//get specificaions regarding the dia and spacing
        public static List <FEMS_Specs> GetFEMS_Specs(specificationData configFileData)
        {
            List <FEMS_Specs> specList = new List <FEMS_Specs>();
            FEMS_Specs        specs    = new FEMS_Specs();

            try
            {
                if (File.Exists(configFileData.specsFile))
                {
                    //read all the contents of the file into a string array
                    string[] fileContents = File.ReadAllLines(configFileData.specsFile);

                    string[] splitLines = null;

                    for (int i = 0; i < fileContents.Count(); i++)
                    {
                        splitLines = fileContents[i].Split(' ');

                        if (splitLines[0] != "" && splitLines[1] != "")
                        {
                            specs.dia     = double.Parse(splitLines[0].Trim());
                            specs.spacing = double.Parse(splitLines[1].Trim());
                            specList.Add(specs);
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
            catch
            {
                return(null);
            }
            return(specList);
        }
        //method to make choice for placing family instances based on the pipe diameter
        public static double GetSpacing(Element ele, List <FEMS_Specs> specList)
        {
            double     dia           = 0;
            Curve      pipeCurve     = null;
            FEMS_Specs diaAndSpacing = new FEMS_Specs();

            try
            {
                diaAndSpacing.dia     = 0.0;
                diaAndSpacing.spacing = 0.0;

                List <XYZ> points = new List <XYZ>();

                if (Math.Round(((LocationCurve)ele.Location).Curve.GetEndPoint(0).Z, 5)
                    == Math.Round(((LocationCurve)ele.Location).Curve.GetEndPoint(1).Z, 5))
                {
                    pipeCurve = ((LocationCurve)ele.Location).Curve;

                    //converting dia dn length into millimeters
                    dia = 304.8 * ele.get_Parameter(BuiltInParameter.RBS_PIPE_DIAMETER_PARAM).AsDouble();

                    foreach (FEMS_Specs specs in specList)
                    {
                        if (specs.dia == dia)
                        {
                            diaAndSpacing = specs;
                            break;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
            catch
            {
                return(-1);
            }
            return(diaAndSpacing.spacing);
        }