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Mark Thompson

Learn how to create families using Autodesk Revit. If you are a complete beginner to an experienced user, this course will help you develop your skills and knowledge in order to create powerful Revit families.

Starting out with the basic concepts, we will go from creating basic 3D geometry to developing complex systems of formula to create dynamic and highly functional families.

Read more

Learn how to create families using Autodesk Revit. If you are a complete beginner to an experienced user, this course will help you develop your skills and knowledge in order to create powerful Revit families.

Starting out with the basic concepts, we will go from creating basic 3D geometry to developing complex systems of formula to create dynamic and highly functional families.

You will no longer feel anxious when asked to create a Revit family from scratch or to edit an already existing family in your projects. This course will give you the confidence to make the necessary changes or additions to your Revit content.

You'll also gain exclusive access to an AI assistant powered by OpenAI's custom GPT (requires ChatGPT Plus subscription). This means you can ask any questions about the course and get instant, insightful answers; making your learning journey smoother and more engaging than ever.

This course is independent of Autodesk, Inc., and is not authorized by, endorsed by, sponsored by, affiliated with, or otherwise approved by Autodesk, Inc.

Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, Autodesk Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. 2024 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • How to create revit families from scratch including furniture, doors, windows and more!
  • Understand the structure of revit families within the revit project ecosystem
  • Create basic families up to more complex parametric content
  • Ensure you build robust and error free families using a variety of advanced methods
  • Build adaptive families to apply to revit mass objects
  • Test your knowledge with an end-of-course quiz

Syllabus

Introduction
Introduction and Course Objectives
Installing Revit
Using the Course Resources
Read more
The Structure of Families within Revit
The Basic Principles of Family Creation
The Revit Family Environment
Building the Structure
Making It Parametric
Create The Geometry
Using Within a Project
Updating a Family
Loading a Family
Adding Different Geometry Types to our Family
Extrusions
Blends
Revolves
Sweeps
Swept Blends
Void Forms
Adding Complexity
Updating the Family
Levels of Detail
Enabling Visibility
Preview Visibility & View Control
Subcategories
Materials
Joining Geometry
Model Lines
Model Text
Embellishing with 2D
Flip Controls
Type Catalogues
Scheduling and Shared Parameters
Cuttable Families
Cut Voids Parameter
Family Templates and Hosting
Ceiling Based
Floor Based
Roof Based
Wall Based
Face Based
Line Based
Two Level Based
Profile Families
Curtain Panels
Changing Family Categories
Using Formula
Basic Functions and Arithmetic
Angles and Triangles
Conditional Statements
Formula with Text
Numerical Functions
Families Inside Families...or Nesting
How and Why To Nest
Shared Families
Nested Profile Families
Parametric Arrays - Part 1
Parametric Arrays - Part 2
2D Families
Detail Components
Nesting Detail Components
Detail Components from CAD
Tags
Symbols
Additional Families and Advanced Topics
Doors
Wall Wrapping
Reporting Parameters
Windows
Model In Place Families
Instance Parameter Functionality
Saving and Backup Files
Concept Massing & Adaptive Components
Revit Massing
Revit Massing Environment
Early Stage Mass Family - Part 1
Early Stage Mass Family - Part 2
Pattern Based Curtain Panel Family - Part 1
Adaptive Components
Pattern Based Curtain Panel Family - Part 2
Summary

Test your knowledge of Revit families with a selection of multiple choice questions. All answers can be found in the course.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Covers a wide range of family types, including doors, windows, and furniture, which are essential for creating detailed building models
Explores the structure of Revit families within the Revit project ecosystem, providing a foundational understanding for effective project management
Teaches how to build robust and error-free families using advanced methods, which is crucial for maintaining model integrity and accuracy
Includes instruction on using formulas with text, which may require learners to have some familiarity with Revit's formula syntax and structure
Explores adaptive components and pattern-based curtain panel families, which are useful for creating complex and customized building designs
Requires access to Revit software, which may pose a barrier to entry for some learners who do not already have a license or access to the software

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Revit Families - From Beginner to Pro with these activities:
Review Basic 3D Modeling Principles
Refresh your understanding of basic 3D modeling principles to better grasp the geometry creation techniques used in Revit families.
Show steps
  • Review fundamental concepts like extrusion, revolve, and sweep.
  • Practice creating simple 3D shapes using any 3D modeling software.
  • Familiarize yourself with coordinate systems and object manipulation.
The Revit Family Guide
Deepen your understanding of Revit families with a dedicated guide that covers various family types and techniques.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'The Revit Family Guide'.
  • Read the chapters that align with the topics covered in the course.
  • Experiment with the examples and exercises provided in the book.
Mastering Autodesk Revit
Supplement your learning with a comprehensive guide to Revit, focusing on the sections related to family creation and parametric design.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Mastering Autodesk Revit'.
  • Read the chapters related to family creation and parametric design.
  • Practice the examples and exercises provided in the book.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Create Basic Parametric Families
Reinforce your understanding of parametric design by creating a series of basic parametric families, such as a simple table or chair.
Show steps
  • Choose a simple object to model as a parametric family.
  • Define the parameters that will control the object's dimensions.
  • Create the geometry and link it to the defined parameters.
  • Test the family by changing the parameter values.
Document Your Family Creation Process
Solidify your understanding by creating a blog post or video tutorial documenting your process of creating a specific Revit family.
Show steps
  • Choose a Revit family to document the creation process.
  • Record each step of the process, including parameter creation and geometry modeling.
  • Write a clear and concise explanation of each step.
  • Publish your documentation as a blog post or video tutorial.
Design a Custom Door Family
Apply your knowledge by designing a custom door family with advanced features like wall wrapping and reporting parameters.
Show steps
  • Research different door styles and features.
  • Create a detailed design for your custom door family.
  • Model the door family in Revit, incorporating parametric features.
  • Test the family in a project to ensure it functions correctly.
Contribute to a Revit Family Library
Enhance your skills and contribute to the community by contributing to an open-source Revit family library.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source Revit family library project.
  • Identify a need for a specific type of family.
  • Create the family according to the project's guidelines.
  • Submit your family to the project for review.

Career center

Learners who complete Revit Families - From Beginner to Pro will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Building Information Modeling Technician
A Building Information Modeling Technician, often called a BIM Technician, is responsible for creating and maintaining building information models, and this course helps them to develop the very core skills they need. This course on Revit families will equip a BIM Technician with essential skills in creating and customizing parametric families, enabling more accurate and detailed models. The course's emphasis on building robust, error free families and understanding the structure of families within the Revit project ecosystem will help the BIM Technician more easily produce and manage project content. The course also prepares a BIM Technician to deal with advanced topics like nesting, adaptive components, and massing, proving to be a highly relevant resource for BIM professionals.
Architectural Drafter
An Architectural Drafter translates designs into technical drawings, and this course directly enhances their ability to create and manipulate Revit families, crucial for producing detailed building models. The course covers essential skills such as creating 3D geometry, parametric content, and adaptive families, which allows a drafter to develop accurate and efficient models, and to modify existing ones. By learning to use Revit's family editor as taught in this course, a drafter ensures that the final models adhere to project requirements. The course will also cover more advanced content such as levels of detail, materials, and formula, which will prove incredibly valuable to an architectural drafter.
Architectural Designer
An Architectural Designer develops architectural plans and designs, and this course in Revit families can enhance their ability to create and manage custom building elements. The ability to build and modify parametric Revit families enables an architectural designer to have greater control over the design process. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of creating families, from basic geometry to advanced parametric systems which leads to greater freedom in the design process. The course will help an architectural designer to utilize Revit as a more powerful design tool. Having control over the Revit families and understanding how they work is invaluable knowledge for a designer.
Interior designer
An Interior Designer focuses on the aesthetics and functionality of interior spaces, and this course provides the skills needed to customize Revit families for interior elements. This course teaches the designer to create bespoke furniture, fixtures, and other interior components within Revit, allowing them to better realize their design vision. They can use this course to develop custom families unique to their projects. The course's coverage of materials, 2D embellishments, and visibility settings can provide the interior designer with more control over the look and feel of their models. The interior designer will find the ability to design and edit Revit families to be incredibly helpful.
Mechanical Drafter
A Mechanical Drafter prepares technical drawings for mechanical components and systems, and the skills developed in this course on Revit families can enable the drafter to create custom mechanical elements within a building model. This course teaches the skills to build families from scratch, including elements such as mechanical fixtures and fittings, allowing for better integration of mechanical systems within the building design. Building robust families is an important skill when creating error free models. The drafter can use the knowledge of parametric families and detailed geometry to implement a realistic plan. Understanding the structure of families within Revit is important background knowledge for the drafter.
Construction Manager
A Construction Manager oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of construction projects, and learning Revit families helps them to better understand and manage building components within a project. The Construction Manager will benefit from a deeper knowledge of how building elements are constructed and how they can be modified for a project. This course can help a construction manager to more fully understand the complexities of a building model. The Construction Manager will be able to make more informed decisions due to their broader understanding of the project.
Civil Drafter
A Civil Drafter creates technical drawings for civil engineering projects, and this course on Revit families can prove useful for creating custom site elements, though it may not be a primary focus for them. While the course mainly focuses on building elements, it can still help the drafter better understand the overall project model. The principles of family creation, parametric design, and adding complexity can be beneficial when considering site elements within a Revit model. The course may help the civil drafter to develop a more thorough understanding of Building Information Modeling in general. Being comfortable in the Revit environment will be useful to a civil drafter. This course may be useful.
Facilities Manager
A Facilities Manager oversees the maintenance and operations of buildings and their systems, and this course on Revit families can help them manage building information more effectively. By understanding how Revit families are created and modified, they can use BIM models more adeptly for facility management. The course teaches how to build families and how to deal with existing models which gives the Facilities Manager the practical knowledge to take full advantage of a building model. This course may be useful for the facilities manager.
Project Manager
A Project Manager is responsible for the overall success of a project, and this course provides important information about how a BIM model is put together. The course covers many aspects of creating and editing building elements. A Project Manager can use their knowledge of the Revit environment to better manage project deliverables. The Project Manager will gain a deeper perspective into the modeling process. This course may be useful for the project manager.
Set Designer
A Set Designer creates the environments for film, television, and theatre productions, and while this field may not traditionally use Revit, the skills learned in this course can translate to 3D modeling for set design. This course focuses on building objects with customizable parameters, and so a set designer can use this knowledge to design 3D models for sets. The course will provide a set designer with the skills to make detailed 3D designs. The course may be useful for a set designer who is working with 3D modeling.
Product Designer
A Product Designer creates new products to meet a specific need, and the skills developed in this course may be helpful in the design process. The parametric design techniques taught in this course may be useful when creating a physical product. This course will cover how to make complex 3D forms which can be valuable to a product designer when they are designing an object. The course may be useful for the product designer.
Exhibition Designer
An Exhibition Designer creates an environment for exhibits, and this course may be useful in developing the designer's 3D modeling skills. The course focuses on building families, and an exhibition designer may find the core principles useful when designing fixtures and fittings for an exhibition. The parametric modeling in this course may be useful. This course may be useful.
Urban Planner
An Urban Planner develops plans and strategies for the growth and development of urban areas, and this course may help support their understanding of 3D models, though it will not directly apply to their work. Concepts such as adaptive parameters and massing will help them to better understand how objects and spaces can be altered. Understanding the Revit environment may help them to better understand how designs are implemented. This course may be useful for the urban planner.
Landscape Architect
A Landscape Architect designs outdoor spaces, and while this course focuses on building elements, it may be useful to developing a broader knowledge of BIM. The concepts in this course will help the landscape architect to engage with BIM models generally. The parametric and 3D modeling skills learned here may prove useful. This course may be useful for the Landscape Architect.
Real Estate Developer
A Real Estate Developer manages the process of developing and constructing buildings, and this course may provide a foundational understanding of building model components. The course will provide valuable insight into how a building is modeled and how the different parts and pieces fit together. Understanding how models are designed can help a developer engage with project documentation. This course may be useful for the real estate developer.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Revit Families - From Beginner to Pro.
Provides a comprehensive guide to Autodesk Revit, covering a wide range of topics from basic modeling to advanced techniques. It serves as an excellent reference for understanding the underlying principles of Revit and its various features. This book is particularly helpful for those looking to deepen their knowledge of Revit families and parametric design. It is commonly used as a textbook in academic settings.
Focuses specifically on Revit families, providing in-depth explanations and practical examples. It covers a wide range of family types and techniques, making it a valuable resource for both beginners and experienced users. This book is more valuable as additional reading than it is as a current reference. It is helpful in providing background and prerequisite knowledge.

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