Create a Text or Label Type to use across families

[Anonymous]

Hello,

My design team is getting ready to switch to Revit from Autocad Architecture and I am trying to set up a Revit template based on the pre-existing company standards. We use a font other than Arial for all of our annotations and I am trying to figure out the simplest way to update all annotation families to use the correct font. I can see within a family how to duplicate a text or label type, I am just wondering if there is a way to create this once and use across families, or if I will have to re-create the text or label type for each family we want to use? It's not a big time sink until you multiply by every type of annotation we will be using... thoughts?

[barthbradley]

The name of the Annotation has nothing to do with the Font it uses.  So you could modify the Font of one and then use Transfer Project Standards to load that newly defined Annotation into other projects to overwrite their Annotations' Font.  

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm not sure whether or not that answers the question I'm trying to ask - I'm pretty new to this side of Revit.

For example: I need to create or modify a door tag - changing the font and size of multiple labels. I also need to create or modify a detail title - changing the font and size of multiple labels. Can I use Transfer Project Standards to bring the new label types into the next family from the first so I can select and go? Or do I need to/is it just as simple to reset them each time? 

Hope that makes sense.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

Sounds like you want to batch modify a bunch  of families' annotations.  Revit doesn't have that ability, but I have read of a Dynamo routine that can do this (I think).  I'll see if I can locate for you.  

[Corsten.Au]

Revit has more than 100 places where font type is same but changing one doesnt changes anything else..

nothings is linked to each other.. text , tag, window tag, schedule, legend, all have their own identity..

simply changing font also don't help cause you may require same font, with different colour, some transparent

some bold, etc.. 

I would also recomment to use a font which is available by defaut in windows..

( you may choose to buy one, but main issues I faced was, some characters  in fonts were not available and its tricky to continue with broken fonts)

I have implemented what you are looking for.. Approach to that is just basic Systematic Plan..

1. Export all the families from your template in one folder ( sort it thats up to you.. ) 

2. All mean all families when you " Right click " on " Families in Revit Browser 

3. now you will have to go through each and every family and update text type...

There are million places where the fonts needs to be changed if you are planning to completely standardise..

1. Sheet ( this will have atleast 10 different fonts, View, revision, revision schedule )

2. Category Tags

3. Multi Category Tags

4. View Titles

5. Grids

6. Elevation marker

This list is endless... but start with basic and move on..

This is just one time update.. but once you are done with it , you will thank yourself..

hope that helps

[Anonymous]

LOL thanks. This is the route I would be taking, I just wondered if there was a way to avoid it. 😉 I guess I'll start with the ones we use all the time and then just update the rest as we go. Thanks for the input!

[Seychellian]

Hi Ganesh,

Quick question, I created a bunch of fonts in the project environment. How can I get them out the project environment and imported into the family environment?

When I try to import them I get an error saying ""Elements copied to Sheets can only be copied from other Sheets."

[barthbradley]

Use Transfer Project Standards to transfer Text Types from one Project to another.

[Seychellian]

Hi I am trying to transfer them from a project into a family. Therein I receive the aforementioned error.

[Seychellian]

Apologies my previous response doesn't really refer to what you suggested.

When I try to transfer project standards from a project file to a family file text is not listed (see attachment),

[barthbradley]

Did you try copying and pasting them?  

[Corsten.Au]

Just pay attention to Revit pop up messages. Revit gives enough info/idea about what’s going wrong ...

some good points in this thread. Read them all.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-architecture-forum/copy-paste-from-1-file-to-another/td-p/19326...

cheers

[Seychellian]

Yes thats when I get this error.....

"Elements copied to Sheets can only be copied from other Sheets."

[Seychellian]

I didn't glean anything from that thread at first viewing. Some feedback....

1. The message "Elements copied to Sheets can only be copied from other Sheets." is baffling because neither the source or the destination is on a sheet.

2. Both files are open in the same instance of Revit.

3. I leave both files open during the process. 

4. Text is not hosted by another element. 

5. Sorry if i am stupid..

[Corsten.Au]

There are few elements/types you need to differentiate and separate.. thought they look same ( regular Text ), but cannot be interchanged, cannot be edited to convert into other types..

Even when you think that text/ labels are not hosted per say, they are dependent on some properties which will prevent to simply copy from one file to another...

Types of Revit file ( listing few )

1. rvt (Project)

2. rte ( Revit Template ) ( this template is to create a project )

3. rfa ( Revit Family )

4. rft ( Revit Family Template )

some are

• Text
• Labels
• Category Tag
• Multi Category Tag
• Keynote
• Annotation
• Labels in Sheet Block Family
• different category

1. Labels are Type or Intance properties, looks like text but it requires its own text style..

Here, Revit not allowing text to copy from " Plan View" to the " Sheet Family "

( project to family... copying is not allowed )

[Seychellian]

Is it possible that some people are never able to get their head around Revit's naming conventions and categorisation system. I consistenly find myself unable to establish which category of element I am dealing with and its web of relationships to the elements it functions with. If seems like with the introduction of each new level or category comes an exponentially increasing level of complexity that can sort of cripple you in your ability to make the project function properly. One wrong assumption and you can derail things epically and waste huge slabs of time trying to recover your bearings or track down your error. Admittedly I have only been on it for one year but I consistently fail to grasp where I am in the hierarchy and waste huge amounts of time and energy trying to make sense of things.

I would love to know, is it normal to feel so disorientated after 1yr of fairly consistent use? Does it require an engineer or a programmers mind to deal what that level of abstraction? Do you eventually reach a Neo-esque stage where all the relationships suddenly become glaringly clear?  I find myself despairing about this on a daily basis when i'm blind and confused fumbling about in the fog. I really worry that I am wasting my time trying to "crack" the Revit system.

[Seychellian]

I really appreciate your detailed reply but I am still utterly none the wiser as to how to import my custom text/labels into my system families. I cant believe that you need to recreate each style in every individual family. I simply must be missing something. 

[Corsten.Au]

Hi

There are levels of roles considering any profession/project etc.

Revit User 

BIM Manager - 5 to 10 years of experience 

Architect - 2 to 5 years of local experience

Building Designer - 4 to 5 projects ( completed )

I can go on. but the point is you are probably trying to implement something which needs someone's help.

like ( BIM Manager ), someone to do setting as per local council, architects style etc.

there are only two ways in Revit

1. Use default settings ( no customization ) in graphics, annotation, text style etc.

2. Customize it.. then you are inviting numerous issues which only experience person can handle..

See where you fit, your role ... as they say 

don't bite off more than one can chew

I found this article explaining ..

you are on the path of exploring

https://www.bimthinkspace.com/2012/08/episode-17-individual-bim-competency.html

BIM Competency

The field knowledge

The capability of BIM tools

and anyone here would tell you that different people have a different rate of learning...

I have seen new graduates learning and picking up multiple software in a few months with skills that might take years for others.

( depending on their company, exposure to live projects, standards of the company.. )

That's why first job experience kind of moulds lot people the way they approach a problem / overall project )

best luck...

[barthbradley]

@Seychellian :  You there?  

Let's recap.

You are trying copy a named text style from an RVT to an  RFA.  

You tried copying and pasting and that action threw the error: "elements copied to sheets can only be copied from other sheets".   

How did you copy and paste? Did you select a text notation placed in an RVT Model View and press CTRL-C?  And then, did you Switch Windows to an RFA Model View and press CTRL-V?  

[Seychellian]

Whats confusing is that it seems to be implying that the elements in the family are on a sheet. I don't see how thats the case. To test this I tried copying the text from a sheet in the project file and it copies into the family file however it doesn't help me a lot because all the text is in the project environment and I am unable to get it to the sheet view without recreating it all (even within the same file). Is there a reason that we cant just copy these elements between all the various environments without limitation? I imagine there is but it would be so USEFUL if Revit gave us a more explanatory error message  like ""Elements copied to Sheets can only be copied from other Sheets BECAUSE....... (tell us why they have imposed this limitation)". This would help educate us Revit dummies about how Revit works as we interact with it. Right now we are completely in the dark as to why these limitations exist and we just get confused and frustrated.