Revit Tip: Working with Revit Families

by Dennis Collin

When talking to users, I find these tips or information when working with Revit families can be useful, to aid productivity.

Fig 1. Use the Shift or Ctrl button when selecting files to enable the loading of multiple families into a project.

If multiple families need to be loaded, hold down the CTRL key when selecting component families to load into a project.

Fig 2. Revit complains when the wrong types of components are selected for loading!

If an error message appears with the family not being the correct category, use the Load Family from the Insert tab on the ribbon menu. This will import the family into the project but not place it!

Fig 3. Use the Insert>Load Family command to load a component family of any category.

If using families with type catalogues, do NOT drag families into a project using Drag and Drop via Windows Explorer. This process ignores the presence of Type Catalogues! Use the normal load family function via a specific discipline tab or the Insert Tab. This will check for the presence of a type catalogue which will provide a range of family options.

Fig 4. Loading families via conventional means allows the selection of family types (right)

Configure Revit and create quick access places to obtain frequently used content. Places can be added and configured via the Options dialogue. As a rule, families should be sized less than a megabyte in size and purged of any superfluous information before adoption into a company’s Revit setup.

Fig 4. Configuring Places to enable easy access to frequently used content.

Nominate a person within your organisation to become the Revit family librarian. They can ensure that content is not excessively modelled, have correct parameter naming and setting structure and conform to the correct category and behaviours. This is vital to avoid problems later in a project where elements do not show correctly in drawing views or schedules.