After you plan a family, your next step is to choose the template that you will base it on. When you create a family, you are prompted to select a family template that corresponds to the type of element that the family will create.
The template serves as a building block, containing the information that you need to start creating the family and that Revit needs to place the family in projects.
While most of the family templates are named according to the type of element family created from them, there are a number of templates that include one of the following descriptors after the family name:
Wall-based, ceiling-based, floor-based, and roof-based templates are known as host-based templates. A host-based family can be placed in a project only if an element of its host type is present.
Review the following template descriptions to determine which one best suits your needs.
| Template | Description |
|---|---|
| Wall-based | Use the wall-based templates to create components that will be inserted into walls. Some wall components (such as doors and windows) can include openings, such that when you place the component on a wall, it cuts an opening in the wall. Some examples of wall-based components include doors, windows, and lighting fixtures. Each template includes a wall; the wall is necessary for showing how the component fits in or on a wall. |
| Ceiling based | Use the ceiling-based templates to create components that will be inserted into ceilings. Some ceiling components include openings, so that when you place the component on a ceiling, it cuts an opening in the ceiling. Examples of ceiling-based families include sprinklers and recessed lighting fixtures. |
| Floor-based | Use the floor-based template for components that will be inserted into floors. Some floor components (such as a heating register) include openings, so that when you place the component on a floor, it cuts an opening in the floor. |
| Roof-based | Use the roof-based template for components that will be inserted into roofs. Some roof components include openings, so that when you place the component on a roof, it cuts an opening in the roof. Examples of roof-based families include skylights and roof fans. |
| Standalone | Use the standalone template for components that are not host-dependent. A standalone component can be placed anywhere in a model and can be dimensioned to other standalone or host-based components. Examples of standalone families include furniture, appliances, duct, and fittings. |
| Adaptive | Use this template to create components that need to flexibly adapt to many unique contextual conditions. For example, adaptive components could be used in repeating systems generated by arraying multiple components that conform to user-defined constraints. When you select an adaptive template, you are creating a massing family using a special family editor in the Conceptual Design Environment. |
| Line-based | Use the line-based templates to create detail and model families that use 2-pick placement. |
| Face-based | Use the face-based template to create work plane-based families that can modify their hosts. Families created from the template can make complex cuts in hosts. Instances of these families can be placed on any surface, regardless of its orientation. See Creating a Work Plane-based Family. |
| Specialty | Use a specialty template when the family requires unique interaction with the model. These family templates are specific to only one type of family. For example, the Structural Framing template can only be used for creating structural framing content. |
Don't limit your selection of a family template by category. Select the style of hosting or the behavior that is required when choosing a template, and then change the category to match the type of family needed. Additionally, some types of families require a special family template to function properly.
| To create a... | Select from the following template types... |
|---|---|
| 2D family |
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| 3D family that requires specific functionality |
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| 3D family that is hosted |
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| 3D family that is unhosted |
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