Metric Tutorials - Autodesk

Add a family to a project
1 Open or start a project.
To add a family to your project, you can drag it into the document window, or you can load it
using the Load From Library, Load Family command on the File menu. After the family has
been loaded in the project, it is saved with the project. Families are listed in the Project Browser
under their respective component category. You do not have to carry the original family file
along with the project. However, if you change the original family, reload the family in the
project to see the updated family.
2 Click File menu ➤ Load From Library ➤ Load Family.
3 Navigate to the library or location of the family.
4 Select the family file name and click Open.
In this section, you learned about the different types of Revit Structure families and when to use them. In
the final exercise, you learn about the Family Editor, how to access it, and when to use it.
Introduction to the Family Editor
You can use the Family Editor to create both real-life building components and graphical/annotation
components. Families store all of the necessary geometry to display the two-dimensional (2D) and
three-dimensional (3D) versions of particular objects. Family element visibility can be dependent of your
viewing direction, such as plan, elevation, or 3D, as well as the level of detail associated with that view.
In this exercise, you learn when to use the Family Editor, how to access it, and the general procedure for
creating a standard component family.
When to use the Family Editor
During the design process, you will need a specific component for your design. In this case, presume it is a
bay window that you require. There is a logical thought process to follow:
1 Is there a component of this type already loaded into this project? If so, it will be available within the
Type Selector.
2 If there is not a component family loaded in the project, you can search the component library loaded
on your local hard drive. Also consider any internal family libraries that exist on the network.
3 Next, consider checking the Web library and other Web resources, such as newsgroups.
4 If you cannot find the component you require, try to find the component that most closely resembles
it. It is far easier to modify an existing component within the Family Editor than to create it from
scratch. If you find a close match, open it in the Family Editor, modify it as needed, and then load it
into the project.
5 Finally, if you have exhausted your external resources, create a component family using one of the
family templates as a starting point.
How to use the Family Editor
You can access the Family Editor in several ways. With Revit Structure open, you can click File ➤ Open,
navigate to a family file, and click Open. When the family opens, it opens within the Family Editor. It will
be apparent because the only Design Bar tab available is Family.
Within the Windows ® environment, you can double-click any file with an .rfa extension and it opens Revit
Structure in the Family Editor. You can have a project open and the Family Editor open simultaneously.
To start a new family, click File ➤ New ➤ Family, select the appropriate template, and click Open.
514 | Chapter 16 About Families and the Family Editor