Adding Revit families enhances the functionality and versatility of your architectural designs. This guide will provide a detailed overview of how to locate, import, and manage Revit families effectively. The process consists of several steps, which are outlined below.
Locating Revit Families
Revit comes pre-installed with a range of families and templates that are placed in a designated folder on your computer. For versions up to 2020, you can find these files at the following location:
C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT
Ensure to verify the correct version number to access the appropriate content.
For additional families, various online platforms offer free downloads. Notable resources include:
- BIMsmith Market
- RevitCity
- CAD Forum
- BIM Object
Visiting these websites can provide a variety of families tailored to different architectural requirements.
Importing Revit Families into Your Project
To add multiple Revit families into a project, follow these steps:
Open your Revit project: Start by launching the Revit application and opening the project where you wish to import the families.
Use the Insert tab: Navigate to the "Insert" tab found in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
Select Load Family: Click on the "Load Family" icon from the Load from Library panel.
Choose your families: A dialog box will appear. Here, you can browse to locate and select several families. Hold down the Ctrl key to select multiple files if needed.
- Confirm the selection: Once your families are selected, click open; the families will now be loaded into your project.
Loading Individual Family Types
If you only need to add a specific family, the following method can be followed:
Access the Insert tab: Start by ensuring that your project is open.
Load from Library: Click on "Load Family" in the Insert tab.
Navigate to the category: A window will open, allowing you to browse various categories of families. Double-click on the category that fits your needs.
- Preview and select: You can select any family to preview it. Once you find the desired family, click Open to load it into your project.
Moving Families Between Projects
Transferring families from one project to another can be accomplished through these steps:
Open the source project: Load the project containing the families you’d like to transfer.
Locate Families in Project Browser: In the Project Browser, find the Families section.
Right-click: Right-click on the Families section and select "Save."
Choose a save location: Designate a folder on your computer to save the selected families.
- Import families into the target project: Open the target project and use the ‘Load Family’ method to bring in the families you just saved.
Exporting Family Types
If you wish to export specific family types for external use, follow these steps:
Navigate to File: Click on the File tab at the top left of Revit.
Select Export: Choose the ‘Export’ option.
Choose Family Types: Click on ‘Family Types’ from the dropdown.
Save the file: In the Export As dialog, select the file location and name, ensuring you save it as a text file.
- Finish the export: Click Save to complete the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I change the path for family templates in Revit?
To change the path for family templates, open Revit, click on the File tab, then Options. In the File Locations section, you can modify the Default path for family template files to a new location of your choice.
2. Can I find Revit families in third-party libraries?
Yes, many third-party libraries, such as BIMsmith and RevitCity, offer a range of free and paid Revit families that can be downloaded and imported into your projects.
3. How can I troubleshoot an empty Revit library?
If your Revit library appears empty, ensure that your Revit installation is pointing to the correct library location. Additionally, confirm that your office is not using a different library that may not be synced with your current setup. Check the library settings under the File Locations tab in Revit options.
