By John Flanagan
Shared Parameters
Shared Parameters
Consider an office layout. I want each piece of furniture to have a unique reference number and an indication if its owner supplied.
Shared Parameter Set Up
Creating a Shared Parameter involves a few steps. The first is a one-time set-up process involving an external Shared Parameter file (txt). After that, each time you want to create a Shared Parameter you simply access the Shared Parameter file.
➢ Create or access a Shared parameter file.
➢ Build individual Shared parameters.
Manage Tab: Settings Panel: Shared Parameters Button
Click create – browse to a location preferably on your network server.
Name: Office Standard Parameters – Save.
Create a Parametric Group. Groups new name: Furniture and Equipment
Once you create a group, that will make the New Parameter button available. Click New.
You want each piece of furniture to have a unique reference number.
Parameter Properties
Name: Ref No
Discipline: Common
Type: Text
Click new again.
Parameter Properties
Name: Owner Supplied
Discipline: Common
Type: Yes/No Click OK.
Once the two parameters are created, they will be listed in the Edit Shared parameters dialogue box. Click OK twice to exit all dialogue boxes.
Access Shared Parameters in Families and Project files.
There are a couple of ways that you can access Shared Parameters. You can apply them directly to the families. So, you could select individual furniture items (e.g. desk) – Edit the family. Once in the Family editing environment, go to the Family Types dialogue, add a Parameter, select Shared Parameter, click Select and then choose from the available groups that are listed and whichever Parameter you want to add such as your Ref No. The only choice you now have is to apply it as a Type or an Instance parameter.
Leave as Type and click OK. You have now added the Ref No Parameter. Fill in a value for the 1525 x 762 desk (AB1), 1830 x 610 desk (AB2). Click OK. Load back into the project – Overwrite. Select item and Edit Type – it now has a reference.
Once loaded back into a project, the Desk Ref No can be accessed in the Type Properties dialogue box.
Note:
Everyone should share the same Shared Parameter file. Avoid creating and using multiple Shared Parametric files. Each Parameter has a unique ID. You can end up with two Parameters having the same name.
We have now applied this parameter to all families that belong to the furniture category throughout the project – both the furniture already in the project or any that may be added later will have access to this shared parameter.
Repeat the process to assign the Owner Supplied shared parameter to the furniture.