How to Create a Tapered Opening Family

I recently had a question from a friend on how to create an opening in a concrete wall.

Here’s how….

I first started with the “out of the box” Opening Family.

Create a copy and rename it accordingly ie; Opening Tapered.

Flip to a 3D view and delete the opening, you’ll still see the symbolic lines in Plan view.

Add reference lines from the intersection of the left reference plane and the center of the wall at the desired angle (or if your taper in off center you’ll have to create another reference plane parallel to the center of wall and add a parameter controlling it). Mirror to the right side.

Adjust and lock your symbolic lines to suit.

Hint: Tab over the end of the line to get the end point to lock to the reference plane.

Under the Create Tab, on the Forms panel select the Void Extrusion tool.

Create a Void Extrusion locking the sketch lines to the exterior and interior wall planes and the sides and tapered reference planes.

Finish the sketch.

Use the Cut Geometry tool and select the wall and then the void you have just created.

Go to the Placement Side elevation view and drag and lock the shape handels up to the top reference plan and do similar to the bottom shape handel to the lower reference plane.

By using the existing Family Type Parameters flex your family to make sure it works properly and all geometry is locked to the appropriate reference planes.

Save then load into your project and flex the family to check to see if it works properly…

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Update...

Here's a link to the family I created.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_Oy9ZDyzqWiOVhNMFpJWDZBVjQ/edit?usp=sharing

Go to the link and download the attached file.

Let me know if there are any issues... its my first time using this method.

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