How to Add a New Family to the Revit Library

Edited 1 week ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Revit is a powerful Building Information Modeling (BIM) software widely used in architecture, engineering, and construction. One of its key features is the ability to manage and use "families". In Revit, a "family" is a group of elements (such as doors, windows, components, furniture, etc.) that have a common set of parameters and a related graphical representation. Adding a new family to the Revit library can increase the detail of the project and ensure consistency across different models. This simple but comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about adding a new family to the Revit library.

Understanding Revit Families

Before we move forward with the process of adding a new family, it is important to understand what a family is and how it works within Revit.

Families are the fundamental building blocks in Revit. Each family can have different types, called family variants, such as different sizes or configurations. Each family has parameters, common attributes that can be shared across its variants. This ensures that different elements, even if they are unique, can be easily modified, managed, and integrated into the overall design.

• System families: These are built into the software itself, such as walls, ceilings, ceilings, etc. These cannot be loaded from external sources, but can be customized within the project.
• Loadable families: These can be created from external files (RFA format) and loaded into the project. Examples include furniture, appliances, and structural components.
• In-place families: These are custom elements created within a project and are specific to that project only.

Why add a new family?

Customizing and adding families to the library enables designers to tailor their BIM models to meet specific needs, provide more accurate estimates, and facilitate smooth construction processes. Here are common reasons:

• Customization: Sometimes, predefined families in Revit do not meet specific design requirements, leading to the need to create a custom family.
• Reusability: Custom families can be reused across multiple projects, saving time and improving maintainability.
• Standardization: This ensures that all team members are using the same components across different projects, thereby improving accuracy and streamlining workflow.

Steps to add a new family

Follow the detailed steps below to create and add a new family to the Revit library:

Step 1: Decide on the type of family

Identify the type of family you want to create. Loadable families are typically those that users add to their library, since system families are already part of Revit, and in-place families are project-specific.

Step 2: Create a Family

Open Revit and create a new family:

• Go to the “File” menu and choose “New,” then select “Family.” This will open the Family Template dialog.
• Choose the appropriate template that best suits the type of family you are creating. Revit includes various templates grouped by category, such as furniture, doors, windows, etc. For example, if you are creating a piece of furniture, you would select Furniture Template Files (RFT).

Step 3: Design Your Family

When you select the appropriate template, the Family Editor workspace opens. Design your family using the available tools:

• Use the Create tab to access various modeling tools such as Extrusion, Sweep, and Revolve. These allow you to create the 3D geometry of your component.
• Define the parameters of the family. Parameters control the dimensions and properties of the family. To add parameters, go to the Family Type dialog and create new parameters, such as length, width, material, etc.
• Be sure to set constraints and alignment appropriately. Constraints maintain the relationships between the different parts of the family, ensuring that the overall form maintains its integrity as it is resized.

Step 4: Testing the Family

It's important to test the family before adding it to the library:

• Use the Load into Project feature to insert the family into the sample project to make sure it works as expected.
• Check all parameters and modifications to make sure the family behaves correctly when resized or modified.

Step 5: Save the family

Once tested and confirmed, save the family:

• Click the “File” menu, then “Save As” and choose “Family.”
• Save the family in an appropriate directory. It is recommended to set a standardized location for all custom families for easy access in the future.

Step 6: Add the family to the library

Now, add the family to the Revit library:

• Go to the location where you saved the family file (RFA format).
• To add it to your project, use the Load Family option under the Insert tab in the Revit interface.
• Browse to the location and select your newly created RFA file to load it into the current project.

Revit allows families within the library to be organized by categories and types, which aids in efficient access and insertion into projects. You may want to create custom folders within the Revit Libraries directory to sort families by a certain type (e.g., furniture, structural, landscape, etc.).

Practical tips and ideas

Here are some helpful tips when creating and joining families in Revit:

• Use clear naming conventions: Always use clear and consistent naming for family files and parameters. This practice avoids confusion, especially when teams work collaboratively on large projects. Include key details such as company name, category type, and unique identifier in the name.
• Consider family size: Complex families with many parameters and details can result in large file sizes. Large files can slow down your project. Keep an eye on the balance between detail and efficiency.
• Testing in different projects: It is a good idea to test the new family in different project types. By verifying its performance in different situations, you ensure reliability and versatility.
• Frequent update cycles: Schedule regular reviews of the library to update families as needed. As industry standards evolve or software updates are rolled out, keeping the library up to date ensures you follow the latest practices.
• Security and backup: Always back up your family libraries and potentially use version control systems to track previous revisions. This ensures you don't lose a family's work or previous successful iterations.

Conclusion

The ability to add new families to your Revit library is a valuable skill that can greatly increase the flexibility and accuracy of your architectural and engineering projects. By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively create and manage families, ensuring that your designs are both innovative and consistent. Whether for standard components or for unique design elements, mastering custom families is a fundamental part of leveraging the full potential of BIM with Revit.

Remember, like all design and modeling skills, practice is key. As you become more familiar with the process, you'll find that creating and managing families in Revit will become an invaluable part of your project workflow.

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