How to Edit a Revit System Family Stairs
Revit Families: A Footstep-By-Step Introduction
By Paul F. Aubin for Autodesk University
Perchance you know the power of Revit software'southward Family Editor just y'all've avoided it or it has intimidated you until now. Wait no more. This article will innovate you to the nuts of Family Editor. One time you become past existence intimidated, you will find that while Family unit Editor is extremely powerful, it can really be keen fun. In this short introduction, we will create a Revit component family complete with constraints and parameters. Don't worry if you don't know what a constraint or parameter is — we'll comprehend that as well. Whether you lot've never worked in Revit software before, or y'all've used Revit software for a while but you've simply avoided Family unit Editor, this commodity will teach you the basics of the family editor in a unproblematic stride-by-stride fashion. We'll piece of work through the creation of a Revit component (loadable) family complete with constraints and parameters.
Even if you are completely new to Revit, you have no doubt discovered how important families and the family editor are to your success in Revit. Everything you create in Revit is office of a family — consequently, understanding families and what information technology takes to manipulate them is a vital part of learning the software. Offset with the difference betwixt System and Component families, this section will explore the critical concepts and terminology. We'll also accept a quick look at what is provided in the Revit libraries and acquire near family templates. Following this brief introduction to terminology, the tutorial will focus on the component family creation procedures and strategies — presented in detailed step-by-step procedures. Using the concepts and techniques covered herein, y'all will learn how to begin tapping into one of the near powerful aspects of the Revit software package — the Revit family editor!
Everything in Revit Is Part of a Family
In order to get started with the family editor, it is important to sympathize some basic concepts and terminology. All elements in the Revit platform are part of a family and they fit into a conspicuously defined hierarchy. At the meridian level of this hierarchy, are Categories. Categories are pre-divers within the software and cannot be added, deleted or renamed. A wide variety of categories are included in Revit and distributed among a few overall main groups including: model and annotation (just at that place are a few others). Model Categories include all elements that contain your building model such as: Walls, Doors, Floors, Stairs and Beams. Annotation categories include items like Text, Dimensions and Tags. Categories are by definition very broad. Information technology would not exist enough to simply take a Walls or Doors category. These items come in all shapes, sizes and behaviors. Therefore, the next level of the hierarchy is the Family. All Revit elements belong to a family unit. Families are best thought of simply as a drove of similar items sharing the aforementioned overall look and behavior. Revit includes many families such as the "Basic Wall" wall family unit, the "Single-Affluent" door family and many annotation families like "Text" or "Linear Dimension Fashion." Fifty-fifty the views themselves similar floor plans and sections are system families in Revit.
Families branch into 2 major kinds based on their beliefs: the System Family and the Component (Loadable) Family unit. System families include annihilation that is congenital into the software and cannot exist manipulated by the user in the interface. This can include model components like walls and floors, but also includes equally of import items like floor plans, project information, and levels. System families cannot exist created or deleted. Their properties are pre-defined at the "manufactory." Nonetheless, most system families like walls, floors and roofs tin have more one: Type. A type is our next level or hierarchy in Revit. Retrieve of it as a collection of variables (sizes, materials or other settings) saved to sure values and given a name for ease of reuse. A Type provides a convenient style to switch several variables of a family unit at once. A family can contain 1 or more types; each with its own unique user-editable settings. So while for case we cannot create or delete wall families, nosotros can add together, delete and edit the types associated with each of the provided wall families. For example, "Bones Wall" is the most mutual wall family. In the out-of-the-box template files, there are several predefined Basic Wall types such equally: Exterior — Brick on CMU, Generic vi″ and Interior — 5 ½″ Partition (1hr). The Basic Wall definition just means that it is a layered wall that has the same structure along its entire length and height. The actual make-up of this construction can vary widely from type to blazon as the names noted here imply.
Other organisation families vary considerably in their specific limerick and features, but at the conceptual level they share the same basic characteristics: the overall beliefs of the object is divers past the system and cannot be redefined; however, the specific object-level parameters can be manipulated via the cosmos and awarding of blazon and/or instance variations.
As already noted, arrangement families include both things that are office of the physical model in your Revit projects (like walls, floors and roofs) and other items that are non (like views, project data, and levels). To distinguish farther, organisation families that besides happen to exist model elements are referred to equally "Host" elements. A Host is an element that tin receive or support or provide structure for other model elements. Hosts are oft required for many of the component families similar doors or windows which require wall hosts, or lighting fixtures which frequently crave ceiling hosts.
Component (or "Loadable") families include everything that is not a system family. Many component families are model elements, but they can also exist annotation or other not-model elements as well. Component families tin be "host-based" (require a host), or they can be "costless-standing" (not requiring a host). Revit users can create, delete and change component families (and their associated types). This is accomplished in the family editor and each family unit thus created can exist saved to its own unique file (with and RFA extension). Like arrangement families, component families can comprise one or more than types. They can besides have instance parameters that vary from instance to instance (non part of the blazon). Unlike system families, they are completely customizable past the finish user in the family editor.
Loadable component (model) families are the principal focus of this article.
In addition to the organisation and component families, there is a third type of family unit in Revit called the "In-Place Family." In-place families are like to component families in terms of creation, editing and strategy. However, an in-place family is created directly inside a project (not in a separate family file as component families are) and information technology cannot be exported to other projects. Further, you lot can create in-place versions of many organisation family categories like walls, roofs and floors. This capability allows the creation of custom or gratis-form shapes not otherwise possible in pre-divers system families. You should just consider creating an in-place family unit for elements that are unique to a particular project with little possibility that you will always want to reuse them in time to come projects. Besides, in-place families every bit already noted, offering the only means to "customize" sure system families like walls or roofs. In-place families therefore show effective for modeling unique existing conditions or very specialized and unique blueprint scenarios. However, wherever possible, consider if the detail you lot wish to create can be built using either predefined system elements or a component family unit first earlier resorting to an in-place family. Often creating an in-place element seems similar a proficient idea at the time only to later be the source of regret. We will not be exploring in-place families in this article.
Revit and Family unit Terminology
Here is a cursory summary of Revit for Architecture disquisitional terminology. The illustration is borrowed from the online assist file a few releases back. There is a different version in the current help system, only I prefer this illustration as I believe it nonetheless does the best job of summarizing all of the various kinds of elements in the Revit surroundings.
Element — Annihilation in your Revit Architecture project. (Elements in italic can be created and edited in the family editor.)
Model Chemical element — Something that represents the actual geometry of your building.
Host Element — An element that can receive or back up or provide structure for other model elements (built in-place structure).
Component Element — An item inserted into a project (items that are pre-manufactured, purchased and installed). Can exist freestanding or require a host.
Host Based Component Chemical element — A Component Element that must be inserted on or into a Host.
Freestanding Component Element — A Component Element that tin can exist inserted independently without a Host.
View Element* — An particular in the Revit interface that allows y'all to come across and interact with all other elements. Views conform to the characteristics of typical architectural drawing types like plan, section, summit and schedule. Some View Element families allow customization of Types, many do non.
Datum Element* — Include Levels, Grids and Reference Planes. These are used plant projection context, limits, extents and the like. Datum Elements provide guidelines and limits for other elements inside a project and can also include annotative qualities. The families and types of datum elements cannot be edited.
View-Specific Chemical element — Something that is used to document, depict or embellish a view of your project. View-specific elements do not appear in any other views automatically. If you wish to repeat view-specific items in other views, you can copy and paste them.
Detail Element — A two-dimensional family typically representing a model chemical element but at a level of particular that would be impractical to model. Detail elements announced merely in the view in which they are added. Detail Elements remain their bodily size equally created and practice non suit calibration with the view.
Notation Chemical element* — Include text, dimensions tags and symbols. These items are view-specific (actualization just in the view in which they are added) and are used to notate, embellish, describe and certificate blueprint intent within a Revit Architecture project. Notation elements maintain a abiding size relative to the plotting scale of the view in gild to maintain a constant size relative the sheet on which they are placed.
*Level and Grid head tags, Section and Summit head tags, model chemical element Tags and Symbols (Generic Note families) can be created and modified in the family editor. Text and Dimensions cannot.
Many of the branches in the diagram contain both system and component families. Naturally for a discussion on the family editor, we are therefore limited to considering only the non-arrangement families. This includes all items on the Component Elements model branch, Detail Item families on the Item Elements co-operative, Loaded Tags on the Annotation Elements branch and a few other miscellaneous elements as well similar titleblock families or view tags and level head symbols.
Family Libraries and Resources
The outset pace to working in Revit in general and building families in specific is to become comfy with this listing of terms. Keep it handy equally reference as you go on. Only earlier you commence on the process of building family content, information technology should exist noted that there are many families included with the software and many more than resources available online. A quick search in Google will turn up hundreds of sites containing tips, tricks and downloadable content. Do have the time to explore the out-of-the-box offerings and some of many bachelor sites equally well if y'all have not already done then.
As has been noted, you cannot create or delete system families. All organisation families will already be in your project file. To add together types that are not nowadays to a system family, you lot either accept to duplicate an existing type, rename and modify it, or import one from another projection. To import from another project, you tin use Transfer Projection Standards (Manage tab) or copy and paste.
To use a component family from outside the project in your current project, yous can load it from a family file (RFA) or copy and paste from another project. To load a family file, utilise the Load Family unit button on the Insert tab of the ribbon, or the contextual ribbon tab when a command is active. For example, if you click the Door tool (Architecture tab), the Load Family push button will announced on the Change | Place Door tab. This lets y'all load a door family and place it all in the same process. Also, on the Insert tab of the ribbon, on the Autodesk Seek panel, yous tin run a search from directly in Revit of the online Autodesk Seek website. You can also type seek.autodesk.com into your spider web browser.
In many cases, a family similar to the i you wish to create volition already exist somewhere in the production or online in i of the myriad online resources. Most companies also maintain their own libraries of office standard content on their internal servers. Check with your CAD/BIM manager to see what your business firm offers.
The Recommended Manner to Get Started
Practical wisdom says that it makes more than sense to begin with something in the library and either use it every bit-is, or change it to suit your needs. Typically, this will be easier than starting from scratch. In your solar day-to-day work when you are up confronting deadlines, this is past far the best arroyo. Only exist sure to take a niggling time to "vet" whatsoever unknown or newly downloaded content to ensure that it meets your office standards before using it on a live project.
If you are new to creating families in Revit, and so I recommend that yous create your showtime few families from scratch. By building the entire family yourself, you will learn more than simply modifying ane. Furthermore, families tin include very complex parameters and constraints that often link to one another in a chained and sometimes complex or fifty-fifty convoluted fashion. Even for seasoned family unit content authors, it tin be difficult to dissect these ofttimes complex relationships. Therefore, to avoid condign discouraged, it is recommended that yous start with a small simple case and work your manner to more complexity over fourth dimension.
For instance, don't start with a Door or Window family. These are more complex than they at showtime seem. Begin with something small, simple and indigestible: like a simple slice of furniture or equipment.
Family unit Creation Procedures
The basic process for creating a family is as follows: decide what type of family you need. This will include deciding what it should look like, how much detail to include and whether the graphics or level of item should change in dissimilar views. You tin can first by sketching out (aye on newspaper) the family you intend to create and make notes nearly its requirements.
Next, create a new family file from the appropriate template or open an existing family unit file similar to the one you wish to create and save every bit. The choice of family template is of import. The templates included with the software are provided by Autodesk with the production. Each contains basic settings, behaviors and in many cases some simple geometry or reference planes. The geometry included (like a sample length of wall) is just for reference and does non go inserted with the family unit when used in a project. While it is possible to change the category of family later creation, it is best to choose wisely at the kickoff. Endeavour to choose the most appropriate category selecting: Generic Model.rft only if no other suitable category can be determined. Dissimilar category, the hosting behavior of a family file cannot be changed after information technology is created. And so if you are not sure that y'all want the family you are creating to crave a Host, it is safer to build it without one. In other words, if you choose Casework wall based.rft as the template, the family unit you create will ever crave a wall in order to be inserted. If you think you lot might similar to employ the cabinet as a freestanding piece of casework, cull the Casework.rft template instead. You tin can always use the Align tool to motility the not-hosted chiffonier to a wall face later. You cannot later determine to detach the hosted casework item from its host wall.
Once y'all take decided what you want to build and created a new family file based on an existing file or the advisable new template, you are ready to create your family reference planes, parameters and geometry. It is usually best to start with the framework. If you brainstorm with an existing family, delete anything you lot don't need starting time. And so in both existing and new families, add the Reference Planes y'all will need. Reference planes provide the skeleton for your family. Some templates already comprise basic reference planes. You can utilize these as-is or alter them. The proper procedure is to manipulate or create reference planes, optionally constrain or assign parameters to these planes, so create geometry and lock information technology to the reference planes. In this manner, the reference planes actually drive the geometry. This is the about reliable, all-time-practise mode to build your family files.
One time you take laid down your reference plane framework and assigned parameters and constraints, examination the family by "flexing" information technology. This is done in the "Family unit Types" dialog which you can access from the Family Types button on the ribbon. To flex the model, simply attempt different values for each parameter so apply. If the framework moves the manner y'all expect, everything is good. Otherwise, disengage, and attempt to fix the problem. We volition meet several examples beneath.
When all geometry and parameters take been created, applied and flexed, you are ready to save the file and load it into a examination project (below I use the 100 Sandbox.rvt file for this purpose). If necessary, render to the family editor to make any adjustments and and then reload, otherwise your family file is consummate.
Constraints and Parameters
In its simplest form, a family unit can exist a static graphic or symbol. Such a family would be fatigued the way it was intended to look regardless of the circumstance. The out-of-the-box Chair-Breuer is one such example. There are no types or user-editable dimensions in this family. Even so, ane of the things that brand families and so powerful is their power to use variables to assist them adapt to varying circumstances. This is done using constraints and parameters. While each of these terms has several possible meanings, in the context of Revit the following definitions are suitable to our word.
Constraint — is a fixed rule that tin can only be manipulated past editing the family file.
Parameter — creates a rule or human relationship that has user-editable properties.
Essentially each of these is a rule applied to some part of a family'south geometry or beliefs, simply a constraint cannot be manipulated by the end user, and a parameter can. For example, if you were working with a door family and you wanted to ensure that a vision panel was 10" from the door edge regardless of the door's width, you would utilise a constraint inside the family editor to achieve this. On the other mitt, if y'all desire to allow the aforementioned door family to accept varying (flexible) sizes for height and width of the vision panel, these would be parameters. Past making vision panel width and height parameters and using them to drive the geometry inside the family unit, the user tin can practise much greater command than would otherwise be possible. However, the location of the vision panel with respect to the door would be fixed.
Solid and Void Form Geometry Types
Geometry in families consists of solid and void forms. Solid forms represent the bodily concrete parts of the family and void forms are used to carve abroad portions of the solid forms. For instance, yous could create a solid class box, and then apply a void form to cut a hole in it like a donut. Both solid and void forms come in five varieties. These include: Extrusion, Alloy, Revolve, Sweep and Swept Blend (see Figure 1). We will employ an extrusion and a alloy in the tutorial.
An extrusion is a sketched shape pushed along a altitude perpendicular to the sketch plane. A blend is similar take that instead of a single shape, you accept both a top and a bottom shape and the 3D course transforms (or blends) from one to the other along the perpendicular height of the form. A revolve spins a sketch shape effectually an axis. The circumduct can be a full 360-degree or a partial arc. A sweep pushes a shape (sketch or loaded profile) along a sketched path. The shape is perpendicular to the path. A swept blend combines features of both the blend and the sweep. The form morphs between two profiles or sketches as in a blend, but tin follow a nonlinear path. Unfortunately, the swept blend path can just contain one segment unlike the sweep. This means that complex forms crave a spline path. Using a combination of solid and void forms you can create nearly whatsoever three-dimensional shape.
Family unit Types
As we accept already pointed out above, families tin contain types. A type is a saved and named drove of values for the parameters within a family. You lot can add equally many types as you wish. Types can be added inside the family editor or even after in the project.
Nested Families
You can build complex forms using a combination of the solid and void forms available in the family editor as noted to a higher place. Withal, managing a complex form in a single family can go cumbersome. In many cases, information technology makes sense to break your object into discreet parts and build the parts as separate families. You can and so insert these simpler families into another family unit that represents the whole. This is referred to as nested families. When you manage your complex families in this manner, you lot gain more control and flexibility.
Subcategories and Visibility Parameters
Whatever family unit y'all create or load from a library volition belong to a certain category. Each of the elements within the family can belong to a subcategory within the family. Subcategories provide an extra level of visibility and graphical control over the parts of a family. For example, in the door families included with the software, there are several pre-divers subcategories. One such subcategory is the Plan Swing. Using this subcategory, it is possible to brand door plan swings a lighter pen weight across a projection regardless of the specific family. This helps enforce standards and simplifies such changes.
Visibility parameters are some other fashion to control elements within a family unit. Sometimes information technology is useful to come across part of the family only in certain circumstances. For example, you lot could create a casework family where hardware was an optional display component. In this case, a visibility parameter would be assigned to the hardware elements within the casework family and the visibility parameter could and so exist toggled on or off by the user depending on whether or not the needed to show information technology in a given situation.
Tutorial
That completes the introductory materials. The tutorial, attainable past downloading the class handout, allows you to follow along with complete step-by-footstep instructions. Explanations are given in line with the steps, only the steps are highlighted to help them stand out. Many of the concepts discussed in the preceding topics will exist showcased in the tutorial.
Paul F. Aubin is the author of many Revit book titles including the widely acclaimed: The Aubin Academy Series, Renaissance Revit and Revit video training at lynda.com. Paul is an contained architectural consultant providing Revit for Architecture implementation, training, and support services. Paul's involvement in the architectural profession spans over 25 years, with experience in design, production, CAD management, mentoring, coaching and training. He is an active member of the Autodesk user community, an Expert Elite and is a top-rated echo speaker at Autodesk University, Revit Technology Conference and Midwest University. His diverse feel in architectural firms, equally a CAD director, and an educator gives his writing and his classroom instruction a fresh and credible focus. Paul is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects and lives in Chicago with his married woman and three children.
Learn more with the full class at AU online: Revit Families: A Footstep-past-Step Introduction.
Source: https://medium.com/autodesk-university/revit-families-a-step-by-step-introduction-9439f9638062
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