Summon Revit Family Browser

The following process has 2 parts:

• Export family data with DynamoBIM
• Read exported family data from a Website

First, a DynamoBIM script batch opens Revit families in a directory to export FBX models, 3D Views as images, and a JSON with parameter information.

Second, we used vanilla HTML and JavaScript to read all output coming from Revit and organize it in a web page. We made it as simple as possible without using any frameworks or servers. In fact, the site does not look very pretty for the same reason. Check out the website here.

There are many use cases for this. The main intention is to avoid opening Revit to review families. From this work, other ideas can derive such as, creating a family browser of the OOTB Revit content per release. Also, the same can apply to your company's family library.

The script, "ExtractFamilyDataFromDirectory.dyn" has been tested in Revit 2020 and DynamoBIM 2.3. There is one python node that does most of the heavy lifting to avoid custom packages. The main idea is to loop through a directory of families to batch open them and while opened perform a series of tasks in the family editor programmatically. Those series of tasks can be exporting alphanumeric or geometry data as well as adding new parameters to the family.

This experiment has not been tested extensively and you should used it with care and under your own risk. For instance, it may not work with 2D families. If all of that is fine with you, clone the repo below and have fun.

Notes: Delete the content under the "output_families" folder and feel free to add new family files to the "input_families" folder. Also, in Dynamo, directory paths will need to be updated to be in the context of your local machine. Finally, use VSCode to run "index.html" via Open with live Server.