Families play a crucial role in enhancing BIM models. Before creating a family, it is important to consider its universality, insertion points, and whether it should be attached to the main structure, as these factors vary depending on the family’s attributes.
(1) Should Families Accommodate Multiple Sizes?
Custom families are ideal for components with a single configuration or those that cannot be parameterized, meaning they don’t support multiple sizes. For components that come in various preset sizes, it’s best to create a standard family that can be parameterized to adapt to these variations. The decision to create custom versus standard families depends largely on the variability of component dimensions and the complexity of their parameter changes.
(2) Does the Family Need to Attach to a Main Structure?
For elements that must be placed in conjunction with other components as a main body—such as windows, doors, or rebar—a family template based on the main structure should be used. Otherwise, family instances cannot be properly created within the project environment.
(3) Setting the Family Insertion Point
The insertion point, or origin, of a family significantly impacts the ease and accuracy of placing it within a project. For example, deciding whether the origin of a bridge main beam is at the bottom or the top plate, whether a cover beam’s origin should match the design elevation, or if a bearing platform’s origin should align with the geological line, all contribute to efficient family placement.
In Revit, families are edited and modified using standard component templates tailored to the project’s requirements, or created from scratch for specific objects. By assigning parameters, components can fully accommodate project constraints, streamline design changes, and enhance component management—ultimately improving modeling efficiency. The illustration below demonstrates the Revit family creation process.
Source: Author: BIM Tutorial Website Source: BIM Tutorial Website
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