Can you add custom information (parameters) to a door in Revit?
Short Answer
Yes — you can add custom information to a door in Revit by creating a shared or project parameter and assigning it through the Project Parameters dialog. This is the most common professional method for door data used in schedules and tags. Limitation: not every parameter type can be tagged or reused across families.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: If you create the parameter as a project parameter instead of a shared parameter, it may appear in schedules but not in door tags. A second common failure is assigning the parameter to the wrong category or to type instead of instance, which can break your workflow.
How to Add Custom Information to a Door in Revit
- Command: Project Parameters
- Shortcut: None
- Quick Steps:
- Go to the Manage tab on the Ribbon, then click Project Parameters in the Settings panel.
- Click Add, choose Shared parameter or Project parameter, then set it to the Doors category.
- Choose whether it is a Type or Instance parameter, set the correct Discipline and Type of Parameter (such as Text), then click OK.
Variables & Settings
- Key Setting: Instance vs TypeUse Instance if each door needs different custom information, such as hardware set or room function. Use Type if all doors of the same type should share the same value.
Why it Fails
- Cause 1 (Geometry): The door may be nested or controlled by a family where the parameter was not added to the correct family level.
- Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The door family can be workshared, read-only, or loaded from a locked library, preventing family-level edits.
- Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The parameter was created as a project parameter when a shared parameter was needed for tagging or standard scheduling.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
- Quick Fix: Recreate the field as a Shared Parameter from Manage > Shared Parameters, then add it to Project Parameters for the Doors category.
- Manager’s Verdict: Use shared parameters for any door data that must appear in tags, schedules, or company standards; use project parameters only for simple internal project-only data.
FAQ
Can I add a custom parameter to only one door?
Yes, if you create it as an Instance parameter.
Can custom door parameters appear in schedules?
Yes, both project and shared parameters can appear in schedules if assigned correctly.
Can I tag a custom door parameter in Revit?
Yes, but typically only if it is a Shared Parameter.