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August 22, 2022 / Nicolas

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11 TIPS TO MASTER REVIT

PARAMETERS
Aug 22, 2022 · Comment

7 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE

BILT 2022 CONFERENCE
This guide takes a deep dive IN ANAHEIM
into Revit parameters, helping Jun 27, 2022 · 1 Comment
you distinguish and master
the different types of
parameters. This is an excerpt 16 TIPS TO MASTER
MODEL GROUPS IN REVIT
from our MANAGE learning
package for Revit, aimed at Jun 23, 2022 · 2 Comments
users who aspire to become
great BIM managers.
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PA R A M E T E R S 13 TIPS TO UNDERSTAND
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SYSTEM 8 STEPS TO CREATE A

PARAMETERS DOOR HARDWARE
These parameters are built-in SCHEDULE IN REVIT

by default in Revit; they can Jan 17, 2022 · 1 Comment

never be removed, renamed
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PROJECT
PARAMETERS
This tool is used to assign
! Blog RSS
new parameters to any
category of elements in Revit.

FAMILY
PARAMETERS
Family parameters are
created inside families.
 SHARED
PARAMETERS
These parameters can be
shared among multiple
families, projects and tags.
They require the use of a
separate text file.

GLOBAL
PARAMETERS
Use these parameters inside a
project to control multiple
parameters at once.

UNDERSTANDING
PARAMETERS
The graph below explains the
difference between all
parameters. As you can see,
only Shared Parameters can
be both tagged and
scheduled.
:
 1 1 T I P S TO
M AS T E R
REVIT
PA R A M E T E R S

1- YOU CAN’T
MODIFY BUILT-IN
PARAMETERS
Built-in parameters for both
type and instance can’t be
renamed or removed. They
are hard-coded in Revit and
will be there forever.

2- SELECT
:
 TYPE/INSTANCE,
GROUP, TYPE OF
PARAMETER AND
CATEGORY

When creating new

parameters, you will
be asked to pick
between Type and
Instance.

You will also have to name

your parameter, pick the
group, type of parameter and
discipline. The type of
parameters most commonly
used are Text, Yes/No, Length
and Number.

Finally, you will be asked to

pick a specific category that
will be assigned to
parameters. The categories
might be different depending
on if you selected Type or
Instance parameter. The
:
 category option isn’t available
if you are creating a
parameter inside a family.

3- USER
CREATED
FAMILIES
PARAMETERS
CAN’T BE
TAGGED OR
SCHEDULED

Family parameters are always

created inside families. Once
the family is loaded in a
project, the parameter can’t
be used in schedules and
tags unless it is a Shared
Parameter (more on that later).
In this example, we create a
new Glass Color type
parameter in a window family.
:
 Once the family is loaded
back into the project, you can
see the Glass Color
parameter isn’t available in
the schedule fields.

4- CREATE A
NEW SHARED
PARAMETERS
FILE
If you want to tag and
schedule user-created
parameters from families,
you’ll have to use the Shared
Parameters feature. The first
step is to create a .txt file.

Go to the Shared
:
 Parameters menu, located in
the Manage tab. Create a
new text file. Name it and
make sure to place it on your
local network.

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 LEARN
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5- CREATE A
NEW SHARED
PARAMETER
Once your shared parameter
file is ready, you are ready to
add shared parameters inside
of it. First, you’ll need to create
a group. In this example, we’ll
create a Glass Color
parameter that is going to be
used in windows. First, create
a Parameter Group Group. We’ll
call the group Windows
Windows.

Then, create a new parameter

called Glass Color. Place it in
the Windows group.
:
 6- ASSIGN NEW
SHARED
PARAMETER IN
FAMILY
Let’s go back to our window
family and create a new
parameter. This time make
sure it is a Shared Parameter.
Select the Glass Color
parameter.
:
 You’ll have a chance to select
a group in the properties and
select whether the parameter
will be Type or Instance. The
other options are locked.

Save the family and load it

back into your project.

7- SHARED
PARAMETER
INSIDE A FAMILY
CAN BE
SCHEDULED IN A
PROJECT
Once again, create a windows
schedule. The Glass Color
field should now be available!
:
 Here’s a window schedule
that indicates the mark and
glass color of each window.

8- BE CAREFUL
WITH INTERNET
FAMILIES WITH
LOTS OF SHARED
PARAMETERS
The downside of this feature is
that many Internet families
you can download on
websites such as BIM Objects
are made by clueless people,
including dozens of useless
shared parameters. Every time
you create a schedule, dumb
parameters will be available
as fields. That’s why you have
to be careful with families
made by manufacturers.

Here is an example of a
:
 window family found on BIM
Objects.

Once you insert the family in

your project, look at all the
useless parameters that
become available when
creating schedules:

If you are a manufacturer

creating families, please don’t
use shared parameters for
information such as phone
number that doesn’t have to
be tagged or scheduled.
Remember, regular user-
created family parameters
won’t appear in schedules.

If you don’t want to see these

parameters in the schedule
available fields, you can
convert them from Shared
Parameter to Family
Parameter by clicking the
pencil icon.
:
 9- CREATE
PROJECT
PARAMETER TO
AFFECT ALL
FAMILIES IN A
CATEGORY
In the previous tip, we
showcased how to create a
Glass Color parameter
in a single family. What if you
have 50 window families and
want to add this parameter to
them? You could modify all
families individually, but that
would be long and boring.

That’s when Project

Parameters can be helpful.
You will find this tool in the
Manage tab. Click on Add... to
create a new parameter. Then,
you will have to pick between
Project and Shared. In this
case, a shared parameter
would allow you to use tags,
but both options allow
parameters in schedules.
:
 We create the Glass Color as
a Type parameter and assign
it to the Windows category.

Once the parameter is

assigned, every single
window type in your project
will have this parameter, even
if it is not included inside the
family itself. This strategy
works well with “data” type
parameters but isn’t suitable
with parameters that involve
the geometry of the family.
:
 10- USE SHARED
PARAMETER TO
CREATE TAGS
FOR USER
CREATED
PARAMETERS
Now that you have created
multiple shared parameters
inside your family, maybe you
want to tag that parameter.

Let’s use the Glass Color

parameter example once
again. Create a family and use
the Window Tag template.
Then, add a new label
inserted on the reference
planes intersection. Create a
new parameter and select the
Glass Color shared
parameter you’ve just created.

Now that the new parameter

:
 is on the list, click on the
green arrow to add the Glass
Color parameter to the label.

Enter a sample value and then

click on OK.

Load your tag back into your

project. You are ready to use
it.

11- CREATE A
SMART SYSTEM
TO NAME YOUR
PARAMETERS
In your template, you should
use a smart nomenclature
system to classify shared
:
 para4meters. This way, it’s
easy to know which
parameters you created and
which parameters are alien
spam from garbage families.

Here is an example of a prefix

you can use:

[Category-Letter
Category-Letter]-
[Number
Number]-
[Parameter
Parameter Name
Name]

Here is an example of how

you can use rooms
parameters:

USING
D I R O OT S
PA R A M A N AG E
R P LU G I N

In Revit, there is no way to

:
 quickly add multiple shared
parameters to project or to a
family. You have to add them
manually, one by one. The free
DiRoots plugin called
ParaManager allows you to
automate boring parameters
tasks.

Note: ParaManager is now a

tool part of the great DiRoots
One plugin.

In this example, we load the

shared parameters text file in
the plugin. Then, we select the
8 parameters simultaneously
and assign them to the
correct category.

Once the parameters are

imported, you’ll get the
chance to set the type of
parameter and categories to
be assigned. Many hours of
boring work saved. Thanks,
DiRoots!
:
 LEARN
MORE!

Tags Parameters, MANAGE,

Shared Parameters, Families

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