View References

You may recall earlier post about this relatively new feature? I also mentioned how the 2014 Sample Project file uses them. Hopefully you've found them useful in your projects by now. This post is how I imagine they could expand on the concept.

It's a common situation to need to refer to common details within the context of a schedule, like this.

I think we'd need a new Type of Parameter called View Reference. We'd pick it from the list when we add a parameter to a schedule.

I imagine the schedule interface getting this addition when we click in a field that has the view reference type of parameter assigned.

My goal is to tie a detail view reference to an actual view so that such information is really connected together logically. It doesn't really matter to me if the end result looks like what I've mocked up as long as the end result is better integration of the information.

Workaround Alert!

In the meantime, one way to deal with this issue (without my wish being granted) is to use schedule keys. Start by creating a schedule key(s) for each detail type that needs a reference. It may require additional parameters. It sure would be nice if we could use Shared Parameters for them too, but that's another wish list item.

We fill out the key with all of the detail reference combinations we will have. In a door schedule we can choose each detail for each condition from those listed in the key. Not hard and a bit more reliable than typing them manually for each door. At least this way we are picking from a prepared list.

Technically if we've entered one value for each detail reference we can just pick from the previous entries without the schedule key. That's not really the problem, just one aspect of it. It's the need to update all of the detail references if something changes to the sheet numbering or detail numbering on the sheet, for every instance it's been applied to a door.

Well, may wishes come true?!!?

Schedule New Row

Despite the recent improvements to schedules I find myself wishing for a subtle improvement to the Insert > Data Row feature. Paul Aubin commented on this at the Central States Revit Workshop during his Friday session for Interiors. I'm not alone, and the people in his class were on our side too.

The majority of the time we are likely to use it to insert a new Data Row. Since the Insert Above and Insert Below only is relevant or available when working on cells in the header they are far less likely to be used. I think Data Row ought to be a separate button. The other two options could appear to the side and as two buttons, one above the other, if we click on a cell in the header.

The current process adds clicks to what used to be a single click experience. Just say no to more clicks, it's a clicktastropy!

Displaced Elements Views and Path Wish

With the new Displace Elements feature in Revit 2014 we can use either straight or jogged "Paths" to show where displaced elements came from.

Methinks that straight paths tend to look best when the elements are displaced in one direction while jogged paths help more when the elements have been displaced in two axes.

My wish: I'd love to be able to choose which style of Path I want BEFORE picking elements to generate a path. AsferasIno we can only assign the style after we place them. The Path's style is a parameter that we see once we select a path in the view.

A little tip... it is really easy to put many paths on top of each other. Every time you click on an element in the same spot Revit happily drops another path. I was trying to delete a path and thinking that I must be missing something because no matter what I did I couldn't delete the bugger. Turns out I happened to pick a spot I apparently dropped six paths down. The first five tries at deleting the "one" path resulted in nothing happening. Take care out there...

Show Me Wish

Revit offers us the opportunity to "Show" an element when we review warnings, use the Select by ID and fairly often when an error message is generated and we expand the warning.

Choosing Show will often generate a warning that there is no good view to show it in and ask us if we really want to let Revit hunt for a view.

I'd like to be able to specify which kind of views to hunt through before it does its magic. For example I know I want to find a ceiling so don't bother showing me 3D, elevation or section views if I'm really hoping to see just ceiling plan views. Perhaps a new Zoom option: Zoom to Selected that goes to the current element in the view, like Revit will do in a 3D view using the view cube.

Let me help Revit focus on what I'm interested in or think I need. I occasionally have a clue...

Copy Monitor and In Use Element Types

When you edit the Options for Copy/Monitor doesn't give any indication which of the families that show up in the lists are really used. This means you can assign elements unnecessarily.

In some cases it seems somewhat apparent which are used or not. In the first image the Level type actually used has a slightly different options than in the second image, which is the level type not used.

It would be cool if Revit identified the elements and types that are actually in use in the linked file, at least without having to read between the lines.

Audit

I wish Audit had more to say. I wish I had a clue what it was actually trying to do, what it cares about, why I should care about it.

The WikiHelp says this about Audit:

Scans, detects, and fixes corrupt elements in the project. This option can greatly increase the time required to open files. Use this option only for periodic maintenance of large workshared files or when you are preparing to upgrade.

It doesn't tell us what it did, if there was anything to do or fix or that our file was too excellent to do anything at all. That's all I want for Christmas. Okay, that's not true but I'd still like it for Christmas.

Pick New Host for Connectors

I find myself wishing that I could pick a new host for a connector every now and then. It's a bit of a drag when I redesign something (or make a mistake) and have to recreate connectors all over again just because there isn't an equivalent process to define a new host like for other hosted elements. For the programming team it's probably not a particularly hard thing to accomplish, so it's just another subtle thing to add to the list of desirable Revit refinements.

Wishlist - Families and Hide at Scales Coarser Than

A casual post at AUGI asked if it is possible to connect a parameter to the Hide at Scales Coarser Than behavior that the annotation for sections and elevations have. This lets us chose a scale (threshold) where the annotation won't display below. It makes it easier to keep certain sections (details/wall sections) and elevations (interior) off of overall floor plan views for example.

Imagine if we could assign this behavior to a family? Nested annotation could be assigned much more effectively because we could design them to only show up at the minimum appropriate scale. Combine this with the Detail Level concept and we'd have even more granular control over the information and geometry in a family.

Related to this is the notion that there are representations that we'd like to control for floor plan orientation and offer a different appear for the reflected ceiling plan (RCP) version. Currently what we show in plan will show the same in the RCP. That's just not specific or granular enough control.

Well, we can keep wishing...and hoping...and wishing...

Family Category and Parameter Dialog

Sure wish this guy was more flexible!

This is a minor thing but it suggests that someone assumes that visiting this dialog is a pretty rare event. It is a rare event for someone working inside the project environment all day long. It's a pretty constant stop when making content for a day or week... a living. It is nice that the dialog stretches overall. It would be nicer still to be able to stretch the area dedicated to Family Parameters.