Unable to edit family

[carolina.machado]

Hello,

I noticed that some families (downloaded) does not allow the user to delete or edit elements (all kind of elements: solids, dimensions, lines, reference lines and planes, connector elements, nested families etc.).

I can't delete

Does anyone know how it can be done and how to undone this?

[RobDraw]

Without a family that exhibits the behavior, it is impossible to say.

[carolina.machado]

Ok. The family is attached.

I downloaded it from http://alessandro-bim.com.br/

[barthbradley]

One possible explanation is that the family was created from a custom RFT with those non-modifiable elements being incorporated into the RFT -- not the RFA.    

You can see the same behavior in any OOTB RFA which is built on an OOTB RFT.  Start a New Generic Model RFA , for instance, and it uses the Generic Model RFT as the template.  That template has two Ref. Planes in it which cannot be deleted from the RFA. 

[aRcHiTeCt.JM]

... I don't know what do you mean...

... I can edit everything in this family ? ... why can't you ?

... I have tried in diferent views and everything looks ok....

[ToanDN]

Try delete a reference plane.

[carolina.machado]

Really? What Revit version are you using?

I'm sorry if I'm being silly, but when you select an element you still can delete it?

[carolina.machado]

I can't delete anything.

Edit: I just saw your reply was to another person...

[carolina.machado]

It makes sense.

I searched about creating family templates and I couldn't create one to test. Do you know if it is still allowed in Revit 2019? Besides, do you know if there's a way to enable the editions in this family?

[ToanDN]

You rename the extension form RFA to RFT then the family becomes a family template.  As simple as that. 

However, I don't think the lock in the file is caused by that reason.  The family is likely created in a very old version of Revit where they were able to make elements non-editable.  

[aRcHiTeCt.JM]

ok... I understand now... 

... I have found on internet a long time ago a project with similar characteristics 
.... it is simply not allowed to modify or copy parts of the facade ...

... the worksets are non-editable elements.

... the rvt cannot be syncronized to the central which it was made...

... I really tried doing everything to modify it ... with no success ..

... here I'm attaching the link of the project to download if you want to take a look: https://files.fm/u/5s2t2kw3

[barthbradley]

---

@carolina.machado wrote:

It makes sense.

I searched about creating family templates and I couldn't create one to test. Do you know if it is still allowed in Revit 2019? Besides, do you know if there's a way to enable the editions in this family?

---

Editions are not prevented  -- deletions of  RTE elements are.  If you want to modify the family, it's going to require modifying the RFT.  To do this, you need to change its file extension to RFT, then open that file and modify it and save it.  Then Open a NEW Family (RFA) using that modified RFT.   Name it and save it and load into your project.  The thing is, you're never going to get to a condition where every element in the RFA is autonomous -- unless you rebuild the family from scratch. 

Just curious: what is it that you're are trying to delete from or modify in this Manufacturered component?  Are you a competitor of the Manufacturer whose building its own BIM content library? That's what I would do. 

[carolina.machado]

Thank you for your answer @barthbradley. I'll try it and let you know if I get successful.

Replying your curiosity: I am not a competitor of this manufacturer. I use its families in projects. But when I opened this family in Revit 2019 the Connector Elements were not in the place they should be. So, since this kind of element can not be realocated I need to delete and create new ones.

Besides, some downloaded families need some adjustments, and I have already needed to edit a family and it could not have been done.

[carolina.machado]

When you say "change its file extension to RFT" does it means write ".rft" in the end of the name of the family? Because if that's so it is still being opened as a family. Furthermore, I can not open family templates (I've tried in 2019 and 2017).

[ToanDN]

Do you see the RFA extension after the file name? If not, you need to turn on file extension display under Windows settings then you will be ableto rename the extension from RFA to RFT.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

@carolina.machado: Well, I must apologize. Apparently the workflow I described is impossible.  I could swear it once was  -- but  my research isn't validating that belief.  While it is possible to create an RFT using the method I described; it doesn't work in reverse. That is, I can create a RFT from an RFA, but I cannot open that RFT to modify it afterwards. I can only create a new RFT from an RFA (via renaming the dot extension from .rfa to .rft in Windows).   

Sorry about that chief.  I stand corrected.  Still, I believe that's exactly how the Manufacturer created its Family -- from their own RFT.  Perhaps the workaround for you isn't DELETING content, but instead, HIDING and ADDING content. 

[ToanDN]

Huh? You start a new RFA from the RFT template, do whatever you want, save, and change the extension again. That's how you modify an RFT.

[barthbradley]

Read again @ToanDN.  I idea was to open the .rft file directly to be able delete and modify and save back the changes. You cannot.  Prove me wrong, please.  

[ToanDN]

There is no need to open the RFT directly in order to modify and save it.

[barthbradley]

What are you saying? So, you have a way to delete content from the OP's Family? How?