Enhance Revit Right-Click Menu to Support Revit Hierarchy (Category–Family–Type–Instance)

[EzAhmed]

There is great value in extending Revit’s core hierarchy (Category → Family → Type → Instance) into the Right-Click Menu on selection mode — specifically for Selection, Override Graphics in View, and Hide in View commands.

Currently, via Right-Click Menu, these commands operate inconsistently and don’t align with Revit’s hierarchy. Therefore, users have rely on VG dialog, filters, or schedules — slowing down workflows and disrupting the modeling process.

Right-Click Menu Proposed Enhancements

  1. Selection Command

      1.1. Current:

                      Right-click → Select All Instances → In View / In Entire Project

      1.2. Proposed:

           1.2.1. Replace:

                      Select All Instances to Select Type – to select all instances of the same type(s).

           1.2.2. Add:

                      Select Family – to selects all instances of the same family(s).

                      Select Category – to selects all instances of the same category(s).

  2. Override Graphics in View, or Hide in View commands

      2.1. Current:

                      Override Graphics in View → By Element / By Category / By Filter

      2.2. Proposed:

           2.2.1. Replace:

                      By Element to By Selection – to control V/G for all selected instances.

           2.2.2. Maintain:

                      By Category – controls V/G for all instances of the category(s).

                      By Filter – links to the filters panel.

           2.2.3. Add:

                      By Type – controls V/G for all instances of the same type(s).

                      By Family – controls visibility/graphics for all instances of the same family(s).

Benefits & Impact

This enhancement would deliver a clear, direct, and time-saving workflow, allowing users to manage selection and visibility/graphics at any hierarchy level without detouring through VG dialog or filters.
It will speed up and streamline daily Revit tasks, making Revit more intuitive, consistent, and efficient, particularly for large and complex models.

My Proposal in Snapshots:

[Anonymous]

Just like there is a Select All Instances function, I believe there should be a Select Category function.  So if you right click a door, you could select the Select Category option (Visible in View or In Entire Project) that would select every door regardless of Type.  This function already sort of exists in the Temporary Hide/Isolate tool, so I don't believe it would be a stretch to make it work as simply a selection tool. 

[andrefiaschi]

Hi!

Some native commands in Revit could be soooo much better just by adding some variations.

Please, add more options under the Select All Instances menu, like:

- Of the same Type in view
- Of the same Type in model
- Of the same Family in view
- Of the same Family in model
- Of the same Category in view
- Of the same Category in model

And allow us to select more than one object.

Thanks 😃

[farzanbayat74]

Surely a great idea 👍

[jordicunillperea]

have you tried to select objects from a schedule? it's even better than that, cause you can have a schedule filtered and grouped by many parameters, even native or customized, and multiple arguments at the same time.  If you are skilled at managing schedules, it is a very powerful tool

Let me write the steps.  If you already know this, for newbies:

- Divide your screen: model view / schedule

- Click on one or more rows

- You'll see those elements pre-selected on the model view

- Now click on the model view and that pre-selection will become a selection to all purposes.  that's it

The more skilled you are with schedules (filtering/sorting/grouping), the more powerful this tool will be

[andrefiaschi]

@jordicunillperea I know how to do that.

[kelvinXKHTD]

The chief problem I have with the current selection tool, is that you cannot select multiple items and then choose select all, you have to select one item only.

This massively limits the usefulness, for example if I want to select 30 different textstyles or linetypes through the project and make them all one type, I would have to go through the steps 30 times, (if that wasn't enough, groups or permissions always manage to mess up the process). BTW: Schedules don't work with text or line styles. 

The ability to select many types would be incredibly useful, so not just select by type but select by category as well.

[Ric_Weber]

Just like there is a Select All Instances function, I believe there should be a Select Category function.  If you right-click a door, you could select the Select Category option (Visible in View or In Entire Project) that would select every door regardless of Type.  This function already sort of exists in the Temporary Hide/Isolate tool, so I don't believe it would be a stretch to make it work simply as a selection tool.

[Ric_Weber]

@kimberly_fuhrman-jones, please merge my idea https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/select-all-types-category/idi-p/12814881 and https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/improve-quot-select-all-instances-quot-options/idi-p/1268... with this one.  I really hate to say it, but @EzAhmed says it best and most thoroughly.  He covers all the items completely and succinctly. 

The one thing I think he misses is that every option he spells out needs to have the "In view" and "In entire project" options attached.

So hopefully this comment will cover that obvious omission of "duh".

[EzAhmed]

Thanks, Ric!
Totally agree - “In View,” “In Entire Project,” and the new “In Entire Project Including Legends” (in Revit 2026) to be considered. I didn’t mention them as they already work well, but I indicated them in the snapshots with right arrows beside the proposed selection options.

Really appreciate your thoughtful feedback and support 🙏 - and thanks for curating all these ideas! Let’s hope they make it in 😊