Copying assembly creates a warning

[AGGilliam]

I'm trying to mess around with assemblies, but I can't seem to place another instance of an assembly without getting this warning: "Edits caused an assembly to match an existing assembly type and inherit a new name." But there was no edit, and it doesn't even create a new type or change the name. I've seen other posts about this issue but I'm using Generic Models not a Face Based family or anything that could possibly change on placement. Has anyone else come across this issue before?

[emodderman]

I recreated this issue using an In-Place component family. The change in name is referring to a new Generic Model family being created. Since In-Place families are one of a kind normally, when a copy is made of it, outside of the in-place editor, it gives it a new name. If you copy an assembly, this is exactly what is happening - a copy of the in-place family is created. Check your Project Browser > Families > Generic Models for the other families being created. 

Technically, there is nothing 'wrong' with this, but if you have many copies of this assembly, you will fill your model up with many copies of the generic model. Also, if you edit the GM inside the assembly, the other copies of the assembly will not update, since they actually contain a different family than the original, which ultimately will result in a second assembly being made. 

So, best not to use in-place components inside an assembly. 

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

Just ignore the warning and proceed with placing the copied instances. Anyhow, it seems to me that you should be using groups instead of assemblies if the purpose is multiply one instance to different locations.

[RDAOU · Accepted solution]

@AGGilliam 

"Edits caused an assembly to match an existing assembly type and inherit a new name."

1. Edits refer to the action of copy or create a new instance..
2. The above warning is more like a Notification that the new instance or the copied instance of an Assembly matches exactly an existing Assembly and will inherit the name of that existing Assembly

Meaning...

1. if when you copied the Assembly you were NOT expecting a NEW Assembly, then the above prompt is telling you that you are all good. 
2. if when you copied the Assembly you were actually expecting a NEW Assembly (with a new name), then the above prompt means that you have a problem which you need to tend to

There will be a time when you find out that copying an assembly or placing a new instance of an existing assembly will generate a new assembly. And Revit of course will prompt you that a new assembly with a new name has been created...That's when you will ask "BUT WHY...I want to copy the same assembly"...this is where the answer would be what @ToanDN suggested...Groups is what you are looking for not Assemblies

[AGGilliam]

Thanks for the explanation, I guess I thought assemblies were intended to have multiple instances. The reason I made an assembly to begin with was to test the part list.

[RDAOU]

@AGGilliam 

Then you are on the right track...when you work with parts, you need assemblies not groups. And when parts change you get new assemblies.

Example: If you try the Precast extension, you will notice that they are assemblies not Groups.

[林鐘]

The ‘Assembly’ System of Revit works like a special Family, which can automatically create symbols by instances,  Assembly <=> Family, AssemblyType <=>FamilySymbol, AssemblyInstance <=>FamliyInstance; but in revitUI can’t directly  edit AssemblyType, we can only edit an AssemblyInstance and Revit will automatically recognize/arrange its Type(Symbol).

[ludmylla_barbosa]

I am experiencing the same issue when creating assemblies for FAB parts in Revit 2025. To generate our assemblies, we need to add an instance parameter to the family.

It appears that Revit 2025 automatically treats identical pipe segments as the same element and assigns them to an existing assembly number. The issue is that my client does not want duplicate numbers, and currently I am unable to edit the assembly number because it is locked.

The only solution I found was to add an instance parameter to the weld family between the pipes. This forces Revit to create new assemblies, allowing us to generate new spools.

If anyone has a different solution, I would be very interested in hearing it.