Forums >> Revit Building >> Technical Support >> Offset Ceiling Height Tag

gofastwin

active

Joined: Fri, Apr 11, 2008
11 Posts
No Rating

using Revit Architecture 2008 

I am trying to make a new ceiling height tag with an offset value.  I am working on a building using stick frame construction.  The tags that come with revit are great, but they measure to the underside of the ceiling.  I am using a compound ceiling with wood and gyp.  I want to measure the height from the bottom face of the wood.  Or I could just as easily let it measure from the bottom face of the gyp, but add 5/8" to the value.  Any clues on how to do this?

 Tim

This user is offline

maranelloboy

active

Joined: Mon, Oct 8, 2007
57 Posts

This user is offline

gofastwin

active

Joined: Fri, Apr 11, 2008
11 Posts
No Rating

The way the tag works work right out of the box is to measure from the level defining the base of the room up till it hits something.  In my case it is from the slab to the bottom face of the gyp ceiling.  When these are built in real life the framers usually measure the height from the slab to the bottom face of the ceiling joists.  So what I am looking for is a way to show that distance as the ceiling height.  I have it built so the bottom of the joists are at 10'-1".  The gyp makes the height read as 10'-3/8"AFF.  Technically this is correct, but it will drive my framers nuts trying to figure it out.  Now I could just write in the number I want, but that would defeat the purpose of using revit wouldn't it.  So what I need is some formula or way to modify a tag to read exactly the same as it does not but with an additional 5/8" to account for the gyp.  Then I would have a nice even figure for the framers.  There has to be a way to do this.

 Tim

This user is offline

NKramer

active

Joined: Tue, Oct 9, 2007
285 Posts

The only way I can think of would be to either not draw the finish at all and then you could tage the framing or you could draw the finish as a second ceiling. Currently there is no way to get a tag to read a built in parameter and use it to generate another parametric value (which you could then tag). You could probably do this through the API but thats a long way round and you would contsantly have to run a check to be sure that no one changed values. The only way to do this would be to create a schedule in Revit, have it calculate a value, put up a shared parameter next to it and have the schedule filter based on whether or not they are equal. This basically accomplishes the same thing that you would do with the API and you dont have to write a whole script for it. We do this for exiting because it saves a lot of time in the long run. However you probably wouldnt get people to keep this up to date if it wasnt saving time. Also, the main problem with doing what you are asking is that you would have no way of identifying the finish thickness. What if you needed 1/2" or 3/4" gyp bd. You add it into the ceiling assembly, use your modified tag and it would read out incorrectly. All that to say it could be done "parametrically" but it wouldnt really be parametric. If you really want to show bottom of stud you may be better off just using a fill in shared parameter.

On a side note; we have always dimensioned to the finish ceiling. Afterall the client wants a 9' ceiling not a 8-11 3/8" ceiling. I know this conflicts with the way we dimension walls and rooms but its just the way that its done. The contractor has to do some math when you say AFF or place a window. They have to know what the window frame is in order to frame it out correctly. That gets more into the means and methods of the contractor and how they choose to coordinate between trades.

Thats just my 2 cents on the issue. But you can always do whatever you think works best. It just may not be parametric.

Nick 

This user is offline

View Website

WWHub

site moderator|||

Joined: Tue, May 16, 2006
13079 Posts

This user is offline

ceiling annotation tag custom family

3

ceiling tag for mass created clg.

1

Ceiling height in Room Schedule

0

Ceiling Height in Room Tag?

5

Room Name w/ manually entered Ceiling Height

4