Revit System Family Edit

[Catherine Rubeo]

Iwould like to modify my cable tray such that when the graphical setting is set to course, that the cable tray is represented by a solid rectangular profile for CFD purposes; similar to the way a duct looks. Is there an .xml schema somehwhere I could edit or some other way to create such a cable tray system family?

Ah, good idea Ajay. Thanks. However, that only gets us halfway there. I'd like to be able to use a simple rectangular profile to represent a full cable tray for CFD models which would mean creating a custom profile for the cable tray runs. The fittings won't be a problem. Any ideas?

what I would like to be able to do would be to incorporate a text line into a Pipe, Duct or Conduit family so that underground ducting can be easily identified within a view. I know that REVIT does not have the same options for textlines as CAD but the same outcome is achievable by creating a detail item so that part is covered but is there any way of incorporating this into a system family or incorporiting it into the line pattern options.

The best you could to would be to create a View Filter that applies a specific Line Pattern (not a complex one) to elements based on the value of an unused System Parameter (like "Comments") or a user-defined Project Parameter. The Parameter should be an Instance Parameter, and you will have to manually assign this to all applicable elements.

Corey, That sounds good but I'm not seeing any options to create " a specific Line Pattern" & the customisation of patterns seems very limited to hatches, Any chance you could give a description of what you mean. Thanks

Would you like to know how to save your Revit custom system families? In this blog post I will explain how we can save system families as a Revit file and how we can easily load them into other projects.

We have now saved our system family to our computer as an .rvt file which can now be loaded into other projects.

This is useful if you will be using the same system families on multiple projects or if you want to send these system families to someone.

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'Components' that are developed during the process of creating a virtual construction model are known as 'BIM components'. Since Revit is one of the most popularly used software in BIM modelling, they are sometimes known as 'Revit Families'.

BIM family creation can be performed using the 'Revit family editor tool'. The components can be created without a lot of restrictions and utilisation of parameters become easier with the help of the family editor utility. People using Revit for the first time can easily use this tool to create a seamless user interface. In order to understand the functionalities of this tool, we will need to understand the overall 'Revit Family Creation' process.

Any BIM model developed in 3D actually comprises a group of 'Revit Families'. Each and every element that we develop is actually a part of the BIM family or library. They are small components or bigger components bifurcated into different categories. These categories cannot be modified or changed as they are pre-defined. These categories can be defined by discipline within the Revit software. The families will be defined as elements within these categories. They can be walls, doors, windows and so on with different variations like a single door, double door, etc. There are three types of families:

System families are the families that are in-built in the Revit software. These families cannot be edited or modified as they are pre-set within the software. These families are system built and cannot be used for multiple user interface or models. The system families cannot be deleted from the software. These families are used for developing basic 3D models where we need to only show the placements.

Loadable families are one of the most commonly-used for BIM modelling. These families can be created independently of any specific user interface or model requirement. They can be used in different user interfaces, many other models with similar setups and can also be sold as individual families to manufacturers or product design companies.

Loadable Revit families are also known as component families. BIM engineers or Revit Family Creation Services providers can create, edit or delete the families. They can also assign parameters so that the family can adjust itself based on the user interface or model requirement. It is easy to customise the loadable families using a family editor.

Loadable families can be nested and parametric in nature. It is possible to add restraints and parameters based on requirements. The Revit families can have variations with each family. These family types can be added later in the project with the help of family editors.

Parameters that control the appearance of a particular family can be added. Some of the parameters are dimensions, instances, materials, visibility, etc. When a family is inserted and loaded on to a model the user can modify the family to suit the overall project environment. This is one of the most prominent features available in Revit. You can use the family editor feature to ease the utilisation of BIM content or families.

In Place families is a family type that is similar to loadable families, however, there is one major difference. In Place families cannot be created or used as standalone families. However, these families can be developed, edited and placed within a model that the in place family is hosted in. There will not be any separate .RFA file created while working on in place families.

In Place families are easier to create and can serve the purpose efficiently if the model is unique and specific in nature. If you are sure of not utilising the families in any other project in-place families are a better option than system or default families. You can create Revit families like walls, doors, windows, roofs, etc. using In Place families.

Nested families are used when a BIM modeller wants to build complex geometry using multiple forms. Nested families can be built using family editors too. Sometimes owing to the complexities of the geometries it becomes important to create nested families. Nested families can also be defined as families inserted within families. If the family is complex, it is possible to create simple families and insert them into another family. By creating Nested Revit families, we can operate and manage families with good flexibility and control.

When we work with BIM family creation or load the families, we should keep in mind that these families are a part of a particular category. Hence every element of the particular BIM content will be a part of the sub category in a family. These elements assist in visibility of the family along with good flexibility of changing the geometry when required. You can have sub categories of windows, doors, floors, etc.

Visibility parameters can also help in managing the elements easily just like the subcategories. It helps us to place a particular family in a particular project environment to check how the component is visible. The user can always switch on and off the visibility parameters based on the requirements.

Before the advent of Revit, such components were drawn in AutoCAD. There were AutoCAD blocks that were used to depict any geometrical component in a drawing. AutoCAD blocks cannot be modified or changed according to any project or used in any other project. It is project specific and can be managed only within a project. They can be created once and placed in multiple locations within the specific project.

Revit Family creation basically works on a different platform and offers components that can be used in many ways. These can be fully parametric or generic in nature. For example, drawing a door as a block and creating it as a BIM component or family will be very different. Revit works with a parametric approach while AutoCAD works with a 2D approach. When we have to place multiple doors in model, we can create one family and keep modifying it according to the requirements of different doors across different locations instead of just placing a simple block or 3D geometry. You can have multiple variations of a single window. We can create nested families that can provide you with dynamic models. They can also give you an excellent grip on the BIM Models that you create enabling you to change them later depending on requirements.

When working with Revit or Revit API, we are mostly dealing with Revit Types and Custom Families. This guide takes you through the various Grasshopper components that help you query and create types and families. It is one of the most important aspects of the modeling process that is more about the Data being modeled, rather than geometry:

Use the ElementType.Identity to access information about that type. Please note that the Family Name parameter, returns the System Family name for System Types and the Custom Family name for Custom Types:

When querying the custom types that exist in a Revit model, we can find out the custom family definition that contains the logic for each of these types. We are using a custom Grasshopper Python component (Type Family) to grab the family of each type being passed into this component. You can download this component, as a Grasshopper user object, from the link below.

When a build tool is launched (e.g. Place Door), Revit will automatically select the last-used type for that specific category (e.g. Doors for Place Door tool). This is called the Default Type for that category. This information is helpful when creating elements using the API. Use the component shared below to inspect the default types for the provided category:

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