Revit - Creation of Fabrication Families

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Firstly, sorry if this is in the wrong section of the forum, I'm very new to using this platform. I'd like to spark more of a discussion than ask a question, because I know that as with any 3D modelling software, there is more than one answer... Please bear in mind that I am from a Solidworks background and am a mechanical engineer, which is no doubt skewing the way I'm thinking this should be done!

I am wondering; how should I physically model a steel fabrication as a family with it's own parameters, so that I may drop multiple instances into a project?

I am in the process of learning Revit and setting up my companies Families ect as the first and only user. One of the things I am eager to discover is the best way to create a steel frame as a parametric family. The first example I've been working on is a fabricated frame consisting of a few equal angles and PFCs ect. I've added a drawing I've created using AutoCAD for reference. Now I understand that Revit is not the perfect software to model details, though I am prepared to work around the limitations. I'm happy that I'll have to leave bolts and other details to 2D detail views in the project. 

I have tried to create ref planes ect, set up parameters, add model lines, assign beams to model lines using the insert component tool. What I can't get my head around is how to properly constrain these components to my 'model lines'. When I flex my model the joints and constraints all break.

Ideally I'd like to be able to use the place component - steel beams tool as it brings with it lots of useful parameters that I can use to calculate beams masses and sectional properties. I'm also hoping I can bring this through to a schedule in the project to create a 'Bill of Materials'.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Any inputs would be gladly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jake

[Alfredo_Medina · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous

Anything using structural steel members should be modeled in a project. These families (beams, columns, etc) don't work well when they are nested into other families. Simply model the object in a project, and if you really want to have all the bolts, nuts, and plates, use the Advance Steel extension for Revit. 

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous

I second the motion that they are best modeled in the project environment. 

If you create them as a family with nested components, the nested structural member components cannot be shared because that will turn them to the original length instead of the length assigned in the host family when you load them in the project.  And non-shared nested components cannot be scheduled in the project, thus defeats the purpose to create a BOM.

Placing the members in the project and then making assemblies allow creating assembly views and sheets, which are useful for shop drawings.  Furthermore, you have the option to use steel connection add-in as mentioned above.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses, it is much appreciated. 

I have been experimenting with groups the last week. I'd model my fabrications as a .rvt and load as group into the project file 'above' it. This is pretty useful for reusing the same fabrications and makes editing them easy out of the main project. 

Can you tell me if assemblies are better for this as opposed to groups? Is it possible to edit an assembly and then load into multiple projects and update all instances?  

[ToanDN]

I found Assembly useful for shops drawings because you can generate isolated Assembly views only showing the assembly and nothing else.  If you do that with groups you need to manually hide other elements via filters or other means.  With that said, groups can work if the above feature is not a deal breaking for you.

[Anonymous]

I think I understand this now, thanks for the help.

[oliviaharis447]

Hello @Anonymous 

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