Understanding Parameter Types

The Type filter found within the Ideate StyleManager>Parameter tool displays a drop-down list of parameter types: Shared Project, Non-Shared Project, Shared Family, Shared HiddenShared Orphaned, and Key Schedule Parameters. Learn more about each type below.

Parameter types in Ideate StyleManager

Shared Project Parameters

Shared project parameters are those which are defined within the Revit project file, typically done via the Revit>Project Parameter dialog. A parameter can be both a shared project and a shared family type, a condition that is sometimes useful for editing manufacturer and non-manufacturer content within a schedule. 

Non-Shared Project Parameters

Non-shared project parameters are those which are defined within the Revit project file but do not have a unique id and therefore cannot be used in tags. Because the non-shared project parameters are not used by families they can be quicker to analyze.  

Shared Family Parameters

Shared family parameters are those which are defined within one or more Revit families loaded into the active project. The classification of the “Shared Family Parameter” type cannot be determined until the parameter has been analyzed. For this reason, no shared family parameters will be displayed when first using the Type filter.

For example, in the image below, the parameter named Accessories is understood to be a Shared parameter prior to analysis and lists the Parameter Type as “Shared ???”. After the parameter is analyzed, it may display the Parameter Type as either “Shared Family”, Shared Hidden or Shared Orphaned

When a shared family parameter is deleted with Ideate StyleManager each family that uses the parameter will be batch-edited to remove the parameter from the family as defined within the active Revit project.

Shared parameter with question marks in Ideate StyleManager

Shared Hidden Parameters

Revit allows parameters to be flagged as hidden within the shared parameter file. Parameters that are hidden are typically used by manufactures to store and reference lots of data that is used in formulas or is used to “lock” data that is used to control authorship, like a ‘copywrite’ parameter. Parameters that are hidden will not display in the properties palette but will display in the schedule. If a family with a shared hidden gets loaded then removed later, this content still remains. 

Shared Orphaned Parameters

A parameter is orphaned when it is not shared in any of the loaded families and is not assigned to any data category in the project. This condition occurs when a family with shared family parameters is loaded into a project or family and then is later deleted. The presence of this orphaned parameter can prevent the same shared parameter from being manually loaded into the project at a later date (because it exists but is not visible within the Revit Project Parameter dialog). Orphaned parameters can be used in a schedule.

A parameter can only be determined to be orphaned after the parameter has been analyzed. We recommend that all orphaned parameters be deleted.

Key Schedule Parameters

Revit Key Schedules each have their own custom parameter. In the example below we can use the Type filter at the left to only display the Key Schedule Parameters. In the Style Info pane, we can see that the parameter called “Hardware Group” is the key schedule parameter for the schedule called “Hardware Schedule”. This parameter is also used within the Door Schedule. Under the Elements group we can also see that there are four doors that are using this parameter, meaning they have a value assigned for that parameter (it is not empty).

Key Schedule Parameters in Ideate StyleManager

On a related note other project parameters such as the “Lock Function” in the image below can be used within a Key Schedule. In that situation, Ideate StyleManager will list each ‘key’ that has a value set for that parameter. In the example below there are four keys in the Hardware Schedule, but only three of them have a value for “Lock Function”.

Key Schedule usage in Ideate StyleManager

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