When you start a new family, you will notice that the Ribbon is somewhat different than what we see in the project environment. A quick overview of the interface will help you work in the family editor. In this example, I started with a casework family imperial template and I am using Revit Architecture. Keep in mind that the interface changes somewhat depending on what family type you are building and what Revit discipline you are using.
The Family Browser
Different templates will have different views set up and will possibly be named differently, for example in the door template the front and rear elevations are named interior (front) and exterior (back). If you are looking at a plan view, Rear (North), Front (South), Right (East), Left (West).
The Home Tab
The Properties Panel has one tool that you will be accessing a lot if you are building a parametric family, and that is the Family Types tool.
Once you select this tool it will open the Family Types dialog box. This contains all of the parameters that are tied to this family. The system parameters that come with a family template often cannot be removed or modified.
You will notice that the parameters are all type parameters at this point: we know this because the word (default) is not behind the parameter name. I can change them to instance parameters, but I cannot delete or modify them in any other way. Most system family parameters are schedulable, but if they aren't you cannot make them so. You do not have to use these parameters but they will always be in the family. If you want to change a system parameter to instance, you must be able to select it in the view and on the options bar select the toggle to make it instance.
Family Types: You add family types using the Family Types portion of the dialog. This is where you add various sizes of an item. So for example in this case: 24” Base, 27” Base etc…
Remember that the family name and the type name should notbe the same. We might name the Family: Base Cabinet Double Drwr over Door and the types would be the sizes.
Parameters: You add parameters that aren’t added in the model view or from elements, from the Parameters portion of the dialog. When you click on Add, you will see the Parameters Properties dialog that will allow you to create other parameters.
If you select Modify, you will see the dialog that will allow you to change the name or whether it is instance or type based, but not the Discipline or Type of parameter. If it is a shared parameter, you can change it to a different parameter of a similar type.
Note: you cannot modify most of the system parameters.
Anatomy of the Parameter Properties Dialog
Parameter Types:
Family:visible and modifiable in the project but not schedulable.
Shared: visible, modifiable, schedulable, etc. (Created from a shared parameter text file)
Parameter Data:
Name: name of the parameter, case sensitive if used in formulas
Discipline: Varies depending on product you are working in.
Type of Parameter: Varies depending on Discipline chosen.
Group parameter under: Controls its location in the properties box in either instance or type properties.
Property types:
- Type: Parameter modifications are global for this family type
- Instance: Each family of this type could have a different value without creating a new family type.
- Reporting: instance based and can be used to extract value from a geometric condition and report it in a formula or as a schedulable parameter.
Understanding what controls the family
When you look at the working area of your screen you will see reference planes, reference lines in some cases, dimensions and parameters.
- Reference planes are used to control most geometry.
- Reference lines are generally used to control angular items
- Parameters control the flexibility of an item
- Dimensions control things that will not be flexible.
Keep in mind that your model is controlled by these items. You build the framework, and then use that framework as a means of controlling the geometry, not the other way around, generally speaking.
Properties of the Reference Plane
- Wall Closure: Used to define where walls wrap to on doors and windows, or other wall hosted items.
- Name: Allows you to name the plane, thereby making it available from a drop down when you go to set a work plane
- Scope Box: Used to control the visibility of datum items
- Is Reference: means that you can use it as a reference once the family is loaded into a project, i.e. you can toggle to it
- Defines Origin: Used to indicate where you want the insertion point of the family to be. This can be applied to two reference planes in the plan view; the intersection of those two planes defines the insertion point.
The Family Category and Parameters Dialog
Note: You can change items to other categories, but if you aren’t working in the right discipline, you still won’t have access to all the parameters you may need. This is especially true when building MEP content.
The Manage Tab
Object Styles and Sub Categories
Adding additional sub categories gives you greater control of the items once they are in the project. Make sure you set the family category before you add sub categories, or you will lose any you have already created as the original family type. These are basically line types which you apply pen weight, color, pattern and material if you want the material controlled by the subcategory rather than the modeled element.
Project Units
I recommend changing the unit format for length to inches in the family if it is something that we generally measure in inches. It will not affect anything in the project, but it makes it a bit easier to work on the family.
Additional Settings
This is where you will go if you need to add any additional filled region types or line patterns. I would not recommend changing the pen weights.
I didn’t go over every feature of the interface, as a lot of them are very similar to what we are familiar with in the project environment. The rest we will cover in more detail as we progress through this series.
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