Included below are 10 tips relating to families which I hope are helpful…
1. Flip a Curtain Wall Door Family in a Curtain Wall
Once you create a curtain wall door family and load it into the curtain wall in the project, you can individually flip the door by selecting the door with TAB and pressing the SPACE bar to flip the placement.
2. Save a Revit Family Template File
If you need to customize a Revit family template file and save it you can do so by creating a new family with the desired template. Make the modifications, save the family file. Then in Windows Explorer change the file extension from .RFA to .RFT. This will set it as a template file. You can then create new families with this file as a template.
3. Copy Geometry between Family Files
While you can copy the majority of geometry between 2 similar family files, be careful not to accidentally include reference planes in the selection from the family template. This will cause the copy & paste to fail between the 2 family files. You can copy & paste new reference planes between 2 family files.
Along with this you cannot copy geometry from a model to annotation family. You will receive an error dialog:
4. Associate Profile Family Parameters
Instance Parameters: You cannot directly access instance parameters located in a profile family at the project level. But you can easily create new types using various dimensions. Quick video example below using a wall sweep and profile family [no sound]:
Type Parameters: Ideally any parameters in a profile family would be set to type which could be accessed under the profile family type properties via Project Browser > Profiles > Properties of the family.
Video Example
5. _SP3 Template & Library Folders?
If you noticed some folders for Library and Template with extensions such as _SP3, these are backup folders Revit creates when content is updated for service packs such as the Subscription Advantage Pack.
6. Associate Family Material Parameter
We have a video solution on associating material parameters to geometry which I have included below:
Associate Family Material Parameter
7. Save In-Place Component to Component?
You model an in-place component within the project environment and want to know if you can save as a standard component? While you cannot save the in-place component or copy & paste the entire component into a new family, you can typically copy some geometry through the following process:
-Create a new family of the same category.
-Edit the in-place component in the project.
-While in Model In-Place mode; copy the geometry to the clipboard [CTRL + C].
-In the new family of the same type, paste the geometry [CTRL + V].
-Adjust the geometry or add constraints in the family as needed, save as a new component family.
8. Drafting Pattern in Family & Align with Element
Say you have a filled region in a detail component family containing a drafting fill pattern set to Align with element under the Pattern Properties.
You rotate the filled region but notice the pattern does not stay aligned with the element. This is because drafting patterns only align to element when they are used as a cut pattern in hosts such as walls, floors, roofs, and ceilings. The Help file has additional information under “Fill Pattern Host Orientation”.
9. Always Vertical?
If you have a component family, such as a car you wish you follow the topography of a site or similar surface, you can do so by the following:
Edit the family > Category and Parameters > un-check Always Vertical.
10. Component Families above the Cut Plane
Previous post on how some component categories can determine if a component family is displayed above the view cut plane:
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