CMCE 2410 Fall 2013 Construction Documents through BIM Prof Jan Leenknegt

SESSION 5

Components and Families

Components and Families are Revits method for creating and adding parametric content to your building model. Consider the web programming analogy: html is the programming language, then content can be added using the programming language. Lastly, users can view and work with the content. Or, even better, think of Revit Families as mobile device Apps. They are small widgets that allow you to perform a specific task by inputting data, and extracting data, within a given framework. Some basic Apps are developed by the mother company (i.e. Apple, Google, etc), but at the same time a multitude of other Apps can be created by App developers, using the mother companys programming language for Apps. Revits parametric approach allows for new Families to be developed by creative individuals, manufacturers, etc. The difference with other programming languages is that Revit offers a graphic, three-dimensional language of parameters and constraints. Today will be our programming day, well dive one level deeper into the software. Well load and edit some Apps/Families, and end the class with creating one.

DEFINITIONS
A Revit Family is the basic grouping level of Revit. All Revit objects that have parameters (almost all of them) belong to a Revit Family. All objects with shared Family/Type Parameters.belong to the same Family. Examples: a window will always have a certain sill height, a wall will always have a certain base constraint and a certain top constraint, a door will always be hosted in a wall. A Component is a Family that we have created or loaded ourselves.

Session 5 / Components and Families CMCE 2410 Fall 2013 Construction Drawings through BIM, prof Jan Leenknegt

TYPES
There are three types of Families, most of which we have been using in the previous classes: System Families, Loaded Families/Components, and Created Families/Components.

1. System Families
What are they? The basic Revit building blocks, hard-wired into the software, by default loaded into every Revit project. They cannot be deleted and have a fixed set of parameters. Those Families are: Curtain Systems, Curtain Wall Mullions, Detail Items, Floors, Model Text, Railings, Ramps, Roofs, Site (Pad), Stairs, Structural Columns, Structural Foundations, Structural Framing, Walls How to create? All System Families are loaded into your project by default.You can create a multitude of Family Types, by using Duplicate/Edit Type.

2. Loaded Families/Components
What are they? Pre-prepared Families to load into your project. Once they are loaded they become part of your project file (they are Loaded, not Linked), You can load content either from your hard drive library, or from internet Revit libraries. Revit Families are being created as we speak, by individuals and manufacturers alike. How to create? A. From your hard drive: 1. Insert > Load Family 2. Home > Component > Place a Component B. From the web: 1. Autodesk Seek: A database of thousands of pre-made Revit Families, free, mainly uploaded by product manufacturers. using Revit interface: top right question mark symbol > Additional Resources > Revit Web Content Library url: http://seek.autodesk.com/ 2. Turbosquid; The Revit Family market place! Here you can buy... or sell Revit Families/Components! url: http://www.turbosquid.com/Revit 3. Multitudes of other online Revit Family peer-to-peer download services:
Session 5 / Components and Families CMCE 2410 Fall 2013 Construction Drawings through BIM, prof Jan Leenknegt

 http://www.revitcity.com/downloads.php (free) http://www.revit-content.com/ (not free) etc... Exercise (see textbook Exercise 6-1) Place a 60 x 30 desk Space bar = rotate component 90 degrees Load a Component Family: Load Family > Furniture > Chair_Breuer.rfa Change the parameters of the desk Lets open the desk family and look at the inner workings...!

3. Created Families/Components
What are they? Revit Families created by us. We can either create families within our Revit Project (3.1 In-Place Families/Components), or we can create them separately (3.2 Externally Created Families/Components), and then load them into our project as a Loaded Family.

3.1 In-Place Families/Components

What are they? In-Place components are Families that we create specifically for one project. They cannot be used in other projects. We use In-Place Components for project-specific and simple objects (a fireplace, a planter, a custom built-in cabinet, ). How to create? Home > Component > Model In-Place Exercise (see textbook Exercise 6-2) Model In-Place > Furniture Table Top Extrusion (4x8x4) Set Material, and make it a Family Parameter Table Leg Extrusion (8x6x4) Set Material, and make it a Family Parameter Finish... and play with parameters

Session 5 / Components and Families CMCE 2410 Fall 2013 Construction Drawings through BIM, prof Jan Leenknegt

3.2 Externally Created Families/Components

What are they? Externally Created Families are like any other Family you can load into your project, only they are created by us. They are created either based on a template (wall-based, ceiling-based, floor-based, roof-based, line-based, face-based) or as Standalone parametric object family. Like any other family, they are saved in our hard drive Library and can be loaded into any project. Moreover, you can sell your really cool and widely useful families on the web, and share your other, less involved creations. How to create? Revit Symbol (upper left corner) > New > Family Exercise (see textbook Exercise 6-3) New > Family > Door Home > Extrusion:3 x 1-3/4 Lock the height into the Height Parametric Dimension Check out the other Parametric Dimensions in the Family Types window Home > Void Extrusion 2 x 2 Dimension the Extrusion Select one Dimension, and from the Options bar, drop down Label > Add parameter... Create Parameters Left and Top Stile, Width, Height and Width Opening Save, Load... and Play!

Session 5 / Components and Families CMCE 2410 Fall 2013 Construction Drawings through BIM, prof Jan Leenknegt