Revit 2021 Family Templates issues

IMCornish · ‎04-23-2020

I have been using Revit 2021 for a couple of weeks now and am having problems getting to the family templates. Initially the default path, shown in the Options/File Locations/family templates files dialog was shown as C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT2021\Libraries\English, and I have now corrected it to C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT2021\Family Templates\English, however despite all the template files appearing in Windows File Explorer, neither the icon for 'My Templates' or, when your search to the correct location when using Revit's open family dialog, do any of the family templates appear? See 'snips' below:

Furthermore, double clicking a template file in Windows Explorer will not open the file! How can this be corrected, I would love to know

Andrew Robertson
Chartered Architect
Robertson Partnership
Truro. UK

loboarch · ‎04-23-2020

In the first image you show, the template files are not there because you are in an Open dialog, and the "Files of type" filter is set to *.rfa and *.adsk. Family TEMPLATE files are *.rft, so with the filter set as you have it, there is no way the template files will show in the first image.

Family templates are not intended to be opened directly (mine will not open either from Windows Explorer, but I can't honestly say I have ever tried opening an RFT?) It looks like Revit does not support opening an *.rft file based on the file open dialog.

To edit a family template, start a new family using the template, then make edits as needed. Save the file as a family, and then using windows explorer, change the extension to RFT. Now you will have an edited family template file.

Jeff Hanson
Principal Content Experience Designer
Revit Help |