Forums >> Revit Building >> Technical Support >> Shared Material Between Families

RockFish

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Joined: Mon, Apr 23, 2012
20 Posts

Working in Revit 2016

Okay first here is what I would like to do.  Create multiple casework families with shared material parameters so that when I insert them into a Revit file, I can change the material in one place and it would update all the casework families.  Say one materail parameter for cabinet faces and one for counter tops.  Is there a way to do this through shared parameters?

I created a shared parameter for the materials but all I see is that I can add this parameter now to all families and that it doesn't necessaraly govern all familes.  Is there a way to tell Revit that a shared parameter should be "X" and have it push that parameter to all families that have that shared parameter?

Thanks!

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WWHub

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Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
13079 Posts

All you have to do is assign the same named material in each family.  Let's say you call it Casework.   Remember, THE PROJECT RULES.  Change the properties of the material Casework while in the project and every family using that material will change.

I suggest you fully understand this.  If you have multiple casework in a project and the instances need to be different then this is the wrong process.  In that case, assign a material parameter within the family.  It doesn't matter what you call it and it can be type or instance and shared if you need to tag or schedule.  Now in the project, you can assign a material named casework1 to the appropriate families and the different material casework2 to the other families.... yet you don't need different families.  Changing the definition of casework1 will change all families assigned to that material.

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RockFish

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Joined: Mon, Apr 23, 2012
20 Posts

Thanks for the reply.  I guess my workflow and project setup kept me from using your method and that is why I was hoping to use a shared parameter although I am thinking that is not possible.  I was trying to keep all my materials named what they actually where (wood, laminate, metal, etc.) rather than where they were being used (cabinet, wall, ceiling, etc.). 

The one advantage to using a shared parameter or master parameter (if it was even possible) would be that it would be fairly easy to switch quickly from one material to another if you wanted to see what different materials may look like, rather than having to go into a material and change its appearance each time you wanted to tinker with what material you wanted to use.

Thanks again.

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WWHub

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Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
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I don't think you understand.  You can do exactly what you are asking for by using and assigning materials.  Shared parameters are not necessarily finite.  Afterall, it is a parameter - a variable.  

Different families can have the same shared parameter but the value of that parameter can be different in each family.

But materials are what they are defined as in the project no mater what shared parameter they are assigned to.  So say you assign 'teak' to a shared parameter in a casegood family named 'casegood finish', you can later set that same shared parameter, in the family properties,  to 'marble'.

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RockFish

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Joined: Mon, Apr 23, 2012
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I am pretty sure I get what you are saying.  If I have a shared parameter called ‘casegood finish’ and set it to ‘teak’ in 20 different casework families, if I wanted to change it to ‘marble’ I have to go back into those 20 families and change the shared parameter to ‘marble’ since it can be a different value in each family.  Or I can create a material called ‘casegood finish material’ and assign it to the ‘casegood finish’ shared parameter.  Then if I want to change the ‘casegood finish material’ from ‘teak’ to ‘marble’ I just have to go in and change the material attributes and it will update all 20 casework families.   

Thanks

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WWHub

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Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
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NO!    THE PROJECT RULES!!!

Once a family is loaded into a project, the material is defined in the project. Changing it in the family does nothing unless you create a unique material in the family that does not yet exist in the project.  Changing the material in a project does nothing to the family ....it is never updated by the project.

You write: "...Or I can create a material called ‘casegood finish material’ and assign it to the ‘casegood finish’ shared parameter...."  Close but still not right.  You don't globally assign a material to a shared parameter.  Families can have instance or type parameters but each family is independent from any other family that uses that parameter. 

Think about this in this manner.   You can have rooms and each room can have a shared parameter called "Floor Finish".  Obviously, you should be able to set that value to anything.  The purpose of having this shared parameter is so you can schedule or tag it PER ROOM!  It is not a global value.

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RockFish

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Joined: Mon, Apr 23, 2012
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I get it, when I said assign the materail to the shared parameter, I meant assign it in the family porperties in the project (project rules), not in the family editor.  I understand that the material type in the family editor does not carry over into the project.  

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