How to create multiple identical windows that are linked

[Espen da Silva]

I'm sure this is a simple thing. I've spent some time tailoring a window to my liking, and now I want to have multiple instances of this window on my wall. But I want to make sure that if I change the attributes of the window in the future, all instances of the window will also change. How do I do this?

[Karl Ottenstein]

You can make that customized window a Favorite and repeat it from the Favorites palette, or you can eyedropper it and then place additional instances.

As far as changing all instances at once, you would need to select all instances and then cmd(ctrl)-T to change the settings of all at once.  Use Find & Select to select them all, after having assigned some common value to a searchable (by F&S) parameter.  If the windows exist on only one story, then do the F&S on that story as one option.  But, in general, where the window could be anywhere, do the F&S in the 3D window to select all instances regardless of story.

You cannot simply select one instance and hope that the other instances will change.  All instances must be selected first, then any changes in the settings dialog will equally affect each one.

[Jorge_Arreguin]

You can make a window with a little bit modify variable in the GDL code , so you can edit it the gdl and all instances will change at same time

[Ignacio Azpiazu]

In a repetitive building, it often makes sense to make the exterior wall panels as modules (in everything but very large buildings, modeled and published from some underground story). So you modify the module, publish, update.

Depending on the building design, the “wall panel” may be some length of wall with the window on it, a longer stretch with several windows, corners, balconies, etc. And most buildings will need several wall panel types. Ideally there is only one editable window of each type in the model; if for whatever reason you need to place the same window type on two different panels, it is easy to show the module creation stories only on the 3D window (save a view), and modify those two or three or whatever in a single operation, publish, update.

[Karl Ottenstein]

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@Jorge_Arreguin wrote:

You can make a window with a little bit modify variable in the GDL code , so you can edit it the gdl and all instances will change at same time

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True!  I was trying to give an answer useful to the majority of users, who would be terrified to modify GDL. 😎 Further, any time you modify a library object, you are stuck dealing with that modified version as new releases of the library arrive... and perhaps break macro calls.  Really not recommended except for experts.