BIM 02

FAMILY CREATION
INTRODUCTION

17.03.2017 ZAY YAR HTUT

What is Family in Revit?
A family is a group of elements with a common set of properties, called parameters, and a related graphical representation.
Different elements belonging to a family may have different values for some or all of their parameters, but the set of parameters (their names
and meanings) is the same. These variations within the family are called family types or types.
Examples
• The Air Terminal category includes families and family types that you can use to create different Supply, Return and Exhaust Air terminal.

CATEGORY:
AIR TERMINAL

FAMILY:
FAMILY: FAMILY:
EXHAUST
SUPPLY DIFFUSER RETURN DIFFUSER
DIFFUSER

TYPE: TYPE: TYPE:

 600x600 Face  600x600 Face  600x600 Face
300x300 Neck 300x300 Neck 300x300 Neck
 450x450 Face  450x450 Face  450x450 Face
200x200 Neck 200x200 Neck 200x200 Neck
 300x300 Face  300x300 Face  300x300 Face
150x150 Neck 150x150 Neck 150x150 Neck
Different kind of families
There are three kind of families in Revit  DUCT
 PIPE
• System family  CABEL TRAY

• Loadable Family SYSTEM FAMILY

CONDUIT
LEVEL/GRID
• In Place Family  VIEWS
 ETC ...

System families
System families create basic elements that you would assemble on a construction  EQUIPMENTS
 FIXTURES
site.  AIRTEMINALS
Examples: FAMILY LOADABLE FAMILY  SPRINKLERS
 FITTINGS
Ducts, pipes, Cable Tray, Conduit  LIGHT FIXTURES
 ETC ...
System settings, which affect the project environment and include types for levels,
grids, drawing sheets, and viewports, are also system families.
System families are predefined in Revit. You do not load them into your projects from
external files, nor do you save them in locations external to the project. SELDOM TO USE
AND CREATE FOR
IN PLACE FAMILY `

Loadable families INDIVIDUAL

PROJECT NEEDED

Loadable families are families used to create the following:

• System components that would usually be purchased, delivered, and installed in and around a building, such as boilers, water heaters, air
handlers, and plumbing fixtures
• Some annotation elements that are routinely customized, such as symbols and title blocks
Because of their highly customizable nature, loadable families are the families that you most commonly create and modify in Revit. Unlike
system families, loadable families are created in external RFA files and imported, or loaded, in your projects. For loadable families that
contain many types, you can create and use type catalogues, which allow you load only the types that you need for a project.
In Place families
In-place elements are custom elements that you create in the context of a project.
Create an in-place element when your project needs unique geometry that you do not expect to reuse or geometry that must maintain one
or more relationships to other project geometry
Creating Loadable Families
Unlike system families, loadable families are created in external RFA files and imported (loaded) in your projects.

When you create a loadable family, you begin with a template that is supplied in the software and contains information about the family
that you are creating. You sketch the geometry of the family, use parameters to establish relationships between family components,
create the variations or family types that it includes, and determine its visibility and detail level in different views. When you finish the
family, you test it in a sample project before using it to create elements in your projects.
Loadable Families in Project
Before you begin a project, use this workflow to determine whether you Determine Family
that Project
can use existing families, or whether you need to create your own custom Required

families.
Loadable families are the most extensive and customizable families in Revit. Search Existing
Family
You can create your own custom families, but a number of families are (Library, Web)
ready for use in the family library and on the Web.
1. Determine the families that your project requires.
2. Search existing loadable families and determine whether you can find Appropriate Family Similar Family Cannot Find
the families that you need in the library, on the Web, in Revit
templates, or in your office templates.
3. If you find an appropriate family but not the specific type that you
YES Modify Create Own
Exact Type
need, create a new type. Family Family

4. If you can find families that are similar to the families that you need,
NO
save design time by modifying existing families to your needs.
5. If you cannot find the families that you need or modify similar families Create New
Load into Project
Type
to fit your needs, create your own families.
Loadable Families Creation Workflow
1. Before beginning family creation, plan your family. Identify requirements
regarding family sizes, how the family displays in different views, whether a host is
required, the detail level to be modeled, and the origin of the family.
2. Create a new family file with the appropriate family template. Define
subcategories for the family to help control the visibility of the family geometry.
3. Define subcategories for the family to help control the visibility of the family
geometry
4. Create the family skeleton, or framework:
 Define the origin (the insertion point) of the family.
 Lay out reference planes and reference lines to aid in sketching component
geometry.
 Add dimensions to specify parametric relationships.
 Label dimensions to create type or instance parameters or 2D
representation.
 Test, or flex, the skeleton.
5. Add a single level of geometry in solids and voids, and constrain the geometry to
reference planes.
6. Flex the new model (types and hosts) to verify correct component behavior.
7. Repeat previous steps until the family geometry is complete.
8. Specify 2D and 3D geometry display characteristics with subcategory and entity
visibility settings.
9. Define family type variations by specifying different parameters.
10. Save the newly defined family, and then load it into a project for testing.
11. For large families that include many types, create a type catalog.
- MULTIPLE SIZE? - UNIT - HOW MANY? - DEFINE ORIGIN - ADD GEOMETRY
- FAMILY DISPLAY? - TYPE OF ELEMENTS - CREATE - LAYOUT REFERENCE - SOLID/VOID
- HOST REQUIRED? - CATEGORY SUBCATEGORY PLANE - DETAIL
- HOW MUCH - HOSTED? - LINE WEIGHT - ADD DIMENSION - 3D AND 2D
DETAIL? - SELECT TEMPLATE - LINE COLOUR - LABLE DIMENSION - CONSTRAINT WITH
- ORIGIN? - LINE STYLE - TEST & FLEX REFERENCE PLANE
- MATERIAL

CREATE FAMILY ADD GEOMETRY &

TEMPLATE DEFINE
PLAN THE FAMILY SKELETON & CONSTRAIN TO
SELECTION SUBCATEGORIES
FRAMWORK REFERENCE PLANE

- SAVE THE FAMILY - HOW MANY TYPES? - VISIBLE? - TEST ALL FAMILY
- LOAD INTO - CREATE NEW TYPE - VISIBILITY/GRAPHIC PARAMETERS
PROJECT - SET PARAMETERS - DETAIL LEVEL - FAMILY PREVIEW
- TEST FAMILY IN VALUE - OBJECT STYLE - CHECK ALL VIEWS
PROJECT - REPEAT PREVIOUS - SUBCATEGORIES - TEST CONSTRAINTS
- TEST ALL VIEWS STEP - MATERIAL
- TEST ALL TYPES
- DUPLICATE

REPEAT PREVIOUS
SAVE, LOAD & TEST VISIBILITY CONTROL
CREATE FAMILY TYPE STEP UNTIL FLEX THE MODEL
IN THE PROJECT (2D&3D)
GEOMETRY FINISHED

SIMPLE COMPLEX

- CREATRE NOTEPAD
- PARAMETERS
COMPLETE THE CREATE TYPE
- FAMILY TYPES
- SAVE SAME NAME
REVIT FAMILY CREATION FLOWCHART
CREATION CATALOUGES WITH FAMILY