Linking Groups to Library families

[Norton_cad]

I have a very large library of families, that represent allot of equipment, furniture, railings, etc. All in a large file directory structure. When populating a room with the content, it is necessary to load each family individually, as many have different types within them. If I copy n paste the family from one job to another, then it only brings the one type across, and doesn’t follow office protocol, and our audit process. Also this equipment periodically gets updated without notification, and it is vital that we load the latest family.

It seams to me this is a total waste of time, endlessly navigating the directory structure for common layouts. So I thought that maybe I could create a group of the room equipment/furniture, and have it link to the library components. Perhaps like a text file links to a catalogue family file.

Is this possible? If so how do I do compile a Catalogue of our extensive library, and write a link text file from a group, or hopefully don't need a compiled catalogue, and can just link to the current folder structure?

If not possible, can you offer an alternative solution?

[Scott Womack]

I have a very large library of families, that represent allot of equipment, furniture, railings, etc. All in a large file directory structure. When populating a room with the content, it is necessary to load each family individually, as many have different types within them. If I copy n paste the family from one job to another, then it only brings the one type across, and doesn’t follow office protocol, and our audit process. Also this equipment periodically gets updated without notification, and it is vital that we load the latest family.

You can use the File/Load From Library command, When you select one family, you can then hold down the Cntrl Key and select more families. It will then load those families at one time. Same thing works within a family that has a type catalog.


It seams to me this is a total waste of time, endlessly navigating the directory structure for common layouts. So I thought that maybe I could create a group of the room equipment/furniture, and have it link to the library components.

There is no way to "link" the families within a group to changes made in the library, without opening the group, and reloading the families. So the families need to either reside only in the group file, or not in group but in library to keep from having to manage them in multiple places.

Maybe with custom programing via the API you could accomplish this "automation", but you'd have to recompile at each major release of Revit. I'm not a programer, so don't know if it is even possible. Look into the API forum.

[Norton_cad]

You can use the File/Load From Library command, When you select one family, you can then hold down the Cntrl Key and select more families. It will then load those families at one time. Same thing works within a family that has a type catalog.

Yeah I know this, unfortunatly the author of the library desided to spread the content over several sub folders, in a complex but logical way, and it is not possible to use this feature.


There is no way to "link" the families within a group to changes made in the library, without opening the group, and reloading the families. So the families need to either reside only in the group file, or not in group but in library to keep from having to manage them in multiple places.

I was really hoping this logic would work. I hope someone else chimes in with a solution to this. Maybe this should be added to a wishlist? What do others think in the forum?


Maybe with custom programing via the API you could accomplish this "automation", but you'd have to recompile at each major release of Revit. I'm not a programer, so don't know if it is even possible. Look into the API forum.

Yeah I was thinking this was the case. Another limitation. Pity. If I'm not explaining it clearly to others, I'm basically looking for a similar tool in API for Revit that resides in AutoCAD, called tool pallets. In which you can create a simple floating tool, that is customable, and has a small graphic icon of the family component, and options on it's import/load. Such as weather to load all the family types, or a single instance, roatation, scale, etc. A Design Manager similar to AutoCAD would be a good tool to to API in Revit as well, as you can use this tool to form pallets.

I know what some die hard Reviteers are thinking... "Think in Revit not in AutoCAD", but I still think this would be really cool if it could be API'd in Revit. After all the AutoCAD "Find" tool was ported across to Revit. What do you girls/guys think, before I start a new post in the API section?

Thanks Scott for your responce. :Beer:

[Scott Womack]

Yeah I know this, unfortunately the author of the library desided to spread the content over several sub folders, in a complex but logical way, and it is not possible to use this feature.

Bummer. Can't help with this, other than to suggest, maybe it is not as logical as it first appeared to be with relation to the work flow within Revit?


Yeah I was thinking this was the case. Another limitation. Pity. If I'm not explaining it clearly to others, I'm basically looking for a similar tool in API for Revit that resides in AutoCAD, called tool pallets. In which you can create a simple floating tool, that is customable, and has a small graphic icon of the family component, and options on it's import/load. Such as weather to load all the family types, or a single instance, roatation, scale, etc. A Design Manager similar to AutoCAD would be a good tool to to API in Revit as well, as you can use this tool to form pallets.

Maybe, I'd settle for Revit doing a better job of remembering what part/sub-directory it was last in. This would make it faster to find. Possibly grouping a set of the familyies, with each type placed, then creating the group, and saving the group to file. Then you could load that file as a group, place it in your project, then delete the group. This would place the family defitions within your project. It does become a second place to ensure to put updates to the families within this group.


I know what some die hard Reviteers are thinking... "Think in Revit not in AutoCAD", but I still think this would be really cool if it could be API'd in Revit. After all the AutoCAD "Find" tool was ported across to Revit. What do you girls/guys think, before I start a new post in the API section?

Personally, I'm not in favor of interface parts that vary from user to user, For the 18 years I used, and tried to support people in AutoCAD, the customizable interface was a nightmare to deal with. Revit is non-customizable interface has been a goddsend for helping others learn more indepth parts of the program.

Good Luck

[Norton_cad]

Luck.... I wish.

I have solved the problem. I create a room. Then I create a group of the families that go in that room, but not the walls floor or ceiling. The I create a group of the room, plus the family group. ie a nested group.

This means that when I load the group it bypasses the name overwrite check, and allows import of family instances without the rename with a numerical increase. If you know what I mean.

Give it a try, and tell me what you think?

[twiceroadsfool]

It works for reloading the families, but you will still have to go in to that group to update the content. And you will still have to reload the group manually in to the projects.

FWIW when i used ArchiCAD in my old office the content was never "imported," and it was always "linked," and what a total assache that was. Its definetely a tradeoff. You get the benefit of things updating when standards are updating, but IMHO that turns in to more whack-a-mole than the Ribbon does. And, it reigns HELL on your parade when someone renames/moves a folder somewhere in your directory.

I would like the OPTION for when an item is imported/loaded, to have it reside in the project or be a "live link" situation. This would be powerful, as then most content could stay as an import, and things like "office standard wall definitions," could be a live link. But i also havent spent much time on how it actually works.

IE: If things are live linked, what should your project do when it cant FIND that link? When things in the link change and that needs to change other parts of your project (Join, unjoin, dimensional deletion, workplane associativity breaking)? What happens when a shared nested family definition changes that breaks 4 other families definitions (that havent been updated) that are in your project, does the whole ship sink?

[kmarquis]

Maybe if you want one place to find all the families that are comomon you could create a sort of "warehouse" of families. I worked at one firm that did this with all their families and it was a very convenient & fast way to find what you needed. You essentially would create a new project and load all the related familes into that project to give it a sort of "home depot" aisle feel. Like one 'warehouse' would be named 'plumbing fixtures' and you have every type of toilets you usually use and every type of sink you typically use so you could see the family and pick and choose...all from one file.

[Steve_Stafford]

Loading families is something the API can do so contact Phillip at Kiwicodes (http://www.kiwicodes.co.nz/) (for example) to see if he could have a run at doing something specific for you.

[Norton_cad]

It works for reloading the families, but ...

I know it's a limited solution... I wish I had better...


I would like the OPTION for when an item is imported/loaded, to have it reside in the project or be a "live link" ...

What a great idea. Yeah that would be cool.


IE: If things are live linked, what should your project do when it cant FIND that link? ...

Sort of a like a missing xref dialogue box like Acad perhaps?


Maybe if you want one place to find all the families that are comomon you could create a sort of "warehouse" of families...

Thanks for the advice, but this solution would quickly make my base file quite massive. We deal with allot of very detailed furniture & fixings. The goal is to make it quick & easy.


Loading families is something the API can do so contact Phillip at Kiwicodes (http://www.kiwicodes.co.nz/) (for example) to see if he could have a run at doing something specific for you.

I'll send him an email, and see where it goes. If I get anywhere I'll post an update; As I'm sure there are others on the forum, who might be encoutering the same limitation.

[twiceroadsfool]

Sort of a like a missing xref dialogue box like Acad perhaps?


Exactly. Now the next time you are midway through Construction Doc's, go to the Project Browser and count the number of Families loaded in, at the bottom of the tree. Theres a LOT. Thats a lot of XREF's to have to fix when something "moves" the entire library or the model, hehe.

It happened to my old office once in AC, it was irritating. Not saying its not a good option, just saying we should consider that. :)