Families Study

 

Image 1: Exploded Axon, configuration controlled by set parameters and altered v. nested family

 

Image 2: Over Configuration documentation

Image 3: Under Configuration documentation

 

Image 4: Under and Outside Configuration documentation

 

Image 5: Outside Configuration documentation

 

Image 6: Parametricizing a non-parametric object

Creating families in Revit, like in other 3D modeling software, requires the designer to really think about how points, lines and planes associate with each other.  Constructing this simple table (even without all the nuts and bolts it would realistically require) took much longer than I expected.  I first planned out how exactly the table should come together and what parts of the table I would like to be parametric.  Then, I had to decide which elements did I need to associate with what planes and how to achieve their association.  Each element had to be parametricized in order for the entire object to function/configure properly when the dimensions were altered.  

One of the more challenging things I set out to do was to make the legs parametric in both the height and girth condition. The girth condition required more thinking than height condition.  At first, I was selecting the curve line and attempting to relate it to an outside reference plane.  When that didn't work, I tried other embarrassing methods like adding another circle that would come up around the first one. (Basically, I was layer a leg with a thicker leg.)  Then, after many tries, I realized that the I could relate the circle to another circle within it (all the same element/drawing/sketch) and reference the distance between them in order to set a parameter!

For the other exercise, I selected small non-parametric table that also had curvilinear properties in the legs/ support.  I tried to study how the creator made it but was too mentally exhausted to learn it (an assignment for another day).  Although it was pretty easy to make the table top parametric, I struggled with the legs--specifically on getting them longer without moving the entire element.  I haven't figured it out yet.