Specification Importer

Click buttons on image below to explore...

Family Library Colour by Spec Status Colour by Family Version Reset Colour Clear Data Help IconBIM Add-In for RevitŪ

This routine searches all the Families and Family Types in the current project for an IconSystem URL matching the Specs & Standards website that the IconBIM Add-In is currently configured too work with. Where there are matches, the Add-In pulls the corresponding data down from the website then creates and populates family Type Parameters accordingly.

If any matching links are found, a progress indicator reports 'Importing x of y' families whilst the routine runs. If, during this process, a 'Family Version Number(s) Not Set, Update to Latest Version?' dialogue box pops up, please refer to the next section below.

One the process has completed, you will get a message stating 'Specification data has been successfully imported...'. If there no families containing a matching IconSystem URL, a message will be displayed stating that No Families include the URL.

Note that the first time you run the routine it will take a while to complete. This is due to the time it takes to bind an initial set of Type Parameters to the Families. Once the Type Parameters exist in the Families the Specification Importer runs significantly quicker.

Assuming the import was successful, select a Family that you have downloaded with the Family Library, click the Edit Type button and you should see the Type Properties now populated with the data from the Specs & Standards website:

IconSystem Revit Integration - Family Library Add-In

In the Other section, new parameters have been created automatically and populated with the specification information. These parameters and the information they contain can be used in Schedules created within Revit or exported to other programs as required.

Family Version Number(s) Not Set, Update to Latest Version?

In certain circumstances, i.e. when opening up Revit Projects that were not created using the IconBIM Family Library, the Families contained in a project are likely NOT to have the IconFamilyVersion Type Parameter set correctly, or set at all. If this is the case, the Specification Importer will prompt the user with the following message:

Family Version Number(s) Not Set, Update to Latest Version?

In this situation the Add-In is unable to know where the Families originated from or what Family Version they might be; it is therefore up to the user to decide how to approach the situation. There are the three options:

  • First, if you are completely confident that you are working with the latest Family Versions, click Yes to have the latest version numbers added to the Families.
  • Next, if you are not sure if they are the latest Family Versions, but want to get the Specification Data imported into the families, click No to have the Family Version set to 1.
  • Finally, by clicking Cancel, all Families without a Version Number will be ignored by the Specification Importer and no data will be imported into them.

If you choose the second option and set the Family Versions to 1 it is then good practice to run the Colour by Family Version routine. If out-of-date Families are identified you can then use the CAD File Downloader to get the latest Families from the Specs & Standards website. If these are them drag-and-dropped into the Revit Project, redefining the existing Families, you can be sure that the latest versions are in your Project. This will allow you to re-run the Specification Importer and be confident when clicking Yes to have the latest version numbers added to the Families.