What is Parameter Link?

Parameter Link (or ParaLink) is a powerful tool to copy parameters between elements, based on their geometrical location.

What can you do with Parameter Link?

These are examples of what you can do with ParaLink:

Copy parameters from a linked model with masses to all elements inside the masses. For example you could have a model with masses which define different buildings with parameters, and copy those parameters to all elements inside the masses.
Set up a linked model with masses to control MMI of per building zone. Use ParaLink to copy the MMI from the mass model to elements inside corresponding masses. That way you can control MMI per zone, not per element.
Copy parameters from rooms to elements inside the room. The rooms and furniture can both be in the current model.

<aside> ☝ We sometimes call it Parameter Link or other times ParaLink. It’s the same program 😉

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Tutorials

Getting started

Using Parameter Link with Octo

Overview

How to open Parameter Link

To open Parameter Link, follow these steps:

In the Revit toolbar, click on the Toolbox tab.
Locate the Automation panel
Locate the "ParaLink" button and click on it
If you cannot see the Parameter Link button, it’s probably located within the drop-down menu, together with Octo and Night Vision
The Parameter Link interface will open, allowing you to access its features and functionalities.

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The Parameter Link interface

The Parameter Link interface can look a bit daunting. Let us try to help you.

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Path to Settings File

Set the path to the JSON settings file. This file store all settings you see in this window. All the tasks, the task settings and the parameter mappings. Place the JSON file in a shared folder if you want to share it with the rest of the team.

<aside> ⚠️ Parameter Link must have a settings file. If not, you will not be able to make or run tasks.

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Click Browse / New to either find an existing settings file, or make a new one.

Tasks

Here goes the list of tasks. Each task has it’s own Task Settings and Parameters list. Add a new task by clicking the + button. Tasks can be disabled by unchecking them.

On the right side there is 3 buttons:

<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/982242ee-528c-4070-be75-9006dd27531f/7d1aa574-8cfe-4a82-b31c-c869929c7cc6/paralink-tasks-add.png" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/982242ee-528c-4070-be75-9006dd27531f/7d1aa574-8cfe-4a82-b31c-c869929c7cc6/paralink-tasks-add.png" width="40px" /> Add a new task

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<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/982242ee-528c-4070-be75-9006dd27531f/c1d1d447-7e33-4141-b215-a09e7af675e8/paralink-tasks-copy.png" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/982242ee-528c-4070-be75-9006dd27531f/c1d1d447-7e33-4141-b215-a09e7af675e8/paralink-tasks-copy.png" width="40px" /> Copy selected task

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<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/982242ee-528c-4070-be75-9006dd27531f/c8a2d9aa-d7a6-4595-8e6f-b96685aa799e/paralink-tasks-remove.png" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/982242ee-528c-4070-be75-9006dd27531f/c8a2d9aa-d7a6-4595-8e6f-b96685aa799e/paralink-tasks-remove.png" width="40px" /> Remove selected task

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Parameters

This is all parameter mappings. Each line in this table is a parameter mapping from a single parameter in From element to a single parameter in the To element.

From	The name of the parameter to copy from
Prefix	Optional prefix to add to the parameter value
To	The name of the parameter to copy to.
Suffix	Optional suffix to add to the parameter value
Override	When there is a match, use this override value instead of the matching parameter value

Run and Save

If you have unsaved changes, the Save button will turn red. If there are no changes, the button is green.

<aside> ☝ There is no undo in ParaLink, but if you did changes you want to revert, simply close the window without saving and reopen it.

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Run will run all your checked tasks in sequential order.

Task Settings

This is the task settings per task. There are two columns, From and To. The From column has the settings for the elements to copy parameters from. And the To column, has the settings for the elements to copy to.