Hello.
I am using Open Buildings Designer- Update 5.
I have made a Parametric cell using 2 local variables. A simple box. Width=Depth and a height. When I pull the parametric cell into the model it works fine and i can adjust the variables before it is placed.
I then used the tutorial online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLXodKLQcu8 which is more in depth than the Bentley page here. https://communities.bentley.com/products/building/building_analysis___design/w/building_analysis_and_design__wiki/40981/how-to-create-parametric-objects-using-cel-parametric
And I go through making a catalogue and in the definition editor i add "New Properties" for the variable height and width. And link it to the parametric cell so the parametric
I use then use the "Object" tool to pull through the parametric cell. Before I place the parametric cell from the "Object" box i change the 2 variables.
Then for some reason, the original variables used when i made the cell in the first place still remain. So i am getting some sort of merged cell. That is made up of the old variable dimensions and the new variable dimensions.
How do I solve this?
Thanks
Henry
Hello Henry, sorry for the delayed response. Just to check, does the model that you are testing the Catalog Item in also contain an instance of the cell placed manually?
Marc
Marc,
It might do. What I have done since then is Install Update 7. Now this has fixed both boxes being pulled through. But now I have another issue.
In the Catalogue editor when I assign the "Parametric Name" field to the "Variables" of my cell and click save, it appears to have saved the properties in the catalogue editor.
I then re-open the catalogue editor and the "Variables" are no longer in the "Parametric Name" tab. It seems like it doesn't want to save it.
Henry,
Do you have the definition Data Type set to Working Units?
Yes I did. I found a work around. I opened the Catalogue (.XML) file in notepad and I realised the software was automatically populating the "Parent Name" to " _Local_Variable". So I manually changed it to match my variables. Restarted OpenBuildings and it worked.
Do you know any in depth user guides into making parametric cells or parametric cell studio?
I am trying to make pretty complex parametric components all interlinked and I cannot find any decent material on it. I am unsure if it is best to use PCS (so making PAZ files) or if I should make parametric cells.
So looking at my file, I guess you have something like this:
I will go back through my steps to confirm this behaviour repeats and find out whether is a known problem that we are already addressing.
We are continuing to work on parametric cell integration, there will be further fixes and improvements in Update 8 scheduled for Q1 2021.
Our aim is obviously to supersede PAZ but we have not covered all of the existing functionality yet. Would you like to share some of your requirements so we can advise further? You can do this offline via a Service Request if preferred.
Yes I was getting that issue.
In terms of my requirements I design station platforms using steel frames. I have multiple systems (3 example systems shown below). Each system has bolted steelwork in which all the dimensions of the individual components change depending on factors like platform width or height etc. Each system has certain rules of how all the components are linked. This is mainly where the bolt holes line up between components.
At the moment I simply use Microstation V8i and have cells of all the components and update the cells if things change. It is a long process and I have to manually make a bill of quantities for all components and do fabrication drawings for all components on a project basis.
I want to be able to have it all linked to schedules so I can see things like the length of all members and where all the bolt holes are placed etc. Then hopefully I also want to automate the fabrication drawings so if a component changes, the fabrication drawing auto updates and it prints to PDF.
I've reproduced the whole sequence including your workaround and will create a new defect if one does not already exist.
I think that our ProSteel product does most of not all of those things, I'll ask a colleague to comment.