of Generic Model category.  You can copy-paste them back into the original file, and either delete or hide the original Masses.

You could vary some of these steps to change the target category.   But once you have the in-place Generic Models, you can switch them to basically any Category you like.

One Mask for many Faces

Luke Johnson

Masking can be a real pain in Revit.  Sometimes you just want to hide some bits of geometry on multiple views, but it is difficult to actually model what you want in 3D.  So you may resort to Masking Regions in Detail Groups, Copy-Paste Aligned – but all of that is suboptimal.

Today there was a great tip on Masking in multiple views over at Shades of Grey:
I could use a masking region, but this is like going back to CAD drafting … separate regions in each affected view.  What if I place the mask into a generic model family?  If this family has a vertical model line (use invisible lines) the masking region will show up in any plan where the cut plane intersects the model line.

Extending this idea into 3 dimensions I can create a family with 3 model lines (X,Y,Z) and 3 masking regions.  Give it instance parameters to control the size of this “virtual box” and it will mask out the finish layers for any view that cuts through the duct at right angles.

Read more:
Shades of Grey: MACAVITY UNMASKED