How can i automate the creation of revit files

[valeria5H6K2]

I have one .rfa file which contains one object with defined width and length. I need create about 200 different .rfa files with the same object but different lengths and widths. Creating 200 pieces individually is tedious and in the future I need to do the same with about 30 more .rfa files. It is at least 30x200=6000. How can I do this faster?

(Just for information: It is needed to create Specifi database. Specifi is program that allows to Quote commercial kitchen projects.)

[mhiserZFHXS]

I'm not familiar with this program, but are you sure you need separate files, and not just multiple family types?

But either way, you can use Dynamo to do this.

[valeria5H6K2]

Sadly I need separate files. 😞

[alan.johnson7YLND · Accepted solution]

I would use a type Catalog.

A type catalog lists all of the types in a family, allowing you to select and load only the types you need for the current project, resulting in a smaller project file size.

To create a type catalog, you create an external text file (TXT) that contains the parameters and parameter values that create the different types in a specific family. 

See this link:

https://help.autodesk.com/view/RVT/2023/ENU/?guid=GUID-FFA71D72-D4C5-416D-BF65-1757657C3CE9 

[valeria5H6K2]

I tried to find some tutorial at Youtube, that could help me, but I didn't find. There are videos for more complicated things. 

[mhiserZFHXS · Accepted solution]

Dynamo has a bit of a learning curve if you don't have any sort of coding or programming experience, but it would be the best way for you to do this. You'd basically make one initial family, and then create an excel sheet with all of the info for the other families you need to feed it the information. Unless there is a strict logic to how the families are developed, then you could use avoid using an excel sheet. But using the excel sheet would probably be the easiest if you don't have Dynamo experience.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

I'm with @alan.johnson7YLND. Export to Type Catalog and pull the txt file into Excel and start adding lines to it. 

[mhiserZFHXS]

They've specifically said they need separate families, not multiple types in one family.

[barthbradley]

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@mhiserZFHXS wrote:

They've specifically said they need separate families, not multiple types in one family.

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OOOKAY, I guess?  

BTW: there isn't multiple types in the rfa. There is only one. There's multiple types defined in the Type Catalog though.   

[mhiserZFHXS]

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@barthbradley wrote:

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@mhiserZFHXS wrote:

They've specifically said they need separate families, not multiple types in one family.

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OOOKAY, I guess?  

BTW: there isn't multiple types in the rfa. There is only one. There's multiple types defined in the Type Catalog though.   

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Right, I know, but it still doesn't create multiple families. I'm skeptical of the requirement, but that's what they're saying...

[barthbradley]

We're reading the OP differently.  My read is that the OP needs the data from whatever Family Types are used by the prospective customer in their own Project to generate a custom quote for that prospective customer.   

Basically, I think the OP just needs the "I" in "BIM". 😉 

[mhiserZFHXS]

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Sadly I need separate files. 😞

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@barthbradley  Again, I think you're probably correct, but that's definitely not what they're saying...

[barthbradley]

Jump in on the discussion any time you want, @valeria5H6K2.  😉 

[mhiserZFHXS]

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@barthbradley wrote:

Jump in on the discussion any time you want, @valeria5H6K2.  😉 

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No, I demand to keep debating with you despite both of us having no idea what OP's intentions are. 🧐

[ToanDN]

Why do you need different families instead of different types in one family?

[Alfredo_Medina]

It amazes me that people suggest Dynamo for doing things that Revit has been doing with simple tools for almost two decades... a type catalog. The user says "files" but in reality these are just types. And a long list of types is done with a type catalog, and it can be done very easily in Excel.

[mhiserZFHXS]

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@Alfredo_Medina wrote:

It amazes me that people suggest Dynamo for doing things that Revit has been doing with simple tools for almost two decades... a type catalog. The user says "files" but in reality these are just types. And a long list of types is done with a type catalog, and it can be done very easily in Excel.

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I suggested Dynamo because they EXPLICITLY said they needed separate files. Based off of what they said, that is the correct solution. They have yet to say otherwise, so don't make some implication that my solution is ridiculous or incorrect. 

And even IF they do in fact only need types, Dynamo could still be used to drastically cut down the time to create those type catalogs, rather than manually typing out each and every type. It may not be worth it for them if they aren't able to quickly learn how to use it, but there is a reason people frequently suggest Dynamo as a solution. It is able to do a lot of things a lot faster than someone manually could.

[Alfredo_Medina]

Did I say that your suggestion is ridiculous or incorrect? Did I mention your name? You seem to react aggresively to some posts from others. All I mean is that it is "overkill" to suggest Dynamo to a user who is needing types but is confusing types with files. And to that user you suggest to create a Dynamo script to automate the creation of 200 files, when this can be done in a few minutes the other way? Which of the two methods can the user use to finish the task faster? Not you, the user. 

[mhiserZFHXS]

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@Alfredo_Medina wrote:

Did I say that your suggestion is ridiculous or incorrect? Did I mention your name? You seem to react aggresively to some posts from others. All I mean is that it is "overkill" to suggest Dynamo to a user who is needing types but is confusing types with files. And to that user you suggest to create a Dynamo script to automate the creation of 200 files, when this can be done in a few minutes the other way? Which of the two methods can the user use to finish the task faster? Not you, the user. 

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Again, I explicitly asked if they needed types or files, and they explicitly said files. I've also already acknowledged that type catalogues, as was already suggested, will work just fine if OP is indeed mistaken on what they need.

I'll leave it at that.

[valeria5H6K2]

@Alfredo_Medina and @mhiserZFHXS 

Thank you for trying to help me. @mhiserZFHXS is right.  I don't need one .rfa file with lots of types. I agree, that it would be much easier for me to make one .rfa file with a bunch of types. But sadly the kitchen design Quote system is built that way. It doesn't "see" the types in .rfa files, and wants all "types" to be separate .rfa files. I hope that in future they will improve the file attaching system, but now it is what it is :). It just need to be done in this way.