When designing a building, we will often start out with a Program of Requirements that defines the required square footage of each room that is needed in the facility. As the building is divided into rooms with walls and room separator lines, actual room sizes become defined. Since the floor plan is continually modified throughout the design process to create a functional and code-compliant layout, room sizes continually change and sometimes become quite different than the desired area as established in the Program of Requirements.
Having a schedule that displays both the Actual area and the Program area is a great way to ensure that the actual room sizes remain near the program room sizes. The following steps show how to create a schedule that not only shows actual and program areas for a room, but also shows the difference in both actual area and a percentage relationship. Since projects typically desire that the actual area be within 10% of the program area, we will have the schedule flag the rooms in red that are not within the 10% tolerance. Before the following process is followed, a Room-based parameter named “Program Area” needs created that will contain the required Program Area for that room. The final schedule will be sorted by the Department parameter assigned for the Room.
- On the ribbon, go to the View tab and select the Schedules function from the Create panel. From the drop-down list, select the Schedule/Quantities option.
- In the New Schedule dialog box, select Rooms from the Category section and name the schedule something like Room Area Schedule. Pick the OK button.
- In the Schedule Properties dialog box, choose the following Available fields:
- Department
- Name
- Number
- Area
- Program Area (This parameter should have been added as a Shared Parameter earlier.)
- Select the Add Parameter… button in the middle of the dialog box.
- In the Calculated Value dialog box,
- Type the Name as Area Difference
- Specify the Type as Area
- Type in the Formula of Area–Program Area (this is case-sensitive)
- Pick the OK button.
- Select the Add Parameter… button in the middle of the dialog box.
- In the Calculated Value dialog box,
- Type the Name as Area Percentage
- Specify the Type as Number
- Type in the Formula of Area/Program Area (this is case-sensitive)
- Pick the OK button.
- In the Schedule Properties dialog box, go to the Sorting/Grouping tab.
- Adjust the settings to match the following illustration.
10. In the Schedule Properties dialog box, go to the Formatting tab.
11. In the Fields area, highlight the Area Difference parameter.
12. Place a checkmark next to Calculate totals.
13. Pick the Conditional Format… button.
14. In the Conditional Formatting dialog box, change the Background Color to Red and change the following conditions:
- Field = Area Percentage (note that this is not Area Difference)
- Test = Not Between
- Value = 90
- Value = 110
15. Pick the OK button.
16. In the Fields area, highlight the Area Percentage parameter.
17. Pick the Conditional Format… button.
18. In the Conditional Formatting dialog box, change the Background Color to Red and change the following conditions (identical to the Area Difference formatting):
- Field = Area Percentage
- Test = Not Between
- Value = 90
- Value = 110
19. Pick the OK buttons to exit the dialog boxes.
Applying Technology to Architecture 
Does anyone know how to illustrate these area variances on a floor plan using a color scheme?
For example, RED color for rooms that are more than 10% under the Program area, Green for rooms that are within 10% of program area and Blue for rooms that are more than 10% over the program area.
Many thanks.
Chris,
I have not been able to find a way to do what you desire without going to custom programming. I would really like to be able to have that capability natively within Revit. If anyone can figure this out natively, I would love to hear it and will get it posted here.
There is a “Between” in Revit 2012. You can say ” AREA ACTUAL EXCEEDS PROGRAM AREA > 0.00 SF
and -10% <= AREA OVERAGE PERCENT <= 10%" and give a format (background color) to those rooms that are acceptable.
There is also a “not between” conditional value :
-10% > AREA PERCENT or AREA OVERAGE PERCENT > 10%
“AREA PERCENT” is a “percentage” calculated value.
can you add multiple conditions to use in the conditional formatting dialog?
example:
Percentage of completion per sheet less than 60% = Red, More than 60% yellow, more than 95% Green.
(completion per sheet would be a project parameter applied to sheets)
Arturo,
Unfortunately, you cannot apply multiple conditions to a parameter. However, there is a way that you can accomplish what you ultimately desire. That method is to create three additional parameters (for my illustation they will be “Check 1”, “Check 2”, and “Check 3”) that will actually be what are checked.
Assuming you have a project parameter assigned to sheets named “Percentage of Completion” or something similar and have created a Sheet List containing that parameter:
In the Fields tab of the Sheet List Properties, create a new parameter named “Check 1” using the “Calculated Value” button and make the formula be simply Percentage of Completion and have the value type be the same as your project parameter. That will make the Check 1 parameter be equal to the project paramter. Repeat this 2 more times for the Check 2 and Check 3 parameters. This will create a total of 4 parameters that are identical, but the user will only enter the appropriate value in the “Percentage of Completion” parameter for each sheet.
Go to the formatting tab and select the Check 1 parameter and then pick the Conditional Format button. Set these values:
Field = Check 1, Test = Less than or Equal To, Value = 60, and set the color to Red.
Pick the OK button.
Go to the formatting tab and select the Check 2 parameter and then pick the Conditional Format button. Set these values:
Field = Check 2, Test = Between, Value = 60 and 95, and set the color to Yellow.
Pick the OK button.
Go to the formatting tab and select the Check 3 parameter and then pick the Conditional Format button. Set these values:
Field = Check 3, Test = Greater Than, Value = 95, and set the color to Green.
Pick the OK buttons to exit the dialog boxes.
Your schedule will now contain 3 Check columns for each sheet and one of the columns will have color. Check 1 column will be red if the sheet is 60% or less, Check 2 column will be yellow if between 60% and 95%, or Check 3 column will be green if more than 95% complete. It is not just one column that is colored, which is desired, but you can still get a quick visual check of the status of all sheets since every sheet will display just one color.
Sometimes, we just have to go with workarounds.
I hope that helps you.