Forums >> Revit Systems >> Technical Support >> Family Creation Look-up table interactivity

Pikachu123

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Joined: Thu, Dec 12, 2013
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Hey guys i wondering if someone out there could toss me a hand. I have made a lot of families, but i'm not a mormon, but i feel like a moron right now, =). When i use a apollo valve from a manufacturer when i place it into a project, there is a diameter control, lke a qiuck rotate comand that appears next to the model element whenever it is selected. I am trying to get my families to do this. 

The process i go through now is.

1.)create family with reference lines, paramters, and what not

2.) Create new types, make sure my formulas and parameterts function correctly.

3.)Then export family to a txt file

4.)open said txt file in a excel format, check delimited, and comma

5.)save as: a comma delimited file in the same folder with the rfa init.

6.) then change the file extension from cvs.

7.)Go into the famil parameter types menu, click manage and import the look-up table i just created.

8.)load the family into a project.

9.)then... no diamter control when i highlight it. =(.

I feel i'm pretty close, but i have to be missing something. I was able to get the diameter control to appear when i set my Diameter parameter to an instance parameter instead of a type parameter, but the type doesn't change along with the diameter. So now my diameter changes correctly, but the body of my valve doesn't change along with it. I though by applying the look-up table i created from it to the rfa, it would automactically update the type when i switched the diameter this way.

I am just trying to shy away from so many of the same valve loaded into a project for the different sizes i have, and shrink it down to just the one file.

What am i missing?

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teafoe5

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Joined: Fri, Nov 12, 2010
1749 Posts

I don't understand your steps 3-7, why are you doing all of this, you can control your diameter with an instance or type parameter right in your family if you want one family to be able to change to multiple sizes.

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Pikachu123

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Joined: Thu, Dec 12, 2013
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I do it becuase right now to get a specific size its a differenct type, and if someone only wants 1 or 2 sizes they can choose to load that into thier project. And i know you can, but the sizes of everything changes along with the diameter. like on this one is a steam trap and connection location changes, so I would like to set it so, when someone changes the instance diameter paramter witin the project, all the other dimensions also follows along with it.

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WWHub

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Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
13079 Posts

Maybe if we saw the apollo family we could see what you are seeing.

BTW - Revit refers to what you called a "look-up table" a type catalog.

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Pikachu123

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Joined: Thu, Dec 12, 2013
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Thanks for the correction, I mean if i had something in my teeth i'd want someone to say something about it. lol. I have the rfa attatched. trying to find the txt, and the cvs right now. let me know if you need it or if thr rfa is enough.

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WWHub

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Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
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I had never used a look-up table and I was wrong in my answer.  You did create and use one of these but you may really want to be using a type catalog.  From your HELP:

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Pikachu123

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Joined: Thu, Dec 12, 2013
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I think i did create a type catalogue, but i think what i'm looking for is how to compile all my 5 differenct types into one type, and when you change the instance parameter of the diameter everything else does as well.

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WWHub

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Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
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A type catalog is type variables only and it does not refer to "lookup table" in the parameter settings.  There is only one type in the family - all of the real types (including type name) are defined in the type catalog.

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Pikachu123

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Joined: Thu, Dec 12, 2013
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Okay i see. So i believe i got down Type catalogues but i am trying to create, and apply a lookup table. So in order to do that, i just have one type in the family file, have my diameter parameter to an instance parameter, and export to a text, then open it in excel, and not in the rfa, but in excell add values for the diffferent kinds of dimensions i want(i think that whats the main difference is, with lookup tables you edit the excel file, but with type cataslogues you edit the family itslf by adding new types) . Then save it as a cvs file. Then aferwards rename the cvs file to a txt file. -Questions- Do i set all the dimensions that change to instant parameters? And don't i need to have the new saved csv, that i rename to a txt in the same file location as the rfa, correct? Then in the rfa i go to the type properties, and click manage and import that cvs file into the rfa, for it reference when it is in the project.

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WWHub

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Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
13079 Posts

As the Help says "The size_lookup function is intended for instance parameters." and "Lookup tables are used in conjunction with type catalogs."

Type catalogs can first be created from the family with just the base type.  Then they are modified in the text file adding additional types.  Again - all explained in the HELP.

CSV files are simple text files (comma delimeted vs tab delimited).  They can be created from word, notepad, excel and other programs. 

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