Export Families

Export Families streamlines the process of extracting family files (.rfa) from Revit projects. It provides a guided 4-step wizard with discipline presets (Architecture, Structural, MEP) that pre-select relevant categories, allowing you to quickly filter and export families to an organized folder structure. The add-in automatically handles constraint warning dialogs during export, enabling unattended batch operations.

Getting Started

Find Export Families on the Amorphous ribbon tab in the Family Tools panel.

Note

The project must be saved before exporting families. Unsaved projects cannot be processed.

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Features

• Discipline Presets - Pre-configured category selections for Architecture, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Generic disciplines
• 4-Step Wizard Interface - Intuitive step-by-step workflow from preset selection to export
• Family Type Filtering - Filter by All, Model Only, or Annotation Only families
• Organized Output Structure - Automatically organizes exports into discipline-based folder hierarchies
• Overwrite Control - Choose to overwrite existing files or skip them
• Real-time Progress - Visual progress bar with current family name during export
• Export Summary - Detailed summary showing succeeded, skipped, and failed exports
• Auto-Dismiss Dialogs - Automatically handles constraint warning dialogs during family editing
• Cancellation Support - Cancel in-progress exports with graceful handling
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Hotkeys for quick navigation through the wizard

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How to Use

Basic Workflow

1. Open a project - Open a Revit project containing families you want to export
2. Click “Export Families” on the ribbon
3. Choose discipline preset - Select a discipline to pre-select relevant categories
4. Select family type - Filter by All, Model Only, or Annotation Only
5. Review categories - Adjust pre-selected categories if needed
6. Select families - Choose which families to export
7. Set destination - Choose export folder and overwrite behavior
8. Click Export - Begin the export process

Step 1: Discipline Preset

Choose a discipline preset to automatically pre-select relevant categories:

Preset	Label	Categories Included
Manual	Manual Selection	None (start from scratch)
A	Architecture	Doors, Windows, Walls, Floors, Roofs, Ceilings, Stairs, Railings, Curtain Panels, Curtain Wall Mullions, Furniture, Casework, Columns, Entourage, Furniture Systems, Planting, Site
S	Structural	Structural Columns, Structural Framing, Structural Foundations, Structural Stiffeners, Structural Connections, Structural Rebar, Structural Fabric Areas, Structural Fabric Reinforcement, Structural Trusses
M	Mechanical	Mechanical Equipment, Air Terminals, Ducts, Duct Fittings, Duct Accessories, Flex Ducts, Mechanical Control Devices
E	Electrical	Electrical Equipment, Electrical Fixtures, Lighting Fixtures, Data Devices, Fire Alarm Devices, Nurse Call Devices, Security Devices, Telephone Devices, Communication Devices, Cable Trays, Cable Tray Fittings, Conduits, Conduit Fittings
P	Plumbing	Plumbing Fixtures, Plumbing Equipment, Pipes, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Accessories, Sprinklers, Fire Protection
G	Generic	Generic Models, Mass, Specialty Equipment, Parking

Then select a family type filter:

Filter	Description
All	Include both model and annotation families
Model Only	Include only model families (3D geometry)
Annotation Only	Include only annotation families (tags, symbols)

Step 2: Category Selection

Review and modify the pre-selected categories:

• Select All - Check all available categories
• Deselect All - Uncheck all categories
• Individual checkboxes - Toggle specific categories

Note

At least one category must be selected to proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Family Selection

Select which families to export from the filtered list:

• The family count displays in the header (e.g., “42 families”)
• Select All - Check all families in the list
• Deselect All - Uncheck all families
• Families are filtered by your category selection and family type filter

Tip

If you have many families, use discipline presets and category filtering to narrow down the list before selecting specific families.

Step 4: Export Location

Configure the export destination and behavior:

Option	Description	Default
Destination folder	Where to save exported families	Downloads\Family Export
Overwrite existing	Replace existing .rfa files with same name	Selected
Skip existing	Keep existing files, only export new families	-

Click Browse to select a custom destination folder.

During Export

While exporting:

• Progress bar shows overall completion percentage
• Current family name displays above the progress bar
• Cancel button allows you to stop the operation mid-export

The add-in automatically dismisses constraint warning dialogs that may appear when opening families for editing.

Export Summary

After export completes, a summary shows:

Statistic	Description
Total	Number of families attempted
Succeeded	Families exported successfully
Skipped	Families skipped (already exist with Skip behavior)
Failed	Families that could not be exported (with error details)

Click Open Folder to navigate directly to the export location.

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User Interface

Wizard Dialog

The dialog follows a 4-step wizard pattern:

Element	Description
Step indicator	Shows current step and total steps (1-4)
Discipline chips	Single-letter buttons for quick preset selection
Family type chips	Filter between All, Model Only, Annotation Only
Category list	Checkboxes for selecting categories
Family list	Checkboxes for selecting individual families
Select All / Deselect All	Bulk selection buttons
Browse button	Opens folder picker for destination
Overwrite/Skip radios	Control file conflict behavior
Back / Next buttons	Navigate between steps
Export button	Begins the export (Step 4 only)
Progress bar	Shows export progress
Cancel button	Stops in-progress export

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Step	Action
M	1	Select Manual preset
A	1	Select All family types
N	1	Select Annotation Only
O	4	Select Overwrite existing
S	4	Select Skip existing
Enter	All	Proceed to next step / Export
Escape	All	Close dialog

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Output Folder Structure

Families are organized into a discipline-based hierarchy:

[Destination Folder]/
└── [Project Name]/
    ├── Model Families/
    │   ├── A - Architecture/
    │   │   ├── Door_SingleFlush.rfa
    │   │   └── Window_Fixed.rfa
    │   ├── S - Structural/
    │   │   └── Column_Steel_W.rfa
    │   ├── M - Mechanical/
    │   ├── E - Electrical/
    │   ├── P - Plumbing/
    │   └── G - Generic/
    │       └── Equipment_Generic.rfa
    └── Annotation Families/
        ├── Door_Tag.rfa
        └── Room_Tag.rfa

Organization rules:

• Model families are sorted into discipline subfolders based on their category
• Annotation families are placed in a single “Annotation Families” folder
• Categories not matching any discipline preset go to “G - Generic”

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Options & Settings

Option	Description	Default
Discipline Preset	Pre-selects categories matching the discipline	Manual Selection
Family Type Filter	Filters families by category type	All
Export Location	Destination folder for exported families	Downloads\Family Export
Overwrite Behavior	Overwrite or skip existing .rfa files	Overwrite

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Use Cases

Scenario	Recommended Approach
Export all structural families for new project	Select S - Structural preset, select all families
Extract specific door families	Manual preset, select Doors category, pick individual families
Backup all project families	Manual preset, select all categories, choose Overwrite
Export annotation families only	Any preset with Annotation Only filter
Export without replacing existing	Choose Skip for overwrite behavior
Create discipline-specific library	Use appropriate discipline preset (A, S, M, E, P)
Selective export after project cleanup	Manual preset, carefully select categories and families

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Tips & Best Practices

• Use discipline presets - Start with a discipline preset rather than Manual to save time on category selection
• Filter by family type first - If you only need model or annotation families, set the filter in Step 1 before proceeding
• Preview before export - Review the family list in Step 3 to avoid exporting unwanted families
• Use Skip for incremental exports - When updating an existing library, use Skip behavior to only export new families
• Organize by project - The automatic project name folder helps keep families organized by source project
• Close family editors first - Families that are open in the family editor may fail to export
• Batch processing - For large projects, consider running Export Families multiple times with different discipline presets

Tip

For creating office-standard family libraries, export from a well-organized template project using the appropriate discipline presets.

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Limitations

Limitation	Details
System families cannot be exported	Only editable (loadable) families are listed; walls, floors, and other system families are not available
In-place families cannot be exported	In-place families are project-specific and cannot be extracted as .rfa files; use Convert In-Place to convert and export them
Families must have valid category	Families without a FamilyCategory assigned are skipped
Project must be saved	Cannot export from unsaved projects
In-use families may fail	Families open in family editor may cause errors
Large batches are memory-intensive	Exporting hundreds of families may be slow and consume significant memory
Some dialogs not handled	Certain unusual dialog types may not be auto-dismissed

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Troubleshooting

Family not appearing in list

Possible causes:

• The family is a system family (walls, floors, etc.) which cannot be exported
• The family category doesn’t match your selected categories
• The family type filter excludes it (Model Only vs Annotation Only)

Solution: Check that the family is a loadable family with a valid category, and adjust your category selection and type filter.

Export fails for specific family

Possible causes:

• Family is open in the family editor
• Family has corrupt geometry

Solution: Close any open family editors and try again. Check the error message in the summary for specific details.

”Project must be saved” message

The project file must be saved to disk before families can be exported.

Solution: Save your project (Ctrl+S) and try again.

Constraint dialogs still appearing

While Export Families handles most constraint warning dialogs automatically, some unusual dialog types may not be recognized.

Solution: If you encounter a dialog that isn’t auto-dismissed, note the dialog text and manually dismiss it. Consider reporting the dialog text so it can be added to future versions.

Too many families to scroll through

Large projects may have hundreds of families, making the list difficult to navigate.

Solution: Use discipline presets to narrow down categories first, then select families. Consider exporting in batches by discipline.

Export is very slow

Possible causes:

• Large number of families selected
• Complex families with many constraints
• Limited system memory

Solution: Export in smaller batches using discipline presets. Close other applications to free memory. Consider exporting during off-peak times.

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Related Tools

• Convert In-Place - Convert in-place families to loadable families before exporting