Our Cut Opening BIM Solution does more than just create openings in Revit models. Among its other useful functions is one that lets you transfer parameter values into an opening element from the elements to which it belongs. For example, you can transfer parameters like System Name, Type, Classification, and Service Type.
Sometimes, though, that doesn’t cut it, and you need more information to be transferred.
That’s where the latest update Cut Opening comes in. Now you can copy all parameter values from a host (structural element) into the parameters of openings. The same goes for MEP elements: you can copy all parameter values from them into openings’ parameters.
So, if you need to copy the mark of, say, a wall into an opening or any information about an MEP service into an opening, you can do that with no problem using Cut Opening.
In this blogpost, we’ll look at how to do it in both the structural and MEP situations.
The copying process is controlled by the end-user. You need to know ahead of time which parameters will have to be copied and the opening families that will need to be modified before inserting them into your Revit project.
Copying Parameter Values from a Host (Structural Element)
To copy parameter values from a host, open the opening family that will be used in the project and create a new parameter under the Construction category with the name – #ParameterName, where ParameterName is the name of the parameter you want to copy. The created parameter must be of the same type (Type of parameter) as the original parameter.
Copying Parameter Values from an MEP Element
To copy the parameter values of an MEP element, the procedure is the same as with a host EXCEPT that the parameter must be created under the Model Properties category and be named using a double hashtag – ##ParameterName.
Note that parameter type depends on parameter discipline, and sometimes to set the type correctly, you have to set a different discipline. For example, ‘Insulation Thickness’ is not a Length parameter but belongs to the ‘Pipe Insulation Thickness’ type under the ‘Piping’ category.
New parameters must be created before the opening families are distributed inside the model. Placing these modified opening families into the model using Cut Opening will ensure that the values of needed parameters will be copied.
Check out the examples below for more detail.
Structural and MEP examples
- We need to know the type of parameter we want to copy. Usually the type is set during the family creation phase and is easy to check via the parameter modification window. But some parameters are not available for user modification and determining their type requires making an educated guess or using some external free add-ons (like Revit Lookup).
The type of the Fire Rating is ‘Text’.
2. Now that we know what needs to be copied, let’s open an opening family and add a new parameter to it. It will be an ‘instance’ family parameter and will have the name #Fire Rating grouped under the Construction category.
If needed, these parameters can be created as shared for future scheduling.
3. Now we need to either (1) save the modified family on the user’s computer in a folder from which Cut Opening takes families or (2) load it directly into the project. Cut Opening always prefers using an already-present family rather than rewrite it by loading the one from its folder.
4. The last step is to run Cut Opening and populate the model with these new modified openings. Result:
- We need to determine the parameter types. Usually the type is set during the family creation phase and is easy to check via the parameter modification window. But some parameters are not available for user modification and determining their type requires making an educated guess or using some external free add-ons (like Revit Lookup).
In this case, determining the types is easy. The type of the ‘Slope’ parameter is ‘Slope’. As for the ‘Insulation Thickness’ parameter, the type is ‘Pipe Insulation Thickness’ — this is a specific category used only for pipes. - Now that we know what needs to be copied, let’s open an opening family and add new parameters to it. Those will be instance family parameters of different categories named, respectively, ##Insulation Thickness and ##Slope, both grouped under Model Properties.
3. Now we need to either (1) save the modified family on the user’s computer in a folder from which Cut Opening takes families or (2) load it directly into the project. Cut Opening always prefers using an already-present family rather than rewrite it by loading the one from its folder.
4. The last step is to run Cut Opening and populate the model with these new modified openings. Result:
