Creating Families in Autodesk Revit can be lots of fun. Well, I suppose that depends on what one defines as “fun”.
If you like a bit of a challenge, consider the following trigonometry problem. If you can solve it, you can probably model some interesting structural truss families. The answer is given at the end.
Problem: Express x2 in terms of y1, y and x.
I remember when I studied First Year Mechanical Engineering. Until then I saw mathematics as a chore, but as the year progressed, I realized Mathematics is a language that all the subjects use (a language in which one cannot tell a lie). Solving problems is what it is all about. Doing things that one can’t normally do using the magic of mathematics.
Of course, you would first have to formulate the problem and after solving it apply it in the family geometry.
Consider an inclined truss family where the “vertical” webbing are not vertical but emanate perpendicularly from the bottom chord and meet the top chord at a perpendicularly as well.
In this family I am creating, the orientation of a “vertical” web is controlled by reference planes. To position the web, I need two reference planes, one which is slightly offset from the other. This induces the angle that keeps the “vertical” web perpendicular to the top chord.
Answer:
If you need training creating Revit families (or evaluating whether your workforce can do so), contact Micrographics so we may be of assistance to you.
