REVIT Families - Bones, Brains, Balance and Body

Steve Stafford recently posted a suggested method of 'naming' the three main processes involved in creating families while in the 'family editor'. Made perfect sense. He reduced the family creating process to Bones, Muscle, and Skin. Reducing is good. I started using that terminology because it helps people get around the most important 'process' much easier and then allows valuable energy to be applied on making cool families.

Steve's original suggested process naming:

Bones = Reference Planes

Muscle = Dimensions, Labels/Parameters, Automatic Sketch Dimensions

Skin = Solids/Voids and Symbolic Linework

So now, for me it has evolved to become the 'Four B's' or simply put '4B' approach.

Here is my new (ever evolving) family creating 4B approach and it is VERY important to maintain the order in which it is laid out.

Bones = Family Template and Category, Named and Unnamed Reference Planes, Reference Lines, Reference Levels

Brains = Dimensions, Labels/Parameters (w/formulas), Automatic Sketch Dimensions, Pins, Arrays, (w/labels), Groups, Nested Families

Balance = Flex the Brains and Bones (and keep flexing)

Body = Solids/Voids, Model Lines, Symbolic Lines, Masking Regions, Annotation and Detail Components . . .

So when you want to start making familes you can use the obove approach (in that order) and it will help make life much easier. I think most people are like me and they get excited when making familes and jump ahead to the 'Body' part right away and that causes problems. RESIST !

Thank you Steve . . . . just point me in the right direction.