Same Family-Multiple Buildings

[DaleSmith]

Hi everyone,

I've just been asked a question by someone I'm working with. They're doing a large job on a prison, with numerous houseblocks and other buildings, all using the same doors and windows as each other, and with other families also consistent throughout each building. As an example, there was very little known about these windows early in the project so placeholder basic windows were added. As the project is progressing and more and more is being confirmed about these families, each family has been updated to suit, some are getting very complex now.

Is there any way of updating all the families in all files to match the latest version, other than individually opening each model and reloading each family? Some kind of batch reload of families into a number of projects? I imagine there probably isn't, as this could be potentially dangerous if mismanged, but thought I'd check before going through the laborious job of doing it all manually. Especially in light of potential future changes as well.

Thank you,

[cdatechguy]

Batch reloads can be dangerous and thankfully is not part of Revit.

Revit Libraries are just a starting point, they can be modified within the project itself. Imagine you updated a bunch of windows and doors with particular parameters and someone does a batch reload that resets your families to default... :shock:

Nope, the easiest method is to have the family to update open and load them into each project...depending on your computer you may have multiple models open at one time and load the family into each one at the same time. I've had 6 or 7 open just to update some security windows.

[DaleSmith]

That's what I thought, and for the reasons you stated.

Unfortunately, I work for a company with approximately 150 new Revit users trained in the last 18 months, from a previous total of 2. A lot of these people are however very set in their ways, and are having to be dragged kicking & screaming into actively using Revit. Only a few of us, approximately 5, show any enthusiasm whatsoever for learning the program and implementing it throughout the company. Little issues like this one, which result in delays, or repetition of tasks, are siezed upon by most of the others and used as ammunition for how "Rubbish Revit is as a program!". All the advantages are convienitently ignored in this argument, with an "only news you hear is bad news" mentality going around the office.

I just wondered, considering how many people are clearly actively involved in this forum, how many others have had to put up with similar situations? And if so, can you point me towards some advice about how to help combat this, and help change a company wide mindset.

Thanks again, and sorry for going off topic. If a new topic for ths can be created and linked to instead that would be great, tho not sure how to do this.

[Steve_Stafford]

Well...how much rework would the same task be in Acad instead? Updating all the blocks in all the files seems like it would take some time in Acad too? Opening a project file and reloading a family would not only replace the older one with the nicer one but update every drawing/schedule reference to it/them all at the same time. Seems pretty efficient to me. :)

What you are struggling with is the same thing every firm has to some degree, perhaps more for some... all the best and endeavor to persevere!

[jsteinhauer]

That's what I thought, and for the reasons you stated.

Unfortunately, I work for a company with approximately 150 new Revit users trained in the last 18 months, from a previous total of 2. A lot of these people are however very set in their ways, and are having to be dragged kicking & screaming into actively using Revit. Only a few of us, approximately 5, show any enthusiasm whatsoever for learning the program and implementing it throughout the company. Little issues like this one, which result in delays, or repetition of tasks, are siezed upon by most of the others and used as ammunition for how "Rubbish Revit is as a program!". All the advantages are convienitently ignored in this argument, with an "only news you hear is bad news" mentality going around the office.

I just wondered, considering how many people are clearly actively involved in this forum, how many others have had to put up with similar situations? And if so, can you point me towards some advice about how to help combat this, and help change a company wide mindset.

Thanks again, and sorry for going off topic. If a new topic for ths can be created and linked to instead that would be great, tho not sure how to do this.

Dale,

If you're looking to do a mass update of family types from one project to another, there is a way to do it, but it may whip out all of your instance information.

Take the most Up-2-date family from the project environment, 'Edit Family', and save-as a project specific family. We typically use the project number at the beginning of the family name. Then in all of your additional projects that will use those same family types, from the project browser, select the family, right click and reload. Now, you'll need to browse to the new family and select that. It will then load in all of the types held within that new family. It will ask you if you want to overwrite the information of the family within the project with the new information within the family being loaded. I strongly suggest that you test this on a detached copy of your project files to make sure that it doesn't whip out instance information. It will allow you to judge the pro's/con's of doing this to your project without upsetting your project team.

Cheers,
Jeff S.

[DaleSmith]

Well...how much rework would the same task be in Acad instead?

You're preaching to the choir there, I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately I'm dealing with people who, when a wall moves, redraw all their floor plans in Autocad, then reload them into Revit and move the wall to suit. I tried argueing with them that that idea is completely insane, and complelety missing the point of Revit ('Rev'ise 'It') but I may as well be trying to convince a wall for all the effect it has, and even more inexplicably the argument I tend to get back is "We don't have time to do it your way". When you're dealing with that it's becoming almost impossible to deal with.

[DaleSmith]

Thanks Jeff, I'll investigate this possibility as an approach, if it's a struggle/seems to be causing issues then we'll just take the hit time-wise and do it slowly and methodically.

[cdatechguy]

A batch reload can be a good thing, if its from a project library and not a company library....and the only people that might kick and scream is your IT Department freaking out about multiple families with the same name in different project folders taking up hard drive space. ;)