Trouble with adjustable grips

[addesigns]

I am having trouble with creating a family that will have adjustable grips. I understand that I want to creat a new generic model family and follow the steps below.

 

1. Create 2 reference planes to the left of the default center reference plane.

2. Create 2 reference planes to the right of the default center reference plane.

3. Make the reference planes that are just outside the default center plane (one on each side) equal to the center plane and click the EQ button.

4. Draw a symbolic line from the far left plane to the one just to the right of it.

5. Align the ends of the symbolic lines to those planes. Do the same with the other side.

6. Make sure all the newly created reference planes are set to Weak reference and load it in the family.

 

I have followed thes steps and I have been reading on the information super highway that this is the way to do it but when I load it into the project it soes not give me the option to adjust anything. It only allows me mo grab the whole thing and move it around.

 

Please help, what am I missing??

[tzframpton]

You need to add a Dimension in there somewhere, then link it to a Parameter and make sure the parameter is instance based, and the "adjustable grips" will then appear.

 

Steve Stafford explains this pretty well here, with the additional advice on Ref Planes vs Ref Lines:

http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2012/02/grips-location-reference-planes-vs.html

[Sparky]

Will this also work with symbolic lines or only extrusions? I have a symbolic line with instance parameters to set the length and the angle. When I load the family into my project and update the parameter values, the family works properly. I would like to have "grips" on each end of the line so I don't have to manually input the length.

[tzframpton]

Probably depends on the type of Family. Can you upload the Family so I can take a look?

[Sparky]

Here you go, Thanks!

Brace Plan Symb.rfa

[tzframpton]

Okay, you're approaching this all wrong.

 

1. This is a Structural Framing Family. You must start with the "Structural Framing - Beams and Braces.rft" Template first. This type of Family cannot start from a Generic Model and changed, due to the fundamental necessities required. This Family Template has the 2D single line you're after, which is associated to the Coarse View setting.
   
2. This type of Family is a 3D Family. If you strictly want 2D, start with the "Detail Item line based.rft" Family, and create a SubCat for it.
   
3. You cannot create "angles" in a Family like this. You deal with the angles in the project by rotating the Family itself, whether a Structural Framing Family or a Detail Component Family. It's not that you "can't" as much as you "shouldn't", since these Families have a 1st and 2nd (eg: Start and End) pick option. These Families are meant to follow the 0 degree angle inside the Family and then be rotated in the project.
   

 

If you start out with the proper Structural Framing Template, you'll get all the fancy grips that are associated with this type of Family. If you use a Detail Component Line-Based Family, it already comes with it's own type of Grips on both ends that are identical to what you're originally inquiring about.

 

Hope this helps.

[Sparky]

Thanks, it works great!

[Novina]

No grips in Annotation Family.

Went thru all available forums and used all advices. No luck.