How Significant is Revit Family Creation for the Construction Industry?

Posted on: May 9, 2019, By: Dhvani Badheka

Overview

Revit based parametric families have a significant impact on the Architectural, Engineering and Construction Industries. It has shown drastic progress in the industry with their range of components, easy to manipulate the components and to provide accurate data at the end along with results that aids in saving cost and time. Revit families are known as the building blocks of the AEC Industry and are also named as Revit Content Creation Services or Revit Family Creation Services.

Introduction to Revit Family Creation

Revit families involve a group of components that can be used to build a model like windows, doors, etc. with common properties, parameters, and virtual model. Each family has multiple types like different sizes and materials. Changes are automatically updated to a particular family item throughout the project. Family items in Revit are already built-in.

Any new family can be added easily. Revit Family files also known as RFA files can be laden using Revit family Manager from the software. Exported element’s variable can be added to an external database like familit dbManager and can be linked to Revit Project easily. Familit dbManager support other database engines such as MySQL, Oracle, and XML. DbManager’s function includes searching, grouping, sorting, zooming and calculating. It’s ideal to use dbManager for Revit to generate facility management, resource management, and analytical reports.

If a project has specific requirements, the family editor tool can alter existing elements and can create new if required. If the Revit Families is altered or new is created than both standard benchmarks, and customized components to the building model are enabled. Design changes can be made easily and can control similar elements.

Revit 3D Modeling

Families in Revit 3D Modelling includes

System Families

It consists of a basic aspect of Revit family creation such as walls, floors, duct, and beams in the Coordinated BIM Model. These elements are used for assembling while construction or at time of installation. System families are in-Built in Revit software without saving or re-creating within the software.

Loadable Families

These families are implemented for multiple projects if parametric. The file format for Revit Family is .RFA that is externally created and independent models can be imported into Revit projects.

Annotation Families

Annotations such as text, dimensions or tags are loaded by the Revit Families. Annotation families can be displayed in view that you place them.

In-place Elements

Customized elements are created with specific parameters such as size, materials, etc. for limited use in the model.

Advantages of Revit Family Modeling

Revit families provide many benefits to the AEC industry for delivering a precise design.

Increased Accuracy

Dimension tools option in the Revit software enables accurate dimensions to various components of the Revit family, and while it is placed, it can automatically assign dimensions to the elements in the family.

Adaptability

Parametric families can be changed and edited in terms of materials and sizes. The family editor creates 2D and 3D families that can be parametric and non-parametric families. A change in a single family is stored as types. Non-parametric families have unique properties that cannot be altered or modified.

Modification

With Revit tools, families created can easily be modified, enabling professionals to design and build with precision.

Saves upon Time and Cost

Professionals spend less time for modification be done in Revit families. Revit family’s elements can be used for other projects in the future, and it saves time and effort on not recreating it.

Conclusion

In the AEC Industry, Revit family creation or modeling is the served as a foundation for disciplinary models such as Architectural and MEP. It increases the accuracy of the models, enables changes in components and saves time and effort. It has proven to be a cost-effective process for construction projects. Data created in families can be re-used for future use.

Written By:
Dhvani Badheka

Dhvani is an irreverent writer who has over 4 years of experience under her belt. She is a life-long learner and a quick study which provides her articles a unique insight. She is always reading, researching new materials and trying to expand her knowledge of the AEC industry so that she can create interesting and valuable content.