In previous versions of Revit, pushing a Calculated Value into a tag was an impossible task because calculated values were not viewed as parameters. The typical workaround has been to create a Shared Parameter for a tag value and add that parameter in the schedule next to the Calculated Value. In order to get the calculated value into a tag, you would then have to manually enter the tag value from the schedule so that the data was in alignment with the calculated value.
While this method has provided a good-enough workaround, it can be quite labor intensive, especially if there are a lot of fields to manually fill in. Additionally, any changes to the model and calculations would not be reflected in the tag until you revisit the schedule and find the discrepancies between the Calculated Values and the tag values. To quickly find the discrepancies between the Calculated Values and Tag Values, you could create another Calculated Value within your schedule that would report and flag the discrepancies with a color. With the model being an evolutionary document, you end up having to do a lot of coordination throughout the design process, which may make you uncertain about your Revit model data.
With the new workflows in Revit 2017, the need for a manual entry Shared Parameter is no longer necessary, thus simplifying your schedules and coordination. All that is needed is to create a common Shared Parameter that can be used in both the Tag Family and the Revit Project for calculation purposes. Once this is properly set up, the calculations from a Revit project can then be pushed into a tag, allowing it to automatically reflect model and data changes. With this new method, you will be a lot more certain about your Revit model data.
To learn more about this new Revit 2017 feature, be sure to check out this video on our YouTube channel.
Sash KazeminejadAEC Senior Application Specialist
Sash brings proficiency in Autodesk solutions including AutoCAD and Revit Architecture to Ideate customers. His industry experience includes project management, BIM Management, and design for Architectural firms in California, Montana and Oregon. He is LEED accredited professional and is on track to achieve California licensure with Oregon to follow. In his academic life, Sash was awarded a variety of college scholarships, earned a BA in Environmental Design, a MA in Architecture from Montana State University (MSU) and taught Building Information Modeling courses at MSU Gallatin College. As a Revit Architecture Autodesk Certified Instructor, Sash provides Revit Architecture training and support for AEC firms. Find him on twitter.
