Simplifying Type Catalogs

[phyllisr]

If the moderators feel this post is better in Families, feel free to move it.

This is simple and intuitive enough that I am a bit embarrassed that I did not think of this when I first started creating the hundreds of Type Catalogs in our system. Hopefully, this tip/trick will save time and effort and reduce complexity for those like me who occasionally miss the obvious.

It is not necessary to include all parameters (Shared, Type or Instance, System or Other) in the Type Catalog even if they flex and the intent is to allow teams to create other types in their own projects. I have started including only the parameters that change the types we create in advance.

Example: Our Door Families with Hollow Metal Frames have a flexible frame width that is set at 2" by default. For the occasional projects where a client will spend the extra $$ for aluminum frames at 1 1/2", teams can make the global change in their project. Since our precreated Types do not include 1 1/2" aluminum versions (lest staff be forced to search through hundreds of types), I have omitted this parameter from the Type Catalog.

Type Catalogs are easier to create in Excel, staff can read all the parameters without making the window large and there is less sorting to do. The added benefit (using the same door family example) is that if you make a Family and Type Catalog for door F (Flush) then use SavesAs to create a new Family FG (for Full Glass), you can use exactly the same Type Catalog by copying and renaming in an explorer window.

The attached clip is a before and after image.

[jsteinhauer]

Is there a way to extract a "Type Catalog" from an existing family? Do I need to delete all of the existing family "Types" after I get my "Catalog's" constructed? Other thoughts on "Type Catalogs" would not fall on deaf ears.

Phyllis told me about them today. But, I want to make sure I'm doing things correctly. I've already looked in the User's Manual, but the book only talks about projects, not families. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff S.

[jetisart]

Originally Posted by jsteinhauer

Is there a way to extract a "Type Catalog" from an existing family? Do I need to delete all of the existing family "Types" after I get my "Catalog's" constructed? Other thoughts on "Type Catalogs" would not fall on deaf ears.

Phyllis told me about them today. But, I want to make sure I'm doing things correctly. I've already looked in the User's Manual, but the book only talks about projects, not families. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff S.

The way I do it is such: for the families created BEFORE I knew how to do the type catalogues I simply delete all the types in the family editor. You don't need them anymore if you are using type catalogues - they are done for you on "as needed" basis while you load the family into your project.

For the new families I don't even specify ANY type name.

Then in the type catalogue I use ONLY the parameters I want Revit to create the different types from. All the other parameters are either hard pre-filled in the family editor or made "instance parameters" to be filled/changed by the user as needed later.

I think that for a type catalogue to work you have to have at least one parameter to be specified (with the header). Otherwise Revit says that the header can't be parsed. In other words you can't have just a list of the different type names with no parameters specified. In any way this would be rather useless I think...

Below you will find 4 screenshot pictures showing the process. Mind you the door family on them has only 3 types and is rather simple. For more complex situation you may need many more various types defined with more parameters specified (see picture 5). For my small residential project it was sufficient...

[jsteinhauer]

Thank you Jerry,

I am still looking for that magical extraction method for existing families. Anyone out there know of a way to do this?

Thank you in advance,
Jeff S.

[DoTheBIM]

This should probably be a seperate tip, but to get rid of that last family type... the only way I found to do this was...

1. Place the family in a project
2. go to the family tree in the project browser and delete all the types, but not the family itself.
3. right click on the family in the tree and edit (make sure it is not already open as Revit will just switch you to that window).
4. go to your family types command and there should be no type names
5. save and your done.

regarding the topic, I thought I remember reading somewhere about using ODBC output to help, but then you'd have to define queries to build the type catalogue. I wouldn't think it's worth the effort unless your doing a lot of parameters. Other than that I don't think there's any automated way to create type catalogs.

[jetisart]

Originally Posted by DoTheBIM

... to get rid of that last family type...

Thank you! I will check it out.

[jsteinhauer]

Exporting a project to an ODBC Database is the only way I have found to do this. It may not even capture all of the family parameters you've added. But, it will get you 70% there, if not more. Below are the steps I took.

1. Open a blank project.
2. Purge unused.
3. Load in families.
4. Save a temp Excel File on local drive.
5. Export to ODCB Database to the Excel file.
6. Format said file into the correct format following any info you can find in the book and online.
7. Open or save formated Excel information into a .txt file.
8. Save .txt file with the same name as target family.
9. Try to load family into blank project to see if your Catalog is setup correctly.
10. Fix bugs & retry.


I hope these steps are helpful to someone out there.
Jeff S.

[DoTheBIM]

I just remembered why I don't bother with the ODBC method. All your paramaters that you want to go out through ODBC need to be shared parameters and the shared paramet needs set as a project parameter. Any parameter that you want to use in the family catalog that is not shared will not be available and you have to assign the units to the column anyway. Might work for some, just wasn't practical for me.

[designguy]

Most helpful!

Thank you! Funny how past threads can help you out!