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Family categories

Family categories

This does not happen very often, but now and then I need to give something a unique family category.  I presume that this would be an option if it was easy, so how about about of redundant categories that can be renamed, and we grab them as necessary?

20 Comments
Anonymous
Not applicable

At the moment it is not possible to create families that should live in a sub-category of the Wall, Roof or Floor Category, even though we can create in-place versions of these families. Being able to create component families for these categories is important for creating families that we currently have to create using the generic model category, such as, Composite roof panels, composite wall panels, rainscreen panels, rainscreen brackets, fall arrest systems and raised access floor components. We need to create these as components rather than creating parts from the in-built walls, roofs or floors so that we can schedule the required orbering information from the modelled components and so that the model components can contain the relevant product data for down-stream use by FM as a digital O&M manual.

 

I see two possible solutions,

  1. Provide templates that allow the generic model template to be set as a sub-category of the Walls, Roof or Floor category.
  2. Create additional Revit categories such as Wall Components, Roof Components & Floor Components that can be used to hold these families. These new schedules require the same abilities as other top level categories and allow the same scheduling capabilities as other categories. 

It would be a bonus if we could filter the schedule by Family, Family&Type, Type and sub-category rather than just sort a schedule by these values.

 

Darren

Tags (3)
richardsachs4475
Enthusiast

I understand not opening the floodgates to creating our own categories as we will end up with a category for everything and we will just be back managing them like layers. However there are far too few categories for architecture.

Almost everything that isn’t a door, window or furniture ends up as Generic Models or Specialty Equipment. This results in a lot of schedule and view filtering particular in healthcare, which is prone to error.

 

At the very least there should be more reflection of spec divisions. We need a separate conveying category for elevators, elevator openings, escalators etc. And Specialties and Equipment are separate divisions, why are they lumped together? There is so much equipment in our projects and if we don't adhere to very specific naming and parameter convention things get missed. Subcategories don’t cut it.

I think if there is a dedicated category for "nurse call devices" we could at least have a few more categories for things like medical equipment or institutional equipment.

Tags (3)
arkelec
Collaborator

Can we also have better categorisation for MEP items (especially Electrical).

 

Possibly also add "Service Void" to the categories is the post by dazza1639 post.

 

 

 

AnthonyViscusi
Advocate

MEP is far too general as well.  Electrical Equipment / Fixtures & Mechanical Equipment need to be expanded at least slightly to encourage uniformity in visibility standards within the application.

jkidder
Collaborator

I agree, there are lots of things that the system families don't handle well, and as generic models then requrie extra filters to hide.  Mechanical curbs and roof crickets are two families that would be nice as roof elements.  There are also wall details, such as a stucco relief, that need to be used over and over again and therefore don't work as an in place family.

casquatch
Collaborator

I think if we could do more with sub-categories this would help. Anything we can do with a main category, it would be nice to do with a sub-category. Filters, schedules, etc. Yes, you can get around some of this with filter rules and schedule filters, but the main thing that I see a benefit from would be applying parameters.

 

Say for mechanical equipment. This is an extremely broad main category (like walls, roofs, etc.). There are so many things that fall under this umbrella. Sure, we can make many sub-categories, but this is only useful for hiding things in a view or overriding those specific subs. That isn't much. I'd like to be able to filter by a sub-category, or make a schedule that is specific to just ONE sub-category. And better yet, I want to be able to apply project parameters to a sub-category.

 

If this was possible we'd be able to eliminate many of the issues with swapping out content from one manufacturer to another mid-project. The only thing we'd really have to do is make sure that that content was on OUR specific sub category.

 

I'm sure there are some implications that I'm thinking of that wouldn't work, but it seems like it would be a nice addition. Any thoughts?

casquatch
Collaborator

I think if we could do more with sub-categories this would help. Anything we can do with a main category, it would be nice to do with a sub-category. Filters, schedules, etc. Yes, you can get around some of this with filter rules and schedule filters, but the main thing that I see a benefit from would be applying parameters.

 

Say for mechanical equipment. This is an extremely broad main category (I'm sure there are many others as well). There are so many things that fall under this umbrella. Sure, we can make many sub-categories, but this is only useful for hiding things in a view or overriding those specific subs. That isn't much. I'd like to be able to filter by a sub-category, or make a schedule that is specific to just ONE sub-category. And better yet, I want to be able to apply project parameters to a sub-category.

 

If this was possible we'd be able to eliminate many of the issues with swapping out content from one manufacturer to another mid-project. The only thing we'd really have to do is make sure that that content was on OUR specific sub category.

 

I'm sure there are some implications that I'm thinking of that wouldn't work, but it seems like it would be a nice addition. Any thoughts?

luke_kistner
Participant

Would it be possible to add new family categories?  Sometimes a family doesn't necessarily fall into one of the available categories.  Also, some category parameters are not in other categories.  Specifically "Maintain annotation orientation".  It would be nice to at least be able to add parameters to other categories as needed.

pieter1
Advisor

Although I understand your request, I'm not going to vote for it out of fear everyone will create their own alternatives (like layers in cad).

 

However, I do agree it can be annoying if a category doesn't have the behavior you want. Perhaps you can consider upvoting these ideas that would make all categories more equal in terms of functionality:

 

  1. Maintain annotation orientation in all family catagories
  2. Chose whether a family is cuttable or not (instead of having it be determine by category)
david.burow
Advocate

Came here to post this exact idea.  To compound the issue, a large percentage of Family Categories are "uncuttable" so it's not possible for them to display properly in our drawings.  So everything gets assigned as Generic, assigned to random subcategories (or none) and our View Templates become a waste.

 

akesh
Enthusiast

Can we have an addition to the Revit's Family Category Templates, and that being Shopfront/Storefront (RFT)

 

We have a Door and Window Category Component Template, but no Shopfront or Storefront Family Category.

This will help immensely in our segregation, scheduling and quantifying of building components.  Curtain Walls are good, however cannot be easily used for Shopfronts or Storefronts as you would a Door/Window component.

 

This can have both a hosting type (in walls) and a non hosting type (where one would place between two vertical elements (i.e. columns/walls) with a beam/floor above/below with no wall hosting).

These will also need to be room bounding.

If possible, it would be great to have some of the Curtain Wall functions in the creation of this family type, like the option of the mullion grids, the layout or spacing of these grids, basically most of the Type Parameters which are found for the Curtain Wall but all controlled in a component family type such as this.

 

This will really help our workflows, and I am sure many others out there as well.

Tags (3)
ToanDN
Consultant

What's wrong with using curtain walls?  

akesh
Enthusiast

@ToanDN We did use curtain walls to a point, and when it comes to scheduling them, they not the bets to schedule.  For example when we want to display an elevation view of that shopfront type, my workflow is to make that one curtain wall an assembly > generate an elevation view of that assembly with dimensions and notes > then place that view on a sheet.  With a Component family, it is simple to just place that Legend Component on a Legend view and then place on a sheet.  I have explored many ways of scheduling a curtain wall as a shopfront and the assembly method seemed to be the best workflow currently, but not the best.

 

Curtain walls are great, don't get me wrong, I have used them extensively for many different types of application, and one can get quite clever with using curtain walls, however I feel there should be a better workflow when it comes to creating a shopfront type, copying it around your model (like a component) and being able to easily generate a Revit schedule for that.

 

Unless you have a better solution/suggestion on how you would do this I am glad to hear of it?  Any feedback will help.

bill_gilliss
Collaborator

This doesn't do it?

bill_0-1650067822077.png

 

pbdbdq
Contributor

Agree with this and there has been some progress made on similar idea:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/more-categories-in-loadable-families/idi-p/8698001

 

 

@david.burowAgree with the need for cuttable families, you may wish to vote for (now included in the roadmap):

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/cuttable-vs-non-cuttable-families/idi-p/6455662

Ymedina
Explorer

The idea implies an option to add new family categories and to be able to add each family when editing it, since in many cases the program does not have some categories, such as: Supports, Instruments, among others. By adding that option we can use those categories without having to use any other unnecessarily and at the same time, organize each category in a better way.

Tags (1)
PieterL_TM
Advocate

We should be able to create a family with the category 'wall', 'floor' or 'roof'.

dzanta
Mentor

I want a new Family Category called "Restroom Accessories" so that all restroom accessory families, such as grab bars, toilet paper dispensers, hand dryers, soap dispensers, etc., fall into that category.  This will allow for easily creating a toilet accessory legend without dealing with too many filters or using "Specialty equipment or generic model."

 

Simon_Weel
Advisor

Also pretty old idea. I recall posting an idea about creating your own Family Categories. And I'm sure there are numerous like that...

dmillerULU7S
Explorer

Family Categories either need Generic Models to allow multiple.

i.e. -Generic Models

      -Generic Models, (enter specialty or trade)

NOT subcategories of Generic Models

 

OR 

 

Add many more Family Categories to the list so every trade engaged on a project can use individual Family Categories.

At the moment multiple trades use the same multiple Family Categories making it impossible to easily isolate without doing each instance individually. 

 

It would be nice if Autodesk actually pay attention to what users need to work efficiently in the ever evolving chaos they created. 

 

AT VERY LEAST 

Can we please get Family Categories for:

Structural Non-Welded Equipment Supports

and

Structural Welded Heavy Equipment Supports

 

These are absolutely necessary in today's modeling and coordination.

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