Consider this list of requirements before creating a loadable family.
Because there are bound to be changes as you create families, the Family Editor lets you make those changes without having to start over.
- Will the family need to accommodate multiple
sizes?
For a lighting fixture that is available in several preset sizes, or a bookshelf that can be built in any length, create a standard component family. However, if you need to create a custom piece of equipment that only comes in one configuration, you may want to create it as an in-place family, instead of a loadable family.
Size variability and the degree of complexity of the object determine whether you create a loadable family or an in-place family.
- How should the family
display in different views?
The way the object should display in views determines the 3D and 2D geometry that you need to create, as well as how to define the visibility settings. Determine whether the object should display in a plan view, elevation view, and/or section views.
- Does this family require a
host?
For objects typically hosted by other components, such as a window, lighting fixture, or rebar, start with a host-based template. How the family is hosted (or what it does or does not attach to) determines which template file should be used to create the family.
- How much
detail should be modeled?
In some cases, you may not need 3D geometry. You may only need to use a 2D shape to represent the family. Also, you may simplify the 3D geometry of the model to save time in creating the family. For example, less detail is required for a wall outlet that will only be seen in interior elevations from a distance than for a door with raised panels and a sidelight that will be seen in an interior rendering.
- What is the
origin point of this family?
For example, the insertion point for a column family could be the center of the circular base. Determining the appropriate insertion point will help you place the family in a project.
- Will this family be used for a
room calculation point?
Any element that is family-based and can report what room or space is uses in schedules can have a Room Calculation Point. Doors and windows have a special form of Room Calculation Point. They have two points that lie between two adjacent rooms and can point from and to a room or space. The following family categories have a Room Calculation Point.
- Casework
- Columns
- Communication Devices
- Data Devices
- Doors
- Duct Accessory
- Duct Fittings
- Duct Terminals
- Electrical Equipment
- Electrical Fixtures
- Entourage
- Fire Alarm Devices
- Furniture
- Furniture Systems
- Generic Model
- Lighting Devices
- Lighting Fixtures
- Mechanical Equipment
- Nurse Call Devices
- Parking
- Pipe Accessory
- Pipe Fittings
- Planting
- Security Devices
- Site
- Speciality Equipment
- Sprinklers
- Structural Columns
- Structural Foundations
- Telephone Devices
- Windows