Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Drag and Drop Families with a Type Catalog
The type catalog functionality of a family will work only if you use the
Load Family option from the Insert tab of the ribbon. Dragging and
dropping a family file that has a type catalog into your project will load
only the default type. To access the type catalog after a family has been
loaded into your project, you can locate the family in the Project
Browser, right-click, and select Reload.
Formulas
Not all parameters in a family are used to drive the geometry directly; many
are used to hold data that results from the creation of the geometry and that
will be used for driving additional geometry or spatial relationships. This is
donebycreatingaformulaforaparameter.Formulascanvaryincomplexity
and functionality, as shown in
Figure 6.13
.
Pipe fittings are notorious for
their complexity and the number of formulas they need in order to create
the desired functionality.
Figure6.13
Formulas in fittings
One nice feature of formulas is that when you change a parameter name, it
will be updated in all formulas where this parameter is used. Mathematical
