Creating Shared Project Parameters

1. Click Manage tabSettings panel (Project Parameters).
2. In the Project Parameters dialog, click Add.
3. In the Parameter Properties dialog, under Parameter Type, select Shared parameter, and click Select.
4. In the Shared Parameters dialog, select the appropriate parameter from the appropriate parameter group, and click OK.

   If you click Edit, the Edit Shared Parameters dialog displays. From this dialog, you can open a different shared parameter file or add new parameters. See Creating Shared Parameter Files, Groups, and Parameters.

5. In the Parameter Properties dialog, under Categories, select the categories to which you want to apply this parameter.

   (Optional) Use the Filter list to filter categories by discipline.

   If the shared parameter provides project-specific information, select the Project Information category. You can then click Manage tabSettings panel (Project Information) to see or change the parameter’s value.

   If the shared parameter provides sheet-specific information, select the Drawing Sheet category. The parameter is then listed in each sheet’s view properties.

   Tip: If you add a shared parameter to the Drawing Sheets or Project Information category, you can add the parameter to a title block family, so you can have custom parameters on the title block. See Adding Custom Fields to a Title Block.
6. Under Parameter Data, select Instance or Type to store the parameter by element instance or family type.

   Optionally, if you select Instance you have the option to specify the parameter as a Reporting Parameter. See Reporting Parameters.

   For more information on instance and type properties, see Modifying Type Properties.

7. An option is available if you are creating an instance parameter that is one of the following types:
   • Text
   • Area
   • Volume
   • Currency
   • Mass Density
   • URL
   • Material
   • <Family Type>
   Select either:

   • Values are aligned per group type (default): If an element with this instance parameter is part of multiple groups, the parameter value will be the same for corresponding elements in all group instances. While in Edit Group mode, you can select the element and modify the parameter on the Properties palette. Changing the parameter value for the element in one group will change the value for the corresponding element in all other instances of the same group type.
   • Values can vary by group instance: If the element with this instance parameter is part of multiple groups, the parameter value can vary for corresponding elements in group instances. While in Edit Group mode, you can select the element and modify the parameter on the Properties palette. Changing the parameter value for the element in one group will not change the value for the corresponding element in other instances of the same group type.
   Note: If you change an existing parameter from varies to aligned, an error message displays listing the elements with the parameter that will change. If you click "Align Parameter Values," then all group instances will update to have the same parameter value. The value applied is the value that was assigned to the element in the first group instance.
8. For Group parameter under, select the heading under which the parameter should display in the Instance or Type Properties dialog.
9. Click OK.