New categories or possibility create custom categories

[MikaLei]

Nowadays not only architecture, MEP and structural using Revit, but also interior designers, landscape architects has started to use Revit and manufacturers providing their products as a Revit families.

This causing some problems and issues, especially when creating content, too much have to model in generic model category and when creating families with different selector lists etc. lack of categories coming even more bigger issue and obstacle.

For example manufacturer wants their doors as a Revit families with different kind of selector lists, let's say one for door panel, one for threshold and one for the handle/knob. If creating all of those as a generic model category it will be big mess on project, because show all those generic models in all of those selector lists. 

There is a workaround to model each of them to different categories like panel to door category, threshold to speciality equipment or something, handle to furniture etc. 

This kind of workaround causing problems in IFC and also not so handy and BIM way to put eg. handle to furniture category.

More and more BIM- content coming from especially from manufacturers to Revit and every time it is really big obstacle because of lack of categories or lack of to create own custom categories. 

I have some different suggestion how this could be done to:

1) Making families sub-categories available in family selector lists (when making family type kind of selector, for example for door panel)

2) Giving possible to create custom categories

3) Autodesk provides new categories like Handles, Ironmongery, Door/Drawer Panels, Furniture/Casework Frame, Accessories, Rainwater System (Downpipes, Gutters etc.), Roof Safety Accessories

4) Possibility to filter out families/objects what doesn't needed from drop-down / selector lists inside family if using only generic model categories.

[TOM`]

非常棒的想法

[aricke59]

Creating custom subcategories is already possible. Are you not aware of this?

Creating custom main categories seems highly questionable. There really should be one main category that you can use for your purposes.

Apologies if I have misunderstood your request.

[MikaLei]

Hi

I know there is possible to create subcategories. But problem is that I cannot use those when doing different kind of drop down list inside family. For example, I create door family which having possible to choose different kind of threshold, door panel, handle/knob. If I using eg. generic model for every one of those, knobs/handles and door panel appears on threshold selector, threshold, knobs/handles appears on door panel selector and so on.

So far I have managed to do this to modelling eg. door handle/knob to Generic Model- category, threshold to Specialty Equipments- category and door panel to Door- category and using Family Type- parameter to make drop down list for them.

It should be rather possible to use subcategories to make drop down lists or possible to make own custom main categories. 

Nowadays more and more manufacturers wants their products as Revit- content, problem is limited possibility to use categories and/or subcategories.

Door is good example, it contains frames, door panel, threshold, knobs/handles, hinges... so why I should not to use right categories to create door, like Door Panel, Frames, Threshold, Handles, not like now, using Generic Models, Specialty Equipment, Furniture and so on to create different nested families that drop down lists keeps clean on main family.

[MikaLei]

Explanation

[Kimtaurus]

Creating custom categories is gonna create problems when you're working with other ofices who have a similar object in a different category or they use different naming conventions. This is already a problem with the subcategories. These already get cluttered from manufacturers/modellers using their own naming.

That being said, we really do need more categories. For instance Specialty Equipment is such a wide term.

Same for furniture, I'd like to see a category for interior objects which are not furniture.

[apadillami6]

The main idea for establishing categories is to avoid a problem that was unable to repair in AutoCAD when you attached a layer for a discipline. Bearing in mind that, autodesk sort all the main disciplines in categories (layers) achieving best communication through different files as well as avoiding problems of incompatibility.
Creating worksets as well as shared parameters will help you to sort the different furniture in quantity schedules.

@MikaLei

Regards.

[apadillami6]

The main idea for establishing categories is to avoid a problem that was unable to repair in AutoCAD when you attached a layer for a discipline. Bearing in mind that, Autodesk sort all the main disciplines in categories (layers) achieving best communication through different files as well as avoiding problems of incompatibility.
Creating worksets as well as shared parameters will help you to sort the different furniture in quantity schedules.

@MikaLei

Regards.

[MikaLei]

That is good advice and I using worksets such a thing you recommended. I see problem in Revit when creating content, especially when creating drop down lists inside family.  I hope pictures I posted earlier makes more clear what I mean with custom categories etc. 

At the moment stairs, railings and curtain walls having quite nicely some subcategories and it helps a lot to make content for them. 

Other thing that certain categories are totally missing, like Roof accessories (snow barriers, rood bridges...), Rainwater systems as own category and could have subcategories like gutters, drainpipes etc. Fireplaces and chimneys doesn't have own category, just couple to mention.

All this cause that soon having many totally different content for example inside Generic Model- category, for example having roof accessories, fireplaces and rainwater systems in same category.

[ryan.lenihan]

most major engineering firms in australia use Revit for bridges, but some of them are getting quite imaginative when using standard revit categories to create their models - like using roofs to create bridge decks.

i suggest that if there are any new top level categories and default subcategories is that they align with the new IFC definitions - bridge components are a perfect example of the differences. not only will it make it easier for people of various disciplines to use revit to generate their models, but would make export to IFC simpler as well.

[casquatch]

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?

[Intuos5]

Autodesk should make a questionairre in which all newly required categories can be studied. 

[MikaLei]

@Intuos5, that is good one, Autodesk should make survey which all newly categories should be added.

I have couple suggestion here:

-Roof Safety Products having subcategories for Snow Guards, Roof and Wall Ladders, Roof Walkways and Safety Rails

-Roof Accessories having subcategories for Flashings, Solar Panels, 

-Balconies

-Fireplaces or/and Chimneys

-Rainwater Systems having subcategories for Downpipes and Gutters

-Yard Furniture

-Yard Equipment

For the creating eg. doors, windows, casework and furniture could be useful having new categories such as ( I don't mean subcategories):

-Handles and Knobs

-Accessories

-Frame

-Threshold

-Panels (suitable for Drawers, Cabinets, Doors etc.)

-Sashes

[Intuos5]

One key category that should be included is for Render Assets, to avoid that content for renders floods the planting category. Moreover, it makes it easier to filter out Render Assets in non-3d views.

[kimberly_fuhrman-jones]

Congrats! We think this is a great idea, so we've decided to add it to our roadmap. Thanks for the suggestion!

The Factory

[MikaLei]

@kimberly_fuhrman-jones Great, nice to hear that 🙂

[kimberly_fuhrman-jones]

We are pleased to say that this has been implemented in Revit 2022!

-The Factory

[MikaLei]

Great 🙂

[Steven_Currie_MEP]

The new service categories are welcome, additionally we would like to request the following categories fall under their respective discipline:

• Audio Visual Devices (Electrical)
• Fire Protection (*Propose "Fire" Discipline)

Can the new categories have the Elevation from Level parameter added?