Converting floor-based family to face-based

[cbt990]

Hello,

I am trying to convert this trench gutter from Revit City from a floor-based family to a face-based family, using this guide. I would love to place the trench gutter directly onto a Pad. is it possible?

Thanks

[ToanDN]

Yes.  A quick way is using pyrevit.

If you want to do it manually:

- edit the host based family (F1) and change it to mechanical equipment category

- place it on a host in a new project file (A)

- link (A) to your file (B) 

- copy monitor (F1) from (A) to (B) and it will becomes a face based family (F2)

- edit (F2) and change it from mechanical equipment to the original category and reload

[cbt990]

Tried to perform the operation with PyRevit.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

What Revit Version do you need?  I'll convert it for you. 

...or follow this tutorial:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit/learn-explore/caas/simplecontent/content/convert-hosted...

...see attached conversion in R2018. 

[cbt990]

It's for '21. I tried to follow the steps in that method and got close but still not exactly right:

https://we.tl/t-z8fLMHyouU

Maybe this is a pointless exercise because I also need to have it cut the host and i don't see how it would be able to cut both a Pad and a Floor depending on the placement.

The whole point of this is to place it directly onto a pad. Perhaps I am better off creating a floor on top of my pad? 

[ToanDN]

If you read the tooltip of the pyrevit tool you would realize that it works for certain family categories. I usually edit the family and change it to Mechanical Equipment first then run the tool.

[barthbradley]

The one I attached is unhosted. If you want it to cut something in the project with it, put a rectangular-shaped Void extrusion around the channel and check the "Cuts with Void When Loaded" box in the Family Properties.  Load and place it in the Project and use Cut Geometry tool to cut the host.  

[cbt990]

Here's a bonus question. i am trying to modify the family so that the shape handles are draggable in the model.

I have my reference planes set to strong reference. 

But I can't drag the ends of extrusions to lock to the reference planes. Is there another way to propagate shape handles?

Thank you

[barthbradley]

Change the parameters to Instance-kind.  

...you want these shape handles; right?

...btw: if you align/lock the geometry to Ref. Lines and pull your labeled dimensions from those RLs, you'll have shape handles in 3D Views as well.