In Revit, when saving a family from within the family editor the file size might not be as good as one might expect. Let’s say you start working with a family weighting 192kb and after a lot of playing around, doing and undoing geometry, changing parameters and what not, you decide to save the family. Since you ended up just adding a couple bits of geometry and some parameters, you don’t expect the file size to increase for more than 20kb, if that. But when you look at the file size of the family you just saved, your heart skips a bit – okay, maybe not. Still you might end up being surprised that the file size is now close to 900kb.

You know that can’t be right. You’ve done or seen families done by others more complex that weren’t half the (file) size of the one you just saved. So what gives? Is there a secret formula to building light weight geometry in the family editor?

No, nothing so intriguing. The problem is with the Revit family editor. It has been there since at least the 2008 series, and up to today. And there is a workaround.

The Workaround

Saving the family with the Save As command and giving it a different name¹ always works to get you the smallest file size possible. That family that we were playing with, now slimmed down to 204kb. That’s a nice file size, and you save yourself from the fat-bits that would otherwise end up in your project.

Then, if you started with the right name for the family, most likely, Save As again to rename it back to the original name.

Up until and including the 2009 series, there was little else you could do. With 2010 and beyond, a plugin could do the dirty work for you. The solution should come from the Factory, though. At least three releases sport the problem. About time it gets fixed. Since it’s Chrismas Eve, I’ll make this one wish.

And for everyone else, merry Christmas!

¹ Sometimes is enough to use the Save As and keep the same name, but often is not, so better to rename.

Established for over 80 years, Manitowoc is synonymous with creating dependable yet innovative cranes. With their cranes sold and serviced in five continents, Manitowoc pride themselves on adapting to the needs of their customers, wherever in the world they may be. Admirably, they shun ‘planned obsolescence’, and often find themselves working with customers who have been using the same equipment for over 20, 30 or even 40 years. These factors will undoubtedly keep Manitowoc at the top of their game for many years to come.

Base cab detail — note the Andy figures to provide scale – get your own Andy here

Manitowoc 888 Ringer with attached luffing jib (back) and with boom only (front)

Shown above is the first of a series of three Manitowoc lattice cranes we will be producing. Both Tracie Sherlock and myself will be enjoying working on these.

Taking roughly 35 hours to complete, the model required a number of separate families to be nested into the main base cab, with a complex array making up the adjustable boom and jib arms.

Cab and boom base (left) and boom head (right)

Boom head detail

The model accurately reflects the real-world configurations of a Manitowoc Ringer crane, with the user being able to choose between a single boom, an attached fixed jib, or an attached luffing jib. We also plan to add both heavy-lift and long-reach boom tops.

Boom with optional boom point

Boom with attached fixed jib

Boom with attached luffing jib

All three crane options are available in the same family, with a simple tick-box selection system

To ensure the physical stability of a crane, the boom and jib length – as well as their angle from vertical – is strictly controlled. We have made sure that this is accurately reflected: any configuration which would cause instability in the real-world crane is not available in the Revit model. This will allow our client to accurately test the manoeuvrability and simulate the placement of cranes in very large scale projects.

Manitowoc 888 Ringer - Luffing jib

Our next two packs – Charlotte Pipe Plastic Fittings and UK Yorkshire Copper Pipe Fittings – will be posted tomorrow, so make sure to take a look.

Hope you liked the cranes – your comments are more welcome! Are there any non-standard families that would help you in large-scale projects? If you would be interested in these families or would like to talk to us about how we can help you and your company with Revit content, make sure to drop us a line on contact@andekan.com.

Bradley Corporation has long been the world leader in eco-friendly washroom solutions, boasting one of the world’s widest ranges of commercial plumbing products. Walk into any branch of Wal-Mart, Lowe’s or an office of General Motors and chances are you’ll see Bradley fixture in their rest room. Bradley is known for providing the most innovative products in their field and Andekan – the world leader in Revit innovation – is proud to be the supplier of their Revit content.

Frequency® Lavatory System FL-3L

Frequency® Lavatory System FL-3H

Bradley Express® Lavatory System SS-3N

Bradley Express® Lavatory System MG-3

Bradley Advocate™ Lavatory Systems LA30

Bradley Advocate™ Lavatory Systems LA30

Bradley Express® Lavatory System SS-1N

Bradley Navigator® Mixing Valve EFX60, EFX25

Keep checking our blog, as the next update will include information on one of our most ambitious models to date: fully parametric Manitowoc cranes!