Forums >> Revit Building >> Technical Support >> Project Shared Parameters or Shared Parameters in Families

kevinfielding

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Hi all,

Can anyone explain to me the specific benefits of including a shared parameters within a family rather than applying the same parameter as a shared project parameter.  I am not talking about parameters that are used to control the familiy i.e. frame width etc.

The main benefit is that the families are not bloated with shared parameters unecessarily. I am thinking specifically regarding text parameters such as COBie or iFC, it would be easier to manage the parameters at project level rather than for each individual family. 

The only downside I can see it that the objects lose their data when moved to a project without the shared project Parameters.  However I imagine I would include these within my template.

Hope this all makes sense.  I am not talking about project parameters.  I am refering to Project applied shared parameters against shared parameters nesting within the families.

Thanks in advance,

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Sheppard Robson LLP

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First, there is no real bloat using shared parameters in the family.  And if they are at the project level, they are stll assigned to all families so no economy there.

Actually, including all the shared parameters at the project level might be worse.  You would have to have every one you may possibly need ...even if you never use the family that requires it. 

I think this is a nightmare to manage and your users may not follow any rules and just do their own thing.  AT the family level they are more controlable.

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alfmedina

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For shared parameters that are length parameters that affect the family, you have no choice other than going into the family and adding the parameters there.  However, for things such as Cobie which is text data that applies to multiple categories, the parameter does not have to be in the family, and it is easier to add a project parameter that applies to mutiple categories all at the same time, than going into each family one by one and adding those shared parameters. So, the advantage is that you save time, lots of time.

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alfmedina,

I don't see where it saves time.  And it can be in both locations because it is shared and therefore the same.  So if it is in the family and already set, then fine.  If the same parameter is also in the project and assigned to that category it can be used in any family that may not contain it..... Either will schedule correctly.

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alfmedina

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Imagine that you receive a project; there are already some two hundred families in it. Imagine that you are required to make this project "Cobie-compliant". You need to populate all these Cobie-related data into all these families and show that in schedules. Would you open each and every one of those families to enter the shared parameters, reload the families, overwrite, etc, or would you simply add the list of Cobie-related parameters to the project, assigning them to multiple categories at once?

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That was not the original question.  Obviously in your case, you use the project added parameter.

BUT - For many families, this data best resides in the family.  Many manufacturers already provide it there and it IS transportable project to project. 

Now in your example, how is this information added at the project level?  NOTE: If the item is added at the project level, is it instance or type based?  If is instance, then you have to add everyone.  But can you make it type? - should you? - how do you coordinate where there was only one type initially and  thought this would be an instance parameter?

GOOD LUCK with this process.  As I said, on and existing project - I would consider it.

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