Adding information to an imported Revit Family Model

[PotGuy]

Hey all,

 

I'm currently setting up a Revit Family for work. However, this is my first family and I need a few pointers:

 

First off the current family models were made from a few 3D Models that were imported to AutoCAD following this method: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Autodesk-Revit-MEP/Visibility-Problem-with-Linked-DWG/m-p/2551504/highlight/true (I used Method 1)

 

Does a Revit Family work as individual files or as one large file. My guess would be the former.

 

How should I best set up a Revit family?

 

How do I add information such as a Part Number?

 

Any other advise you can give me is appreciated. While I can't post pictures or the like I can try and answer your question the best I can.

 

 

 

Duncan.

Edited September 4, 2013 by PotGuy
Linky added

[PotGuy]

Can anyone confirm whether I'm right in thinking that an imported dwg model has less functionality than one made in Revit...?

 

If so, how restrictive is it?

 

The 3D model(s) are all beams, with hole dia; and other details drawn in AutoCAD and imported to Revit.

[tzframpton]

Everyone in the Revit community strongly and I mean strongly discourages any use of DWG importing. At my company, as well as most companies, we strictly forbid any use of DWG imports inside of Families.

 

Revit can produce anything visually that AutoCAD can do. Some things better, some things not better. Revit Structural families are very intuitive and there's simply no logical reason at all to use AutoCAD imports for anything related to a structural design.

 

Post up a screenshot, or the AutoCAD file, or link to some submittal material and I'll be glad to guide you through exactly what you'd need to do.

 

Can anyone confirm whether I'm right in thinking that an imported dwg model has less functionality than one made in Revit...?

 

If so, how restrictive is it?

"Less functionality" is an extreme understatement. it's not functional at all. Nor is it easily controllable through Object Styles, Visibility/Graphics or any type of override. It's simply best to use DWG import as a very, very last resort, only once all other possible scenarios have been exhausted. Having said that, the bar that sets the "last resort" benchmark should be almost out of sight.

[PotGuy]

Cheers Frampton (Stykeface!)

 

The reason we were thinking of using a dwg and importing it into Revit was to save some time as they had been drawn in AutoCAD already, but it seems now we may model again it Revit, as only now have we begun to see how useless a dwg import is for anything like families.

 

 

EDIT: I suppose you could say I was saved from AutoCAD.

 

Everyone in the Revit community strongly and I mean strongly discourages any use of DWG importing. At my company, as well as most companies, we strictly forbid any use of DWG imports inside of Families.

 

I think we may follow suit once we get our blocks sorted for Revit

Edited September 5, 2013 by PotGuy

[PotGuy]

As a bit of closure, it looks like we'll draw up the blocks we need from scratch.

 

Cheers Frampton!