Revit Tip: Best Practices for Revit Family Types

Family Types are the fastest, most reliable way to deliver repeatable product configurations in Revit. Used well, they standardize geometry, metadata, and documentation across your project.

When to create a Type (not a new Family or an instance toggle):

• Manufacturer-defined sizes or catalog options (e.g., door widths, diffuser neck sizes, casework modules).
• Finish or hardware packages that recur across the project.
• Any configuration you want to schedule, tag, and QA consistently.

Set up Types for robust configurations:

• Promote varying parameters to Type parameters (dimensions, materials, booleans for options). Keep only truly unique/placement-specific inputs as Instance (e.g., elevation, host offsets).
• Name parameters clearly and group logically (Dimensions, Materials, Identity Data). Use consistent prefixes/suffixes (e.g., OPT_, FIN_, SIZE_).
• Drive geometry with reference planes and locked dimensions. Flex after every change to confirm stability.
• Control optional components with Yes/No Type parameters and Visibility settings to avoid separate families for small variations.
• Expose Material parameters as Type so each configuration renders and schedules correctly without instance overrides.
• Use formulas to maintain relationships (e.g., Thickness = Width/20; Clearance = Height - FixtureHeight). This prevents “almost right” ad hoc edits.
• Leverage the Family Type parameter to swap nested subcomponents (e.g., hardware sets, louver patterns, valve types) per Type without duplicating geometry.
• For large size matrices, implement a Type Catalog (.txt). It speeds loading, reduces file size, and prevents accidental “one-off” types in projects. Confirm units and parameter names match exactly.

Standards, naming, and documentation:

• Adopt a clear Type naming convention: FamilyName_TypeKey (e.g., Cabinet_Base_600x900_FIN-A). Include size keys and option codes you can decode in schedules.
• Populate shared parameters for Tags and Schedules (e.g., Model, Type Code, Option, Fire Rating). Map them to manufacturer data when applicable.
• Use Type Images or Type Marks for quick visual QA on sheets and in schedules.
• Lock down identity parameters that must not vary by instance (Warranty, Manufacturer URL, Assembly Code).

Performance and maintainability tips:

• Limit geometry complexity per LOD and use Coarse/Medium/Fine visibility to keep views fast.
• Avoid proliferating hundreds of near-duplicate Types—consolidate with options or a Type Catalog.
• Do not create new Types directly in projects without updating the source family in your library; maintain a single source of truth.
• Test families in a sandbox project and flex all Types before publishing to your template or library.

Quality assurance workflow:

• Create a checklist: flex dimensions, toggle visibility, verify materials, test tags, and confirm schedule fields.
• Version your families and record changes in a simple changelog parameter (e.g., Rev_Notes, Rev_Date).
• Train teams to choose Types first, then fine-tune instances. It’s faster, safer, and more consistent.

Power-user moves:

• Use Dynamo to batch-generate Types from spreadsheets, especially when seeding catalogs.
• Combine Type parameters with Global Parameters for cross-family consistency (clearances, standard heights).

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