Type Catalog - Family Type Parameter and Missing Spaces

This is for the Department of I could kick myself or Dept. of why can't I remember this.

These are two images of the same Type Catalog, one works and the other doesn't. The key location of the issue/difference is marked in yellow. This first one won't work.

Two little spaces on either side of the colon, like this: Family Name : Family Type.

Note to self, remember this next time around knucklehead!

Type Catalog - Just say NO to Load Into Project

If you are working on a family that uses a type catalog then these two buttons are bad!

Bad buttons!

Youz buttons are buttons non grata.

The same is true for the Edit Family button and right-click Edit Family option. Don't use them on families that use a Type Catalog because all the types that are in use get loaded into the version of the family that opens in the Family Editor. That's kind of counter productive.

This Family uses a Type Catalog

A family that has a type catalog must be loaded properly, either with Load Family while placing a component or via Load from Library, or using a right click > reload in the Project Browser.

If you don't select at least one type from a catalog Revit will load the default type, don't do it. Select at least one type to reload or load. Don't drag and drop from Windows Explorer either.

A family that has a type catalog really ought to only have one "default" type. Lately I have settled on using the name: "This family uses a Type Catalog". If I find that type in a project I know it has been loaded at least once improperly. That type will never appear in the project if the catalog is used.

Do NOT use Edit Family (from inside a project) with families that have type catalogs, it puts all the loaded types from the project in the family. If you edit a family that uses a Type Catalog and it has a bunch of types "inside" it either wasn't cleaned up well or someone used Edit Family from a project. Related to this is, do NOT use Load into Project while working on the family, it does not look for or offer the type catalog and you end up with the default type in the project.

An earlier post included most of this but I decided it bears repeating, separately.

Working with Type Catalogs

I recently replied to a question about type catalogs at RevitForum with this stream of consciousness set of comments. I thought it made sense to drop them here too since they mostly work outside of that of context too. I have altered (and added) a bit here and there to make more sense outside the context of that conversation. Here we go:

Many people like to use Excel to edit type catalogs though it is not required to do so and I usually don't bother. You can just edit the information in a text editor, Notepad ++ is a cool free one.

A Type Catalog does not technically need all the parameters that are part of the family, only the ones that vary from type to type. Values that are not in the Type Catalog will be passed on to the family from the default family type. For example you could put height, width and depth in the type catalog only if those are the only values that really change for each type. A type catalog can be quite simple to manage (without involving CSV files) when you only include the necessary values.

The new export family types feature is quite nice to make sure you have the parameters and units properly defined, especially for MEP content. It does not put parameters in a logical order, at least not one that I find satisfying. It also exports all the parameters in the family types dialog and I don't always want them all but it is easy to remove the ones I don't need.

A Type Catalog can include instance parameter values, these are the default value assigned to the parameter, the user can still change them once they are in the project, like any other instance parameter.

If 24 inches is a more useful input value than 2'-0" a type catalog will allow that even if the units in the family or project are assigned to feet and fractional inches. Just change the ##units from Feet to Inches.

Earlier I wrote that Excel is not necessary and that I don't usually use it. I do use Excel (and CSV files) to change column order because that IS a lot easier to do with it. A friend says that we can see the "matrix" when we look at the .txt file, so we don't need Excel. I save the work as a CSV file and then change the extension to .TXT. You have to delete the older txt file first. I don't bother to keep the CSV around. If I need a CSV again I just open the TXT type catalog file directly with Excel and set the delimiter options. Revit only cares about the .TXT file so no point confusing others with a pile of "irrelevant" files in the library folder.

I put the parameters (reorder them) that match the family type name in front of the list (first columns) in the catalog in the order of the naming in the type name, like 600H 800W 150D. So 600,800,150 are the very first values after the type name. I only include values that we want to set during loading and put dimensional values before informational values (text).

Related Family Interaction Advice

A family using a type catalog must be loaded properly, either with Load Family while placing a component or via Load from Library, or using a right click > reload in the Project Browser.

Do not use Edit Family (from inside a project) with families that have type catalogs, it puts all the loaded types from the project in the family. A family that has a type catalog really ought to only have one "default" type. Lately I have settled on using the name: "This family uses a Type Catalog". If I find that type in a project I know it has been loaded at least once improperly. That type will never appear in the project if the catalog is used.

Do not use Load into Project while working on the family, it does not look for or offer the type catalog.

Family Type as Type Catalog Flag

I don't see this technique used much but it is a pretty good way to let a user know that a family is supposed to be loaded with a Type Catalog. I was reminded of this by a thread at the RevitForum.org which also pointed to another thread at AUGI.

It's easy, create one "default" type in a family that uses a Type Catalog but instead of "default" use a more descriptive name like, "Family Is Not Loaded Correctly" or "This Family Uses a Type Catalog" or "You Should find the Type Catalog"... get the idea?

When you gaze over a list of families in the project browser you'll see that a family was loaded at least once without the type catalog because your "default" special name will be among the types listed there.

Create a Type Catalog

There is a relatively new feature available to create a type catalog automatically. Anyone who has tried to deal with this task using Revit MEP can relate to the awkwardness of trying to define the units for each parameter properly. The syntax and names used don't necessarily leap to mind.

If you visit the Application Menu > Export you'll find the Family Types option.

This does not create a perfect type catalog. By perfect I mean it may provide more parameters than you really intend to use in the catalog. That's because it will export them all. We often only provide the critical or most relevant values in a type catalog and leave others as default settings that all types will share. It works great if you want them all though.

Just to quibble though, I think that the name of the command ought to be Export > Type Catalog instead of Family Types. It would be more consistent with what the resulting file is called and used for, a Type Catalog.

Family Type Parameter Gotcha

Two quick items:

Item 1: When you try to create a parameter using the Type of Parameter: Family Type...

you have to choose a category.

If you don't have the family you intend to connect this parameter to yet Revit asks you if you want to load one now.

If you choose Yes you get to go find it and load it. If you choose No Revit bails out and doesn't finish creating the parameter.

Silly. Let me create my parameters please, I can load the other stuff whenever I'm ready.

Item Two: Revit 2012 offers a export option to create a Type Catalog from your existing family content. Just open a family and using the Application Menu > Export > Family Types (remember to scroll down to the bottom).

Bummer though...it doesn't work for the Type of Parameter: Family Types... Thanks to Aaron Maller and RevitForum.org for the heads up on this one!

Dept. of Subtle - Type Catalogs and Quotation Marks

I was recently asked to provide a couple sample family files that used Type Catalogs and imperial units. I made them and shipped them off. I got a reply back shortly thereafter asking about some odd behavior. Here's what one Type Catalog looked like:

,Length##LENGTH##FEET,Width##LENGTH##FEET,Height##Length##FEET
2'0"x 2'0x 2'6",2'0,2'0,2'6
3'0"x 3'0x 3'0",3'0,3'0,3'0
4'0"x 4'0x 3'0",4'0,4'0,3'0
5'0"x 5'0x 4'0",5'0,5'0,4'0

If you look closely you'll see that I left out the "inch" mark for the middle dimensions of the Type Name. I didn't do it on purpose. When I load the family I get this dialog:

When I realized (more accurately, was asked why...) I left the "inch" marks out I fixed it. The result was this:

The Type Names were squished together into two types instead of four. Curious. The answer lurks in The Families Guide (separate download, not in Help unfortunately). Methinks that the Families Guide ought to be available in the same online format as the rest of the help documentation too!

Listed among the rules on page 85 of the Creating a Type Catalog chapter is:
You can use single or double quotes. If you are using double quotes, you need to enter "" for Revit Architecture to understand it as double quotes.

All I had to do was add a second set of " marks to the middle Type Name. I could also use two single quotes instead. If you get some weirdness with Type Catalogs take a quick trip to the "rules". The fixed file looks like this:

,Length##LENGTH##FEET,Width##LENGTH##FEET,Height##Length##FEET
2'0"x 2'0""x 2'6",2'0,2'0,2'6
3'0"x 3'0""x 3'0",3'0,3'0,3'0
4'0"x 4'0""x 3'0",4'0,4'0,3'0
5'0"x 5'0""x 4'0",5'0,5'0,4'0

Revit doesn't seem to mind the others but technically I should add the extra quotation marks to the others too.